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Friday, February 14, 2014

Random Musing Before Shabbat–Ki Tissa 5774–Faith Amnesia (and Anger Management)

I just went downstairs to do my laundry. After dragging my accumulated laundry to the basement of the apartment building in which I live, I discover a small, handwritten sign indicating that the dryer was not working, and that maintenance has been called. Since there is only one washer and dryer in each small building section, my only alternative is to take my laundry back up the stairs, go outside and make my way through the snow and ice-covered sidewalk and parking lot, over to the next section of the building, go down to its basement, and hope its lone washer and dryer are are available and in working order. Let me tell you, I had a snit fit of the highest order, ranting, stomping, slamming doors, cursing up a blue streak, and generally being overly histrionic as I dragged my full hamper and my laundry supplies next door. Fortunately, I don’t think many, if any, of my neighbors are around to hear the expletive-laden tirade.

Now, truth be told, I’m not under any particular time pressure at the moment. The way my current schedule is, Friday mornings are generally free. Why was I so upset? Why am I still a little worked up? Truth be told, it’s because I wanted to leisurely have the time to work on this musing. Going from my first floor apartment to the basement to keep my laundry going is a minor inconvenience, but to my petty, obsessed brain, having to put on boots and a coat and walk the few steps to the next building entrance every 40 minutes or so was like the worst possible thing that could happen, and would totally ruin my day.

Oops, excuse me while I put on my coat, go outside to the next building entrance and tend to my laundry. Be right back.

OK, I’m back. As part of my self-work on anger management, and calming myself down (in addition to the catharsis that writing this musing is affording me) I focused on counting my steps. Since in either location I would have to go down stairs, I discounted those. There are only 100 extra steps (round trip,) taking a mere few extra seconds of my time, required to do my laundry in the next section over. Yes, I do have to put on my coat and shoes or boots, but so what?

There are people who say they never get angry. I don't believe them. Everyone gets angry. Setting aside what I know about my own faults and flaws, you know how I can be sure of this? Well, we are made b'tzelem El”him, in the image of G”d. Guess what? G”d gets angry! G”d does things like opening the ground to swallow sinners, flooding the whole planet and destroying almost all human life, zapping Nadav and Avihu into toast, striking Miriam with disease, wiping out Sodom and Gomorrah, and, well, the list goes on. (Sometimes, G”d’s anger appears to be manipulative, and not true anger – witness the plagues upon Egypt. Was that G”d being angry, or G”d making a point?)

Now, you might say, it says right here in this parasha that G”d is slow to anger. I don't want to get into a debate about the validity of the biblical text on that point, but, all I can say is, there certainly seem to be cases where G”d was not so slow to anger. Maybe G”d is slow to anger most of the time, or maybe that's our ideal view of G”d. But if our reflection of G”d, being in G”d's image, reveals anything about G”d, it is that not even G"d” can behave in a  consistent manner all the time.

It’s also wise to remember that this is a self-description by G”d of G”d. We all know how accurate our own self-perceptions often are. Even people who have spent a lifetime getting to “know themselves” are still left with a complicated psyche that can somewhat blind them to their actual behaviors or seemingly mitigate the extent of their faults. Take me, for example. Now, I cannot claim to have spent a lifetime mastering the art of self-knowledge. I’ve actually done pretty poorly in that regard. Nevertheless, I do know that I have learned to be aware of and temper my passive-aggressive nature. I am better at sitting in traffic, dealing with delays and frustrations, and allowing myself to express my emotions more often so they do not build up inside and inevitably explode. I’m better at it, but there’s still a long way to go. People who have known me a long time have noticed the change. Someone getting to know me more recently might suggest I am being as self-deceptive about believing I am mastering my passive-aggressive tendencies as G”d is when G”d self declares to be “slow to anger.” They may be right, but I will say to them, you think it’s bad now, you should have seen it a few decades ago. I think the most telling thing is that these days more people who only interact with me on occasion view me as pretty laid back, calm, easy-going, hard to upset. Fewer and fewer people experience the short, aggressive snit-fits. That’s progress, I guess. Baby steps count. Sadly, those closest to me have generally borne (and still bear) the brunt of the downside of my passive-aggressive nature. It hurts me to know that this highly effective yet brutal form of catharsis, which enables me to be better at the things I do for others, most often hurts those who care for me the most. It is my fatal flaw, and it has cost me. Enough, for now, about the particular of my issues with anger management. Let’s be more generic.

It is good to be slow to anger - most of the time. It is best to not allow ourselves to get upset with every little thing, and lash out. Not everything in life is worth getting angry about. So, when we can, we, like G”d self describes, strive to not get angry, to have high tolerance and loving acceptance, to be patient and loving and kind and merciful.

There is, however, a downside to not getting angry, or being slow to anger. Sometimes this lets the anger build up inside us, when it may be better to let it out in little bits and piece, rather than to save it up until one explodes with fury and rage. We call that being passive-aggressive. It’s not a healthy way to be, and I should know, because that’s me, as you have read.

Even if you’re not passive-aggressive, you probably have an occasional snit fit. We all have them. Even G”d has them. G”d, it appears, isn’t always capable of stuffing all the frustration and anger inside without it eventually leading to an emotional explosion of some kind. How else could you explain what happened to Nadav and Avihu? G”d just had a snit fit. It happens. We must make our apologies and go on afterwards. Better yet, we should strive to understand why we behave this way, and work to mitigate the tendency, if not altogether eliminate it (a worthy goal which some people I know seem to have achieved – I am so jealous of these people.)

There are those times when we are trying so hard to not get really angry. There are also those situations when we know that it would be difficult to restrain ourselves for very long. What is it best to do in those circumstances? Perhaps G”d has role-modeled a solution for us. Knowing how Angry G”d was, G”d knew G”d could not trust the ability to maintain composure while being amongst the troublesome, stiff-necked Israelites. A golden calf, for goodness’ sake! An idol! Aaron helped fashion it. G”d must have been fit to be tied! G”d was keenly self-aware of this. Being a loving parent, G”d knew he must not allow G”d'self to be an abusive parent. And so G”d says that G”d cannot go in the midst of the people, for surely if G”d did so, G”d would destroy them. (Ex. 33:5.)

Now that's anger management. G”d knew not to subject G”d’s-self to a situation in which it was likely G”d would have a fit and do something mean or would later regret in a fit of pique. Well, that's one kind of anger management - yet another installment in G”d's little instruction book we call Torah. But there is another form of anger management - one that can come from outside us. Moshe was a practitioner of this form.

Moshe knew there was a way to convince G”d that the anger could be controlled. If G”d could be reminded of just how much G”d loved these stiff-necked, arrogant people, then this love might defuse the anger and allow it to ebb away.

This is a different reading of the text of Ex. 33:15-16. I know that in other musings on this parasha I have offered other interpretations. Most notably, Moshe's clever trickery in getting G”d to accompany the people by playing to G”d's ego and pride-how is it that we shall be known as G”d's special people if G”d does not go with us, in our midst? It's a clever ploy by Moshe-and it works! Moshe as G”d’s shrink.  Let that thought swirl around your head for a minute, while I go put in another load of laundry.

As I have said, there is another reading. Moshe is not trying to persuade G”d with a little psychology. No, Moshe is trying to remind G”d of the special feelings that G”d has for these people. Moshe knows that, reminded of this, the warmth of love will flow through G”d, G”d's anger will subside, and G”d will be able once again to be among the people without fear of lashing out at them in anger. Self anger management by situation avoidance. Anger management with the assistance of someone else to guide our thoughts and feelings into a better, more loving place.

I think I understand one reason why I had a snit fit today. I’m not presently married or in a relationship with anyone. I didn’t have that safe, secure relationship that would allow me to ask to be “talked down” from my fit of pique. (I have been known to call or text my significant others when I felt a fit of passive-aggressive pique coming on so they could help me calm down. It has always worked. It indicates, at least, some level of self-awareness, so I sometimes salve myself with that thought.)

This is the Homer Simpson moment, the “doh!” Stop and think about what you know, what you have lived, what you experienced, Adrian. You’ve hade counseling, belonged to self-help groups, you’ve experienced Al-Anon and Codependents Anonymous. You’re a Jewish educator and a practicing Jew. Where might I turn for that help in the absence of another human being? The answer was/is staring me in the face, and I didn’t/don’t see it. Hello, earth to Adrian. The word G”d has appeared in some form in this musing so far over fifty times! Yet not once had it occurred to me to turn my anger and frustration over to G”d, and let G”d “talk me down” from my heightened state of misplaced and probably inappropriate anger. That is, until now. Which leaves me in a bit of a causal loop. My own histrionic snit fit, my own passive-aggressiveness, at its worst, led me to a true moment of discovery, a religious epiphany. Sort of. The question also remain, what will I do next time? will I remember that I can turn to G”d, and do so?

Time to shift more laundry around. Hold on for a bit.

[Heavenly Ringtone] Hello, this is G”d. Compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness..

Me: Yeah, yeah, I know all that stuff. Can we skip the formalities? If You’ve got a minute I need Your help.

G”d: [You can almost hear the world weary sigh in the silence]

Me: I’ll take that as a yes. So I go downstairs to do the laundry and the dryer is broken and I start getting all upset and…

G”d: Calm down. Relax. Count to ten. Take a deep breath. Think “Slow to anger, slow to anger.” Now what is it that’s upsetting you?

Me: Oh, that’s clever! Count to “ten.” Ha-ha. Got it. Shouldn’t it be count to 613?

G”d: Stop deflecting. Oh, ha. Now I get it. Very funny, Mr. smarty-pants. A little humor never hurts. Feeling calmer yet?

Me: Why, yes. Yes, I do.

[Sound of mild snow thunder in the distance]

Me: Ah, yeah. How easily we forget our manners. Thanks, G”d!

G”d: Anytime.

I could have done that. I should have done that. (I know, all those 12-Step programs discourage saying “should.”)

