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I am laughing through pain. That's right. I am laughing at my pain. Oh wait - this really does hurt.

Brooklynn's on Wellsphere
Wellsphere's Health Maven
Wellsphere - Health Knowledge Made Personal

Sunday, November 22, 2009

C'est La Me ....

So I have been off birth control now for about 10 months.... I have to say I am thankful for birth control but I am at a point in my life now where I do not ever want to go on it again. I really do believe that stress mixed with hormones caused my migraines to go banana's over the last 10 years. Since being off my birth control my migraines have lessened, depression has lessened, I sleep better, I lost weight and I have gotten control (I think) over my stress. While I do not blame or credit birth control for my pains and recent gains in my health, it certainly began with birth control on both fronts.

My migraines have been mild. They are still here .... that stinky little monster .... and they come when my period is near and when my stress is floating high. The good news is that I have become very adept at recognizing them so I slow down and run to my meds.

Which leads me to another topic .... HEALTHCARE. Oh I know .... it is such a hot topic right now. But guess what? Healthcare has been helping me with my migraines for 10 years. When I finally got on botox 3 years ago it was a life saver. A LIFE SAVER!! I currently am uninsured and due for my botox injections .... wanna hear what has been happening? My tension headaches are back and my inability to completely fight them off causes a lot of frustration which causes them to increase. I know that people who have never had chronic migraines could never understand completely but allow me to analogize for you: imagine pots and pans banging behind your eyes, on your neck and inside your head amplified by a megaphone and flood light on your eyes. The physical pain, the light and noise would be unbearable for people who have never had one of these suckers. That is about 10% of the pain I feel when I have a migraine. The frustration, the annoyance at yourself and every moving person or thing around you is intense. I wish I had the option to go on a public health care system so that I did not have to worry about not being prepared for a migraine or God forbid an asthma attack (an affliction I have had since I was a child). I have not yet read the Senate proposal but I know the one out of Congress was a big pile of dooky.

I hope for the sake of yourselves, your neighbors and the people on the street you are getting involved in this debate and making your voice heard to your state and federal representatives. This debate needs to be about us and not about them. They have had more than enough time to do something substantive on their own; it's time to push them off the cliff of stagnant bullshit and into action. Be your own lobbyists and fight for your beliefs - be heard!

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My photo
I am laughing through pain. That's right. I am laughing at my pain. Oh wait - this really does hurt.

Brooklynn's on Wellsphere
Wellsphere's Health Maven
Wellsphere - Health Knowledge Made Personal

Monday, July 2, 2012

Migraines are hormonal

Wow, so long since I have updated this and yet so much life that has happened. What I found out about my migraines was that there were a few things going on: my birth control pills were jacking my hormone levels to a dysfunctional level, the stress in my life was taking over my ability to cope with life and finally I was not living out my hearts desire. As soon as I took a step towards what I really wanted to do with my life, my migraines went away. Just like that. They went away. I get them only now when my life is out of sync which is mainly around my period but even then it is only ever so often. I am now able to rest for a few hours and be fine with a few Tylenol. No joke. Certainly this is not the cure for everyone, but this truly worked for me. I thought I was going to be  coping with these the rest of my life, so it is with great giddiness that I tell you I am doing really okay.

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Tuesday, June 7, 2016

The question of God’s election is a difficult and divisive one. There are many different opinions on the subject, both in this church and in the church at large. I would like to mention a few things that help me in dealing with this question. I recognize that Calvinism is an idea many strongly oppose, and I have no illusions of easily convincing those who are firmly against it. But I hope the following are at least helpful in clarifying the issues. I would start by maintaining that God is beyond our human understanding (Romans 11:33; Isaiah 55:8,9; 1 Corinthians 3:18), and we cannot comprehend how God’s sovereignty and responsibility fit together. But while God is in control of all things (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 9:14-24; Isaiah 43:13), we still make choices, and those choices have consequences (Deuteronomy 30:19,20; Joshua 24:15; Revelation 22:17). God’s sovereignty is not an eastern fatalism, where if you are fated to have an accident, it does not matter if you are going 35 mph or 120 mph. It is also not a psychological determinism, which says we are simply a product of our environment. This leads to the idea that we cannot know or do anything meaningful, as everything is a result of our psychological conditioning.
While it is imperfect, an analogy I find helpful is that of an author and a story. The people in the story make choices, and those choices affect the course of the story. Their choices, while influenced by, are not totally a result of the previous events of the story. (Except perhaps in the odd case where the author makes them that way.) But the actions of the characters are totally determined by the author.

