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The Paper Bag Making Machine Cost Diaries

Non Woven Material Bag Making Machine is a revolution while in the packaging industry with its extra controlled and specific performance. While in the machine, you can find mounted a variety of Management devices like car-counting and also other safety alarms for a safe and secure operation.

The PLC is upgraded to indicate machine faults, which simplifies troubleshooting for your operator. It can also be up to date to change the depend of packages. To change the width with the bag, You will find a Particular molding plate for each sizing;... additional

Primarily strong heavier use bags including shopping baggage are applying sheet feeding paper and lighter or shorter term use bags like food bag typically are utilizing the roll feeding paper.

Didn't you discover in our stocklist precisely the machine you are searching for? Talk to us, make sure you! Perhaps We now have in current time for you new different, what we are able to kindly present for you.

• The paper bag displays resilience to be a kind of packaging, rapidly adapting to frequently modifying demands & fashions. They are really re-usable

Outfitted with photoelectric monitoring materialm, halting instantly when the fabric is concluded.

It is the best bag making manufacturing line for making shopping luggage present luggage Tremendous market place luggage quickly foodstuff luggage etc.

Some individuals I have dealt with really lined their paper baggage, 3 occasions from after they produced journeys into the grocery shops and would choose three-5 of such in the store with them so they may re bag check here their groceries in these bags, and also have remarkable security is often reused numerous, over and over.

It is specially made to give satchel and flat paper bags from greaseproof paper, craft paper, white paper and poster. This may make luggage in diversified measurements for packing Completely ready-manufactured ......

three.Paper baggage support change natural waste into super excellent compost which can be returned on the Local community

This machine can take non woven material as raw product,and can make various varieties of different specification

Paper Dona Making Machine this is thoroughly automatic paper dona making machine have small servicing and substantial output capacity.

Completed merchandise are generated at fast speed, in higher performance, As well as in firm visual appearance soon after welding. This

It is actually produced with the most beneficial precision by our adept experts applying high-quality-checked components with the assist of progressive strategies. Beside this, the presented machine might be procured from us at probably the most cost-effective fees within committed time span.

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This machine is extensively demanded for coming up with and stitching a variety of styles of bags. Robust development, shock evidence physique, seamless effectiveness and extended assistance ......

Holding in mind ever-evolving requirements of our revered shoppers, we have been offering a high quality top quality number of Carry Bag Making much more..

Also, you can confront water need about 50KL for each annum. The requirement of drinking water primarily for washing of movie creating and so on and consuming intent.

Presently the paper grocery or procuring bag has started to become Increasingly more well-known people are employing paper baggage to pack foods bread clothing and all kinds of other goods.

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In initiating paper baggage making business, you must get hold of following registrations and licenses:

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Innovative pre-stack paper feeds a person sheet at a time to each adhering to approach, with no need to prevent the machine. This decreases downtime and boosts buyer income. As a favourite among the commencing paper bag companies, this machines can carry out a series of responsibilities with a single machine, including paper feeding, system panel creasing, glue application, entire body panel formation, and gluing the sq. base.

one.two You may well not use the Solutions and may well not accept the Conditions if (a) you are not of authorized age to type a binding agreement withunipak-sh.

Leveraging on our extensive marketplace working experience, we're offering specifically-made array of Sheet Fed Offset Printing Machine. The provided array is very appreciated among the shoppers for its high effectiveness and compact style.

A three fold improvement in the quantity of luggage produced for every hour as compared With all the current day manual baggage created.

This machine is highly acclaimed amongst patron due to its 16Kw ability consumption, large performance and simple Procedure. It really is ideal for developing distinct variety of ......

Fascination About Paper Bag Making Machine Cost

High definition-430A paper bag machine is with amazing high-quality and efficiency to fulfill different demands. It adopts car paper feeding procedure to keep sheet paper feeding continually. It makes use of printed sheet paper as raw products and can make the paper bag with leading cardboard pasting, bag best folding and also the double holes punching at a single time to be able to help you save labor cost to attain increased Doing work performance.

The requested website page continues to be blocked from the content filter because it is violation of the a number of clicks usage plan set because of the administrator

modernization. With creativeness and self esteem, ArtPack sells different types of labeling machinse common globally. We manufacture an array of computerized labelling machines, which includes label counting Machine

Call us to find out far more information about the different sorts of top quality roll or sheet feed paper bag making machine and different sort content bag making machine that we will personalized Develop below including the complete choice of printing and packaging machines manufacturers.

Because our inception while in the calendar year 1960, we have established ourselves as a number one manufacturer and exporter of Paper Bag Making Machine. These machines are used to make unique kinds of paper bags for packing foods, garments, and also other practical stuffs.

headbox: the force chamber the place turbulence is applied to split up fibre clumps inside the slurry. The principle occupation from the headbox is to distribute the fiber slurry uniformly over the wire.

feeding continually. It will make the paper bag tube forming as very well as base gluing and urgent with

Supplied range of bags is enhanced by making the precise sizing plate for flat or satchel to the size plate holder

The tube, after staying Minimize through the beater into specific dimensions as per the scale gear, is carried ahead by means of conveyor rollers towards the delivery cylinder. The shipping and delivery cylinder at The underside folds the bag. It truly is pested as well as the bag is carried because of the folding cylinder to your shipping table. The bag is then produced and delivered in the vertical stack.

We follow the principle of "top quality first, support to start with, steady advancement and innovation to satisfy The purchasers" with the administration and "zero defect, zero complaints" as the standard aim. To best our support, we provide the solutions with the high quality at the reasonable price.

Flocculation is lessened by decreasing consistency and or by agitating the slurry; having said that, de-flocculation gets to be quite challenging at Substantially above 0.five% consistency. Reducing the diploma of flocculation when forming is vital to Bodily Qualities of paper.

This machine is Distinctive created for non woven sheet chopping. When reducing the sheet, it may possibly deal with the ......

dandy roll: a mesh coated hollow roll that rides along with the Fourdrinier. It breaks up fibre clumps to improve the sheet formation and can be accustomed to make an imprint, as with laid paper. See also watermark.

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Paper Bag Making Machine Cost Options

An easy and Strongly-Local Flow-Primarily based System for Slice Enhancement Nate Veldt Purdue Unversity, David Gleich Purdue University, Michael Paper

Sara Davies started off Crafter's Companion even though at university. Sara operates with a great team of people, and receives to focus on profits and dealing with amazing organizations.

By combining a variational autoencoder (VAE) that has a generative adversarial network (GAN) we can use figured out function representations during the GAN discriminator as basis for your VAE reconstruction aim.

Gromov-Wasserstein Averaging of Kernel and Distance Matrices Gabriel Peyré , Marco Cuturi Kyoto, Justin Solomon Paper

Not too long ago introduced Secure screening enables us to detect a part of non-Lively functions/samples. Thus far, Harmless screening has become individually researched both for element screening or for sample screening. In this particular paper, we introduce a whole new technique for properly screening features and samples simultaneously by alternatively iterating aspect and sample screening techniques. A big advantage of contemplating them at the same time rather then independently is they Have a very synergy result from the sense that the outcomes in the previous Secure characteristic screening may be exploited for improving another Risk-free sample screening performances, and vice-versa. We very first theoretically look into the synergy outcome, and after that illustrate the practical gain by way of intense numerical experiments for issues with substantial numbers of capabilities and samples.

Abstract We propose the contextual combinatorial cascading bandits, a combinatorial on the internet Understanding video game, in which at each time move a Finding out agent is provided a list of contextual data, then selects an index of items, and observes stochastic outcomes of a prefix in the selected products by some stopping criterion. In on-line advice, the halting criterion might be the first merchandise a user selects; in network routing, the stopping criterion could be the first edge blocked in the route.

Summary Dimensionality reduction is a well-liked technique for handling large dimensional data that contributes to considerable computational personal savings. Random projections are a simple and powerful approach for common dimensionality reduction with arduous theoretical ensures. In this particular paper, we theoretically review the challenge of differentially non-public empirical possibility minimization during the projected subspace (compressed area). Empirical risk minimization (ERM) is usually a fundamental strategy in statistical machine Studying that forms The premise for numerous Mastering algorithms. Starting from the results of Chaudhuri et al. (NIPS 2009, JMLR 2011), You will find there's extended line of work in designing differentially non-public algorithms for empirical threat minimization issues that work in the first data Area.

Extra broadly, our outcomes suggest that randomized price features offer a promising method of tackling a critical problem in reinforcement Mastering: synthesizing productive exploration and efficient generalization.

Our bound suggests that 1 must center on areas exactly where the resource information is informative. From this result, we derive a PAC-Bayesian generalization sure, and specialize it to linear classifiers. Then, we infer a Studying algorithm and execute experiments on genuine details.

a study of Noisy NMF underneath the major sound model. We present that our sounds product subsumes noise products of theoretical and realistic interest (for e.g. Gaussian noise of maximum achievable sigma). We then devise an algorithm TSVDNMF which

Inside the adversarial circumstance, we confirm that even for dense comments graphs, the learner cannot strengthen upon a trivial regret certain attained by disregarding any additional opinions Moreover her individual loss.

When you’re relocating massive information close to or really need to keep your whole media library along with you, occasionally The nice ol’ fashioned sneakernet is the best technique. Flash drives are fine for just a handful of information, but for those who really want to tote some details, exterior drives would be the solution to go.