Yes, the G”d of my understanding is a very imperfect G”d, but that doesn’t mean I can’t ask G”d for help when I need it. I’m going to have to ask myself why I wrote this whole diatribe about being alone and not in a relationship with anyone and not having anyone to call to calm me down, when all along I knew there was someplace to go for help. Is it lack of faith? Is it a fault of my current understanding of G”d? Or is it simply the human tendency to often not see what is right in front of us?

There’s danger of a spiral here. I could get so worked up about why I didn’t jump right to knowing that G”d could help calm me down that I work myself up into another fervor. So time to take the advice and slow down, breathe, count to ten (or 613,) relax. I selfishly write these musings to have just that impact upon me.

I must remember that. Sometimes, the raging passive-aggressive co-dependent in me insists that I write these musings for you, my dear readers. Truth is, I write them as much for me as for you. They are how I explore my faith, my world, my life, my Judaism. They are sometimes how I trick myself into looking at myself. Our Torah is so rich with text to explore, and text that gives us good tools for self-examination, for behavior modification (and a good dose of things not to do as well.)

I’m on my last load of laundry now. Oh, look what just showed up – the service truck come to fix the dryer in my part of the building. #$!!  Deep breath. Try a prayer, maybe. Ok, the Serenity Prayer might not be a classic Jewish prayer, but it works. That helps. I’m not so alone. There is someone to whom I can turn for help. I’m feeling better now.

I’ve still got to grapple with why the thought of asking G”d for help didn’t rise to the surface so quickly, but there’s plenty of time for that. For now, I’ll simply accept things as they are, and work to make things better. Lo alecha, and all that. This refers to both my passive-aggressive tendencies and what I think I will call not a lapse of faith, but a case of faith amnesia. I like that understanding of what I experienced. A little faith amnesia. Hey, I think that’s a better title for this musing, so I’ll go change it!

This musing began as a reworking of my 2000 Ki Tissa musing Anger Management, and still contains a bit of what I wrote then, and a bit of a reworking of those thoughts. I closed then with these thoughts, which I will also use to close this year:

The booksellers can all go out and empty their self-help and pop-psychology from the bookshelves and warehouses. They can replace all those books with just one. Our holy Torah. If you turn it and turn it again, it is all in there. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About....Well, Everything!!
Do a little Torah turning of your own this Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom,

©2014 by Adrian A. Durlester
(Portions ©2000.)

Other musings on this parasha:

Ki Tissa/Shabbat Parah 5773 - Fortune and Men's Eyes (Redux and Revised)
Ki Tisa 5772 - Other G"d?
Ki Tisa 5771 - Still Waiting for the Fire
Ki Tisa 5770 - A Fickle Pickle
Ki Tisa 5768-Not So Easy? Not So Hard!
Ki Tisa/Shabbat Parah 5767-New Hearts and New Spirits
Ki Tisa/Shabbat Parah 5766-Fortune and Men's Eyes
Ki Tisa 5765-Re-Souling Ourselves
Ki Tisa 5764-A Musing on Power Vacuums
Ki Tisa 5763-Shabbat is a Verb
Ki Tisa 5762-Your Turn
Ki Tisa 5760-Anger Management
Ki Tisa 5761-The Lesson Plan

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Web Wandering

WebWandering: Shopping and ISDN

Michael Newcomb

Welcome to the beginning of what I hope will be a monthly column--at least as long as PC Report lasts--about things found on the World Wide Web. Everyone else is doing it... why shouldn't we? There's lots to see out on the Web, but half the battle is finding something useful or even mildly interesting.

Each month, this column will feature a set of Web addresses grouped by theme. For example, this month, I have chosen to list a bunch of on-line shopping pages and ISDN resources. I also plan to include Internet surfing tips and "Web Basics" links which can be helpful when you are trying to find something specific amid the chaos of the Net. If the tips seem to lean rather heavily towards Windows 95, that is because I find Win95 to be the best platform to date for Web browsing.

Before we start, one important convention: all links (Universal Resource Locators or URLs) are assumed to be prefixed with "http://" unless otherwise noted. All the resource locators in this article were tested at press time. However, the Web is full of broken links and disappearing pages, so your mileage may vary.

October 1995 Table of Contents

Internet Tips

Microsoft Plus for Win95

If you are a Windows 95-based Web surfer, be sure to purchase the Microsoft "Plus" pack for Win95. This addon includes a variety of Internet-related utilities, the most interesting of which may be Microsoft's powerful 32-bit multithreaded Web browser.

One of the Plus pack's other useful features is its demand PPP dialer. The Dial-Up Networking applet supplied with Win95 must be started manually when you want to connect to the Internet; the demand dialer will start up and connect you as soon as any application requests information via TCP/IP.

For example, if you launch Netscape and click on a button or URL that is "outside" your computer, Win95 will automatically launch the Dial-Up Networking applet and connect you to your Internet provider. The Plus pack applet also stores passwords across Win95 sessions, something the original applet did not do.

If you need to use a Terminal Window to initiate your PPP connection, the Plus pack can make your life much easier. One of the tools in the pack is a Dial-Up Scripting Tool, which can automate connecting to your provider. Though not as powerful as the scripting languages in dedicated communications programs like HyperAccess, the Dial-Up Scripting Tool can perform the simple wait-and-respond tasks needed to log on to Internet providers.

The only downside to the Plus pack is its tendency to deconfigure your existing PPP setup. If you had a working Internet connection, you may need to recreate it after installing Plus. For this reason, I would suggest that you write down your parameters (especially the TCP/IP Protocol properties in the Network dialog box) before installing the pack.

Automatic Login

The release-candidate version of Win95 includes a Dial-Up Networking applet that correctly supports the Universal Password Protocol for PPP. If your Internet account is "dedicated" to PPP, you should now be able to connect without opening a Terminal Window. Automatic login was very problematic under earlier versions of Win95, but the commercial version seems quite solid. Internet providers are also becoming more conscientious about supporting the autologin protocol--if you currently open a Terminal Window to log in, try going without and see if you get a connection.

Norton Gotcha

Many companies raced to release software on the day that Windows 95 shipped. One of the vendors that shouldn't have rushed was Symantec: their Norton Navigator for Win95 has a distinctly unfinished feeling. Navigator includes lots of great ideas marred by way too much sloppy execution. I won't harp on Navigtor's weird screen-redraw habits, slow copying, or heinous "background" delete protection (it makes everything else seem to run in the background).

Navigator promised a very nice feature for us dedicated web surfers: the ability to "see" FTP sites as Navigator folders. Theoretically, you should be able to copy files to and from FTP sites just as easily as on your local hard disk. Combine this technology with Navigator's powerful disk tools like "compare directories" and "synchronize folders," and you should have an unprecedentedly easy way to do things like maintain your own Web site on a remote machine.

Unfortunately, almost none of this works, at least in the initial version. For example, I was unable to make Navigator perform a non-anonymous login, a vital step for accessing many private FTP sites. When the Navigator's FTP feature does manage to connect, it does any number of regrettable things. For example, it may not show all the files actually found on the FTP server. When "putting," it may send illegal characters in filenames, making the files almost impossible to access or delete.

Until Symantec gets its act together I would suggest using a more conventional FTP utility. I have had good luck with WS_FTP, a shareware FTP program that can be found on CompuServe and on many Internet software archives.

Web Basics: Searching

One of the Internet's most serious flaws is its lack of an "official" directory. Since nobody "controls" the Internet, there is no central registry of the resources available on the Net. Web pages are constantly appearing, disappearing, and moving. If you store a bookmark to an interesting Web page one day, it may be invalid the next. People can be just as elusive: if a person changes his Internet mail address or home system, you have no reliable way to find him.

Commercial on-line services like CompuServe can track members and supply searchable "official" directories. They can also arrange their services into orderly menus, check uploads for viruses, and place reasonable limits on behaviour in on-line forums. The Internet abhors all such attempts at civilization.

Over the years, Net hackers have developed a variety of tools to help you find what you want on the Internet. These tools generally fall into one of two categories: brute force or managed.

Brute force tools try to collect information by looking literally everywhere. For example, one type of data collector, known as a "spider" or "crawler," goes out looking for Web pages. When the spider finds a page, it indexes every word on the page and then recursively follows every link from that page to other pages. These searching tools are one of the reasons why Web page owners can often boast of "thousands of `hits' per week;" there are brute force searchers running all over the world, and each search of a page generates a "hit."

Once the spiders have located a page, they will hit it on a regular basis to see if it has changed or disappeared. Needless to say, this type of searching uses lots of bandwidth and computing power: the load increases geometrically with the number of web pages in existance.

The usefulness of a brute force search is greatly dependant on the power of its database searching software: the tool needs to take your query and match it against the "dumb" list of indexed words. Most brute force tools use a scoring system and list the first ten or so objects that seem the best match to match your query. Using this type of tool can take considerable skill; for the search to work, you need to use at least some of the words actually found in the target Web page. The searching software can't yet match synonyms or find what you want by actual meaning.

Managed searching tools leverage the intelligence of human operators to coordinate information. For example, the "Yahoo" web directory invites people to send in their links along with a category classification. Yahoo's operators then arrange the categories into sensible order. Since a human being sees each item, the directory has intelligible order; the directory entries will usually be where you would "expect" them to be.

Despite the high level of automation, all Web searchers and directories suffer greatly from burnt-out links. Even a well-managed site like Yahoo will contain many locators that no longer go anywhere. Part of the problem is the fact that Internet host systems go down very frequently, even at large commercial providers. If a link doesn't work once, it may well work later when the host system comes back up. Figuring out when a link is really gone can be difficult for automated software.It can be very hard to find what you want on the Internet. Success often depends on using the right searching tool and entering the right query. Nevertheless, the table below contains some of the tools you can use.