Now the real problem as regards salvation is that we are sinners and therefore not willing to come to God (Romans 3:11; 7:18; 8:8). Therefore, there needs to be a work of God in our lives to bring us to Him (John 6:44; 1:12,13; Acts 16:14). Therefore, the picture is not that of all these people that want to believe and God refusing to choose them, but of all of us rejecting God and God using His power to bring people to Himself. Therefore, the offer of salvation to whoever believes is a legitimate offer (John 3:16; 11:25,26; Acts 16:31) just as the promise of salvation for observing the Law is a legitimate offer (Galatians 3:12, though we are unable to keep it) . But for someone to come to Christ, God must work in their heart. Also, evangelism is still important, as God works through means to accomplish His purposes (Romans 10:14.15; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Timothy 2:10). While He will see to it His purposes are accomplished, we are part of carrying out those purposes. But the bottom line is that I believe God chooses people because the Scripture, taken in a straightforward way, teaches it (Ephesians 1:4; Romans 8:29,30; 9:14-24; Acts 13:48), and that is more important than my ability to understand it.

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How to Remove No Follow from Blogspot Comments ~ Make Money Fast - The Million Dollar Experiment Down Under

Monday, June 04, 2007

How to Remove No Follow from Blogspot Comments

Finally I have decided to remove the no follow tag from my comments, the no follow tag is added by default in Blogspot blogs so that all the spam comments are not indexed. I personally moderate each comment myself so spam won't be an issue for me or for Google from this blog. I found the information to do this from this post Removing NoFollow from Blogger styled layouts however have tried to break it down into five basic steps - its a good idea to back up your template before carrying out any modifications to it.

5 steps to remove from your template

1./ Click on Layout for the relevant blog in your blogspot template

2./ Click on Edit HTML

3./ Tick the expand widgets box and do a search for nofollow

4./ Delete the line that says rel = 'nofollow' there were two of them in my template, one for back links, one for comments. I just removed the one for comments. (this is the one that has the code next the line

5./ Save Template

Why did I remove it?
Basically I have removed the nofollow tag to provide more value for visitors to this site - its an incentive that will hopefully result in more comments on my posts. Part of what convinced me to do this was this post Never See "0 Comments" On Your Site Again...Guaranteed!

I will post a future article on the effect that this has on my blog comments, remember if your comment is not related to my article and just a plug for your own site it will not get displayed anyway - all authentic comments will get displayed.

Subscribe by Email to the Million Dollar Experiment Down Under

Kumiko said...

Hi Rob! I've updated my post with a link to this post at the end. Thanks for explaining it all in such a simple way!

rob stgeorge said...

Thanks Kumiko - its certainly one of the easier modifications that I have made to date!

Remove NoFollow on Classic Blogger said...

Well blow me down. You said more with less than I could have ever done. I do tend to get a little long winded. :)

Thanx for the link Rob, appreciate it. My link above is for the Classic FTP Blogger for this hack.

Unfortunately, Blogspot hosted Classic blogs are SOL -- unless Blogger will allow for an option in the Settings dashboard. Don't see that happening. Maybe if we grab the DoFollow community and put up half-page ad in the NY Times ... yeah right!

rob stgeorge said...

Ronnie: No probs, your article was the most thorough I could find and I found it pretty straightforward to follow, so don't worry it wasn't to long winded!

gautam madeshia said...

It seems that you have inspired kumiko to remove no-follow tag from her blog :)

i will try removing the nofollow tag from my site too ... probably will have to edit the template :)

Gdog said...

Thanks for this, I'm going to try this on my blog now. :)

rob stgeorge said...

gautam: Actually Kumiko inspired me!

gdog: No probs, and good luck with changing your template!

Ladyjava said...

Thanks for this fantastic blog entry! Very clear and easy to follow. I've implemented at my site at Ladyjava's Cash Online.

rob stgeorge said...

Thanks ladyjava, I am glad you found it easy to follow, I'm off to check out your site now.

Roseate said...

Hi Rob,

Thanks for this easy explaination and the importance of removing the no follow thing :)

I have just removed it from my blog...but wanted to make sure I did it right, where there was a space between the ">" and the last phrase when I removed it, so I removed the space too...I think that won't matter righ?

Internet Business Promotion And Opportunities

rob stgeorge said...

Hi Roseate, normally html just ignores spaces anyway, so should be fine.

Roseate said...

Thanks...I am glad it was fine.

Internet Business Promotion And Opportunities

Chris Brown said...

I "think" I removed the "no follow" comments, but when I switched from old blogger template to a new template, I'm not positive that the new blogger template didn't put them back in there. Do you know of a way I could double check??
Chris Brown
Branding & Marketing blog.

rob stgeorge said...

Hi Chris I had a look at the source code of your page and it looks like the no - follow is still present, so if you follow (excuse the pun ) the article you should be able to remove it.

CyberCelt said...

Howdy, Rob! Its good to find you again. I am trying to outwit Blogger/ Google and trying something that might work.

rob stgeorge said...

Hey cybercelt, nice to catch up with you again!

Anonymous said...

