text:
Sunday, January 27, 2013
How I Became General George Marshall and a Television Star
in The People's Republic of China
The Dream of the Tan Flower
Larry Engelmann
January 1989
Getting ready for my closeup!
I received a telephone call from Mr. Wu late in the morning. He said he had to see me right away. It was urgent. When I asked him what it was about he said he couldn't tell me on the phone. He had to come up to my apartment and tell me in person. I told him to come up.
Wu Yingen -- Mr. Wu -- was not the superintendent of my apartment building in Nanjing. He, nevertheless, did everything that needed doing -- and more -- inside as well as outside the building. If I found myself suddenly without hot water or electricity -- a not uncommon experience in the People's Republic of China last year --then I simply summoned Mr. Wu. If I needed a good tailor or barber or cobbler, Mr. Wu had his name and address. If I needed hotel accommodations in Shanghai or Beijing or Tianjin Mr. Wu arranged it. If I wanted anything -- a plane ticket or a train ticket or a taxi -- Wu was the man to see. If I had a package at the post office that needed to be picked up, I went to Wu. Not only would he pick it up for me, it was also quite obvious that, before it was delivered, he opened the package and examined the contents before rewrapping it, often somewhat carelessly. Several times, after he'd taken letters from me to mail at the post office half a mile away, he asked me about the names of people I'd mentioned in my sealed letters under the pretext of wishing to learn more colloquial English. "Is Kiki another way of saying 'Erika' in English?' he asked after returning from the post office one afternoon. Erika/Kiki is my youngest daughter. And on another occasion, "Mr. Larry, who is Mr. Ralph? And why do you worry about him?" Ralph, mentioned in a letter to my daughter, was my dearly beloved and faithful dog. Mr. Wu seemed not at all embarrassed to let me know he read my incoming and outgoing mail. After all, as he was fond of saying, it was his country and I was merely another "foreign expert" come to visit for a few months. There were several times, however, when Mr. Wu clearly slipped up and after reading the mail of residents of our apartment building, put the letter back into the wrong envelope. We American residents, consequently, were occasionally surprised to receive a letter from a parent or sibling that began with someone else's name, such as "Dear Sam" and proceeded to fill us on on the weather in Massachusetts when the writer had lived all of his life in Minnesota. One afternoon, during lunch, one of my friends received a letter from his mother that had been written in Swedish! Odd, he thought, since his mother did not speak a word of Swedish and had never been east the state of Ohio. Wu's English, although almost competent, was usually punctuated with grammatical and logical errors. He was the author, he confidentially boasted to me once, of the huge banner stretched across the front of my apartment building on the afternoon I arrived in Nanjing. It proclaimed, WARMLY WELCOME FOREIGN EXPERTS and HOT WATER 24 HOURS EACH DAY STARTING AT 8 AM. With Mr. Wu, wonders and audacity were without limit.
Mr. Wu stood five feet two inches in his worn and archless People's Liberation Army surplus khaki sneakers. Yet he had a distinctive authoritative strut to his walk, a peculiar pseudo-military affectation that gave him the illusion of being larger and stronger than he actually was. Although I am more than a foot taller than Mr. Wu and I have to look down into his eyes when I talk to him, I often have the strange sensation that he is looking down into my eyes. It is one of the more obvious of the several survival qualities that have served Wu so well over the years in the People's Republic of China, a nation of sharply shifting political winds: he can project or retract stature to suit the moment.
Over time, Mr. Wu's seemingly ubiquitous and sometimes creepy presence, led several foreign experts to request a "job description" for the man from an expected "higher authority" within the university where we were employed to teach. There was no response to the request. We learned later from our students that Wu's position was that of "political commissar." And as for the chain of command, we were told, Wu had been head of the Red Guards during the early days of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in 1966-67 and had one afternoon following a rally, lead a group of his fellow Red Guards to the office of the man who was now allegedly his superior in the university, seized him at his desk and flung him out a second story window. The man survived, barely. And after the death of Mao the man returned to teaching and administering in the University. Yet, despite his own job title, it was clear to us who wielded real power in the university and who did not.
Wu has a rich mane of jet black hair that he parts on the right side and teases to droop rakishly across his forehead and temple. His large rheumy brown eyes twinkle brightly when he was delighted and turn away instantly when he was displeased. His slightly fractured English is delivered in rapid and clipped phrases like someone reading a textbook out loud for the first time. His tone is even and serious until he says something remotely humorous. Then he pauses for a moment, tips his head back slightly, and touches off his carefully calibrated, high-pitched staccato laugh, like that of a mechanical doll or a politician. Wu's Chinese is equally hurried, clipped, unusually loud and punctuated with interjections like "Lau hau!" and "Lau da!" --the peculiar patois of Shanghai. The Chinese who speak the official elegant northern Mandarin dialect or the more melodious and tonal Cantonese of south China describe the speech of the Shanghainese like Wu as "Tse-tse, tsa-tsa" -- a clucking, clattering noise. The Shanghainese pay little attention to such derogatory descriptions. They are, after all, the "New Yorkers" of China; they are notoriously outspoken in their self-praise, describing themselves as more stylish, cultured, cosmopolitan and intelligent than their fellow countrymen. What they call culture, however, Beijing and Guangzhou call conceit.
I have seen Mr. Wu in many different parts of this city. I have seen him walking, or on a bicycle or in a taxi. And on a couple of occasions I have seen him leave and return in a large chauffeured limousine with curtains in the windows. I have seen him in the halls late at night -- after midnight -- and I have seen him outside performing Tai Chi before 6:00 in the morning. I have seen him listening in on telephone conversations and writing down the return addresses from letters that he distributes for the postman. I have never seen him asleep or tired. I have never seen him yawn. He is always busy. And when Mr. Wu takes time out from his busy schedule to see me, it is never unimportant.
I opened my door slightly and awaited his familiar triple rap and affable salutation, "Hello, Mr. Lar-ly. Are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here, Mr. Wu, come in," I responded.
Mr. Wu prefers to bury his real business in his third or fourth question.
"How are you feeling?"
"Is the cold weather bothering you?"
"No. I just wear a sweater under my sweatshirt."
"Would you like to be a television star?"
"Would I what?"
"Would you like to be a television star?"
Wu reached out and grabbed my hand, like someone congratulating a new father. "Would you like to be a television star, Mr. Lar-ly? There is a television production company here from Shanghai making a television series on Chinese history. The producer is a friend of mine. He called me for help. He needs someone to play General Marshall -- General George Marshall. You know, Marshall-Plan Marshall! I told them you could play General Marshall. Do you want to be a big television star and play General Marshall."
"Well," I said, suddenly disoriented by this proposal. "I guess so. But I've never acted before."
"Oh, anybody can act," Mr. Wu said. "They'll be here to pick you up at 3:00 PM. Be downstairs."
Before I could ask another question Mr. Wu was out the door and starting down the hall.
"Mr. Wu," I yelled. "How long will this take? What should I wear?"
"Not long," he said without looking back. "What you have on," he said, disappearing down the stairs.
When I went downstairs at 3:00 PM, there was Mr. Wu, smiling broadly and his eyes twinkling, standing with two young men in leather jackets, Levis and dark glasses who studied me carefully as I approached. When I was only a few steps away they turned to Mr. Wu and patted him on the back. "Lau hau!" they said to Mr. Wu. "Lau hau!"("Excellent!") Then they turned to me and said in unison, "Once more, warmly welcome to China, General Marshall. Warmly welcome." We all laughed. Mr. Wu saluted me and then escorted the three of us out the door.
Wu arranged for three other Americans to make their screen debut in this big-budget Shanghai production. While I was to play General George Marshall, Pam Yatsko of Bedford, Massachusetts, was to play Marshall's secretary, Peter Bagley of Oklahoma City, was to play Marshall's driver and James Anderson, of Guilford, Connecticut, was to play a young American diplomat or journalist, --nobody seemed quite sure which--who accompanied Marshall to China in 1946. All three of these young Americans are students at the Johns Hopkins University - Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies in Nanjing. All are fluent in Mandarin but none had ever acted before. Mr. Wu had contacted each of them and offered them parts in the film.
Pam, Peter and James had already been picked up by the two leather-jacketed production assistants, Limin and Weinian, and were waiting for us, scrunched together in the rear fold-down seat of a Chinese microbus, a vehicle propelled by a motorcycle engine and with a seating capacity slightly less than that of an old Volkswagen Beetle. I squeezed into the back seat, partly on and partly beside the other three Americans, Limin and Weinian jumped in the front seat and raced north up Zhongshan Beilu, one of the main avenues of Nanjing, honking constantly at pedestrians and other drivers, weaving in and out of the traffic of bicycles, automobiles, rattling, articulated-buses, trucks, wagons and workers jogging up and down and across the street with huge baskets and bundles tied on the ends of long bamboo poles. During the twenty-minute race to the set, Limin and Weinian chatted with each other in Shanghainese and in a pretty good imitation of Mandarin tried to fill us in on the details of the production in which we were to make our screen debut.
The film, the explained, was part of an important mini-series being made Shanghai Television(STV), the second largest television network in China. The chief producer of the series is Xu Junhai and the director is Xia Xiaomin, both men well-known for their successful, lavish and dramatic productions in the past decade.
STV produces 80 programs a year and the 12-part series currently being filmed, we were told, was to be the centerpiece and the most costly production of next season. The mini-series was budgeted at 600,000 Yuan(the official exchange rate in the PRC is 3.7 Yuan to the dollar; the unofficial black market rate is 7.1 to the dollar) and our episode, the seventh of the twelve was expected to cost about 65,000 Yuan.