Web Searching Tools
Search NameURLTypeRemarks
InfoSeekwww2.infoseek.comBrute force indexingSmartest of the dumb indexers
Lycoslycos.cs.cmu.eduBrute force indexingIndex of document titles and content
Webcrawlerwebcrawler.comBrute force indexingWords found in Web pages
World Wide Web Wormwww.cs.colorado.edu/home
Brute force indexingWords found in Web pages
Jughead Gatewaygopher://liberty.uc.wlu.edu:3002/7Managed listSearches Gopher pages
Gopher search interfacegopher://veronica.scs.unr.edu
Managed listSearches Gopher pages
Virtual Touristwings.buffalo.edu/world/Managed listGeographical list of web server systems with map-based interface
Computer Companies Onlinelibrary.microsoft.com/compcos.htmManaged list of linksOne of the best ways to find computer vendors. Provided by Microsoft.
Web Search Enginescuiwww.unige.ch/meta-index.htmlManaged list of linksList of Web search engines
Yahoowww.yahoo.com/Managed list of links
NetFindgopher://ds.internic.net:4320/1netfindEmail ID databaseTries to find email addresses
Finger gatewaywww.mit.edu:8001/finger?UNIX toolReads profile information about a user. To use, you need the user's home system ID.
Archie search interfacecuiwww.unige.ch/./archieplexform.htmlFilename indexSearches for filename across a very large number of file archives
Virtual Shareware Librarywww.acs.oakland.edu/cgi-bin/shaseFilename indexFinds shareware and freeware located in several software archives

ISDN Information

The industry press has proudly proclaimed each of the last five years or so "The Year of ISDN." Actually, ISDN hardware is only now beginning to reach the point where it is actually useful. Phone companies have only just started to take digital data lines seriously. By a happy coincidence, the ISDN infrastructure is falling into place just as an application--Web browsing--that really needs high bandwidth becomes popular.

If you are interested in ISDN's potential for high-speed (128kbps) data and voice communications, the table below contains some links you might want to explore.Following the long tradition of phone companies, NYNEX has no web page, but in Massachusetts you can call their digital services group at (617) 743-1333. In New England, try (800) GET-ISDN.

ISDN Links
fiddle.ee.vt.edu/succeed/isdn.htmlInformation on ISDN
www.almaden.ibm.com/ciug/ciug.htmlIBM ISDN Page
www.raleigh.ibm.com/wav/wavprod.htmlIBM WaveRunner (ISDN Modem) Products FTP Site
alumni.caltech.edu/~dank/isdnDank ISDN Page
www.mot.comMotorola. Includes data on the Bitsurfr low-cost ISDNmodem
www.zyxel.comZyxel. Modems including some very advanced ISDN hardware
www.bellcore.com/ISDN/ISDN.htmlOfficial Bellcore ISDN site
www.atria.com/~jtk/ISDN.html(Unoffical) Q&A about Nynex ISDN service

On-line Shopping

Based on the endless hype from both the computer-related (e.g., Wired) and the mainstream (e.g., Time and Newsweek) press, you could be forgiven for believing that the World Wide Web is the future of commerce. It just isn't so. For now, at least, nobody except Netscape is making money off the Web. The reasons range from lack of money (many Websurfers are impoverished students and academics) to security concerns (there isn't any security). A more fundamental problem may be the same one that afflicts all on-line shopping, even the services provided by companies like CompuServe: you can't ask questions.

Web shopping pages can only provide a fixed set of information about a product, generally a grainy low-res photo (a curse of low-bandwidth communications) and a text blurb. If what you need to know isn't on the page, you're out of luck. The best you can hope for is a "mail to" link that you can use to send questions by e-mail; there's no real-time interaction.

Web shopping is only useful if you know exactly what you want and don't need to ask questions like, "is the item in stock?" Compared to the tremendous convenience of 800-number-and-glossy-catalog shopping, the Web has an awfully long way to go. How often have you bought something without asking a single question? Web shopping also gives you no impression of the people you're dealing with; they could be lunatics or thieves. If you buy from an 800 number, you at least know the vendor answers his phone.

For better or worse, one of the more interesting on-line shopping setups is Sparco at "www.sparco.com". Sparco is a computer vendor that has no printed catalog. Everything they sell is listed on the Web. You can search the catalog for items and see matching listings from every supplier that Sparco carries. Some of the listings include vendor-supplied product literature, but most are bare-bones text database entries.

Each entry includes an "add to shopping list" button. After you have completed selecting all of your items, you can generate an order and forward it to Sparco. Shopping this way is both liberating and intensely frustrating. Most computer catalogs, like PC Connection's, list only the most popular items; several items are omitted for every one found in the catalog. Since Sparco's entire catalog is on-line, you can hunt for obscure items. In most cases, though, when you're looking for an obscure item, you want to know more about it, and that means asking questions.

Another problem with most on-line shopping sites is the tendency of vendors to get their Web pages working, then never update them. It's not uncommon to see a shopping page advertising Christmas '94 specials in August '95. Prices are rarely up-to-date; my instinct is always to call the vendor and check stock and current pricing before placing an order. This defeats the purpose of shopping on-line.

Some of these problems may be solved as sophisticated merchants tie their Web pages into their on-line order-entry and inventory systems. Given the Internet's poor security, though, they may choose not to expose their vital line-of-business systems to ill-disposed surfers.

There are also potential solutions to the lack of interactivity, such as Internet Phone, which could connect you to a live person when you click a button on the Web page. Even better, you could choose the relevant person without stepping through dozens of voice-mail menus.

Microsoft has an intriguing partial solution to the interactivity problem: the OCX Chat control. Microsoft's Web browser has one killer feature that distinguishes it from all other browsers: the ability to use OLE controls in Web documents. If you click on a link to a document that Netscape, for example, doesn't directly understand, it must open a "helper" application to display the item.

Not so with Microsoft's browser. Blackbird, Microsoft's extended Web language, allows the browser to effectively extend itself with new and undreamt-of capabilities without an update. The browser automatically downloads the executable code for new features when the relevant item or link is clicked. One of the embeddable controls that Microsoft has developed is a Chat object, which allows you to hold a live keyboard conversation with another person on the Net. This might solve the single largest problem with Web shopping: just click the Chat control, type your question, and get an answer in real time.

For now, the Web is a great place to search catalogs and look for product information, but I have yet to be convinced that it is suitable for actual shopping. Table 3 lists some shopping sites anyway.

If you are interested in finding more shopping sites, try Yahoo, which has several Web commerce rubrics.

Internet Shopping Links
www.sparco.com/Sparco Communications
www-e1c.gnn.com/gnn/wic/The Whole Internet Catalog
www.isurf.com/iss/docs/The Internet Surf Shop
ep.com/EPages Internet Classifieds
www.newbury.com/Newbury Comics
www.halcyon.com:80/mcphee/welcome.htmlArchie McPhee
software.netsoftware dot net

Speak for Yourself

By the time you read this, most of these links should be directly clickable from a Web page on TIAC, "www.miken.com/". Eventually the Web Wandering article will be located somewhere else, but I am using the latter site to provide various PC Report-related information for the time being.

Please let me know if you find this article interesting or if you are sick to death of Web links. If there's a particular Internet or Web-related topic you'd like to see addressed, or if you find some interesting links, please e-mail to "pcreport@miken.com".

Happy surfing!

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Friday, December 7, 2012

sloping and one-way, streets, dead-end street

Slowing the energy of sloping and one-way, streets

Living on a sloping or one-way street can create two energetic problems. Generally, energy tends to move faster on these streets, sometimes too fast for ideal Feng Shui conditions. First, energy can pass through the street too rapidly to enter and nourish the property and, therefore, deprive the residents of desperately needed chi. Second; the rapidly flowing chi can rob or strip away vital energy from your yard and life. The effect of these factors is that your career, opportunities, and your health can suffer.

Because the front of your lot – the part nearest the street corresponds to the Life Ares of Helpful People/Travel, Career, and Knowledge, rushing the street energy can create unfortunate results in these areas. The solution is to slow down the street energy at your property and absorb some of its force for your own benefit. For an easy cure, you can plant bushes along the front property line.

Another cure that works wonders for slowing the chi of a slopping or one-way street is a strong exterior fountain. You can place it in the Career Area of your property or near the mouth of your driveway to both counteract and utilize the rushing chi of the street. Yet another excellent solution involves using moving cures, such as windsocks, pinwheels, or whirligigs. Apply these solutions along the front line of your property at the street. The moving energy of these cures beneficially uses up the rushing chi of the street by simultaneously absorbing it for the property’s benefit, and preventing the street from pulling energy away from the lot.

Living on a dead-end street

A dead-end street receives even less inflow of energy than a cul-de-sac. Hence, the name dead-end meaning the street is dead energetically – and you are at the end.

The more problem with dead ends is that – by definition – no energy can flow through. Because no traffic can pass, the energy is lower, and less active, creating stagnation and dullness. The lives of residents living in homes on dead-end streets are often lower in energy, wealth, and opportunities. Getting to work in the morning and succeeding in life can be more difficult.

Awakening and enlivening the energy of the lot is vital to transform the energy of a dead-end house. You can start by cutting back all overgrown bushes and vegetation. Make sure all outdoor lights are working. Keep your yard and street clean of debris and old belongings, including any junk cars, spare bulldozers etc.

To attract and create a new flow of positive energy, do your best to enliven, energize, and awaken your property with sound, movement, color and life.

  • Use energy activators such as windmills and windsocks, which feature motion and color.
  • Hang wind chimes to activate and awaken the area to create more energy and movement in your environment and life.
  • Install bird feeders to attract the lively energy of fine-feathered musical friends. In Feng Shui, lovebirds and songbirds bring opportunities and messages that create new activity, movement, and harmony in your life.

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Product endorsements in books? Tell me it isn't so!!!

So, I thought I would chill out on the weekend and read a few pages in a best-selling novel when suddenly, out of nowhere, I was bombarded by the world of product endorsement.
Okay, so maybe I am wrong. But check this out..

It began with one mention of IKEA. A young woman, fresh out of college went to IKEA and bought the ‘basics’ that she needed for her bedroom. (Unlike most people right out of college, who manage to drag something out of the dumpster, steal furniture from their parents or search Craigslist) The 'basics' of course, include everything from bedding to the curtains, a mirrored armoire, a chest of drawers, a ‘comfortable’ chair, two night tablesand yes, there is more but I am limited on time tonight and can’t possibly list it all. Needless to say that this girl must have got one hell of a deal at IKEA cause I’ve lived in Vancouver over a year and still don’t have most of this shit. I guess I should visit an IKEA because according to this book, the main character was ‘amazed’ by how little everything cost her. Ahem.

