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52 Ways to Show I Love You: Having Fun Together

Source: Anthranias/Pixabay

We arrived at the South County Trail early on a mild July morning, before families and serious athletes cluttered up the bike path. The humidity had broken, the sky was cloudless, and we knew that sharing this Sunday morning’s outing would set us both up for the day. It would be fun. Sharing fun always reminds us of the reasons why we had managed to put our lives together more than twenty years ago, in spite of an ocean separating us physically and other challenges of our complicated lives.  Our entire two-year courtship included many moments of fun together, and we have made it a point to find fun as we and our lives have evolved.

A high level of positive feelings, in an ideal ratio of 5 to 1 positive over negative ones, is the cornerstone of happy long-term marriages, according to the research of Gottman and his colleagues.  “Having fun” is one of our richest sources of positive affect, although certainly not the only one. Each of the many ways of “having fun together” listed below could be a blog post of its own (and likely will be one day), but now I want to examine the big picture. Another post-to-come will address the importance to our relationships of being able to have fun without the loved one, whether because he or she is unavailable, not interested, or does not get the same kick out of or nourishment from the activity that you receive from it.

What are some ways in which people have “fun” together?

  • Sex As Rosanne Freak-Poli and her colleagues have shown, couples who embrace romantic love find sex a source of fun and good feelings well into their later years. Personalized to the tastes of the participants, sex jolts the brain into a dopamine high. With oxytocin for good measure, the positive feelings linger beyond the act itself. Indeed, when sex is no longer fun, barring a medical or other clear reason for the shift, couples do well to examine why. If there is a good reason, as Freak-Poli points out, “physical tenderness” can be a reasonable substitute.
  • Spending money. Summer weekends may see more people at stores than swimming pools. Shopping, the second great adult privilege, along with sex, can indeed be “fun”. You get to earn money — and you get to spend it! Doing it with someone you love can be a great source of pleasure as long as you are on the same page about when, where and what won’t cause damage to your resources.
  • Learning. A personal favorite, learning together can be the source of infinite “fun”. As examples, my husband and I have taken a Yale Alumni course on Appreciating Opera Live in HD, used the internet to discover the local bike path system, and begun to master Windows 10.
  • Games and puzzles. Monopoly, Scrabble and bridge may now exist in electronic forms that can be played alone or with unknown others, but most of us still enjoy the combination of chance and competition that playing games or solving puzzles in a face-to-face collaboration can offer.
  • Creating. Inhibitions slip away as people become immersed in creating something new together. Creating can be fun, sensory experiences associated with creating can bring pleasure, and the utility of an end product — perhaps a meal, an enhanced living space, a song — brings additional rewards. Making something new or transforming something old is fun. There are reasons that craft stores are thriving and hardware stores are nicknamed “toy stores for grownups”.
  • Food. One of life’s necessities can also be one of its greatest sources of fun.  Whether planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables, seeing what’s new at the market, trying an appealing recipe, putting together an old one, or selecting a restaurant with the perfect menu, price range and ambiance, food can be a source of fun.
  • Movement. All people have some sort of movement that represents fun for them. Whether walking, dancing or running; swimming or sailing; or any of the many ways in which we can move, getting our often too-sedentary bodies in gear can become fun. Attitude and physical capacity make the difference between drudgery and delight.

  • Entertainment. Whatever your favorite medium, entertainment opportunities abound in modern culture. We can watch a hilarious comedy routine on our screens or seek out a favorite musical group appearing near our home. We can view television, movies, stage shows, or Cirque du Soleil. We can take ourselves to baseball, tennis or hockey matches, or to the races. We can find our local middle school play as much fun as a Broadway musical.
  • Performing together. A notch more active than consuming, we can choose to perform for fun. Join a band. Make scenery for the community theater play.  Give a talk rather than going to one. Find complementary roles to fill for the same performance activity.
  • Competing. Many people find competition fun, playing on the same side as their loved one or on the other side. Whether on the golf course or at the bridge table, matching skills or wits against another (or others) can be a source of pleasure and satisfaction, although individual differences make competition one person’s cup of tea and another person’s nightmare. Disagreement about the pleasure of competition can create an obstacle to be dealt with if the objective is to have fun together — but it can be addressed. For example, my husband likes to track his speed and mileage on his bike and better his latest performance. While he competes against himself I attend to the squirrels crossing the path and the feel of the wind in my hair.
  • Being still. Some people find stillness their ultimate “fun”, the pleasure of watching the mind as it quiets and contorts, bringing fascination and peace.  Others flee from quiet, a distraction from their way of achieving a meditative state by finding “flow” in activities. But for me, along with my husband, visiting meditation centers has offered us one of the most reliably “fun” experiences across the past two decades. Although our meditation practices are unique, sharing the activity itself at the same time in the same place yields a particular joy, even when we are practicing in silence.
  • Relating and socializing as a couple can be fun. Some people find being with others fun, while those of a more introverted bent find it challenging. Know the size of your perfect party and the spacing of engagements, so that you can both enjoy them together.
  • Contributing to others. Yet another source of “fun” that can be pursued with someone you love is making a difference in the lives of others. Volunteering actions that improve the world in some way can be a great source of fun for people who value what they can bring to the world. Serve a holiday dinner at a community center, work at a pet shelter, sign up for “A Day of Service”, read to young children whose kindergartens are overcrowded. I constantly meet couples who volunteer together for the American Red Cross. Possibilities are endless.

How can having fun together show love?

  • Each person defines “fun” uniquely and recognizing that uniqueness forces two people to transcend their differences. Wanting to understand a partner’s experience acknowledges individuality, along with a desire to find common ground. It encourages the development of a process for decision-making affecting a most precious resource, our “free” time.
  • People need both separate and shared fun time. Wants and perhaps needs that cannot be met within a dyad are acknowledged and addressed, while the value of “fun” is embraced and attempts to find ways to share it become a priority.
  • Coordination and synchronization are necessary. In today’s complex world, time often needs to be earmarked if not for a particular activity, then at least for time to be together. Two people (or more) need to define what feels like fun to each of them and then honor the natural intersections of experiences they both consider fun. We can explore possible crossovers in the same shared experience or activity so that each finds his or her own form of fun, learning from each other, expanding our repertoires of ways to have fun.

Why does fun show love?

  • Positive affect is the glue that keeps us coming back for more.
  • Understanding individual differences — both in preference and in motivation — signals respect.  Acknowledging what we can bring to each other deepens appreciation.

How did you define “fun” when you were a child?  A teenager?  A young adult?  The age you are now?  How does your partner define “fun”?  What do you do to have fun together?  What would you like to do less of — or more of — with him or her?  How can you have conversations that help you get on the same page about what you want to enjoy in your lives?

Copyright 1917 Roni Beth Tower

Visit me at http://ift.tt/2gQkOaI

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2009-06-10 / Front Page

County Backs Down

Peekskill Hollow Road project scaled back
by Eric Gross

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2016 graduates review – Minji Kim

In Middlesex University BA graduation show, there are one collection really catches Criminal Girl mind, this is Minji Kim’s collection. Mnji Kim is a Korean based fashion design student, and her graduation collection is a 3D liked Pablo Ruiz Picasso pieces. The nice mixture of textile including dark denim with sequence and plastisol shiny fabric, these make the Picasso’s pieces become a modern 2016 version. The oversized silhouette is a good choice to make the collection become commercial pieces, Criminal Girl hope to see it being selling in different famous online shop.

When Criminal Girl meets Minji Kim’s graduation collection:

Criminal Girl meets Minji Kim collection

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FSN Quepeaz Style…Got J.Speed?

Posted: March 4, 2012 in I.A. Hip Hop
Tags: , , , ,

What do these things have in common?

Talib Kweli, Mechanical Engineer, Half Baked and The Weird Only Child Show. Well they are all things that Justin Speed has as Favorites on his Face Book profile. He is a Charlotte NC native and is known as J Speed in the hip hop music business. This young man demonstrates that he CAN and WILL make it in the music business. So much talent wrapped in this package. Here is just one of his videos that he has on his you tube channel JSPCircuit;s Channel. Be sure to add J Speed to your playlist.

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Monday, 6 February 2012

Self Publishing Children’s Picture Books for POD

Self publishing children’s picture books mean understanding word formatting and image software. But that isn’t all, the page design, bleed settings and the colour of the page background will need consideration. It may seem complicated, but taking picture book production one step at a time is the key to getting your children’s book looking good prior to publication.

How to Create a Children’s Picture Book for Print

CreateSpace and Lulu are two of the biggest print on demand platforms for the self-published writer. Print on demand (or POD) means you do not have to fish out lots of money to bulk-print books to sell, as your books are printed only when a customer places an order. The publisher takes a cut, leaving the rest to you, so there is nothing to lose. This article concentrates on producing children’s picture books on Createspace.

The Best Size Format for Kid’s Books

Createspace has an array of trim sizes for different book formats. Picture books for the very young can be found at around 10x8” in size; baby books can be much smaller. The choice is up to you, but taking a look in the library to find children’s books most like yours and emulating a book format you like might be a good start. You can upload book templates (with margins and font settings ready prepared) from Createspace, or you can use the template as a guide and create your own settings. The general rule of thumb is, the larger the book, the larger the margins need to be to preserve some visual balance. The average margin settings are around 2.5cm for the outer margins, and 0.33cm for the gutter (binding edge).

