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Friday, April 27, 2012

Looking at My Blog's Statistics

Thanks to Blogger statistics, we can see what posts attract the most attention to our blogs. Among the MySecretGarden blog posts, there are several absolute leaders. Who could guess that there are so many people gardening on a slope! Post  Slope Garden Extraordinare written in August 2010 has more than 8 thousand pageviews.
Garden of Terri and Ron
 The owners of that featured garden, Terri and Ron, did a great job. Colorful, deer- and drought resistant, the garden looks great from both the house and the street.
Other popular posts are three entries showing pictures of creative vegetable gardens in Washington state and Alaska (10,500 pageviews).
Sprucing up a Vegetable Garden part 1,
Part 2
Part 3
Garden in WA
Layout of a vegetable garden, type, shape and size of raised beds, type of mulch around them, support for climbing plants, containers for growing vegetables, ways to make vegetable gardens not only practical but also attractive and other aspects of vegetable gardening - this what 'Sprucing Up a Vegetable Garden' is all about.
Garden in Alaska
As for the posts about my own garden, one of the posts that scored high is Front Flower Bed Summer Transformation. I love that plantbed myself. I remember how two landscape designers, who worked with our builder, showed me their plans for that bed. Their designs were beautiful. They involved a large number of several varieties of plants, 20-40 of each type. I appreciated their vision, experience and time, but decided to do the job myself. Step by step, I planted shrubs and perennials which I loved. I got a specimen garden as a result.  It might not be a textbook garden, but I am pleased with it.  I posted the view of it from above, and got many e-mails and comments about it (Front Flowerbed. View From Above).
This picture was taken on the 19th of August 2011.

Some people asked me to name the plants in this bed. Here they are:
Melianthus major, Hardy Fuchsias, Euphorbia, Cotinus, Japanese maple, Stella D'Oro Daylily, Rose Mr.Lincoln, Stachys byzantina (Lamb's Ear), Liatris (Gayfeather), Astilbe, Spanish Lavender, Geraniums, Helleborus foetidus, Tradescantia virginiana (Virginia spiderwort), Zonal Geraniums in pots, Hebe Quicksilver, Boxwood, Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper, Sungold Threadbranch Cypress, Canadale Gold Euonymus.

Returning to statistics, it helps to see what other gardeners are interested in and follow up on those subjects. For example, I hope to again visit the slope garden of Terri and Ron this summer and will be happy to ask Terri questions on your behalf. So, you are welcome to leave your questions related to her experience of taming a slope.

***Copyright 2012 TatyanaS

  1. Holy crap, I don't even think I have 8,000 page views combined. For all my posts.

    1. You're kidding me! I've looked at your turtle post 8000 times already!

  2. Tatyana, I can only dream that some day our slopes will be half as beautiful as that first photograph. Gardening on slopes, especially if they're very steep, can be a tremendous challenge, but the effect is gorgeous! I love your little cucumber ladders too. I have plans to make something similar to sit over our raised beds this summer. I just need more hours in a day ;)

    1. Clare, I should say that that particular slope is not very steep. It's pretty big although!

  3. Татьяна, ваша клумба перед входом в дом восхитительна! и по цвету и по фактуре. А как эти растения смотрятся по высоте?

    1. Nadezda, я рада, что вам нравится клумба, спасибо! Самые высокие - это роза и пион- пожалуй, чуть выше метра. Остальное - 30-60 см в среднем.

  4. I'm jealous of a little slope, if done right the effect is stunning. I'm in a constant fight with the flats around here.

  5. I can see why that post on the sloped garden is the most viewed - that's one of the most gorgeous gardens I've ever seen!! And so many people are confronted with the challenge of gardening on a slope - me included. Some great posts!

  6. Blogger stats are amazing. I've been surprised at a few of my biggest posts but it does help you see what people are looking for.
    You have great info so I'm not surprised you're seeing so much traffic.

    1. GoSS, It's fun to look at it and see what key words people use.

  7. I enjoy all your posts and I think blog stats are rather misleading. I post what I love and that is the most important thing.

    1. Hermes, I agree that it can be misleading sometimes. But, when I see the search words which led people to this blog, I see strong connection with statistics.
      Anyway, you are right that we blog about subjects that are interesting for us!

  8. I am always surprised which posts are popular and which arent. It seems to me that readers are interested in how people deal with specific problems such as your slope, the ornamental veg garden etc and there seems to be little in the books or magazines which help with this.

  9. My own slope, an effort at wildflower gardening, is a disaster. It is difficult to do it right, and many times I have wished I had just planted juniper. Your slope garden post is insprational!

Thank you for stopping by and for your comment! I appreciate your time! See you soon on your blog!

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Tuesday, November 3, 2015

My Mount Rainer Day Trip - to Paradise and Back - in Pictures

Do you know -
Paradise (Mt.Rainier National Park, WA) is the snowiest place on Earth
where snowfall is measured regularly
 (According to the National Park Service)?

Late October

Nisqually Entrance

"Between the entrance and Longmire the road follows the north side of the Nisqually River, named for the Native American tribe that lived along its valley.
The grand old-growth forest in this area is largely made up of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar.
Some of these trees reach diameters exceeding 8 feet, heights over 200 feet, and ages of 700 years
Hot forest fires and thick mud flows reset the stage for new forests to grow, and trees that die of old age often become nurse logs for new trees, giving old growth forests trees of many ages.
Roughly 1,000 years is the age of the oldest trees in Pacific Northwest forests.
The forest canopy here is so dense that only a few deciduous trees -- like vine maple and dogwood --
compete for the scattered sunlight that filters through, while bigleaf maple, cotton wood and red alder hug the riverbanks."

 Longmire  Visitor Center.  Elevation 2,761 feet

 Paradise. 19 miles from the entrance to the Park. Elevation 5,400 feet

Christine Falls

"From the perspective of a human lifespan the Cascade Range may seem tranquil and unchanging,
but the geologic past and future of the Pacific Northwest has been and will again be interrupted by many violent earthquake jolts and volcanic eruptions.
Mount Rainier, born in fire, torn by ice; that will be its epitaph.
As of now the fires are not dead, only sleeping, and in a possibly warming world the tooth and claw of the glaciers may diminish.
Most episodes in the creation and destruction of the volcano will never be known,
but several of the larger or more recent events have left their record in the rocks."

***Copyright 2015 TatyanaS

  1. Thank you for the road trip! I didn't make it there this summer but so glad you were able to capture the beauty of Mt. Rainier for all of us to enjoy. I could almost smell the moss and evergreen trees and feel the crisp, cool air from the river and dwindling glacier. I've been fortunate enough to be at Paradise and hear the glacier move. My first thought was that a huge bear must be nearby. I didn't know whether to run or lay down and play dead. The photos from the car with the trees blurred and the buildings focused are most unusual, too. And the close-ups of Mt. Rainier are awesome!

  2. Wow! Karen, thank you! What a unique experience! I think I'd be very scared, then I'd think that's a volcano waking up, and then... just.... run!

  3. What beautiful grandeur! Thank you for sharing your trip.

  4. OMG it really is beautiful, awesome and also scary all in big proportions. Your shots with movement, i guess you're inside your moving car, you're so good that the buildings can be focused despite the movement. Great! My trip to NZ invoked the same emotions but maybe in a smaller scale, although the volcanoes activities are not to be discounted on. Because NZ per se, is made by volcanoes.

    1. Hi Andrea! I don't think I'd ever go to NZ, it's too far, that is why I like your posts!

  5. We live fairly close to the Nisqually entrance to the park and so many pictures here are show familiar sights to us, yet you've captured them so beautifully you reminded me of the truly awesome creation surrounding our area that I often take for granted. Stunning !

    1. Kathy, thank you so much for taking the time to write! You live in a majestic place! And I am lucky to be able to drive only 1,5 hours to see it. We just want that volcano to sleep for a thousand years...

  6. Gorgeous, gorgeous! I feel like I was right there with you experiencing the road trip. That guest house is a beautiful, grand structure. Thanks for taking us along with you. :)

    1. Beth, thank you! I like the pictures of Wisconsin that you share with your readers!

  7. This is indeed to Paradise and back, what a beautiful nature. Thank you for showing us your trip to Mount Rainier!

    1. Thank you Janneke! Have a great November!

  8. A paradise, indeed ! Gorgeous pictures ! Thank you, Tania !

    1. I'm glad you like our mountain, Dani! Thanks!

  9. As I scrolled through each photo saying "oh" "ah" & "wow" I knew
    I could never live anyplace else without the beautiful trees.
    Your photos capture the grandeur of how magnificent
    they truly are.

    1. Hi Linda! You described so well my feelings too! And what trees we have here! Thanks!

  10. Thank you for taking me someplace new. I felt like I was in the back seat of your car with blurry colors and sights whizzing by.