The book then goes on to mention how the good people at IKEA helped this young woman load a van with all the crap she bought (unlike most stores where they hide when seeing a customer in need!)

Apparently, her father’s check (I believe it was for $1000) went a ‘long way’ in purchasing everything she needed. She loved all her new IKEA stuff. Her roommate loved all her new IKEA stuff. The world was a wonderful place.

And from there, I could understand if the story went on and moved past the whole IKEA thing. But, it hadn’t.

After discussing the wonderful evening this girl spent with her new roommates, it went on to comment on how her new room was peaceful and pretty now, ‘thanks to IKEA.’ It then goes on to state that she was thrilled with her purchases and that her friend’s suggestion to shop there was a great idea!

Are you IKEAed out yet? Well, you will be, cause before the chapter is finished, it’s mentioned again. She comments on having a conversation with her sister earlier that day ‘while shopping at IKEA’.

I might be jumping to the conclusion but this chapter really seemed to scream out ‘product endorsement’ from beginning to end. I was stunned. Maybe a little naive, but I never  considered that authors would actually attempt to market something in their book. I know that most writers will make a mention of products to set the scene or in attempts of creating an image of a character. For example, you get a completely different image when I talk about a young lady wearing ruby red lipstick as opposed to Blistex or Lip Smacker. However, if I make a point of mentioning that tube of Blistex repeatedly throughout the chapter, the readers would probably question why that was so relevant to the story. Going back to the IKEA chapter, I will say that it doesn’t appear to be justified that the popular chain be mentioned so many times in one chapter.

Okay, so here is a little example of what I mean.

Someone once told me that the reason why soap operas became the central part of afternoon television, was because soap companies wanted a form of entertainment to cushion their commercials, which were directed at housewives (if you are really young, you might want to Google it. 'Housewives' don't really exist anymore). Are best-selling authors just another cog in the marketing machine? Will authors someday be writing books centering around the companies that want association with the author and target age group expected to read the book? Let's hope not.

Canadian author Mima is known for her complicated and diverse characters, a dark style and for never shying away from controversial topics. To request an interview or if you are interested in doing a book review, please send requests here

Mima is the author of Fire and the prequel, A Spark before the Fire, as well as The Rock Star of Vampires  Her Name is Mariah and Different Shades of the Same Color. Join Mima on Facebook, TwitterG+ and Goodreads also, check out her Amazon Author Page

For some reading, check out her blogs – personal or writing

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A.J. Fillo, Ph.D. candidate in the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, has launched a new video series aimed at inspiring the next generation of engineers.

On many days, you can find Ph.D. candidate A.J. Fillo in the School of MIME’s Niemeyer Research Group offices studying the turbulent combustion of liquid jet fuels.

While his current research is focused on numerical simulations using a supercomputer, Fillo explains that the Combustion, Ignition, Radiation, and Energy (CIRE) Lab, where he did his master’s research, is where he gets to “light things on fire for science.”

“Basically, I built a really fancy Bunsen burner that produces highly turbulent, premixed liquid jet-fuel flames,” Fillo said. “We can then use it to measure what's called the turbulent flame speed.”

Earlier this year, Fillo won first place at the College of Engineering’s Graduate Research Showcase for a presentation based on his thesis, titled “Impact of fuel chemistry and stretch rate on the global consumption speed of large hydrocarbon fuel/air flames.”

His research comes as the world’s dependence on hydrocarbon fuel remains high and interest in energy conservation and fossil-fuel alternatives gains traction. He cites U.S. consumption data from 2014 at 18.49 million barrels of oil a day, of which 70 percent is used in transportation.

“Despite their extensive use, the turbulent combustion of these fuels is poorly understood,” he said. He expects that his research will help alleviate this gap in knowledge and provide turbulent combustion data needed to improve the industry’s understanding and approach to jet engine design and analysis.

“My research has the potential to generate a new, affordable methodology for evaluating alternative fuels enabling reduced fossil fuel dependence and lowering emissions,” he said.

Yet, for all the attention on his own research and burgeoning career, Fillo has managed to carve some time out for a new project aimed at inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists.

Taking his knowledge of science and a knack for the theatrical—he subsidized his undergraduate education working as a professional magician and actor—Fillo has developed an educational video series called “LIB LAB,” short for Library Laboratory. The series is targeted at K-12 students to boost interest in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) concepts and activities.

In partnership with Corvallis videographer Yancy Simon, the Emmy Award-winning Video Dads production team, and the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Fillo launched LIB LAB March 1. He’s also the star of the videos.

Clad in a lab coat and bowtie, a la Bill Nye, Fillo explores a variety of scientific fundamentals with playful experiments and demonstrations. The videos live online, enabling audiences around the world to participate in the experiments.

Each video will include directions for a related experiment that young viewers can conduct at home. The premiere episode, focusing on propulsion, includes directions for building an Alka-Seltzer-powered rocket.

As an added bonus for local residents, the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library will provide materials for the experiments, available at the Corvallis branch while supplies last.

“What we're trying to do is demonstrate that you can do really impactful outreach for a relatively low cost,” said Fillo. Still, he adds the caveat that good video production is key to making something that grabs and keeps kids’ attention, and he’s grateful to partner with a professional production team.

“Often, people have this idea that research has to be big and expensive,” he said. “And that makes it inaccessible to the general audience.” He’s hoping projects like “Lib Lab” can change that perception.

Fillo and the team are working on episodes about soft robotics (featuring ideas and research developed by Oregon State faculty), vortex dynamics, and this summer’s solar eclipse.

As the team continues to build out the project, Fillo hopes to partner with more faculty from across the university. He also hopes one day that the project will be large enough to sustain itself as a standalone organization.


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In this digital age of mass consumption, advertising, branding, and marketing are very important tools for a company’s success. Although, today’s consumers are starting a trend that has many brands paying close attention to. This rising element in the digital shopping world is customer reviews. Reviews offer information to consumers in a way that advertising, branding and marketing could never do. Why? Because the reviews are coming directly from consumers that have had prior experiences with that particular company. This rising trend has been studied and monetized by brands such as, Kate Hudson’s active wear startup, Fabletics. Paying attention to how the consumer feels about the experience of online shopping, is very important to say the least, because as it goes to show, people trust these reviews, and often point to new, or returning customers.

Fabletics has been in business since 2013 and has been on a growing trend, increasing by more than 200% to over $235 million in revenue and more than one million paying members. Shawn Gold, the corporate marketing officer of Fabletics parent company, TechStyle Fashion Group, attributes this progression to understanding and capitalization of the customer’s experience online. Customer reviews are similar to the old days of recommendations that came from word of mouth. If a new restaurant just opened in town, there would naturally be some skepticism. If a friend gave positive reviews on the restaurant, it is very likely that restaurant would see an increase in traffic as well as repeating visitors, which brings customer loyalty. Today, the customer review does just that, by creating a platform to which new customers can determine whether or not the brand is for them.

With the power of the internet it is not rare that consumers often, research companies before giving them their business. In a climate that is filled with various security threats and uncertainties, online trust is a key element in the process of conducting online business. Fabletics has noticed certain trends that have helped with the growth of their company. Positive reviews on products helped lead to higher positioning in search engines and was tied in with the fact that these same reviews help to generate, trust, leading to much more revenue and customer retention. Studying these factors was a key element for Fabletics’ success and digital growth in the last few years.

Kate Hudson was the perfect ambassador for the brand, as she was approachable, easy to talk to, and very down to earth. The president of Fabletics Gregg Throgmartin, stated, “Kate truly represented what we wanted Fabletics to be.” She was heavily involved from the beginning, reviewing budgets, following sales trends, to know which products are selling the best and which are not, and even gave her input on social media strategies. As an actor, Kate knows that is where her passion always is, but she is very proud of what she has accomplished in business with Fabeltics.

Don’t forget to take the Lifestyle Quiz for a personalized matched in Fabletics!


text:
Welcome Exchange ATM

Hello, all collectors from world wide. Welcome to my mini-world of ATMs. Inside this site, you can find some ATM used covers and ATM stamps that I collected, even some articles I studied. Surely not all the articles are correct, that I hope you feedback your rich knowledge to correct my words. Belive this field will benefit all explorers, and attract more friend into ATM world.
----------Show me knowledge, not stamps--------

Saturday, January 03, 2009

HongKong Receipt White paper

Duraring the out of stock of receipt paper, HongKong post office(TST) used the white paper.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

這是灣仔時期的產品, 不是尖沙咀(tst)


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Oct 04 2017

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text:
Monday, August 9, 2010

N.C. home sales rise 17% from a year ago Charlotte Business Journal

The number of existing-home sales in North Carolina increased 17 percent last month, marking the fourth consecutive month of double-digit gains from a year earlier.

Buyers snapped up 9,505 houses across the state in June, up from 8,155 in June 2009, according to the Greensboro-based N.C. Association of Realtors.

Real estate agents attribute the increase to low mortgage rates and the first-time home-buyer tax credit; buyers who qualified for the credit have until Sept. 30 to close on their purchases.

As previously reported, the number of home closings in the Charlotte area totaled 2,324 in June, according to the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association. That was up 14.8 percent from the 2,024 home sold in June 2009. However, last month’s closings dropped 8.4 percent from May’s total of 2,537.

The average local sales price last month was $215,559, down 1.4 percent from June 2009’s average sales price of $218,728. The average sales price in May was $212,454.

The Charlotte association says pending local contracts in June totaled 1,880, down 13.2 percent from a year earlier and down 8.7 percent from May.

The organization bases its figures on homes marketed through its Carolina Multiple Listing

Read more: N.C. home sales rise 17% from a year ago - Charlotte Business Journal

Charlotte NC Real Estate continues to be in demand. Investors are sitting on the side lines waiting for the next best buy….

