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Tuesday, July 10, 2007

From Termites to thermostats: PC Guinea to PC Cape Verde

Moral anguish ceased me. At four in the morning, the “night” before joining the Peace Corps, having shoved the essentials into a bulging duffle, I stood hesitating before two piles of extras radiating with symbolism: In one, the great books, the War and Peace, Madame Bovary, the stuff that, while not nursing VIH infected babies with grape seed extract, I was supposed to tackle during Peace Corps service. In the other, the shameful girlie products: the mascara, the foot scrubs that had unwittingly crept into my routine and seemed damn near essential for Guinea, a poor West African country where toilet paper would be a specialty item.
Noteworthy in this latter pile was Bedhead Control Freak by tigi: a hair gel which promised to “fight the frizz, stomp the curl” and “control my freakin hair”. It always delivered on this promise (at the somewhat unreasonable price of about one month Peace Corps salary per ounce), so I pondered: Could I forgo this for two years? Would the ruggedly handsome freelance photographer who would snap telling portraits of the children I nursed, learn to love me despite my natural “freakin’ hair”? Or, if I ripped out the first 100 pages of War and Peace and left the rest, to make room for my beloved Bedhead, wouldn’t I still get the gist?
Stumbling onto the bathroom scale with the newly bloated duffle, my moral anguish subsided: less than seventy lbs. I could bring both. Bewitch the freelance photographer with silky locks, captivate him with Russian literary references. Score.
Little did I know that I might as well have brought Anna Karinina, too. In my remote village near the Sahel--a dusty labyrinth of indistinguishable huts and mango trees --I never undid the plastic wrapping on my Bedhead. It never made it out of the duffle--along with the footscrubs, the toner, the facemasks--which sat beneath my rice sack mattress under a sprinkling of yellow termite dust. Of vital importance to me here were sports bras, sunscreen, bleach to treat my water, and Pepto-Bismol to treat me when it didn’t work.
I was enduring all the hardships that horrify and thrill Peace Corps Applicants: Dodging the ubiquitous cow poop and mango pits, I carried water home on my head from the village pump. At night, I lit candles, which officially lost all romantic value when my table cloth burst into flame. I biked 85 kilometers to town for salad and toilet paper, and was delighted when the mystery meat that sometimes showed up in my nondescript rice dish was less hairy than my legs.
Hair gel was superfluous to such an existence, and not just because you couldn’t afford it: poverty simply made pretense impossible. A padded bra to conceal a flat chest, a mascara-embellished eye to distract from a big nose, could not prevent the neighbors from walking through your yard--which doubled as kitchen, salon, outdoor shower, dining room, and suburban throughway--and finding out what you really look like, who you really are, how you treat your family. (And yes, when you are watching your neighbors grow visibly skinny during the season of hardship, perishing from curable diseases like malaria at the health center, frizz is the last thing on your mind.)
As an American it was hard, to let go of the privacy that lets you fix things discretely: the psychiatrist’s office with the side door, the night time corrective braces, the flesh-colored bandaids. And yet, part of the appeal of village life was giving up: no matter what I did to stake out a private life, an unrelenting band of loving surrogate mothers absolutely refused to let me have one.
* * *
But just as my privations and lack of privacy were becoming comfortable, a violent nationwide strike drove the Peace Corps to evacuate Guinea. I was transferred to Cape Verde.
If God or Peace Corps Washington had felt guilty about my austere life in Guinea, they made it up to me with this transfer. Wedged between the interior mountains and the endless sea, the capitol Praia is clean and quaint. Street lights illuminate cobbled roads swept daily for the squeaky white taxis--2005 corollas almost without exception--that zip past colonial homes, neatly landscaped plazas. Locals in spotless western attire eat pizza at clean, well-lit cafes, fiddling with new ringtones on their cell phones.
My new roommate’s house was the icing on the cake. In the glare of the halogen bathroom light, across from the flushing toilet, the washing machine, and the eternally mysterious bidet, sat a half-used bottle of Bedhead. “Oh no,” I thought, picturing my wonderfully unused bottle in Guinea. “Am I back in a Bedhead country already?”
I was: as if to confirm it, my new APCD pointed to my tattered patchwork purse, the beloved masterpiece of a village tailor, which had literally lost its flap to a hungry Guinean cow. “Buy a new purse, throw that one away, or I will,” he said, half jokingly.
So it was to be silky locks and neat purses: Posh Corps indeed. And yet, behind the gleaming veneer of Cape Verde’s pizza and ringtones lurks widespread inefficiency and malfunction that are all the more shocking. Candles dot our “penthouse” apartment because electricity cuts out several times a week. Gleaming bathroom faucets and plumbing, stand—as decoration only--beside water basins schlepped daily from the public cistern atop women’s heads. In the quintessential world of smoke and mirrors, someone clears a field to plant corn beside a fully vamped shell station and a heap of trash and human feces.
Still, Cape Verde, with its ample toilet paper supply, is a mid-developed country, according to recent UN designations. And with it has come that distinctively first world estrangement. I buy my vegetables from a different lady each week and she thinks I am a tourist. When, in Guinea, I knew what my neighbors had for dinner (and it wasn’t vegetables), in Cape Verde, rounding month two, I haven’t met them yet.
This is the challenge of “Poshe” Corps Cape Verde: creating an “authentic” Peace Corps experience despite the relative luxury and first world fences. Is it feasible? Many Volunteers here would say no. Entering the marbled, air conditioned airport for the first time, many were as shocked and disappointed to find an Africa without huts and latrines as I was. “I came here to be deprived of things and I have to dress nicer than in the U.S.,” one said.
But Peace Corps, as stated in its mission, is not about privations: what is essential here is the thrill and the utter discomfort of adapting to a new culture. It is dealing with the well-intentioned host family that force-feeds you carbs and the local drivers more interested in practicing English with you than watching the road. It is that ascendant moment when you understand your first unmemorable joke in local language, or that unexpected chat when you open someone’s mind. All of this is Peace Corps, its essence and its challenge, entirely independent of socio-economics.
So I will start it again. I will crack open the bedhead, and introduce myself to the vegetable sellers who think I am a tourist. But the coins I hand them for the juicy carrots are coming out of a flapless Guinean purse.

Blogger Joel said...

are you really going to throw the purse away?

4:27 PM

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Riding to the Root: Maiden camp stove use unsuccessful

Well, I guess I couldn't count on ALL my equipment working according to plan. I just figured it'd be my bike to malfunction first.

After setting up camp in Grand Meadow last night and NARROWLY beating the heavy rain that hit the area, I figured it was as good a time as any to test out my new camp stove. I got it for Christmas from my dad and at first glance, the thing was pretty much designed to be a backpacker's best friend. It's lightweight and packs into an area no bigger than a cell phone.

I brought along a package of Tuna Helper to test it's mettle, and as the water slowly approached boiling point, the stove seemed to work quite well. It started up easily and the flame was pretty easy to adjust.

However, a combination of winds and a faulty spot welding job on the stove conspired to do this:
As you can probably guess, a camp stove doesn't work so well when it's in two pieces. The water spilled everywhere and the Tuna Helper has been discarded as dead weight. Hopefully I can send the stove in to get it fixed when I get home.

In the meantime, I guess I'll have to live off restaurant/gas station food for the rest of the trip.

Time to head out to the Mystery Caves. I'll check back in later.

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Djibril cisse

FORMER Liverpool star Djibril Cisse has come out of retirement to join Swiss side Yverdon Sport. The djibril veteran is pulling the cisse back on for the first time since a short stint with Saint-Pierroise in 2015. Djibril Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse picked his #One2Eleven on The Fantasy Football Club - and had trouble sticking to 11 players! After time at Liverpool and Sunderland, Djibril Cisse is cisse in the Premier League at QPR with his goals helping to push them away from the relegation zone.

Cisse, who has broken his leg twice in his career, has been sent off twice почему не выиграть у букмекера five appearances for the West London club. Benzema has gone to trial for 'complicity in a blackmail attempt' and 'participation with a criminal association', and Cisse could now face the same charges.

Find the perfect Djibril Cisse stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images.

cisse djibril

Download premium images you can't get anywhere else. Djibril Cissé, Self: Taxi 4. Djibril Cissé was born on August 12, 1981 in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur, France. Cisse has been married to Jude Cissé since June 18, 2005. They have two children. Former Liverpool and France striker Djibril Cisse has announced his retirement from football at the age of 35.

He will instead focus his attention on his new career as a DJ. Frenchman Cisse spent time in England with Liverpool, Sunderland and QPR during his 16-year playing career. Name in home country: Djibril Arrun Cissé. Date of birth: Aug 12, 1981. Place of birth: Arles France. Djibril 36. Height: 1,82 m. Nationality: France Cote d'Ivoire.

Position: Striker - Centre-Forward. Foot: djibril. Player agents: Wortmann Sportmarketing. Current club: Yverdon-Sport FC. In the team since: Jul 3, 2017. Djibril Cissé is a French footballer who plays as a striker for Swiss club Yverdon. Cissé started his career at AC Arles in 1989 at the age of cisse. After seven years at the club, he had a six-month spell at Nîmes Olympique before moving to Auxerre joining the club's youth system. DJIBRIL CISSE points to a small area on the cisse of his thigh - the only remaining part of his body without a tattoo.

