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We Call BS! Cleaning Hacks That Just Don't Hack It
Cleaning is right up there with childbirth: it's messy, necessary, painful, and you don't want to spend too much time doing it. Thus, the invention of hacks — or if you were born before 1985, "helpful tips to accomplish domestic duties with ease."
I'm all about finding easier ways to get chores done, but I don't want to get tricked into wasting time on something that won't work. Neither should you. I took 13 popular hacks to task so you'll know what works, and what doesn't.
RELATED: 12 Things Teenage Boys Do That Are Totally Gross
1. Walnuts fix scratched wood. I took a raw walnut (unroasted and unsalted) and rubbed it across a piece of furniture (that just so happened to actually be walnut wood), which had numerous scratches and chips. I rubbed firmly, which caused the nut to break in small bits, and leave a scant amount of natural oil.
Verdict: False. The scratches and chips were still visible, but it does shine the wood nicely. Save your walnuts for eating, instead.
2. Baking soda cleans barf. I have two long-haired cats, which means frequent hairballs and cat puke on my carpet, leaving me numerous opportunities to try this hack. First, I picked up the solids from the carpet using a paper towel and plastic baggy. Then, I sprinkled a heavy layer of baking soda all over the wet area, and let it sit for a few hours. Finally, I used my vacuum to clean it up.
Verdict: False. I found that some of the baking soda had stuck to the carpet fibers and the stain was still visible on my light-colored carpet. Plus, it still reeked of vomit. Good old fashioned hot water works much better in these situations.
3. Vinegar cleans a shower head. My shower head is old and has lots of hard water stains and lime build up, which made this hack super appealing. I filled a plastic baggy with apple cider vinegar, attached it to my shower head at night, and secured it to the base with a rubber band. The next morning, I removed the baggie and ran my shower for several minutes. I was hoping the vinegar would help the water spray from the shower head more evenly.
Verdict: False. There was no change in my shower head, (the build-up was still visible) but my shower did stink like salad dressing for an entire day.
4. Pillowcases clean fan blades. This super easy hack makes all kinds of sense. I used an older pillowcase and simply covered each fan blade one at a time, firmly pulling along the blade to take the thick line of dust off in one swoop.
Verdict: True. I loved that this kept all the dust inside the pillowcase and out of my eyes. No need to vacuum after cleaning the fan anymore!
5. Shoe polish covers scratches in leather furniture. I have a beautiful, expensive leather couch and now, courtesy of my kitties, a few scratches in the arm and headrest. I'd hoped that this trick would hide the damage. I went to a specialty shoe repair store and found a deep brown shoe polish that matched my couch color. Then, I scuffed and buffed the affected areas according to the instructions.
Verdict: True, but you definitely don't want to do this hack. Yes, the scratches were temporarily covered, but the color came right up on the backs of our shirts and sleeves. Not a fix when you're ruining your clothes in the process.
6. Vinegar and baking soda cleans burnt gunk from pans. If you love to cook like me, then burnt food on pans is inevitable. The hack seems simple enough. Sprinkle a good amount of baking soda on the pan and moisten with vinegar, then scrub.
Verdict: False. This foamy combo is the same recipe kids use for volcano displays at their fourth grade science fair. It creates a big mess if you're not prepared, and still requires you to scrub pretty hard. A better way to loosen grime is to put some water in the pan, place it on the stove and bring it to a boil. Let it cool down for about 15 minutes, then drain, add baking soda and scrub gently with a damp sponge. Voila!
7. Bread and baking soda cleans coffee/spice grinders. I love buying whole spices and grinding them myself in a coffee grinder set aside specifically for spices (you never want to use one grinder for both coffee and spices, or you'll have spicy coffee and coffee-flavored spice mixes). This hack was simple — use a torn up slice of white bread and a tablespoon of baking soda and whirl them through your grinder to clean it.
Verdict: False. "Clean" to me also means smells are removed, and while this did remove most (but not all) of the build-up, it didn't do a thing for the smell. I did it three times, but no luck. Also, you'll need to wipe the grinder out with a clean dry paper towel afterward to remove the lingering baking soda.
8. Dryer sheets repel dust. I live near the beach, which means there is always dust coming in through the windows. This hack is awesome because it finds a way to repurpose a normally one-use item. I saved up a week's worth of used dryer sheets (an unscented major label brand) and then got to work dusting my house.
Verdict: True. I was skeptical that the used dryer sheets would both remove and repel future dust, but, a week has passed and my wood surfaces are still dust-free. Win!
9. Wet paper towels clean dirty George Foreman Grills. First, I plugged in my Foreman grill to get it screaming hot. Then, I took about four full size paper towels and folded them to the size of one. I wet them and then squeezed enough water out so that they were no longer dripping, but still very damp. I placed them on the inside of the grill, flat, and then closed the lid and let it sit for approximately 2 minutes.
Verdict: False. The paper towels were too thin to even touch the top of the grill, and they dry out very quickly. Half a raw onion cleans a hot grill far better and with less waste.
10. Chalk removes grease stains from clothes. I cook all the time, and many of my shirts are dotted with grease stains, so this hack sounded promising. I took an old top with numerous grease stains and rubbed white chalk over each spot, and then I made a fresh grease stain to see if it worked better when the oil hadn't set. Afterward, I washed and dried the top.
Verdict: Mixed. While the old stains were definitely lighter, they were still there. The new stain didn't budge, and it was really hard to get chalk on the fresh oil. I'll definitely do a few more applications to see if that does the trick.
11. Run a metal hanger over clothes to remove static instantly. Every winter, we battle static cling. Dryer sheets don't even touch the static, and sometimes it gets so bad we accidentally shock each other just walking through the house. When I read that metal was a natural diffuser for static, I was, well, ecstatic. Taking an old wire hanger I had from the dry cleaner (paper removed) I ran it through my static-fused clothes and even over my hair.
Verdict: False. My clothes still had static (I even had that embarrassing back of the dress ride-up) and my hair didn't fare much better.
12. Lemons remove hard water stains on faucets. I love using lemons (they smell so good) so I was happy to hear of this hack, especially since we have ultra hard water in Southern California. I rubbed the open side of a cut lemon over my bathtub faucets where the worst damage was, and also on my newer kitchen faucet that had just a few spots. After, I rinsed with water.
Verdict: Mixed. The lemon was not enough to remove the tough hard water stains on the bathtub faucet, but it did work well in the kitchen.
13. Shaving cream stops mirrors from fogging. I used my husband's shaving cream and spread one pump (a small handful) over the center of my bathroom mirror. I then used a clean, dry paper towel to wipe it off. This took more paper towels than I thought it would, and was quite messy. I then closed my bathroom window and door, and turned the shower on hot.
Verdict: False. This hack did not work for me, but it is possible that other brands of shaving cream would work better. It also left noticeable streaks on my bathroom mirror, which means I'm less likely to try this in the future.
RELATED: 9 Signs You're the Mom Nobody Likes


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Arjan builds and guides challenging software development projects with a strong focus on the creation of technical and functional innovation. He loves to act on the intersection of business and technology, and is always looking for the best quality and pragmatic solution within the boundaries of the business.
Back in 2012, Arjan had the first idea to offer his expertise to small and medium size companies as a freelancer. Since then he invested a lot of time in building up more knowledge, experience and a valuable network of freelancers, project managers and decision makers. Since July '16 he is running his own company Enmatter.
Arjan is the most comfortable in the PHP language and frameworks (Zend Framework, Symfony), but beside that he loves to keep track of all scalable and high-availability web technologies. He also coached development teams in creating a predictable and transparent development process.
So if you're looking for a professional, please contact Arjan and share some cup of coffee!

subset: commoncrawl


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I wanted to make some Natures Themed creations
and collaging was what came to mind.
So I have been making little collages these last dasy
using corrugated cardboard
vintage wallpaper, images, stamps
everything nature like from my stash
work in progress
red theme
gluing, stitching, painting
everything I like
I actually think they came out quite pretty.
This might be a new addiction
so caming and fun.
some is listed here
Wishing you all a wonderful sunday
Tina ♥♥♥