Full Bleed or No Bleed for Print

Text should not extend into the outer 2.5cm of each page. More often than not, the book will contain no elements that extend into this outer margin. In such cases, use ‘no bleed’ when uploading your picture book onto Createspace.

If however, if you want images or other visual element to ‘float’ to the edges of your pages for design purposes, then you will need to select ‘full bleed’ when uploading your picture book onto Createspace. The question of full bleed or no bleed is a little complex, so I have covered this issue in a separate article.

Great Illustrations for Kid’s Books

A children’s book more often than not contains drawings, pastels, watercolours or oil painting

Formatting Pictures
s within. I prefer to scan the artwork (if the size allows) and saving them on Pictures. Set the scanner to at least 300DPI, or the images will look pixilated in print. If you do not have a scanner, use the highest resolution setting on your camera and shoot under bright, natural daylight (not artificial light or flash). Watch out for false light settings if your illustrations are on white paper, or the camera will automatically compensate and close the aperture up. I will take a light reading from a mid-toned object (like grey card) placed next to the painting and use that. Take care not to use wide angle lenses or your illustration will appear distorted. Zoom in a little, but not more than 4X or the image will be cropped and the image will be pixilated.

Place the painting/illustration against a stable easel (or the floor) and shoot perpendicular to it. If any of your illustrations need to occupy a double page in your picture book, as in a centerfold, take two pictures of your illustration: one for the left page, one for the right. Ensure the centre line is accurately calculated.

More about taking optimum photographs for book publishing can be found on my other article on improving image quality for pub books.

The Best Fonts for Children’s Picture Books

There is an array of fonts you can use for children’s picture books, some are scripty; others imply humour or informality. I like those that emulate handwriting, but take care the words are still decipherable to aid learning. Remember you can also change the colour of the font to complement the images.

Suggested font styles for children’s books might be: Bradley Hand ITC, Curlz, Kristen, Lucida Handwriting or Segoe Script.

Try out different sized fonts so that the text looks sufficiently bold for young readers. Blending images with text requires lots of experimentation and using the ‘print preview’ button. I have written a separate article on how to format images with text for print books, which might come in useful when producing your children’s book. Observe the point about inserting a dummy blank page at the beginning of your book, to see how facing pages will actually look when printed. This is crucial for getting an overall look of how images appear in context of one another or if an illustration crosses over a centerfold.

Page Colours for Children’s Books

You can also change the background colour of the book’s page. Click on ‘page layout’ on Word to find ‘page colour.’ Fine-tune the colour desired by clicking on ‘more colours.’ Pastels look good, as does punchy (but not too bright) colours.

Image Effects for Picture Books

With some simple image software or Word XP, you can create special effects to the images, by altering the outline shape of your illustrations, softening definitions or adding shadows. Captions can also be added if wished. PaintShop Pro has other effects such as ‘metallic, airbrush or sepia tones, which are worth tinkering with if you want to attain a particular effect with some of your illustrations.

Elementary Picture Book Production

Take note that most children’s picture books for the preschool reader are 32 pages long and around 1000 – 1500 words long. Add flair to your book by making the prematter as attractive as the main story, as the preliminary pages of your book will be the first thing a potential buyer will see when viewing the ‘look inside’ feature. Insert a graphic or sample illustration next to the copyright matter.

Tips for Writing Children’s Picture Books

Once you have uploaded your children’s book onto Createspace, order a proof copy. Issues otherwise invisible when viewing your book onscreen will suddenly become apparent. Solutions to problems that are likely to crop up are covered in the article links below.

Related Articles to Publishing illustrated Children’s Books

Beginner’s guide to using Createspace
Full colour bleed or no bleed when producing print books?
Formatting images with text for print books
Take great photographs
Create your own book cover

  1. Thank you for all the info. in your blog. Although I've been self publishing novels for a while this is my first attempt at children's books.

  2. Nice Blog...Thanks for sharing such informative posts..
    Printing made in china


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The White Stag/Hart and the Temptation of Adventure

The temptation of adventure and what following through with it means for the characters is one of my favorite themes in romance. In fact, it resonates with me so much that for quite some time I used a symbol of the call as the banner for this very blog.

cropped-white-stag.jpg Regal and mysterious, the white hart beckons for the protagonist to follow him into the unknown.

The white hart, or stag, is commonly found in fairy tales and legends as a magical figure representing what hides just beyond the world you know, if you’re brave enough to heed the call. The story goes, King Arthur was on a hunt when he and his knights witnessed the majestic creature, and decided its presence signified the time for a quest had come. In the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, a white stag is said to have the power to grant wishes to whomever is able to catch him. More recently, it can be argued that Harry Potter’s introduction to Patronuses was a callback to the idea of the ethereal, otherworldly white deer.

My full blog post on this theme

Many thanks to the wonderful RioGirl for my awesome banner. You can see more of her work here: RioGirl on DeviantArt

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Weekend Recap

House, house and more house…

The house highlights of this weekend include a 29 cu ft talking, hands-free fill fridge:

and a microwave drawer:

Appliances are all picked, and we started looking at furniture. After it became NOT FUN AT ALL, we called it a day.

We had some crazy storms all weekend long. The neighbors house got struck by lightening, not once, but twice. So much for lightening never strikes the same place twice. I was in Kroger when the first storm hit. Walked in with blue skies, went to leave facing a potential tornado. I was stuck. Not a bad place to be stuck…all the milk, eggs and bread a girl could need. The “rib sample” tent literally blew away. Trees were down everywhere. I was on the phone with hubs when the first bolt hit the neighbors. He said every hair on his body stood up. CRAZY. All is fine for us!

Saturday after some serious shopping we went to spend some quality time with the T family. Swimming with little ones is just the best! Followed by pizza and some of Mrs. T’s tres leche cake. I love when the girls make me pictures! I hang the in my cube at work…

Sunday involved breakfast at Dimples, hunting exterior paint and trim colors, and more furniture shopping, queue exhaustion. Top that with some TERRIBLE storms again last night and today I am one tired lady! TGIM?

One thought on “Weekend Recap

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Someone left my cats out in the rain

It’s been raining in these here parts of the woods for the last few days. Cold, icky, rainy rain. No, all rain is not “rainy”. But the rain we’re having right now is.

Last night, just before I headed up to bed, I let the dogs out for one last “go” before bed, as I always do. It was downright pouring. Being the coddled wimps they are, they weren’t much interested in getting out there. But I cajoled and maybe pushed a little to make them. Our newest dog, Dexter, is very much a Mama’s boy, and does not like to be out of my aura for very long, so I stepped outside with him. Yes, in the pouring rain. In my pajamas. I tried staying under the eaves as much as possible to stay dry, but as you might imagine, I was not very successful at this. After making them stay out there for a certain period of time (like, till I had had enough), we went in. I’m not sure any of them actually “did” anything.

So it was no surprise to me when at o’dark thirty Tessie, the dog with the most urgent colon in the neighborhood, started pacing in my bedroom. OK, so it was 6:00, but it was dark! And it was earlier than I like to wake up. I knew she needed to go out. So I took all the dogs downstairs with me at that ungodly hour. The cats appeared from their hiding spots and meowed up quite a ruckus to be fed (aside: I have never seen cats so damn hungry all the damn time!). It was not pouring, but it was precipitating – let’s call it a light rain.

Of course since I wanted to get back upstairs for a few more minutes of snooze time, all the dogs were taking their time in coming back in. I opened the slider to call to them, and Splash, our black cat, scooted out. Damn it! We’ve been keeping them inside, but even if I wanted them to go out, a rainy, dark morning is not when I would choose to initiate them. I figured, what with water falling from the sky and all, that he’d come dashing back in, but no. And you try finding a black cat in the dark! In fact, what happened next sealed my fate. When I opened the door again to call to the dogs, Everest, the grey cat, slipped out to join his bother. Double Damn it! (I might have said something a tad more off color.) So now I have all 3 dogs, plus my 2 indoor cats outside. In the rain. And it’s dark. And I can do only one thing.

I step outside. In my pajamas. In the rain. Barefoot. And I start calling and kissing to the cats as if there is nothing I’d rather be doing. The dogs were more than happy to respond to this – I put them in one by one and closed the door behind them. The cats were quite content to explore this new dark, wet world and it took a bit longer for them to come to me, but finally they did.

I was officially awake for the day.

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rising early…

In Uncategorized on June 23, 2008 by rajeev kumar Tagged: ,

after lots of tries and misses I am back to my schedule of early morning jogging. I am already at optimum wieght levels and no matter what my lifestyle is I don’t lose or gain weight so I dont need to worry about weight . The fresh air, and the body mechanism after it , once you are regular with it you will always look forward to getting early next morning.