Thanx for great tool and I will install the same at my site catering for Indian Stock Market Tips And Online Money Making Tips >>I look forward for a comment from you.

Anonymous said...

Thanx for wonderful blog tip.Users of my blog will immensely benefit and so if interested to Get Your Blog Reviewed Free do remember to visit my blog.

i know this is an old post. I came to know about your site and this "How To Remove No Follow from Blogspot Comments". I'm using the old template and I managed to locate the the one for linkback, but not the one you mentioned [near the comment author]. Please help.

id="c $BlogCommentNumber$" a name="c<$BlogCommentNumber$

Thank you in advance.

WendyWings said...

I am still using the classic blog so I am SOL as another person said.
My template was customised by someone else and moving it to the new system has proved beyond my coding abilities lol.

Amit said...

Hi Rob george, I saw your post when I googled removing no follow tag in blogspot and I did the same on my blog though not all the blogs .
The question is then if I leave the comment here would it be considered a link to my blog and which one

kenken said...

HI... thanks for the info. I'm new in blogger.

fulltime freelancer

Yinsi Yat said...

Wonderful tips! I have removed the nofollow in my comments and backlinks. When I check the page source the nofollow is still there.I wondered if I did it correctly.My blog is

indian classified said...

nice tutorial i have checked this on my blog its working. thanks

lirik said...

very great and informative post. thanks a lot for sharing it.


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Diana’s Quiz – March 11, 2017

  1. What is the ‘football’?
  2. Who was the first documented European to reach Hawaii?
  3. In which movie did Fred Astaire dance on the ceiling?
  4. Which amino acid is found in vegetables and was the first amino acid to be isolated?
  5. Which Caribbean Island had a century-long gold rush until its reserves were exhausted?


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Angola FlagAngola

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Population: 13,338,541 (2011)
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Political System: Republic
State Leader: Jose Eduardo Dos Santos (1979)
Languages: Portuguese, Bantu, African languages
Currency: Kwanza (AOA)
Major Religions: Indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15%
Major Ethnicities: Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, Mestico 2%, European 1%, Other 22%
Life Expectancy: 38.76 years (2011)

GDP Official Exchange Rate: 85.81 billion (2010)
GDP Purchasing Power Parity: 114.1 billion (2010)
GDP Per Capita (PPP): 8,700 (2010)
GDP Growth Rate: 5.9% (2010)
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Labour Force By Occupation: Agriculture 85%, Industry and Services 15% (2003)
Industries: Petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar, textiles; ship repair
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Human Development Index: 0.403
Tourism Revenue: 82 million (2004)
Unemployment Rate: NA

MilitaryMap of Angola

Army Size: 108 400 (2004)
Budget: 5.7% of GDP (2006)

Current Situation

Angola is located in south-central Africa, it is bordered by Namibia, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. The enclave province of Cabinda is bordered by the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Angola is the second largest producer of petrol and diamonds in sub-Saharan Africa, despite this situation the people of Angola are some of the poorest in Africa. Corruption has taken a large portion of the oil proceeds. The province of Cabinda was the scene of a civil war and still some groups demand autonomy from Angola. Growth should return in 2010 as 2009 was a rough year for oil prices and exporters, and also the continuity in government should provide some stability.

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Chad FlagChad

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Population: 10,758,945 (2011)
Land Area: 1,284,000 sq km
Natural Resources: Petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish, gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
Capital: N'Djamena
Political System: Republic
State Leader: Lt. Gen. Idriss Deby Itno (1990)
Head of Government: Emmanuel Nadingar (2010)
Languages: French, Arabic, Sara, Over 120 other local languages
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine Franc (XAF)
Major Religions: Muslim 53.1%, Catholic 20.1%, Protestant 14.2%, Animist 7.3%, Other 0.5%, Unknown 1.7%, Atheist 3.1%
Major Ethnicities: Sara 27.7%, Arab 12.3%, Mayo-Kebbi 11.5%, Kanem-Bornou 9%, Ouaddai 8.7%, Hadjarai 6.7%, Tandjile 6.5%, Gorane 6.3%, Fitri-Batha 4.7%, Other 6.4% Unknown 0.3%
Life Expectancy: 48.33 years (2011)

GDP Official Exchange Rate: 7.592 billion (2010)
GDP Purchasing Power Parity: 18.56 billion (2010)
GDP Per Capita (PPP): 1,800 (2010)
GDP Growth Rate: 2% (2010)
GDP Structure: Agriculture 50.5%, Industry 7%, Services 42.5% (2010)
Labour Force By Occupation: Agriculture 80%, Industry and Services 20% (2006)
Industries: Oil, cotton textiles, meatpacking, brewing, natron, soap, cigarettes, construction materials
Agriculture Products: Cotton, sorghum, millet, peanuts, rice, potatoes, manioc; cattle, sheep, goats, camels
Human Development Index: 0.328 (183rd)
Tourism Revenue: 10 million (1998)
Unemployment Rate: NA

MilitaryChad Map

Army Size: 30 350 (2004)
Budget: 4.2% of GDP (2006)

Current Situation

Chad is located in central Africa, it is bordered by Libya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger. Chad is plagued by political violence and attempted coup d'état the latest in February 2008. Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world and one of the most corrupted. Chad's main export is crude oil.