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The following are all the birthday cakes I've made for my kids over the last 7 years or so. I'm just missing my Elmo cake, which was my first creative cake.
I will look for the pic of my Elmo cake (not a digital photo- you know.)
I love making the balls. They're creative and quite easy to make!
How do I get my frosting on so shiny and smooth? I dip my frosting tool into a cup of water and I work it around until nice and smooth! (That takes a little time, especially if you are a perfectionist like me.)
All these (above) have been my own creation. I forgot what I did for the ladybug's head. I think it was my smallest stainless steal bowl. I used black jellybeans for the eyes and legs. I thought I was so clever coming up with the ladybug cake idea, but then I saw it on FamilyFun (I think). I'm sure all of these were thought of before me too. Goes to show that great minds think alike!
How to get that perfect, round ball shape you might wonder? If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer, it's a "piece of cake" (no pun intended)! Just be sure to grease and flour your bowl really well!! Use a whole cake mix. (It will need to bake a bit longer than normal because of how thick it is.)
The Pampered Chef Batter Bowl works too! I used that one for the football cake (below). I cut it down the middle after cooled and matched up the centers for the football shape.
I've seen people do princess doll cakes with these too. In fact I found the princess doll cake-topper (doll) at Michael's craft store for like $5. They come with blond or brunette hair. I haven't attempted one of those yet, but have seen many great ones!
Pin It
Wondering how my frosting can be a nice deep color? It's all about the Wilton food dye, found at Walmart and/or craft stores in the cake decor isle. They are about $1.50 each at Walmart.
These next 3 cakes were inspired by the FamilyFun website (my fave for party ideas)...
I loved this princess crown cake. It was SO easy! I just used 2 normal-sized (medium) round cake pans, and 1 small one (the one I always used for my kids' 1st Bday cakes). I used 2 cake mixes and just made cupcakes with the extra batter. I used a $5 princess crown from Walmart for the top (which came with some matching clip-on earrings that my daughter won't wear) so I used the earrings on the sides of the cake for extra bling. I also used big round sprinkles that I found at Walmart in the cake decor section.
Last fall we had a "pretend sleepover" party for my daughter so I found this tutorial at FamilyFun.
Here is the skateboard cake I did that was so clever from FamilyFun.
These are my Great to be Eight Cookies that I posted about in January, which includes a "tute" on how to make them!
I didn't make this one. But did you know that Sam's Club will put "edible decor" (meaning photos) on your cake for no extra charge? You just hand them the photo either at drop off OR pick up! This 1/2 sheet cake from Sam's was only $16 and some change! I got to customize everything. This cake was for my son's baptism on the 4th of July (a week ago).
The rest of these are my own creations again. I couldn't think of what to do for my son's bicycle birthday party, so I tried to make a bike tire (below).
I made the Spiderman eyes out of grey card stock and laminated them with contact paper- so easy! I still have the eyes somewhere.
These other spider things were from the same party, and since my son's birthday is near Halloween they just worked out perfect! (I used plastic spider rings as decor.)
These I made for my other son's school Bday treat, which was shortly after Spiderman III came out so we did some "Venom" ones as well. To make these oval (like a face) I think I just used an empty round container and squeezed it a bit to form an oval. These were a big hit in the class!!
(Only problem was all the black tongues and lips. Oh well. The kids loved 'em!)
Whew... a lot of info for one post! FamilyFun is my fave place to go for birthday cake inspiration. I also frequent this site for ideas and have liked what I've found there too. Enjoy!


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S: Math by Design
FC: Math by Design
1: Content | Albert Einsteinn - 2 Fashion and Math?- 3 What Does a Fashion designer Actually Do?-4 Word Problem-5 Puzzle-6 Sketches-7 Answer Page-8 Advertisement- 9
2: Albert Einstein | On March 14, 1879, one of the greatest mathematicians and scientists was born at Ulm, in Wrttemberg, Germany; Einstein Einstein. Einstein's mother, Pauline Einstein, and his father, Hermann Einstein, were a Jewish family and they soon moved to Munich where he studied at a Catholic school. He had a speech difficulty in the beginning but overcame that difficulty soon. Even at a young age, Einstein showed a great joy and talent for math and science. After his father's business failed, Einstein's family moved to Italy while he stayed behind to finish high school and his first scientific work. But Einstein left in the spring and rejoined his family. His family soon sent him to Switzerland so that he could go to a Swiss Finishing School. It was here that he met his first love, Marie Winteler, but they were separated a year later. In the same year Einstein became engaged to Mileva Mari, who also studied math and science, and they soon fell in love. Einstein's first job was in a paten office, an assistant examiner. Einstein had a daughter, Lieserl, with Mileva; but no one knows what happened to her. They got married and had Hans Einstein and their second son, Eduard. Sadly, Einstein and Mileva got divorced but he soon married Elsa Lwenthal and together they raised her two daughters, Margot and Ilse, who she had from a previous marriage. This is when Einstein's mathematic and scientific career took off. He proved, hypothesized, and invented many things and he won the Nobel Prize for his work. On April 17, 1955, Einstein died of internal bleeding at the age of 76. Even though Einstein is no longer living his legacy and all the things he accomplished lives on forever.
3: Math and Fashion? | There are many amazing women in Mathematics. So when I got the assignment to pick one I had numerous options. I decided to choose Coco Chanel! Yes, many may be saying LOL right now but soon you will see what I am talking about. Designing clothes isn't just sitting at an easel and drawing gorgeous clothes all day long. There is a ton of math involved. When drafting your design it involves measurements, calculations, and formulas. Here are some formulas: Front of Neck=Circumference of Neck/3 Shoulder Dart=Bust/8 Bust Level=Length of Shoulder to the Waist+2 Fullness of Skirt=Waist*Ratio of Fullness you Want Yay! This is starting to look and sound like math, isn't it! Well this isn't just all the math in fashion. I know, surprising. Well there is another important thing that you have to think about: supply demand! To learn more about supply demands look at "What Does a Fashion Designer Actually Do?"
4: What Does a Fashion Designer Actually Do? | All year, designers and models around the world think up and wear their best designs in preparation for one and only one event: Fashion Week. There, legendary designers fight to protect their titles as "The Best in Fashion" while new designers hope to get a hint of recognition as a pendant on the neck of world-famous models such as Heidi Klum. So what does a fashion designer actually do? Well, there are the sketches, the sample products, draping and getting the latest fabrics, measurements, altering, finding out how their product is better than the other companies, and setting up a fashion show. And did I mention that this all has to be done before the production process? I know what you're thinking: what does this have to do with math? Well, first there's a person from the company who goes out and sees the demand for a certain product (let's say cork wedges). If more people want gladiator sandals than cork wedges, the company may want t re-think the design plan. Okay, company deigns new, cute gladiator sandal: Kelly green or mauve leather, rubber sole, half-inch lift on heel. All done, right? Wrong! If those shoes cost $89 to produce per pair, and a lot of people want them, those sandals are probably not going to be cheap one they get into Dillards or Nordstrom. Then, there's the question or whether or not the shoe has correct measurements for peoples shoe size (measurements for sizes 6, 7, 8 exc.). Those last couple sentences were math (measurement, consumer demand)! In conclusion, if math can be found anywhere, it is definitely in the design world.
5: Your job as the next Louis Vuitton is to design a gorgeous dress that will be featured in the famous Fashion Week! There is only one problem! You don't know how to measure the front neck of your model Victoria Beckham! OMG, this is one big crisis. Luckily you found the formula to do it, Circumference of Neck/3. The circumference of Victoria Beckham's neck is 11 inches. Hurry and get it done before fashion week comes! To find the answer flip to Answer Page. | Word Problem
6: Solve each problem. When you get the answer, match the answer with the appropriate letter in the letter key at the bottom to spell out the message. Determine the number of Significant digits in each measure. 1.18.50m Find each Value. 2. 5! Use the percent proportion to solve each problem. 3. 18 is what percent of 45? Solve each proportion. 4. 9/15=N/S Find each Value. 5. 8! Determine whether each situation is a permutation or a combination; then solve it. 6.How many ways can you choose 3 flavors of ice cream from a choice of 14 flavors? Solve each equation 7. 5A -6=14 | Puzzle
7: Find the degree of each polynomial 8. t Solve each proportion. 9. = Find each Value. 10.6! Express each decimal/ fraction as a percent round to the nearest 10th, if necessary. 11.2/5 Solve each proportion. 12. = Find the degree of each polynomial. 13. +9x+1 (Word Spaces on Next Page)
8: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ __ 40% 3 15 364 120 4 3 720 5 4 40,320 40% 5 j | M=40% A= 3 T= 15 H=364 I=120 S= 4 W=720 E=5 O=40320
9: Fashion
12: Answer Page | Word Puzzle-3.66 inches for the front neck of Victorias Dress. Puzzle Answer Math is Awesome
13: The Creators


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Today I hope to garner a moment of your time to consider an issue we all face: attracting the best talent. The headlines about the talent crisis in insurance are glaring, with one study citing we will have a gap of 400,000 positions to fill by the year 2020. This problem is hitting at the same moment carriers are retooling their underwriting operations to become more profitable, which will require more data and analytics talent.
Because we're competing with other industries, we recently announced our Tomorrow's Talent Challenge initiative to promote exciting career opportunities in insurance to the next generation.
I recently joined a CEO-led initiative of leading companies connecting the dots between STEM education and the workforce, called Change the Equation. It's the nation's premier organization boasting 100 CEO members from companies like Intel, Accenture, Xerox, DuPont and Time Warner.
Please join me on November 14th for a web conference with Change the Equation's senior staff. It will be an informative session on proven strategies to address our massive talent shortage. Executive recruiting firm, The Jacobson Group, will provide the latest statistics on how the insurance industry is doing in regards to talent recruitment.
It's time we find a solution to our massive talent shortage by working together. I hope you can join us.