While the prevailing process for generalized linear bandit could be applied to our trouble, the superior computational cost can make it impractical for true-earth programs. To deal with this obstacle, we produce an economical on the internet Discovering algorithm by exploiting individual constructions of the observation model. Specifically, we adopt on the web Newton stage to estimate the unidentified parameter and derive a tight self esteem location depending on the exponential concavity of your logistic reduction. Our Investigation shows which the proposed algorithm achieves a regret certain of $O(dsqrt T )$, which matches the optimal result of stochastic linear bandits.

Abstract This get the job done concentrates on dynamic regret of on the internet convex optimization that compares the performance of on-line Finding out into a clairvoyant who understands the sequence of reduction functions beforehand and consequently selects the minimizer of the loss purpose at Just about every action. By assuming that the clairvoyant moves gradually (i.e., the minimizers adjust slowly), we present numerous enhanced variation-dependent upper bounds on the dynamic regret under the accurate and noisy gradient comments, that are it best in light of your offered reduce bounds. The true secret to our analysis should be to investigate a regularity metric that measures the temporal improvements while in the clairvoyant’s minimizers, to which we refer as route variation. First of all, we current a standard reduced certain concerning The trail variation, and then demonstrate that less than full check here data or gradient opinions we are able to reach an exceptional dynamic regret. Next, we existing a decrease certain with noisy gradient feed-back after which you can clearly show that we can accomplish optimum dynamic regrets under a stochastic gradient comments and two-level bandit opinions.

The best Side of Bag Making Machine

Product-Free Imitation Studying with Policy Optimization Jonathan Ho Stanford, Jayesh Gupta Stanford College, Stefano Ermon Paper

Any time you listen to popping start off, go ahead and take handles and shake back and forth to maintain the kernels distributed evenly. Once the popping slows, switch off the heat and take away the lid. Hey presto - snowy kernels! Salt or drizzle actual butter on top.

The adjustable gusseting depth, along with the gusset-nipping roller and photocell capabilities, correct gusset depth and specific sealing position is often obtained without film slip issue.

Bottom sealing zone: The film is sealed transversely In this particular zone. As a result to avoid extend in sealed spot is definitely the primary want. With the Center pulling stand and micro area offset through dancing roller control program preserving the minimum stress.

Not too long ago introduced Risk-free screening lets us to establish a Section of non-active functions/samples. To this point, Protected screening has actually been separately examined possibly for function screening or for sample screening. Within this paper, we introduce a whole new solution for safely screening functions and samples simultaneously by alternatively iterating function and sample screening techniques. A substantial benefit of looking at them concurrently as opposed to individually is that they Use a synergy effect from the sense that the outcome of your previous Risk-free function screening may be exploited for enhancing the subsequent Safe and sound sample screening performances, and vice-versa. We to start with theoretically investigate the synergy impact, and afterwards illustrate the practical advantage by intense numerical experiments for issues with massive numbers of functions and samples.

2nd, we get an successful randomized inside position system with an effectively computable universal barrier for any convex established described by a membership oracle. Beforehand, efficiently computable limitations ended up recognised just for certain convex sets. Preconditioning Kernel Matrices Kurt Cutajar EURECOM, Michael Osborne , John Cunningham Columbia University, Maurizio Filippone EURECOMPaper

We propose a whole new algorithmic framework for counterfactual inference which brings jointly ideas from area adaptation and representation Mastering.

You may use these as florist cloth to keepeds out of the backyard,just Reduce hte baggage open and lay it down and set mulch on prime maintain the weeds off. You may want to poke some holes to Permit inside the drinking water.Simply a considered.

Abstract We look at the greatest probability parameter estimation issue for your generalized Thurstone decision product, where by decisions are from comparison sets of two or even more objects. We provide limited characterizations in the signify square mistake, together with needed and sufficient situations for correct classification when Every product belongs to 1 of two classes. These success present insights into how the estimation precision depends on the selection of the generalized Thurstone alternative model plus the structure of comparison sets. We notice that for a priori impartial buildings of comparisons, e.g., when comparison sets are drawn independently and uniformly at random, the volume of observations essential to realize a prescribed estimation accuracy relies on the selection of a generalized Thurstone choice design. For a broad list of generalized Thurstone decision styles, which incorporates all well-known occasions Utilized in observe, the estimation mistake is shown to be mostly insensitive towards the cardinality of comparison sets. On the other hand, we located that there exist generalized Thurstone preference types for which the estimation error decreases considerably faster Together with the cardinality of comparison sets.

On the other hand, a lot of fascinating challenges involve optimizing several, high-priced To guage objectives concurrently, and relatively tiny analysis has tackled this setting from a Bayesian

We Establish upon random function approximations of Gaussian process covariance capabilities and clearly show that, on modest-scale single-task complications, our solutions can achieve related effectiveness as the initial algorithms while acquiring considerably less computational cost. We also Appraise our methods at a bigger scale on MNIST and over a seismic inversion and that is inherently a multi-undertaking difficulty.

We exhibit that assuming that the measurements obey a normal restricted isometry read more home, our algorithm converges to the unfamiliar matrix at a geometric charge. In the situation of Gaussian measurements, this sort of convergence takes place for your n1 × n2 matrix of rank r when the quantity of measurements exceeds a constant times (n1 + n2)r.

Side sealing zone: The film is sealed longitudinally In this particular zone. And the tension is modified because of the rear pulling stand which pushed by servo motor and micro area offset via dancing roller Regulate system.

Latest is effective have shown that the cross validation estimator—and that is negatively biased—outperforms the maximum estimator in lots of sequential selection-making situations.

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Stunning Weston Home in a Premier Address
MA 02493
Offered at $2,835,000
Lease Rate $0/month

Situated in Kings Grant Neighborhood.This visually magnificent home is surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden& set back against the tree lined street which provides privacy and tranquility.High ceilings & beautiful millwork set the tone for impressive living space. The French country kitchen is luxurious & customized with granite countertops & top of the line Viking & Subzero appliances. The dining nook is beautifully lit through skylights with natural sunlight. A stunning formal dining room &secluded office with custom shelving & lovely views of the landscaped garden. A spacious family room is presented impressively through floor to ceiling windows & glass French doors that lead to the blue stone patio. Finely detailed and elegant staircase leads up to the 5 bedrooms on the second floor & an additional bedroom on the 1st floor. The generous master suite is completed w/ luxurious master bath.Finished lower level w/ wine cellar, bar, recreation room & French doors leads to patio

Julie Harrison (617) 413-6332 Phone: (617) 413-6332

Status: Active
Type: Residential
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 6.5
Living Area: 8643 Square. Ft.
Lot Size: 1.38 Acres
MLS Number: 72079870
The accuracy of all information, regardless of source, including but not limited to square footages and lot sizes, is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified through personal inspection and/or with the appropriate professionals. The information at this site is provided solely for informational purposes and does not constitute an offer to sell, rent, or advertise real estate outside the state in which the owner of the site is licensed. The owner is not making any warranties or representations concerning any of these properties including their availability. Information at this site is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified.

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Saturday, July 10, 2010

the simple beauty of the Hemi racing engine in a slingshot dragster

This is the kind of wallpaper I like, I make it myself and know it's what I'm going to use it for when I took these photos

A vintage slingshot dragster for cacklefests and the coolest brake knob idea

Before and after, always amazing

North Park annual Cops and Rodders car show

I've never seen this on the trailer, it sure makes it look small

The whole side of the park had restored Police cars... great display, and I once got to take photos of the place they restore them

I don't recall seeing the center head light before, it's oval shape... unusual
San Diego SWAT vehicle... made me realize San Diego has a swat team, I didn't know we did
1969 bus

Twisted Minds bike club, that's Mike in the black jacket
why do this to a vette? yes, it's an ugly 70's vette, but looks even worse as a 4x4

Both the black cars are Dodges

this is the first time I've seen this Shriners truck

It's a 4 dr... and I didn't realize that til I walked around it

these guys are good!


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Saturday, July 09, 2011

1954 VW-Porsche Escher Kleinbahn Prototyp

vw / porsche engine A 1954 VW-Porsche Escher Kleinbahn Prototyp in Hamburg. These Were Little trains built from 1954 to 1971 and were used in parks and botanical gardens. It pulled three cars which had space for 90 passengers. Its not a accident that the design of the locomotive looks like a cross between the legendary TEE train and the Porsche 356. This locomotive was powered by a VW industrial engine and was the prototype of the VW-Porsche trains.
Found on

Street car in a trolley barn 1932

The car is sitting on a transfer table. Transfer tables were used to switch cars using a much smaller space than a traditional yard with turnouts.

taking the pretty girl for a ride, 1911. She is a airplane passenger pioneer

her name and the circumstances at

notice they don't have seatbelts, but her dress is carefully tied around her legs so her ankles will remain demurely out of sight. The look on their faces is terrrific

the origin of the soapbox derby; Kirkman's Borax Soap. derbycars are now streamliners of the gravity powered race cars...

yes, these aren't ready for the races yet, but step one is getting the boxes, step two is the wheels
Found on

100 years ago, this was the comfort best in tour busses. They look like overstuffed couches on wheels  for the original with comments, like, the license plates are sequential

found on

looks like a 1972 Dodge Charger

The aristocrat of medium priced cars, the Hudson sharing a dealership showroom with a Peerless

 1909 Hudson Model 20 Roadster with some test drive dirt under the fenders

 This company was the Michigan distributor for Peerless, Pope, Hartford and Hudson Automobiles. from

Friday, July 08, 2011

street scene of Detroit in 1910, with touring cars, a street car equipped with a people catcher, and a 1910 Hudson Model 20 touring car taxi parallel parking

Clipped from one corner of

A sunday drive in the Adirondacks in 1909 on a Franklin

the ride must have been rough before paved roads, but this road does look like it has been graded, and maybe recently... looks very loose, or maybe just really sandy. Those seats on the car appear to be as plush as leather couches
Found on

is this a tire patch? Or a protection of a weak spot in the tire?

found in the lower left corner of a photo on Shorpy and in the comments, one person optimistically asks if it is a Patented Herniated Tire Belt

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Looking into the past, the Cameraist - James Powell's incredible project

Richard asked in the comments how the addresses were found for the old photos, in order to find the current location to do these cool double images... Jason replied in the comments that the landmarks are fairly well known to him, as he has lived in DC a long time. I want to add to that this info, the photos are from, and it's a great website I've browsed for years and reposted many images here, and in the numerous comments after each photo that Shorpy posts you can usually find the address, and the cross street, and more trivia about the items in the photos.