The series was titled "The Dream of the Tan Flower"("Tan Hua Meng") and was adapted from a best-selling book of the same title by Chen Juan, a Hong Kong writer who grew up in Nanjing. It deals primarily with the last years of the Kuomintang --the Chinese Nationalists and Chiang Kai-shek -- on the mainland of China and in their capital at Nanjing. A "tan flower," we learned later, is a Chinese flower that blossoms once and then only very briefly. After that it dies. As far as we could find, there is no exact English translation for "tan flower." The term is used idiomatically by the Chinese to refer to anything that is fragile and fleeting. Roughly speaking it may mean "a flash in the pan."
We learned later that the series is intended as a visual centerpiece in the rewriting of history that was taking place in those heady days in China just before the flowering of the democracy movement and its premature death at Tiananmen Square in June. There are two reasons for the revision, one having to do with the international situation and the other with China's internal problems.
Internationally, the PRC at that time was gearing up rapidly for a solution to the "Taiwan problem" through peaceful reunification. In 1997 Hong Kong will be returned to Chinese control by the British and Macao in 1999 by the Portuguese. That leaves Taiwan as the last outpost to be repossessed by the Communist government here and the fulfillment of Mao Zedong's 1936 announced goal of unifying all Chinese national territories(in 1936 Taiwan was under the control of the Japanese). Outer Mongolia, Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan were the "lost territories" that Mao sought to recover.
Quite obviously, the Chinese would prefer a peaceful reunification, like that arranged for Macao and Hong Kong. With that in mind, in 1987 they began to allow tourists from Taiwan to visit the mainland. And last spring, with crowds of Taiwanese businessmen and tourists in Beijing and Shanghai and other cities, the government was trying to soften the harsh historical image of the Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang that they had fed the public, in books and speeches and films, for forty years. The winds of doctrine appeared to be shifting to suit the intention of the government.
The filmed version of "The Dream of the Tan Flower" points out that the Kuomintang, in its last years in China, faced overwhelming internal and external problems. Runaway inflation threatened the economy, and corruption permeated the government. In those years, the Kuomintang had many faces -- war lords, patriots, nationalists, brutes and profiteers. The situation was complex and the Kuomintang was not, as they are often portrayed, just a gang of thugs. Good men and women in the organization --patriots -- were forced into impossible situations by the times; people were often captives of history, in the control of events beyond their individual comprehension. "The Dream of the Tan Flower" would attempt to show how well-intentioned men and women might become prisoners of events and be led astray rather than how evil men systematically exploited and brutalized their own people. No one knew while the film was being made, how that same theme might apply, tragically, to the events of the spring and early summer in Beijing.
The other, unstated, reason for the series "No one knew while the film was being made, how that same theme might apply, tragically, to the events of the spring and early summer in Beijing."seemed obvious. Many of the problems that the Kuomintang faced paralleled roughly the problems of Deng Xiaoping's government. Inflation, unemployment, corruption and despair were all growing here; the students and workers in the streets and the public squares complained about it and the newspapers decried it. But nobody seemed capable of doing much about it at the moment. Many of the forces that derailed the Kuomintang threatened to paralyze the government of Deng and his inner circle. "The Dream of the Tan Flower" illustrated that the political and economic world is not a simple one and that patriots need time to confront, control and direct it.
After our race through the streets of Nanjing we drove through the stone arch at the entrance to a long driveway leading to a large mansion. Our segment of the miniseries was being shot in the imposing Nanjing Guest House of the Democratic Association(Minzhu Dang or M.D.). The M.D. is one of the eight political parties authorized in China before the Tiananmen massacre. The Guest House, which serves as the headquarters for the M.D., was at one time used for official functions by the Kuomintang when Nanjing was the capital of this country. The Guest House was constructed in the traditional style of Beijing's celebrated imperial buildings. It is a two story brick and stone structure with a sharply angled and ornately tiled emerald roof attached to the building with brightly painted and polished bracket sets. Inside the building, the long ceiling beams are meticulously decorated with historical scenes, fantastic animals and elegant designs in vivid vermilion, turquoise, ocher, green, ginger and gold that evoke the distant days when Chinese emperors, gentry and war lords erected similar architectural masterpieces and monstrosities throughout the Middle Kingdom.
But it is not simply the appearance of the structure that drew us back in time that afternoon. It was the group milling around in the courtyard that startled us. A full platoon of uniformed Kuomintang soldiers, all armed with rifles, was in various positions of repose as we drove up. It seemed for an instant that we had ridden in a time machine disguised as a microbus and had arrived abruptly in the midst of moment forty years ago; suddenly and without warning we had entered the stronghold of the last garrison of the Kuomintang in China. The effect was stunning. Nothing betrayed the fact that this was 1989 and not 1946. Nothing, that is, except the startled spectators crowded in the back of the microbus.
Some of the soldiers were standing around talking, others were seated on the steps or on the grass smoking cigarettes. They turned and stared at us as we carefully maneuvered our way out of the microbus and then, were escorted through their ranks and into the Guest House.
Inside, too, the scene was extraordinary. The ballroom, just separated from the entryway by an elegantly etched crystal rococo screen, was set for a banquet, with long mahogany tables on three sides of the room and stools for musicians directly across from a row of chairs placed in front of a large fireplace. At one end of the room behind one table a half dozen uniformed Kuomintang generals were seated. At the end of the table sat an actress playing Soong Meiling, the legendary beautiful wife of Chiang Kai-shek. At the other end of the room, behind a table facing the generals were their wives, dressed in formal chinese costumes for the festivities. Several chairs on one side of the fireplace were occupied by other Kuomintang generals and a female military officer. Three empty chairs, on the other side of the fire place, we were told, were for General Marshall, his secretary and an American journalist or diplomat.
The filming was suspended for a moment when we entered the room. We were introduced to producer Xu Junhai who was wearing a down jacket and a beret. James, Peter and I were ushered into an adjacent room for our costumes and makeup. Pam was taken further down the hallway to a restroom that served as her private dressing room.
James Anderson was told again that he was to be either an American journalist or an American diplomat. The producer said James was a diplomat, the director said he was a journalist the director's assistant said each at different times. But one thing was certain, no matter which of these two roles he was to play, the Chinese assumed that the get up for it would be the same -- a powder blue business suit, brown oxfords, a white shirt and tie. Peter Bagley was to play General Marshall's driver. He was given an American military uniform. The shirt he was to wear was two inches too small in the neck -- only a minor problem for the wardrobe magicians. Bagley was instructed to make a very large knot with his tie to cover the neck gap in the collar. Bagley's scene, outside, was to be filmed in semi-darkness, he was told. So there was room for error in his attire. I hoped so, since I noticed that the insignia on his uniform was from the Boy Scouts of America. But, in the semi-darkness, who could tell?
The wardrobe people seemed quite excited by the prospect of dressing me to be General George Marshall. And they believed that they had the proper uniform for me.
What was uncanny about this is that, except for Bagley's insignia, the uniforms and decorations appeared to be authentic American military issue. Later we guessed where they might have been picked up -- in Korea, perhaps, or in Vietnam in the late 1940s or in Nanjing after the Communists entered the city in April, 1949?
I was given a tan shirt that was the proper fit in the neck but was several inches too short in the sleeves. Never mind, the wardrobe man told me. The sleeves of the jacket would be long enough to cover my bare wrists. And indeed, as I tried on the jacket, amazingly, it fit almost perfectly. The pants, on the other hand, did not. They were at least ten inches too large in the waist and about two inches too long in length. A long belt and the folding of the waist band took care of the top of the pants -- the jacket, again, served to cover the ill-fitting pants. And the length was probably good, the wardroom man said, since he had no dark socks for me -- a rare oversight -- and I would have to wear my white cotton socks with a NIKE logo on the side along with a pair of black military shoes. The shoes were size 9 and I wear a size 11. It took several minutes for me to curl my toes and squeeze my feet into the old leather shoes and when they were finally on and the wardrobe people applauded, I stood up and announced that I could wear the shoes only if I did not have to walk far. They promised I would not have to walk far. Then they had me sit and pulled the pants cuffs down far enough to make sure they would hide the NIKE socks.
A few moments later, in the uniform of a five star general then, I was led off to the make-up room. Everywhere I walked(painfully) on the set after that, people seemed to snap to attention. Already, I enjoyed acting.
While we were getting into our costumes we were joined in the dressing room by Zhou Yemang, a good looking young man who plays the lead in "The Dream of the Tan Flower." Yemang has starred in a dozen other major television features and had traveled abroad to make films. He had worked in Australia and in the United States, he said, and so had several of the other performers in the company. Some of them had also played roles in Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun," which was filmed in Shanghai. The best-known of the performers, and Yemang was one of that select group, were better known and more revered in China, he said, than even Joan Chen, the celebrated expatriate actress of "The Last Emperor." They lived a life of privilege in China, with their own apartments and access to a car and a driver. They are featured regularly in stories in the newspapers and in fan magazines. Their income is very limited, by American standards, but their fame is comparable to that of an American Superstar. And their audience, in a country of more than one-billion, is several times larger. Yemang had picked up some of the affectations of American celebrities; although it was early evening and we were inside, he continued to wear his sunglasses. Whenever he took out a cigarette, someone nearby quickly stepped forward and lit it for him. I do not believe that Yemang himself even carries matches or a lighter. He has not need to. He is a star.