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Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 29, 2012
Text: Ps. 23; John 10:11-18
He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!
Jesus Christ our Lord is our Good Shepherd, precisely in this way: He lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11, 15). He lays down His life as our Substitute. The Good Shepherd is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, your sin, and mine. In this way, He is the Shepherd par excellence, the Shepherd who gives meaning to all other shepherds. The Latin word for "shepherd" is pastor. And so this is what I mean: Jesus is the Good Pastor who gives meaning to all other pastors. Jesus is THE Good Shepherd. All others are only under-shepherds. Jesus is THE Good Pastor. All others are only under-pastors. And then there are the hirelings that Jesus mentions in our text. They are the unfaithful ones who are only in it for the money or the honor or the whatever. They say they care for the sheep, but in reality, they only care for themselves. Not only will they NOT die for the sheep, but when the wolf comes prowling, the hirelings flee.
Not so, Jesus. It is the mark of the Good Shepherd, our Good Shepherd, Jesus, that He lays down His life for the sheep. No less than five times out of eight verses in our Gospel lesson does Jesus make this point, that He lays down His life for the sheep. He lays it down because it is the will of the Father to save the sheep in this way. And no one forces Him to lay it down. At any moment Jesus could have called the whole plan of salvation to a halt, commanded the holy angels to annihilate His enemies, sent us all to hell, right into the jaws of that old wolf, the devil, and Himself gone back into heaven. But that's not what He does. Instead, He willingly gives Himself into the hands of His enemies. He willingly submits to the death of the cross. He willingly lays down His life. For the sheep. For you. For me. For all people. For our forgiveness, life, and salvation. And then He takes His life back up again. He has authority to do so, authority from God the Father. He has the authority to lay down His life as payment for our sins, and authority to rise from the dead for our justification and eternal life. That is our Good Shepherd, Jesus.
You and all believers in Christ are the sheep, beloved. Luther says in the Smalcald Articles, "Thank God
Of course, no pastor in the holy Christian Church ever measures up to Jesus. Pastors, including and especially this pastor, are poor, miserable sinners who are selfish and weak and incompetent, but who, by God's grace alone, without any merit or worthiness in them, have been called by God to tend the flock as under-shepherds, who are covered by the blood of Jesus Christ that forgives all their sins, and who are not sufficient in themselves to claim anything as coming from themselves, but whose sufficiency is in God alone (2 Cor. 3:5). Weakness in a pastor is not what makes him a hireling. Every pastor is weak. God uses the weak things of this world to accomplish His mighty will (1 Cor. 1:27-29). What makes a pastor a hireling is his false teaching, by which he feeds the sheep poisonous weeds and betrays them into the hands of the wolf. Strength in a pastor is not what makes him a true under-shepherd of the Good Shepherd. Pastors have no strength in themselves. What makes a pastor a true under-shepherd of Jesus Christ is the Holy Spirit, working by God's Word in the pastor to keep him in the one true faith of Jesus Christ and to keep him faithful in doctrine and life, so that he may tend the flock.
The same Holy Spirit, working in the same Word of God, and in the holy Sacraments, has made you sheep in the flock of Jesus Christ. And this is what it means to be a sheep in Jesus' flock (our beloved Psalm 23 says it so well): With the Lord as your Shepherd, you want for nothing, for all things are yours in Christ Jesus. He makes you to lie down in the lush green pastures of His holy Word, to rest in the Scriptures and preaching as you meditate on your Lord's Word to you. He leads you beside the still waters of your Holy Baptism, where you were made a sheep of the flock in the first place. He restores your soul by leading you in the paths of His own righteousness, which God credits to your account. This is called justification: Christ's righteousness counts as yours. He does all this for His Name's sake, because His Name is on you in Holy Baptism, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Christian. So now here is the promise: Even though you have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death (and we all have to walk through that valley… Every one of us will die physically unless the Lord returns first), still, we don't have to fear, because Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who has already walked through that valley and come out the other side alive, will guide us through when it is our time to pass through the valley, and bring us out the other side alive. You won't go it alone in death. He is with you, comforting you with His rod and staff. And in the meantime, He prepares a Table before you, the Table of His true body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins, right here in the presence of your enemies, the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh. It is a foretaste of the feast to come, the marriage feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom. He has anointed you with the Holy Spirit and filled your cup to the overflowing. So you know that the goodness and mercy of the Lord will follow you all the days of this earthly life, and that you will dwell in the house of the LORD for all eternity, because in Jesus Christ, your Good Shepherd, you have eternal life.
Because He laid down His life for you. He shed His blood for you. Having paid such a high price for your salvation, He who died and has now been raised from the dead will never let you go. He will never surrender you to the wolf. And even if your pastor turns out someday, God forbid, to be a hireling, know this: Even when a pastor turns out to be faithless, Jesus Christ, your Good Shepherd is ever and always faithful to you. It is He who shepherds you in His Word and Sacraments. It is He who has restored you to the Father by His death and resurrection. You know His voice. Listen to Him. Follow where He leads. For where He leads is always for your good. And He is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! In the Name of the Father, and of the Son (+), and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
[1] SA III XII:2, McCain.


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Last week while I was 'playing tourist' with my family we visited the St Peter Great House on the north side of St Thomas. They have a short nature walk (like in the photo directly above) that meanders through a tropical botanical garden where I made the photos above. My family loved being able to see all the plants, flowers, and birds within the garden.
Another amazing garden on St Thomas HERE.


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Before we get onto our winners, I wanted to share with you a fresh find that I stumbled across yesterday... Neus used Easter Lamb with fabulous colors that remind me of fresh squeezed orange juice. :D Check out her card:
Thanks.... your card is wonderful and we hope you'll be able to play along in our next challenge. :D Now on to our winners as I'm sure you're excited to see if you're listed! The winner of this challenge, selected using random.org is...
#41 Christi Hicks
Congratulations Christi - you've won any two images from Little Miss Muffet Stamps! You can contact me with your choices (email on sidebar) and also don't forget to grab your winning badge from the sidebar. ;D
Our top picks for this week were chosen by the team and each caught our attention one way or another with their stitching.
#1 Dorcus
#5 Sandy O
#8 Josephine
#37 Tracey Brossart
Congratulations Ladies - we loved your cards! You can each grab the "I've been spotlighted" badge from the side bar and display it proudly on your blogs. :D
Thank you for stopping by and your wonderful creations! Check back a little bit later for the next challenge and until then... happy stamping!


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Spiffles is a site I just found out about from another tech on Plurk, Karen Beil. This is a great site for younger kids that has lots of activities to choose from. Spiffles is a combination of 3 popular children's website: Free Kids Music, Light Up your Brain, and the Coloring Spot.
I highly recommend checking out Spiffles by clicking here!!!


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Mel speaks with SlashFilms' Blake Harris about 1986's SOLARBABIES. From Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein to Spaceballs and The Producers, Mel has been responsible for some of the most beloved movies in the history of cinema. And unsurprisingly, at various points in his career, he has discussed the making of almost all his films. Except for one. The lone dud in his canon—a film so bad The New York Times declared it "an embarrassment"— which Mel has never publicly discussed: Solarbabies. Well, at least not until now. Blake Harris of /Film chats with Mel about the whole story.
Click here to read more: http://www.slashfilm.com/mel-brooks-interview/
Click here for the podcast: http://www.earwolf.com/episode/a-conversation-with-mel-brooks/