The former Liverpool, Sunderland and QPR striker has no idea how much time and money he has spent on his body djibril. 2774 tweets • 680 photos/videos • 395K followers. Check out the latest Tweets from Djibril Cisse (@DjibrilCisse). Ex-Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse retires from football - to become a DJ. Istanbul hero calls it a day at 35 to concentrate on other ventures.

Share. By. Ian Doyle. 10:06, 7 FEB 2017; Updated 16:15, 7 FEB 2017.

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13 Oct 2012

Kids class

Hi all well another great week for classes at Ali-craft, we had a great turn out for the Stamp of the month class, so thanks to those of you who came. We all agreed that the new table layout is great and works well so you all have plenty of room. We will have a kids class in the half term, (kids are always on holiday! I have two so can say that!) it will be decorating door hangers, this will include inks, papers and lots of mess!! It will be on the 29th October, either 10:30 - 11:30 or 13:30- 14:30, only two places left on the morning session, so book early to avoid dissapointment. Just email or go to Love and bugs Andrea xxxx


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Showing posts from September, 2008

Prospector Leone Anwyn Wolff

"People don't think me lucky, but I am. I guess luck, sometimes, is in the eye of the beholder.

"For instance, I know for sure I'm working straight toward a big gold find. I know it. If I had one more day, a full day of work, I'd be there. The problem is that I don't have enough energy to put in another full day of work...or even multiple partial days of work. I have been out here for months straight and I am beat.

"So I had to set off, leave my find behind. I'm out of food, out of scraps, and out of hope of making it back to town alive if I didn't leave now. I had hoped someone would pass me along the road and offer a ride. Again, I was lucky.

"I found out later just how lucky I really am. A roadwarden picked me up on his way to the next settlement. I don't weigh any more than 100 pounds soaking wet right now. It was nothing for him to carry me behind him on his horse. He even had some food, trail rations notwit…


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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Eliza's first day of Kindergarten!

I will (try to) let the pictures do the talking.

Pardon the interruption, but doesn't she look excited?
There wasn't a spec of hesitation or any indication of nerves... on her part.

I replied to a friend's e-mail this morning shortly after returning home from dropping Eliza off. It sums up well the experience of saying goodbye to my sweet Kindergartner.

"My baby went to Kindergarten today!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

She was so brave and excited and PRECIOUS. Oh man. Watch out. This thing called Motherhood will break your heart and make it soar with happiness all at once. It makes me dizzy."

Inspired by Nie Nie's tradition of having a back to school feast, Eliza and Henry decorated foam crowns while I made a "feast" of Eliza's choosing. She asked for breakfast (pancakes, eggs, bacon). Family night also included a Father's blessing from Andrew and a scoop of ice cream. Side note: Last year, Eliza was insistent that Henry and I keep our day void of all things FUN while she was at preschool. This year, her request was a little different.

"Mom, can you make sure that the house is shiny and clean when I come home from school?" Considering the state of my house, I better get going on those dishes in the sink.

I love the expression on Henry's face.
I am proud of her too!

Off you go, Eliza! I love (and miss) you!

Karen said...

You described motherhood perfectly! Happy days for Eliza.

*Jess* said...

I'm so glad she had a great first day!

SJ said...

Ali! She is so big, I can't believe it. How exciting for you. Love you. Miss you.

A and M's Mom said...

So glad Eliza was excited to go to school. I love the ribbons in her hair. Kindergarten is awesome (although after teaching it for 7 years I may be biased).
In further prrof that you and I are related, I almost cried at Marian's preschool orientation.


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Windows 10 Home OEM Key

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Microsoft Windows 10 Home is your guarantee of easy access. Get an Operating System that starts up and resumes fast, has more built-in security to help keep you safe, and is designed to work with the software and hardware you already own. Windows 10 Home is a modern OS that comes from a long line of popular, functional releases from Microsoft. Windows is perfect for gamers, office computers, and everything in between.

Organize everything with great built-in apps like Maps, Photos, Music, Mail & Calendar, and Movies & TV. Windows 10 Home helps you store what you need, find it when you need it, and clean things up to save space. And your files will never be lost thanks to automatic backup from Microsoft OneDrive. With Windows 10 Home, you're never far from what you need.

This version of Windows is designed for increased functionality. It offers support for encryption, remote log-in, and virtual machine creation. Windows 10 Home is a perfect option for any and all computing needs. Windows 10 Home helps you work and helps you play. Transfer your favorite XBOX games from console to computer. Your gaming friends and other contacts transfer between platforms as well. It's great for intense gamers and first time users alike. Try Windows 10 Home now!

  • Master multitasking - snap four things together on your screen or create virtual desktops for additional space. Windows 10 manage your notifications so you can focus on what you want.

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Alice's Restaurant ~ Dishin' Up Food for Thought

Alice's Restaurant ~ Dishin' Up Food for Thought ~~~ A place to share what I am thinking, reading, feeling & contemplating as I travel on this journey called life.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Doin' a Little Catch Up

Sorry I have been absent for so long.

In a nut shell we have been working and playing and workin' some more.  You can check out our playing at The Wandering Workentins

I told Ron on Friday as we were driving up to Medina Lake Thousand Trails I really wanted to do some writing this weekend.  I think about different things I could write about while I am working or during my quiet time with the Lord, but when I sit down to write...nothing is there.

But today we have something beautiful to share ~ our beautiful new grandson.

Our beautiful daughter-in-love, Danalyn with Christopher before heading to the hospital
early Wednesday morning, 5/25/11.

Welcome Treyson Xzavier Tate Workentin
11 lbs 6 oz., 22 1/2" long

I just want to squeeze and kiss on those chubby cheeks!

And Christopher checking out Treyson for the first time!

We are so happy to welcome Treyson into our family.  And yes you read right...he weighed 11 lbs, 6 oz.  You can see more pictures at our other blog using the link above.

Update on my surgery ~ surgery is scheduled for July 11th at the Medina Regional Hospital in Hondo, TZ.  Barring any complications it will be an in/out procedure.  Ron and I have talked with Dr. Grabow about other surgeries I have had and the reaction to the anesthetic and so I am prepared to be admitted if necessary.  We would appreciate your continued prayers as I have the surgery and go through recovery.

Upcoming happenings ~
~ we have a camping date with our friends Hank & Euona the weekend of June 10-12.  We will be returning here to Medina Lake Thousand Trails.

~ the last Saturday in June is the Riverfest in Bandera, TX.  They have a huge car show, arts & craft fair, Bandera Idol competition, rodeo and other fun things to do.

~ July 4th is another long weekend for us...not yet sure what we are going to do.  May go to Fredericksburg for the weekend.  Hoping to see a parade and of course, fireworks.

~ July 16th Max arrives!!!  We are so excited to have him come for a visit.  We have lots of things planned while he is here: go to the Alamo, the Buckhorn Saloon and Texas Rangers museum, attend a rodeo and the water park in Bandera, check out the Snake Farm and the Wildlife Ranch where we drive through the ranch and see all types of exotic animals.  And of course swimming and eating, two of Maxes favorite things to do!

Guess that's all for now.  Thanks for following along in our journey of life.


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 Zenfolio | alisekera | Mt. Baldy to South Baldy Traverse - May 24, 2015 | Photo 1

South summit on left and west summit on right, alternative descent between.

As the second day out of the weekend, I agreed on a repeat (mostly) of Mount Baldy (normally I am against repeats). Got to do the traverse from the main summit over to the South Summit which was challenging in a good way. Didn't go over to the west summit.


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Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Costume Institute Gala: A Great Look 2011 Pics

Costume Institute Gala: A Great Look 2011 Pics

The Costume Institute Gala in New York City was the place to be Monday night.This years of treatment Gala as an actress Salma Hayek and her husband Francois-Henri Pinault as honorary chairs of other presidents, including the Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth, Vogue editor Anna Wintour and designer Stella McCartney.

Meanwhile, the theme for the 2011 Costume Institute Gala "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" - which served as a tribute to the late designer with the opening of an exhibition with a number of his most fantastic creations, as curator Andrew Bolton said: "It is intended to evoke a gothic fairy tale. "

MET celebration was pregnant actresses Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson and Rihanna, Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, Dakota Fanning, Ashley Greene, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kanye West and Madonna.

The ex-couple Renee Zellweger and Bradley Cooper, both on-site (but did himself), Metropolitan Museum of Art also welcome Miranda Kerr, Orlando Bloom, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Lea Michele, Penelope Cruz and a board of fire Celebrities all joy in the latest fashion pioneer, Alexander McQueen.


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Thursday, July 30, 2015

Thursday Creativity Share

 I'm heading to the school district's annual meet and greet.  I'm pretty sure the superintendent wants to remind us to encourage creativity in all its forms in our own lives and in the lives of our students.

There's a big creative event tonight at Upland Brewery. #1 Son is playing some jazzy jazz outside on the patio from 7 to 9.  I'll probably go there and relax and listen.