Yemang was joined shortly by the director, Xie Xiaomin, a slightly built and intense man who wore black Adidas sneakers, Levis and a smartly tailored leather jacket zipped nearly to the throat. Under the jacket he wore he wore an American sweatshirt and a long silk scarf. Xiaomin seemed pleased by my appearance and my agreement to play the part of General Marshall in his film. He sat down, lit his own cigarette and carefully filled us in on the story.
In 1946, he said, General Marshall had been in China trying to patch up differences between the Communists and the Kuomintang. Before he departed from Nanjing, the Kuomintang threw a party for him in the very building where the filming was taking place. Every effort had been made to make the film historically accurate. Marshall, Xiaomin said, was a fan of Chinese opera. And so the Kuomintang had arranged for a private performance by two opera stars shortly before Marshall departed for Washington. During the performance, however, someone stole General Marshall's car. The Kuomintang insisted that the car thief was a Communist, and they thereby hoped, through the incident, to embarrass both Marshall and the Communists. Xiaomin, however, said that most Chinese believed that the Kuomintang had hired someone to steal the car and tried to manipulate the incident into a major international scandal. The episode that he were filming was the story of the stolen car and Marshall's last days in Nanjing in 1946. The woman who worked as the chief make up artist for Shanghai TV was a legendary miracle worker, he said. She is "by far the best make up artist in Shanghai," Xiaomin told us. She, however, obviously chose to perform no miracles on herself. She wore no makeup at all and her own hair looked as though she had just walked through a wind tunnel before entering the building.
She sat me down in a chair, put a towel around my neck and then placed a black and white photograph of George Marshall next to me on a table. Now I look nothing like General Marshall. Nothing at all. First, I am 24 years younger than Marshall was in 1946 when the episode in Nanjing took place. Second, I am several inches taller, about ten pounds heavier, and have different coloring from Marshall.
That did not deter the make up woman. She went to work energetically, powdering my face and lining my eyes and combing my hair and continually referring to the Marshall photograph. She applied makeup for about twenty minutes, stepped back and examined her masterpiece several dozen times and then went to work again. When she was finally done, she called over the director and the producer, both pronounced he work "Lau Hau!" - Excellent -- and patted her and me on the shoulder. Then she held a mirror up to me with one hand and the photograph of Marshall with the other. Just as I had imagined, I looked like myself in makeup with my hair parted on the right rather than the left side. There was no resemblance at all between the face in the mirror and the face in the photograph. Yet when I stood up and walked onto the set, the other of the actors and actresses applauded "General Marshall."
There were no photographs available of Marshall's driver, the diplomat or journalist, or of Marshall's secretary, so the make up woman used her imagination with James, Peter and Pam. Peter and James looked fairly normal -- that is, exactly like themselves in makeup-- after a session with the make up artist. Pam presented a problem. The make up woman painted Pam's lips so red and so liberally that Pam appeared to be someone's version of a military tart rather than a general's officious secretary. Since she had no name on the set, it seemed perfectly appropriate for us to call her "Hot Lips" for the rest of the evening, a nickname she accepted in good humor -- one of the prices of stardom.
As soon as we were properly made up and ready to "act," it was announced that there would be a break in the filming. The director had just completed a rather arduous scene and the performers wanted a rest. The director suggested that his assistant take the four American performers out to a restaurant for dinner. And so in full makeup and costumes we were squeezed back into the microbus and drove several miles to a large, busy restaurant.
I can only imagine what passed through the minds of the customers of the restaurant when we walked in. Already seated in the place at that time were a group of People's Liberation Army(PLA) officers, several policemen and a score of civilians. The restaurant went suddenly silent as a five star American general, a diplomat or journalist, a military tart, a soldier with boy-scout insignia and a Chinese guide speaking Shanghainese walked in and sat down. Chinese restaurants are usually quite boisterous with conversation and laughter. This one was dead silent. We sat down and still the only noise in the restaurant was some animated whispering. I suspect that somewhere in the restaurant, perhaps back in the kitchen, someone must have checked the calendar to make sure it was indeed 1989.
During the next 45 minutes, while we ate and talked about the film, everyone else in the restaurant remained quiet. We tried our best to ignore the stares of those around us. We thought of perhaps standing up to explain that we were making a movie. But we didn't. The other patrons listened quite attentively to our conversation, trying to pick up clues to our identity or our peculiar brand of lunacy, and seldom looked away. Before leaving, we discussed stopping by the table of the PLA officers for a moment to ask if they might direct us to Chiang Kai-shek's headquarters. But we decided against that, having obviously confused them enough already.
When arrived back on the set, the director was ready to shoot our scenes.
As he explained it to us, a party was thrown by the Kuomintang for General Marshall in 1946. Marshall was an informed fan of Kun Ju, the traditional form of Chinese opera and the form after which the modern Beijing Opera patterned itself. I was to sit next to the actor playing General Tan En Bo, with James on my right and Pam seated behind James. Then two young women in ornate costumes would perform a scene from an opera. Since I (Marshall) was a big fan, after watching and listening for a few minutes, I was to start tapping my fingers on my right knee in time to the music. The other generals in the room, on seeing this, were to do the same. Finally, a few minutes later, I was to applaud the performers, and the Kuomintang generals, still watching me, were to applaud along with me and then stop at the moment I stopped. Throughout this detailed briefing, the director continually referred to the script, held by his assistant.
After walking through the scene and positioning the cameras, an assistant to the director came out and stood before the main camera with her clap board. The scene number and other information was chalked on the board. She paused for a moment and then clapped the top down on the board. The director barked out his directions:
"Zhunbei!"(Get ready!).
"Bu yao shuo hua!"(Quiet onthe set!).
"Kaishe!"(Roll 'em).
There was a three count beat from the orchestra, the music began and the two young opera performers began to pixilate across the floor, with that stylized pattern of pauses and glides that is peculiar to the Chinese opera. They sang in a hyper-falsetto, gradually telling a story.
I sat, as the director had instructed me, far back in my chair in a slight slouch, and never took my eyes from the moving dancers.
I began to tap my fingers on my knee. The others followed. Then I applauded and the others in the room imitated me.
"Tingzhi!"(Cut), the director's voice rang out.
Mr. Xiaomin was not happy with my applause. He said that while my knee tapping was nearly perfect, the position of my hands when I applauded was all wrong. He wanted me to bend my elbows a little more, hold my hands up and away from my body and the clap the fingers of my left hand against the palm of my right. He demonstrated. I watched. He asked to see me do it. I did it. He applauded my applause and returned to his position across the room and to my left.
During these momentary interruptions, Soong Meiling stood and stretched and smoothed out her long gown, which was split up each side to slightly above the knee. When she stood, I noticed that she was wearing brightly colored long underwear beneath her gown. She had rolled up the bottoms to mid calf and when she sat down, the camera only filmed her from the front, so the longjohns did not appear on film.
The assistant director slapped down her clapper.
"Bu yao shuo hua!"
The music began. The singing began. I acted.
I sat and watched the dancers again. I began to tap my knee. I applauded.
"Tingzhi!" Mr. Xiaomin called out. "Tingzhi!" His tone now was one of mild frustration and slightly hostile amusement.
He walked to my chair and announced that this time I had begun to applaud too early. Try again.
"Zhunbei!" he cried as he walked away from my chair.
"Bu yao shuo hua!"
This time the music commenced, I listened, I looked, I began to tap on my knee, but before I could begin my applause, there was loud shouting just on the other side of the screen dividing the ballroom from the veranda. Several of the actors stopped and turned to see what was the matter. The orchestra stopped playing. The performers dropped their hands and turned toward the screen.
"Bu yao shuo hua!" Xiaomin cried.
The racket continued. "Sa zhr ti la!" he shouted. "SA ZHR TI LA!"(What's going on!)
The cameraman stood up from behind his camera and looked around.
"Tingzhi!" Xiaomin cried out.
Peter Bagley had been going through a rehearsal for his part with the assistant to the director and other actors on the steps outside the Guest House when the fight began and he saw it all from its unhappy a beginning to its bizarre end.
What was supposed to happen was that Peter was supposed to ask for my car and Zhou Yemang was supposed to run up to him and tell him that the car had been stolen. But just as Yemang ran up the stairs, another car pulled up carrying a group of officials from the Democratic Association(M.D.). They interrupted the rehearsal and really didn't care. They proceeded to walk up the stairs past Peter and Yemang and almost made it to the door before the assistant to the director stopped them.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked them.
"We are going inside. We live here," the leader of the group responded. "And who are you?"
"We're making a movie here," the assistant to the director replied. "And you are forbidden to go on the set."
"What set?" the M.D. official asked. "I live here. Let me in!"
"If you live here," the assistant to the director replied, "then what is your room number?"
Stunned for a moment, the M.D. official tried to remember his room number. Then he lost his patience. "There are no room numbers here. I live on the second floor. Let me in."