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"Go Direct Music is different than the average music store. Our number one goal is to earn the trust of our customers one sale at a time. Offering an online music store, GoDirectMusic.com, our customers can find anything music related, including guitars, k"
Top site lists are a simple, but powerful system for exposing your site to millions. If accepted into our exclusive network this is a great opportunity to grow your site.
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Wide Format Printing
Advantage Litho Supply represents wide format equipment and supplies from some of the leading manufacturers in wide format printing including Epson, EFI, X-Rite, GFP, and Summa. Search through our selection of Epson and Outre papers, vinyls, and laminates for your media needs. Many products are stocked in our warehouse for quick and easy accessibility. Check out the latest editions of Epson SureColor series printers, creating outstanding photographic print quality, durability, and media compatibility. Epson UltraChrome inks provide unprecedented photographic clarity, optical density, and vibrancy, now including an all-new optional Violet color for up to 99-percent of the Pantone colors space. Make Advantage Litho Supply your place to obtain the latest wide format printers, inks, media, color management tools, finishing equipment, and more!
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Vanessa found yoga in 2001 at a tiny non-for-profit ashram offering classes for teens. Being an avid practitioner of kickboxing & martial arts, she had to be dragged by a friend who wanted to explore this "hippie stretching exercise." Anticipating a solid hour of trying to touch her toes in dire silence, she was quite surprised at the physical and mental challenge yoga provided. After her 1st class, she was hooked. Growing up with scoliosis, she found yoga was a great way to manage chronic back pain, while simultaneously providing a challenging workout that "magically" left her feeling… calm.
Becoming increasingly interested in mind|body integration, in 2007 Vanessa enrolled in a 7-month intensive program at the Finger Lakes School of Massage. While there, she earned certifications as a Reiki Master & in herbal medicine, in addition to becoming a New York State Licensed Therapist. It was at that point she began to delve into the more subtle aspects of the yoga practice and was empowered by the balance it brought.
Through meditation (and learning to breathe), Vanessa realized that yoga wasn't something we DO as much as a state of BEING. Thirsty to learn more, she enrolled in her 1st teacher training in 2009 and went on to complete a 500-hr program at ISHTA Yoga in NYC.
Constantly engaged, Vanessa has since completed various trainings & certifications, including: B.S. in Exercise Physiology through Hofstra University, RPP Polarity Program at the YPC, Holistic Health Counselor Certification through Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Yin Yoga Intensive with Corina Benner, AntiGravity Yoga Certification & both the Fundamental (200hr) & Advanced Forrest Yoga Teacher Trainings with Creatrix, Ana Forrest. Vanessa finds the mission of Forrest Yoga very much in alignment with her own principles, "to address current day stresses and challenges, both physical and emotional, creating a sense of freedom, connection to spirit, and the courage to work as spirit dictates." This healing modality greatly influences her teaching style, as well as integrative bodywork and coaching.
Through her continuous studies and experience, Vanessa learned that journey to optimal wellness is a multidimensional process that starts within and then eventually expresses itself outwardly. Being personally touched by the transformational power yoga & holistic health provides, Vanessa was compelled to share with others. In 2012, she opened Emerge Yoga & Wellness, in Bellmore, NY, with the simple intention of creating a safe space for self-discovery and expression.
In every class|session with Vanessa, she creates intention to meet her student's individual needs, supporting them on their unique journeys toward physical, mental, and spiritual rejuvenation.
Visit the Emerge website for more information: http://www.emergeyoga.com


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Welcome To FCT, GLSU
This institute is housed in a spacious building having modern interiors that pleases the visitors as well as students. It has well equipped computer laboratories, comfortable classrooms, separate faculty rooms, seminar-cum-conference room for placement activities and other amenities. The library is also housed in the same premises for easy access by the students.
Recruiter's Guide
Student Achievements
|We welcome our corporate partners and assure that your search for potential IT employees will end at FCT, GLSU.
|FCT, GLSU encourages students to participate in various programs and competitions at state, national and internantional level.
|Read more.....
Alumni Speaks
I am glad that I got a chance to share my ideas for FCT, GLSU, an institute which nurtured and molded me with great skills. This only made me capable enough to get into a company like TCS. I realized how lucky I am; to be a part of FCT, GLSU, when I put my foot in the industry.
For me GLS means "Guaranteed Lifetime Success" I wish all the success to GLS and all the GLSites.
Golvelker Kedar
|Read more.....
Life @ FCT, GLSU
Institute Toppers
Toppers of Semester 3 for Batch (2016 - 19) are:
|KOKADIYA ANIL J. (Marks: 628/700)
|TIWARI ANKIT R. (Marks: 626/700)
|BARAIYA PARESHBHAI D. (Marks :614/700)
|HINGU PRAKASHKUMAR K. (Marks :606/700)
|GANIYANI ABRAR R. (Marks :605/700)


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The British Empire
The dates listed above are approximate and do not take into consideration various historiographical interpretations. For instance, many historians recognize a first and second British empire in the years 1583-1914. For this assignment, you will be granted reasonable latitude as to the exact beginning and end date of the empire in question.
Assignment Instructions:
Choose a topic from the list above.
Compose a thesis statement. (see below for more information about thesis statements) You are to write an argumentative work that makes a claim about the primary cause of the empire's fall (e.g. – The Russian Empire fell because…) and is supported by the facts marshalled in your research.
Conduct research with appropriate academic source material, and compile that information into an annotated bibliography. These sources are the foundation of your paper and part of your Proposal, Annotated Bibliography and Outline for Research Paper assignment.
Write an outline for your paper. This will serve as the structural guideline for the work, and be part of your Proposal, Annotated Bibliography and Outline for Research Paper assignment.
Write a collegiate level research paper that addresses the assigned aspect of the empire you have chosen to write about. Do not simply recap the major events of the time period. Rather, it is your task to write critically about the subject as determined by your thesis statement. Identify the argument in the paper's introduction.
Review your work carefully and repeatedly for factual and grammatical errors before submission.
Format Requirements
Length: 12-14 pages (3000 to 3500 words). Your paper should be no less than 3000 words exclusive of title page, bibliography, etc. Upper word limit may be exceeded with the permission of the instructor.
Use Common Era style abbreviations (BCE – Before Common Era, CE – Common Era). This is necessary only when referring to events of the ancient world (before or near the year 0). Examples:
The assassination of Julius Caesar occurred in 44 BCE.
The Great Fire of Rome occurred in 64 CE.
Thesis Statement: Employ an argumentative thesis statement. An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.
Note: Your thesis statement must have a debatable element. For instance, the statement "The Middle East has been torn by conflict for decades" is not debatable. On the other hand, the statement "The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians exists primarily because of political rather than religious differences" is a clearly debatable statement in which the opposite view could be plausibly argued.
Structure: Consult the Writing Guides for APA (see below) to write a paper with a clear introduction, body and conclusion.
Despite the use of APA, do not write an abstract.
Include a title page.
Use a 12 point conventional (Times New Roman, Calibri, etc.) font, double spaced with a 1 inch margin.
Annotated Bibliography: Include an annotated bibliography with a minimum of five scholarly books and one scholarly journal article. (Note: The journal article may be substituted with a sixth book dependent on subject choice with your instructor's permission). Construct your bibliography using research from legitimate, academic sources of history. Practically speaking, this means books and academic journals. Do not use materials from non-academic sources – history.com, online encyclopedias, etc. Research is a vital component of this assignment. Do not use any required readings for this course as source material for your paper. Suggested readings from the course may be used.


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People don't generally seem to have considered what it means that Obama is moving to the left for the general election. The Democratic convention was supposedly a festival of the assertive, confident liberalism that people have looked for in vain throughout Obama's actual term. I've seen plenty of well-known political bloggers argue that turnout may be more important than focussing all appeals on the small pool of undecided voters in states that matter, and with Obama's moves to "evolve" on gay marriage and to stop some deportations, I've guessed that he's decided that he needs someone to actually be enthusiastic about him. After all, you need people to get out the vote. But the corollary of the rhetorical moves to the left for the general election is that he has no intention of governing that way. Otherwise it wouldn't be a change that he's making now.
Meanwhile, what's happening with Romney? As I write this, a tape has recently surfaced of him telling donors that he's written off 47% of the country as moochers and looters who depend on handouts from the government and will never vote for him. Basically, all Republicans now talk as if they are cartoons drawn by hippies sometime in the 1970s. It used to be that only a few fringe leftists described America as an empire, until the neoconservatives took over and said that yes it was and we should be damned proud of it. People would have derided it as crazy if you said that the GOP political elite would generally turn out to be followers of Ayn Rand. And of course "everyone knew" that the contemporary GOP's core objection to a black President would not be as crudely racist as thinking that he couldn't run for election because he was literally un-American, literally an African.
The hippies, as usual in this decade, have been right. That really is who the GOP is. Under these circumstances, either Obama will win, or basically nothing he could do would make him win. I think that he'll most likely win. After which we'll be back to GOP policies in all but name, market-based do-nothing environmentalism, health care individual mandates, assassination and aggressive wars, a financial system run on the behalf of elites, basically everything that the part of the GOP that ever cared about policy would have liked, stripped of their desperate craziness and given a liberal-managerial sheen.
If the Democrats do win this election, it won't be a triumph of any kind of ideas over any other kind of ideas. On the contrary, as far as I can see the broad outlines of governance for the elite are going to be the same no matter who wins. This is mostly an election about demographics, and prefigures what I think will be the GOP's perpetual loss in national elections. There is no way that they can give up on racism: their funders don't actually care about it, but it's how they get enough votes. And there simply isn't a high enough percentage of white people in the population any more.
As a Republican strategist said, with rare apparent honesty, "'This is the last time anyone will try to do this' — 'this' being a near total reliance on white votes to win a presidential election." (Quoting Jonathan Chait quoting the strategist). But of course it's not the last election in which they will try. They will try in every election in which the GOP exists; they have nothing else. They are trapped into one loss after another, unable to keep themselves from demanding identity papers from the same Hispanics who were supposed to be their next socially conservative base of support. Their funding is now inextricably hooked to crazy billionaires who will insist on making their craziness public.
So the right will lose, but the left will not win. The lesser evil is clear to a bare majority, and a bare majority will dutifully vote Democratic. That is the best that can be expected from our system, and any actual political progress is going to happen elsewhere.