Rich Ferretti, is a Charlotte NC Real Estate and Charlotte NC Homes for sale specialist.

Relocating to Mint Hill NC and Matthews NC, call or email me for the latest home pricing.

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You can find great local Mint Hill, North Carolina real estate information on Rich Ferretti is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.

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text:
Adorama "TechTock" interview with The Digital Mirage's Walter Arnold

Adorama's Jack Howard (Author of "Practical HDRi") interviews me about my photography, techniques, workflow and other tips and tricks.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Airplane Graveyard of St. Augustine 01-19-2009

I was in Gainesville, Florida this January to visit one of my best friends, Casey to see his performance in the play Closer. While there, we made plans for a trip to St. Augustine (his hometown) to do some head shots for him and to seek out interesting locations. I had seen a picture on Flickr of an old abandoned airplane near St. Augustine. We did some research and found Agnes Lopez. She specializes in wedding photography, but she had done a photo shoot at the location we sought. I emailed her asking directions. Not 30 minutes after I clicked send, she called me and was more than happy to point the way, but not before warning us that it was on private property and we should be careful. (She was very friendly and her photos are brilliant! We later learned that the planes are Grumman S2 Trackers, naval bombers from 60’s and 70’s. They were one of the first aircraft designed to combine the detection equipment and armament to hunt and destroy submarines while operating from aircraft carriers. These particular planes (the S-2C's) were outfitted to preform photo reconnaissance work as well. The planes and property are owned by a local man who had bought them and stripped the parts to sell to the local Grumman company.

The next day Casey and I set out on a mission to get him some rockin’ head shots and to find this airplane. We pulled up in the parking lot of the pier on St Augustine Beach and the familiar cool crisp smell of the ocean filled my nostrils. Casey had 4 pictures of himself that were taken about 10 years ago at the same location and one goal for the day was to recreate those shots. An hour and a couple hundred shots later we started packing up, but not before meeting and talking to Casey’s sister and mother who joined in a few of the shots.

After lunch at the Gypsy Cab Café it was time for the airplane. Casey called a friend who said he knew exactly where the planes were. PLANES? There was more than one??? Yes, according to Greg, there were at least eight! With my energy and excitement now ramped up, imagining what this place might look like, we picked up Greg in a CVS parking lot and headed off.

Not five minutes down the road we saw the giant tail fins of an entire graveyard of old war planes looming across the highway from us, and sure enough there were many of them in plane sight (sorry had to do it…).

Plane Grave Yard-001

We U-turned and made a slow trip past the fenced property. I noted that there was not a single ‘NO TRESSPASSING’ or ‘PRIVATE PROPERTY’ sign anywhere. Greg spotted a large opening in the chain-link that provided easy access to the planes. Equipment ready we parked and slipped quietly into the overgrown lot.

Plane Grave Yard-006

As we stepped through the brush we walked on and around old pieces of the planes, tires, wings, control boxes, and the occasional beer can. At the first plane I came to I saw that, being aircraft carrier planes, the wings were folded over the top. The engines and propellers had been removed from this particular plane and the nose was missing, but the fuselage was intact.

Plane 22

Plane Grave Yard-005

As we walked under the wing, we came to a small access hatch that was barely big enough for a hobbit to step through without ducking.

Plane Grave Yard-015

I stuck my head inside the plane and looked around. The interior of the midsection of the plane had been stripped of all equipment leaving bundles of wire hanging from empty compartments like jungle vines.

Plane 25

My mind raced with possibilities for the countless amazing shots inside these planes. This was my heaven, these are the photo ops that I live for! The beautiful contrast of industrial, man made decay juxtaposed against the slow progression of nature taking over again is a subject I love to explore.

The plane looked stable enough, so I turned to Casey and Greg. “I’m going in! I just want you guys to know that if this plane collapses and I die, that I will have died happy!”

I hoisted myself up into the fuselage of the plane through the hobbit door and crouched there a second, making sure everything was stable. Thankfully, it felt solid as a rock. From the low ceiling, to the wire bundles that hung like ropes, to the protruding rusted metal parts, everything screamed tetanus! Casey carefully passed my tripod mounted camera up through the hatchway to me. Hunkered over, I slowly made my way up to the cockpit. What I saw was sheer beauty. Over the years, vines had wound their way up through the windows and skeletal nose of the plane and draped the inside of the deteriorated cockpit. The seats had long ago been stripped of their padding and were now bare metal repositories for dead leaves and debris.

Plane 5

Plane 32

Half of the windows were still intact and hazed over by years of grime and fungus, and the other half were either gone completely or partially shattered, giving a broken jagged view of the other sleeping planes half hidden in the surrounding trees and undergrowth. The instrument panels were largely stripped of gauges and dials. Above me, levers, switches, wires, and buttons speckled the ceiling of the cockpit. With the nose of the plane removed you could see right through to the ground below. As I rattled off my first HDR inside the cockpit I thought to myself “Abandoned school buses, eat your hearts out!”

Arcsoft Panorama 3edited warped

I proceeded through the airplane graveyard with Casey and Greg who helped point out interesting shots and helped me in and out of the planes as I explored each one, getting shots of every cockpit and interior.

Plane 13

Plane 1

Plane 7

Plane 4

Plane 17

Plane 33

Plane 30

Plane 29

Plane 15

Plane 11

Plane 23

Plane 6

Planes aged blur

AP GY-004

AP GY-002

AP GY-003

Plane Grave Yard-004

We occasionally heard voices from the nearby houses so we kept as quiet as possible. Greg had seen a cop car drive slowly by a few times but they never stopped. After I had my fill of HDR shots, Casey suggested that we do some shots of him inside a plane. The bombed out cockpit made an awesome backdrop for some unique portraits.

We even relaxed enough to have a little fun with some of the shots as well.

AP GY-005

Before we headed out Greg assisted the brave and foolish Casey up onto the tail fin of one of the planes and we did a few shots up there as well.

AP GY-007

Back in the car, I was exhausted but still on a natural high from exploring the planes. I couldn't stop talking about how amazing the experience was and I couldn't wait to see my shots. For good measure my dad and I returned to the graveyard two days later, just to be sure I had thoroughly explored all the possibilities. All in all this ranks in my top five favorite photo shoots. The locals say the planes have been there for at least 15 years, so when I return they should still be there, resting with the other retirees under Florida's tropical sun.

Betty said...

I'm jealous :). I actually live not half a mile away from these planes and look at them longingly everytime I pass. I'm too much of a wimp to go into the property to take pictures, mostly because there is a house so close by. I've thought of going to the house to see if it's theirs and ask permission, but i'm too shy for that!

way to go, though!

Anonymous said...

I'm trying to trace number 153. When my dad was in teh Dutch navy, he stole it and flew it to Libya from Malta. He was court marshalled for it and spent a year in the slammer. It's always been a good story since, but now I'm trying to find out what happened to out. From records, it went back to the US in 1970. If anyone has info: maurits at thanks

Grinder said...

Awesome use of HDR on those planes - well done!

How many shots were you using on those ???

Walter said...

Most of these HDRs were 7-12 shots. The dynamic range from the dark insides to the bright outsides required quite a few shots!

Akuma said...

These are wonderful pictures, thankyou for taking them.

Gordon @ RAFS said...

I run RAFS (Real Aviators Flew Stoofs) with a worldwide membership of some 5500 old S2 pilots. I have a couple of sets of these old proud birds sent to me by pilots that flew them (or their sisters)...we all find the photos extremely sad that these "mighty beasts" of aircraft were left to this fate...Although they were built 40 - 50 years ago, some are still flying in navies and as fire bombers, although their engines have been replace by turbo props...

In any event your photos are wonderful and I'm going to pass them on to our membership...

Others reading this, check our RAFS websie and/or email me at

mariospants said...

My dad used to take us to see these planes all the time - we have tons of pictures of them. I haven't seen them recently, have they been scrapped?

There is a Grumman factory/airbase basically across the street, which explains the planes' origin.

Walter said...

A fellow photog told me there were plans to sell the land and possibly scrap the planes. That was about a month ago. I have not heard if that has gone through or not. I hope not, I will be down there in Feb and would like to revisit for old times sake ;-)

Mel said...

great shots! Great narrative! thanks for sharing... Just linked to you from Facebook... I said...

Melissa was talking with John a few minutes ago about a photo adventure he had this weekend and I recalled that somewhere in a small airport between dallas & florida there's one that has an on-site cafe and a small plane graveyard. Something about the planes lying off kilter in tall weeds was terrrribly unsettling. So I ...went to look for a shot to try to explain it... found this neat blog posting. Its a bit like night of the living dead airplanes and Carrie all mixed into a neat mind-jarring visceral adventure

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your wonderful photographs. They resonated with me on three levels.

First: I am a retired Naval Aviator who flew the Grumman S2 (the type of aircraft in your photographs). I have many memorable flight hours and carrier landings in my log book. The ghostly, silent hulks that confronted you were once alive to me. I have a vivid recollection of memories: intercom conversations among the crew, long hours in the air, consumption of inflight lunches, adrenalin-pumping night landings on the carrier following 6 to 7-hour flights, post-flight debriefings in the ready room, plane captains exhibiting their pride in keeping their birds more pristine than the next guy... these machines were alive and had individual personalities, not the stoic headstones you witnessed. The "hobbit" hatch you saw was not the restrictive hole confronting you, but the entrance into a new experience and opportunity for achievement each time a pilot manned his plane.

Second: My undergraduate degree was in Fine Arts with a major in photography. So I can appreciate your wonderful eye and the superb craftsmanship of your camera technique. Since the S2 was quite gray, your black & white images were particularly enjoyable.

Three: Now, as a manager of a southern pine plantation near where you photographed the S2s, I have become particularly familiar with the primary, invasive vine shown in most of your photographs. It is Smilax, a genus of the lily family Liliaceae. It is ruthless in its aggressive coverage and someday will most likely create a cocoon for the unfortunate S2 airframes.

Life goes on.

Vaughn said...