I have some preferences like I should start it early when it is just visible enough so that I can avoid harsh sun of bangalore. Though temparature is less here sun is more bright.There should not be any pollution either vehicular or dust. I live in outskirts of bangalore where there are no parks or such public places. And add to that the chaos of evergoing construction activities. The vehicles start earlier than me leaving the dusty trail so even if I rise early it was of no good. And hidden opening of BMIC road mean the traffic direction was reversed causing more traffic in the locality I live.

Finally I found the stretch of road inside my apartment complex which is just taking shape as construction activities are nearing completion. And hopefully I can continue with this habit.

Some tips based on my experience –

  • Wear correct footwear.
  • Choose route which is balanced on both sides of your body – Like if you are jogging one way on road and considering the roads are most of the times not perfectly 180 degrees, one side of your body will be at higher level than other side . If you do it for sufficiently long time than your body may get tilted. So include coming back on same road also in your schedule. Or if the track is circular – do both clockwise and anti clockwise.
  • And once you through with initial fatigue and pains listen to your body and dont compulsarily do it.
  • Take rest after 3-4 days.
  • Put different type of excercise in your weekly routine for a day so that muscles are used in a different way.

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Thursday, April 09, 2015

Secrecy, Blacklists and Whistleblowing

Charlotte Munro, public service whistleblower reinstated.  Nice to win sometimes.

MORE questions have been raised than are being answered in the run-up to this election, but whoever wins, we should not let them go away.  We're used to politicians telling us how much (of our)money they have thrown to the National Health Service, swearing how much they appreciate the service, and assuring us it is safe in their hands.

We're not supposed to look whose hands are in the till.   That's covered by secrecy, even though it is our business.

At the beginning of this year came the news that an £80 million contract to run cancer scans had been given to a private health firm with a Tory MP on their board, despite a rival NHS consortium allegedly offering to carry out the work for £7 million less.

The NHS Trust that runs Royal Stoke University Hospital in Staffordshire put together a consortium with other NHS hospitals to enter a “competitive bid” for a 10-year contract to run scans across Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Liverpool, and Lancashire. The scans, known as PET-CT, are mostly used for diagnosing and measuring cancers.

NHS England, the “head office” of the health service, rejected the bid and awarded the contract to Alliance Medical, a private health firm whose board members include former Tory cabinet minister and Kensington MP Malcolm Rifkind.

Ian Syme, coordinator of North Staffordshire Healthwatch and long-time critic of privatisation, uncovered the original NHS bid by, in his words, “digging through 150 pages of board papers”. His research revealed that the bid from the private provider had beaten the NHS bid. “There’s little or no openness or transparency in these tendering processes, no public debate, no meaningful public scrutiny. Ask for details and you get obstructed by the ‘commercial confidentiality’ excuse.”

He added: “The evidence is stacking up that NHS England have a privatisation agenda and NHS England are at the moment privatising NHS by stealth.”

 Malcolm Rifkind is quitting as MP - and chair of the Commons Security and Intelligence Committee - after being caught offering his services in a cash for access sting.  The same in which Labour's Jack Straw was seeking to provide for his old age. It must be true what they say about people struggling to keep up with the cost of living, and having to take extra jobs. Rifkind has been topping up his MP's salary, earning around £60,000 a year to sit on Alliance Medical’s board, according to public records.

 Alliance Medical has a turnover of around £120 million a year, so this scanning contract, worth an estimated £8million a year, is a significant part of its work. Alliance Medical said Rifkind was not involved in the bid.

Scanners don't come cheap. I remember the public fundraising effort for one at St.George's Hospital in London while I was still working there, the giant crane that had to be used to swing it into the unit; and then the less pleasant news that local GPs could not afford to refer their NHS patients for a scan, while the unit was trying to recoup its cost. The Royal Stoke Hospital's £3 million scanner was bought in November 2013 with donations from Keele University and members of the public. It would have been used if the Trust had won the contract. If not, local campaigners believe the scanner might either remain unused,  or be brought into the private Alliance Medical’s scheme

News of Rifkind's public disgrace brought an opportunity for questions in the House.

PM challenged to clarify Malcolm Rifkind's involvement in £80m NHS deal
By D_Blackhurst  |  Posted: February 25, 2015

DAVID Cameron has been challenged to reveal if disgraced ex-minister Sir Malcolm Rifkind influenced the awarding of an £80 million North Staffordshire NHS contract to a private company.

The Tory MP sits on the board of Alliance Medical, which won the lucrative deal to diagnose illnesses in thousands of patients for 10 years.

The company was chosen by NHS England in favour of a £7 million cheaper bid from a consortium of NHS trusts led by the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Now the Prime Minister has been asked to clarify Sir Malcolm’s role since he was secretly filmed offering access for cash to a private firm.

Read more:

Questions asked, but not answered.

Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab): Given that it was not possible for me to raise in Health questions or with the chief executive of NHS England in a personal meeting the continuing concerns about the procurement of a PET scanner across Staffordshire, Cheshire and Lancashire, will the Leader of the House give assurances, amid concerns about openness and transparency, that there has been no undue influence from the right hon. and learned Member for Kensington (Sir Malcolm Rifkind) as a board member of Alliance? There are real concerns about the possibility of a monopoly service, which may mean that the contract will need to be referred to the Competition and Markets Authority. Will the Leader of the House find time for a proper, open debate about these continuing concerns?

Mr Hague: The hon. Lady has raised related concerns before in the House. I am sorry that she was not able to do so in Health questions, because there will be no more Health questions before the election; we are entering a period in which some Departments will not have further questions before Dissolution. However, she is still able to ask written questions and to seek answers in every other way through correspondence with Health Ministers. I will draw their attention to the matter that she has raised. As Leader of the House, I cannot give her any assurances about what she has asked, but I know that my colleagues will want to attend to what she has raised in the House today.
That's from Hansard. And here is an extract from the Daily Telegraph on Rifkind:
During Health Questions, Labour MP Jamie Reed asked Jeremy Hunt whether the Department of Health had any contact with Sir Malcolm before the contract was awarded by the government.
Mr Reed asked: “Can the secretary of state explain why the more expensive private sector bid was chosen over the better value NHS which provides these services?
“And will the Secretary of State today confirm, because this is a matter of profound public interest, that no contact took place between his department and the board of Alliance Medical, including at any point with current board member, the right honourable member for Kensington?”
The Health Secretary responded that he admired the Labour MPs "chutzpah" but said "it all behoves him to come and talk to us about privatisation.”

Tu quoque, You too, might not be acceptable as an excuse or answer from accused criminals in court or schoolchildren, but government ministers think they can get away with it, as though by answering, or failing to answer, MPs this way they can ignore questions from the general public.

A broader picture of the threat to the NHS in Staffordshire - and where next? - came last month, in a report from the Guardian health correspondent Denis Campbell:

Cancer care for patients in Staffordshire could be cut after it is taken over by profit-driven firms in the biggest privatisation of NHS services yet, campaigners are warning.
Handing the £700m contract to the private sector could see hospices closed, less money being spent on treatment and patients left at risk of experiencing poor care, they claim.

The fears follow the publication on Monday of a secret document prepared by the four local NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in Staffordshire involved in the outsourcing deal to rouse interest in the contract among private firms. They plan to appoint one company to act as the “prime provider” of cancer services, including diagnosis, treatment and aftercare, with that firm then sub-contracting more services.

Campaigners – including Kate Godfrey, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Stafford in the general election – claimed the document proves that the winning bidder will be “given ‘discretion’ to design services they would like to deliver, slash spend per patient and propose the payment structures most beneficial to themselves”.
Godfrey also warned that front-line services could be sold off so that “core NHS responsibilities such as radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy could be delivered by the private sector, with no mechanism for patients to seek redress following failures of care”.

In addition, she claimed, the winning bidder will be “given freedom to alter or exit any existing contract – for example, funding for much-loved hospice care – without patients given any chance to challenge”.

Meanwhile, seven of the 11 private health firms which have jointly won a £780m NHS privatisation contract – the biggest yet concluded – have links to the Conservatives, Labour research shows.

The seven include three companies which have been criticised for providing inadequate care to NHS patients or care home residents they were looking after. Two of them, Circle and Care UK, have been taken to task by the Care Quality Commission for that while a third, Vanguard, is under fire after 31 eye operations it performed under contract to the NHS last year left patients with continuing sight problems.

For example, Vanguard is majority owned by MML Capital. Rory Brooks, its founder and chief executive, has donated £300,311 to the Tories and gets privileged access to David Cameron as part of the ‘Leaders Club’ of Tory donors.

Care UK’s chairman until 2010 was John Nash, who was made a peer by Cameron in 2013 and is now an education minister in the House of Lords. He and his wife Caroline have given £251,000 to the Tories.

Circle, which recently pulled out of running Hinchingbrooke NHS hospital in what was hailed as a pionerering extension of the private sector’s role, is part-owned by Lansdowne Partners and Odey Asset Management. Their founders, Paul Ruddock and Crispin Odey, have given £843,783 and £241,000 respectively to the Tories, and Odey’s firm another £20,000.

With privatisation comes more secrecy, to keep the public in the dark, and that's not all.