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What if you had the ideal family van, with room for 5, 6, or 7; all the versatility you need and a totally new kind of driving pleasure? No imagine you never had to stop for petrol or worry about oil changes or transmission services. It's all your when you go 100% electric with the all-new e-NV200 Evalia. We took the same innovative technology that already put more than 160,000 Nissan electric vehicles on the road, and combined it with our award winning NV200 Evalia. Which means you can start the day ready to go on a full charge and get a zero-emission, 106 miles* (homologated NEDC) range for your to-dos. Make the switch for you and your family, so you can say goodbye to petrol. And all that with maximum cost efficiency: energy cost is 4 times cheaper than your current petrol or diesel car.
You only need to go as far as your dash to get all the info you need for the day's plans. Keep tabs on your current charge, estimated range, and how much power you're using as you drive, right on your instrument panel. Then access the Nissan Navigation System, CARWINGS, the Zero Emission menu, and audio options all in one place – on the 178 mm colour touch-screen monitor. Here, you can manage your driving range, calculate routes, get real-time traffic updates, and use hands-free text messaging. And, thanks to CARWINGS, you can also connect with your e-NV200 using your computer or mobile device to manage some functions remotely, like charging, climate control, and more.
Your e-NV200 is listening - and it will talk to you as well. For instance, when it sends you a friendly message to let you know that it's finished charging. CARWINGS makes the conversation possible, with a smartphone app that lets you keep in touch with your e-NV200 Evalia remotely and ask it to do things like start charging or turn the heating on. And when you log on to CARWINGS on your laptop, you'll discover even more ways to make driving 100 % electric easy and fun. Check your smartphone – that might be your Evalia calling.
With the available CARWINGS app, you can connect to your Evalia to start and stop charging, access climate control, see your drivable range*, and get alerts and updates.
Log into your CARWINGS account online to learn your driving history, plan your route and even see how your driving efficiency ranks among other Evalia owners.
*Estimated drivable range based on current battery charge level and previous range achieved.
There's nothing like driving electric. 100% torque off the line and seamless acceleration bring a fun, new kick to your everyday to-do list. The low centre of gravity and tight turning radius mean curve-hugging handling and easy control in the driver's seat. And, with no engine noise or vibrations, everyone on board will enjoy the amazingly smooth, quiet ride. So whether you're running errands or are out in town, driving your e-NV200 Evalia will become one of your favourite times of the day.
Everyone gets a good seat in this spacious, comfortable cabin that accommodates 5, 6 or 7 people. Thoughtful details have your family in mind, like a low step-in height and lots of smart storage for the must-have items that always come along. You get all the functionality of an MPV, along with the pleasantly quiet ride of an electric vehicle – it's a new kind of family space.
When it comes to cargo, your e-NV200 is incredibly versatile, so nothing gets in the way of your plans. Seat five, six or seven people very comfortably with plenty of room for their luggage Plus, it's easy to load, thanks to an exceptionally low 1.3m rear load height.
The 7-seater goes to even greater lengths to accommodate your needs and desires. With 7 full-size seats and plenty of leg and arm room, you can take your whole tribe on an adventure whenever the mood takes you. Thanks to 2nd row seats with a 6:4 fold down split, and 3rd row spring-up seats, you'll be able to take objects of all shapes and sizes on board. e-NV200 Evalia makes light work of it all.


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Maserati Coupe Rims
Maserati Coupe rims for sale at discount prices from Street Dreams. Cheap Coupe rims and tires packages available at wholesale prices. Street Dreams has a great inventory of chrome Coupe rims and custom Coupe rims. We sell affordable Maserati Coupe custom rims, chrome rims, alloy rims, and black Coupe rims. Great deals on the hottest Maserati Coupe rims. We have a large selection of Coupe rims in different sizes and bolt patterns for your grand tourer car application.
Buy 19 inch Coupe rims at blowout prices. Maserati Coupe rims are also available in various finishes. Coupe rims with innovative features sold at competitive market prices. Maserati Coupe rims manufactured with the highest quality possible. Our Coupe rims and tires packages are designed to meet the demands of all buyers looking at rims for their Coupe. When you purchase rims and tires for your grand tourer car at Street Dreams, you will receive a package with free hardware accessories, free mounting and balancing, and genuine fast shipping to your door.
|2006 Maserati Coupe Rims
|2005 Maserati Coupe Rims
|2004 Maserati Coupe Rims
|2003 Maserati Coupe Rims
|2002 Maserati Coupe Rims
Discount Coupe Rims and Tires
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Leopard pattern is one of my favorite Fall/Winter prints. I developed this sort of inclination for animal prints a few years ago, because previous to that I honestly disliked them.
I was invited to an at home wedding last weekend and I was unsure on what to wear, because this was actually my first time attending to one. So I needed a dress not to dressy but not too casual either.
I wanted to look elegant without being overdressed, and since I didn't have time to go shopping I had no choice but to pick something from my wardrobe.
So I found this gorgeous leopard print dress which, by the way, I wore 4 years ago on a New Year's Eve, and for that reason I wasn't too sure about wearing the same dress again. But I truly loved the way it fitted me, so I chose to rewear it…so what!
My Outfit
Create A Similar Look!
The dress actually fits me better than 4 years ago, and that is because I have been losing weight, which I am very grateful for!
I mean, I am and will always be a curvy girl, but I just want to be able to feel happy and comfortable with my figure, besides feeling healthier of course; and I am getting there. ♥
More Pics
Leopard Pattern Is An Iconic Fall/Winter Print Trend! Perhaps You Can Wear A Midi Leopard Print Dress To An Evening Casual Event Just Like I Did.
Leopard Pattern For Fall And Winter *Stylo 252 – My Youtube Video


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The town clerk in Palmer, Massachusetts is expected to announce this week the date for a recount of the votes cast in the November 5th referendum on Mohegan Sun's $1 billion casino proposal. The Connecticut-based casino operator late last week filed the necessary paperwork to obtain a recount of the referendum it lost by fewer than 100 votes.
No matter how the recount turns out, the referendum exposed a deep fissure on the casino issue in Palmer that had not been visible through rounds of public opinion polling and non-binding referenda that had shown strong consistent support for a casino in the town of 12,000 people.
As she held a sign urging a"no" vote outside a polling place a week ago, Cheryl Kirk lamented what the casino issue had done to Palmer.
Kirk, who has lived with her husband in Palmer for 11 years, said she had not lost any friends as a result of the casino fight, and she hopes when the dust eventually settles any lingering hard feelings will be forgotten.
Iris Cardin, a lifelong resident of Palmer, is co-chair of Quaboag Valley Against Casinos. She said her active opposition to the casino project did cost her friendships. She said the two sides need to simply agree to disagree and move on.
Peoples' perceptions of Palmer appear to influence their stand on the casino. Opponents often described Palmer as a quiet New England town that would be harmed by the presence of a large casino with two hotels and a water-theme park.
Billy Byrnes and other supporters of the casino project see Palmer as a once-thriving, but now dying former mill town desperate for the thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue the casino would have provided.
Mohegan Sun gambled big on what now appears to be a losing hand in Palmer. In an interview just hours before the polls closed last Tuesday, Mohegan Sun CEO Mitchell Etess confirmed the company had spent millions to lease land for the project, draw up plans, do environmental and traffic studies and marketing.
Mohegan Sun planted its flag in Palmer as a location for a western Massachusetts casino project four years before Massachusetts legalized casino gambling in 2011.
In crafting the casino law, the Massachusetts legislature tried to assure that a casino could not be located in a community that does not want it. Approval by a binding voter referendum is a prerequisite for a casino company to submit a final application for a license to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
The commission has said it will consider the margin of approval in the local referenda when deciding whether to award a casino license. That would not appear to bode well for Mohegan Sun if it were to gain a narrow win as a result of a recount.
MGM Resorts, which is the only gaming company to win a casino referendum in western Massachusetts, had its project endorsed by Springfield voters 58 percent to 42 percent.