To me, it's very sad to see those S-2's(Stoofs)so stripped and overtaken by weeds. I logged many hours, day and night, flying them from many of our WWII Aircraft Carriers: Valley Forge, Lake Champlain, Essex, Randolph, Intrepid, Antietum. The sight brought back many, many memories of searching for Russian subs during the Cold War era. ASW flying was 'hours & hours of boredom, interspersed with brief moments of stark terror!' There's an 'alumni' group called RAFS (Real Aviators Flew Stoofs!).

Paul Anderson said...

Great Photos. I served as an aircrewman aboard these type aircraft and your photos brought back many a memory of North Atlantic Antisubmarine warfare missions and the great people that I served and flew with. These type aircraft were among the safest aircraft that were ever operated by the NAVY and as Gordy Bonnell said...alot of them are still flying. BTW Hi Gordy! I only flew with you a couple of times but I'll always remember the time we literally fell out of the sky to check out a strange wake only to find a whale. What fun!

Matthew Aponte said...

I just wanted to say thank you for your post! I live in Ponte Vedra Beach, just north of St. Augustine and I was looking for just the place to take some 50's style pin up pictures for a photo shoot! Since you have been there they have cleaned up around the airplanes a lot, there are some no trespassing signs around however that did not seem to stop me as well as 2 other groups of people that stopped by to walk around and take pics while I was there doing my photo shoot. Even the neighbors were out and about and a cop passed by right when me, my assistant and the model were stepping through the huge gap in the chained gate and he just kept on driving.. lol.

The HDR pictures that you took came out awesome! I am going to be experimenting with that soon. The photo shoot turned out awesome and my model absolutely loved the pictures! I wish I could post a couple on here for you to see.

Walter said...

Matthew I would love to see the shots you got here! Do you have an online gallery where they are posted?

Eddy said...

how can i contact this graveyard?
please answer.

Brian said...

I grew up not far from there and used to watch the Navy fly these. I had no clue that was there. Thanks for sharing. Here is a clip of the aircraft in service.

Luis said...

is it possible for me to get the location of this amazing site?

Walter said...

Luis head over to my new blog and send me a message through the contact me section and I will help you out!

Leo Mayrinck said...

I went there and was closed, with sign - NO PASS
do you no the owner?
I really want to use the location for a photo shoot, we can pay.
please let me know ok thanks

sue said...

The site has now been cleared, and the planes are no longer there.

About Me

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Hendersonville, NC, United States
Check out my professional photography site at The Digital Mirage I post also my photos over at Flickr! Check them out


text:
Constellations Essay Research Paper Every culture known

Constellations Essay, Research Paper

Every culture known to history and anthropology has seen in the heavens distinctive patterns, called constellations, and formed by the stars. Constellations are usually comprised of bright stars that appear close to each other. Oriental cultures (the ancient Chinese, for example) formed intricate patterns from some of the faintest stars, creating hundreds of constellations where the West saw only a few. A few constellations, such as Orion, the hunter, and the Great bear represent the same image to widely separated cultures.

So just what are these constellations you keep hearing about? You may go outside some night and see all kinds of stars, and maybe you have even spotted the Southern Cross, but what about Leo the Lion or Pisces the Fish? What are they?

The constellations are totally imaginary things that poets, farmers and astronomers have made up over the past 6,000 years (and probably even more!). The real purpose for the constellations is to help us tell which stars are which, nothing more. On a really dark night, you can see about 1000 to 1500 stars. Trying to tell which is which is hard. The constellations help by breaking up the sky into more manageable bits. They are used as mnemonics, or memory aids. For example, if you spot three bright stars in a row in the winter evening, you might realise, “Oh! That’s part of Orion!” Suddenly, the rest of the constellation falls into place and you can declare: “There’s Betelgeuse in Orion’s left shoulder and Rigel is his foot.” And once you recognise Orion, you can remember that Orion’s Hunting Dogs are always nearby.

Where did the constellations come from?

OK, so we know the constellations are helpful for remembering the stars, but why would people want to do that (besides an astronomer)? After all, I said at the beginning that farmers invented the constellations. Why did they do that? Was it for some religious purpose?

Yes and no. Around the world, farmers know that for most crops, you plant in the spring and harvest in autumn. But in some regions, there is not much differentiation between the seasons. Since different constellations are visible at different times of the year, you can use them to tell what month it is. For example, Scorpius is only visible in the Northern Hemisphere’s evening sky in the summer. When they saw certain constellations, they would know it was time to begin the planting.

When we gaze up into the night sky we see many stars, the planets, the moon, and sometimes a meteor or a comet. If we’re very lucky we may witness a supernova once or twice in our lifetime. Over the course of days, weeks and months the planets “wander” among the stars which, while they move nightly across the night sky.

Ancient societies noticed this and believed that some stars had a special significance and associated some patterns of the stars with the goddesses, gods, and stories of their culture. These groups of stars are called Constellations.

In our time, scientists (and most people!) know that the constellations seem to move across the sky because the earth rotates on its axis. What, you may ask, does the turning of the earth have to do with the constellations’ motion across the sky? The answer is that the earth moves in a way that makes it look as if the constellations are moving. In the case of the earth and the constellations the earth rotates, with us on it, from west to east. The constellations appear to move from east to west, moving “backwards” from the real rotation of the earth. Actually, instead of saying the constellations rise we should say that the earth has rotated so that we can see different constellations. Then, as the earth continues to rotate the constellations apparently move across the sky. We now know that it is we, on earth that have moved. We know that the part of the earth we are standing on has turned so that the Earth is blocking our view of the stars that have “set”.

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Monday, March 30, 2009

Poor Puppy

myspace layouts

I'm in for a very harried Monday. I already know that. My boss has been away for the past ten days and Lord only knows what kind of workload I'll accrue today. It's going to be catch as-catch can, though, because I have a sick doggie and have to get her in to see the vet ASAP. I have no idea what's wrong with my dog. The left side of her little face is swollen up horribly. Maybe a bee stung her or something bit her, or maybe something else is going on. All I know is that I began giving her Benadryl when I first noticed the swelling Saturday, and it hasn't helped. Now I'm worried and focused on getting her in to see the doc.

I have a heavy package to ship sometime today, too. I'm sending my Sis a care package to help replace some of the items she lost when her home was robbed last week. This is going to be one of those days when I wish I didn't have a job getting in my way.

Whatever is on your agenda today, have a great Monday.

G-Man said...

Super Sherry!!!!!!
Able to type Legal Documents in the blink of an eye..
Able to answer 2 phones, talk to a client, AND look amazingly calm.
Mail Parcels, Doggie Duty, And eat a healthy nutricious lunch of rice cakes and/or peanut butter crackers.

You need a foot massage....:-)

Roxan said...

Poor puppy! Is there any chance of an infected tooth? My cat, Brian, has tooth problems and it causes some pretty bad odors. Hope it is something simply to deal with for you and puppy.

Serena said...

I seriously question my super powers, Galen, but I can always use a foot massage. Seriously.:)

It could be a bad tooth, Roxan, although she's been eating and chewing on her toys as though toothache isn't a factor. I have a vet appointment in about 45 minutes, so hopefully we'll figure out what it is and get a cure. Thanks for your well wishes.

/t. said...

happy harried
monday anyways, dear

¤ ¤ ¤

VE said...

I feel for the puppy! If my face swole up I'd probably go in to get it checked out too...either that or become Jay Leno's fill-in...

Serena said...

Thank you, Sir /t. It turned out not to be nearly as harried as I feared, so all was well. Happy Monday to you.:)

Her jaw is nearly as big as Leno's, VE. She looks like she's gone a few rounds with pro wrestlers.:)

Ruela said...

Hope your puppy feels better Serena.

Best wishes.

NYD said...

Your boss is away and you are worried about working?!?

What is this world coming to?

Hope the pup is fine. your sister too. Geting ripped off sucks big time!

Rex Zeitgeist said...

Hope your puppy is ok....If it was a tooth I would think that there would have been some warning....

I'm glad I have never had issues with my cat, she never gets sick or hurt, but of course she has never been outside.

Serena said...

Thanks so much, Ruela.

Today was the boss's first day back from vacation, NYD, but I didn't stick around long enough to get stuck with a load of work. The pup got medicine and will be okay in a day or two, and Sis's care package is on its way.

It did turn out to be a tooth, Rex. Totally out of the blue, as far as I know. You're lucky your cat stays healthy. Vet bills are expensive!

Roxan said...

So it was the tooth? Wow, I did call that one didn't I? My vet tech daughter is rubbing off on me. LOL

Mona said...

your sister's house was burglared??? That is so sad!

I hate it when pets are sick. I hope your pup gets well soon.

KB said...

Glad your puppy is feeling better.

Skunkfeathers said...

A comforting *pet* for the pooch, and a *hang in there HUG* for da mastah when da boss retoins to dumpeth on the desketh.

My Monday was the usual hooha, and today will be more of da same. The life of a corporate landless serf ;)

Serena said...

You did, indeed, call it, Roxan. I had no idea a tooth could do what this one is doing.

Thanks, Mona. The pup is on the mend, and it looks like my sister will get some of her stuff back. Eventually.

Thank you, KB, and welcome to my blog.

Thanks, Skunk. I, too, am a serf and fully expect the dumpeth to commence today.:)


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2014 DTE GArden

Volunteers Needed

Westland DTE Energy Farm

Work hours: Mondays, 9:00-12:00, beginning April 10, 2017

Additional days will be added in the future.

– The DTE Energy Farm has gone through some changes this spring. After seven wonderful years, we are no longer connected with Gleaners Food Bank. However, the DTE Training Center has generously allowed our volunteer group to continue growing produce on their property, along with giving us financial help. We are very grateful for this.

– We have downsized a bit until we get up on our feet again. We may not have as many large groups visiting the farm now, so we are in need of more local volunteers.

– The DTE Energy Farm provides fresh produce to local food banks.

– Volunteers assist in seeding, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, hauling compost and mulch, and other gardening tasks.

Keep in mind that activities may be cancelled due to bad weather.