The health service might seem a long way from the building industry, but with construction companies like Carillion already taking over parts of health and other public services, we see what look like some old customs.  Hospital workers at Swindon complained to their union about bullying, favouritism, and pressure to give bribes to supervisors. And now comes this:

A secret letter from Consulting Association boss Ian Kerr to representatives of known blacklisting companies including Carillion, Skanska and Kier was among new documents published by the Commons Scottish affairs committee.

“Every time we turn over a stone, we discover more evidence of the breadth and depth of the conspiracy to blacklist,” said committee chairman Ian Davidson MP.

Dated February 2005, the letter shows that the Consulting Association contacted firms involved in facilities management in the health service, such as catering and cleaning.

Mr Kerr wrote: “Following last year’s meeting to consider a facilities management meeting I am now able to offer the following dates for a further meeting to cover the healthcare sector. Please circle all dates convenient for you to attend a meeting.”

Former Carillion HR manager Liz Keates, who has been accused of blacklisting 139 construction workers, was one of eight addressed by the letter.

The shocking revelation raises the possibility that NHS whistleblowers were being targeted, with a recent inquiry revealing that thousands of health staff have been bullied and intimidated by managers for raising patient care concerns.

Mr Kerr’s letter has led to renewed calls by unions for a full public inquiry into the blacklisting, which has been promised by Labour if the party wins the general election.

“We know that construction workers and environmentalists were blacklisted,” said GMB national officer Justin Bowden.

“It is quite clear that Ian Kerr and the Consulting Association saw a role for their services in the NHS and questions should be asked whether Carillion and Liz Keates did so as well.

“The British public has the right to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about the full extent of blacklisting. Only a full public inquiry will do this.”

The papers cast doubt on Carillion’s claims that it had no involvement with the Consulting Association from 2004 onwards, Mr Bowden added.

The government is said to have asked health service employers for protection for whistleblowers. But will that be for those who spy on fellow workers, or report "waste", rather than those who, like the blacklisted building workers, showed concern for health and safety at work, or in the health service, exposed ill-treatment or neglect of patients?

We have seen how government legislation that was supposed to curb big business lobbying has been turned instead to a "gagging law" to inhibit public interest campaigners.

Still, to round off with some encouraging good news, here's one victory, reported on the Left Unity site:
Sacked Whipps Cross hospital shop steward Charlotte Munro has won her industrial tribunal and been reinstated by Barts Health Trust, 15 months after her sacking. Charlotte, who received a warm reception when she spoke at the Left Unity founding conference in November 2013, had worked as an occupational therapist at the Walthamstow east London hospital for 34 years.

When Charlotte raised concerns about hundreds of Barts Trust workers being downgraded and cuts all across East London, she was sacked on trumped up charges of breaching confidentiality. Since she was the best known trade unionist at the hospital, her sacking was a major blow to the confidence of the workforce and their morale at a time of significant attacks on jobs and pay.

The industrial tribunal found in her favour just weeks after the Care Quality Commission found that Barts Health Trust had a culture of bullying, which was part of the reason for it being into ‘special measures’. Charlotte’s victory is also a victory for the local Unison branch and local campaigners who had fought tirelessly for her reinstatement.

Charlotte Munro said:

“I am really happy to be returning to work with my team and the rest of the staff at Whipps Cross Hospital and Barts Health NHS Trust.  And I look forward to being able to contribute to the work I understand is now under way, in response to the CQC report, to bring about improvement in our hospital. It’s vital that Whipps Cross becomes again a hospital of choice for health staff to work in, where they can provide the best standards of health care to our local population, and find a good future.

“Health staff must be able to speak out for their patients and services without fear. They must be free to organise themselves in trade unions and stand as representatives knowing that their rights as a union rep will be respected, and that the role of an independent union campaigning for the interests of the staff, their patients and services is also respected. These were issues at the heart of my case. Its resolution will I hope contribute to building a climate of openness and confidence so needed in our health service.

“I want to thank my union UNISON for its backing and support in taking my case to tribunal, and to thank our highly committed legal team. I have been moved and inspired by the support from colleagues, from health campaigners and fellow trade unionists, and so many other people. It has held me up through some pretty difficult times and brought home that the issues I faced have far wider significance for people. Together we are standing up for what we believe in and this has made all the difference. Let’s continue to do so for the future of our NHS.”

April 4th, 2015

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Wednesday, 29 March 2017

My Life In Books ~ talking to author Peter Swanson @PeterSwanson3

My Life in Books is an occasional feature on Random Things Through My Letterbox
I've asked authors and people in publishing to share with us a list of the books that are important to them and have made a lasting impression on their life

I am really excited to welcome author Peter Swanson to Random Things today. His second novel, A Kind Worth Killing was one of my Top Reads of 2015, and I was delighted to see my review quoted in the paperback edition. I read and reviewed A Kind Worth Killing here on Random Things in January 2015.
Here's a little snippet from my review:
"Be prepared for a story that has more twists than a theme-park roller coaster, with some screeching hand-brake turns that will leave you wondering what the hell just happened. The author structures this novel so very well, with alternative viewpoints from Ted and Lily, this enables the reader to have a little more information than either of these two characters, but with some unpredictable shocks thrown in."
Peter's third novel, Her Every Fear was published by Faber in January this year. I really enjoyed it, and  read and reviewed it here on Random Things for the Blog Tour in January.

Peter Swanson's debut novel, The Girl With a Clock for a Heart (2014), was described by Dennis Lehane as a 'twisty, sexy, electric thrill ride' and was nominated for the LA Times book award.
His follow up, The Kind Worth Killing (2015), a Richard and Judy pick, was shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Silver Dagger, and was named the iBook stores Thriller of the Year and was a top ten paperback bestseller.
He lives with his wife and cat in Somerville, Massachusetts

Find out more at
Follow him on Twitter @PeterSwanson3

My Life In Books ~ Peter Swanson

In order to try and lend some order to the sheer number of books that have been important to me, I thought I’d break down this list into five year increments, and pick just one book from each period of time. Here goes.

Age 1 – 5: Hard to remember, of course, but even at that age I loved creepy things. One of my favorites was Mercer Mayer’s One Monster After Another, even though, or maybe because, it gave me some pretty vivid nightmares. There was one illustration in particular that haunts me to this day. It is the surface of the ocean, and below it are dozens of lurking monsters. Possibly a metaphor for the types of books I love now.

Age 6 – 10: John Bellairs wrote a bunch of books that were kind of the Harry Potter of their day, although not as globally successful. My favorite was The HouseWith a Clock in its Walls, sort of a gothic thriller for pre-teens. An orphan goes to live with his mysterious uncle, and discovers some genuinely creepy secrets. My favorite book from this period not written by Roald Dahl.

Age 11 – 15: The age when I began to seriously dig into adult fiction, discovering Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, Stephen King, and Robert Parker (author of the Boston PI series Spenser). But the one book I’ll pick is Robin Cook’s Coma, a disturbing medical thriller that might have been the first adult book I read, picking it up after my mother was finished with it. It opened my eyes to the exciting world of adult fiction.

Age 16 – 20: I veered a little bit away from crime fiction during these years, reading literary fiction, some brilliant, some a little pretentious (like me at the time). Tough Guys Don’t Dance by Norman Mailer was a thriller, but a literary one, and I fell in love with its florid prose and alcoholic protagonist.

Age 21 – 25: Sometime in this five year stretch, I first read Lucky Jim by KingsleyAmis. Not a mystery, but this comic novel is still my favorite book of all time. It’s comforting, funny, and made me feel better about my own bumbling life. Still does.

Age 26 – 30: This was a period when I was serious about becoming a poet, and reading as much poetry as I could get my hands on. Besides the Collected Works of William Shakespeare, if I could have saved one poetry collection from my burning apartment it would have been High Windows by Philip Larkin.

Age 31 – 35: After a few years away, I got interested in crime thrillers again. I went through a period of reading every John D. MacDonald novel ever written (no small task—he wrote nearly a hundred). It’s hard to pick a favorite but I’ll say A Flash of Green, a perfect thriller involving corrupt land speculation in Florida. MacDonald’s story-telling skills and prose style made me want to try my hand at writing a thriller myself.

Age 36 – 40: I began writing my own novels in this period, penning several unpublished thrillers. I continued to read a wide array of mysteries from different countries and different eras, and discovered a crime novel, A Kiss Before Dying, by Ira Levin, that I fell in love with. It provided a blueprint for me on what a crime novel could be; main characters can die, there can be starts and restarts, and it is always good to focus on the criminals.

Age 41 – now: Right before I got my first publishing deal, I went through a rough patch of not believing in myself as a writer. Around this time, I read Stephen King’s On Writing. I’ve loved King for years, but this book, half an autobiography, and half a no-nonsense guide for writers, was hugely inspirational to me. It taught me that if I loved to write, I just needed to keep doing it, every day. I still reread this book when I need a little booster shot to get me going again.

Peter Swanson ~ March 2017

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House Legislation

Statement of Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney

April 12, 2002

The need for an investigation of the events surrounding September 11 is as obvious as is the need for an investigation of the Enron debacle. Certainly, if the American people deserve answers about what went wrong with Enron and why (and we do), then we deserve to know what went wrong on September 11 and why.