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Updated on: December 12, 2011


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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

TWD: Cherry-Fudge Brownie Torte

This week's recipe was selected by April of Short + Rose who decided on Cherry-Fudge Brownie Torte.

The pictures are not the best, but in my defense, it was dark when we finished the torte and I need natural light to take pictures. There was no way my family was going to wait until the next day to eat this just so I could take decent pictures. Sometimes you have to take what you can get when it's one photographer against four hungry taste-testers!
This ultra rich torte features a fudge brownie base, laced with dried cherries, cherry preserves, black pepper and chocolate chunks. The brownie is then topped with mascarpone mousse. Rich!

  Although this was the perfect combination of a dense and fudgy brownie with light and creamy mousse there are two things I would do differently next time. First, I think the flavor of the cherry preserves got lost in the brownie batter. Next time I will use them as a separate layer between the brownies and the mousse. Secondly, this torte improved with age, so I would definitely make it the day before serving.

If you want the recipe for this wonderful dessert visit April at Short + Rose.

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DB: Macaroons

The 2009 October Daring Bakers' challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macaroons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.
Thank you Ami for hosting this month's challenge. We really had a good time learning to make these delicious cookies. They were easy to make, and come with endless flavor possibilities for both the cookie and the filling. I will definitely be making these again!

Our first batch had a chocolate ganache filling and the second had a whipped white chocolate espresso ganache for the filling. Both were fantastic. I didn’t try to vary the flavor and color of the cookies because I  wanted to be sure that I could make them successfully before experimenting.

On the first attempt the batter seemed too thick; the resulting cookies had feet but didn't have a smooth and shiny surface. Even though they didn't look like Ami's picture, the cookies still tasted great. On the second and third batch I used the recipe on Syrup & Tang, which was simpler, since all the ingredients are based on the weight of the egg whites. Whenever I have extra egg whites I toss them into a cup and put them in the refrigerator until I have a need for them, and almost always forget how many egg whites are in the cup. The Syrup & Tang recipe solved that problem because it is based on a ratio of egg whites to the other ingredients so all you have to do is weigh egg whites and add the proper amount of sugar, almond meal and confectioner's sugar. This method resulted in cookies that had a smooth shiny crust and a chewy center, which is exactly how a macaroon should look and taste.

Macaroons with white chocolate espresso ganache filling.

Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5  (at room temperature)

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.

2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning to add zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.

4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.

5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).

6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.

7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Yield: 10 dozen. Ami's note: My yield was much smaller than this. I produced about two dozen filled macaroons.
Macaroons with semi-sweet chocolate ganache filling.

If you want to try the Syrup and Tang method just follow this link.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Sweet Potato Biscuits

TWD: Sweet Potato Biscuits
October 20,Tuesday's with Dorie recipe, Sweet Potato Biscuits was selected by  Erin of Prudence Pennywise.   They were light, tender, and creamy biscuits with a beautiful orange color.  The mild sweet potato flavor was enhanced by cinnamon or nutmeg.  A dab of butter and a drizzle of honey and you are good to go.

     Although they look like a hockey puck, that's where the resemblance ends. The biscuits were soft and moist, but not overly flaky and didn't raise very much. In order to make biscuits or scones flaky, I cut the butter into the flour, then I put the mixture in the fridge until the butter has hardened again, usually between 10 and 20 minutes.
    Would I make them again? Sure if I wanted to have the beautiful orange color.  The flavor of sweet potato was a little too mild and they weren't as flaky as I would like. With a few modifications they would make delicious scones for Halloween breakfast.

Sweet Potato Biscuits
by Dorie Greenspan

Makes about 18 biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 15-ounce cans sweet potatoes in light syrup, drained and mashed
Pinch of ground cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Get out a sharp 2- to 2 1/4-inch-diameter biscuit cutter, and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and spice, if you're using it, together in a bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir to incorporate it, making sure there are no lumps. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat it with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips (my favorite method) or a pastry blender,cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces the size of everything in between -- and that's just right. Add the sweet potatoes to the bowl, grab a fork, and toss and gently turn the ingredients until you've got a nice soft dough. Now reach into the bowl with your hands and give the dough a quick, gentle kneading -- 3 or 4 turns should be just enough to bring everything together.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough very lightly with flour and pat the dough out with your hands or roll it with a pin until it is about 1/2 inch high. Don't worry if the dough isn't completely even -- a quick, light touch is more important than accuracy. Use the biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Try to cut the biscuits close to one another so you get the most you can out of this first round. By hand or with a small spatula, transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Gather together the scraps, working them as little as possible, pat out to a 1/2-inch thickness and cut as many additional biscuits as you can; transfer these to the sheet. (The biscuits can be made to this point and frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight and kept for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting -- just add a couple more minutes to the oven time.)
Bake the biscuits for 14 to 18 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. Transfer them to a cooling rack -- cooled a bit, they're more sweet potatoey. Give them 10 to 15 minutes on the rack before popping them into a basket and serving.