  11. Stunning, Tatyana! I love the phrase 'born in fire, torn by ice.' You live in a beautiful part of the country. P. x

  12. Somehow I have missed every seeing the NW corner of our country, but these photos are just how I imagine it! Someday I will need to visit!

  13. I have seen this peak from many vantage points while in Seattle or flying to Seattle, but never this close.....I adore this post.

Thank you for stopping by and for your comment! I appreciate your time! See you soon on your blog!

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Abyssinian Banana Actaea s. Alaska Amaryllis Amur Maple Aquilegia Aralia Arundel Castle Gardens Autumn Before and After Berry Bird Houses Blotanical Blue Poppy Book review Bouquets Butchart Gardens California Calla Canada Clematis Coleus Conifers Containers Corydalis Dahlia Dan Klennert Dogs Elandan Gardens End of Month View England Euphorbia Eze France Exotic garden Fall garden Favorite plants Favorite plants. Tree Philodendron Fences Foliage Formal gardens Foxglove France Fuchsia Garden elements Garden works Gardening Tips Gardens of nature Gardens to see Gardens to see (tours) Geraniums Germany Giveaway Giverny Grasses Great Dixter Greenhouse gunnera Hampton Court Hellebores Herbs and Vegetables Heronswood Hidcote History of gardening Holidays Hops Hosta Hydrangea Illumination Italy Japanese maple Kew Lakewold Gardens Lavatera Lavender Leucosceptrum stellipilum ‘Ogon' Lobelia tupa Meconopsis Melianthus major Minter Gardens Missouri Botanical Garden My Garden My Open Garden MY PICTURE OF THE DAY Neighborhood NPA Open Gardens NWFGS Oregon Pampas grass Peony Perennials Plant ID Poppy Problem areas Recipes Rhododendron Rock garden Romneya c. Russia and Russian Art Sarah P. Duke Gardens Serre de la Madone (Lawrence Johnston) Shade Garden Shrubs Sissinghurst Sky Watch Slope garden Slugs Spring/Summer garden Stachys Succulents Summer/Fall garden The Garden of Great Depression Tree Peony Trees Trips Tulip Festival Uncategorized Vegetable garden WA Weigela Wells Medina Nursery White garden Wild animals Wild flowers Winter and winter garden Wordless Wednesday
Copyright 2009-2017 TatyanaS, MySecretGarden Blog

Thank you! Best 130 Gardening Blogs

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text:
Ravens’ new grass field draws mostly praise, some criticism (The Associated Press)

The Baltimore Ravens’ motivation for changing to a grass field this year was to protect players from sustaining the kind of injuries that occur on artificial turf. Adhering to a poll of the team, the Ravens pulled up the synthetic surface they’d been using for 13 years at M&T Bank Stadium and laid down the real thing during the summer. ”Principally, we did it for our players,” Ravens president Dick Cass said.

from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/2h4t3Ae
Free Credit Consultation 888-657-9393

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Poppy Tea possibly lethal

15 10 2009

A young teenager died this summer in Keller, Texas, apparently from poppy tea. Poppy pods and seeds are widely available in e.g grocery stores and now there is a warning that bewing them into a tea might cause a morphine intoxication and even death. The police, after finding a strange bottle with tea and poppy seeds, suspects that the teenager used the tea to get high.

There is a lesson to be learned – kids, not everything you brew is good for you.

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Fusion Lan Party 500 players moved to November

Posted: August 25, 2006 in Gaming

Fusion LAN Event in Melbourne

click an image above (goes to the fusion website)

define://lan.party “A LAN party is a temporary, sometimes spontaneous gathering of people together with their computers, which they connect together in a local area network (LAN) primarily for the purpose of playing multiplayer computer games.”

Any Questions or for any more info visit the fine folks at fusionlan:

read more |

  1. luke says:

    just looking fto find some lans to join too

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Simple.TV Targets Cord Cutters With A Kickstarter Campaign

Next Story

Research In Motion Opens 10% Down A Day After Issuing A “Business Update”

Simple.TV wants to help cord cutters record and have access to broadcast TV wherever they are, by connecting its device to an HD antenna and streaming those signals over the Internet. And it’s launching a Kickstarter campaign to help fund that vision, as it prepares to launch in mid-summer.

Simple.TV makes a combination DVR and streaming device — kind of like a TiVo meets Slingbox — that lets users record basic cable and HD over-the-air TV signals, then stream them over the Internet to apps the company has built for the iPad or the iPhone. The company has also just built an HTML5 web app that will let users connect on devices that it hasn’t yet built apps for — like Android tablets, for instance.

Simple.TV CEO Mark Ely says that the Kickstarter campaign will help fund the initial run of device sales. Rather than raising funding in exchange for equity, Kickstarter will provide some of the working capital required to start manufacturing the device.

There are some other advantages to launching on Kickstarter rather than opening with sales on the Simple.TV website and on Ely says that the crowdsourcing service will help it with inventory management and gauging demand for the device before it starts selling direct to consumers. Kickstarter is also a great way to gain support through social networks and by word-of-mouth.

Simple.TV has multiple levels of support for the campaign, all of which will provide discounts for users who wish to sign up early and get one of the first devices to be shipped. With a goal of $125,000, the startup has a relatively low threshold of success — after all, it only takes about 1,000 unit sales for Simple.TV to hit its target.

  • Pledge $25 or more – Stick it to the cable guy and get a “Cut the Cord” T-Shirt.
  • Pledge $125 or more – Get the Simple.TV DVR at a $25 discount
  • Pledge $149 or more – Get the Simple.TV box and a year of service
  • Pledge $199 or more – Get a Simple.TV DVR with unlimited EPG service and a Mohu ATSC antenna
  • Pledge $299 or more – Get everything you need to cut the cord: a Simple.TV DVR with unlimited subscription, Mohu ATSC antenna, and a Roku XS
  • Pledge $349 or more – Get two Simple.TV DVRs with unlimited subscriptions, and two Mohu leaf antennas to allow you to send one to your family
  • Pledge $399 or more – For the real big nerds out there. Get a Simple.TV DVR with unlimited subscription plus a Mohu antenna and a Roku XD, personally delivered and installed by Simple.TV CEO Mark Ely
  • Pledge $499 or more – For developers, get three Simple.TV DVRs and API access to develop additional apps


text:
Before and After Pictures of the Nepal Earthquake.

Here are before and after photos of Kathmandu and Bharatpur’s most well-known landmarks. Hundreds of ancient temples and monuments dating from the 17th century were destroyed by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. (–> How you can help and donate to relief efforts)

What is your favorite movie that made you cry?

Answer by Christo Thomas Jose:

Grave of the Fireflies

Pursuit of Happyness

View Answer on Quora


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LifeHouse is Filled With Miracles

Albert Einstein once said, “There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

I want to share with you a ministry that is running on miracles, one miracle after another. LifeHouse is injected with so much faith it tips over and flows through the hallways like a cool stream inviting you to take a sip. There’s laughter, hope, love and the drumming of tiny feet and feet that are still encased in the womb there.

After being accepted to the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort, I was left with a case of the first edition of Polishing Jade. As you know we at ItsallaboutHiminc put all the money from our book sales back into the ministry. So we had a donation to give as well. If you’ve read Jade’s story then you’ve gotten a glimpse inside the mind and heart of a young, scared, abused, pregnant teenager. My husband and I had begun to search organizations who help women such as Jade. One day it was my hap to land upon a website called LifeHouse Maternity Center. I had already viewed several other organizations but nothing had tugged at my heart strings until I began to read about a place that doesn’t enable women but empowers them.

It didn’t take me long after calling and speaking to Shannon Zimmerman, LifeHouses’s development director, to realize that this was the place for Jade. LifeHouse is just what the names states it is. It is a place where life happens and new lives that may have never tasted the sunshine, drink it in, all because of one woman’s devotion. If you haven’t met Joan Smith the founder and executive director yet, I hope that after reading this blog you decide to pay her a visit because she will inspire you. Yes, she will cause you to want to put action behind your faith. Babies aren’t just born at LifeHouse and turned loose, they are raised by women who become whole, educated, empowered, and full of God’s light. And so about a week ago my husband and I stepped inside the house that houses unborn LIFE and we could feel His breath blowing through the rooms and the people there.

Joan doesn’t just want to give you a tour of her facility that houses up to 12 pregnant women and 12 women who have had their children, she wants you to dig your fingers into the rich soil and become part of the solution. LifeHouse has seen over fifty five babies born. If you’re wondering what you can do, go to the website and take a look around. My husband and I were given a tour and we were blown away. Upon entering our eyes were mesmerized by a hand carved wooden mural of a tree of life, thanks to artist Dan Diekhoff. If you study the pictures I posted closely you will see that he incorporated life in the leaves and branches. Many have donated furniture, installed windows, painted walls, laid floors, dry walled, and another did landscaping; each room held a story of what God had done. We were encouraged by the many who volunteer their time to teach the women about Jesus-Yeshua and the love of the Father. Others who take time each week to teach life skills, like how to cook, clean, financially plan, learn job skills, drive the women to appointments and the list goes on and on.