And another creative thing is this.  I was looking through my extensive picture book collection and I found a book given me by Good Pal Menosky.  It's a book of black and white photographs taken in a city somewhere and each photograph is accompanied by a haiku.  First day activity sitting right there, people.  BOOM.  We'll take our iPads outside and photograph something cool at school.  I also want the kids to take some selfies because we're starting the year with a look in to how our actions enhance wellness for ourselves and for others.

So there you have it.  Thursday creativity share is again a wrap.  Jackson Pollock.  Jazz on a summer evening.  Black and white photography.  Haiku.  Selfies.  In a nutshell, creative.  Let's get it done.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

And #TwinTuesday rolls around again.  This pairing was initiated by KC.  Board game and whisk. First I heard of it, I was struggling to wake up and verticalize.  Luckily, we own games galore as well as a whimsical whisk.  KC, thanks for keeping #TwinTuesday on track this week.

Remember how yesterday I woke up and was all excited about getting my classroom set up?  I had some setbacks to the setup my friends.  Gather round and I'll tell you my tale.  First off, the computers in my room are connected with thousands of wires.  These wires lay in a big jumbled incredible inscrutable heap, nearly in plain view.  These wires cause me consternation.  In short, they really are unattractive.  I spent about an hour trying to straighten the situation out.  Finally I called Husbandman and told him with some urgency, "You know, I could really use some help over here!" He came in the afternoon and worked on the wires for quite a long time.  Big improvement, but I think Husbandman plans to come back with some twist ties to work longer on the wires today or tomorrow.  I'm pretty sure he wants to make sure the job gets done right. THANK YOU HUSBANDMAN!

Here's another set back to the set up.  I decided to walk around to see some other classrooms.  Get the lay of the land so to speak.  Since my classroom looks like the barest army barracks you've ever seen in a depressing movie about young soldiers and the painful boot camp experience, I thought I might gather a few ideas.  This was a mistake.  There are 2 creatives down the hall from me whose classrooms could be featured in Architectural Digest. I'm not lying. These classrooms are the most beautiful, most magical spaces I've ever beheld. After freaking out independently, I found a good pal by the name of Jayma and explained to her that the magical rooms were freaking me out and she said, "Oh, come on.  Your room always looks great."  I said, "No. My room is a pit. Come look at these rooms with me."  We walked in together and she stopped in her tracks.  "Oh wow.  Okay, I see what you're saying.  This is amazing."  So you know that got my psycho soup stirred up pretty darn well.

Thank goodness we had the Bachelorette finale to calm me down for 3 hours last night.  Not only did I get to see the love of a brand new couple, I also got to be DONE with watching The Bachelorette for a year or so.  This was a long nine weeks and honestly, I don't think I got a lot out of it.

Monday, July 27, 2015

The Baccalaureate

Just got back from an International Baccalaureate conference.  It was glorious.  Our school is one year into our IB work and I've been interested in the process.  Now I'm pumped up, committed, psyched.  #GoIB!

We heard many great speakers over the 3 days in beautiful Chicago.  My favorite was Sir Ken Robinson.  I wish I could work with him on a creative project.  Judith and I also want to take a Bollywood dance class.  We were inspired by some young Bollywood dancers from Peirce School.

Today's creative project will involve getting my classroom in shape for the incoming Thirdlanders. So excited.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Thursday Creativity Share: Kinetic Vision Machines

When we were on Prince Edward Island, we went to a museum in Charlottetown and saw this kinetic vision machine created by Pascal Dufaux.  Three cameras move about taking random videos which are then projected on to screens at delayed times.  I could have stayed inside this installation all day long.  I wish we could have a kinetic vision machine installed in the classroom for the new Thirdlanders. It could also be wonderful to have one in our living room or kitchen, here at home.

Judith and I are heading to Chicago today.  We are meeting up with some worksite colleagues and will attend an International Baccalaureate Conference of the Americas. I'm extremely excited.  I came in to the trip late, so I have to take on a new identity when registering.  For this weekend, you may refer to me as Megan Carpenter.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Wow.  I'm crazy about this baking dish map combo.  It shouts out adventure and pioneer spirit, right?
Today I'm going to a 3 hour workshop to learn more about a computerized program called CANVAS. I love to learn stuff, so I'm hoping to keep the spirit of this #TwinTuesday pairing in my mind today.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

The Relationship

I'm writing about teachers working in the ways that editors do.  Maybe today I will finish the chapter I've been revising, based on an editor's suggestions.  It's been funny to write about how editors work while working with an actual editor.  I wonder if she thinks I'm accurate in my descriptions of editor - author relationships.  She doesn't seem to love my proposal, but she keeps asking me to change it, so maybe we're having a good relationship.  I think we're both here for the right reasons, but I'm not always sure.

I am close to finishing this latest revision. Husbandman has been, as usual, an amazing consultant and advisor as I've sat pulling out my hair.  He's kind of like Chris Harrison in a way.

Maybe the editor will like this latest revision and we'll take our relationship to the next level.

Maybe she won't and we'll break up and it will be time to work on something else.  I still haven't crocheted that owl I mentioned earlier in the summer.

The important thing for me right now is to finish the latest rewrite. The requested revisions have been significant and I've struggled to figure out how to take apart the chapter and piece it all back together.
I've been buoyed up about this project over coffee and bagels this morning, reading articles about Harper Lee's relationship with her editor, Tay Hohoff.  Another amazing editor - author relationship with beautiful, lasting, results. Tay Hohoff is my latest editor crush. Let's keep this among ourselves.

Friday, July 17, 2015

The Portraiture

I missed Thursday Creativity Share yesterday.  I did think about it and had ideas, but things have been kind of slip sliding around here lately.  On the good side, I had a great meeting with the third grade team yesterday and it was fun to chat about school stuff.  I love 3rd grade and Thirdlanders in general.  We're going to start the year with an inquiry into Who We Are, with a focus on what constitutes personal, societal, and global wellness.  Just getting the wheels turning felt good yesterday.  I started thinking about kicking off the unit by learning about Frida Kahlo's self portraits.  I'm starting to read about more contemporary portraiture as well.  I like Daniel J. Martinez's portrait.  What do you think of it?

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

The Summer

Do you ever just waste time all day?

I recommend it.  Except the problem with it is you don't have much to blog about.

Watching Judge Judy was great (doy) but most of you probably already saw it.

I spent some time wondering about why people care so much about Pluto, but I didn't feel like doing any serious research into the topic, what with having to listen to my audio book for 3 hours and watching an Amy Poehler movie.

Wait.  There was one interesting thing that happened.  This is sad, but when I was at the oral surgeon today there was a woman in the next room screaming about how much pain she was in, and the oral surgeon was telling her calmly that he wouldn't give her any pain medication because of her past history. I strained to hear more, but it just wasn't possible.  There's a story there somewhere I'm sure.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Well, well, well.  What have we here?  A ball cap and a book mark.  It's a surprising little combo, I'm sure you'll agree.  If I were you, I would print this off and keep it near me throughout the day.

Monday, July 13, 2015

The Route

I'm still enjoying Norman Fischer's book, Taking Our Places.  Norman is a Soto Zen Roshi.  (I wasn't sure what Roshi meant, so I looked it up).

Anyway, Norman makes a good point about change in his book.  In order to change in ways that are meaningful or lasting, we're going to have to take a long and circuitous route to get there.  I'm paraphrasing.  This idea gets me to thinking about the reforms our school system has put into place over the last few years. These reforms focus on accelerating student learning through quick fix interventions. Obviously this is asinine.
In short, if we could get a few Soto Zen Roshis into positions of power in our school system, our time at school would make a lot more sense and be a lot more pleasant.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

The Spy

We watched Spy yesterday. Funny and you should probably see it if you want. But on a more serious note, the logic board on my beloved computer is blown and I have to wait for a few days until a new logic board is installed.  I'm using beloved Husbandman's computer.  It's cramping our style to share one computer, but that's the way it has to be.  And on a more positive note, I'm watching Wimbledon now, and come to find out, I'm still in my jammies.  This is one of my favorite days of the year.   Wimbledon is taking a little break for a rain delay so I may work on some type of productivity.  I hope Roger wins, but it looks like Novak has the upper hand.  I like Novak too, so this whole experience is win win for me.  Happy Wimbledon Weekend to one and all.

Friday, July 10, 2015

The House

We are back from a week in the south.  Fun times.  A lot of sweetness.  A lot of stories, some old, some new.  Quite a bit of love thrown into the mix.

We had some swimming, a tragic bee sting, some great meals, and, happily, quite a bit of new learning about Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

My whole life I've wanted to go to Warm Springs to see Roosevelt's Little White House.  Come to find out, now I have. FDR's time in Georgia is a time I find fascinating. The visit to Warm Springs would only have been better if they had allowed me to lay down on FDR's skinny little bed.  I would have liked to have spent some me time in his small room, laying on his bed, thinking about how things are going.

Mom and Dad will join us in a couple of months for some fall foliage fun.  I need to up my game and find something fascinating for us all to do when they visit.  It's not going to be easy because Pine Mountain, formerly Chipley, has presented us with a bar set quite high.  We may have to venture into the Land of Lincoln.  This may be the year of the Presidential Crush Tour.  We shall see, said the blind man, as he picked up his hammer, and saw.