SERVING: Unlike most biscuits, these are best served after they've had a little time to cool. They are as good at brunch (they're great with salty ham and bacon) as they are at tea (try them with a light cheese spread and/or marmalade). Or have them with butter or jam, fruit butter or fruit compote.
STORING: You can keep the biscuits in a plastic bag overnight and give them a quick warm-up in the oven the next day, but you won't recapture their freshly made flakiness.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Hocus Pocus Pumpkin Cupcakes

Check out all of the entries and vote for the October Cupcake Hero now thru October 21 at

     When I ventured over to I Heart Cuppycakes! I met up with the cupcake heroes. What a fun and creative group of bakers! Their cupcakes looked so fantastic. I wanted to bake cupcakes; I wanted to be a cupcake hero.

   Booo-tiful Pumpkins is the theme for October. The cupcakes have a delicate pumpkin flavor and a velvety texture, and are topped with a light and airy caramel buttercream. I was so focused on creating pumpkin cupcakes that were rich and flavorful but didn't have the dense heaviness of pumpkin bread that I totally jelled on the decoration aspect of the theme, but I didn't have to worry The Frosted Cake 'n Cookie had my back. A visit to this very talented baker's blog taught me how to make these adorable witches hats.  If you haven't stopped by before, you should definitely make a visit.

Hocus Pocus Pumpkin Cupcakes
 with Carmel Buttercream

Makes 9 cupcakes

1 cup All Purpose Four
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch cloves

2.5 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree

In small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Add the egg and continue beating until incorporated. Add pumpkin puree and mix well. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk. Mix well; batter will be fluffy.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes until golden. Let cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Buttercream Frosting:

2 egg whites
3 Tablespoons sugar

4 Tablespoons sugar
¼ cup boiling water

1 cup soft unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar.

In bowl of electric mixer beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the 3 tablespoon sugar while beating at high speed until thick and glossy.

In a heavy bottom pan evenly sprinkle 4 tablespoons sugar. Place pan over medium heat and cook, swirling pan by the handle, until the sugar melts and turns a golden brown.  Remove from heat and carefully stir in the boiling water, using a long handled wooden spoon . Caramel will sputter and bubble when you add the water. Stir to dissolve all of the caramel.

With the mixer on low speed slowly add the warm caramel mixture to the beaten egg whites. When all of the caramel has been incorporated, turn the mixer on high and continue beating until cool,scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.When the mixture is cool reduce speed to medium high and add the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Add the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and salt and continue beating until light and fluffy.
printable recipe

Witches hat's are made with fondant and if you want detailed direction visit The Frosted Cake 'n Cookie

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

TWD: Allspice Crumb Muffin

This week's recipe, Allspice Crumb Muffins, selected by Kayte of Grandma's Kitchen Table, had a nice delicate flavor and a rich brown sugar crumb topping.
They were super easy to prepare, since no mixer  was needed.  If you're not an allspice fan, not to worry- you can easily substitute nutmeg, cinnamon, pumpkin or apple pie spice mix. Around here everybody has an opinion and Boy Mimi thought I should add some grated apples, which I think would add a nice fall flavor.

Allspice Crumb Muffins
Baking:from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

For the Streusel:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

For the Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Getting ready:  Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with greasing nor paper cups.  Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

To Make the Streusel:  Put the flour, brown sugar and allspice in a small bowl and sift them through your fingers to blend.  Add the bits of cold butter and toss to get irregularly shaped crumbs.  Set aside in the refrigerator for the moment.  (You can make the crumbs up to 3 days ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator.)

To Make the Muffins:  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, allspice and salt.  Stir in the brown sugar, making certain there are no lumps.  In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract together until well combined.  Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend.  Don't worry about being thorough--the batter will be lumpy, and that is just the way it should be.  Stir in the lemon zest, if you're using it.
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Sprinkle some streusel over each muffin, then use your fingertips to gently press the crumbs into the batter.

 Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

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Saturday, October 10, 2009

Apple Raisin Cake with Caramel Sauce

 It’s officially autumn here in Southern California. They days are lovely and warm and nights are brisk and cool. I can no longer wear shorts and flip flops to Boy Mimi's Friday night football games. I actually need a jacket to stay warm (okay so it’s only a cotton jacket not a parka). I am not complaining - the cool weather is a welcome change. Besides needing long pants and a jacket, the cool weather makes a slice of this moist apple cake, drizzled with warm caramel sauce and paired with a hot drink a great way to celebrate a victory or console yourself after a defeat.
     This cake is one I have been making for many years. It's loaded with apples, raisins and toasted nuts.  The caramel sauce is an old stand by from Julia Child’s The Way to Cook.  It's one I always have on hand to dress up apple, pear and pumpkin desserts in the fall and ice cream sundaes in the summer.

 Apple Raisin Cake with Caramel Sauce

1/1/2 cup AP flour
½ cup cake flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch each cloves, mace and ginger
1 cup unsalted butter
1/1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ½ cups peeled chopped granny smith apples
2/3 cup raisin, plumped in 1/3 cup bourbon and drained
½ cup chopped roasted pecans.

Plump raisins: Place raisin in a small pan, add bourbon and heat to a simmer. Turn off heat. Let raisins soak for at least 10 minutes. When ready to use drain, reserving the liquid.

Butter and flour a 9 inch spring form pan.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

In a medium bowl mix together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and all spices.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of the bourbon reserved from the raisin, beat until light and fluffy about 30 seconds.

Fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the apples, raisins and nut. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

While cake is baking make Caramel Sauce:

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup cream
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Blend the sugar and water in a 1 ½ qt sauce pan and bring to a simmer, brushing the sugar from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush and water.  Remove from heat and swirl the pan by the handle to make sure all of the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is perfectly clear. Return pan to moderately high heat; cover and boil for several minutes. After a minute or so peek at syrup, when the bubbles are thick uncover the pan.

Continue boiling, swirling the pan by the handle until the syrup begins to color. When it is a light caramel color remove from the heat and continue swirling and the color will darken more. To stop cooking place bottom of the pan in cool water.

Slowly add the cream, which will congeal the caramel. Return pan to low heat and simmer, stirring until the caramel dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and salt. Use warm or cooled. Refrigerated in a covered jar, the sauce will keep for weeks.
 printable recipe

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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Chocolate and Vanilla Pudding

TWD: Split Level Pudding

This week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe was chosen by Garrett of Flavor of Vanilla. This sophisticated two layer pudding was easy to make. The bottom layer is a chocolate ganache covered by a smooth and creamy vanilla pudding. What I really like about this combination is not just the flavors, but the fact that the ganache is much firmer than the custard but not hard and brittle the way chocolate gets when it is refrigerated. The ganache was creamy and firm yet still spoonable; it was like having a piece of chocolate in each bite followed by the cool silky texture of the pudding. The flavor combinations are endless; my next rendition will be to add orange zest to the pudding and Grand Marnier to the ganache. To help keep the layers separate when adding the second layer, use a teaspoon with bowl side up, position it just over the first layer, and then pour your second layer letting it gently slide off the bowl of the spoon. This is a perfect do ahead dessert for entertaining.
If you want to make this delicious  dessert stop on over at The Flavor of Vanilla,  or buy Dorie's book.
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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

TWD: Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

 Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine selected Peanut Butter Crisscrosses to bake this week. We all love peanut butter cookies so it would have been hard to turn down this recipe. With lots of other treats in the house I only made half the recipe and got 26 cookies.
Baked as per the recipe the cookies were sweet and crispy.  We prefer our peanut butter cookies to have a crispy edge and a soft, chewy center so we underbaked the second pan by a few minutes and they were perfect.
Peanut Butter Crisscrosses
from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch of grated nutmeg 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
  • 1 cup brown sugar,  firmly packed
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts
  • 1/2 cup sugar to coat

Pre heat oven to 350F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a bowl.

In another bowl, beat the butter at medium speed with an electric mixer for a minute or two, or until creamy. Add peanut butter and beat for one more minute. Add brown sugar and sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating one minute after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and on low speed, add dry ingredients, beating just until they disappear into the batter.Add peanuts. The dough will be soft. (I chill the dough for an hour, so it is easier to work with)

Pour half a cup of sugar in a small bowl. Using a tablespoon, take small balls of dough, roll it between the palms of your hand and then roll in the bowl of sugar to coat. Place balls on prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between each. Dip a fork in sugar and press against each ball to flatten cookie. Then press in the opposite direction to form a criss cross

Bake for 12 minutes,rotating the pans after 6 minutes.  The cookies are ready when they are lightly colored and still a little soft in the center.

Cool cookies on the plates a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

It's easy to enjoy these cookies with a glass of milk or a bowl of ice cream. If you want the recipe, visit Jasmine. To see what the other TWD baker thought visit our blog roll.


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DIY Wooden Travel Dollhouse

Hey there makers! I am stopping by today to share a great summer project with you. With all the summer vacationing and trips, I thought this DIY Wooden Travel Dollhouse would be great for little girls! Using a We Made It Jennifer Garner kit and a few craft supplies, you can make one too.