He began to push his way past the assistant to the director, who held him back for a moment and then shouted out an order. "Help me!" The platoon of Kuomintang soldiers, who had been standing around watching, suddenly swung into action and with their rifles barred the door. The shouting and profanity mounted. One of the M.D. officials ran out to the street where he hailed a policeman and a passing PLA officer. They rushed up to the pushing match at the door. The PLA officer tried to position himself between the Kuomintang soldiers and the Association members. One of the members fell down and was being trampled beneath the feet of the Kuomintang, howling out in both pain and political outrage as he scrambled frantically to get out from beneath the boots of the soldiers. The assistant to the director had his beret knocked off and the leader of the Association lost his glasses in the fray. The poor PLA officer had not been trained for this kind of war, and he didn't know which group to face, the increasingly irritated Kuomintang or the raging Democratic Association officials.
Suddenly the director and the gaggle of curious Kuomintang generals and their wives and Soong Meiling arrived on the scene behind the soldiers and began shouting orders, clarifications and insults. One particularly determined M.D. member, in a low crouch at about knee level, made it through the soldiers and the generals and came crashing through the hallway and into the screen behind the set. It tipped and began to fall, but was caught by the members of the orchestra.
The director surrendered at this point.
All right, he said. All right. They could come inside, all of them. But they would have to be quiet and they would have to go to their rooms. They could not disrupt the set.
The six MD officials marched in, straightening their clothes and their glasses, combing their hair. They surveyed the set in the ballroom and stopped. They watched. They planted their feet on the floor. The did not go to their rooms. They would not be moved. For the remainder of the evening the stayed right where the were, just inside the door, and watched in fascination as General George Marshall and a dozen Kuomintang generals and their wives, and Soong Meiling, were entertained by an opera troupe in the Guest House of the Democratic Association.
Again we repeated the scene. Xiaomin thought it was fine. But he wanted to shoot it from different angles. We repeated the scene. The camera rolled past the dancers. The camera panned in on each Chinese general and on each American. It panned in on Soong Mei Ling. It panned in on General Marshall and on the diplomat or journalist and on the military tart. The camera filmed from a low angle and from a high angle. And each time the music of the opera set the pace of the scene.
I attempted during these scenes to keep the bottoms of my pants pulled down far enough to hide my white socks somewhat in the way that Soong Meiling hid her longjohns. But I was unsuccessful. In the still shots later, there sat General Marshall, perfectly uniformed and made up, wearing NIKE athletic socks under his military uniform. Someone might guess, one day, upon seeing the "Dream of the Tan Flower," that either Marshall was an avid jogger, or stylistically, in a bizarre way, he was either a hick or a trend setter.
During one of the shootings, at exactly 10:00 PM, the alarm on James Anderson's digital watch went off and ruined the scene. The director heard the rhythmic beeping of the watch and stopped. He walked directly to James, pulled up the sleeve of the jacket of the rather sheepish young diplomat or journalist, and then asked James to remove the watch. Peter held it off the set for the remainder of the shooting.
We stopped filming shortly after 11:00 pm. When we had finished with our scenes, the Chinese actors asked to be photographed with the American performers. Many of them wanted to be photographed alone with the famous General Marshall. In those photographs I am standing up straight, so the white socks do not show. I tried to look as distinguished as these actors imagined General Marshall might have looked in 1946. And from the appreciative handshakes and backslaps I received, I would conclude that I was somewhat successful.
We changed back into our civilian clothes and then proceeded back to the microbus. Nearly everyone on the set thanked us several times over. The assistant to the director had release forms for each of us to sign, and then he gave us each 30 Yuan in cash for the work on the film.
He said he thought the filming went well. He thought we had performed our roles convincingly.
We gave him our addresses and phone numbers and he told us that the film would be on Shanghai Television in the spring. In late February he would contact each of us, he promised, and we would be able to buy a taped copy of the episode.
I asked him how large he thought the audience would be for this mini-series. "Oh, maybe 200 or 300 million people," he said. "Maybe even more."
When I expressed amazement at the size of the STV audience, he laughed and said, "Yes, you're a big star now. Big star, General Marshall. Everyone in China will see you."
"And everyone in China will see my white socks," I thought.
Then, was we entered the car in the darkness outside the Guest House, he placed his hand on my shoulder and shook my hand one last time. "Thank you, General Marshall," he said with mock seriousness. Then he turned and bolted up the stairs and back into the Guest House.
On the way back to the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, we talked and laughed about the day's filming. We were tired and we were cold by that time -- the Guest House had been unheated and the temperature outside and inside was about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Soong Meiling's longjohns had been unstylish but practical.
As we raced back down Zhongshan Beilu, which was nearly abandoned at this time, I thought about the complete zaniness of the day as well as the seriousness of it. For a few hours I had been a representative of my country and I had portrayed as well as I could a commanding American figure at a pivotal moment in history. And for a few hours all four of us had played feature roles in a production intended to facilitate the fulfillment of Mao Zedong's program to reunify China. John Foster Dulles and Joe McCarthy, I was absolutely certain, would not have been amused by our performances.
No doubt the American segment of "The Dream of the Tan Flower" was brief and would run, at most, for a few minutes. I hoped that in those few moments the Shanghai Television Network had accomplished with this group of amateur American performers what it had set out to do. And I hoped the result of the film would be positive. I hoped that when Mr. Xu Junhai produced another historical epic requiring an American general, he would call Mr. Wu and Mr. Wu would once again call me. I also hoped that my acting career would not be like that brief blooming of the tan flower. I hoped there would be a second chance, a time when I might use what I had learned in this, the first of my film appearances in China. Next time I would wear dark socks.
As we pulled up to the apartment, Mr. Wu was waiting for me just inside the door. He wore a big grin. Before the microbus stopped I waved out the window to him.
Mr. Wu snapped to attention and saluted. Then he turned and marched down the hallway and disappeared into the darkness.
I never had the chance to see my performance as General Marshall on Chinese television. Along with thousands of other Americans, my stay in China was cut short by the tragedy of June 4, 1989, and I left the troubled country. For the next year I heard nothing about "The Dream of the Tan Flower" and I assumed it had been scrapped. But then, much to my surprise, I received a letter from a friend in Beijing in mid June of this year. She told me that as the first anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre approached, she and her friends had waited for some sort of special television programming to commemorate or perhaps explain away the national tragedy. And one night, just before the anniversary, she wrote, as she was watching a lengthy Chinese drama, suddenly there I was on the television screen, seated in the great hall of the Guest House in Nanjing, Chinese words flowing gracefully out of my mouth thanks to the dubbing department of STV, as I applauded the opera stars of China in the final years of the rule of the doomed Kuomintang in China.
My friend told me that the program, meant to pacify and entertain the Chinese public while the authorities braced for the appearance of an illegal celebration of the Tiananmen incident, reminded her of how fleeting so many things can be in China: the Kuomintang, the democracy movement, the film careers of a foreign experts. And the dictatorship of brutal old men. She told me that she cried as she saw the film remembering China in the spring of 1989 and the dreams of all the tan flowers that had bloomed and been crushed but would, no doubt, bloom again in another kinder spring.
James Anderson pre-movie star days
1 comment:
- Chuck Kuhn said...
- January 27, 2013 at 10:13 AM
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marc bolan! marc bolan! marc bolan! t.rexmess! and you thought you knew him at all: you don't! - this is heavy, awkward and awesome and you will not like it. here is some awful noise and some not-so-awful-noise connected to and interrelated to marc bolan: awkward and embarrassing and mortifying and scrupulous and forget all and everything you know about marc bolan: here HERE HEAR is what you always wanted not to know what you never wanted to know what always you did not know what you did and did and did not happen to know what you did not know whatever you wanted to know: anyway: here is noise and here is marc bolan.
did i ever tell you about sugarmegs? they are providing lots and lots and hours on end of live shows and rare tracks by the likes of the grateful dead, bevis frond, bob dylan, 39 clocks, john lennon, pink floyd and all the others at least most of the others and there is a lot of marc bolan as well as you expected: type whatever you want or need into the search box and search. they are all there at sugarmegs, they are all there and bolan is as well.
wellwellwell so some of the sounds you are about to listen to have been found on sugarmegs and of course they will need further pure and experimental research to develope your mind. and some sounds i found in the deep black holes of my collection and i thought it was appropriate to share them with you.
so this is what we've got: shrill noise, badbadbad recordings and some barney you might know: and though some of these recordings can be found somewhere else 'on the net' this collection of harsh and awful and awkward 'itsnotevennoise!' will always hunt you, oh yeah!
01 - marc bolan - blowing in the wind (toby tyler 1964) (most of you will know this one)
02 - marc bolan - demo recordings part 2 (1970/1977) (nobody knows if it really happened)
03 - marc bolan - KLOS / WGLD 1971 / 1972 (radio spots)
04 - t.rex - jeepster (live in essen 1973)
05 - the outskirts of infinity - grey lady ida (1993: ric gunther, drums / terry horbury, bass / bari watts, guitars and vocals, nick salomon)
06 - gloria jones 1974 (jaja!)
07 - marc bolan and roy wood - gambling 1971
08 - marc bolan - gloria (1964)
09 - marc bolan - demo recordings part 1 (1970/1977) (no name, no face, no number)
10 - marc bolan - blowing in the wind (toby tyler 1964) (take6)
11 - die mütter - jeepster (1983) (mîne singt manchmal und spielt schlagzeug; siemers yourstruely singt meistens und spielt manchmal schlagzeug; luigi nicoletti spielt bass und oliver neitzel war der gitarrist: die mütter)
12 - marc bolan - demo recordings part 3 (1970/1977) (aw!fuel!)
13 - t.rex - 20th century boy/toy (live in essen 1973)
14 - hönischsession1973 - hot love (uwe xxx on acoustic guitar and vocals, detlev on vocals, unknown on vocals and flute and memyselfandeyeyourstruely on bongoes and vocals)