Just before leaving we were ushered up the stairwell where hung a beautiful picture painted by a woman contemplating abortion, underneath was her story written in her own words. She had started painting the baby in her womb and all the darkness was over powered by the light from her paint brush and ultimately her art has become a staple for every woman whose feet land there on that landing. If they are standing there they have made a choice for life. The artist Linda Kovacik Maassen wrote these words below:

“I painted this image while living in an indigent neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. I worked in a basement studio with dim lighting. I was a ‘starving’ artist at the time, subsisting on cornbread and peanut butter, looking for work and painting every spare moment I could.

“Such a humble, raw offering at the time. As a young woman, I was wrestling with the implications of the pro-choice stance. What did it mean, really, to choose to end a life growing inside — a glorious life full of light?”

“It hung in a hotel art show on skid row in 1983, and now decades later and 2000 miles away, here it is in such a fitting home exquisitely framed — something only God could do!”

Yes, God speaks even through the walls at LifeHouse. What stood out to us was the fact that The women at lifehouse don’t just have a baby and then get turned out into the world. They can stay up to 4 years after the baby is born and work on getting a degree or job training along with wisdom from counselors and God’s Word to help them prepare for this new life. I am looking forward to heading back to LifeHouse to meet the women there and hopefully plant some good seeds, dig my fingers in the soil a bit.

Does this sound like a ministry you’d like to give back to? If you go to their website it says this, “Whatever your talents, there is a need for them at Lifehouse. A little of your time can make a big difference in the lives of the women and babies at Lifehouse.” If you are looking for a ministry that’s making a difference and saving lives and changing the future, look no further. Pray and ask The Father if He would have you volunteer your time or give a donation. Miracles live here.

God created life and He knows how many hairs are on our heads, when we sit and when we rise, our thoughts from afar and the Bible says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalms 139:13. He also knew when Abel’s blood cried out from the ground. Won’t you help save a life today? I think Jade has found a good fit. If you feel led to donate your time, talents, or monies you can contact Joan and Shannon below.


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Song that I really like

29 10 2007

There is a song that I really like and I finally found it.  It is the song that is used on those really neat  Diet Dr. Pepper commercials.  It is…………..Help Yourself by Tom Jones.

Quick aside: The two most overrated musical acts of all time: Elvis (sounds like a drunk in the shower) and The Beatles (we all live in a yellow submarine, need I say anything else?)

One response

31 10 2007

Yes, Elvis was overrated. But The Beatles? C’mooooooon, man.

I bet you hate Dylan too, don’t you?

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Justin Bieber Lunges At Paparazzi, Has To Be Restrained By His Own Bodyguard (PHOTOS)

Is Justin Bieber unraveling before our eyes?
Just hours after he passed out backstage at his London concert and was rushed to hospital, the teenage pop star almost got violent with the paparazzi. Photos show the 19-year-old lunging at photographers, and he evidently had to be restrained by his own bodyguard.
Video footage of the altercation shows Bieber angrily responding to a photographer’s insults, by yelling “I’ll f**king beat the f**k out of you.”
The pop star almost immediately realized this was not his best move and turned to Twitter to do some preemptive damage control. In a series of tweets he wrote:

Ahhhhh! Rough morning. Trying to feel better for this show tonight but let the paps get the best of me…Sometimes when people r shoving cameras in your face all day and yelling the worst thing possible at u…well I’m human. Rough week. Not gonna let them get the best of me again. Gonna get focused on this show tonight. Adrenaline is high now. Gonna put it on the stage. Only way someone can break u is if u let them.

Rough week, indeed. Ever since Bieber trekked across the pond it’s been nothing but problems. First Bieber turned 19 and proclaimed he had the “worst birthday.” Then he was told to put his “f**king shirt on” by Olivia Wilde, and angered fans when heshowed up late at a London gig. Then on Wednesday, he had a mini-meltdown on Twitter, slamming “fake stories” that are used to sell papers.

Just prior to the singer’s collapse on Thursday, came reports that Bieber had been warned by his record label to cut back on the partying:

“After an emergency meeting in the U.S., Justin’s people had him on Skype to bosses and he was given a serious talking-to,” a source told the U.K. paper the Mirror. “It was suggested he start staying in more and basically cleaning up his act. He’s kicking off the European leg of his tour next week and has been told to stay in more when he’s not performing. Justin took the news well and has promised to go back to putting his fans first.”

With Bieber displaying such uncharacteristic behavior, some are worried that he’s quickly spiraling out of control.

justin bieber lunges paparazzi
justin bieber lunges paparazzi
It’s hard to say what’s going on with him but he does seem to be spiraling downwards. He needs a break. He needs time to breath when he is not working.  He got so big so fast that he couldn’t help for it to go to his head.  He went from having nothing to having anything his heart desires.  Not to mention, he was on top of the world for the past 2 years with Selena.  He’s gonna crash if he doesn’t slow down. Just Sayin’

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Straight VOD Gay VOD

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Running Time:   87 minutes
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Chris Cox – Fatal Distraction – Udderbelly Festival Southbank London – Review

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Chris Cox bills himself as “The Mind Reader That Can’t Read Minds” – it’s LIES, LIES,  LIES, I tell you, YES HE CAN. How he accomplishes such feats is his own closely guarded secret but as the evening progresses the revelations come thick and fast and it seems that no thought is safe from him.

He’s respectfully asked that reviewers don’t spoil the show by giving away what happens and I’ll honour that, partly because I’m a decent chap and all that, but primarily because I want you to all go and see this show when it’s on near you. (if it’s not on near you, get in a car, taxi, plane, train, tandem, whatever and get to it) YES IT’S SUPERB.

I was pleased to finally make my inaugural visit to the UdderBelly at the Southbank, I’ve seen it there the last few years for the Southbank Festival and repeatedly thought “I must get to see something there”, well, I finally have.

The unique Udderbelly Festival tent.

Mind-reading / Mentalist acts can suffer from being far too dark, far to repetitive and far too boring usually. There’s not any of that in this show. His pacing is superb, the whole evening has a joyousness that I’ve not experienced in a magic/mentalism act before.

His self depreciating humour, and amazing effects would make this worthwhile seeing. What makes it into my MUST SEE list, is how he’s compiled a complete package, he frames his evening around a touching premise that gives it a logical and dramatical trajectory most acts fail to achieve. Fatal Distraction is not so much an “act” more a complete 1 act play. We are taken on a journey with Chris and it’s a joy from beginning to the mind-boggling ending.

Chris is also extremely personable, treating his audience with respect and bantering along with us. He knows that the success of this show is on our interaction with him and vice versa and as he buoyantly moves amongst us, he makes the audience  just as much part of the show as him. I’ve seen countless performers fail to get interaction from their audience, not so with Chris, people were clambering to get the jumper wearing ferret (it’s a toy I hasten to add) that he has thrown about the theatre to locate his willing volunteers. Every volunteer is given their own badge, mine was placed immediately on my jacket, style guru that I am.

It’s the freshest, funniest and best mind reading show I’ve seen (and I’ve seen loads) . If you fancy a totally different night out at the theatre where you will be amazed, intrigued, involved and just smile and laugh from start to finish, catch this while it’s on tour. I’m going to catch it again and take some friends as soon as I can. He’s one of the best live entertainers I’ve seen.

STARS : * * * * *

One thought on “Chris Cox – Fatal Distraction – Udderbelly Festival Southbank London – Review

  1. Pingback: 2012 – Theatrical Highs (and one low point) | Theatre Thoughts Blog

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Tentacle joy

By Kris Littlesun

While I was at QPC this year I had a particularly enjoyable experiance where I spent a rather long time considering the various possibilities of tentacle genitals – which would have been good enough by itself, but when I came home and saw my friends who had been holidaying in Italy, they showed me this picture they had taken outside a monastery in Santuario Basilica, Rappallo:

Statue showing being with cloven hooves and tentacles coming out between them

Taken by Edie Pain, 2011

I’ve been thinking how strange it is that so many people seem to think it’s a good idea to base their spiritual lives around genitals.

5 comments on “Tentacle joy

  1. Jenny Peacock says:

    Yay for tentacles (on the ends of consensual beings of course). I love the idea of being embraced by a being with many tentacles – what a marvellous hug! I’m a fan of science fiction which considers gender and sexuality on other worlds and, from a tentacle perspective, can certainly recommend Octavia Butler’s “Lilith’s Brood” trilogy xx

  2. Jenny Peacock says:

    Check out this report from Cornell University/ Nasa on alien encounter scenarios 🙂
    Unfortunately they don’t seem to have considered loving congress to be a likely outcome…

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The No-Kinks Sprinkler Guide

Disclaimer: I am just passing on knowledge in regards to shopping for a sprinkler. If you are in a drought stricken area, where watering is NOT an option, then I am by no means advocating watering. If you are fortunate enough to use a sprinkler regularly or on occasion, then I hope you find my sprinkler-shopping guide helpful. I also just thought it would be fun to blog about sprinklers.