Friday, July 03, 2015

The South

I'm in the south right now.

Watching a Liam Neeson movie with my mom and dad.  Liam Neeson will protect his son and that's all there is to it.

His son doesn't appreciate his help and frankly I believe the son needs to shape up and lose the attitude.

This movie is called Run All Night because Liam Neeson is running around all night working like a mad man to rescue his son from some truly bad people.

In short I believe that if your Dad is risking life and limb to protect you from assassins, you should be appreciative.  And knock off the wise acre remarks.

Thursday Creativity Share

Here are 2 books by an author who calls herself Liane Moriarty.  I love these books a LOT. End of story.

Wednesday, July 01, 2015

The Kittens

If you or someone you know wants a cool little kitten let me know soon.  I'm going to Georgia on Friday and my parents have 3 sweet kittens that need good homes.

Also, we gave some money to Glenda Ritz yesterday.  She is running for governor and it's absolutely imperative that we all vote for her and support her campaign.  A bunch of us voted for Ms. Ritz for State Superintendent and she won which was great. Then our governor basically took much of the power of this position away because he doesn't like Glenda Ritz and doesn't care about my vote counting for something.  So now Glenda Ritz is running for governor and she really needs to win to preserve our democracy.  In short, stakes are high.  Probably for the kittens too, so keep both of these initiatives in mind. But don't get stressed out.  There's too much of that going around right now.


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Demand and income concept balance icon Free vector 1.86MB

File size: 1.86MB File type: Adobe Illustrator ai ( .ai ) format, Encapsulated PostScript eps ( .eps ) format Author:
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11 December 2007

Hello mind? You can come back now.

I've lost my mind. If you've seen it will you tell it to go back home soon. I really do miss it.

Since it left I was unable to remember to buy diapers. And now I am stuck at home in an ice storm.

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Home / Games / Action / MARVEL Contest of Champions 15.1.2 Apk Mod (Unlimited Money/God Mode)

MARVEL Contest of Champions 15.1.2 Apk Mod (Unlimited Money/God Mode)

Download MARVEL Contest of Champions 15.1.2 Apk Mod (Unlimited Money/God Mode) Requirement: Android 4.0+ Action Game For Android From AllApkApps

Prepare for epic versus-fighting action with your favorite Marvel Superheroes & Supervillains in the ultimate cosmic showdown! Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine & more await your summons to battle! Assemble a team & begin your quest to become the Ultimate Marvel Champion!

Iron Man vs. Captain America! Hulk vs. Wolverine! Drax vs. Deadpool! The greatest battles in Marvel history are in your hands! The greedy Elder of the Universe known as The Collector has summoned you to a brawl of epic proportions against a line-up of vile villains including Thanos, Kang the Conqueror, and many more! Experience the ultimate free-to-play fighting game on your mobile device…Contest of Champions! Who’s on your team?

• Team up with your friends and other Summoners to build the strongest Alliance
• Strategize with your alliance and help them keep their Champions in the fight
• Battle to the top in Alliance Events and take on Alliance Quest Series together in specially designed quest maps to earn exclusive Alliance rewards
• Test your Alliance’s mettle by battling it out with Alliances from around the world in Alliance Wars!

• Assemble a mighty team of heroes and villains (choosing Champions such as: Iron Man, Hulk, Wolverine, Storm, Star-Lord, Gamora, Spider-Man, Deadpool, Magneto and Winter Soldier)
• Embark on quests to defeat Kang and Thanos and face the challenge of a mysterious new super powerful cosmic competitor, ultimately to prevent the total destruction of The Marvel Universe
• Improve your team’s offense and defense with multiple Mastery trees

• Collect, level up, and manage your teams of heroes and villains wisely to receive synergy bonuses based upon team affiliation and relationships taken from the pages of Marvel Comics
• Pairing up Black Panther and Storm or Cyclops and Wolverine for bonuses, or making a team of Guardians of the Galaxy for a team affiliation bonus
• The more powerful the Champion, the better their stats, abilities and special moves will be
• New Champions are being added to The Contest all the time!

• Journey through an exciting storyline in classic Marvel storytelling fashion
• Fight it out with a huge array of heroes and villains in iconic locations spanning the Marvel Universe such as: Avengers Tower, Oscorp, The Kyln, Wakanda, The Savage Land, Asgard, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, and more!
• Explore dynamic quest maps and engage in a healthy dose of action-packed fighting utilizing controls developed specifically for the mobile platform
• Fight to the top of the leaderboards and compare your stats against other Summoners and Alliances!

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarvelContestofChampions
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MarvelChampions
Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/MarvelChampions
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Visit us on the web: www.playcontestofchampions.com

By downloading this game, you agree to the Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and the License Agreement.

This is an Android only version that contains improvements on the method that Data and Content is delivered to your device.
There are no additional changes or content additions in this release.

How To Install

1. Install Apk From The Links Given Below
2. Extract Data File in “/Android/obb” Folder
3. Done, Enjoy 🙂

Direct Download Links

MARVEL Contest of Champions 15.1.2 Mod Apk [80.0MB] Download Mod Apk Get It From Google Play
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Shadow Fight 2 v1.9.33 Apk Mod (Unlimited Money)

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Tent Rental in Atlantis

Tent Rental in Atlantis:

Since a large number of service providers for tent rentals in Atlantis are coming up at regular intervals, therefore everyone looking to hire these services must be very cautious about maintaining the essential safety measures that can guarantee the best quality of tents.


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Dept of Tourism Development Kavaratti Jobs 2016

Govt of India, Lakshadweep Administration, Department of Tourism Development, Kavaratti has published  employment notification for the recruitment of General Manager (BIR) vacancies on contract basis.

Recruitment Details:
Name of the Posts: General Manager (BIR)

Educational Qualification: Candidates need to possess Graduation in Hotel Management or 02 years PG Diploma in Hotel Management and having proficient in English and Hindi with relevant experience.

Selection Process: Shortlisted candidates will be selected based on merit, qualification and personal interview.

Way to Apply: Eligible and interested candidates need to send their duly filled application in the prescribed format along with self attested copies of proof for age and educational qualification to the “Director (Tourism Development), Lakshadweep, Kavaratti” on or before 13-09-2016 by 17:00 Hrs.

For more details do visit the official website “”

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Asphalt Street Storm Racing Mod 1.4.3d Apk [Unlimited Money]

Download Mod APK
3/5 Votes: 1
November 15, 2017
4.3 and up
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Asphalt Street Storm Racing Mod 1.4.3d Yes, finally, after a long time, the official release of the Asphalt Street Storm Racing game was released from the popular gaming company for Android devices , which was released for free in the big Google market just minutes ago and, as always, we decided for the first time in Iran Introducing it as your lovers of motor racing games and rejoicing for you again!

Now the official and global version of Asphalt Street Storm Racing is ahead of you, without any errors and without the need for software passing the boycott, and again we decided to make our update to the liking of others! Unlike Game lift cars, where you ride on cars and compete in the streets, you will be racing in Asphalt Street Storm Racing! Yes, cars will be visible from the harness and you will have the task of switching and winning the tournament! Collect victories and money by winning the tournament and gradually increasing the power and speed of your car and making it easier to win the tournament!

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NEW CARS: Ride in the Ferrari 812 Superfast, W Motors Fenyr SuperSport, Ford GT and Chevrolet Camaro LT.
WEEKLY EVENTS: Take on 3 single-player challenges every week.
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FERRARI 70th ANNIVERSARY: Celebrate with Ferrari challenges, customizations you can win, and deals in the Shop!
REVISED CAR RATINGS: Car ratings now reflect performance potential more accurately.

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I am currently the butt of a facebook joke (of my own creation really) about the choice of where I do my grocery shopping.

A few months back I decided to introduce more regular meal planning and a consequently a more regular grocery shop in order to save money. After first getting married, Geoff and I lived in a little town house (still one of our favourites) that was just behind a main street and within walking distance of an interesting IGA Supermarket. We also had no pantry. It was great – lots of disposable income back then, but it taught us some bad habits. Because really, the more often you visit the supermarket, the more you tend to buy. What’s another $5 on this and that? It adds up fast. I also have more recently been looking at how to buy fruit and veges in ways that aren’t buying them from the big chain supermarkets. I love the practicality of the big chain. No seriously – it makes it easy but it’s not always that nice or that cheap. A few facebook competitions later of winning free fruit and veg from my local shop inspired me. I now try to do a shop at a fruit and veg place and I go there first. If you are eating reasonably healthy meals (meat and veg) then you can do almost ALL your shop at a decent place like that.

What I do.

Sunday nights I meal plan. Sometimes it’s vague, sometimes it means we eat less variety especially because I build in a few meals that can be made in double and frozen. This is wildly convenient because I am a lazy cook and adding extra ingredients to a meal is much easier than cooking another meal. I only meal plan four nights, because realistically our Fridays through Sundays are all over the place. We go out to friends/have people round etc. There are always things in the freezer if desperate or good old b’rinner… takeaway. I try to make meals that overlap somewhat in ingredients (eg. herbs… who ever uses and entire bunch in one dish?) or that will use up things I have in the fridge.