Are we squandering our goodwill around the world with what many believe to be incoherent, warmongering policies that alienate our friends and antagonize our allies? How much of a role does our reliance on imported oil play in the military policies being put forward by the Bush Administration? And what role does the close relationship between the Bush Administration and the oil and defense industries play, if any, in the policies that are currently being pursued by this Administration?

We deserve to know what went wrong on September 11 and why. After all, we hold thorough public inquiries into rail disasters, plane crashes, and even natural disasters in order to understand what happened and to prevent them from happening again or minimizing the tragic effects when they do. Why then does the Administration remain steadfast in its opposition to an investigation into the biggest terrorism attack upon our nation?

News reports from Der Spiegel to the London Observer, from the Los Angeles Times to MSNBC to CNN, indicate that many different warnings were received by the Administration. In addition, it has even been reported that the United States government broke bin Laden's secure communications before September 11. Sadly, the United States government is being sued today by survivors of the Embassy bombings because, from court reports, it appears clear that the US had received prior warnings, but did little to secure and protect the staff at our embassies.

Did the same thing happen to us again?

I am not aware of any evidence showing that President Bush or members of his administration have personally profited from the attacks of 9-11. A complete investigation might reveal that to be the case. For example, it is known that President Bush's father, through the Carlyle Group had - at the time of the attacks - joint business interests with the bin Laden construction company and many defense industry holdings, the stocks of which, have soared since September 11.

On the other hand, what is undeniable is that corporations close to the Administration, have directly benefited from the increased defense spending arising from the aftermath of September 11. The Carlyle Group, DynCorp, and Halliburton certainly stand out as companies close to this Administration. Secretary Rumsfeld maintained in a hearing before Congress that we can afford the new spending, even though the request for more defense spending is the highest increase in twenty years and the Pentagon has lost $2.3 trillion.

All the American people are being asked to make sacrifices. Our young men and women in the military are being asked to risk their lives in our War Against Terrorism while our President's first act was to sign an executive order denying them high deployment overtime pay. The American people are being asked to make sacrifices by bearing massive budget cuts in the social welfare of our country, in the areas of health care, social security, and civil liberties for our enhanced military and security needs arising from the events of September 11; it is imperative that they know fully why we make the sacrifices. If the Secretary of Defense tells us that his new military objectives must be to occupy foreign capital cities and overthrow regimes, then the American people must know why. It should be easy for this Administration to explain fully to the American people in a thorough and methodical way why we are being asked to make these sacrifices and if, indeed, these sacrifices will make us more secure. If the Administration cannot articulate these answers to the American people, then the Congress must.

This is not a time for closed-door meetings and this is not a time for secrecy. America's credibility, both with the world and with her own people, rests upon securing credible answers to these questions. The world is teetering on the brink of conflicts while the Administration's policies are vague, wavering and unclear. Major financial conflicts of interest involving the President, the Attorney General, the Vice President and others in the Administration have been and continue to be exposed.

This is a time for leadership and judgment that is not compromised in any fashion. This is a time for transparency and a thorough investigation.

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Things We Included In Our Second Stage Australian Partner Visa (801) Application

4 Apr

Hey all! Long time, no visa update. 😉 If you haven’t seen this blog before, have a look on the right hand side of the screen for a brief overview of my Australian partner visa journey. For anyone new to the 820/801 visa process, essentially when you apply for the 820 (temporary residency) you are also applying for the 801 (permanent residency). Two years after the date you lodge the 820 application, you become eligible to lodge the 801 application. There are NO FURTHER FEES to pay when you apply for the 801 (aside from those you might incur from police checks). When you applied for the 820, you ALSO applied for the 801, so the fee was included in that price.

On January 16, 2015, about two months and a week before my eligibility date for my 801 visa, I received an e-mail from Immigration saying it was time to start thinking about the 801 visa. The e-mail included step-by-step instructions for applying online or via post as well as a checklist of items to include.

Among the things NOT listed below that ARE on this checklist include: an Australian national police certificate, a statutory declaration from the sponsor, and two witnessed Form 888s from people who know us and can say we are in a genuine and continuing relationship. I would recommend applying for the police check early on as it can take a while (though mine was processed in one business day and sent out!). If you’ve lived in another country for a year or more AFTER you applied for the 820, you will also need to get a police certificate from that country. This did not apply to me.

I was told by some knowledgeable people on an immigration forum that DIBP is really cracking down on the 801 visas as fraud cases continue to sneak past the 820 stage. This is unfortunate for those of us who are in legitimate relationships as it means we need to provide just as much evidence of our genuine and continuing relationship as we did for the 820.

Luckily, I feel like I have even more evidence this time around. For the last two years since I applied for the 820, I’ve kept a little storage box on a bookshelf in the lounge room. Whenever I remembered, I tossed in ticket stubs, receipts after going out to eat, plane tickets, etc. I’ve also kept online reservations for joint travel in a specific folder in my e-mail inbox. I think these are great tips for you if you’ve just applied for your 820–keep everything in one place, that way when it comes time to apply for the 801 you don’t need to go searching for things!

Anyway, I applied online. In addition to the evidence below, the online application includes a variety of information that is more or less the same as what you would have filled out for the 820: details of the applicant and sponsor, passport information, countries you’ve visited, etc. etc. etc. After you fill out this information, you submit the application and THEN attach all of the evidence. My evidence being:

  • A variety of credit card and debit card statements from joint accounts showing major expenses (joint travel, vet bills), as well as regular household expenses (rent, food, utilities).
    • A note on this one: I did the most recent statements from the past 6 months for both our savings account and credit card account, PLUS a couple of extra statements showing the major purchases. It seemed like a lot, but better more than less, am I right?
  • Copy of both our credit cards showing they are the same account (I am a secondary cardholder and my name does not show up on the credit card statement)

  • Copy of Europe Trip itinerary + plane tickets (for some reason we only have our tickets going TO Europe and not coming back, but hey–they know we’re in the country!)
  • All Europe train tickets (7)
  • All Europe accommodation reservations (10)
  • Tour reservations in Europe (5)
  • Ticket stubs from castles, museums, and zoos in Europe.
  • Ticket stubs from plays seen at QPAC in Brisbane (3)
  • Ticket stubs from movies seen over the last few years. (I would recommend scanning these as soon as you get them as they fade fast!)
  • Ticket stubs from a museum event we attended together.
  • A selection of photos of us together in Europe.
  • Our Facebook Friendship page.

Nature of Our Commitment to Each Other

  • Facebook communication during time apart (3 weeks).
  • Skype communication during time apart.
  • Our Super Fund Beneficiary information, showing each other as sole beneficiaries.

Nature of Household

  • A copy of our most current lease.
  • An envelope showing both our names and address.
  • A statement about the division of household chores.
  • Vet Vaccination Certificates for both cats showing both our names as “owners”
  • Vet bill showing both our names as “owners”
  • Bank statements from joint accounts showing major household purchases such as a couch, fridge, and mattress.

I hope that this post provided you with some inspiration of evidence to include with your application. If you’re going through the Australian partner visa process, I would love to hear about your journey so far and I would be happy to answer questions you have (to the best of my ability) in the comments below. Keep in mind that I am NOT a migration agent–just someone going through the same process as you!

Below you can find links to my other visa-related posts for easy navigation:

12 Responses to “Things We Included In Our Second Stage Australian Partner Visa (801) Application”

  1. EH November 26, 2015 at 4:22 pm #

    I am wondering, what examples do you put in for the question “Give details of the development of the relationship from the date the applicant was granted the temporary visa” ?

    • inkhearted December 18, 2015 at 9:58 am #

      Hi EH, sorry about the delay in getting back to you. This was a tricky section to fill out — I tried to pick out some big events that had happened in our lives since the grant of the temporary visa, and then talk about how they affected our relationship for the better. For instance, we took a 3-week trip to Europe during this time which helped us work together, compromise, become closer as a couple due to the shared experiences… it’s all a bit cheesy, but I found looking at the big events was an easier way of going about it! Good luck. Hope that helps!

  2. Mallory Smith January 5, 2016 at 12:12 pm #

    Hi, I am waiting to hear in the next month or so about the 801 (eligibility date being May 2016) Did you have a time frame you had to supply these new documents? Thank you!

    • inkhearted January 5, 2016 at 1:57 pm #

      Hi Mallory – I can’t remember whether or not there was a deadline on getting the documents in, but obviously on or before your eligibility date is best. I remember seeing someone on one forum who’d “forgotten” to turn anything in for a whole year after eligibility but his 820 remained valid and he was still allowed to provide documents for the 801 at that point (this was years ago that I heard this story, so I wouldn’t risk it now!). If you receive your request for more documents and there is a due date on it that you can’t make you will likely be allowed to apply for an extension if needed.