This wooden treasure box has 3 separate compartments and a sliding, transparent lid. After we decided to turn it into a travel dollhouse, we collected scrapbook paper, felt, pom poms, knobs, trim, Mod Podge, hot glue, a tape measure/ruler, scissors or paper cutter, etc. and got to work.

We measured out the compartments, cut the paper and felt to fit, and Mod Podged or hot glued them into place. Then we added trim and knobs- also known as crown molding and chandeliers in dollhouse world. Using wooden pieces and a pom pom, we made a table and a potted plant to accessorize. Our peg dolls were ready to play! We made a bedroom, a ballroom, and a garden for Cinderella and Prince Charming.

Everything fits nice and neat inside with the lid on, making it easy for travel.

My daughter has had so much fun playing with her DIY Wooden Travel Dollhouse. We can’t wait to take it on our next road trip and our next camping trip we have planned. It’s also the perfect size for her Disney Princess Magiclip dolls, which have been visiting the dollhouse too.

I have a feeling that this dollhouse will be getting LOTS of play!

To make your own and to check out the other awesome kits in the We Made It Jennifer Garner line, head to your local Jo-Ann Store. Be sure to check out the We Made It Jennifer Garner Sweepstakes too!

What types of things do you bring to entertain the kids when you travel? Let us know in the comments!

This post was sponsored by Jo-Ann but all opinions and ideas are 100% my own. I only share products and ideas that I love and I think my readers will love too!


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Sunday, June 10, 2012

Aamir Khan - Yet Another Populist (YAP)?

I was just reading an article by Aamir Khan in the Hindu. Now he’s supposed to be a very good man. But when he talks of things he knows nothing about, he is kinda diluting his brand equity.

In the article he says he “would prefer to err on the safer side and say eight to ten percent” should be spent on Health... Did he clear his maths exam? We are talking percentages and not absolute numbers. If we increase the spending on health, we will have to cut out some share of some other spending 1. Can he also suggest where we should reduce GDP spends? Defence? So next time a 26/11 happens, we should question Aamir... Or Education? So next time a poor chap is unable to find a job because he can’t fill up the employment form, lets blame Aamir... Or Infrastructure? Next time you take 8 hrs to cover the 240 km from Delhi to Chandigarh, call Aamir, I’m sure he’ll charter a flight for you with the money he is making by airing his “well-researched” one-sided views2.

That is a malaise of the “Social Sector” workers. They throw numbers like "X% of Indians do this while Y% can't even do that. If only Z% did this, ABC% of population would benefit". You can't argue with their numbers; they are hard truths. They believe in a cause which they believe is bigger than themselves. Excellent! They are entitled to believe in a solution too... Even better...! That’s why these 6%, 10% numbers come in... Let these "civil society" members create a mock government - come up with a 5-yr plan. I bet they cannot come up with a solution to please everyone - because each of them wants the bigger share of pie - like I might personally believe the largest chunk should be spent on education (alas I'm no Civil Society member else I'd ask for a safe 10.5%)!

The truth of the matter is that "pro-poor" is the "IN-Thing" at this moment - be it the govt or television... How KBC managed to select ONLY people who had a sad story to tell, will always be beyond my understanding. Indian Idol is joining the bandwagon with their oh-so-touching stories. That is plain TRPs talking. Accept it, we are Indians. We like to blame the government. And even more than that, we love sympathising with a teary eye... Who gets the teacher’s punishment for fighting in class – the guy who didn’t cry!

Let me state, on record, that I'm not "Anti-Poor" as many people would respond... I do my bit and I'm not going to blow my trumpet on a public forum by detailing what is that bit... Should anyone feel the need to verify, they can come to me anytime... But that bit is definitely more direct than demanding the government do more!!

Just that I feel, there are two kinds of charity – one which enables people to find their own solutions, and second, provides them readymade temporary solutions. An example of the first would be “subsidising text-books” – to fully utilise the ‘charity’, the kid will have to study. An example of the second would be “blanket farm-loan waivers” – next time, when the fertiliser doesn’t come for free, how will the farmer sustain his expenditure on giving his house the Royale uplift!!! The second charity is almost always misused.

Remember that old saying about the fish and fishing? There are only finite fishes in any one pond – you teach the man fishing, he’ll find his own fish in any pond – who knows he might even stumble upon shrimp! Government can give fishes – in fact populism (the dictionary word for “pro-poor”) is just that... But where does the government get the money to buy these fishes? From those who know how to fish! But how long can you continue, one day the fishermen are ultimately going to stop fishing in your pond (FDI, FII)...