Found on via

Voo Doo Kapu has a fine reproduction of Von Dutch's rabbit

found on

New photo of the Hemi Honker

found on

Motor Mania, the Disney cartoon of how Goofy has a reckless-dangerous alter ego when driving

Found on

Donald Duck was a hot rodder:

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

The California Shaker

I think the pinstriping design is great, but the humor of painting on a keyhole is terrific

Scalloped Pontiac

No doors needed when it looks this good

Terrific boxcar toybox by David and Bernise Shiller furnituremakers, I love it

Found in the book, Treasure Chests, which is great! The Studley tool chest is in that book, and so are steamer chests, military footlockers, tool chests, travelers trunks, and even such historically cool things like George Washingtons footlocker, Thomas Jeffersons portable writing desk, and most incredible: maybe the only surviving Boston Tea Party tea chest from China

If anyone knows of any other woodwork from David and Bernise, please let me know where to find it on the internet, because Google came up with nothing at all

effing cool toothy grin on this rail

found in this months Traditional Rod and Kustom Illustrated, one of the best magazines. Found in a lot of magazine racks.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

More cool stuff from

all from but beware that it's changed a bit from being primarily race cars and hot rods, there are lots of nude women, lingerie, etc etc. Yup, that's awesome, but don't let your boss sneak up on you to see what you are surfing the web looking at


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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Meal Fit For Growing Boys

With the weather on the cooler side and not quite where the temperatures were last week, I have resorted to using my trusty crockpot A LOT.   I love how easy it is - dump in ingredients and ignore for several hours (after turning it on first).  I love it.  I thought I would try a meatloaf in the crockpot.  Though I was a little leery at first to try such a feat, it turned out awe-mazingly well.  I served this with homemade bread, corn and scalloped potatoes.

Comfort Meat Loaf
adapted from: Fix It & Forget It Recipes For Entertaining

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup bread crumbs (I used leftover Italian Herb Bread Crumbs)
2 T onion, diced
1 t salt
1 T minced garlic
1 1/2 pound ground beef

2 cups brown gravy
3/4 cup diced mushrooms

Combine everything except for gravy and mushrooms.  Place in well-greased crockpot.  Cover and cook on low for 5.5 hours.  Then put in diced mushrooms and gravy.  Cook on high for about 1 hour.

The scalloped potatoes were to die for also.

Tyler Florence's Scalloped Potato Gratin
adapted from:

1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
2 -3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
2 pounds (about 7) Yukon Gold / Yellow Potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (I used my mandoline)
1 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan (NOT the stuff in the green jars)

Place cream and garlic in a small saucepan - heat on low with you peel and slice potatoes . Grease a 9x13 pan well.  Preheat oven to 375. Layer part of potatoes in pan (overlap slightly).  Pour on a little cream; sprinkle with Parmesan. Repeat until all ingredients are gone (about 3-4 times total.)  Bake for about 45 minutes.  Turn heat up to 425 just to brown the top (if not browned already) for about 10-15 minutes.

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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

And I Will NEVER Buy The Store Stuff Again

Ever since I tried Costco's dip, I could not get enough.  Though I have never personally bought it, I think I have eaten half the jar when it is spread out on an appetizer spread.  Recently when I was searching for snacks for my husband's super bowl party I ran across this dip. So good.  I think I like this one a bit better than Costco's and so EASY to make too.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
adapted from:

1 (10oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped and drained
1 cup sour cream (I did not have quite enough so I added the remaining as mayo)
4 garlic cloves, minced
4oz cream cheese, softened (I used the veggie lover flavored cream cheese)
4oz (1 cup) shredded Mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese (the fresh stuff)
1/3 cup chopped onions (omitted because of time and used that veggie cream cheese)
1/2 t pepper (omitted)
1/4 t salt (omitted)

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl combine all ingredients (mixer worked really well here). Transfer to a greased 8x8 pan.  Bake for 20-25minutes until cheese is melted.  Serve with your favorite dipables (chips, crackers, veggies, etc).

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Wonderful Cheesy Goodness (& Chicken)

I was experimenting in the kitchen recently and came up with a delicious recipe.  I love it when my experiments work.  This recipe requires very little new ingredients (just used the leftovers that we had lingering on hand)...I love that.

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Broccoli, Cauliflower & Cheese

2 smallish chicken breasts, skinless & boneless (cut in half in such a way that there is a small pocket)
1 pkg broccoli & cauliflower with cheese sauce,  cooked (I used one of those steam bags)
1 T leftover cheese dip (salsa con queso)
1 T milk
1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese
1 envelope shake and bake

Heat milk and cheese dip in microwave until just warm (about 25 seconds .  Stuff chicken breasts broccoli/cauliflower mixture.  Dip in cheese dip/milk.  Roll around in shake and bake until well coated.  Place in a greased oven-safe pan.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 15.  Serve over hot rice.  Our chicken was very moist and delicious.

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Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Swatch Me - Ole

Hey hey hey

So this is an oldie I saw and decided to put on. It's a local brand so you local gals should know what I'm talking about.

This is Arista in Ole (not sure where they got the name).

As you can see it's a really vibrant sort of gold colour at least in the light. It also has a bronze look which is why I think I never really wore it, but now I really like it.

Do you like these types of colours?
I don't have much to say today so please enjoy your Tuesday which seems to be dragging.

  1. Oh I cant remember the last time I used gold polish! wonderful

    1. i find myself wearing it alot lately


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Wednesday, 4 May 2011

The "Sounds" of Early Morning......Far From Being "Peaceful"

The first sound, after just getting back to sleep at 4:00 am, to fall upon my ears was of Lexus' demands to be let out at 5:30 am..  Most mornings this wouldn't bother me, but like this morning, I could have used a "little" bit more sleep.  Got up I did, to "drag" myself downstairs, to the sounds of very loud Puppy demands......oh my, I couldn't get outside fast enough with Lexus and Bandit at that point, as they were very very very "loud" demands, and my poor tired brain, still full of cobwebs, just couldn't handle their "demands" quite yet.

Awwww....out into the peaceful gray morning light of dawn.  NOT !!!  As I stood waiting for Lexus and Bandit to have their morning "jaunt", a neighbour's dog from afar was "loudly" making his morning demands, cows were "mooing", some pretty loud "gobbles" were coming from a stand of trees where Wild Turkeys were making themselves known, and the mixture of birds "chirping" away, which normally sound so pleasant were far from seemingly in "tune" to my ears.

On bringing Lexus and Bandit back into the house, to the letting of Lexus in with her "demanding" brood of "Magnificent Seven", not really too "magnificent" to my ears at this moment, until finally when their Mom went in with them......then the "suckling" noises of seven little pups.  Upon my ascend up the stairs to then hear the "blasting" of Mother's TV in her room with the door wide open ......... her in the kitchen getting coffee.

At long last, or it did seem a very long time to get to this point so far this morning, I sit with the door closed "tight" with a cup of coffee; trying to rid myself of those "sounds of early morning" that almost sent me over the edge before I had a chance to have my first cup of coffee !!!!  Awwwwe.....close my eyes, take a long draw of caffeine and "breath" deeply........much better !  LOL, wow what a way to start a morning !

Now I can get on with the "task" at hand.

I managed to get the "new" Strawberry & Cream Muffin recipe that cousin, Paula Masterson, had posted on Facebook's, Cindy's Recipe Exchange, whipped together and baked before the arrival of my friend, Reenie, at around tenish yesterday morning.  I doubled the recipe which then yielded 21 medium sized muffins:

Double the recipe:

Yield ~ 21 Fresh Baked Medium Sized Muffins:

Strawberries & Cream Mini Muffins

1 cup strawberries, slightly under-ripe, diced into quarter-inch pieces
1 squeeze of lemon juice
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tsp powdered sugar (I didn't use)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 24 cup mini muffin tin with paper baking cups.(I made 12 large muffins).
2. Put diced strawberries into a bowl, spritz lemon juice on them and stir gently to combine.
3. In a medium-size bowl, stir together flour, sugar and baking powder.
4. In a small bowl, beat together oil, sour cream, vanilla and egg. Pour mixture over dry ingredients, stirring to combine with a wooden spoon. Fold in strawberries.
5. Divide batter evenly among the paper cups in the mini-muffin tin. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Place tin on a wire rack and leave for 5 minutes. Take out the muffins and continue cooling them in the paper cups on the wire rack. When muffins are completely cool, place the powdered sugar in a small sieve.