  3. Nick January 9, 2016 at 1:33 pm #

    Hello! And thank you very much for your blog – this is just precious info source. We’re about to apply for 820/801 and wonder why you didn’t ask for 801 permanent visa directly while applying first time? If I understood your history correctly you had had already 3 years of relations by the time of applications… There is note in the Partner Booklet that says in this case you’re eligible for permanent 801 visa…

    • inkhearted January 9, 2016 at 3:14 pm #

      Hi Nick, yes, we had been in a relationship for seven years before applying. However, you can only go straight to the 801 if you have been married or in a de facto relationship for three years or more; this did not apply to us, as we had only been married for four months and living together for nine months when we applied. So despite our seven year history we were not eligible. Hope that helps! 🙂

  4. Shana February 23, 2016 at 10:01 am #

    Hi, just wondering if you could clarify a few things for me. I just have my Temporary Visa granted after 10 months waiting 🙂 and am wondering what the next step will be.

    From what I read, once the Temporary visa (820) is granted, you DON’T have to do anything (i.e submit evidence of relationship). Then, once immigration contacts you about applying for Permanent Residency (801), that is when you start sending more evidence. Is this correct?

    I just want to thank you for the wonderful blog! It really helps a lot 😀

    • inkhearted February 23, 2016 at 10:52 am #

      Hi Shana,

      Yes, that’s right! The department will contact you shortly before you apply for the 801, and that’s when you submit more evidence. You may want to consider continuing to collect evidence now to make it easy when the time comes. We had a little storage box where we put event ticket stubs, plane tickets, bank statements, etc. over the 2 year period. Then when it came time to apply, we just pulled out the box, scanned what was in it, and we were done. Not necessary of course but I found it useful. Congrats on your 820 and good luck with the 801! =)

      • Shana February 23, 2016 at 11:07 am #

        That’s awesome. I actually have a box – just like you – where I dumped everything for the evidence. Right now it’s empty because I moved it to another box once I’ve submitted the evidence, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be full again for 801 evidence. Thank you so much for your help 🙂

  5. Vijay March 10, 2016 at 12:14 pm #

    Hi, how long did it take for you get 801 visa granted after you submitted all the documents.

    • inkhearted March 10, 2016 at 9:27 pm #

      It took about four months for me to get the 801 after submitting the documents. That was really, really fast though. I was one of the lucky ones! They’re quoting much longer processing times now, so if it takes longer for you don’t be worried. 🙂

  1. Things We Included in Our Australian Partner Visa (820) Application | More Than One Page - April 6, 2015

    […] **EDIT: This visa was GRANTED on January 6, 2014! Nothing was added to the application (save for the required police checks and medical) so all evidence here was enough to see us through. Check out more ideas for evidence to include by looking at Things We Included in Our Second Stage Australian Partner Visa (801) Application. […]

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The Reality of One

One Person. One Journey. One Unknown Outcome.

4th Dimension

Just Thinking..

I can justify the meaning behind goosebumps to be more than just something scientific. Every time I get the goosebumps I am left with the touch of something beyond the physical upon my skin. Somehow when we align our energy bodies with our physical the existence behind certain sensations are illumined. They are shown to be more than what we once knew or thought. The existence of man can no longer be determined as something simple when the soul has the ability to be multidimensional. Our material reality is merely one reality coexisting with our multiple dimensional bodies. Often times when we dream we are basically exploring another part of ourselves that happens to exist within another dimension, whether it be past, present or future. This happens because time has no play on what is now or later, because now is later and later is now within the space of everything that is present…

Just thinking…

Where There Is Light, There Is Dark

As of now most of you are now aware of the shift. It is being felt more and more as Earth continues to shift into higher dimensions. Majority of you are becoming aware of those whom are rising in consciousness apart from those that are ignoring the shift. It is now obvious to see who are living within their heart, the temple, and those that are living behind their brain, the veil.

Worry none, as it is yourself that need be cared for. Those around you will either experience the shift of consciousness, or they will choose not to flow with the vibrations of awakening. That is a personal choice, one only they can control. All you must do is continue working on your vibrations to get them as high as possible. Do this by listening to the voice of your heart. Embrace more of what is needed and less of what it is you want.

For those that have become apart of the vibration, welcome. You are now awakening to the real you. You are arising to a new level of consciousness. Enjoy this experience, as that alone will influence the vibrations of others to rise. You will know you have awakened, because your perceptions will change, along with your reality.

At this time people are experiencing enormous amounts of negativity around them. We are seeing vast amounts of killings and deaths. Family members and friends may seem to have a low tolerance to the new energy going around and it will impact their personalities. This was expected. This is part of the shift. Where there is light, there will exist dark.

The crazy are getting crazier. The pessimistic are becoming more negative. Drama is finding its way into your life, even those that are not your own. Ignore these vibrations. Know that these vibrations are not of your concern. Do not allow these negative vibrations to influence those of your own. These are just distractions to keep us anchored in the 3rd dimensional reality.

Try at all cost to stay positive. Continue speaking from the heart.

Keep your body grounded on earth, but keep your consciousness high above the clouds. We are the light. We will overcome this.

The Mysterious Hand On My Head

Spirit Encounter #3

“The Mysterious Hand On My Head”

It was late one night.  I was researching on my computer, like I always do, when I felt the atmosphere in my room change. I can always sense when things like this happen, whether by a physical human or something non-physical.  In the corner of my left eye I took notice of an energy take form of a human. He resembled a male with nothing on but underwear. I had music playing through my headphones and I could swear he was dancing to it. I stopped the music and he stood there dead in his tracks and looked at me with concern. I never looked directly at him. I put the music back on and then I could see his hand being moved my way. I looked his way and he went back to dancing.  He never bothered me. All he wanted to do was dance and being the person I am I had to let him continue.  He was happy and that made me pleased to have him accompany me.

After some time, I seen a large shadow upon the wall in front me. I could tell something just approached my backside, because I had experienced this before. I was alarmed, but not alarmed enough to be in fear. Keeping my composure is something I learned to help control my Fear. Plus, this was something normal to me. I brought my attention back to my computer monitor and continued browsing the net. I was looking at a webpage with a dark background when I seen a white fog coming out of it. It was just a fog in the formation of a body. It had no face, nor did it have clothes. It was so small. I am guessing it was about 6 inches in height. It came out of the screen and then it went back in. It did this several times. I figured I was looking at what radiation looks like in higher dimensions. If that is even possible, but everything in my view has this white aura around it. And in this day in age what isn’t possible? As humans, we put a label on everything and that is what I have to work on. But, this wasn’t radiation. At one point it came at me. The closer it got to me, the more it excelled in size. It went through me and then nothing.

The energy behind me declared his ownership by never moving. From the size of the shadow it appeared to be taller than any human known to man. He never once moved or placed his hand upon my shoulders, which I am used to spirits doing. I was curious to what he reason for being behind me was. My concern for his reasoning was greater than my concern for my own safety. My body became more sensitive to its energy the more I acknowledged it’s presence. It wasn’t warm, nor cold, but more like multiple pricks in my back. I acknowledged the tingling sensation and all of a sudden my whole body went through this wave of sensation. It started from my feet and made its way to my head. It felt as though my body was rising above my head. Not such much my physical body, but possibly my energy body?  I had experienced something like this before. Everything a spirit touches my shoulders this sensation runs throughout my body. So, I let go and allowed my body to fill with sensation, which brought my body to become covered in goosebumps. Upon my head I feel a pressure there. It felt like something was shooting out of it. Unsure of what was happening I automatically moved my head left, then right, then left and right again. Amazingly, whatever it was moved with my head. I looked to my left to see if the dancing spirit still resided there and he did. However, something was different. He was no longer dancing. He just stood there looking towards my back. I tried to look at his facial expression, but couldn’t quite make it out. Something was happening. Something even my intuition couldn’t figure out.  All I could think of doing was closing my eyes and bring my attention within.

After a few breathing techniques my mind slipped into a place of complete silence. My body was relaxed, my eyes were closed and my mind was calm. Preparation was complete. I was now ready to open up and expand my energy body to become a radar. I call it a radar, because I don’t know what to call it. But, it is when I shut of my feelings to examine energy around me. This helps to distinguish the emotion of the energy, or spirit, along with their intentions. For some reason I couldn’t read this energy. So, I decided to moved my consciousness above it.  Just as my consciousness was reaching its planed destination, I got interrupted. A hand was placed upon my head. A state of shock almost forced me to lose focus, but I recovered and kept my calm.  I brought my attention the hand to properly examine its size. It felt large, think, long, skinny, similar to a large hand gripping a basketball. What was happening? I closed my eyes and quickly began breathing. Consciously I started to inhale deep, exhale slow, inhale deep and so on. The hand had no intention of moving, as it only got more dense the more I relaxed.

Inside I felt like I needed to just let this happen. There was no harm being done. I was safe. Plus, what was the worse that could happen? And, when it comes to my intuition I’ve learned to never disobey it. I listened and allowed myself to experience yet another unknown spirit encounter. Inside, I felt like this was just another part of my spiritual journey to help elevate my consciousness. So, I brought my attention to the top of my head to envision my crown chakra expanding, rotating and glowing. I was just about to send it out into space when the hand pushed down on my head. It’s pressure caused the air around me stand calm. Chills ran back up my body and out through my head. My body quivered, as I couldn’t endure the chilling sensation. It was overwhelming.  Goosebumps filled my entire body, once again.