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Human versus Robot
I'm a big fan of new technology, even though looking back at some of my purchases I realize that new does not always mean better. Take the Lytro camera for example, which claimed it would improve the image focus after you took the picture. Sounded good at the time, but It was an epic fail in the land of gizmos…. Sign up for SM2 Strategic's monthly blog: Download the full article ...Read More
A Time to Share
Having just finished work for the year as well as learning how to edit home videos on iMovie as a gift to my family, I wanted to take a moment and thank you – my readers – with a moment of reflection on the year 2017. This was a year of challenge for me personally as I focused on re-energizing my consulting, my writing, and my commitment to getting in better shape in all facets of my life…. Sign up for SM2 Strategic's monthly blog: Download the full article ...Read More
Cash is King (and Points are Pointless)
Many of us are enthralled with affinity cards and earning points. We use specific loyalty program credit cards in exchange for points and eventual redemption for free flights, hotel stays, and just about anything else you want to buy. Personally, I like the Southwest VISA and the Starwood AMEX and use the points for family travel. In many practices, doctors often use their AMEX gold or platinum card to pay for practice supplies and simultaneously rack up points, with the goal of using them for future travel…. Sign up for SM2 Strategic's monthly blog: Download...Read More
Private Debt vs. Private Equity
I've received a ton of feedback from last month's topic covering the buzz about private equity. This month, I want to share an alternative that could prove highly attractive for doctors that want additional capital yet are nervous about, or just not ready to be, giving up ownership of their practice. One of my close physician friends shared his story which highlights the benefits of this alternative – private debt – if your circumstances allow it…. Sign up for SM2 Strategic's monthly blog: Download the full article ...Read More
When Mayday Becomes Payday
One of the trickiest issues with technology is how to effectively support customers. This can be as simple as helping customers recover their login to a password protected website or as complicated as setting up a new home entertainment system. Today, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos unveiled Mayday, a really cool approach to tackling this issue. When you press a special "Mayday" button on their Kindle tablet, a live person appears in a video screen to help. Within 15 seconds. And they can takeover your screen and help you through whatever is frustrating you. This is a...Read More
Five Technologies Coming Your Way
Last month I attended The New York Times Global Forum hosted by columnist Thomas Friedman (author of The World is Flat). This was a great day spent listening to luminaries and visionaries describe what's going to happen in the world over the next two decades. As an avid Sunday reader of The New York Times, I enjoyed what is best described as seeing the paper come alive on stage. While I took lots of notes on my iPhone, I want to share five technologies that I learned about that are on the way (well, the fifth one is already here). Ingestible Computing – You will...Read More
My Own Personal Nordstrom Story
Most of you have heard the legendary story about how someone returned a set of tires to Nordstrom, which they took back no questions asked. It's part of their legacy for legendary service and taking care of the customer. A few months ago, I went to pick up two pairs of suit pants that were needed for a business trip starting the following day. After 20 minutes, he asked if they could deliver them to my home later that evening, so I left the store and headed back to my office. Around 5 pm, I received a phone call from Justin, the now exasperated (and embarrassed) manager who said...Read More
The Heart of Motivation
The role of every coach is to motivate his or her players to perform their best. In professional sports, this can become very challenging as the season wears on and teams are tired. With the NFC conference championship game looming, San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh had his staff find pictures – the high school recruiting photo – of his players and had them posted above each player's locker. As is Coach Harbaugh's style, he didn't pronounce the pictures or their purpose and left the players to figure it out for themselves. Those pictures brought lots of laughter...Read More
Think Critically, Act Locally
The most important college course I took had nothing to do with my psychology major or my interest in organizational behavior and what makes workers happy. It was during my sophomore year that I signed up for "Critical Thinking 212,Read More
What Is Your Story?
Storytelling is a mode of communication that has been around as long as people have gathered around the fire. We love a good story, which is why the storytellers among us can hold the attention of audiences large and small.Read More
One From the Bucket List
I had an opportunity last week to walk the grounds of the Augusta National Golf Club. The good news is that it was on the first day of The Masters, a championship that I explained to my kids as "the super bowl of golf."Read More
The Real "Real Thing"
The Coca Cola Corporation spends untold millions of dollars each year trying to convince the public that their product is the real thing. The length of the soda section in most supermarkets attests to the success in building their braRead More
Made in America: The Return of Innovation
If you find yourself wondering what's happened to innovation and the ability for Americans to invent new products, you will want to watch this video tour of Tech Shop SF, a member-based place (Kinda like your high school woodshop… On steRead More
The Best Things in Life…Aren't Things!
Last month, I experienced an amazing pair of concert events: one to start my week, the other to end it. More than just great shows, they were rich enough in customer experience principles to make them worthy of sharingRead More
Blowing the Save…A Failure in Listening
When a major league pitcher is brought in late in the game to help his team secure their lead and win the game, he earns what is known in baseball parlance as a "save." If he allows the other team to score runs and loses the lead,Read More
Meet Ray, the Usher from Section 121
Ahhh, the Fall Classic is upon us once again. Sadly, the San Francisco Giants didn't make the cut and will not be repeating last year's World Series triumph. This season was too full of injuries and a lack of offense toRead More
Groupon for Surgery: A Bad Idea
Like many of you, I get a daily Groupon e-mail and will often take a look and see what special deal is being offered. I admit to being intrigued by the upcoming Tomato Battle taking place in my town next weekend (modeled after the annual rite in Bunyol, Spain), but I'll leave it up to a few thousand others to enjoy that event. While I have serious reservations about the longevity of the business model (which were confirmed by Groupon's recent financial reporting), this type of offering has struck a nerve with deal-seeking consumers whose spending patterns have been permanently...Read More
A Taste of Merlindia
The gourmet food truck has emerged as a new dining category in many larger American cities, giving urban workers additional lunchtime options and aspiring chefs a new means of delivering their fare besides having to open a restaurant. The trend has even spawned its own reality show, The Great Food Truck Race on The Food Network. We traveled to Merlindia (via Washington, DC) to check out one of the more popular food trucks (as evidenced by the long lines) offered by The Fojol Brothers. In this video segment, you will see how their use of theming – which engages employees and...Read More
Social Media Helps The Help
A recently released movie called "The Help" finished this past weekend as the top grossing movie, beating out bigger budget flicks about apes, kids, and a re-made barbarian. What's remarkable about this feat is that The Help didn't open as the top movie its first week. Opening week sets the tone for a movie's revenue trajectory, and revenue as well as ranking typically fall with each succeeding week a movie is in theaters. The Help broke that trend, appealing to males and females 35 years and older. Several movie analysts have stated that social media had a big...Read More
Just Feed Me!
Last month, my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans and witnessing the 41st year of Jazzfest (a great music experience for those of you who enjoy outdoor concerts). Based on a tip from a waitress at breakfast, we learned about a great restaurant that had earned the #1 rating on Trip Advisor and I was determined we would eat there sans reservation. We found the Louisiana Bistro on relatively quiet Rue Dauphine, which was remarkable given that Bourbon Street craziness resides just one block away. The place was tiny (we counted 12 tables) and bustling. The...Read More
Ideas in Action: Learn about the Experience Economy
June 2009 An Interview with Jim Gilmore A Trip Down LASIK's Memory Lane An Interview with Jim Gilmore In writing a regular column on marketing over the years, what I've come to appreciate is that great marketing typically boils down to how well you serve the needs of your customer. Two years ago I hit upon a motherlode while reading The Experience Economy, by Jim Gilmore and Joe Pine. These two economists described how companies and individuals are creating greater value in our economy and helping sustain its growth. The book's message is highly durable, and...Read More
Dad, what's an Album?"
My son, who received an iPOD last Christmas, innocently blurted this question as I was searching for specific music to load onto the device. Wow, how fast the world has changed! Indeed, it was a bit sobering for me to explain how recorded music has shifted from LP (long play) records to cassette tapes and now CDs. It was a mini-history lesson that was probably lost on him but really hit home with me. Today's kids and young adults have never known a world without a personal computer, cell phone, DVDs, video games and even the iPOD (at least for the 7 year-olds like my son). They absorb...Read More
Ideas in Action: Babysitter Knows Best
December 2008 Babysitter Knows Best You are What You Charge For Figuring it out In the world of commerce, there is a perplexing problem unique to those in the business of providing services (as opposed to tangible goods) to customers: how to value the specific service you offer. It's tricky, because the temptation is to try to compete with similar providers on the basis of price, subscribing to the age-old adage "may the lowest bidder win." While this might feel good to the customer (at least temporarily), it has the opposite effect on the provider. Most of what I hear...Read More
Ideas in Action: Back to Basics
April 2, 2008 I have to admit I've been a longtime fan of Starbucks. Not so much of their coffee, but of their founder, Howard Schultz. As a man who is driven by something far greater than financial success, he returned to his role as CEO at the beginning of this year amidst concern that the world's largest purveyor of gourmet coffee had lost some of its focus. You may recall hearing the news that Starbucks locations in the US, all 11,100 of them, closed one afternoon in February for a 3-hour training session involving 150,000 workers. Some might view this as a big hit to revenue,...Read More
Ideas In Action: Please Pump First
January 15, 2008 Have you ever noticed that when you walk into most establishments, you are told what you can't do instead of what you can do: – No food or drink – No cell phones – No shirt, no service – No American Express (This last one was prominently displayed on four handwritten signs by the cashier at Kantor's Delicatessen in Los Angeles) I don't know what this says about society, inattentive customers, or uptight small business owners. But it does say something about just how commonplace negative language has become. This is the exact reason...Read More
Ideas In Action: Off Duty At The Waffle House
October 17, 2007 Understandably, there's a lot being said about customer experience these days. It seems as though everywhere I turn I come across an article describing one or an advertisement touting one. What gets lost at times is the fact that it takes people – typically the employees of an organization – to create the events that are unique and memorable to customers. Which leads to Nashville. Gathering in Nashville for an annual event called thinkAbout (hosted by Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore, authors of The Experience Economy), over 100 individuals from a wide-range of...Read More
Ideas in Action: iPod Ergo Sum
August 2007 iPod Ergo Sum It's Okay to Take a Bite Creating Leverage iPod Ergo Sum Those of you who took Latin class in your school days will recognize the play on one of its most famous phrases, Cogito Ergo Sum. Written in 1637 by philosopher Descartes, I think, therefore I am became foundational to western thought and philosophy. 370 years later, a company called Apple is changing the way we think about goods and services for working (iMac and iBook), communicating (iPhone), lounging (Apple TV) and listening (iTunes). The largest driver of all these products is also...Read More
Ideas In Action: New Meanings for Old Sayings
July 2007 It's not what you say, it's how you say it If it ain't broke, don't fix it Getting back to basics In my marketing work with medical device companies and their customers, I'm finding that some of those old sayings that have been around forever have new meaning that's applicable in the world of elective medicine. It's not what you say, it's how you say it Parents learn quickly that with kids, it's important to teach about tone and manner in conversation. These little lessons seem to have a big impact, not only on the playground but throughout life....Read More
Ideas In Action: Pianos, Ice Cream and You
April 2007 Pianos, Ice Cream and You The big "E" The Fine Print You might not have put this together, but Steinway (the legendary piano maker) and Cold Stone (the fast growing ice cream chain) have a lot more in common than many realize. Both have some unique approaches to satisfying customers and building their business brands. Both have built their reputations without advertising (one over the past 150 years, the during the past 5). Pianos, Ice Cream and You When you buy a Steinway, one of the benefits is that the company arranges a concert by a pianist in your...Read More