Shake sieve lightly to dust the muffins with sugar. Serve & Enjoy!!!!

....and enjoy we did !!!  Once Reenie arrived I then had my "new" Guinea Pig in my clutches and was fully prepared to try these fresh baked muffins out on her.  I am pleased to report , as well as show you, as anyone could tell by the glint in her eye,that she enjoyed them as much as I !!!

Oops....she hadn't tried them yet when I took this picture, so my "word" will have to be good

Thanks for the recipe Paula !!!

Reenie and I had such a "fun" visit catching up on only a "little" bit in the couple of hours we spent together yesterday.  If we were to catch up on everything since our "last" visit with each other, we would need at least a "week" of least !!!  Thanks again, Reenie, for the "Friendship" stone you gifted me (anyone that knows me can't go wrong with something for my "garden"):

....a "lovely" garden stone that will look just as lovely in one of my flower beds.

After my visit with Reenie came to an end, it was back to the reality of cleanup and puppy feedings, then the preparation of supper rolled around once again.....  I made one of our favorites for last night's supper, "Weiner Schnitzel" along with boiled potatoes and steamed cauliflower.

"Ike" my "Kitchen Cat" doing the final presentation:

After supper, I had to call our son "Paul" to tell him I had made one of his favorite would be a toss up for him if I ever gave him the choice between a "schnitzel" or a "venison" dinner.  I suppose it is a good thing we don't live closer, or he would be over here having supper quite frequently I am sure.

I love "How To" videos.  Here is a "link" to a very good video of "How to Prepare & Cook Weiner Schnitzel":

My schnitzel certainly doesn't look as nice and golden brown at the guy's schnitzel, in the video, does.  Must be the "poor" quality of frying pan I  I ensure you mine tasted very good, or Rob would not have ate "two large pieces".

After supper was over with, cleaned up, puppies attended to, a "couple" of phone calls received and made, I finally got to put my feet up to watch my "new" favorite TV show, "The Voice" which had it's second airing last night from 9:00 until 11:00 pm..

Let's see what the Wiarton Airport has in store, weather wise, for my day ahead:

Sunny with cloudy periods. Wind becoming north 20 km/h this afternoon. High 11. UV index 6 or high.

Cloudy periods. Becoming clear near midnight. Low zero.

I can't believe my eyes !!!  There is actually no "rain" mentioned at all in today's forecast !!!  Wow, how wonderful is that ????

Now that the "cobwebs" have been partially cleared away from my brain, I think I will drag myself back out into the kitchen for another cup of Java and to capture a "little" more sanity, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard".

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How nice of you to drop around to have a wee visit with me to see what I have been up to from time to time. I look forward to your comments as they add much brightness to my each and every day to know there are such wonderful people out there.

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Just The Sports: Welcome Back, Peter

Just The Sports

Monday, July 24, 2006

Welcome Back, Peter

Peter King is finally back from vacation and ready to put his idiocy back on display for myself and the world to enjoy. The odd thing is I actually agreed with a few of the points he made during his article so either King got smarter during his month-long vacation or I have gotten dumber. However, there is one thing that Peter King thinks that demonstrates that even if he has gotten smarter, there are still vestiges of idiocy left in him.

7. I think it's insane that the Vikings haven't given Brad Johnson a bump up from his $1.2 million deal. Teams with legitimate playoff hopes don't let a Super Bowl-winning quarterback play for the lowest veteran starting salary. Pony up, Zygi.

That is reason number one why no one should ever hire Peter King as their general manager. The Vikings should do everything in their power to avoid giving a raise to Brad Johnson. Professional sports franchises are not around to play players what the players think they are worth; if they did that, they would find themselves hemorrhaging cash. Instead, a smart franchise will get as much production per dollar out of their players as possible and the Vikings have a good shot of maximizing their dollar by paying Johnson the veteran starting salary.

Also, Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl so King's reasoning behind the suggested pay raise is suspect at the least.

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Friday, November 30, 2012

Some Trailers - Umbra

I talked with Andrew about what he thinks still needs to be done for Umbra and we came up with a surprisingly long list. One of the things on the list was some trailers for a semi truck. I decided to tackle these and I completed the basic models of them. I have a tanker, box, and flatbed trailer done. After I get them all unwrapped and such I can go through and make variants on them to add a little diversity to them in-game.

Anyway, here they are:

Some of the other things I'll probably be working on are highway signs, business signs, and a water fountain, among other things as we need them.

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Club Program Ideas: What Makes Multi-Two Contesting Different?

PA148711061135 In this series on Club Program ideas, I’m providing possible programs for clubs to use in their meetings. You can find a full explanation of the approach in Club Programs – The Series.

Today’s program idea: Compare Multi-Two contesting to single operator contesting.

Contesting is a great way to test our stations in a defined time frame. Yet, having a multi-two contesting station is quite different than a single operator station. There is different strategy and teamwork now comes into play. Describing these differences will bring members into a different world then most have seen in the past.

Here are possible subjects to present:

  • Station equipment requirements
  • Station antenna requirements
  • Interstation interference needs
  • Working with teams
  • Scheduled operating times
  • Passing multipliers
  • Dividing the work

Bonus program suggestion: requirements for a competitive multi-multi station.

Scot, K9JY


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22 August 2013 @ 04:30 pm
Life Update
In the never-ending series of breakdowns that has been life lately, my father-in-law is now back in the hospital, hot on the heels of Anissa's back being badly sprained. Only this round of FIL emergency has included head trauma from three falls in the last eighteen hours. He also isn't responding to simple instructions. I'm scared, guys, really and truly scared. There's been a lot lately that been very, very upsetting to me, just one RL things after another, but I don't want to make it sound like it's 'oh, woe is Lois'. That's about half the reason personal posting has been so slow around here. It's been hard, really hard, but I know everyone else's lives are difficult, so I keep my mouth shut. Also doesn't help that my own personal computer is out of commission right now [posting from Anissa's; she and the MIL are heading over with him].

But this time I kinda need a favor. Any good vibes you have lying around or prayers that you feel like sending would be incredible. I don't know where this round is going to end, but I could use the wishes. I love you guys. I'm sorry I haven't been around so much, but why rain on everyone else's parade?

saavikam77: Clark Tearssaavikam77 on August 23rd, 2013 12:06 am (UTC)
Oh, honey. *hugs you all super tight*

I wish I had some good ju-ju to send your way, but things here have gone to absolute crap. We lost the transmission on our car on the way home this evening and had to get the girl I work for to give us a lift. Bah.

*snuggles in and commiserates*

I really do hope things start to look up for you guys soon. Love you both so much.
Lois: Clois :: Don't Give Upkalalanekent on August 29th, 2013 02:15 pm (UTC)
I'm hoping things have evened out over there a little, especially with the car. It seems like, lately, the crazy is contagious. Can't just be one thing, oh no. Has to be five things at once.

Anissa's back is back to normal, thank God, but the FIL is still in the ICU. Should be there until at least next Monday and then we're going to be sending him to rehab for a few weeks because he's so damn weak. He was before, but after dodging death this time, we're determined that he's going to have a better quality of life, whether he likes it or not. We're in and out of the house between that and work.

Work is...work. That place is just constantly changing, some things that are just nonsensical are going on, and he's culling again. Just before seasonal. Gonna be another crazy Christmas, thankfully without me running FE, though.

We love you, too. As soon as I can have a life again, I promise to call. There just truly hasn't been time. It's about to be fall again, so I wanna start slamming through LaOH again because I'm ready for R&B. Seriously. I really think of them in Fall now. God, Fall. I can't wait for it to get here, too.
saavikam77: Clois Flightsaavikam77 on August 29th, 2013 02:55 pm (UTC)
*snugs you all super tight*

Things are doing better here. We got the car back last night, and so far so good (despite the mild drama surrounding whether or not there was actually anything wrong with the transmission *rolls eyes*). B's mom is back out of the hospital for the second time, and is doing a lot better. And B is in school and working hard. :p

Sending you some good thoughts and lots of hugs; we've totally been there with B's mom in the ICU and in rehab (2 summers ago she was in rehab for a month), so I feel your pain.

Just try to take it easy and not overdo things while life gets back to normal, and we'll talk when we talk. No rush.

Also, yes, fall needs to get here now! XD

*super smishes*

Love you guys!!
januaried: reeveverse :: superman :: forever in my januaried on August 28th, 2013 06:16 am (UTC)
Shit. :( This is late, but I really hope he and Anissa are okay. You know you guys are always in my thoughts with fingers crossed. Love you. <3
Lois: Clois :: Cute Cuddlekalalanekent on August 28th, 2013 02:03 pm (UTC)
They're getting there. And I'm still using Anissa's comp when I can. I'm hoping to be back to you by Friday, if we can get the issues worked out. I miss you so much. Everything is just craziness and work, with a little writing on the side this week.

Anissa's back is better, but Tom's still in the ICU and we expect him to be in the hospital and then rehab for a while. I'm going to do another Life Update tomorrow, as soon as we see him tonight. He's coming along, but slowly.