subset: commoncrawl


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I quite like a boring sew sometimes. Makes for a better stress buster for me. Anyway your skirt does not look boring because of the interesting fabric. I can imagine that unless lined synthetic pleather may not feel nice during any season but I have never used it.ReplyDeleteReplies
I do like the new generation faux leather, it is so much nicer than the horrible pleather of past.Delete
The fact that this is made of faux leather makes it all worthwhile.ReplyDeleteReplies
I am a little slow on the faux leather band wagon but since it is everywhere, well, who am I to argue!Delete
There is nothing boring about a well made and great fitting skirt. This looks like it will be a valuable addition to your work wardrobe.ReplyDeleteReplies
It already is! I think I have worn it perhaps 2-3 times per week to date.Delete
We all need good wardrobe staples and this is no exception, and it is a great looking and fitting skirt. Sometimes it is just good to make something that is an easy sew, then we're ready to tackle the next challenge.ReplyDeleteReplies
True! I seem to be sewing a lot of self gratifying staples at the moment.Delete
I don't think you can beat a black skirt. They provide the wall for a gallery of prints and styles.ReplyDeleteReplies
This is true. I have a thing for print tops at the moment and black is the perfect compliment.Delete


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My brain is full (SXSW)
Sorry, guys, I totally meant to post this last night, but when I got home from work all I could think about is, "I go to bed now?"
But hey, stranger! Long time, no see!
I am officially back in Indiana and still coming down off of my SXSW high. My brain is on fire from all that I saw, learned and experienced, but I am beyond ready to get back to my job and daily life.
Our flight got in just before midnight on Tuesday evening and my heart skipped a beat when I saw Clayton waiting for me outside gate. My days in Austin were packed and I almost (emphasis on "almost") didn't have a spare moment to think about all that I was waiting for me back at home, but seeing his blue eyes last night made me feel 100% whole once again.
And I may or may not have squeezed Joey so hard his little beagle eyeballs bulged out of his head.
But holy guacamole, you guys. SXSW? Amazing. Draining, exhausting and overstimulating, but oh-so-awesome. I learned so much. I met so many like-minded creatives. I saw so many celebrities. It was beyond bizarre. I met freakin' GRUMPY CAT, for crying out loud! GRUMPY CAT. Was seeing Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart on a street corner real? I'm still not entirely sure.
I filled an entire notebook with notes from my sessions. I learned how to do my job better. I learned how to be better. I learned from the best in the business. I just learned.
And what trip wouldn't be complete without my telling you about all of the yummy things I ate while down in Texas? Fluffy, warm soft pretzels; German sausages; hearty breakfast burritos; authentic Mexican tacos; Thai food from a food truck; In-and-Out Burger (changed my life. Honestly.); and massive doughnuts. I'm pretty sure that walking back and forth between hotels all day long is the only thing that kept me from gaining 100 pounds while I was there.
If you don't follow me on Instagram (and why the heck not!?), here's a tidal wave of photos I snapped while down in Austin. Some of the images aren't the best quality, but I was in the moment trying to capture everything as it happened and well, grainy images happen. I need a new cell phone.
We were so ready to nerd out!
Your SXSW badge is your lifeline in Austin. It gets you into well, everything. We started our very first day waiting in line to get into the Samsung Lounge where they provided fresh veggie juices; the opportunity to design your own bag, hat or shirt on the newest Samsung Galaxy; or let you recharge your tech devices in the "exclusive" lounge area (and when I say "exclusive, I mean that you had to sign something and they let you right in).
One of the best sessions I attended at SXSW was led by Ashley Ford (a fab writer; seriously, go look her up or follow her on Twitter), Busy Phillips, and one of my own personal heroes, Stacy London (of TLC's What Not Wear fame). The ladies discussed "cultivated transparency" and being your authentic self on social media. As a woman, a media professional and someone who practically double-majored in gender studies, this talk was right up my alley.
I also met an incredibly cool gal named Ingrid (on the right) who has a job quite similar to mine and we both fangirled out about meeting the ladies on the panel. Our first interaction was literally my sitting next to her and saying, "OMG. Are you like, so excited?" (I never talk like that. I have no idea who that version of myself is.)
After the session, Ingrid and I (who were sitting in the front row) basically rushed the stage and were among the first to snap a few pics.
And I also happened to walk by Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart who were out on the street promoting their new film, Get Hard. Seeing Will Ferrell was a life-affirming moment for me. The only person standing between him and I was some camera guy that I could have easily shoved out of my way if I were a little less classy and dignified. If I reached out my arms, I could have freakin' TOUCHED Ron Burgundy.
We also had the opportunity to hear Jessica Alba and her business partner talk about the story behind her line of natural baby and family products, The Honest Company (another session that landed me almost in the front row. I sat directly behind her husband ... who's got a dreamy salt-and-pepper hair thing going on). And in case you were wondering, she is just as beautiful and flawless in person. Seriously, I don't think that woman has a single pore on her face. And that fab bob haircut? Don't even get me started.
So Grumpy Cat totally happened. She couldn't be bothered to wake up for me (or anyone else), but I reveled in having my picture taken next to that adorable little Ron Swanson-looking kitty face. And I was so glad that I had my make-up done at Cosmo's Style Lab beforehand since I didn't know there would be a photo op (I wish she would have woken up long enough to see how on point my lipstick was).
I saw Ms. Grumpy Cat in between sessions and stood in line with some true cat fanatics. Like, I can't even emphasize that word enough. I didn't dare mention that I'm a major dog person in their presence.
And I can't stop laughing every-time I see the hashtag on the wall of that photo. #catdreamscometrue. LOLZ
I completed a 5k with Brooks! Got a t-shirt and everything. I am now beyond legit. I don't even care that I look super sleepy and kind of gross in the below photo because I ran with people from BROOKS RUNNING COMPANY. Brooks, if you ever want me to be a spokesperson for you, call me. I'd do it in a heartbeat. And with fervor.
One of my colleagues and travel partners wouldn't stop talking about this doughnut shop called Gourdough's (do you get it? No really, DO YOU GET IT?) and on our last day in the city, I let him twist my arm into going for breakfast. We drank mimosas and I ordered a doughnut called "Mama's Cake" that was filled with, you guessed it, CAKE BATTER. And I didn't let myself stop at just one. I ate my entire massive doughnut, a few bites of my co-worker's and then we split a third one. God bless America.
Some of my co-workers are also heavily involved in our summer film festival, so we spent some time rubbing elbows with movie industry people and I tried desperately to act like I was cool enough to be there.
We did rooftop yoga one morning (I'm not pictured above, but my hot boss is) and afterwards I had to peddle a bike to blend my own Chobani breakfast smoothie. "So lemme get this straight: I just sweat for an hour trying to twist myself into a pretzel and now I have to furiously peddle a bike to mix my own breakfast? No, no. It makes total sense."
But I had fun:
We just had a great time in general, as evidenced in the above photo. We had a little bit of work to do at night because the whole world doesn't just stop for SXSW (though it should), and all of us ladies were in agreement that the lemon yellow walls of our house were not the most flattering.
I'd love to hear what you all have been up to the past several days. I'm sure you did some awesome, fun stuff, but I'm kind of willing to bet that my week was slightly more exciting. Because come on, GRUMPY CAT.


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Humidity: 51%
Wind: 14.48 km/h
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. He is also a painter, having created works under the name Anthony Benedetto that are on permanent public display in several institutions. He is the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York.[1]
Chambao is a flamenco-electronic band originally from Málaga, Spain, known for a Flamenco Chill sound that fuses flamenco sounds and palos with electronic music. The name of the band is taken from an improvised form of beach tent that is constructed as a means of sheltering from the wind and sun.


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After weeks of little to no sleep, I am so happy to report that the 2012 collection photo-shoot at Gladstone Hotel went superbly. This collection is my best yet! It is filled with tons of pretty...just wait till you see it :)
For this shoot, I decided early on that I was going to design the set for the shoot. Not only was I working on the collection and fulfilling orders to be shipped, I had to come up with the overall decor concept for the whole shoot. I knew from the start that I wanted the set to be beautiful, fresh, and feminine. After a couple of set sketches (with my grade three drawing skills), I narrowed down that I had to have: flowers, a chalkboard, and vintage elements.
For the next couple of days, I will be blogging about all the prep work that was put into the shoot. Stick with me and I'll show you how we pulled off the best shoot ever!!! It was filled with great energy and really wonderful people.


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Life has been busy and it's been a roller coaster ride for the past few months, but I'm still alive and breathing and waking up each morning :)
Mum seems to have settled in well in her new home, she still has her days where she's not so good, but she's doing OK and still with us, that's what counts!
Christmas was wonderful! We had a family day that was full of fun and surrounded by people we love. We even got some exciting news. My son Josh proposed to his girlfriend and they are now engaged and very happy. On a sad not though, my daughter, Ebony and her boyfriend split up last week and she's not doing too great at the moment, it's going to take time, but we'll get her back on track.
There hasn't been much time for crafting as the weather is still quite warm here, so the hook and yarn hasn't been as busy as I would like it to be. I'm also still playing catch up on my I.T studies, so any leisure time activities have had to take a back seat for now, but as soon as I have any spare time on my hands, I plan to get back into crocheting, I'm seriously having withdrawals!
Hubby spoiled me this year and bought me a brand new camera for Christmas and I LOVE it!!!!
It's a Fujifilm S2980, which isn't top of the range by any means, but it sure beats the little Kodak compact digital camera I was using before.
I'm still learning about all that it can do, and every time I get an opportunity, out it comes and I shoot as many photo's as I can.I've taken hundreds already! lol
Just after I got it, I was outside on the back veranda and saw a grasshopper sitting on the rails, so I got the camera out and took some macro shots and I couldn't believe how well they turned out.
Here's one of the better shots of the little guy...
I've been playing with quite a few different settings, trying to find what works best, so when I get back to crafting, hopefully I'll have some decent photo's for this blog :)
I'll leave you with a sunset photo that was taken a few days ago....
Until next time....which will hopefully include some kind of crafty content :)


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St Leonard's VA Lower School
St Leonard's, Heath and Reach, VA Lower School
Thrift Road
Heath and Reach
Leighton Buzzard
Free School Delivery - Available during term time only.
Uniform is available from: 184-190 Park Street, Luton LU1 3HB (use LU1 3HF for sat nav)
Park Street Shop
OPENING HOURS for 1st NOVEMBER to 31st JANUARY
Monday & Wednesday 1pm to 5pm
Friday 12pm to 4.30pm
PLEASE NOTE: We will be CLOSED on the following dates:
Friday 9th November & Monday 12th November
Monday 24th December to Wednesday 2nd January
Wednesday 9th January & Friday 11th January


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The physical side of it, when you're a teenager is great. Just getting messed up! haha.
Tell us what you enjoy about your rugby
Agency: Select Models
Location: London
We photographed the absolutely awesome Paddy Mitchell at Select Models for our 2nd issue 'Closer'. We must also mention that his house has coasters conveniently everywhere - you know, for when you are wandering around with a glass of wine. Another must-mention thing was that his mum was a bit of a legend, and unintentionally gave us our title for Paddy's story, "Get Down Paddy" (he used to like to climb things). "Closer" is available to buy here.Instagram: pad_mitch
Twitter: Pad_Mitch