The hand continued to push down on my head, but the more it pushed down the more it felt like a hat, or crown. I could feel the outline of something circular around my head. I couldn’t understand what was happening. What was this? I stood up to see if it would stop, but it continued. To make it stop I jumped up and down. However, that didn’t work. Whatever was on my head had a purpose and was being controlled by something of a superior power. That is what I assumed. I sat back down to calmly ask my guide if this was being done for a reason. A hand was then placed on my right shoulder, which is confirmation for a yes. My left shoulder being the answer for no. Since my guide obviously knew what was happening, I decided to ride it out. The spirit behind me continued its duty and silently left after its deed was done. The feeling of whatever was on my head went away after some time.

What was placed on my head? It is still a mystery to me.

Does it still reside upon my head? That is still unknown.

Does one have any knowledge on what I encountered?

Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before?

Keep Ignoring Those Negative Vibrations!

Keep Ignoring Those Negative Vibrations! Stay Positive!

Even the enlightened will forever be tested on the strength of their vibrations. They will be tested on the power of their faith and awareness. Each day will forever bring us obstacles that will test the value of our will to reach that higher level of consciousness.
Earth will evolve and will only take with it the vibrations that match her own.

At this time, in life, it must be said, that we are being tested on our will to evolve. It is happening more and more each day as we are coming closer to the shifting of Earth into the New Earth. There are some people who wish to not see Earth evolve in a higher dimension. They know they can only exist if Earth stays in the 3rd Dimension, because they are unable to reach higher consciousness. If Earth does shift into the 4th Density, which is 4th & 5th Dimension, and it will, they will no longer be able to exist on our plane of existence. Their vibrations will not match the vibrations of the New Earth, as the gravity on earth will change. This is why it is extremely important that we raise our vibrations and consciousness.

If this is not true, then why have I been going through ascension for over a year now? Why does it feel as though I have no angry bone in my body? Why am I now able to channel knowledge through writing that ends up being articles that spread enlightenment and awareness?

Earth will only evolve if our vibrations raise to the level in which will manifest it. You see, our minds are more powerful than you think. What we perceive to be of truth has the power to manifest into our reality and this shift only happens every 3800 Years. If we fail to evolve, we will have to wait another 3800 Years. Earth has already tapped into the 4th Dimension, as some of you already have knowledge of (I am sure most of you are going through ascension without even knowing). However, Earth is now waiting for us to raise our vibrations and give her the go to reach the 5th Dimension. This shift can happen at anytime. It can happen a few weeks from now, or even in a couple of years. The shift will come out of nowhere, and, with it, will come the extreme test of our vibrations. We will encounter natural disasters that will make way for a new plane of existence. With New Earth will come a new look, a new way of living, new levels of consciousness, along with many other things.

New Earth will rotate with the new Law of One.

Negative vibrations are spreading vastly and are showing up where you least accept them. Just as our positive vibrations are raising, their lower vibrations are gaining strength. They are here to lower our vibrations, because they wish to see us fail. These lower vibrations can be felt from people in our family, friends, neighbors, or even from people on our social networks. They are everywhere. They are seen and felt as negative people who view things only in a pessimistic way. I urge you to just turn away. Show them that your vibrations are more powerful than their negative vibrations, by staying positive.

Remember, Light will forever conquer the dark.

I want you each to know, that no matter what comes our way, we must stay positive. We must stand our ground firm with our heart. Prove that we will always be much stronger than they are. Keep your heart beating, and shining, because the heart is the temple for our soul. The soul itself has no need to prove anything to anyone. The only purpose of our soul is to prove its value and will to raise its consciousness and to help Earth evolve. Once you raise your consciousness you will come to understand what it is that I am stating.

Will yourself to raise your level of consciousness. Will yourself to evolve spiritually. Tell yourself you are ready to help with the transitioning of Earths evolution. All one has to do is ask. If we are never to ask for the answers they will never come, just as sitting confused in a classroom. We must raise our hand and ask for assistance, just as we must do with the raising of our consciousness. Does this make sense?

Even the enlightened will forever be tested on the strength of their vibrations. They will be tested on the power of their faith and awareness. Each day will forever bring us obstacles that will test the value of our will to reach that higher level of consciousness.

Never Give Up!
Never Give In!
Keep That Head Up!
Keep That Heart Shining!

Keep those positive vibrations awakening those around you. In your heart, if you believe something to be of truth, go with it. I want everyone to know that no matter how you feel you are never alone. I want you all to know that not everyone will believe in your beliefs, but that is okay. Look at everything as a spiritual test. It is the level of our spirituality that matters once we pass over to the spiritual world. We are not graded by how much money we may have gained, how successful we were, the size of our house, or if we were inspirational or motivational. We are graded on how we helped another with reaching higher levels in their spiritual quest to reach higher consciousness. We are graded on how we lived through our soul, or heart, to bring about awareness to one. We are graded on how many times we made someone smile. We are graded on how many times we healed a soul and brought with it a change of perception.

New 4th Dimensional Earth

Earth Is Transforming Into A 4th Dimensional Planet

Philosophized by Tyler Hebert

As many of you have heard, Earth will be shifting into a 4th Dimensional Planet. Earth, for many of years, has had access into higher dimensions, such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. However, everyone will evolve into a 4th Dimensional Consciousness. This solely means our consciousness will shift from “Service To Self” (3D) into “Service To Others” (4D). For those whom already experience 4th Dimensional consciousness will evolve into a 5th Dimensional Consciousness. This means they will shift from “Service To Others” into “Service To Love”.

Allow me to explain in the simplest way I can. Bare with me.

Earth is a 3rd Dimensional planet, which means the physical plane is a 3rd Dimension. Being a 3rd Dimensional planet leaves Earths inhabitants with a consciousness of everything up to the 3rd and some to the 4th Dimension. However, a 3rd Dimensional consciousness can not view the 4th Dimension. The 4th Dimension being the spiritual plane. This is why some people can experience the sight of spirits, while others are not able to, because spirits reside on the 4th Dimension. So, when the Earth makes it’s shift into a higher dimension we will all have access into the 4th Dimension, because our consciousness will rise into a 4th Dimensional Consciousness. Therefore we will all evolve into more spiritual beings. We will have direct access to our soul, spirit guides, guardian angels, past life wisdom, past life knowledge, past life creativity, etc. Exciting right?

Still confused?

Okay, so I am sure most of you have found yourselves in self-reflection, or self-realization. This a process we go through that makes us scavenge through our past to appreciate our present and organize our future. During this process some people probably have finally realized that each struggle helped shape who they are and provided them understanding of their worth, along with realizing their true soul purpose. This process deals with the ending of “Service To Self”, which you have mastered. Therefore you are preparing yourself for the shift of consciousness into “Service To Others.” You are becoming more open to your spiritual reality, rather than just being open to your physical reality. This means you are becoming connected to everyone around you and not just to yourself. You are more open to the soul of another person rather than just seeing them as another human.
Is your consciousness shifting into a higher dimension? (See if you can relate to any of these questions.)

-Have you found yourself doing nice things for other’s? (You are beginning to acknowledge and understand the needs of others and how they are more important than those of your own.)

-Have you noticed who people really are on a soul level? (You are finally seeing people for who they are without judging their physical appearance.)

-Have you found yourself separating yourself from people, friends and family, whom you feel are no longer of good service to your new level of consciousness? (Not in a mean way, but realistic. You are realizing who is bringing you down and who is lifting you up. It is all about vibrations.)

-Have you noticed how you are eating foods you may have never enjoyed? (Your body is choosing food that is more right for you body. You are becoming aware of foods that are healthy, for your physical and energetic body. As the physical body does determine the health of the energetic body, which is the spiritual body.)

-Have you noticed how your body is becoming more sensitive to energy around you? (Your body is growing spiritually, which means you are connecting with people on a energy level where you are able to feel their energy more.)

-Have you started to feel things touching you, or hearing voices, without having a physical presence there? (These are the spirits on the 4th Dimension interacting with you. They are not to fear. These spirits can be deceased loved ones, guardian angels, spirit guides, etc.)

There are many more symptoms of ascension, such as physical rashes(detoxing of the body from toxins consumed), fatigue (The soul reconnecting to the physical body), nausea (From food the body rejects, can no longer consume.), headaches (From the opening of third eye), etc. These are the most common. I must remind you that each person will experience different symptoms. No ascension is the same, because we are all different.

**I must add that spirits with low frequencies can not interact with someone with a 4th dimensional consciousness. So, do not be alarmed. The 4th Dimensional consciousness is a person with higher vibrations, or higher frequencies, than those spirits whose vibrations do not match our own.**
What happens to the people who do not shift their consciousness?

Okay, before being incarnated, we either sign a soul contract to be here on Earth to experience the shift of consciousness, or we decided to live only to experience the 3rd Dimension. For those whom signed to only experience the 3rd will not have a shift in consciousness, which means they will not being to interact with those on the 4th Dimension. However, those on the 4th Dimension will have the opportunity to interact with those on the 3rd, just as spirits have interacted with us before the shift. Does this make sense?

There are some people who speak that anyone whom does not experience the shift will be brought back into the spirit world. In the spirit world they will study and learn about 4th Dimensional living. Once they raise their vibrations they will eventually be incarnated back to Earth after it has made its full transformation into a universal law of one, which I will speak of soon.