I love you! Wait for me!
januaried: reeveverse :: superman :: forever in my januaried on August 28th, 2013 04:04 pm (UTC)
Great; I'll still keep my fingers crossed just in case.

I've missed you so much! Lots to tell you (including an interview today *quietly hyperventilates*). I love you! Hang in there and I'll check back on Friday. <3
Lois: Clois :: Film Grain Lovekalalanekent on August 29th, 2013 03:02 pm (UTC)
INTERVIEW?!?! *tackles*

I can't wait to get caught up. I never expected it would take this long to get things back in order. Just seems like one thing after another. I'm just relieved to get back to writing after three weeks of nothing. I thought I was gonna go crazy.

januaried: reeveverse :: superman :: forever in my januaried on August 29th, 2013 07:37 pm (UTC)
Yeah, I can imagine! My poor baby. *hugs*

Um, the interview was a total failure. It was for U of Michigan Law Library, and I completely forgot about the time difference, so I missed them entirely. But I didn't particularly want to move far away anyway (unless it's to the FL area!) so oh well.

Talk to you soon hopefully! <3


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Browsing Category

Moments, Things I Hope My Kids Will Read One Day, Travel

A moment in India I’ll never forget.

April 4, 2017

When my son was very young, say four or five years old, I told him that one of the greatest gifts a person could ever receive was the chance to say I love you too. “Because if you get to say, I love you too it means that someone else said, I love you, first.” After that, he would often follow up his “I love you too’s” with “Hey, Mommy, I win!”

When I wrote this he was much older, a much taller than me, deep-voiced, hulking, athletic teen — with a girlfriend, friends, team mates, school, video games, interests, etc. You know, a life of his own and with a lot of childhood things left behind.

Then one day, a few years ago, my husband and I were traveling in India and something about standing alone, amongst the many, in the din of this Indian street corner caused me to miss the few — my children. Finally, I managed to get enough signal to send a text home so; I sent my son an “I love you” text. A few minutes later I got an “I love you too” response and then, a second later, a second text that said, “Hey, Mom, I win!”

I lost my breath, and my heart fluttered…he remembered. I let him think he won but in that brief moment, I had my five-year-old boy looking up at me and holding my hand (as we crossed a busy street) and telling me…he loved me too.

Hey, Son…I win.

Black and White, Featured, Travel

The edits I make are how I get you to sense me in my images.

April 3, 2017

For me, editing an image is personal, no matter how much (or how little) is involved I hope to do it in a way that makes you understand how I felt in that moment. More than anything else, I want you to feel it.

“We ate well and cheaply and we drank well and cheaply and we slept well and warm together and loved each other.” – Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Nice, France.

Featured, Moments, Nature, Things I Hope My Kids Will Read One Day, Travel

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions but in the spirit of the hour I can always remind myself of these things…

March 31, 2017

If you want to do something to improve your happiness this year work everyday to be less judgmental.

If you have the chance to lift someone up — take it.

When things get difficult find a way to laugh.

Celebrate your wins and celebrate with your friends when they win.

People will mess up — forgive them.

You will mess up — forgive yourself.

When someone is speaking to you listen and listen well.

Everyone you know is more special than you know — treat them that way and watch the world change.

Time doesn’t stand still but sometimes we should.

I wish you genuine moments in the coming year — moments that will fill you with such joy, peace or happiness that they get placed securely in your hearts and minds forever.

Happy New Year everyone! 🌟


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Monday, May 13, 2013

Hobbs Batting - On Sale at Connecting Threads

Just a note to let you know that Hobbs Batting is on sale for 30% off through June 17, 2013 at Connecting Threads.   If you want to try it out, now is a good time to do it.

I have used the 80/20 cotton/poly and have had good success with it.  The price is right for charity quilts if you make them.

Check it out!

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All positive comments and constructive suggestions are welcome and appreciated! Happy Kwilting!


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Democracy Is a Crowded Thing

March 1, 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , ,

This week, attending a town hall meeting with my congressional representative, I was lucky to get a chair. Others stood, filling the banquet hall of a country restaurant despite the fact that we’d had less than 24 hours’ notice and it was mid-morning on a weekday. I thought of other representatives’ recent town hall meetings so well attended that many people never got inside the doors. So I was glad to be where I was, sitting there shoulder to shoulder with over 100 others. And as we waited for the meeting to begin, I thought of recent marches and rallies, standing and walking with thousands of others – in one case, 100,000 others – and  I am grateful that people are showing up. As the chant goes, “This is what democracy looks like.”

But what is also true, for me personally, is that I prefer not to be in crowds and crowded spaces. I treasure my solitude and my silence and time shared with just a handful of others. I sometimes experience a kind of spiritual claustrophobia when packed into place with large numbers of people and many loud voices; or as a friend noted yesterday, even opening one’s email can bring on that feeling when finding an inbox flooded with so many messages from so many sources begging us to make so many calls and so many contributions. The crowded rallies can be enough to make even the front lawn of the state capitol seem too small; and a crowded inbox can cause even a wide open day to feel like it’s lost all breathing room.

So you might understand why I smiled when recently listening to Buddhist monk Pema Chödrön speaking about the condition of a crowded heart and mind. She was talking about the way our inner space gets packed in with opinions and thoughts, with judgments and their big cousins, blame and bias, and she compared it to a room crowded with so many people they can’t move they’re jammed in together so tightly. Then she said, remember, when the people leave the room, the space is still there. It always was there, she said. The first step to uncovering spaciousness, in a room or in our hearts and minds, is to see that the spaciousness is always there, even when it’s full. It’s what makes the fullness possible. And the way to uncover it, claims Chödrön, is to take a friendly attitude toward the crowd that fills it.

What a useful reminder. Not just in making peace with my crowded heart and mind, as Chödrön was advising. But also in bringing an inner spaciousness to the crowded gatherings in which we are frequently practicing democracy today. For, even though I know democracy is a crowded thing requiring that we cluster and convene, especially across our differences; it also requires a friendly spaciousness of heart and mind that makes civil exchanges possible, even in a crowded room. This is what democracy looks like. This is what it means—making room for many perspectives and ideas and for a respectful and creative exchange between them that will result in something new. True democracy not only involves crowded gatherings, but also the underlying spaciousness that makes them possible. It requires clearing space for the crowd and also for new voices, new conversations, new understandings and for a growing appreciation of the common good.

In one of my favorite books, The Open Space of Democracy, published in 2003 and even more relevant today than it was then, author Terry Tempest Williams wrote, “democracy is best practiced through its construction, not its completion—a never-ending project where the windows and doors remain open, a reminder to never close ourselves off to the sensory impulses of eyes and ears alert toward justice.”

The next time I’m in a crowded room, or marching elbow to elbow in a crowded rally, or viewing my crowded inbox or noticing my crowded heart and mind, I am going to remember the spaciousness that is always there too. And I will try to uncover it by opening a door or window, knowing that the ones closest to my reach will always be the doors and windows in my own heart. Perhaps, if I can cultivate a spaciousness within, I might bring to democracy’s crowded gatherings not only another voice and body but also the necessary breathing room that open hearts and minds can clear and share—a bit of open space for democracy to grow in.

What practices do you keep that open a space for democracy not only around you but within?

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Thursday, August 20, 2015

Are You Getting Excited For Maryellen?

American Girl posted this on photo of Maryellen on their Facebook page and I was so excited to see it. I have tried really hard not to look at leaked images of the line and I have not shared any leaked photos on my blog or on social media because I really don't like spoiling the surprise. I was so happy to see this though. My mom was born in the mid 50's and I remember seeing photos of my Grandparents home from when she was growing up and this image brought me back!
I am looking forward to seeing more of her collection when it is released, I can not wait to see the PJ's she seems to be wearing and the matching girl ones!
What are you most excited for?
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave us a comment here or email us here at

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Friday, 16 June 2017

Copper Jug

Hi!  This week at Just Add Ink we have a photo inspiration for you and fair to say, I did a literal translation for my card:

The jug was embossed with Rose Gold EP and then die-cut.  The flowers were all stamped in grays with a touch of yellow and the brick wall behind the jug was sponged in gray inks as well.  The brick wall panel was cut narrower than a card front and then popped up on foam tape onto a Soft Stone top folding card.  I then added a white embossed sentiment on Slate cardstock before adding the jug and flowers.

And here is the inspiration photo for you.  Is it not gorgeous?

No automatic alt text available.

Thanks for visiting!  The design team have some gorgeous inspiration for you so head on over and check them out.

I'm going to link this up to the Anything Goes theme at The Flower Challenge.

Products used:

Stamps:  Sweet Havana (Mama Elephant), KIS: Just Because (PTI)
Ink:  Smoke, Fog, Dusty Sage, Evergreeen, Stone, Lemon Zing (SSS), Versamark
Cardstock:  White, Slate (SSS)
Dies:  Sweet Havana (Mama Elephant)
Accessories:  Rose Gold EP (SSS), White EP, English Brick Wall Stencil (MFT)

I Card Everyone said...

Karren, this is an all-time favorite set ... you've created a beautiful copper jug!!! Wonderful card - literally!

Cara said...

Beautiful card, love the texture on the jug, just yummy x

Leslie Miller said...

How beautiful! The photo and your card are both very inspiring. Copper and brick -- two favorites! Karren, thank you for stopping by my blog. I really appreciate your comment, and now I'm acquainted with a challenge I've not seen before!