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Coyote kimono: Spell Designs || Denim buttoned bustier top: Minkpink || Bandit shorts: One Teaspoon via ShopBop || Necklace: Urban Outfitters || Boots: Vagabond
I even don't know how long I had waited for this kimono to be available. I guess it was around 4 months after I saw this beauty in a sneak-peak picture. The western inspired print got me at first sight, those cute symbols all over are so me. There can be conchos, bull skulls, pistols, feathers, arrows and even horseshoes found - so everything the american heart can wish for (especially when you're into cowboy and indians stories/movies hehe…). On top of that there's also a beautiful moroccan pattern in a beautiful peachy-pink tone for the background! That's so typical for Spell Designs, they have the most beautiful boho prints ever! I think this kimono couldn't get any better. The two-piece combo underneath funnily happened by chance, shorts and bustier top were actually created separately. I got this bustier top around one year ago (I posted it in my "Coachella love" outfit post last year) and I love its light washed denim together with the peachy color of the kimono. I think light tones in blue and pink look amazing together! When I searched for shorts matching the outfit in my wardrobe, I saw that my beloved one teaspoon shorts got the same light wash and color as my crop top like if they were made for each other. Now I only had to add my favorite necklace, rings and my platform boots to create this combo which has definitely become one of my most favorite outfits this summer.
Btw did you recognize the lyrics in my title? I got really nostalgic about music last weekend and listened to all my favorite tunes from 5-10 years ago. Still loving "One Love" by Aiden so much. If you haven't heard it yet, you really should go check it out here . Definitely a worth listening to for all rock music lovers out there.


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The name RANCON on a new four-story office building in the heart of Rancho California's business district, communicates in a simple, direct way its conglomerate of affiliates--Rancon Financial Corp., Rancon Securities Corp. and Rancon Real Estate Corp.--all engaged in a broad spectrum of real estate-related activities.
Over a span of 15 years, Rancon has emerged as a substantial and diversified development entity in southwestern Riverside County and as a major player in such projects within the Inland Empire as the $180-million Tri City Corporate Centre.
Rancon's role as the largest private developer in the Rancho California area reflects an active career for Daniel L. Stephenson, its 42-year-old chairman and chief executive officer.
Stephenson came to Rancho California as a licensed broker in 1971 and, with a three-member staff housed in a trailer, convinced Kaiser Aetna to give his organization the exclusive right to sell residential acreage in the Rancho California area.