– In the process of growing healthy plants, we try to educate our volunteers by using raised beds, cover crops, crop rotation, integrated pest management, native pollinator plant beds, and organic methods.

The Farm is located behind the DTE Training Center

38155 Cherry Hill Road, Westland

Directions: When you pull into the parking lot, go through the gate at the back right hand side of the lot and follow the road past the large shed and small buildings. The farm is on the left.

Please park off the road. Be careful, the berm can be soft and wet.

Please DRIVE SLOWLY. The speed limit is 15 MPH!

   We are guests of the Training Center and want to honor their rules.

For more information, contact:

Diane (313-538-8106), Jane (734-748-2356) or Janet (734-968-8012).

To get updates, like us on Facebook at DTE Energy Farm.

Comments are closed.


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Remember...only in our tomorrows will we realize what we had in our yesterdays.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

~~~ My Precious Puppy Cat~~~
Beautiful graphic above lovingly made by Willow and China Cat
Today I cry silver tears...wild questioning tears...fist pounding screaming tears...overwhelming sad tears...missing you tears...lonely tears...orphan tears...hopeful tears...

My precious Daddy who adopted this old cat...is resting softly next to my sweetest sister Suzanne...my family in HEAVEN...watching me from above...together with Henry the VIII and our jade eyed desert Queen Anastasia. Your sunbeams will warm our hearts all of our days till we join you in the colorful Heavyside layer.

Who knows how long I've loved you. You know I love you still. Will I wait a lonely lifetime...If you want me to -- I will.
For if I ever saw you,I didn't catch your name. But it never really mattered. I will always feel the same.
Love you forever and forever. Love you with all my heart. Love you whenever we're together. Love you when we're apart.
And when at last I find you..Your song will fill the air. Sing it loud so I can hear you. Make it easy to be near you. For the things you do endear you to me. You know I will I will.
- The Beatles

"Don't cry because it's over ... smile because it happened."

Marilyn MonREOW said...

Oscar was the dearest kitty Daddy we could possibly have had, and he was such a kind-hearted cat and a good friend to everykitty in the Blogosphere -- my heart hurts with missing him, dear sister, and my tears are falling, falling.

The Beatles quote is perfect -- and the other quote, "Don't cry because it's over ... smile because it happened", is so wise -- I have always loved that. But it is so hard when loved ones leave us. It is we, the living, who take good-bye the hardest.

We aren't orphans, darling sister, because Oscar our Kitty Daddy still loves us and will always love us, his daughters, and his son Ben, his wife Pounce, his family and precious friends *teary smile*.

And the Cat Blogosphere has and will continue to be made all the brighter by Oscar's love and by the joy which he gave so generously and which he accepted as with open arms during his life.

Snuggling next to you, crying with you, and loving you,

Marilyn MonREOW said...

p.s. -- and I have to smile, thinking of Oscar Kitty Daddy and precious Suz, together.

Karen Jo said...

You made such a beautiful tribute to Oscar, Miss Peach. I think I love the last quote most of all. We will all miss Oscar very much, but know that we will carry a bit of him forever in our hearts.

Parker said...

Miss Peach, that was lovely. The Bridge is a little brighter today because sweet Oscar is there. I am going to miss him so very, very much.

Christine and FAZ said...

What a lovely tribute - perfect quote at the end Miss Peach. Purrs and tears. FAZ

Yoggie said...

That is a wonderful picture of the bridge. All those kitties are together and will enjoy their new home on the other side. They will be our guardian angels.

Dragonheart said...

I am so sad that Oscar has gone to the Bridge. :( Our eyes are leaking here. That is a lovely tribute to Oscar. He will be missed.

Jeter and Mickey said...

Dear Miss Peach,
We will surely miss Oscar.
I think your final quote "don't cry because it's over ..." is perfect.
We were lucky to have Oscar in our lives.

China Cat or Willow said...

We certainly are smiling for having known Oscar but with tears from missing him. Such a good friend to all.

Purrrrrrrrrrs, China Cat & Willow

P.S. Glad you liked our picture.

Bounce, Lucy and Trixie said...

Oh Miss Peach we are so very sorry about Oscar. We did not know him but we know that you love him and he loves you. He is with Suzanne now and still looking down on you and the rest of his family. Our eyes are leaking for you.

Purrs and hugs,

Emma's Kat said...

Wow, that was beautiful Miss Peach. What a beautiful graphic from CHina and Willow too. It's so hard to believe that he's gone. Rest in peace sweet Oscar.

ML (Mary Lynn) said...

Beautiful tribute to sweet Oscar. Still can't believe he's gone.
ML (Mary Lynn)

Daisy said...

I am so sad about Oscar. It was so sudden and unexpected, I cannot believe he is really gone. I am crying many missing you tears for our sweet friends.

Ariel said...

Very beautiful tribute.

Benjamin Fuzz said...

peach, that was perfect. thank you.

i agree with marilyn, that the leaving is the hardest on those left behind. we'll definitely stay close and remember that we're family.

Caesar and Princess said...

This was a beautiful tribute MissPeach.
We are heartbroken and still just in complete shock.

purrrrs and snuggles

Marilyn MonREOW said...

How are you doing, dear sister? I have not slept, either -- I have been slow and thoughtful and sad today, and reflective, too -- sad to say goodbye to precious friends and family, yet grateful for those friends and family who are here -- may we all cherish every moment of love and friendship. Life and love and friendship are all so precious, precious beyond all words.

Sending you much love and sisterly snuggles.

Rosehaven Cottage said...

I am weeping for your loss. You are right though. We will all see one another on the other side and oh how sweet will be the reunion! Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

Chen & Ollie said...

We are so very sorry about Oscar, Miss Peach. Our purrs and prayers and love go out to you and to Oscar on the bridge now.
Mr. Chen & Ollie

Hot(M)BC said...

Ohhhh we's so sorry Miss Peach. We's cryin too, for you and Oscar's whole fambly.
Purrrrrrrs ::sniff:: purrrrrrrrrs,
Sanjee, Boni Maroni, Mini, Gree and Pepi

Marilyn MonREOW said...

My dear sister, how precious, your vision of Oscar and Suzanne licking little Ubee and cuddling him in welcome to the Bridge. I will think about that and smile.

I wrote a poem which I hope you will like. It is in honor of those precious family and friends we have lost these last few months.

Purrs, snuggles, and lots of love from Marilyn.

michico 小芥 said...

Oah Miss Peach, We are all very sad. I can see Oscar is very important to you. (((Hug~~~)))

I always cry when another kitty leave us. In my country, the old men say that we shouldn't cry when someone leave us, because their soul will trap in earth. When they trapped here, they will not able to be in heaven, because they have weighing on their mind.
We should smile to them and tell them disembarrass thier heart.

But, who can't cry for this saddness lost? I just hope Oscar and many angel kitties will help us lighten us and hug us in dreams~! Whisper to you not so sad, because he is all around you.

Someday, I will be gone, too. I hope the dearest family member will not cry, even I know michico will cry very hard, but I hope they could ease their heart and smile to me to go relieved~!

This is a very very heavy week, I saw michico unhappy whole week, too. I hope we could take more Ana's shiny and Oscar's blowing warm wind.

I will snuggle next to you, too. Marilyn and many brothers and sisters and I will be here with you.

Eric and Flynn said...

That ia a byootyful tribute Miss Peach. It is so hard furr those of us left behind because he left us so suddenly and we had no time to try and prepare furr his leaving. Yoo are furry welcome to come and visit us in our garden. It is kwiet and peaceful here and we like to sit on the edge of the field and look out across the river in the distance. It is furry soothing.


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Monday, May 05, 2014

Fresh Spring Bruschetta

at the studio city farmers market yesterday

I'm all springy. I cut my hair last night because it was annoying me. Whipped out the kitchen shears and off with two inches. It's a cute bob now. I texted Sacha who cuts my hair and said, uh-oh, might need your help on Tuesday morning, when I noticed the different lengths of golden lock in the mirror.

But I digress. Here are two super easy, super fresh spring toppings for bruschetta using ingredients from the farmers' market.

ricotta with herbs & fava bean puree

Serve on little toasts made from a baguette, sprayed with olive oil and browned under the grill.

Fava Bean Puree

Fava beans (broad beans)
Olive Oil

double peeled fava (broad) beans

  • Snap the beans out of the outer shell and put into a small pan with water, bring to the boil and cook for about 8 minutes.
  • Rinse in cold water and then do a second peeling.
  • Pulverize the beans in the food processor with a glug of olive oil, salt, pepper, a squeeze of a lemon and ricotta.
  • *Resist the temptation to eat this puree by the spoonful -- it's that good!

Ricotta with Purple Basil, Parsley and Lemon Zest

Purple basil, finely chopped
Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Zest of a lemon, finely chopped
A squeeze of lemon juice
A glug of olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
  • Mix ricotta with chopped purple basil, chopped parsley, finely chopped lemon zest, some olive oil, a little lemon juice, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

1 comment:

cheri said...

Lovely recipes, thank you. I did the same thing to my hair once, but many, many moons ago. It survived and it also made me realize how I tend to do things on the spur of the moment totally out of frustration. I enjoy reading your blog, showing us your real self, so fresh compared to the false faces people put on.


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Mitch and Forrest Pritchett are brothers with 43 years experience as auto restoration experts. When their father saw how tough the brothers were as youngsters he began to call them "Blue Twisted Steel." The brothers made a commitment to carry that attitude and memory in their auto restoration business.Yes, they may be local but want to reach out to potential customers across the state of Texas/Car Shows.

They share their customer's enthusiasm and dreams in every project they take on. When you choose us to build your "treasure," you become part of their family tradition and memories. They look forward to the restoration and creation of your dream.


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John Mayer and Nicki Minaj engaged in a seemingly charming exchange on Twitter over the weekend.

On Friday, Mayer tweeted that he was wondering if "Nicki Minaj would like [him] or not."

It didn't take long for Minaj to tweet back, asking the singer if her body would be his "wonderland," referencing his 2001 hit, "Your Body Is a Wonderland."

Naturally, Mayer "lost his s---" over the fact that the rapper had taken the time to reply to him.