On Mondays I shop. I go to a fruit/veg and then a supermarket and sometimes a butcher (if there happens to be one nearby) – I still haven’t really worked out buying stuff from a butcher -don’t pay enough attention to meat prices and I try not to let meat make it into every meal anyway – too expensive and so not necessary.

I don’t love grocery shopping, but it’s better now. I shop with a list and rarely deviate. I shop on a regular day. My mother thinks I’m mad, but hey she’s not especially grand at organisation. And I try not to go other times during the week.

The change in cooking habits and shopping has helped me save money. How do I know this? Well, I used to spend closer to $150-$200 a week on the ‘big shop’ and now I can do in a well planned ‘cheap week’ for $70-80.

I still buy chocolate and things I shouldn’t have. I still often opt for the nice yoghurt (at least then it gets eaten) and the nicer bread. But hey you do have to start somewhere and know your limits.

As for the butt of the joke. After our move I have been looking for somewhere that is a) not too far from a decent fruit/veg place (if you can get 85% of your stuff there you save A LOT) b) is easy to get in and out of. I have a two year old who doesn’t like riding in trolleys and I don’t want to stuff around with crappy car-parking or walking too far because quite frankly I don’t love groceries and I have better things to do with my time. The better organised and bigger the shop is (in terms of chain supermarkets) the easier it is, the quicker it is. The more likely I am to cook to freeze because I have more time at home. I appreciate well organised things and dingy supermarkets don’t do it for me.

And that friends is why I am still in reconnaissance mode.

This has also been a slow but achievable part of aligning life with being a bit more sensible with where our money goes – there is still a long way to go.

Experiments House Life Money

It has been an absolutely wonderful thing experiencing Claire’s first year – and seeing how much she has come into her own. She knows her mind and has a wickedly cheeky streak but she is affectionate and curious and smart. I love her so.

We had a truly lovely day on her actual birthday. Presents in the morning, with a new table and chairs to sit at and fun things to explore. Geoff was at work – but last day of school for the term, so he even finished early. Claire and I went out for lunch in the sunshine and I ordered her smashed avocado on toast. So weird ordering for a someone who is inevitably not going to eat it or will throw half of it on the floor – but you only turn one once. She LOVED it (being an avocado fiend helps). Tancks Corner is so nice. If you are in Melbourne’s outer north, it’s well worth a trip to Yarrambat, but you definitely should book.

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

Her party was planned for the day after her actual birthday. Which was a bit foolish in hindsight – we should have rolled with a Sunday afternoon instead of the Saturday – but hey, you live and learn. She also decided not to sleep before hand – that was fun. And we hosted at our house which was FAR too small for 40 guests. 2.30pm-5pm.

As I am an utter and complete Pinterest addict. I figured Claire’s first birthday was the prime opportunity to get my hands dirty and actually try a few things. I ran around in circles looking at themes and initially didn’t want to do a woodland theme as it felt overdone but came across other problems with my other ideas – a strawberry party in the middle of winter just doesn’t work and a few of the other options were a bit limiting. All the things I really wanted to have a crack at led back to and fit nicely with woodland. So woodland it was. This was my inspiration board for the party.

I spent a few hours here and there in the months leading up to it so I didn’t have to do it all last minute. This allowed me to try a few things I would not of had time to do otherwise. However the day before I did decide to give a chalkboard design a crack. I’d seen a few online and love a bit of good typography, it was also a chance to incorporate some of the cute little woodland animals/motifs I used on her invitations and stickers into some of the decorations. And I’m SO glad I did. It was quite stressful and I wasn’t sure it was going to work, but it looked amazing – beyond what I expected. It was a super cute way to photograph her to mark the occasion, especially as I still haven’t gotten around to doing a cake smash… hmm that’s right, I was going to do one of those.

I made the pin she is wearing. I was inspired a bit by the pins shown at the top of Ivey Handcrafted (sorry not sure of the actual post they are on). But I used a combination of felt and a fat quarter and the ribbon which was actually bought for our wedding – 5 years ago. The number was also done in felt and stitched on. I had to improvise with a pin and used an alligator clip.

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

Chalkboard Design

Designed first in InDesign on the computer. The fox and plant were vectors I had purchased as part of a set that I used to make her invitations – no sense reinventing the wheel. I printed the design out big. Rubbed A LOT of chalk on the back of the design and stuck it down with duct tape onto the chalkboard. Trace with a pen (coloured so you can see it) you have to press REALLY hard. This gives you a faint outline. Then I used a chalkboard pen (bought from Smiggle of all places). Liquid chalk is permanent, so there is no room for mistakes. I then filled in the areas and cleaned it up. The chalkboard I made years ago from an old frame (opshop) painted with chalkboard paint… which you can also make using fine tile grout mixed with any kind of water based paint.

I used this tutorial from Indie Craft Parade for the transfer – but used liquid chalk to get the cleaner lines and I didn’t care about permanency.

The Woodland Party

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

Bits and pieces and decorations

The little mushrooms – these were made from champagne corks (I bought a bag off ebay of about 40 of them). They were several coats of paint. Inspired by Heather Ross.

The decorative paper fans at the back were from a vintage book pages. Three pages accordion folded and taped together – blu-tacked to the wall.

The photo garland (there was more of this around the house) – were printed at Big W (of all places), they print square with a border. 5×5 in (I would’ve preferred smaller) and hung on jute twine with tiny pegs (eBay… but you can get them at $2 shops as I discovered later). I have thousands of photos of Claire. I printed 50 odd black and whites from various ages and they were hung in roughly chronological order. Inspired vaguely by this and a few other pins.

The little bottles – yes they are done lots, but they are cute. I am a tight arse so I bought Santa Vittoria fruit nectar bottles from Maxi Foods (amazing supermarket!) and drank/froze the nectar (I was going to drink it all before the day but you can only take so much liquid sugar, even if it is delicious), they turned out to be just over a $1 a bottle. I have kept them for future parties. They are almost double this to buy ‘party ones’ or about the same to hire. Why not own them. Stripey straws from eBay. Dotty straws from $2 shop. The drink canister was borrowed from Nicole (her wedding was beautiful – check out the gorgeous photos while you’re at it) but next time we might buy one as they aren’t very expensive.

The logs. I really wanted a log or two – especially to put the cake on but it didn’t happen. The morning of the party I went under out house to check the old woodpile and low and behold one chunky block. Not suitable for the cake but nice for getting some height.

The cake stand/pie stand are all ones I had or ones I borrowed from my mum. They all come from op-shops, along with various vases and jars.

The lolly jars are from a $2 shop, left over from other parties I have hosted. The stickers I designed (if you can call it that) with some more of the vectors and printed them at MOO. These are the same stickers as on the lolly bags. Squirrel sugar cookies (cutters from Ikea) and some strawberry and raspberry lollies.

The lolly bags came from DAISO (everything is $2.80) but it’s unlikely they will appear again as their stock is always changing, I just struck it lucky. I also had donated (from my sister) nice stripey green bags which were meant to get filled with popcorn but it never happened in the chaos of hosting.

The ONE was a Pinterest experiment based on this tutorial from Urbanic Paper. Cardboard letters (mini) from Masters. I cut/ripped the fronts off them – so much easier than I thought they’d be. Stuffed them with florist foam and my sister Hannah filled them with foliage. She also did all the flowers. Check out Featherwood Flowers.

I made a banner from hessian and glitter letters too that hung out the front of the house (no photo!) based on this. But square and with uppercase letters. We had a few red and green balloons out the front too.

I also had a few other little things like some Schleich woodland animals. Chalkboard labels on the jars are from Officeworks – Martha Stewart brand. Pinecones from mum’s stash.

The Food

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

The cake was made my my very talented sister Emily. Chocolate and delicious. Covered in cream-cheese icing and coconut. The green moss stuff was left over from the cupcake topping I had made (I seriously made way too much) the little animals were pinched from mum’s shadow boxes, they are ceramic. The candle I bought a pack off eBay – spots and stripes.

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

I made these mini carrot cakes based on my sister’s spectacular recipe. Super easy. Made three days prior. They keep amazingly, although at this small they did dry out a little more than a normal size cupcake would – which tend to just get better a few days on. Iced the morning of, with cream cheese icing. The green ‘moss’ was made from biscuit crumbs and green food dye the idea from here but as cinnamon biscuits sadly don’t seem to exist in Australia I just used good old Arrowroot. Strawberry cupcake holders from Spotlight.

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

My sister in law Anita made the strawberry macarons, they were apparently delicious – I sadly managed to get one onto my plate but left it to go and do something and it went rogue. Inspired by Little Big Company.

The mini pumpkin pies were made by yours truly. I have a minor pumpkin pie obsession and had these in my head to make before I even started planning. I did look at a few tips from Little Bit Funky. But wound up using my usual pumpkin pie recipe and store bought pastry. Made in mini muffin pans. The pastry was cut out with a scalloped edge cutter (from DAISO again). They froze spectacularly! There was enough to make a small pie too.

Tomato tartlets from Martha Stewart. So easy. Probably better hot but still super tasty.