Viv said...

Aww Karren, so lovely to see a card from you over at 'The Flower Challenge'. Such a pretty card it is too,just love that sweet little jug of flowers. Don't be a stranger ;) hugs Viv xx

Barb Ghig said...

Gorgeous card, Karren! Your copper jug is so elegant and I love your soft color palette! Love your English Brick Wall stencil,'s perfect with your design!

Tina said...

This is so pretty! I love how soft and gentle your card feels.

Karen Davis said...

Such a fabulous take on the challenge image Karren. I bet the embossed jug has a lovely sheen to it. I love the soft brick background too.

Jan said...

Wow, Karren, there are so many details I love about this card! Your rose gold jug is stunning and such a perfect take on the photo and the shading in your brick wall background is mesmerising too. Totally love this card! xx

Nikki Spencer said...

Beautifully done as always Karren. Loving that rose gold jug and background stenciling...Very clean and elegant. xx

Linda Callahan said...

Total work of art! Love it!

Narelle Farrugia said...

Absolutely perfect take on the pic! I love everything about this card!

Kelly Kent said...

I love literal - and I also love that the stamps you own allowed you to copy this so beautifully!! Kelly x


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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Royal chauffeur suspended after alleged palace security breach

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A royal chauffeur was suspended Sunday after he allegedly allowed undercover reporters from a British tabloid to enter Buckingham Palace in exchange for cash. Mazher Mahmood, of the London-based News of the World, claimed he was allowed to enter the London residence of Queen Elizabeth II without security checks after paying a man identified as a Buckingham chauffeur £1,000 ($1,591). Footage of the incident filmed undercover showed the chauffeur giving Mahmood, whose face was blurred, a tour of the royal garage and, at one point, allowing him to sit in one of the vehicles.
Buckingham Palace has experienced a number of high-profile security lapses in the past. In 2003 an investigation was launched after "comedy terrorist" Aaron Barschak gatecrashed Prince William's 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle, PA reported, wearing a dress, beard and sunglasses, Barschak climbed on stage as the prince addressed the crowd, and kissed him on both cheeks. That same year, a journalist with the Daily Mirror newspaper spent two months "working undercover" as a palace footman.

Editor Rozek’s Note:…I think that the palace needs a “Beware of Dog” sign on the front lawn. Here’s how I imagined it happening:

Cross-dressing bearded man: I’m sitting here today at the Queen’s dressing table. We have secretly replaced the Queen's MAC line of compressed foundation with Folgers crystals. Let’s see what happens.

The Queen:
(as she walks out of the bathroom in a towel- she gasps as she sees the man sitting at the dressing table) Schnikies! Alas what are you doing here?

Cross-dressing bearded man: (pause- then pointing to her towel) Oh that’s simply darling love! I love the lace around the edge.

The Queen: (dropping her towel all distracted by the towel flattery) Yes. My great, great Grandmother Victoria made it while she was mourning her first cousin/ husband Albert. It has been passed down as the royal towel since her death in 1901. It is lovely isn’t it?

Cross-dressing bearded man: Yes. Quite... Oops… I think you dropped something. Ooh…wait…Oh! Nope, my bad…It appears that gravity has dropped that. Sorry.

The Queen: (scooping the towel back up to cover her) How did you get in here?

Cross-dressing bearded man: …uh… I didn’t?...I mean…I’m a figment of your imagination?...um…no…OK… You got me! I paid your Chauffeur and he just let me right in.

The Queen: Oh dear! That is quite troublesome! You must hurry along now lad! I need to let someone know to prevent this from happening again. That boy is in trouble. The last chap he allowed in here posed as a palace “footman” and he knew absolutely nothing about shoes!... Out now! Out!

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Thursday, October 11, 2012

100 Books #95 - Chris F. Holm's THE WRONG GOODBYE

Stop me if you've heard this one. Boy meets corpse. Boy tries to harvest soul from corpse. Boy finds out that someone else already took it. Boy is in big, big trouble. There is no girl. Nor is there a spoon.

It's not even been two months since I read and enjoyed the first book in Chris F. Holm's Collector series, Dead Harvest, so the fact that I was eager to return to it says something, either about what else I've been reading (*cough* too much Dark Tower) or about how much I liked that first book, or both.

Let's say "both."

The Wrong Goodbye is not merely another adventure for our beleaguered soul-collector, Sam, though it would seem like such at first as he slogs through rain-washed jungles of Columbia to gather up the mean, mean soul of one Varela, drug kingpin, power broker and all around bad guy. But then the problem kicks in, and it's a doozy: someone else got there first. Someone who left behind the nastiest crime scene, maybe ever (especially if you don't like insects*). Someone who absconded with Varela's soul and carved a "hey buddy, we have to talk" message to Sam into Varela's corpse.

Before we know it, Sam, victim of a bait-and-switch, is traipsing all over the U.S. in the company of a dead low-level mobster who has been shoehorned into the fat old body of "the sausage king of Chicago" (wink wink) hunting down the guy who stole the soul and left the message. Along the way, we learn a bit more of Sam's incredible backstory, but where in Dead Harvest it was all about how he got to be a Collector, in The Wrong Goodbye the backstory focus is on his early Collecting days, during which he broke a lot of really important rules. Which is to say that even before the near-apocalyptic events of the first book, Sam has been on a lot of supernatural radars, none of them friendly.

Sam and his mobster-cum-sausage king** encounter quite a lot of genuine horror in this book, all of it dealt with extremely effectively. An extended scene exploring a decrepit sanitarium in the New Mexico desert evokes shades of every nightmare you've ever had, and every horror game you've ever had to play with the lights on (Fatal Frame, I'm looking at you) -- while, get this, simultaneously making the reader feel sorry for the demons hanging out there. It's all very complicated and I don't want to spoil it but man, it's a bravura performance Holm has done, there, and worth the price of the book alone.

But wait, there's more! Like two dead guys who are animating two other dead guys' bodies having an argument over whether one is to be allowed to smoke indoors. Giant evil mega-demons quoting The Big Lebowski. A weird carjacking of a vehicle so beautiful even a non gearhead like me can appreciate it. An action-packed final third that riffs on and builds from the action-packed final third of Dead Harvest and turns it all up to eleven -- until comes a twist ending that, even if you did see it coming, is a pretty satisfying payoff.

And through it all, we have Sam, still trying, despite his damned and undead status, to be a decent guy, to do the right thing, to keep the world from being completely destroyed. Again. Because he's Sam, a guy who went into perdition out of pure and selfless love, and who, yes, is bitter about it, but has not given up the struggle to stay good even so. I heart Sam, I really do.

All of this makes for very good, page-turning fiction. One might think she knows where all of this is heading, but one might be wrong. Or not. Either way, very enjoyable.

And yes, there is obviously going to be at least one more Collector book, to which part of me says, jeeze, how many times can one guy save the world, but to which the rest of me says, hey, Sam's a lot more likeable than Buffy...

*And speaking of insects, if you have a phobia about them, this book is going to scare you silly. There are swarms of giant, angry insects -- The Deliverants, who accept and pass collected souls along to Hell -- dogging Sam's every step through this one. They want their two dollars, you guys. A lot.

**Coo, that sounds a bit naughty, doesn't it?

  1. I totally LOLed at "They want their two dollars, you guys. A lot." That is the BEST DESCRIPTION of them.

    I kind of hate it when your reviews outshine mine. You know that, right? Jerk.

    1. I could say the same to you, jerk.

      Hey, when we're dead, we can fight over who gets Sam. So that's something to look forward to!

Sorry about the CAPTCHA, guys, but without it I was getting 4-5 comment spams an hour.


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Friday, 16 August 2013

Trapped and Slipping- Who is really winning here?

My mood has been drip, drip, dripping recently. A gradual slide towards this morning's crowning glory as I stepped on the scales- A gain of 1kg. Tears. Panic. Disgust. Injustice (I had not had my fortisip for the past two days so WHY has it leapt up??)

I think my biggest fear is loneliness. Pretty confident in saying that is my biggest fear. Consequently I am very sensitive when it comes to thinking and talking about friends and socialising. I am constantly scared that I am going to lose them because of the way I behave. I need them. Without them I'd kill myself because having friends and relationships is my only way of measuring my own worth, or just my existence at all. I don't have many friends. I don't have the lose sort of network of 'casual' friends a lot of people my age do. Generally my little bunch of friends are my best friends and anyone else I talk to who is not them I class as an acquaintance.

I beg you not to think I am being dismissive or ungrateful or anything like that. How many times have I heard 'it is quality not quantity' and generally people telling me they'd kill for 4 great friends instead of lots of superficial ones. And I swear to you I would not give up the ones I have for anything, ANYTHING.Thing is, the people who quote the 'quality not quantity' probably have never been in the situation of only having those small group of best friends so have no real idea what it feels like. I'm sure to them it's not all that terrible and I should just buck up. But it stings. And these past few weeks have been a chain of angry wasps and I'm getting very sore.

Now, I severely doubt there is anyone out there with an ED (or many other MH issues) who hasn't been told (or asked themselves) who is in control- them or the illness? The inevitable reaction ensues; sufferer bows head, sighs and admits it is the illness controlling them. We are used to the idea of every decision having to be vetoed by your ED, very much aware that most choices are alter motivated. You no longer are excusing yourself from a social situation early to go and clean a genuinely messy house- you are now bowing to anorexia and leaving because food is going to be involved and your thinness may be at stake and that is the most important thing right now. YES! I am not denying that happens all the frikking time.