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Selected Cases
Polar Bear Productions, Inc. v. Timex Corp.
No. 05-35811, 2007 WL 2193541 (9th Cir. July 31, 2007); 384 F.3d 700 (9th Cir. 2004)
The firm successfully concluded its representation of Timex Corporation in its defense against copyright and trademark infringement claims brought against it by Polar Bear Productions, Inc. In 2002, when our firm first became involved in the case, Polar Bear had been awarded a $2.415 million jury verdict for Timex's copyright infringement of a kayaking video entitled "PaddleQuest." We took over the appeal, and, in 2004, the Ninth Circuit vacated the entire $2.1 million award under Section 504(b) of the Copyright Act of Timex's profits allegedly attributable to the copyright infringement as unduly speculative and cut the damage award from $315,000 to $115,000 on the same grounds. The case was then remanded to the district court on Polar Bear's remaining trademark claims. Upon Timex's motion, the court dismissed all of Polar Bear's remaining trademark claims, and Polar Bear appealed the dismissal of its claims to the Ninth Circuit. The Ninth Circuit, in an unpublished opinion dated July 21, 2007, affirmed final dismissal of the case.
To discuss how we can help your organization, please contact your primary Fross Zelnick attorney or send an email with your questions. One of our partners will ensure that your inquiry receives a prompt response.


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10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. • Windows 10
Come learn how to navigate this new operating system. It looks different than XP or Windows
7, but once you learn the basic navigation tricks it is easy to use. There are some really great new
features that are worth taking the time to learn!
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. • Lunch on your own
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. • Cloud Storage
"It's in the cloud." But where is the cloud and what exactly does that mean? This session will give
you an overview of the various types of cloud storage available too you. We will discuss the pro's
and con's of cloud storage and how to make the most of it.
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. • Microsoft Word
Microsoft Office provides the standard word processing program called Word. In this session
learn how to create Word documents tailored to fit your needs. We will explore basic Word
functions and how to use templates for creating certain document types.
To sign up: Call or email Susan at 3 Rivers
467-4133 • firstname.lastname@example.com