Hot. Dry. Crusty. Brown. All great words to describe the summer so far in Western New York. It’s been great, don’t get me wrong. We get some rain here and there on occasion, but nothing adding up to much. I have been diligent when it comes to watering, though I have slowed down some, as it is August, and unfortunately most of my plants have faded out fast. There are a few plants that really like hot, dry weather, so I am focusing on them.

In order for me to keep watering my flowers, and I have been advised to really douse them periodically, I use a sprinkler to get them. Because, let’s face it, standing there with a hose in your hand only wets the very top of the soil, and doesn’t do much. So, I went sprinkler shopping to get the one that would fit my needs perfectly.

This sprinkler is for small yards and waters my plants perfectly!

Who knew there were so many different types of sprinklers? There was one long cavernous aisle devoted to them.  I currently own three, and they are the right ones for my needs.

Things to consider when purchasing a sprinkler:

The size of your yard. Big, small, they have a sprinkler for all!

What you are going to use it for. Watering your lawn, or watering your flowers, there  is literally a sprinkler for every watering purpose.

How much water you want to use. Want a soaker? You got it! Or, just a little mister to keep your plants looking shiny and nice? They have that too!

Currently, this is my sprinkler rotation:

The old fashioned sprinkler at the bottom of the picture should be a default for everyone. It is good to cover bigger areas of your yard, and because it can be great fun running in it when the thermometer reads 91 degrees!

So, if you think that there is just one sprinkler to use, and it doesn’t suit you well, always remember– this is modern-day America, where the choices are there for you, and they are abundant!

2 thoughts on “The No-Kinks Sprinkler Guide

  1. So sorry you have had such a dry summer. It’s probably not helping the deer problem either. Even though we get rain, I still need to water with the hose. These look like some really good sprinklers… I like the look of the Gilmour. I’m not sure why I have been putting up with the one I have as it is so old and leaky, I’ve just been too lazy to go out and get a better one. You’ve inspired me to replace it now! Hope you get some decent rain soon.

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Gemstone of the week: Jade

February 17, 2011

My visit to New Zealand is high  up on the list of my most exciting holidays.   The sights and sounds were absolutely beautiful. I was very intrigued about the maori culture; they have a very rich heritage.  I noticed many of the Maoris I saw wearing beautiful green stone: New Zealand Jade.  The carvings and shape have spiritual significance  and the origins can be traced back many centuries. In times past, jade was used to create weapon and tools and also to create prized ornaments, often handed down from generations to generations.

I love the deep green of Jade. I remember seeing some beautiful bracelets, but sadly I could not afford them on my student budget. Next time, I will definitely be getting myself some jade jewellery.

5 Comments leave one →
  1. February 17, 2011 2:46 pm

    You’re definitely on a travel roll ma’am.. New Zealand? Nice one.. Beautiful green too though..

  2. February 18, 2011 9:38 am

    I think of China when i think of Jade- don’t know why though. But yeah, that green is lovely!!

    • February 19, 2011 11:45 am

      China Jade is the most widely known type. I like the New zealand type because its has a deeper green colour

  3. February 21, 2011 2:21 pm

    And P.S. i just featured the fab Colour Couture on my blog like i asked. Hope you don’t mind 😀

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Design of the Day

Stamp that on your wall!

Famously featured on Alan Carr’s chatty man and exhibited at this years Birmingham Interiors Show, this range of Royal Mail stamp rugs are becoming the new craze.  Depicting Queen Elizabeth’s head and made in a variety of colours,  the rugs can be laid on the floor or mounted on a wall for maximum effect. They are made from 100% New Zealand wool and hand-woven in Nepal. Ranging from small to large sizes the rugs start off at £695 up to £4350.

Filed under Birmingham Interiors Show 2011, News

3 responses to “Design of the Day

  1. CharleyJ

    Xmas present if you truely love me.

  2. Pingback: Buy exclusive interiors that arn’t available on the highstreet | The Design Hub

  3. Pingback: Birmingham Interiors Show 2011 lowdown | The Design Hub

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No Effin’ Evidence according to Charles Johnson.

Right, Charles. Although it’s literally true that the pre-election surveillance was not “wiretapping” per se, yet that’s the vernacular term for spying, by whatever means, and it was done illegally via the Obama Administration. Hell, even the left wing media confirmed it.

Charles, how are you benefiting by promoting such easily debunked propaganda? You have to be getting bucks for sucks because no sentient with a soul would post that kinda garbage.

On a lighter note, how about posting a guitar etude or two? Maybe even something you composed yourself. Every single talented guitar player I’ve ever met recorded him/herself playing solo because there’s a big ego involved, like yours.

Post it and we’ll promote it. You have nothing to lose, and it might boost your self-serving GoFundMe account.

Or not.

Then there’s this. Charles threw Little Debbie under the bus.

LOL. Meanwhile:

Keep your heads down, folks. That’s some serious squirrelly.

From the Lions, Tigers & Bears Department:

The Trump Administration Is Full Of Vampires,  Zombies, Evil Scientists, Nazis & Assholes

Propublica? Yeah, sure. No reporting bias there.

If that is true, it means that Gusano and Johnson missed the filing deadlines to apply for the positions of Ingeniero Sanitario de la Embajada de Argentina and Internet Fair Practices Enforcement Monitor and Nazi Detector Czar in a timely manner.

OMG! DEATH PANELS! Not all of Johnson’s TwitterRats buy into his hysterical bloviating bullcrap:

Charles, how many times can you pants yourself on the internet before you realize that you’re the joke of the butt?

Charles F. Johnson – Constitutional Scholar Now with 25% more #Stompyfeets

Ignoring Charles Johnson’s amateur headline typo, he has no clue what he’s talking about. Massive protests? Nope. Effective? Nah. Will they change anything for the better? Au contraire, Monsieur Circonférence.

First, there’s no ban on muslims. Secondly, there’s nothing in the U.S. Constitution that forbids immigration restriction. Thirdly, the immigrants in question these days aren’t poor destitute women and children, the elderly and infirm, fleeing war-ravaged countries or from religious persecution. They’re not 7 year-olds who swam the Atlantic either. They’re cowardly infiltrators who abandoned their own families to wage their demonic jihad outside of their own countries of origin. It’s no secret, and Charles Johnson has known this for over a decade.

Charles doesn’t get out much these days, but he keeps trying to hook up with young deranged women like Ms. Nicole Ghio. So who is she?

I don’t know, Babs, but I do know this. Nicole’s a contributor to HuffPo, hasn’t posted in almost a year, and her Twitterbanner with description is a headscratcher given the topic she and Charles seem to be railing about.

So is a 63 year-old Johnson courting the young Ms. Nicole for a gig on HuffPo? If anyone knows, please give her a heads-up. The Big Boy with #stompyfeets is an unrepentant recidivist backstabber.

BTW, Charles, you’re a mess.

A Week’s Worth of Little Green Footballs Headlines: What’s Missing?

[Hint: It’s round on the ends and high in the middle.]


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Mini Rodini for your Bambini

Buyer's Edit, Fashion, Kids

mini-rodini-theoandbeau1_2498If this campaign shot from the latest Mini Rodini range isn’t enough to either

a) melt your heart

b) want to clothe your kids in the entire range

c) buy a puppy

Then we don’t know what is. The Swedish children’s label is forever winning us over with their quirky yet cute designs, and we’re happy to report that their new collection is now on show at The Dressing Room.

But we’d suggest you get in quick because these designs are running out the door faster than the animals they feature. With limited stock and sizes we’d hate for you and your bambino’s to miss out!

mini-rodini-python-tee-yellowMini Rodini Python Tee in Yellow

mini-rodini-giraffe-dressMini Rodini Giraffe Dress in Pink

mini-rodini-python-legging-backMini Rodini Python Leggings in Green

71035497Mini Rodini Toucan Print


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Home » News » Spain Awakes to First Smoke Free Day

Spain Awakes to First Smoke Free Day

Those who frequently use restaurants and bars in Spain are set for a new, smoke-free, experience as the country has banned smoking in enclosed public areas. The new rules began on Sunday, January 2nd 2011.

The law, which became effective on Sunday, means that smoking is now banned in enclosed public spaces such as airports, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and any other enclosed public place.

It is also now illegal for any media in the country to carry tobacco advertising.

However, 30% of hotel rooms may be set aside for smokers, but rooms must be away from the rooms used for non-smokers. The non-smoking laws do not preclude smoking in open air restaurants, nor rehabilitation centres, such as old people’s homes.