However, I have a dilemma. After having a MH issue for a long time you will usually have been in cycles of therapy and now are incapable of thinking anything without analysing it- digging through the 'hot thought' tracing the 'chain' to the 'result/behaviour' -I know that is the case with me. I wouldn't have so much of a problem with this if I could be sure that my analysis's were correct. But I'm not. I don't have a spell check on my brain and I don't have a window for someone else to peer in and check for me. If I was suddenly endowed with mind reading abilities I wouldn't zoom off to read anyone else's mind- I'd be straight there with a mirror trying to find out what the hell was really going off in my own brain!

Because I am hyper aware of any declines in my social life I have been horrified to find I have ended up cancelling two things with friends this week. One I kind of have an excuse for- last time we met I was really upset by her attitude to me. She shocked me with her harshness and lack of empathy. I left her feeling genuinely hurt and it's still bothering me now. Also it would involve food and if I don't eat what she deems appropriate we will have a repeat of last time and given my feeble emotional state at the moment I chose not to put myself in danger. It wouldn't hurt but I know she can be such great company. We make each other laugh and we've been friends for years. I don't WANT to lose her. Everyone who knows about me cancelling her agrees with my reasons but I am also worried I'd still have be tempted to cancel even all that shit aside.

Anyway, The other friend- I was supposed to be staying at her's tomorrow, the night and then a bit of sunday. I was worrying so much about this the closer it came. Other people keep telling me it is not my weakness so much but my awareness that I will probably end up restricting (definitely no fortisips) because in these situations I have to err on the side of caution and usually this results in big restriction- and this is really not a great idea when I'm still on a sticky wicket it the ED team about my weight. Luckily she understands me fantastically. Of course she is probably pissed off, and has every right to tell me (she hasn't) but instead she didn't have a go just suggested we meet up in the day and rearrange the sleep over.

The reason I am so stressed is because when things like this happen to me it is never just 'a bad week', or 'bad couple of weeks'- no, it is 'ohmygoddd this is the start of the slope towards the bottom. rock bottom'. I think most people who have had depression will empathise in the sense that you no longer have 'bad days' that are written off when the sun goes down, no instead you automatically freak and think it is the depression returning.

CONFUSION! I am so upset and confused because for the first time in my life I am increasing my intake at home- technically taking control, doing things that do not please anorexia, and yet I feel more trapped than every by anorexia. In my head I am still not 'choosing' recovery- I'm 'choosing' not to get sent in to hospital- does this still count as taking charge?

I feel like I am finally being honest with everyone- metaphorically standing on the roof tops shouting 'I am doing this because I hate myself and anorexia is in control and I don't care about my life' and everyone looks up and shouts back 'No! don't be silly! You are doing this because you want to live!' In other words I feel I've finally come clean but people don't want to hear it. That makes me feel even lonelier.

I've started new medication- Venlafaxine. Got it yesterday, and the first thing I check is if it is harmful in overdose. You will be pleased to know it isn't. That thought made me sick. My disregard for my family, my almost childish irresponsibility and more than anything living with this person who is so sure life is no better than death and is forever tempting me with ways to find out... In punishment I'm suffering rather grimbo side effects.

I hope tomorrow is better. In my honest anorexic, black little heart I just hope the number goes back down. I hope people will forgive me and love me even though I've done nothing to deserve it.

What a Jolly old Bean I am today!

  1. I care about you Katie and I am sure your friends love you no matter what... I know I just want you to be happy... believe me, I know that is not easy but attainable to a certain degree :-/

  2. I hate how our eating disorder kills your social life and ruins your relationship with so many people :(
    I also have only a few people whom I can call 'real friends', and I am always living in fear that I might lose them too. I would be lost without my family and friends... but sometimes my eating disorder becomes too strong that it takes over everything, and suddenly it just seems like everything else doesn't matter - even the ones I love...
    Just wanna tell you Katie, that you are a lovely person, and like Launna said, there are people who care about you (like us :) ). Please feel better xx and be strong! <3 xoxo


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Thursday, January 14, 2010

The Whorient

Here we go. This is the inauguration of an ongoing series of blog posts discussing the ideas, arguments, conundrums, etc. of my proposed but ultimately uncompleted Plan II thesis.

Thank you. First, a procedural detail. All of the blog entries dealing with this topic will be conveniently labeled with the tag "(porn)" so you can easily search for them in the sidebar. If you read them from oldest to newest, a line of argumentation might even manifest. No promises of coherency.

Without further ado about nothing...

Let's start at the beginning and address the topic itself. Now stick with me because I know it may seem a little absurd at first. My proposed (and mind you, approved) thesis would explore the representations of Asian women in porn literature. Not all Asian women, actually, because that scope would have been too broad. I planned to focus on East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands (e.g. the Philippines) because, well, that's who American men like to talk about fucking even if they can't keep all the details straight about what signifier belongs to which collected signified.

The academic legwork consisted of two parts. First, an analysis of the literature about porn, both the anti-porn and the sex-positive / pro-porn camps. Second, an attempt to "color in" the blindness of the critique of porn through an interpolation of the works of black feminist such as Elizabeth Spelman and post-colonial authors including Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, and Rajeswari Sunder Rajan. The final third of the thesis would apply these elements in a bricolage "methodolgy" for examining actual porn texts involving Asian women.

My argument boiled down to this: the anti-porn critcisms were incomplete and inadequate when applied to women of color. They treated race / ethnicity / cultural difference like, as Spelman described it, merely an "ampersand" to the primary category of woman. This "woman plus" analysis failed to adequately capture the unique forms of oppression spawned at the intersections of race and gender. What's intended to get you off about an Asian woman in porn isn't that she's a woman primarily who also "happens to be" Asian; her Asian-ness and female-ness are intertwined in a unique identity whose representation differs not marginally but fundamentally from the representations of other (white) women. The attending signifiers of "Asian" aren't merely accessories to "spice up" the ordinariness / blandness / repetitiveness / scripted structure of the typical porn narrative. They are intended to evoke specific sets of ideologies about the woman or women who are its sexual objects.

One of the first questions posed to me after people stop looking at me like I'm a perv is why I chose to read dirty stories instead of look at dirty pictures or watch dirty movies. Like all good answers, mine is three-fold:

1) I didn't go through a film crit or art /photo crit program as an undergraduate. Interpreting pics or movies seemed to require a critical language which I didn't possess and couldn't rapidly acquire in a short period of time. On the other hand, as a philosophy major interested in social theory, adopting that already-at-hand framework of critical text analysis seemed a lot easier. Also, text seem to "state" what they mean in a much more straight-forward way than unpacking the visual vocabulary of pics or movies.

2) My goal was to examine the representations of Asian women in porn. The problem with pics and movies is that, well, they involve actual Asian women at the level of their production. Although the reality of women's lives involved in porn is an important issue, I didn't want my thesis sidetracked by whether most or every woman involved in porn is abused and unhappy (as some in the anti-porn allege) or if most porn workers are happy, well-adjusted individuals from backgrounds not involving sexual abuse who are capable of forming healthy relationships (as sex-positive women such as Nina Hartley claim).

By working with written narratives, I managed to side-step the controversy of women's bodies at the level of production and focus instead on the representation of those bodies in the act.

3) It's a lot easier and cheaper to cut excerpts from a written story and insert them into your written thesis as evidence than it is to provide pictures or stills from a movie. Text also looks less like you're a naughty boy trying to pass off looking at naked women as rigorous academic work.

As time passed and I read more, I found I had more problems with the anti-porn feminist critique of porn than just its color-blindness. Several re-reads of Michel Foucault's seminal work The History of Sexuality, Vol 1: An Introduction, Rachel Maines' history of the pathologizing of female sexual pleasure and its medical treatment, and an extended meditation on the subject of my authorial position vis-a-vis the topic of female represenation yielded a position that was critical of porn's representations of racial-gendered bodies and the Freudian / Lacanian theory of masculine displacement embodied in anti-porn literature.

To be continued...

In the next installment I will try to start presenting the anti-porn position and my critique of the Freudian / Lacanian theory relied upon by its proponents such as Andrea Dworkin, Susan Griffin, et al.

The Good, the Bad, and the Mind-blowing

The good:

The Dirty Projectors released their 7" Ascending Melody for free via download this week. 20 people who download it will also be randomly selected to receive the vinyl. These tracks were laid down during the Bitte Orca sessions but didn't make the final cut.

The bad:

Pat Robertson is a horse's ass. The man can't help but insert his foot into his mouth whenever he flaps his lips to speak about tragedy. It's like he's got steel toes and a magnet in his palate. This week the radical evangelical cleric blamed the earthquake in Haiti on an apocryphal pact supposedly entered into over 200 years ago with Satan in a voodoo ceremony, freeing the island of French control in return for 200 years of servitude to the prince of darkness. He is referencing the Boukman ceremony that Dutty Boukman is alleged to have held at Bois Caiman in 1791 which sparked the revolt that culminated in Haiti's independence, (By the way, said lease would have expired in 1991, Pat.) Fault lines have nothing to do with it, just God grinding an axe with women, children, and men wholly unresponsible for an act that happened long before they were born and many scholars doubt even really took place. Congratulations 700 Club, it only took you 14 days to prove you're still a bunch of jerks in 2010.