In my next article I will explain more on 4th & 5th Dimensional Consciousness, Universal Laws and The Energetic Body.

If anyone has questions, or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

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• 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium leek, white part only, finely chopped
  • 2 Sicilian-inspired pork sausages
  • 10 sage leaves, finely chopped
  • 20 g breadcrumbs
  • 20 g blanched almonds, chopped
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1.5 kg boneless loin of pork, skin scored, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 3 fennel bulbs, quartered and sliced, fronds reserved
  • 100 g cubetti di pancetta
  • 200 g kale

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan; add the leeks and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft; transfer to a bowl. Squeeze the sausagemeat from their skins and add to the leeks. Add the sage, breadcrumbs, almonds, half the fennel seeds and the lemon zest. Season and mix well.

  2. 2

    Remove any string from the pork and unroll, skin-side down, on a clean board. Using a sharp knife, cut into the meat horizontally about two-thirds of the way along (but not all the way through), keeping your knife parallel to the board, to make a pocket. Open the meat out like a book and spread the stuffing into the opened-out joint, leaving a 2cm border. Roll up tightly; tie with string.

  3. 3

    Weigh to calculate the cooking time (see step 4); transfer to a roasting tin. Rub the skin with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Mix the remaining fennel seeds with the sea salt and spread over the scored skin. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

  4. 4

    Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss the fennel with the remaining olive oil and the pancetta; season with black pepper. After 20 minutes, remove the pork from the oven and scatter the fennel mixture into the tin. Reduce the temperature to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3; return to the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes (or 25 minutes per 500g) until cooked through. Transfer the pork to a board, cover and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes.

  5. 5

    Meanwhile, cook the kale in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until tender; drain and add to the tin with the fennel. Toss together, add the fennel fronds and lemon juice and season. Serve with the pork.

    Get ahead: you can stuff the pork up to a few hours ahead; chill. Return to room temperature before roasting.

    Kitchen secret: use up the leftover sausages by combining the meat with cooked onions and some breadcrumbs. Shape into meatballs and cook with a simple tomato sauce to serve with spaghetti for a speedy midweek meal.

Nutritional Details

Each serving provides
  • Energy 3458kj 826kcal 41%
  • Fat 56.0g 80%
  • Saturates 18.5g 93%
  • Sugars 2.1g 2%
  • Salt 2.0g 33%

% of the Reference Intakes

Typical values per 100g: Energy 871kj/208kcal

Each serving provides

5.2g carbohydrate 3.5g fibre 73.5g protein

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Brownie Sundae Cheesecake

Brownie Sundae Cheesecake
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Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 12
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 724.3
  • Total Fat: 38.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 147.4 mg
  • Sodium: 352.2 mg
  • Total Carbs: 88.6 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
  • Protein: 10.9 g

View full nutritional breakdown of Brownie Sundae Cheesecake calories by ingredient
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Submitted by:

Number of Servings: 12

    1 bx brownie mixed and baked according to directions

    Chocolate Crust
    1 1/2 c crushed vanilla wafer(about 45 cookies)
    6 Tbsp powdered sugar
    6 Tbsp cocoa powder
    1 stk butter melted

    4(8oz) pkg cream cheese, room temperature
    1 c sugar
    4 eggs
    Choclate sundae syrups in a bottle..or any kind
    1 tsp pure vanilla

Make brownies and allow to cool
Preheat oven to 350 Mix crust ingredients.
Press mixture into a 9 inch springform pan.
Bake 8 min and allow to cool slightly
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.
Gradually add eggs one at a time. Pour batter into crust.
Cube up about half the pan of brownies.
Sprinkle the pieces into the batter and push them down.
Drizzle chocolate sundae syrup on top and with a butter knife swirl gently to give it the marble effect.
Bake 50-55 min
Lossen from pan after cooled. Cover and refrigerate. Better served cold

Serving Size: Makes 10-12 servings

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SADIE78.

TAGS:  Desserts |

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Note Pad for mac OSX, anyone?

Discussion in 'Microphones & Recording' started by tomtom, Sep 7, 2004.

  1. tomtom

    tomtom Guest

    I just switched to Mac OSX. On mac OS 9, I was using the Note Pad to keep track of all my PT session back ups. It was quick and easy.
    Mac OSX does not support it.
    Do you have any idea if there's any software (something unexpensive) that would allow me to import my 1500 Note Pad pages?

    Thank you
  2. gdoubleyou

    gdoubleyou Well-Known Member

    Mar 19, 2003
    Kirkland WA
    Home Page:
    Try opening with the Text Edit app.

    Be aware that most Microsoft products use non-standard ASCII charactors, some items may not display properly. but I don't think you will have a problem with notepad docs.

  3. tomtom

    tomtom Guest

    When I try to do that I get : "This Note Pad File was created with Note Pad 7.5 or newer. Please use a newer version of the Note Pad to access the notes.

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Mom and Dad were in town for the weekend. I’m always amazed at how much we can pack into a couple of days. This time around, we had dinner at Wilson’s on Friday night when Mom and Dad got to town. On Saturday, we ate at Ollie’s, shopped at the Cherry Street Farmers’ Market, toured the Gilcrease Museum, and had lunch at a Mexican place downtown. After lunch, Ron and I planted vegetables while Mom and Dad rested a bit. After Ron went to work, Mom and Dad and I went out for smoothies at Java ‘n’ Juice and then drove around for a while.

Today, Mom helped me work on some materials for my classroom before we all headed to lunch at Napoli’s. We also went shopping at Airway Variety Store and Colebrook Nursery, had ice cream at Braum’s, and went for another drive (this one through a ridiculous subdivision full of outrageously tasteless McMansions). We capped the evening with dinner at the Pie Hole, which is one of my favorites.

I just threw together a lesson plan for tomorrow, and if I can muster the energy, I might grade a few papers and pick up some heavy cream so I can make mushroom soup before Ron gets home. (Or I might not. I’m awfully tired….)

Hope your weekend was good. Say a prayer, light a candle, or think good thoughts for my kids this week. They’re taking their End-of-Instruction tests, and I really want them to do well.

One thought on “Weekend”

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Vegan Friday: Banana “ice cream”

Protip: When photographing frozen food, get the camera ready before the ice cream starts to melt. Which I obviously didn’t do.

Yeah, yeah, I’m a day late. My editor dropped three projects in my lap this week, so I’ve had my hands full and haven’t had a chance to do much blogging. Anyway, here’s your Vegan Friday recipe, posted Saturday. When you get in from mowing the lawn, you’ll be glad to have it.

Vegan Banana “Ice Cream”

Standard pint canning jar
Two overripe bananas, sliced
Chocolate sauce to taste
Optional: Whatever you like to put on ice cream (nuts, sprinkles, fruit, hot fudge, whatever)

I swiped this idea from the Internet. A few years ago, I kept seeing stickers on bananas advertising some fancy new treat called “Yonanas.” I looked it up online and found out it was an ad for a new kitchen gadget that would magically turn frozen bananas into a substance approximating the flavor and consistency of soft-serve frozen yogurt.

I looked at the gadget online and decided it wasn’t worth the money or already-limited cabinet space it would take, especially when I already owned a good blender and a set of Ball jars. The pureed-banana thing, on the other hand, seemed like a good idea, so I stole it. Here it is:

Can we talk about how much I love canning jars?

Slice overripe bananas into canning jar, leaving about an inch and a half of headspace at the top. Put the lid on and freeze for several hours (or days; I’m bad about forgetting stuff I’ve stuck in the freezer).

Nuke briefly to soften if necessary.

When bananas are frozen thoroughly, take the lid off the jar and nuke for 20 seconds to soften ’em up slightly.

Chocolate sauce. Hershey’s Special Dark syrup is vegan. W00t!

Add a tablespoon or two of chocolate sauce, then replace the lid with the blade apparatus from your blender. (Protip: If you ever break your blender jar, you can replace it with any standard-mouth canning jar. You’re welcome.)

Puree, shaking the jar and/or opening it up and poking at it as necessary until all the chunks are pureed into a smooth paste that’s about the same consistency as soft-serve ice cream.

Serve with whatever you like to put on ice cream. It doesn’t taste exactly like ice cream, but neither does frozen yogurt, and it’s a lot cheaper than Rice Dream (which also doesn’t really taste like ice cream). Plus it’s hard to argue with a cheap frozen treat that contains about 250 calories, zero fat, two servings of fruit and a big dose of potassium.

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Munchkin Tuesday: Dancing Raisins

Anybody else remember these? I had completely forgotten why Hardee’s had the Dancing Raisins, but I definitely remember stopping on my way home from school to spend part of my allowance on one in junior high.

I have no idea what happened to that thing. Which is a shame, because it would look awesome glued to my dashboard.

Also: Claymation > all other animation.

One thought on “Munchkin Tuesday: Dancing Raisins”

  1. I think there are some Astrosniks rocking around in the toy box. You’re welcome to check the next time you’re here. Might be some other junk too that’s escaped being donated to various yard sales.

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