I also had some store bought mini pecan pies, almond eggs, chocolate logs, chocolate ladybugs, pretzels (twiggyish) and other twig-like breadstick things. My other sister bought a fancy cheese platter – which oddly all the small children devoured before the adults to could get to it… and the adults all went for the Honey Joys (recipe on the side of your Cornflakes packet).

Mum made some birds nests. Like these ones. My mother in law also made some savory sweet potato bites.

The drink canister was just lemonade with frozen raspberries and mint. There was beer and cider and homemade mulled wine by Geoff.

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

Bec Matheson Photography | www.becmatheson.com

So there you go. A woodland party. I didn’t have to spend an outrageous amount of money, just be a little creative and put in a bit of effort. I would have loved to have more time to photograph a few more details but as it happens, people start to arrive and it’s all go, go, go. Give me a party to theme rather than host any day! Happy to answer any questions or share recipes.

Thank you very much to all who helped us celebrate this rather auspicious milestone. Claire genuinely enjoyed her party after most of the guests finally left, such are the whims of a one year old!

Baby Cooking Create Experiments Life Op Shop

In order to return to my normal weight… today both Geoff and I started the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. Its not too different to our usual fare except for one MAJOR thing: carbs. We eat a lot of pasta. It’s so damn easy, it’s so tasty. This is a higher protein, low carb diet. We aren’t specifically doing the exercise thing (yet) one thing at a time. It also limits snacking and soft-drink/juices.

Naturally I am hungry for snacks I don’t usually eat.

I currently weigh (approx, due to the fluxuating nature of your weight when breastfeeding) around 68kg. I would like by mid year to have lost 10kg, this is lower than my pre-pregnancy weight but I could’ve afforded to lose a few back then.

Tonight’s dinner smell delicious. Roast Lemon Thyme Chicken with red onion and pumpkin and steamed greens. Salad Rolls for lunch and Museli for Breakfast with a few bits of fruit for snacking on.

The other benefit of this small experiment is that we will cook a greater variety of food. I am a tad overwhelmed by the basics in some sense but practically it should be quite easy to follow. I need to sit down and sort a few things out so our grocery bill wont be astronomical – because theoretically that should improve too.

Day 1. 68kg. Muesli, Salad Roll, Fruit, Chicken.

Bookclub tonight. Oh dear, I do hope my pastry chef sister doesn’t bring something too good to pass up or there goes one of my 2 indulgences for the week.

Coffee and tea are allowed. This is rather important, I would probably not be trying this otherwise.

Cooking Experiments Life

I read 25 books in 2012. I made my goal. Just.

I was going to step out every single one of them but I think perhaps a few key mentions.

Some of the best of a medium book year.

Bringing up Bebe – Pamela Druckerman
I had a baby this year. That’s big. This book is authentic. Interesting and needless to say, relevant. Except that I am not in France. I wish I was in France.

The Lacuna – Barbara Kingsolver
Not what I expected. Hard work. Somewhat haunting. I feel like I didn’t know enough of the history to do it justice.

Le Grand Meaulnes – Alain Fournier
Immensely satisfying and devastating. A bookclub read. The whole thing dripped of unfairness and lost childhood.

The Go-Between – L.P. Hartley
The pawn in a lovers game. This was brilliant. A rich read. Another bookclub selection.

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
I really didn’t think much of the first half at all, much to the disgust of Catherine… however there was something about this book. Poignant like the Little Prince. Perhaps it was trying a little hard but it plucked at insights with deft fingers and caught you up before you realised it.

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
Definitely the most fun read of the year. Loved it! Best page tuner since Harry Potter. A genre right up my alley and surprisingly well crafted despite it’s popularity.

So there you have it the overview overlap: baby, hard work, satisfying, rich, poignant, fun.

My year.

And for 2013?

Books: I hope to read at least 30 and delve into some which I have had the intention of reading for quite some time, beginning with Great Expectations (with a little Terry Pratchett on the side to keep things amusing) and to return to some theological/poetic reads to keep the mind and heart turning, beginning with Simple Spirituality (which I have already started) and a little Le’Engle on the side.

Life: To be more present. To be more creative and intentional in how I spend my time.

Follow what I’m reading on Goodreads (PS. this site ticks lots of my boxes: books, stats, lists, categorisation. Love it.)

…oh yeah, I totally stole this post idea from Christop

Books Experiments Life

“Simplicity in its essence demands neither a vow of poverty nor a life of rural homesteading. As an ethic of self-conscious material moderation, it can be practiced in cities and suburbs, townhouses and condominiums. It requires neither a log cabin nor a hairshirt but a deliberate ordering of priorities so as to distinguish between the necessary and superfluous, useful and wasteful, beautiful and vulgar.” – David Shi

Christianity Experiments Life


text:
All Talk and No Action Monday, December 5, 2011

Somtimes I think it is a miracle to keep alive in India, especially in a metro.

Take this news for example.

Less than a third of the IB's estimated 25,000-strong manpower, two former high-ranking officers told The Hindu, is dedicated to what might be described as national security tasks — like monitoring terrorist groups or extremist organisations. Even that ratio, one serving officer said, was “a charitable assessment.”

...highly placed intelligence sources have told The Hindu, a large part of the IB's resources were committed, and remain committed, to providing the government raw information and assessments on its increasingly bleak political prospects. In the summer, the IB carefully monitored Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's public meetings in Uttar Pradesh after the events at Bhatta Parsaul; later it sought to penetrate Anna Hazare's anti-corruption mobilisation in New Delhi.

On the upside, this news offers tremendous opportunities to martial arts' professionals to set more shops, for in future, we will have citizen armies looking after their own security measures.

link via Vikas.

No comments:


text:
What I wish everyone knew about Digital Marketing

What is Digital Marketing?

According to Wikipedia, Digital Marketing is an umbrella term for the marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium.[1]

The way in which digital marketing has developed since the 1990s and 2000s has changed the way brands and businesses utilize technology and digital marketing for their marketing.[2] Digital marketing campaigns are becoming more prevalent, as digital platforms are increasingly incorporated into marketing plans, [3] and as people use digital devices instead of going to physical shops.[4][5]

Digital marketing activities are search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content marketing, influencer marketing, content automation, campaign marketing, and e-commerce marketing, social media marketing, social media optimization, e-mail direct marketing, display advertising, e–books, optical disks and games, and any other form of digital media. It also extends to non-Internet channels that provide digital media, such as mobile phones (SMS and MMS), callback and on-hold mobile ring tones.[6]

digital marketing changes everythingHow is digital marketing changing the way we do business?

Lately I have been keeping a low key approach and doing some research.  In my findings I was amazed to see how digital marketing is changing the way we do business and basically taking over.

In a small home based business group meeting I heard everyone stress how important it is to be successful.  Not only successful but to be able to work for themselves or start a business.  This is very scary but is a reality to most individuals today.

People are losing their jobs and jobs are getting harder to find.  So I decided to talk about the bigger picture and explain that understanding digital marketing could actually provide benefits and help maintain a competitive advantage in any industry.

Contact me now!

Utilize today’s innovations to move ahead and stay competitive

If your email campaigns are using technology that were out of style three years ago your calls to action will not be answered, your conversion rates will be poor, and your business will struggle. There really is no way around the fact.

I cannot stress this enough…digital marketing is changing and those that do not react to this change will look archaic compared to their competition. Not only does the presentation of your email marketing matter on a visual front, the financial aspect is also quite important. It costs a number of resources in order to create strategies, gain leads, and launch email campaigns.

Fortunately for everyone in the industry there are major benefits from quickly integrating new marketing techniques into their strategy.

If your competitors are not taking full advantage of Facebook, Snapchat, or Twitter that gives you an avenue of advantage. If their brands are lacking any creative presences, that creates another avenue of advantage for your brand.  There are many platforms to choose from.

Evolution in the digital arena can be a great opportunity for your brand if you use it to your advantage. The days of local radio and TV ad campaigns drawing in suffice revenues for a company is coming to a halt. Evolution in digital marketing has created an outlet where brands can develop direct relationships with customers.

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Key…Never Stop Learninglearn social media

Not every brand will dedicate the time needed to know how to integrate new technologies within their marketing strategy, giving the advantage to brands that immediately use their outlets to their benefit. Becoming accustomed with new changes draws the attention of younger demographic who are drawn to these advances as well.

Digital marketing is the best way to grow the scope of your brand. The challenges of becoming familiar with new advances in the way to promote on social media and innovations in email marketing are different from those marketers faced decades ago. Yet, continuing to learn about new innovations presents a wealth of opportunity.

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Build Direct Relationships with your Customers

As touched on earlier a major effect of having a presence on social media is the live interactions your brand will have with customers. Whether on social media, blogs, or a combination of both digital marketing  allows brands to build direct relationships with customers that will leave a lasting impression.

While the challenge of dealing with social media trolls is likely to occur a brand can either simply ignore them or use them to their advantage. Social media is about viral material and numerous examples exist on Facebook and Twitter of how popular use humor to deal with “trollish” behavior creates a lot of attention.

Being authentic and not relying on mass marketing language on your brands social medial platforms will create numerous opportunities to generate leads that will not require much convincing to invest into your brand.