Robertson is well known for his laughable predictions that always, always, always turn out false. The man's clearly not a prophet. Maybe God's telling you to shut your trap, Pat. Obviously embarrassment and chagrin should've had stilled your cruel tongue long ago. WWJD? I'm pretty sure he'd cancel the 700 Club.

Not one to let the jerk spotlight shine anywhere but on his jerk-itude, right-wing propagandha meister and blatant racist (remembe he got canned for declaring Donovan McNabb a no-talent hack bolstered by affirmative action) Rush Limbaugh described Haiti as a "made to order" disaster for Obama. He said the relief effort would be used to "burnish" the Obama image among the "light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country." What, you mean not waiting and watching people drown and "loot" and suffer after a major natural disaster before you send in the emergency relief workers might be a popular move? Who'da thunk it? Well...

You know what? I think people of all colors worldwide are applauding Obama's no-hesitation response to the tragedy in Haiti. The viral efforts to raise money through twitter and facebook have been outstanding. But you know what jolly ol' Dittohead says about giving to charity? DON'T. He encouraged his listeners not to contribute a dime to relief efforts in Haiti because American "tax dollars" fully fund our relief efforts.

Gotta hand it to you, Limbaugh. I didn't think anybody could be more insensitive about the Haitian earthquake than Pat Robertson but you took the cake. So much so that professional conservative meanie Pat Buchanan, no big fan of all things liberal and progressive, publicy chastised your comments as "cynical" and "insensitive." When Buchanan calls you out for being heartless, you know you're a stone-cold bastard.

The Mind-blowing:

A couple of U.K. scientists sent out about 4,000 surveys to British women age 22-83 (average age 55) and got back about 1,800 responses concerning their self-reported sexual experiences. Upon analysing the women's answer to the question if they believe they have "the" g spot and report of achieveing orgasm through intercourse, these scientists declared the g spot a "myth" in the pages of the Journal of Sexual Medicine this month.

Setting aside the methodoligal problems (surveys versus anatomical analysis? really?), I've got to applaud this team for continuing unabatedly and enthusiastically the 2000+ year tradition of murky (male) science which obscures, covers up, distorts, stigmatizes and pathologizes female sexual pleasure and female desire. Pick up Rachel Maines' The Technology of Orgasm: "Hysteria," the Vibrator, and Women's Sexual Satisfaction for an excellent history of this tradition.

Here's my take away. Ultrasounds, heat imaging scans, "hands on" lab tests (that's a joke; really, read the Maines' book) can only reveal so much about female sexuality with their scientific and anatomy-centric approaches. The question we as a soceity should ask ourselves is why do we care if there's "really" a g spot or not? What difference does it make? If you or a lover can press a spot one-third of the way up the front of your vaginal wall and induce cataclysmic, volcanic, earth-shattering, mind-blowing, leg-shaking, sheet-shredding, screaming-at-the-top-of-your-lungs pleasure, does it really matter whether a bunch of research scientists in a London lab think there's a unique anatomical structure to which this "response" can be reduced? I think the answer is pretty clear. And if you're not built with an ecstasy button in said place, does that mean the g spot is just a myth? Who really cares? I think Petra Boynton's advice is particularly salient on this topic.

But for women, how much does it matter whether the G-spot exists? While I’m usually keen to advocate that we follow what science has to tell us, in this case the presence or absence of a G-spot has caused confusion and anxiety, and perhaps we might be better served by exploring what feels good.

It’s generally accepted that some women enjoy vaginal stimulation by finger, penis, or sex toy. Just as it’s understood that some women are turned on by clitoral, anal, breast, or other stimulation. We’re often encouraged by women’s magazines and self-help markets to focus on specific areas (G-spots, clitoris, or anal penetration), so we miss the excitement that can be experienced from exploring the whole body and combinations of erogenous zones—for example, enjoying vaginal penetration alongside clitoral stimulation. Rather than arguing over G-spots, perhaps the best thing science can responsibly do is remind women to explore all opportunities for pleasure.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Youth In Revolt

O Michael Cera. You play the same awkward, lovesick nerd in every movie and yet you still somehow manage to keep it fresh. Youth In Revolt (based on the novels of C. D. Payne) isn't a fantastic movie but it is quite fun and entertaining. Like previous Cera big screen forays, Miguel Arteta's Youth In Revolt wears its indie rock hipster cred firmly on the sleeve of its vintage t-shirt with ironic iron-on decal.

Nerdy teenager Nick Twisp longs to lose his virginity but all the signifiers of his hipper than hip tastes (Fellini films, Frank Sinatra records, vintage shirts and too short pants) keep tripping him up with the girls from his Oakland high school. When his mother's (Designing Women's Jean Smart) current live-in boyfriend Jerry (Zach Galifianakis) crosses a trio of sailors with a shady used car deal, the family packs it up to stay in a conservative Christian trailer park in Ukiah until things blow over. Here Nick meets the flirtatious, bright and pretty francophile Sheeni Saunders (played by newcomer Portia Doubleday) whose tastes and knowledge of film and music rival his own. Unsurprisingly, Nick falls madly in lust and love.

The hitch comes when Jerry, with Estelle Twisp, Nick, and a dilapidated trailer in tow, returns to Oakland. The two young lovers plot their reunion through a series of what-if's: Nick's unemployed, sex-addicted, status-loving father George (Steve Buscemi) gets a job in Ukiah and Nick somehow manages to convince his mom Estelle, who depends on the child support to eat, to let him live with George. "You have to be bad," Sheeni counsels Nick. And so is born Francois Dillinger.

Nick's supplemental personality Francois, a hybrid of Sheeni's avowed longing for a bad boy French lover and Nick's own distorted vision of what the cool guy should be, provides Cera a novel angle from which to showcase his stammer-y, rabbit-in-the-headlights chops. Francois (complete with bad boy moustache) encourages Nick to do all kinds of things, from blowing up downtown Berkeley to uttering such ridiculous lines as "I want to tickle your belly button... from the inside," in an escalating bid to finally bed Sheeni.

Youth in Revolt is helped out immensely by a strong, funny supporting cast. The aforementioned Jean Smart, Steve Buscemi, and Zach Galifianakis are all amusingly repulsive as the flawed adults in Nick's life. Ray Liotta is menacing and grotesque as Officer Lance Wescott, Estelle's new live-in boyfriend after he consoles her upon delivering news of Jerry's death by heart attack and then never leaves. The one truly supportive adult presence in Nick's life is Mr. Ferguson played spot-on by veteran funny guy Fred Willard. His rescue of Nick and Vijay (Adhir Kalyan, last seen by yours truly playing assistant Timmy to David Spade on the unfunny CBS sit-com Rules of Engagement) after a 200 mile road trip to see Sheeni at boarding school, resulting in Vijay getting some from Sheeni's avowedly loose roommate and Nick stopped just short of finally getting the tip in with the aid of Francois' smooth talk, is a truly knee slapping, laugh out loud moment. Justin Long also induces a few laughs as Sheeni's older brother Paul, a cool guy drug user with oracular powers who helps Nick while stealing George's comely young girlfriend (Ari Graynor).

As I said before, Youth In Revolt traffics in all the same conceits we've grown accustom to in a Michael Cera film. The soundtrack is crowded with indie and hipster-approved tracks, the wardrobes were obtained by laboriously scouring through vintage re-sale shops, and the youth deliver lines full of adult spunk and wit. Unlike say Juno, which suffered from wise beyond her years cracks from Ellen Page seeming at times forced, Youth In Revolt is inspired by Nick's love of Italian masterpieces by Fellini et al and Sheeni's devotion to French cinema and Belmondo. The dialogue is steeped in important, deep, and passionate thoughts as imagined by hormonal, lower-middle class teens who turn their noses up at anything made after 1977.

Youth In Revolt is charming and quirky if familiar territory. But there's a reason you keep that old ugly sweater and ask mom to make her meatloaf every time you go home. Michael Cera has carved out a niche as a character actor playing the same nervous, mumbly, lovelorn underdog. I loved him on Arrested Development and you can be sure I'll see Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Fans of the genre will surely be pleased. We're not seeing anything new from Michael Cera ('cept the 'stache) but, then again, there's nothing necessarily wrong with that.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Who the f**k is Pinback?

Greetings! This blog is addressed to all of you who use Pandora. Have you been blitzed in the last week or so by Pinback tracks on your indie rock stations? They have turned up in heavy rotation on 3 of my stations (the xx, the pains of being pure at heart, the temper trap). I haven't thumbs up'd any track because they aren't godawful but leave me more or less meh. I'm curious if Pandora is staging a micro-marketing campaign to hype these guys ahead of their announced forthcoming album due in 2010 on Temporary Residence Ltd.

I'm not exactly sure I would be opposed to such targeting at this point. However, I am getting a little annoyed with the frequency with which these guys are popping up in my rotations. I'm tempted to hit thumbs down next time just to get some relief. A Pinback track has come around every 4 to 5 songs it seems.

So let me know surfers! Are you experiencing a Pinback forcefeed? Do you know if Pandora inks these kinds of promotion deals with record labels? It would be something awful if Pandora became just another Clear Channel chasing revenue in the name of profitability and at the expense of listeners.

I am not shilling for either Pinback or Temporary Residence Ltd. Or Pandora for that matter.