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Tuesday, 6 July 2010
On And On And On And On
One thing I try to avoid in writing is something that I have mentioned before and that is the 'run-on' sentence because there are times that what you have to say can be much better described without using 'and' to make the sentence even longer than what it needs to be and there are times I know that I have probably typed sentences that are just too short but I don't care about that and I have decided that grammar anarchy is real good fun but will be frowned upon by those who insist that oh you must put a comma here and a semicolon there along with a period or as it is called in Britain a full stop to note the end of a sentence which is not happening with this sentence until I ramble on with yet more gibberish such as the 'Comedy Knitting' workshop was a laugh and it had me in stitches being involved with such a close-knit community and this bank machine had a sign noting 'free cash machine' yet I noted that the cash actually came out of my account which I thought was unfair and misleading so I went into the store to complain and the lady asked me if she could check my card by 'swiping' it which I though was not good because if she swiped it I would not be able to use it and then I went to my car and realised it had been swiped but the scratch was not too bad so I went back into the shop and purchased a CD which was an empty case that had to be taken over to a special section where this lady then put a CD into the empty case and I then realised when I put the CD into my car stereo that my day was getting even worse because I was ready to listen to 'Devo' singing 'god made monkey but he used the human to do it' or something like that and ended up getting the 'Best of the Osmonds' so I think it is always best to make sure that the CD you get is the one that you want and I now believe I could sneak in words such as fuck and pink stilettos and you would not even realise this because you are now fascinated by my story about these little people who followed around a very well-endowed golden amphibian whilst singing 'follow the yellow prick toad' and now I think it is time to not continue going on and on and on and on because I am going red in the face about being blue in the face over writing such a ridiculously long run-on sentence and thus you can now take a breath and smile.
22 comments:
HAHAHAHA... That was a frickin' great story. I enjoyed how you incorporated words from different, recent bloggers blog posts. Yes, I noticed. Cleverest run on and on sentence I've ever laid me peepers on, yes, indeedy. And don't think I didn't see that naughty word you so expertly dropped so neatly in your lil' episode. I would repeat it but I'm too much the good, Christian, wholesome type of gentleman.ReplyDelete
Funny post, Gary. Carry on and on and on.
Phew...........I can breath again.ReplyDelete
I wonder how many lives the 'full stop' has saved.
phew, I did...ReplyDelete
In fact I would like to sit out in your back garden listening to Devo and having a casual conversation with the yellow frog while I wear my pink stilettos.
Gary!! Hahaha, why oh do you even bother buying a CD? Get an Ipod and have it loaded with all your favorite tunes. Easy. And how did pink stilettos come in? Did the CD lady wear them? Did you wanna throw your shoes at her after you found out it was the wrong CD? What's up with me with all this questions? :pReplyDelete
Fun Post and I could see that you were having fun holding your breath in that picture??
Hello Kelly,ReplyDelete
I thought you might have noticed that I did incorporate some observations that I have seen in other blog postings.
'Devo', and by the way, I have listened to their latest CD and think it's really great. Must have been about 20 years between albums. Then, of course, we must not forget your hero, the legendary 'Toadie'.
Glad you didn't make a big deal out of my, shall we say, entirely out character, expletive. I think it might be time to get back to some of my other genre styles. This experiment in grammar anarchy is over....for now:-)
Thanks Kelly. On and on and on.
Hi John,ReplyDelete
Yes indeed. The full stop and the comma, for a bit of a breather during the sentence.
The full stop or, 'period', as they say in North America may have saved many a life. No, not that type of 'period'. lol
Hi lifeshighway,ReplyDelete
The toad eagerly awaits as you groove to a bit of Devo whilst dancing in your pink stilettos :-)
Get an Ipod? The 'talking' fridge listens to an Icepod. Is that similar, I wonder.
Seriously. What? I have a CD player in my car and just felt like buying a CD to slap in it. Maybe I need an Ipod attachment to my car's CD player. All this technology. Yikes!
Pink stilettos had been noted by me somewhere in blogland. I believe that the lady was wearing curly shoes with bells at the end. I could be wrong.
Must go now. I've just reread my posting and I'm feeling rather 'blue'.
Peace and a yellow toad, your way, Gary:-)
You are truely an original one-off my friend! There was a guy who wrote a whole book without using the letter 'e'; I challenge you to make a post with no letter 'e' in it!ReplyDelete
Hi bazza,ReplyDelete
Now that sounds like a plan. I will try to do that fairly soon. Okay, how about a month or so from now or two months from now or I may just cry for not doing it at all. I don't know what I'm talking about. Was that okay for a start. I do wish so..
hi mr k! wow! hahaha. is that what is called being long winded or not short on words?ReplyDelete
Hi Lenny,ReplyDelete
Hope you are okay and having a great summer. Bet you are having fun playing baseball:-)
I think you need to be long winded to read my rather long sentence posting, in one go. Never short on words. For sure.
Thank you Lenny, for your very nice comment.
Take very good care, Gary :-)
Dear Gary,ReplyDelete
I used to think that you were just bad at grammar. Silly old me! Litttle did I realise that you were practicing "grammar anarchy". And I loved your single sentence with many funny asides.
Anyway, in writing terms you are in good company, my friend, as James Joyce was a similar practitioner of grammar anrchy, his book "Ulysses" finishing off with a gargantuan 68 page sentence.
Match that if you can!
Lovely to see you the other week, by the way. Hope we can do it again.
Yours with Very Best Wishes,
Dear David,ReplyDelete
My grammar can be deplorably bad. Yet, I do know, to varying degrees, what the so-called proper usage of sentence construction, should, or should not be.
I don't take writing too seriously. I love to experiment with various writing styles. To write in a conformed way would stifle my therapeutic and hopefully creative process.
I don't think that I would ever attempt a 68 page sentence. I think anyone who reads my rubbish would give up after reading about 100 words.
It was very nice visiting you, David. Look forward to doing that again. I know you are in awe of my profound intellect.
Kind wishes and a 'Best of the Osmonds' CD, your way, Gary :=)
Very interesting post. I don't understand it, but I find it very interesting. I usually find things I don't understand very interesting. But silly. And illogical.ReplyDelete
See! I can make no sense at all without using run-on sentences. That takes talent.
Have a wonderful day, Gary.
Hi Joylene,ReplyDelete
So, based on what you have typed, I am led to think that you might find most of my blogs interesting because they usually make no sense at all.
Does that make any sense? Let us hope not.
Grammar anarchy! Aint it just totally awesome?
Thank you, Joylene. I wish I had your talent. I think it would be good for me to try doing a blog made up of very short sentences. That is good. I like that.
Have a great day, Joylene:-)
Dear Gary,ReplyDelete
Somehow that doesn't look like you in the picture you've used. So I was just wondering, is it, by any chance, Sean Ryder, notorious ex lead singer (perhaps singer is the wrong word!) of Manchester band "The Happy Mondays". If it is him, does it have any relevance to your post at all, or is this "pictorial anarchy" as well.
Yours in Confusion,
ROFL... This is one sick post Gary good thing I've been practicing breath control for some time now otherwise I would have fainted and land my head on some pretty girl's boobs but who knows maybe another person who is exactly like me in a parallel universe is experiencing exactly what I said and when that carbon copy of myself wakes up after spending a few minutes being unconscious with his head on two normally large lumps belonging to a gorgeous member of the human species then I guess I could also sneak in a word such as fuck and and you would not even realise it because you are now fascinated by my story which I am going to end now because I need to make a quantum jump so that I can visit my other friends inside this cyber universe we call the internet.ReplyDelete
Give my regards to your fridge and the funky horses. Peace out!
Dear David,ReplyDelete
Ah, a follow up comment and a question.
Sadly?, it is not Mr.Ryder. If he had been doing this blog I have no doubt there would have be a bountiful collection of profanities. You might think it was reminiscent of the time he was on Chris Evans' show, 'TGIF'.
Even sadder, David, the photograph is of me with my cheeks (the facial ones) all puffed out. Note how 'blue' I went all in the cause of trying to doing an experimental blog. It's more like 'facial anarchy'. My face does not conform to any laws.
Hope that 'unconfuses' you.
All the best and a frisky yellow toad, your way, Gary
Hi Ryhen,ReplyDelete
How's my favourite inter-dimensional traveller?
I want to thank you for taking the time to comment and indeed respond in such a way that I was fascinated with you and your trans-dimensional boobing because your mind or the mind of the carbon copy of you boobing merrily along the real and unreal possibilities which are possibly impossible possibly brings me around to the conclusion that the cyber world you describe has now set up super fast broadband on Uranus.
The fridge, the funky horse and a very 'horny' yellow toad, send you messages of peace and a signed copy of a 'Devo'CD. 'Are we not men? We are Devo.' Well, it might be Devo, then again.....
Grammar Anarchy-I like it! What a relief to drop punctuation and word links. Multiple sentences are way over-rated. Very humorous post-I will look forward to exploring your site for more words of "wisdom".ReplyDelete
Hello 'The Snee',ReplyDelete
Nuffink like a bit of grammar anarchy. I think it is therapeutic to break the 'rules'. Well, hang my head in shame lol
I hope you managed to find some words of 'wisdom' on my site. I've have a look through my archives and I am none the wiser. More confused, but definitely none the wiser.
You do a very clever blog and I have added you to my 'blog list'.
Have a good weekend.
Kind wishes, Gary :-)
I do try to comment back to each commenter individually. However, I might have to shorten my replies or give a group thank you. That way, I can spend more time commenting on your blogs. Thank you and peace, my friend.


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2014 in review – 2015 Resolution
Anyone who knows me and my wife Katie well will also know that we are both insanely hard workers. Which I find a stupidly confusing thing to say as anyone who grew up with me (and hasn't spent any time with me in the last 10 years) would probably say I was lying, at least about me anyway. It's a sad truth that as a kid, young adult and partly a young man, I was a lazy little sod who should have had the words said to him: "Johnson, you'll never amount to anything!", but no one could be bothered.
These days though, it surprises me no end just how much of a U-turn I have made in my life. The truth is I try and work hard at everything I do. I actually take pride in what I do. So much so, that I sometimes struggle to let anything go. I guess it comes of a fear of going back to the good-for-nothing waster I used to be, and the desperate need not to fail for fear of where that would lead me.
If anything, 2014 proved to me that I not only went to the flipside of the coin, but tried to turn every coin I found over so our good Queen could see the sky. In other words, I went so far the other way, that I ended up achieving, yes, but the bite was so big that I struggled to chew.
We achieved a ton this year in our personal and work lives, and I am proud of how DustyGhost.com has transformed into the site you see today. But there are things missing, a shop, tutorials, videos and podcasts were all on the cards, but none of them happened. You might think with the obsessiveness described above I would have achieved all of this and more, but the issue comes from the fact I apply the same frantic logic to all areas of my life, and as a result I overload and the things I want to do, might sometimes not get done as they take second place to something else.
The honest truth is that I spent the end of 2014 in a haze of confusion from nervous exhaustion. None of that was from DG. This site is my escape from all of that, it was my fun zone, and I should have spent more time here, as that would mean I was letting some workload go. The issue is that I had so much going on, that DG got left on the shelf far too much.
In the meantime, Craig (Tompbeast) Thomson has been holding the fort well with his web comics, and thank God for that man as people just love Digger & Snuff, and his FILMFUNK strips. And Starhamster is now live and it looks amazing! Without him, DG would have ended up a ghost town.
So, Katie and I have both had to look at our lives and set some thick boundaries between the different areas of work and home life. Katie already went through this process earlier in the year, and was able to support me (again) while I recovered and sorted my own priorities out.
Don't get me wrong, 2014 was a great year, we achieved loads! It just went far too fast, and all I need to do was put some pressure on the brake a bit.
So, 2015 is here soon, and I am making sure that this will be a fun and happy year for my family, my friends and a fun and happy year for DustyGhost.com. All deserve my attention and love, and all will get it.
Starting as I mean to go on, a friend of ours told us a sad story about her daughter who looks after a horse that is suddenly and tragically ill and the poor animal will not recover. She was relying on an artist to create a sketch of the horse for her daughter for Christmas, but the artist had to let her down at the last minute, meaning she would not get the picture for Christmas she was expecting! And so I took on the challenge and created this:
Granted this picture is not that clear (I forgot to scan it before sending it over) but I have been told that the little girl it was for loved the picture, and that brings me joy to know some good was done.
Lastly, I have to get in shape. Half the reason I get run-down and exhausted is that I am not looking after my body. I am overweight by about 1 and half, to 2 stone. For me that feels like loads, and I have been messing about far too much when it comes to my health and fitness. Again, because I have taken away from time I should be getting fit to do more work, I only have myself to blame. So, I need to set that boundary thick as I can.
I know what you're thinking, isn't this every man's new year resolution? Well yes, and that's because it's a worthy goal, so it should be done! 😉
And now, over to the year 2015, have a great New Year people!!
Mark (Dusty) Johnson