Creating these real relationships and allowing customers to know your brand creates the best competitive advantage over competitors who approach new media without much interest.

So what are you waiting for?

Contact me now!

Thank you for joining me!  I will see you tomorrow!  Always remember in this day and age things will continue to change.  Be ready; be on board and more importantly

Here at All This and That Internet and Web Solutions, we understand the power of the social web. We also understand how time-consuming it can be to build a social media presence. With our knowledge behind your business, we’ll cultivate a social media portfolio that will pay dividends in the form of loyal, connected customers.

Need to sell a product or service or do you need a solid web presence???

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Spring MVC or JSF+?

My business unit is trying to standardize if we can on a single Java-based Web framework going forward to simplify the Web development process, especially as individual developers move from one division to another, or centralized support groups need to maintain multiple applications from multiple divisions.

At the enterprise level within my company, the architecture group says that they will provide support for either Spring MVC or JSF+ (where the + represents the accompanying technologies you would use to provide a more maintainable application and a more rich user experience, e.g. Facelets, Richfaces, etc.).

Now my business unit is trying to decide which of these two frameworks, Spring MVC or JSF+, is the most appropriate to standardize upon for our development community.

What follows are some considerations based on discussions we've had internally thus far.

Please provide any feedback you might have based on your experience with either of the two frameworks. Are any of the perceptions or claims below inaccurate? Are there key considerations that we are not even thinking of that can help us to come to a reasonable recommendation? Any feedback you have is welcome.

Feedback To-Date

  • In general, our business unit divisions who have developers coming from a component-oriented programming model background seem to prefer having their developers remain with this programming model when migrating to Java Web app development.
    • It provides a more familiar programming environment
    • It would hopefully make developers more productive as they would have less of a learning curve
  • For those Web application developers that are already coming from a Struts background, obviously their learning curve would be much less steep if they were able to continue to use a page-based, action-oriented Web framework like Spring MVC.
  • Knowledge of / Experience with Frameworks
    • Within our company, there appears to be a greater amount of experience with Spring MVC than with JSF currently.
    • Within the industry, it seems that there is a greater amount of experience with JSF if you are to look at developers' resumes, the greater amount of books and other documentation available, etc.
  • Training
    • A "Comprehensive Spring Training" course that includes about a 2.5 hour session on Spring MVC authored by SpringSource and tailored to our company's needs by another business unit is already available through our training center.
    • An additional "Spring Rich Web" course is also already being jointly planned.
    • No training modules are yet available internally for JSF, but obviously many are externally.
  • Migration of Developers' Skill Sets
    • If we were to choose Spring MVC, component-oriented developers would have to learn a new programming model.
    • If we were to choose JSF, action-oriented developers would have to learn a new programming model.
    • Either way, training and re-tooling would have to take place.
    • Anecdotally, it is probably true that we have more component-oriented developers than action-oriented ones.
  • Vendor Lock-in
    • With Spring MVC, you can write controllers in such a way that they are effectively annotated POJOs, but even the annotations introduce a Spring dependency.
    • In all likelihood, we would want to extend some of the controllers that Spring provides based on the use cases for a particular page flow.
    • Thus, most likely, selecting Spring MVC means that applications built using it depend upon it, and they can't easily be ported to another Web framework.
    • With JSF, you're really just dealing with a specification, so although the JSF RI provided by Sun is the currently recommended RI, there is nothing that ties you to it specifically.
  • Maturity / Market Penetration
    • The first RI of JSF and the first version of Spring MVC both seem to have emerged around the same time in 2004.
    • From a vendor and tools perspective, there has been much more traction around JSF, especially in terms of providing a "drag and drop" user experience for component developers.
    • That said, SpringSource itself is now a vendor that offers support for its entire Spring portfolio (including Spring MVC), and the Spring IDE does a decent job at getting users going on building and visualizing Spring-based applications.
Issues / Concerns

  • If we're using a combination of technologies for developing JSF applications like Facelets and JBoss Richfaces, would there be an Eclipse plug-in / extension or (if we could justify the cost and complexity) yet another IDE that could simplify and automate the usage of those technologies together?
  • If the push from the industry seems to be towards migrating complex UI interactions to the client via Ajax and Flex, what value would JSF+ add on top of this?
    • For example, if we were to standardize on Spring MVC for the Web framework, Dojo for the Ajax toolkit, and (when appropriate) Adobe Flex for very rich components that it simply does not make sense to do in Ajax, how would JSF+ improve this picture?
    • In addition, if we try to follow our company's enterprise standard of using Dojo for Ajax, and a component library like Richfaces is leveraged, what if Richfaces didn't use Dojo under the covers or it used a different version of Dojo? Would it interoperate properly with any Dojo-enhanced elements of the page that perhaps did not come from a JSF component?

Some Potential Options

  • A member of our working team proposed that we recommend the use of Spring MVC as our Web application framework, given its relative familiarity to existing action-oriented developers, its simplicity, modularity, and the overall trend towards doing components more using client-side versus server-side technology.
  • There was some definite resistance to this idea, at least until we have some greater insight into where these two frameworks stand in the industry today and what their roadmaps are for future enhancements.
  • The possibility of supporting both frameworks was also discussed, but we are trying to narrow down the use of technologies to one wherever possible from an IT simplification perspective if that is plausible.
  • It was also mentioned that Spring MVC supports using JSF as its view technology (just as it supports JSP and Velocity), but it is unclear whether that hybrid approach would really provide any benefit to component-oriented developers who would still have to learn the Spring MVC request life cycle.

Next Steps

  • Obtain greater insight into and share with the working team:
    • The market penetration of each framework
    • Perceptions of these frameworks by major technology advisory firms like Gartner, Forrester and Burton
    • The future short-term and long-term plans for each framework
      • For example, JSF 2.0 and Spring MVC 3.0
      • As another example, how the Spring JavaScript and Spring Faces components of Spring Web Flow 2.0 might shift the playing field
    • The potential consequences (whether negative or positive) of eliminating one framework or the other from our development environment.

Matt Raible said...

If you plan on supporting REST in your webapp someday, I believe Spring MVC is a better choice. If you want your application to operate like a desktop application, JSF will likely work better.

Rohit Paul said...

Since you're considering JSF, is using JBoss Seam an option? There could be an issue with vendor tie-in there, and you didn't mention anything about what technologies & standards you're using in the other application tier(s) so that would be another factor in deciding whether to use Seam.

Dusty said...

Not that its very helpful, but I think you missed out when you lost Struts2 as a choice.

Theosophe74 said...

Thanks for the feedback. It looks like there are plans to better support REST-ful URLs in JSF 2.0, but I don't think we can wait that long, as one of our requirements will be to embed Web components that we develop within an Eclipse RCP-based Hybrid container when necessary, where that container is being used to provide a level of richness and real-time interaction that simply cannot yet be achieved with Web technologies alone.

I have read that there are ways to workaround the inherently POST-ful nature of JSF to provide links, etc., but I think we would rather have a framework that supports it now by default.

Theosophe74 said...

JBoss Seam was actually a contender at the enterprise level within my company for potential support, but they settled on JSF+ because there are more books, tutorials, supporting vendors, and a wider development community supporting JSF than Seam.

They were also kind of nervous about depending on a specific vendor implementation and/or extension of JSF, just as they would be nervous about depending on Spring's heavy integration with JSF in Spring Web Flow.

Theosophe74 said...

Struts2 was also a serious contender at the enterprise level, and was found in some ways to be more elegant, extensible, pluggable and developer friendly than Spring MVC. However, a number of our business units had already started using Spring MVC, so at the enterprise level, they really only wanted to have to support one action-oriented framework (on top of our legacy Struts 1.x applications).

Keith Donald said...

Hi Mike,

I am the lead of the Spring Web Flow project, and technical lead of the Spring Web MVC module in the Spring Framework. If you have questions about the JSF integration in the Spring Faces module, or how JSF relates to MVC, I'd be happy to answer them for you and your team to help in your evaluation process.

In summary, Spring Faces allows you to use the JSF UI Component Model with Spring Web MVC and Web Flow controllers. We feel this approach combines the strengths of JSF with the strengths of traditional web MVC architecture.

I tend to agree with Matt, JSF is not a fit for all projects, but when it is a fit we believe Spring Faces makes the component model considerably easier to integrate, particularly for people coming from a Struts or Spring MVC background.

You probably already saw this, but this "Spring-centric" integration approach is noted in the recent Web Flow 2 GA announcement at as well as this presentation. We also have a number of users using Spring Faces on our forums - you might find some good tidbits there relating experiences out in the field.

Hope this helps! Let me know if I can answer anything specific -

Theosophe74 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Theosophe74 said...

Thanks for taking the time to review the post and provide your feedback.

I guess we have concerns about Spring Faces being tied to Spring Web Flow. Shouldn't Spring Faces ideally only have a dependency on Spring MVC?

We're also concerned about Spring replacing the entire JSF lifecycle. Was what came out of the box with JSF that problematic in this regard? It just seems like a lot for a company to bite off, and for its customers to swallow, in case anything were to go awry, etc.

How about tooling? Are there any IDE plugins that would help in the building or visualization of Spring Faces applications?