The laws bring Spain into line with other European countries, many of which have already banned indoor smoking.

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Home » Tag Archives: Shakalakaboomboom

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March, 2012

  • 17 March

    Horse Racing: Grand National 2012 Antepost Odds & Early Prices

    With the Cheltenham Festival for 2012 just finished following a surprising and fascinating Cheltenham Gold Cup, serious National Hunt horse racing fans and part-time enthusiasts alike begin to turn their attention to perhaps the biggest race of them all – the Grand National. John Smiths Grand National 2012 is set to be another big occassion, with the four and a …


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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Heart of the Valorous Active This Weekend. Good or Bad?

Blizzard announced that the heart of the valorous buff will be active from Friday August first at 10 AM PDT until Monday August forth at 9 AM PDT.  It is once again time to stack up on some quick and easy valor so save that epoch stone hand in for a few days if you want to take advantage of it.  And that is really my question here.

A short bit ago when blizzard decided to spring the heart of the valorous on us with no notification at all people complained about it.  Now they give us advanced notice and people complain about it.  Blizzard just can not win.

In both cases I wholeheartedly agree with the people complaining because they are very reasonable complaints and they are valid at the face value for what they are presented as.

When they did not inform the players ahead of time people complained that they wish they had known so they could have waited to take advantage of it.  This is a very fair request.  It would be nice to know when something like this will be added, even if it is just one day in advance.  Anything that effects the way you play the game should be announced.  They don't just drop raid tiers without telling anyone so they should not release a buff like this without telling anyone because it might change how people will play that week.  So yes, I agree with all the complaints.   Blizzard should tell us.

Now they tell us and give us more than ample notice.  They tell us before people started to do their valor capping so that they have more than ample time to adjust their plans for the week.  Like me, I was going to come on and cap one of my hunters quick with some scenarios or however so I can upgrade some new shiny heroic gear and then maybe try and get some runestones with my lock.  Now that I see we are getting the buff this weekend I am not so much in a rush to do that.  I can easily enough just wait until the weekend.

This too however brings a fair deal of complaints that again are quite reasonable.  Just like I said I will change my plans, and I am flexible that way, other people are not taking to kind to being put into the position where they need to make changes, or at least having to make the decision on if they want to make changes.  There have even been people that argued that it ruined their plans and they would have rathered not know.  I can sympathize because I did have my plans for the evening and now I scratched them because of this.

Blizzard just can not win.  Announce it and they have people upset they announced it because they feel they need to change their patterns of play and don't announce it and people complain because they were not told so they did not have the option to change their patterns of play.

Well here I am, the grumpy elf, to offer blizzard some advice on the house.  Free of charge.  No need to even thank me for it.

How about the next time around you just make the valor buff last for the lock out, the entire lock out.  From reset to reset.  That way people can play how they want to play and take advantage of the buff.

And as an added bonus blizzard.  It might even make them play other characters, which means they are in game more maybe finding another class they like, experiencing something that will make them want to come back more often instead of just capping what they feel they "have to" cap in some short window they have.  They will have an entire week to take advantage of it on as many characters as they can.

It will also not alienate those people who complain they do not play on weekends, which is another very fair complaint.  It will allow them to take advantage of it just the same as all the other players of the game.

In the end however it will benefit you, the company, more than anyone else because whether you announce it or not, you will have people upset with you and you have enough mud on your face lately to begin with.  Try not putting more on there on purpose.  Just make the buff last the entire lockout week next time.  That is my advice.

So what do you think, do you think them announcing it is good or bad?

For me right now I think it is kind of bad.  I was going to go home and cap out a few characters tonight and now I feel like there is nothing for me to do because I am going to wait until the weekend.  Would have I been happier if they just surprised us with it?  Maybe, maybe not.  But I know one thing for sure.  If they did not announce it I would be playing warcraft tonight but being they did announce it I will be playing wildstar instead.  Something for them to chew on there I think.

  1. You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not please all of the people all of the time.
    Thaddeus Lincoln (A. Lincoln's 1/3 brother who his 4th son was named after)

    1. I never knew who said that, but I do know the quote itself. Interesting.

    2. I was joking - Lincoln had no 1/3 brother named Thaddeus. :Þ

      Abraham Lincoln did say "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." which is taken from the poet John Lydgate's saying of “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”.

  2. I haven't been earning any valor for a while since I just don't need any, so this doesn't really effect me. I'm glad they announced it in advance this time, but I'd be even happier if it was for the whole week instead of just the weekend.

    Lately, I play WoW on Tuesday nights (world bosses) and log in a little a couple other times a week, but I play other things (ESO, was playing Far Cry 3, going to try Watch Dogs now since I got it free with my new gpu) on the weekends.

    The first couple times they added the buff, it got me to play my DK and mage some, but since then I just haven't felt the desire. They both need gear and I don't want to do LFR and I just can't really get in a groove with them (I'm a one toon kind of guy).

    1. I tend to spend my timeless coins for the buff and maybe do a dungeon or scenario on characters I do not normally play. But the buff does make me get a little valor on characters I do not normally play.

      One problem with that is I hate upgrading anything under 553. I'll do it when I have to but even on a player I rarely play I feel as if I am wasting valor upgrading an LFR piece or a flex piece and I hate that feeling of waste.

  3. With the +16 upgrades on gear, it's a good idea. Will it keep from running LFR between now and the weekend, probably not.

    @Jaeger, got the new video card, promised Watch Dogs, but dealer 'is out' and I am waiting on a back order. Bleh!

    1. Mine was a digital download through Uplay.

    2. I guess if you are running for a reason other than valor it would not stop you but for me and having so many with the cloak already, I am willing to wait to run my LFRs.

  4. OMG, Grumpy you are a Genius. How is it possible with the combined intelligence and gaming experience of Blizzard that they still get the small things wrong. It is just common sense to stretch it out for a week.

    I have handed in Epoch Stones the day before and I have missed the buff on other occasions. It is bad planning by Blizzard and terrible communication.

    That said Valor is becoming less important now that all my Toons are maxing out.

    I thought originally that Blizzard might alternate on a weekly basis between Valorous and Gaze but now I think they leave it to the famous Blizzard RNG machine and we know how much it loves Grumpy.

    1. Common sense is sometimes not a very common thing.

      Not sure who said that but it is so true in many aspects of life including the blizzard offices it seems.

      Alternating and always keeping one or the other up might not be such a bad idea.

  5. There are no reasonable grounds for complaining about the communication of this buff.

    I can understand, even if the sense of entitlement irritates me, the complaints surrounding the lack of communication the first time round.

    Now players have a choice that they didn't have last time. How can you complain about that?

    Grumpy... you now have nothing to do tonight because you were going to cap VP but are saving that to take advantage of the buff this weekend.
    So, before the buff was announced, what were you planning to do this weekend? Why not do that tonight instead?

    It sounds like grumpiness just for the sake of it to me.

    1. People will always complain about what ever bothers them. In a way that is a good thing. If people complain that means something matters to them. So that is a plus. When people stop complaining, then blizzard needs to start worrying.

      I did do what I was going to do this weekend. I played wildstar instead. As I said, I have no problem with it, I am adaptable. Some people however were really upset by it and while you believe they had no right to be I agree they do have a right to be.

      How would you like if you were planning on watching your favorite TV show tonight and then got a notification that it was not going to be on until sunday. You would be pissed. It is roughly equivalent to that for people that only play wow, or are set in their ways, or can not play on weekends. You might not think they have a right to complain but they do. You just do not agree with their complaint, that is all.

    2. due to some "BS-like-24-hour-coverage-of- some-not-really-news" news event. For example - "This just in, the President is having an in-grown toe nail remvoed".

    3. It is nothing like a tv show being rescheduled!
      WoW wasn't cancelled until the weekend.
      It was still there, you could have capped just like any other week.
      You chose not to, you chose to take advantage of the buff this weekend.
      Without this communication, you would not have had that choice.

      A more accurate comparison would be people complaining to McDonalds that they are starving to death because they can't eat until the 2for1 big-mac offer this weekend.

    4. I am not saying it is bad because it allows choice. You are trying to make it like I am. You could not be further from the truth.

      And it is a hell of a lot more like a TV show than it is like mcdonalds. Where the hell did you pull that outrageous comparison from?

      A TV show is something you want to watch and you wanted to watch something new on tuesday and expected it to be tuesday and it was delayed to friday.

      That is a pretty close comparison. Sure, you can still watch your show, but it will be a rerun. You like the show so you will like the rerun, but you just had your hopes for something new.

      That is a dead on accurate comparison to what is going on with this. You wanted the new "valor cap" on tuesday but were told that the better "valor cap" (meaning new episode) would not be until friday so you have a choice. Cap now (watch a repeat) or wait to cap (watch the new show).