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Author Archives: wcscoaches
Celebrate Sleep Week!
Our first instinct may be to curl up for a good nap when we hear "Celebrate Sleep Week." But, we hope you'll take a moment to consider how you can improve your zzz's. The National Sleep Foundation has marked April 23 through April 29 as "Sleep Awareness Week." The theme is "Sleep Better, Feel Better," because when we're well rested, everything reaps the benefits. A good night's sleep can improve mood, productivity, wellbeing, and overall quality of life. Did you know that 35% of Americans rate their sleep as only fair or poor? It's obvious there is room for improvement!
So, what are some ways we can get a better night's rest? We have a few unique ideas to try to help you better celebrate sleep week!
White Noise
Think of the gentle sound of a ceiling fan or a rainstorm during the night. That's white noise. It works by reducing the difference between background sounds and sudden noises. Constant ambient sound can help you fall asleep and stay asleep. To try white noise, you can simply use a fan or air purifier or invest in a sound machine (sometimes called sound conditioners) or download a white noise app on your phone.
When you were a child, it's likely your sleep routine would be to brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, listen to a bed time story, and get tucked into bed. As adults, we tend to abandon a pre-sleep routine in favor of getting one more thing done before hopping into bed. However, a sleep routine such as having a calming cup of tea, reading a book, listening to relaxing music, or taking a bath or shower, can help you unwind and prepare for sleep. It's also best to avoid stimulating activities such as aerobic exercise, work, watching TV, or playing video games at least 30 to 60 minutes prior to bed.
Stay Cool
Did you know that our body temperature is not consistent throughout the day? It actually rises and falls slightly and this cycle is tied to sleep. Our body temperature decreases as we prepare for sleep and will increase as the morning progresses. A room that is too warm can reduce the ability for our body to cool and reach an optimal temperature before bed. Approximately 65 degrees is the ideal temperature, but it's a good idea to experiment with temperatures around 65 degrees to see what works best for you. Also, consider purchasing cotton pajamas or sheets to stay cool and how many layers you may wear to bed or have on your bed.
Source: Sleepfoundation.org
Ravishing Rainbow Ratatouille Recipe
You may have noticed this kitchen gadget has taken over food blogs everywhere. But what exactly is an Instant Pot® and do you really need one? The short answer… yes. An Instant Pot® combines a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, and stockpot warmer. So not only does it save you time, but also money. This appliance is conveniently small and, according to the company, reduces cooking time by up to 70%. To continue the celebration of National Nutrition Month and the theme of eating the rainbow, here is a recipe that contains at least one item in each group!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: ~5 servings
- 3 frozen boneless chicken thighs
- 6 large zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4- inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4- inch pieces
- 1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1/4- inch pieces
- 1 red onion, diced
- 7 mushrooms, sliced
- 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp. of olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. of tomato paste
- 5 plum tomatoes, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
- Place frozen chicken thighs on the bottom of your Instant Pot®.
- Add ingredients and mix, then cover and seal the lid.
- Cook on manual setting for 25 minutes. When finished, let pressure release naturally, which will take about 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Note: if you don't have an Instant Pot® you can use a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.
Learn more about the Instant Pot®
Recipe adapted from: http://deliciouslyfit.guru/chicken-ratatouille-instant-pot/
National Nutrition Month: Eat the Rainbow
Have you ever wondered why fruits and vegetables are all different shades of beautiful and vibrant colors? Well if you have, the answer is: phytonutrients, which are active compounds found in all you favorite plant-based foods. Why does that matter? Each phytonutrient has different health benefits, such as disease prevention. So to celebrate National Nutrition Month, we want to challenge you to not only increase your fruit and vegetable intake, but explore the produce section for at least one new item. Get out of your fruit and veggie comfort zone! Variety is key! Here is the breakdown of each color:
Red: The compounds that give these delicious foods their color are flavonoids and carotenoids, both of which are antioxidants that help to destroy free radicals in the body. One of the most talked about antioxidant in this group is lycopene, which is found in tomatoes and has been shown to protect against heart disease. This group has also been found to be most helpful with memory function, decreased cancer risk, and urinary tract health.
- What to eat: beets, red cabbage, red peppers, tomatoes, apples, cherries, cranberries, grapes, raspberries, and watermelon
Orange/Yellow: This bright group is found to be high in carotenoids like beta-carotene. Your body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A, which is needed for healthy skin, immune function, and good eye health. This is why your eye doctor told you to eat all your carrots!
- What to eat: sweet potato, corn, bell peppers, butternut squash, carrots, pumpkins, oranges, pineapple, and cantaloupe
Green: This group is packed with leafy and cruciferous vegetables that contain zeaxanthin, lutein, sulforaphane and glucosinolate. Don't worry if you can't pronounce those words – all you need to know is they help keep your vision, heart, blood vessels, bones, and teeth healthy! The darker the green, the richer the nutrient content.
- What to eat: spinach, kale, zucchini, asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, avocados, peas, celery, grapes, honeydew, and kiwi.
White: The color (or should we say lack of color) from this group comes from the antioxidant anthoxanthins, which has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and arthritis. Garlic is found in this group, which has allicin and this compound has antifungal and antibacterial properties, but make sure to take your breath mints!
- What to eat: cauliflower, garlic, onion, potatoes, turnips, jicama, and bananas.
Blue/purple: The antioxidant found in this group is anthocyanins, which has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, and cancer. Resveratrol has received a lot of press for its anti-aging benefits; it can be found in wine and grapes!
- What to eat: eggplant, purple cabbage, blackberries, blueberries, plums, figs, and grapes.
Now it's time to hit the grocery store and stock up of all the fruits and vegetables you can! As a general rule of thumb, the more vibrant the color, the more antioxidants are packed inside.
Trending: Nutrition Books to Read
Celebrate National Nutrition Month by picking up one of these books. Even in the age of unlimited cooking blogs, beautiful, delicious cookbooks are still a favorite.
1. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan's books are classics in health and nutrition literature. "In Defense of Food" helps us refocus on food instead of nutrients, and return back to basic eating principles to simplify dinner time
2. Run Fast. Eat Slow. By Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky
While focused on athletes (specifically runners), this cookbook will give you ideas on how to make indulgent, nourishing foods that will please any palate.
3. Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
Not a nutrition book specifically, but definitely a huge favorite! Gretchen Rubin covers the four tendencies and ways to help us make healthy behavior change stick. If you end up liking this book, we recommend picking up her other book "The Happiness Project."
4. Skinnytaste Fast and Slow by Gina Homolka
Gina Homolka is the woman behind the brand Skinnytaste and her newest cookbook was an instant hit. Need a recipe that you can cook in 30 minutes or more ideas with how to use your slow cooker? This book has you covered!
Easy White Bean and Basil Hummus
By Lee Crosby
Ready for a fresh new twist on your lunch or snack routine? Then you'll love this delicious white bean and basil hummus with a hint of lemon. As tasty as it is healthy, you can make it in 15 minutes flat! Better yet, it's amazingly versatile. Here are just a few ways to enjoy it:
- Spread over thick slices of tomato
- Rolled into a Mediterranean wrap with sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach
- As a dip for whole-grain crackers or pita chips
- Slathered on a hearty slice of bread, topped with sprouts and avocado as an open-face sandwich
- 3½ cups (2 15-oz cans) cooked cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (you'll need 2 lemons, with some juice left over)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Water, as needed
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- ½ cup chopped basil leaves (packed)
- 1 Tbsp. chopped chives
- ½ tsp. lemon zest
- ½ tsp. salt
- Combine beans, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor until smooth, at least 3 minutes.
- Add olive oil to food processor and blend again until velvety smooth, another 2-3 minutes. (See note.)
- If needed, add water 1 tablespoon at a time, blending between each tablespoon, until desired thickness is reached.
- Add basil, chives, lemon zest, and salt. Pulse food processor until ingredients are mixed, but herbs are still visible.
Note: Add olive oil after blending the beans for fluffy, restaurant-style hummus!
Photo and recipe from www.Veggie-Quest.com
Stay at Home: Workouts for Your Space
By: Melissa McDonough RD, CSSD
In most parts of the country, it's winter. Hibernation mode is in full force and most of the time we'd rather stay at home than layer up and head outside. Unless you're lucky enough to have access to abundant land (and snow) for snow-shoeing or find yourself loving the slopes, exercise during the winter can prove difficult at times.
Whether you want to save money by not paying for a gym membership or you'd just rather work out in the privacy of your home, technology is allowing us to bring the trainer home for less money per month than one training session! Check out our favorite websites, apps, and pieces of equipment (for all budgets!)
Nike Training Club: For men and women alike. Select your fitness level, what you'd like to work on, and how much time you have. The app is free and new workouts are added frequently. Also try: Nike+ Run Club for guidance on running a 5K all the way up to a marathon.
Aaptiv: This app features on-demand fitness classes through audio cues. Whether you want to get on your home treadmill and be guided through a workout or you'd prefer to have a body weight training workout, this app is for you. Costs up to $9.99 per month.
Jillian Michaels App: You will receive a 5 minute (that's right, just 5 minutes) daily workout, interactive customized workouts, and even workout programs that will guide you for up to 90 days! The paid version even has meal plans. Costs $3.99 per month.
YogaGlo: Yoga studios can be expensive – wonderful – but expensive. Bring the yoga studio home with YogaGlo. $18 per month with a free trial period.
FitFusion: Featuring your favorite trainers, this on-demand fitness class site has classes that range from yoga to boot camp. Available for $9.99 per month with a 2 week free trial.
Daily Burn: On-demand fitness classes featuring trainers like Bob Harper. Stream on your tablet, computer, or TV. They offer a 30 day free trial and monthly memberships are currently $14.95 per month.
Peloton: If you love indoor cycling but the class times never work for you, Peloton might be a great fit. When you purchase the stationary bike, you also have access the on-demand and live cycling classes. Already have a bike at home? Then try the app for classes!
TRX: You won't need a bunch of weights lying around with a TRX suspension system. Also, download their app for guided workouts.
Do You Have Asthenopia?
By Rachel Rosenthal, MS, RD
Do you spend a majority of your day staring at a computer or another electronic device (think cellphones and tablets)? Do your eyes ever feel tired, sore, dry, watery, or itchy? Then you may be suffering from asthenopia or more commonly known as eye strain. But not to worry, we have some easy fixes that will help you keep your eyes fresh and focused all day long!
- Take breaks (often). The easiest thing you can do for your eyes is take a break. Many eye doctors suggest following the 20-20-20 rule, which is every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break, and look at something 20 feet away. Taking a break from your computer and focusing on blinking will help keep your eyes lubricated. Tip: set reminder alerts on your computer or phone to take breaks throughout the day! During a few of your breaks you can also try massaging the area around your eyes to help relieve some tension and relax the muscles.
- Lighting is everything. The lighting in your office area can be a major contributing factor to your eye strain. While this may be out of your control, if possible, minimize exterior light from outside by closing drapes or blinds to reduce brightness. Or try to move your computer monitor so the windows are on the side of you instead of in front or behind your screen. Lastly, if you can turn off overhead lights and use floor lamps for light this can help with the overall brightness of the room.
- Customize your computer settings. If you cannot control the lighting in your office, you should be able to personalize your computer settings. For brightness, you want it to match your surroundings. Not too bright or too dark. A good rule of thumb is to look at a white screen on your computer and if it looks like a light source it's too bright, but if it's dull in comparison it may not be bright enough, so adjust accordingly. If you find yourself constantly squinting, you may want to increase the text size to a comfortable level. The last aspect to adjust is the amount of blue light your computer is emitting. Of all the colors, blue light is the most problematic due to its short wavelength. How do you reduce blue light? Glad you asked! By reducing the color temperature of your display, you can greatly reduce this problematic feature.
While trying the tips above have been shown to help the symptoms of eye strain, it is still important to get a comprehensive eye exam once year. Undergoing your annual eye exam is the best way to prevent and correct any vision problems that may be contributing to your eye strain. Be sure to explain to your eye doctor how often you spend looking at electronic devices, since this may change their approach!
Establishing a Weekly Rhythm
A new year is a fresh start, a blank slate. It's the perfect opportunity to set new goals and achieve new heights. You probably have a lot of responsibilities right now and need help getting organized. We like the idea of creating a weekly rhythm or flow, so you can keep track of your tasks while also making progress toward your goals. Here's how it's done:
- Write Down Your Happenings
This is the time to write down everything that's important to you: your work hours, morning routine, gym, meal time, relaxation, grocery shopping, family time, and anything else that matters to you. Try to approximate how many hours per week you would spend doing these activities.
- Establish Fixed Points
Your fixed points are going to help you set boundaries for your day. Think wake and sleep time, meal times, or occurrences you know happen at about the same time each day. You will write these down in a permanent ink that's very clear. If getting 8 hours of sleep each night is a priority to you, you'll have to establish your wake and sleep times as fixed and make adjustments to your other tasks to make it work.
- Ebb and Flow
Use your new fixed points and weekly happenings to create your daily ebb and flow. It's often helpful to put a really intense activity such as exercise close to a more relaxing task like eating or reading so you're not constantly overexerting yourself, which can lead to burnout.
- Adjust Your Rhythm
Your rhythm isn't always going to go as planned and that's okay! Making adjustments when necessary will be valuable for you as you try to stay on track with tasks despite the circumstances that are out of your control. Understand that the rhythm for the week won't be perfect, but that doesn't mean it's ruined!
Establishing a weekly rhythm will allow you to stay organized and prioritized for the busy year ahead! Implementing these four tips will help you create a weekly flow that is customized to your schedule and should reduce stress levels while increasing productivity!
On-the-Go Recipe: Fruit & Nut Bar
On-The-Go Recipe: Fruit & Nut Bar
The start of the New Year comes with new responsibilities and goals. Your schedule is busy, but you still want to stay on track. When pressed for time, it's easy to buy the most convenient food item. Unfortunately, convenience items may not always be as nutritious. To save you both time and money, we've created a quick and healthy breakfast or snack recipe that you can make in advance and take with you on those busy mornings! No more last-minute, overpriced muffins (or should we call them cupcakes?) from the gas station. Meet your new BFF, the on-the-go Fruit & Nut Bar.
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 1/8 tsp. baking soda
- 1/8 tsp. baking powder
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup dried dates
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 cup dried mangos
- 1 1/2 cups dry roasted nuts (such as pecans and almonds), chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking pan with parchment paper or coat with nonstick spray.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add brown sugar, dried fruit, and nuts, and mix thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg with vanilla until frothy and thick, about 2 minutes. Stir egg into flour mixture until evenly mixed. Spread mixture into prepared pan, using a spatula to smooth out the top.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!
Adapted from: http://greatist.com/eat/recipes/fruit-and-nut-bars


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The Ride Protection Airbag is a functional backpack, perfect for all-mountain and freeriding. Equipped with functional features and very comfortable to carry, it is suitable for one-day ski or snowboard tours as well as freeriding.
- Protection Airbag System: Trauma protection, Head on Top and removable (SET Airbag already integrated; READY without airbag; airbag can be purchased separately)
- Safety leg loop
- 3-step back length adjustment
- V-frame 6 mm aluminum, fixed-length frame adjustable for shape
- Thermoformed back for high carrying comfort
- Front pocket for avalanche safety equipment
- Diagonal, stowable ski attachment
- Stowable snowboard carrier
- Helmet carrier with snow protection, stowable
- Stowable axe-pole carrier
- Side compression straps
- Hip belt pocket