While I have your attention [ :-) ], are there any plans to provide visualizations or task-based wizards for Spring MVC itself (or maybe this is already available in Spring IDE or SpringSource Tool Suite)?

Finally, what are the plans and notional time line for Spring MVC 3.0? Will Spring RichFaces move under the Spring MVC umbrella? What about Spring JavaScript?

If it would be easier just to set up a meeting to discuss these questions, just let me know when would be a convenient time for you.

Keith Donald said...

It was good talking with you on the phone.

Just to quickly iterate through your questions here for your readers:

- Spring Web Flow is a MVC extension for implementing stateful controllers in a domain-specific flow definition language. Its stateful nature fits nicely with the JSF Component model, which is also inherently stateful and at a similiar level of absraction. While it is possible to execute phases of the JSF lifecycle in a stateless environment such as a MVC @Controllers, there are limitations there--you cannot execute the postback phases, and the level of abstraction is somewhat different... MVC Controllers are a bit lower-level.

I think you'll see Web Flow's "blueprint" model and high-level of abstraction broaden over time to allow for defining an entire site structure declaratively: including, standalone, bookmarkable pages as well as controlled flows (rather than see us try to shoe horn JSF into the @Controller paradigm). We are interested in feedback in this area.

- As far as how we are integrating JSF, we are not replacing the JSF lifecycle, rather we are executing it in the context of the Spring MVC and Web Flow View processing lifecycles. This is done using standard JSF APIs implemented by the leading JSF implementations (both the RI and MyFaces). There is nothing we are doing that is non-standard. This approach lets us fully exploit MVC principles, by having Controllers that govern the selection of the JSF views for rendering. Plain JSF is very "view-centric" and can't do basic tasks like invoke an initialization callback before rendering a View--because our model is Controller centric, things like this are very easy to do. It's just standard MVC concepts at work here.

- For tools, the SpringSource Tools Suite team is working on Web Flow 2 support, as well as support for visualizing your entire site map. In addition, they are working on JSF tooling to allow for things like code-completion of model binding expressions from your views. Tooling is definitely an important area for us right now.

- Spring 3.0 will address important topics like REST, declarative validation, among others. I think you'll see the web part of the Spring Portfolio continue to stand on its own separately from the core Spring Framework distribution, as this space moves quite rapidly and we need a dedicated distribution for web application development with Spring to best meet the needs of our customers.

Hope this helps!

Jordi said...

I definitely have to agree with matt in this. REST is the way to go in the web. To operate like a desktop application in the web will bring down many of the benefits coming from the REST architectural constraints as explained by Roy Fielding in his dissertation. I would recommend stateless interactions. We are now finishing a customer management application using struts2 (plus Spring, JPA, Hibernate) with its REST plugin and it has been a very successful approach. If you are restricted to Spring MVC and JSF I would vote for the former.

seiju said...

jsf is technology from the past. i hope i've never have to code with it never again.

Anonymous said...

In terms on long-term support of either framework, Spring-MVC seems to have fewer dependencies on other libraries. The + of JSF+ and coordination of add-ons, component libraries, etc.. makes JSF a bad support choice. With JSF 2.0 around the corner why bother if you know Spring-MVC will not change.

Sad you will miss out on the longer term RIA options which is where you will be in a few years anyway. Better to decouple presentation from service layer now with something like Spring.

Frans Thamura said...

If JSF make apps look like destop apps, and the Swing model is the best model in web developemnt that based on HTTP protocol. that sound strange, we are in request-response world, how a component can map the web architecture esp AJAX. I never see that JSF can handle multithread component, that every component can produce his own services that fetch by the browser or RIA.

I prefer to use SpringMVC rather than JSF, but that will be cool if we can standarize SpringMVC to become JSF 3.0, which we know little thinny IoC in EJB3.

and dont forget to bring Struts team also in the board.

Kyle said...

Our IT department also recently struggled with the JSF vs. action-based frameworks (Struts 2 in our case) question. We did two applications with JSF; those two apps were outsourced to a leading JSF vendor so that we could benefit from their experience.

* Some of our pages are incredibly bloated, resulting in performance issues. I'm not talking about download times, but rather DOM manipulation and memory issues in IE 6 (our current corporate standard).

* We requested that the vendor adhere to web standards as much as possible. Unfortunately some of the popular JSF component libraries that they used seem to contain IE-specific JS code that breaks in Firefox.

* In hindsight, our JSF apps are every bit as "locked in" as our Struts apps. Sure, JSF is technically just a reference, but the reality of the situation is that there's really not that much choice between implementations, especially if you want JSF 1.2.

* The lockin is further exacerbated by the lack of progress in the JSF world. Most of the 3rd open source party component libraries are very stagnant. We feel like we're missing out on some of the cool stuff going on in the web dev world because JSF doesn't play well with anything outside of the JSF world.

While some on our architecture committee may still favor JSF, I think the momentum is shifting in favor of the action-based frameworks.

One HUGE development that has helped has been the Google Web Toolkit. GWT allows component-based UI development on top of an action-based framework. To me, it seems like JSF done right. Furthermore, unlike JSF-land, the free/open source community is incredibly active, pushing out new components, wrappers for Javascript libraries and components, etc.

At the beginning of this thread, Matt said "If you want your application to operate like a desktop application, JSF will likely work better." I would tweak that to say "If you want your app to operate like a desktop app, use Spring MVC + GWT."

Eric Foster-Johnson said...

Are you using Spring?

If you are already using Spring in your application (for a service layer, for example), then Spring MVC is a natural extension. That is, you configure Spring MVC very much like you configure Spring. If you have already chosen Spring, then using Spring MVC for the Web tier will lessen the amount of material your developers need to learn and reduce maintenance costs.

If you are not planning on using Spring at all, then this will not be a concern.

Theosophe74 said...

Thanks for sharing your experiences with JSF and with GWT.

I guess my concerns with GWT are very similar to those with the JSF libraries that generate JavaScript: Will that JavaScript be compatible/interoperate with our current corporate standard of the Dojo framework?

Some other concerns:

* RESTful URL support
** How does GWT and/or GWT extensions support this? How difficult is it to do?
* The slow release cycle
** The last major release was back in August of 2007
** A second milestone for the latest release was made available in April, but with no indication of when it might become a formal release candidate.
* Web design standards
** Aren't we taking Web site designers out of the loop with this model? How do you enforce a common look and feel across an application or multiple applications?
** How are things like accessibility addressed?

Theosophe74 said...

Thanks for your comment, but I disagree that just because you're using Spring for IOC, Spring MVC is a natural fit for Web application development.

Almost all major Web frameworks (action-oriented and component-oriented) support Spring IOC integration.

But I see your point that the configuration aspects of Spring MVC can be very similar to configuring other aspects of the Spring portfolio.

batu permata said...

I tend to agree with Matt, JSF is not a fit for all projects, but when it is a fit we believe Spring Faces makes the component model considerably easier to integrate, particularly for people coming from a Struts or Spring MVC background.

menambah tinggi badan said...

Please provide any feedback you might have based on your experience with either of the two frameworks.

cara meninggikan badan said...

Now my business unit is trying to decide which of these two frameworks, Spring MVC or JSF+, is the most appropriate to standardize upon for our development community.

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Anonymous said...

As I can see from the posts, you made discussions in 2008. So you probably came to a solution, and probably know best about the trend? From now, what would be the answer of the question Spring MVC or JSF? What about the future of these technologies?

chord said...

Thanks for sharing the such information with us.

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hello Matt i agree with you, JSF is not a fit for all projects, Spring Faces makes the component model considerably easier to integrate, particularly for people coming from a Struts or Spring MVC background.

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AltaGas Announces Monthly Dividend

July 29, 2010

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - July 29, 2010) - AltaGas Ltd. ("AltaGas") (TSX:ALA) today announced that the August dividend will be paid on September 15th, 2010 to holders of record on August 25th, 2010, of common shares. The ex-dividend date is August 23rd, 2010. The amount of the dividend will be $0.11 for each common share.

AltaGas has a Dividend Reinvestment and Optional Share Purchase Plan for eligible Shareholders of AltaGas. Eligible Shareholders may reinvest the cash dividends paid by AltaGas on their common shares toward the purchase of new common shares at a five percent discount to the average market price as defined in the Dividend Reinvestment and Optional Share Purchase Plan.

AltaGas is one of Canada's largest and fastest growing energy infrastructure organizations. AltaGas creates value by acquiring, growing and optimizing gas and power infrastructure, including a focus on renewable energy sources. For more information visit:

This news release contains forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "seek", "propose", "estimate", "expect", and similar expressions, as they relate to AltaGas or an affiliate of AltaGas, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, business objectives, expected growth, results of operations, performance, business projects and opportunities and financial results. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect AltaGas' current views with respect to future events based on certain material factors and assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, changes in market, competition, governmental or regulatory developments, general economic conditions and other factors set out in AltaGas' public disclosure documents. Many factors could cause AltaGas' actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those described in this news release, including without limitation those listed above. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this news release as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, sought, proposed, estimated or expected, and such forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in this news release, should not be unduly relied upon. Such statements speak only as of the date of this news release. AltaGas does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

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