      Not sure about what world you live in, but that is a dead on balls accurate comparison.

      Your example is about as far from comparison as you can be. Can not see how you can even compare them. If you are hungry, then eat, if you are waiting for the 2 for 1 you are an idiot or you are not that hungry.

      Not to mention, I do not think any person ever in the history of the world made their entertainment schedule around mcdonalds 2 for 1 but I can assure you that billions upon billions (yes, with a b) have planned their entertainment around television or games.

    5. Your TV show isn't different though.
      It's not rerun vs new episode.
      It's new episode vs new episode (with no commercials)

      The episode (VP cap) is exactly the same in both cases.
      It hasn't been cancelled or rescheduled, it's still there. It will just be easier to watch at the weekend.

      That is where your comparison falls down.

      Now my comparison, while (deliberately) extreme, shows the ridiculous attitude of some players.

      McDonalds (WoW) is still open
      Bigmacs (VP) are still available.
      Quarter pounders (raids/pet battles/whatever) are still available.
      Burger King (Wildstar) is also open.
      There's other food in the fridge (go play football)

      So why complain that you are being told about this 2for1 offer?
      Why say you have nothing to eat/play/watch now?

      Being told of a 2for1 bigmac offer at the weekend definitely should not stop you eating now and should not stop you going to McDonalds now if that's what you want.

      Your last paragraph makes no sense, why mix the two analogies?

    6. "It's new episode vs new episode (with no commercials)"

      That is a better way to put it. Watch the new episode on tuesday or watch it with no commercials on friday. I like that analogy.

      That version is better than my original one and much better than the mcdonalds one. We will use that one. ;)

      Either way, I still say the people that are complaining have a right to complain even if I do not care. Why should someone that watched the show on the weekend get no commercials (doulbe VP) and they get stuck watching them. If they are going to air it twice during the week they either should both have commercials or both don't have them.

      So if they want to complain that they (for whatever reason it may be) can not wait until the weekend or can not play on the weekend they would have rather not know because now they are upset. Let them complain, it is their right too.

      No matter which side you take it does not change the fact that it should last a full week which announcing and not announcing make no difference about.

      OT: That is actually how I watch TV. I never (or very rarely) watch anything when it is on. I wait until the next day and watch it with no commercials. I am willing to wait if something is better because I waited. That is why I am waiting to cap until the weekend personally.

    7. Haha, still not liking the McDonalds one eh? :-)

      No worries, we'll stick to the other one.

      I'm beginning to think it's just my outlook...
      I see the buff this weekend as a bonus. I'm away this weekend so can't take advantage of it.
      I can still cap VP the same way I normally do though so I have nothing to complain about.

      Funnily enough, I watch TV the same way you do. That or use the box-set approach and queue a load up before chain-watching them.
      I never complain about having to wait either ^^

      Maybe I just don't complain enough!

    8. I see it as a bonus too so we are on the same page there but for some people they would rather not know because then they feel they have to change things. Sometimes people, all of us, can be very inflexible on things.

  6. It sounds to me like the WoW community needs a good couple of swats to the ass and sent to bed with no supper.

    1. While I agree with you, it is getting tired, blizzard has brought it on themselves. If the buff was the entire week everyone would have just said thank you and moved on. They create their own problems.

    2. You know as well as I do that they would have bitched that it only lasted a week or that they didn't get both buff's at the same time.
      /SWAT /SWAT /SWAT!

    3. Of that they do not need valor, or that they are not on that part of the quest line (which they did say last time).

      People will always complain about things, but there is a matter of what is reasonable to complain about and what is just complaining for complaining sake. Blizzard has been making a lot of decisions people have all rights to be upset and complain about lately.

  7. They should just put both buffs up until the expansion as a bonus for bothering to stay subbed for a year with no new content.

    1. While I wholeheartedly agree I think they are trying to make them limited to add "excitement" to them. Not like it is working, but I think that is the intention.


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Dispensing Happiness

A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.-Elsa Schiapirelli

That's me, the magical good cook.

Borrowing from my friend Dexygus, I've created my own food blog.

Read of my exploits in the kitchen! Salivate over the descriptions of fabulous desserts and savory meals I've concocted!

No, seriously...go ahead. It'll make my day.

Friday, April 14, 2017

IT’S BAAAAAACK! (for now)

I miss you guys. I miss Blog Party.
So I’m bringing it back...as a sort of test run.  We’ll see how it goes.

(We kind of skipped #43 because of reasons, but I’m still counting it.)

BLOG PARTY #44: Tea Party!

I love tea. I love everything about it. The scones and crumpets and finger sandwiches and cakes and cookies and soups and SO MANY TINY FOODS!

And yes, the tea.  And other fun drinks associated with it.

So I’m opening up the house and inviting you all to a tea party. A BLOG PARTY TEA PARTY!

Since it’s been a while, I’ll sum up BP for you (of course, there’s a handy guide right here, too).

Blog Party is the original virtual cocktail party.  It’s friends - old and new! - coming together to share drinks and small and bite-sized treats.

I ‘decorate’ with themed party accessories, get the tunes playing and introduce everyone as they arrive (translation: I find cool stuff and music that ties in with the party, and do a short recap of every entry).  We hang out, we chat, we eat! It’s fun.

And this time? It’s all about tea!

Want to join in? Send me a link to your post (and for those who don’t use Blogger, etc but still want to come, Tumblr, Instagram...whatever. Take pics, write about what you’re ‘bringing’ and send that! I’ll make it work.) any time between now and Friday evening, 21 April. I’ll post the round-up on the 22nd.  (My email address is located below ‘Links’ and above ‘100 Things About Me’.)

I know Blog Party has been quiet for a very long time, but I hope you’ll remember the way!

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2 Thoughts for food:

At 3:36 PM, Blogger ostwestwind said...

YES! Count me in!

At 11:17 PM, Blogger Deb in Hawaii said...

I just sent you my email. I am happy to see BP come back--at least for this round!

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Friday, July 24, 2015

North by North South East West

Inverted dinner and salad plates for circles!

A traced quarter made the perfect center circle!

Whoops - went over the lines!
I got distracted
watching the Astronaut Wives Club on TV
That's OK, that's now North!
And the center - The Moon!

Two coats of sealant makes the chalk disappear
and the pearl paint really pop

We needed a stepping stone near our front gate - to step over the mud and water when it rains.  Checking out Lowe's, hubby found a 12" square concrete stone and suggested I paint it.  Why not?  And why not a compass, oriented to the North on our land.  And on our iPhones.  Thank you, Apple!

Easy-peasy to do!    I used Craft Smart acrylic paint in Navy and Pool Blue (Craft Smart is Michael's house brand paint) and Martha Stewart's Mardi Gras Beads (purple outlined circles), Habanero (red), Carrot and Mother of Pearl.   FYI:  The Martha Stewart Mother of Pearl is a really good paint.  Grab it next time you are in Michael's and can't find anything to use your coupon'll love it.

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Three Month Sabbatical

Let’s just call this hiatus in blogging I’ve been having a 3 month post-baby sabbatical and pretend that I really blogged about everything, ok?

The funny thing is that life has actually been really good for us these past three months. Sherman is a really fantastic baby. He sleeps, he only fusses when something is wrong, he’s calm and quiet most of the time…basically it’s baby heaven. Especially after all of the crying we endured with Ruby. I finally believe people when they say that after about six weeks babies tend to settle out with their sleep. Sherman totally did! He only gets up once, maybe twice at night, and then is back in bed and asleep withing 20 minutes. Sometimes all he needs is a binky, so I’m only up for about a minute to replace the lost binky. It’s magic! It puts Ruby’s babyhood into kind of a negative perspective on the sleep and crying front, but I’m enjoying Sherman’s blissful babyhood all the more for the contrast.

(As an aside, Ruby just walked past me wearing my white high heels, a diaper, and pushing her baby doll stroller. It is cuteness encapsulated. Oh, wait, then she lost her shoe and goes “Oh, crap!”, so–you know. Parenting win in kind words we’ve taught our daughter.)

I’ve got Sherman’s birth story half written up, and I really need to finish it before all of the details disappear from my mind. The quick and dirty version is that I labored for 4.5 hours, he was over a pound bigger than Ruby, and it was a harder labor and birth than Ruby’s was. Oh, and he was born at home. The longer, better version will be posted some day.

But here’s to being a more diligent blogger. We started attending the Family History class at church, and it has made me regret the neglect of this blog. Since its purpose is as a record of our family, it’s important that I keep up. I’m not very good about taking pictures, so this written record has a lot to stand for. On the up side, I figure that it won’t be hard to be more diligent than I’ve been the past few months.

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Verstappen rode his luck

Missed Apex Podcast returns this week with their Spanish GP review. Obviously the elephant in the room is thoroughly dissected, namely the Mercedes incident, and show host Spanners Ready explains why he thought Verstappen was a touch lucky with his historic win.