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Alford home owners can avoid this tiresome task totally by hiring an expert cleaning company that specializes in move out cleaning services. Move out cleaning is specifically designed to have homes ready for those moving in to settle in as soon as possible. Having your house cleaned extensively before you move out refers common courtesy if absolutely nothing else, however sometimes it is a mandatory requirement, particularly if you're a previous renter.
That there are many reasons why it is imminent for Alford occupants to hire an expert home cleaning service provider when they are moving in or moving out. There is absolutely nothing easy about a move. Many tasks need to be achieved offered a brief duration of time. The scope of the cleaning requirements that have to be done can be overwhelming indeed, specifically if the occupant is burdened with work and other responsibilities. Windows should be wiped down, radiators need to be cleaned, tiles should be pristine, and kitchen area cabinets need to be cleared out. Existing furnishings have to be dusted and carpeting have to be extensively cleaned.
Planning for move out cleaning.
The agreement signed by the property owner and the tenant normally consists of a stipulation that obligates the latter to leave the property as they had actually found it-empty, excellent, and undamaged. In addition, for occupants who have chosen to move out, the landlord might include surcharges versus deposit money if specific areas are not cleaned out.
Cleaning is absolutely not the concern for someone who is faced with the powerful challenges of settling into a new location and starting a new life. There are a lot of things that have to be achieved in so little time, not the least of which is finishing work and other requirements prior to the move. In order to fulfill their end of the arrangement, the more practical choice for the tenant is to work with Alford expert cleaning crew, rather than do the cleaning up themselves.
The main benefit of working with Alford professional cleaning service provider is that they can do the task better and more effectively. This depends on the caliber of the cleaning crew, however nowadays it is not difficult to discover a service company that is ensured to do an excellent task. A cleaning crew can work miracles, and recover a location that has actually been stayed in for quite some time into an area that is almost brand new. To prepared the location for its next resident, a professional crew should get rid of grease, gunk, cakes of dirt, and dust spheres from difficult to reach areas. They understand ways to carry out these tasks successfully. An individual without sufficient experience in using cleaning equipment and cleaning solutions would not know what sort of material to make use of to get rid of a certain type of stain.
When moving in, exactly what to anticipate
Moving into a new place in Alford can be exhausting. More than likely, the new arrivals do not know any individual in the area, and there is no person to give an extra hand in preparing the location for the furnishings and individual impacts of the renter. Property owners or supervisors generally need the last occupant to leave the premises in pristine condition, it is still important for the new resident to establish that the area is indeed a wholesome, safe, and pleasant place to live in. Professional cleaning service companies provide not just end-of-tenancy cleaning services. They may also be called upon to carry out a comprehensive cleaning and upkeep, take care of the home, inspect the little details, and ensure that the new house is certainly ready for tenancy.
Your to-do list before moving out:
Before you leave your house, look for damaged things and make certain you replace all of them. In case you forget to replace such items like light fixtures or missing out on screws, it is very likely that your homeowner would take a big piece off your preliminary deposit for these petty things.
If your home has wall to wall carpets, you will certainly need to choose between working with a professional to clean it or resorting to cleaning it on your own. This choice would be easy if you take a look at the existing condition of the carpeting and match it to the original state. Bringing it to the original condition must be your objective when you make this choice.
You need to also inspect the walls to see if there are stains on them. Walls with stains can be a big problem due to direct exposure. Make sure you remove wall-stains with a moderate hand to avoid deteriorating the paint due to the fact that if that occurs, you will certainly lose a big portion of your deposit dollars.
After you have done all the cleaning, make certain that you check out the ovens and fridges. The seals of the refrigerators must be in correct condition, and the ovens should be clean enough for use. These checks will certainly increase the probabilities of getting the deposit sum in whole when moving out in Alford.
Quick Tip for Alford residentsDo your homework! There are actually lots of business that offer move out cleaning and steam carpet cleaning covering many properties as apartments, condos, town-homes, single family homes throughout where you live, and picking the best one will mean a convenient, problem-free move-out experience and hundreds of dollars of cost savings. If you are on a tight schedule for moving out of your existing home, book as far beforehand as possible. Reserving towards the last days of the month commonly suggests higher costs and less accessibility. Offering your prospective business 2 to 3 weeks notice will usually result in an affordable cost, and enable you to choose an appointment for the local time and date that suits you.
Current Weather in Alford, Florida


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brandonvd needed a new banner ad design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 44 designs submitted by 10 freelance designers.
Robot Chest
I'm just getting this site up and running. I need 5 banners that will display and showoff my products in a JS rotator. The store sells electronics and accessories.
Mainly USA customers, but will be shipping worldwide.
I need 5 banners designed for a rotating banner for the home page of RobotChest.com
The banners need to be 600px wide x 300 px tall. They need to be delivered as PSD files.
I have attached a zip file that has the products and the product images that can be used for this project.
I don't have a style in mind for these banners, but I do know I want them to have a clean look and I want them to "pop" on the site. When the site comes up I want the customers to notice the banners and the products in them.
I'm going to be changing the rotator that is currently on the site, but you can see the site at http://www.robotchest.com/index.php…key=Robots
The site isn't live yet and the pricing isn't done at this point. Please don't place any orders.
I'm happy to answer whatever questions you have. Just post them and I'll do my best.
Also, I want to change out the banners probably twice per week so I'd like it if whatever designer I hire is willing to do more work in the future on a somewhat consistent basis.
Thank you for looking.


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Video Tour Shows Off Renovation of Victorian Cotton Mill
A former Victorian cotton mill in Burnley town centre, which has been refurbished to provide high-quality serviced office space, has featured in a video tour that is now available to view on officebroker.com.
The property offers modern and flexible office space, with a range of services available including access to meeting rooms, conference facilities, a staffed reception and secretarial support. The building is fully DDA compliant and also provides on-site car parking.
Offering a quiet central courtyard with its own gardens and cobbled paths, the property retains many period features such as large arched windows, original stonework, a chimney, and restored items of machinery which have been kept in place to symbolise the propertyΓÇÖs industrial past.
The video provides an extensive view of the property and the facilities available, which helps interested clients to find out more about the centre and its location, before making an enquiry or organising a personal tour.
To find out more about this property and to watch the video in full, visit the following profile page on officebroker.com: Burnley business centre – Cow Lane.


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Can you beleive I actually made a card today just for fun, yep been wanting to play with this sweet image I purchased at From the Heart Digital Art Stamps and decided that before I did any of my other 101 things on my to do list that I was going to relax and color this little gal up!! Well of course once she was colored to match some papers that I have had for a while now, I had to go ahead and create a card with her.... (couldn't just leave her laying around colored and all and not create with her)..
So I went a snooping and found there was still time to enter this week's challenge over on From the Heart challenge blog I {heart} sketches with Design 2 Delight ....
with Sketch #31
This sweet image Sweet Chef caught my eye when I spotted it and so it definitely
had to come home with me!!!
Using these sweet birthday papers from Recollection Cupcakes and Stripes along with a piece of digital polka dot paper..
Boy, it sure felt good just to play for the fun of it!!
Delightful Inspiration I {heart} sketches - sketch #31
Gem of a Challenge - anything with a B (birthday)
Simply Create - for a child
Thanks for visiting!! Crafty Hugs' Jacki


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Nutrition & Metabolism Society Nutrition & Metabolism Society
Here's a sample of our volunteer opportunities:VIEW AS
Mission Statement
The Metabolism Society is dedicated to addressing the problems of obesity, diabetes & cardiovascular disease through public awareness and education.
The Society believes specifically that the therapeutic potential of carbohydrate-restricted diets for the treatment of these diseases is under-investigated and under-utilized. The Society seeks to support research in this area.
Our mission is to improve current nutritional guidelines and to see that sound scientific information is provided for the public
The Metabolism Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit health organization providing research, information and education in the application of fundamental science to nutrition. The Society is particularly dedicated to the incorporation of biochemical metabolism to problems of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
To fulfill this mission, the Metabolism Society hosts research conferences, publishes scientific findings, provides educational information and publishes an open-access on-line journal Nutrition and Metabolism. In association with the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, the Metabolism Society hosts scientific conferences on the nutritional and biochemical aspects of carbohydrate restriction.
While not advocating any specific dietary strategy, the Society believes that the therapeutic potential of low-carbohydrate diets for the treatment of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease is under-investigated and under-utilized.
This information
Might be out of date
Do you work for this organization?
Request administrator status and update its information!


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Home Entertainment
Barbie as Rapunzel Spins Gold in U.K. Video Charts
Matell's direct-to-video CG feature Barbie as Rapunzel debuted in late September and came in at number 1 in both the Official U.K. Top 100 Video Chart and the Official U.K. Children's Chart. It went on to become the U.K.'s biggest non-theatrical new release of 2002, outselling Dreamworks' Spirit and Disney's Peter Pan.
Released on the Right Entertainment label and distributed by Universal, Barbie as Rapunzel stars the blonde icon as a brave and determined girl who is locked in a hidden tower with only her wits to help her escape evil and find love and freedom.
A follow-up to Barbie's CG feature debut in Barbie in the Nutcracker, Barbie as Rapunzel was animated through motion-capture technology and recently picked up the award for Best Animated Character Performance at the 2002 DVD Premiere Awards. It also won for Best Original Score and was nominated in the Best Animated DVD Premiere Movie category.


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VICTORVILLE � Rudy Cabriales is the new mayor of Victorville, following a unanimous vote during Tuesday night's council meeting.
Cabriales choked up accepting the position, pledging to represent all Victorville citizens equally and to the best of his ability.
He was chosen as mayor based on the city's tradition of allowing the highest vote-getter in the last election to take the title. Cabriales edged out Councilman Mike Rothschild with just 232 more votes Nov. 4.
Cabriales chose Rothschild as mayor pro tem, to serve as mayor in his absence.
Cabriales will take over the title from Terry Caldwell, who finished his eighth term as mayor Tuesday night.
"Rudy, after the last two years, you don't know how happy I am to hand you this gavel," Caldwell said with a laugh, as he gave up his seat at the center of the dias.
Cabriales will serve a two-year term as mayor, until Caldwell and Councilwoman JoAnn Almond are up for re-election in 2010 and the mayoral seat rotates again.
Ryan McEachron was also sworn into office during the Tuesday night meeting and given his first duty: the city of Victorville's representative to SANBAG, the transportation board for San Bernardino County.
Rothschild passed down the duty, saying he hoped McEachron would bring a fresh face to the board and help the city move forward with the long-awaited Nisqualli interchange.
Brooke Edwards may be reached at 955-5358 or at email@example.com.


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Bahrain company Bader Models create miniature models of Aircraft Models, Architectural Models and Marine Models but last innovation intended for our site. Airplane tailfin of airlines as KLM, PANAM, Air France and more. A USB airplane tailfin is very tiny and light. Several cool memory stick for example:
A price 4GB = US $53.00, 8GB = US $63.00, 16GB = US $79.00, 32GB = US $120.00.
Have a good flight!