Despite the seemingly innocuous flirtation, however, many Twitter users have pointed out how racially insidious Mayer's comments are, pointing to a 2010 interview with Playboy in which the musician referred to his genitals as a "white supremacist."

When asked if black women throw themselves at him, the musician responded, :"My d--- is sort of like a white supremacist. I've got a Benetton heart and a f---ing David Duke cock. I'm going to start dating separately from my d---."

See some tweets about the controversy, below:

Nicki Minaj's Hottest Instagram Photos:


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Oh my goodness ADORABLE!

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

We've all seen sleepy animals. But, these have got to be some of the cutest we've ever seen!!! Most of them are babies which makes them even cuter because baby animals are cute to begin with.

Our favorite has got to be the lab that falls asleep with it's head on the table. How do little animals get so tired but manage to stay standing? It's a mystery to us, that's for certain.

We invite you to enjoy. We have been over, and over.


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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Cheaper is Better

Yeah, I said it. All you people complaining about other people being cheap: screw you. Because some types of awesomeness can only be found in thrift stores and secondhand bookstores.

Today, after running some errands, I decided to check out this store, the Fashionista Vintage and Variety Store (33 Church Street, New Haven, CT). First impression when I walked in - blown away. They have EVERYTHING in this place - from John Lennon glasses to wedding dresses to Aztec-y clip-on earrings. I couldn't take any photos because I am currently camera-less, but I made use of my webcam so I could show you what I got. I apologize for the crappy photos - better ones will come in the future.

My favorite thing about the store was that the owner packed my stuff up in this ADORABLE cloth bundle on a stick:

I got a huge kick out of carrying this around the city and having people look at me twice. It was a good kind of double-take, unlike Tuesday, when it was like 90 degrees out and I had a wool hat on because my hair was a mess and that was the only hat I had. lol.

Anyway, on to the purchases. First up, some gorgeous leafy earrings:

I LOVE these. Will dress up any outfit. Came in this cute little egg too:

But, what really got me was this kufi embroidered with bronze thread:

As soon as I saw it I knew I HAD to have it. I'm thinking of doing an Afropolitan fashion shoot as part of a multimedia presentation my cousin is coming up with, and to showcase at my school. This would be a perfect accessory.

Now, onto the second-hand bookstore. I have only been in the Book Trader Cafe once before, but this time I went in and actually looked for stuff. I found four amazing CDs, each costing less than $4, and in pretty good condition.

#1 Dione Farris's Wild Seed - Wild Flower

I saw her perform at the African-American Arts Festival in Baltimore a couple of years ago, and let me tell you, even though the industry has forgotten about her, she is as amazing as ever. People like her deserve so much more recognition than they get currently. This blog post pretty much sums up how I feel about the music industry today, except I disagree with what he said about Jill Scott, because I really like her. Alicia Keys is slowly moving to make herself more marketable (the Beyonce syndrome, as I call it) and India.Arie's last album failed to wow me. I actually went out and bought it too. Sigh. But I digress. Amazing album, will go get her other CDs as well., You should too.

#2 The Raveonettes, Chain Gang of Love

I fell in love with their sound when I listened to "Aly, Walk With Me" on suggestion from the Lefsetz newsletter. Dude has great taste in music, but his rants about the industry were a little too much, so I stopped subscribing. I got their second album, "Lust Lust Lust" and was really excited to find their debut this week. They kept to their fuzzy, underground rock sound, but gave it a slightly more electronic feel on the second album. Still love it though. To some people, all their songs might sound the same, but I love that their songs can each be unique even though they have similar elements. Good album to listen to all the way through. Skips a little on the first track, but otherwise amazing.

#3 ASAP: The Afrobeat Sudan Aid Project

Released in 2004 to raise money to fund aid efforts in Sudan, this album is the stuff I wish Nigerian artists still made today - songs that go hard but still carry a message. Pure Afrobeat, pure amazingness. My current favorite track is "Di Bombs" by Ikwunga.

And last, but not at all least, #4 Les Nubians, Princesses Nubiennes

Their debut album - where it all began. I love these women and their music. They were at Central Park Summerstage along with Asa and Oumou Sangare, and definitely held their own. Best way to describe their sound would be African hip-soul-and-blues. Listening to it now, and I know this is going to be on rotation for a while.

Finally I got this coffee table book called "Extravagant Crowd: Carl Von Vechten's Portraits of Women" and I love it. Famous women from all kinds of different backgrounds. My webcam will not do justice to the photographs in this book. Definitely inspiration for my own photography. My favorite image in the book is his portrait of Frida Kahlo, but I couldn't find it online, so here's another beautiful one of famous blues singer, Bessie Smith.

And all this amazingness cost me only $35. I kid you not. Same price as a shirt from American Apparel. I don't think I'll be buying anything from a major retailer anytime soon. (Except my Diana F+ camera, but that's not for a while.) I will keep you guys posted on my thrifting adventures. And if anyone knows where I can find cute hair accessories on the cheap, let let me know.

1 comment:

  1. Cool post! I'm ALWAYS listening to Les Nubians, and I love Dionne Farris!


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March 22nd, 2009 - Stashbusting Week #12

Once again I have added more fabric than I have used. But, it’s for a specific purpose like backing and binding, not for the stash. I even visited a quilt shop with a pocket full of cash and the intention of buying and came away with 2 patterns and a datebook. The fabric added was purchased for me by my sister.  So here’s my report.

Fabric Added This Week: 5 yds

Fabric Added Year-to-date: 35.67 yds

Fabric Used This Week: .8 yds

Fabric Used Year-to-date: 46.03 yds

Net Fabric Busted: 10.36 yds

 My fabric busted keeps getting smaller. I wonder what seems to be the problem. Oh it could be that I keep on buying more fabric. Shame on me!!!!!! Oh well, maybe I’ll have better luck next week. I hardly sewed this week and my free-motion foot broke so that set me back a few days. Right in the middle of quilting a project. I had to wait and go over to Detroit to get a foot because there isn’t a Husqvarna/Viking dealer in town.  I could have ordered one from London but then I’d have to wait to have it shipped and I’m a rather impatient sort. Oh well, I needed gas also so it was a good trip.

That’s all for today.

One Response to “Stashbusting Week #12”

  1. Lori in SD Says:

    Finishes are on the way!! And I NEVER count gifted fabric (well, except Pat’s novelty squares!)as part of my stash. But then I remember to not count it on the way out. Bummer!

Leave a Reply


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Archive for May, 2013

May 21st, 2013 - Today’s Stitching Project

Here’s my stitching for today.

20130521-233417.jpg it’s a Birdbrain pattern called Snow Happens. I really like the quirky snowmen in this. I guess I’m going for some blue work as I also bought the pattern Cool Guys from Turnberry Lane that features snowmen as a border of blue rail fence type blocks. One thing about snowmen is they can be left out for the winter, not just for Christmas.
Wait and see the finished projects.

May 19th, 2013 - The Stash

Well, I haven’t been around for the last few reports but I’ve been busy. And I did buy some fabric.

20130519-013734.jpg Ten yards in total. I don’t have any reproduction fabric and I needed some to go with these.

20130519-013919.jpg My neighbour found these and where ever it was, they were supposed to go in the garbage. She rescued them and thought I might be able to do something with them. So I’m going to try and make some blocks from that fabric to go with these. There’s 12 blocks and only 1 has a noticeable stain on it and it’s probably going to stay there because I’ve tried almost everything to get rid of it. Grandma’s stain remover is next.
There are some other blocks in purple, green and gold that need a real cleaning. One looks like blood. So when I have the time, I’ll get them all cleaned up, I hope, and show them to you.
Now for some numbers.
Fabric used this week: 7.3 yds
Fabric used YTD: 95.75 yds
Fabric added this week: 10 yds
Fabric added YTD: 91.17 yds
Net fabric busted: 4.58 yds
I’m still in the black. I have 5 more weeks of recuperation from a little surgery and one of the only things I can do is sew. Sew on that note, I’m going to do just that. Have a great week!


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Albert Pujols sidelined until at least Tuesday

Angels first baseman Albert Pujols hasn’t appeared in a game since tweaking his right calf while running the bases Wednesday night in Boston. And his idle status won’t change for at least another couple days.

According to’s Anthony Odoardi, manager Mike Scioscia said Saturday that Pujols “will not be starting for the rest of the Angels’ three-game set against the Tigers,” which concludes this afternoon.

The Angels have a scheduled day off Monday before beginning a series on Tuesday night against the Red Sox. Pujols may be ready for the opener of that three-game set, but even that is no guarantee. “The thing about what he’s dealing with,” Scoisca told reporters, “is it’s not like your shoulder’s stiff or your neck is tight and you want to get a blow.”

Pujols, 32, is batting .283/.344/.533 with 28 homers, 34 doubles and 86 RBI in 121 games this season.

Mets invite Tim Tebow to spring training

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Tim Tebow isn’t letting go of his major league dreams just yet. The former NFL quarterback is slated to appear with the Mets during spring training this year, extending what initially looked like an ill-fated career choice for at least one more season. Per the club’s official announcement on Friday, he’ll join a group of spring training invitees that includes top-30 prospects like Peter Alonso, P.J. Conlon, Patrick Mazeika and David Thompson.

Tebow, 30, hasn’t taken to professional baseball as gracefully as expected. He batted a cumulative .226/.309/.347 with eight home runs and a .656 OPS in 486 plate appearances for Single-A Columbia and High-A St. Lucie in 2017. While that wasn’t enough to compel the Mets to give the aging outfielder a big league tryout, there’s no denying that Tebow brought substantial benefit to their minor league affiliates — in the form of increased attendance figures and ticket sales, that is.

Even after the Mets were booted from the NL East race last September, they resisted the idea of promoting Tebow for a late-season attendance boost of their own. That’s not to say they’re planning on taking the same approach in 2018; Tebow will undoubtedly get his cup of coffee in the majors at some point, but for now, a Grapefruit League tryout is likely as close as he’ll ever get to playing with the team’s big league roster on an everyday basis.