Screen Shot 2016-05-17 at 23.54.13

Missed Apex is an independent F1 podcast we hope you enjoy as TJ13 endeavours to keep to the mantra ‘by the fans, for the fans’.

The show is recorded weekly every Sunday evening and features a live stream with chat room. New topics and comments are discussed on the Facebook group.

To access the Podcast player Click Here (you can also download the file from here).

Subscribe via iTunes here

For iPhone users follow the steps below
Step 1: Navigate to on your mobile

Step 2: You will be prompted to click the “Quick Launch” icon.

Once you’ve done this it will add the podcast to your home screen where it will appear as an App.

For Android users follow the four steps below
Step 1: Navigate to in Chrome on your mobile device.

Step 2: Bookmark the site URL in Chrome.

Step 3: Go to your Chrome bookmark and find your podcast icon, long-press it, then tap the “Add to Home Screen” from the pop up menu.

Step 4: Now go to the home screen of your Android phone and you should find your app installed there.

3 responses to “Verstappen rode his luck

  1. RedBull stitched RIC up in that race. He was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb, so that RedBull could continue to hug the spotlight with Max moving up to the A team. It was the perfect story,

    “young sensation moves up to the A team, qualifies 4th and win the race on his first outing for the team”…..

    Ridley Scott would’ve loved a movie plot like that

    Would they have given Kvyat the same strategy as Max? Hell to the naw the wouldn’t have. Max is now the apple of their eye.

    With news today that Renault may only have 2 of the new upgraded PU’s available for Monaco, any takers that Max gets it first?

    RIC better start updating his CV.

    • Yeah, its going to be very interesting to see who gets the power unit between Max and Ric.
      Rumor is Ric will be using it.

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Tagged: EPSRC

My data is your data

Academics in the UK are just coming to terms with an open access policy for publications (from paid ‘gold’ to free ‘green’ university repositories).

What has received significantly less attention is the new UK research data policy. In my experience, raising this issue in conversation is met with blank expressions… what data policy?

Some key points from https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/about/standards/researchdata/. From 1st May 2015:

Published research papers should include a short statement describing how and on what terms any supporting research data may be accessed.

The metadata must be sufficient to allow others to understand what research data exists, why, when and how it was generated, and how to access it.

My university, like most others, has put together policy and guidance documents but they are quite generic and don’t seem to have really filtered down to the researcher level.

In my field of computational materials science, there are now several options:

  • GitHub – my group has been using this a lot for research (DOIs can be generated via the EU-funded project Zenodo; 2GB limit per repository). Instead of building separate repositories for each paper, we have been collecting related information, e.g. Phonons and Crystal Structures.
  • Mendeley Data – a nice clean interface for uploading data and generating DOIs, but I haven’t seen any clear policy for storage limits or guaranteed data lifetimes.
  • Figshare – this repository plays nice with raw datasets and multimedia (e.g. a hybrid perovskite MD video). The serious drawback is a 1GB storage limit (per free account) with a 250 MB file size limit.
  • NoMaD – a new respository to “host, organize and share materials data”. I have great hopes for this one, but at the moment the website is a little jaded, and the interface is light years behind the Materials Project (which serves a different purpose of being a single source database).

Ideally, a standard protocol would be adopted in the community to avoid the individual ‘data dumps’ that university repositories enable in favour of a systematic and searchable community database. Aiida allows one to do this at the research group or collaborator level, but I hope that NoMaD can build a critical mass of researchers (and sustained funding) to make this a reality.


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Persuading the Whining Executive

Here’s an often posed question from public affairs and communications officers seeking media training for their top executives: “How on earth can I get them to take this seriously?”

There are two tracks toArm wrestle this answer, one internal, the other external. On the internal front, you as the resident expert must work to develop legitimacy over time. Providing trusted counsel in situations both routine and crisis-oriented helps you establish your bona fides. Unless you walk in the door with a stellar reputation, it will, frankly, take you some time to develop trust and rapport with your executives. When you are viewed as the go-to expert on communications matters, your recommendations, including those involving media training, will be accepted much more readily.

As for the external factors, first and foremost, select an honest-to-goodness communications training consultant — an expert dedicated to the craft of training, messaging, and strategy, not a generalist just out to make a quick buck off you. Then, let your spokespeople know your thought behind the choice, and give them some background on your consultant. He should be able to provide information about books, research reports, position papers, and other materials he has authored. Of course, also send his web site address to those he will be working with.

Further, seek out a consultant who is — not to put too fine a point on things — an adult. Quaking and shaking while giving advice in a meek voice does not inspire confidence. While being diplomatic, he cannot be afraid of speaking truth to power when necessary. In fact, part of my standing deal with clients is to alert me to any issues they are having with particular individuals. It may be anything from a failure to take media relations seriously to an annoying nonverbal habit. Knowing of these peculiarities in advance allows me to bring them to the fore during our work together (with none of the internal communicator’s fingerprints visible), raise them diplomatically, and deal with them effectively.

Best of all, selecting the right consultant gives you a double win. Not only does it strengthen your messaging and your executives’ communications skills, it also reflects well on you, bolstering your internal reputation as the resident communications expert.

That’s admittedly a quick trip to a nuanced question. What other ideas do you have when trying to persuade your executives to look at media training as a positive experience, both for them and for your business?

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Ewa M HM Sekret Wiktorii 65DD

I bought this bra, because 1 I love the way it looks, and 2 because I wanted to try an unlined Ewa bra. I kept going back and forth on what size to get, because there wasn’t a lot of info on unlined bras in my size, as well as a lot of info for this bra in particular. I ended up going with 65DD, because I figured if it was too small it could be a “sexy time” bra. However, even though I sized down, it was still too big.

The straps

The straps are wide set. Actually, too wide for me. I tried this bra on a few times (for mere seconds/less than 5 minutes), and everytime it felt uncomfortable. My shoulders aren’t particularly narrow, so that something to keep in mind if you are interested in this bra.

The cups

When I bought this bra, there were only 2 other people that had owned this bra, and they were both nice enough to measure their bras. Both of them listed the depth as being around 8.1 inches (20.57 cm), with a width of 4.9 inches (12.45 cm). Those 2 measurements work out for me, with the depth possibly being too small. Well, with the bra I received, the depth was 9 inches (22.86 cm), which is too deep for me.

The top of the cup is also open. It’s not like other unlined halfcups that have an elastic piece that goes across the top. There is space between my breast and the top of the cup. I think because the straps are set so far apart, the sides of the cup come up high on me, and irritate my skin.

The gore

The gore is too high and too wide for me. The gore is 3 inches (7.62 cm) high, and about .75 inches (1.91 cm) wide.  If this were a Comexim it would be okay, because the wires are soft, but this isn’t Comexim, it’s Ewa, so the Cleo like wires are painful for me.

The band

The band is TTS, and firm. Sizing up wasn’t necessary (thankfully since that wasn’t something that crossed my mind). The band does stretch to 30 inches (76.2 cm). The band has 4 rows of ‘eyes’ (I do find it interesting that some of my Ewa bras have 3 and some have 4)

I like the way this bra looks (just not on me), and while I would like to reorder it in a smaller cup size, with my luck the band would run small. I also don’t think I have the breasts for unlined halfcups. I haven’t come across one unlined halfcup that I love yet. They all seem to emphasize my natural shape instead of providing some sort of uplift.

One thought on “Ewa M HM Sekret Wiktorii 65DD

  1. Before reading your review, I ordered the HM Sekret Wiktorii in my usual EM size, 65F. Now I’m worried it’ll be too deep for me. Your 65DD’s 9″ depth is what most of my fitting bras’ depth measure as. 😦

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Gender Reveal – Desi Style

This week I am talking about our decision to not find out the gender of the baby.  The most interesting, and possibly stereotypical, reaction I received was from the fearless, opinion sharing, knower of all things- the Indian Aunties .  Top to bottom, when an Indian Aunty  who saw me heard that I was having a baby they would take one look at me and say “I think it’s a boy.”

Boys were the cherished gender in traditional Indian culture (and in many other cultures across the world).  The desire for a boy came from a very practical place.  In many countries, the transfer of land could only go to a son.  Before the era of the retirement homes (which were virtually unheard of in India until recently), it was a son and his new family who would care for parents into their old age.  Girls, while loved, were considered burdensome because someday they would need to be married and would move far away from the family.  Not to mention that in many parts of India to marry a daughter required a substantial dowry.

While Indian culture has come a very long way and many of the boy/girl stereotypes have largely disappeared, there is still something lingering in the culture that wants or esteems boys.  It is deeply rooted and it comes from an honestly good place.

So when I hear the Indian Aunties tell me it will be a boy, I just take it as a pre-arrival blessing for a healthy, happy baby that will be a wonderful addition to our family (even though I am secretly rooting for a girl).

Gender Reveal Backlash

My Leading Man and I thought our decision to not find out the gender of our baby would just be our mystery to deal with.  Boy, where we WRONG.

EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE had an opinion to give us on why we should be finding out.  By EVERYONE I mean not only future Grandparents – they were down right angry at us and to this day think we know and are just not telling them – but friends, co-workers, and most baffling of them all, down right strangers.

As most pregnant women know, strangers have no problem coming up to you at a restaurant, in a store, at the mall, at the movies and virtually any other place where your ballooning belly is visible to them and wanting to ask you about your pregnancy.

Question #1 – When are you due?

Question #2- What are you having?

For me, the positive inquiry ended with question #2.

The look of horror and disbelief when you reveal that you are choosing not to find out if it is a boy or a girl was shocking the first handful of times it happened.  Eventually I got used to it.  The most popular follow on questions people would ask me were:

Well how will you buy it clothes?

“How will you decorate the nursery?”

“How will you decide on a shower theme?”

“So you want to be unprepared for baby?”

And so on and so forth. Some days I found it beyond irritating to deal with these inquisitions (and trust me they happened almost every time I was in public).  Other days, I found it amusing because I knew what slew of questions were about to come my way.

The baby will have tiny little outfits and they will be adorable (they will just be neutral in color).  The nursery is in progress and in my opinion looks fabulous (yes, there will be a future post on this soon).  We had two baby showers and both went off without a hitch (more on that soon too).  And as for being unprepared, knowing the gender would not help me be a more prepared parent. For me, it would lead to more confusion, stress and obsession about how to raise a Little Miss or a Little Mister.

While there are times when I want to know and I am beyond curious to find out, keeping it a mystery has been a wonderful part of our personal journey.

Gender Reveal? Not For Us, Thanks.

When you are about 20 weeks pregnant you can find out the gender of your baby.  This is a milestone in the pregnancy as many expectant parents cannot handle the suspense of not knowing if it is a boy or a girl brewing in the belly.

From the moment I found out I was pregnant, one of my first thoughts was that I did not want to know the gender of the baby.  I wanted to not only keep it a surprise from other people but I also wanted to keep it a surprise from ourselves.  My overall philosophy around baby was to not over think the stage of pregnancy I was in and not to contemplate the stages of pregnancy that were to come. I needed to know the basics but I didn’t want to wind myself up with so much information that I became obsessive or over worried about any step in the process.

To that end, I didn’t know what knowing the gender would do for me.  Yes, perhaps I could buy more gender specific clothing.  Perhaps I could paint the baby’s room various shades of pink or blue.  But something deep down inside of me just did not want to know.  Rather, I preferred to be subject to what once was life’s biggest mystery.

My Leading Man on the other hand was keen to find out.  The day of our 20 week appointment, where the Doctor does a full look at the anatomy and reveals the gender, he says to me “Just think about it.”  Well I had already thought about it and had a strong feeling that I did not want to know. Luckily he went along with it.

Fortunately, the baby also cooperated.  It was tumbling around in the belly during the entire appointment.  So much so, we couldn’t even get a good picture of our bundle of joy.  The Doctor said “good thing you don’t want to know the gender because I wouldn’t be able to tell you with how much this baby is moving.”

Good work baby!  Now we will all find out together when you pop into this world.

The First Trimester

Almost the same day that I found out we were expecting our first child, I begin to experience the dreaded morning sickness.  However, in my case, it wasn’t morning sickness but late afternoon/early evening sickness.  I cannot say how my sickness compares to other pregnant women.  All I know is that for me it was overwhelming and exhausting.

I was one of those people who prior to becoming pregnant can count on one hand the number of times I had a cough or a cold.  I enjoyed good health my entire life.  So imagine my shock and complete inability to cope once baby started to make its presence known in my body.  The nauseous feeling was overwhelming and made the afternoons and early evenings adventurous to say the least.  I never knew how bad it would be but most days were pretty darn bad.

In the first trimester I lost seven pounds as I simply couldn’t keep anything down.  While feeling so sick, I was working full-time and trying to disguise my pregnancy from colleagues. No easy feat when I had to run out of  afternoon meetings to the restroom to deal with my severe nausea or had to pull over the car on the drive home to vomit.

During one particularly rough weekend, I started crying and told My Leading Man that his child was trying to kill me.  “Now what kind of mother says that?”  he retorted.  “Many probably think it but probably don’t say it out loud” I shouted back.

And so it went for twelve long weeks.

Cultural Perceptions on Managing Post-Baby

There were many things about being pregnant that were completely expected – the nausea, the fatigue, the emotions, the weight gain.

What was completely unexpected was the reaction by women who grew up in India on how I planned to manage post baby.

I tried very hard to not over think my pregnancy.  I focused on the basics but I tried not to get ahead of myself. I tried to focus on the current moment and deal with each step of pregnancy as it came.  My overarching pregnancy philosophy was and still is that everyone does it. I am not the first person to go through this.  Homeless people do it.  Stupid people do it. Short people do it.  Crazy people do it.  No matter what, I will be able to do this.

That includes dealing with the ups and downs of pregnancy as well as figuring out how to manage post-baby.

However, I was in for a quite a shock by the reaction of Indian women to my post-baby plans.

I plan to manage the way so many people the world over manage.  My mom will come for two weeks post-baby but then I am on my own.  Maybe my aunt or my sister will come for another week but essentially after my mom leads me in a two week motherhood boot camp, I will be managing on my own for the rest of my maternity leave.  My mom works and lives 500 miles away.  This is the best arrangement we have and I intend to make the most of it.  Never for a moment as my mom and I discussed our plans early on did I worry about this.  So many women manage with far less assistance that I am confident this will work.  It has too.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I fully anticipate all the difficulties associated with bringing home a newborn and managing alone.  I am not naïve. I know it will be difficult but I have no other option.

However, I do not think it will be as dramatic or difficult as the India-born women in my social circle make it out to be.

“You will never be able to manage, you know.”

“That will just never work.  My mom was with me for two months and I still found it soooo hard.”

“My mummy and papa stayed for six months and that was the only waaaayyy I could imagine handling this.”

I can understand the cultural perspective these women are coming from.  In India it is not uncommon to go to your parent’s home and stay there for a few months following the birth of a newborn.  For the Grandparents sitting in India who are able to come and revel in the joy of a grandchild while providing extra caring arms and legs to their daughters or daughters-in-law, I salute you.  That level of support is wonderful to have.  But the fact that your parents can sweep in from India and stay for months on end is simply not an option that most women have. My non-Indian friends often bring baby home with no help at all.  I am sure having a support network like this would make things easier but this isn’t reality for so many women and it certainly isn’t reality for me either.

There are many different ways to handle a pregnancy and raise a child, including how much help is available or not available to you during those early days of a baby’s existence.  Instead of judging one another, women should support each other and their choices.  Not all family situations are created equal and different approaches are workable.

How my situation will work when baby arrives is yet to be seen.  But I know I am not alone and my situation is not unique.  As much as my family loves me, they are doing everything they can to support me and for that I am truly grateful.

No you didn’t? Oh yes, we did!

There are literally hundreds of ways to go about telling people you are expecting a baby.  You can pick up the phone and call someone.  You can go the social media route and blast a post to all of your friends and followers.  You can throw a  party and make an announcement in front of a crowd. You can send announcements in the mail with a creatively orchestrated picture.

The options are limitless.

For us, none of these options seemed quite right.  As a couple in our mid-thirties expecting a baby for the first time we are surrounding by friends and family with their own conception struggles and triumphs. It seemed insensitive to our friends who were struggling to engage in any kind of public announcement. It also didn’t feel comfortable to call each person and give them our news.  I wasn’t sure what type of reaction I would receive over the phone, especially from the friends who were working on their own fertility issues.

So what was the solution?

Text message of course.  Now it may seem cold or even dry to some of you to send a text message but it was the only creative way I could figure out how to tell people without creating any artificial or immediate reaction.  The text messages were extremely well received and I believe for those who were struggling with conception, a more sensitive way to tell them.  The texts went something like this:

Hello Aunty & Uncle. This is Baby Sharma and I arrive in August.  Super excited to meet you.

It was sweet, simple and to the point.  The responses back were simply wonderful.

How would/did you announce a pregnancy to others?  Would you ever go the text message route?


text:
August Photo Challenge! #2

Hi guys! Happy Saturday. Sorry this is so late, been kind of busy. Here is my August Photo Challenge inspired by Fatmumslim. Here is this week’s pictures!

I missed a day… The prompts art, gather, inside, give, clouds and clean. I got new art supplies! Spays (which I will mention more later), pens and stamps. I can’t wait to create more beautiful art with these new supplies. Oh, and that is Landlines by Rainbow Rowell!!! I can’t wait to read it!!! 🙂

Have a great day! 🙂

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