And let me add, not just charity in the form on money - also in the form of share of voice... Aamir is ultimately the "show stopper"... He wants your attention too. If you give him your blessings of too much share of voice, it will be misused! And how do you misuse the share of voice, by ensuring you garner even more share of voice by sensationalising stuff... (Also in our case, shedding a few tears at the right moments!) When blessed with a magic lamp, what is the third wish of an intelligent man? Three more wishes...

1 - GoI spends 20% of GDP. Aamir wants 10% of that to be on health. Good luck with the other sectors.
2 - As indicated in SMJ vs Dr. Sreedhar case, his research may not be a true depiction of reality but one man's view of it.


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Blogs > Minor Matters

Run by The Trentonian's Nick Peruffo, this blog will provide daily multimedia coverage of the Trenton Thunder.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

DePaula Day Afternoon

When I walked into the minor league complex this morning, at around 9 a.m., I saw Rafael DePaula run by me out of the bullpen area. Crap, I thought, I missed him throwing. Turns out, I hadn't missed a thing. DePaula, the new 21-year-old, was among the pitchers scheduled to throw in a simulated game while the Scranton and Trenton games were being played.

For whatever reason, the Trenton game was played on Field 2, which is the worst of the four fields as far as getting halfway decent vantage points for video. Getting anything from behind the plate is virtually impossible. There are poles, bars, benches and screens in the way.

DePaula provided a pretty decent alternative, I think.

In all, the half-million dollar man threw 24 pitches -- 14 fastballs, 7 curves and 3 change-ups. The fastball was mostly between 91 and 93, and topped out at 94 miles per hour. He was very wild, and nearly hit two batters. The curveball broke hard and late, was generally in the mid-70s and was pretty darn dirty, if you ask me.

Isaias Tejeda caught the DePaula, and suggested that some nerves might be involved, especially given that this was DePaula's first appearance in the U.S. At one point, Tejeda went to the mound to talk to DePaula (how often do you see that during a sim game?). He said he told his pitcher to slow down and take it easy and let his stuff take over.

The next pitch? His only 94 of the afternoon. Over the inside part of the plate, too, if I remember.

Asked afterward how hard he expects DePaula to throw once he gets his legs under him, Yankees pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras, who watched the whole sim game from behind the batting cage, said "100."

Once he calms down, it's pretty safe to say DePaula can be added to the massive list of arms on which Yankees fans can dream.

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Friday, November 23, 2012

Winter Wandering Craft Show

I'll be doing two of the Winter Wandering Craft shows this year! You can find me all this weekend at:

Saturday November 24th 11 am to 7 pm & Sunday November 25th 12 pm to 6 pm

Magic Pony, 680 Queen St. West

Then in two weeks' time you will find me at the Gladstone:

Sunday December 9th

The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. West

Hope to see you there!

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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

neil gaiman's yummy porridge recipe

Porridge is a Brit way of saying oatmeal (or any kind of boiled grain like champorado or lugaw). I found this recipe at Neil Gaiman's blog, in which the writer claims it to be a recipe for the yummiest porridge. I decided to give it a try and darn, it is delicious - it's got that caramelly, butterscotchy twist to it.

It comes with a warning though: Gaiman advises that it's not exactly healthy, and certainly not for eating everyday. It's just the kind to serve when you have guests over and you want to impress them, he says. I say, the flavored oatmeal we buy at the grocery stores has more junk than this, so I think this is still a better substitute.

You will need:
  • Oatmeal. Unflavored, regular, old-fashioned oatmeal, not the instant kind. Use 2 different types for texture.
  • Butter
  • Water
  • Milk or cream
  • Optional: Sweetener such as brown sugar, maple syrup or honey

  • In a pan, bathe the oatmeal in butter. Use low heat; be careful not to burn it.
  • Pour in the water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
  • When cooked, top with the sweetener of your choice and a dollop of cream.

  • I experimented by adding a dash of vanilla for flavor. Still yummy.
  • I'm thinking about maybe next time I'll try it with cinnamon and / or bits of fruit.


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Book Review – Redshift Rendezvous by John E. Stith

Redshift Rendezvous is a science fiction novel by John E. Stith.  The Redshift is a technologically advanced vessel capable of traversing the layers of hyperspace.  A routine transport becomes derailed after a passenger is found dead and the ship is taken over by hijackers.  The hijackers plan to use the ship to steal the wealth of a colony that’s location is only known to a few.  Will the crew be able to stop them?

Redshift RendezvousThe premise was very interesting and the book delivered lots of suspense and action.  The characters were well developed and interesting, especially the main character Jason.  His background made him a very sympathetic character…and a little intense at times.  I would definitely be interested in reading a follow up story about him.  The world building was also well done.  You got lots of detail without it taking up entire chapters.  There were a few spots in the plot that were a bit predictable, but there were more than enough twists to keep it interesting.  The twist about the secret colony was very good.

There is a lot of science talk though.  It was unavoidable being how big of a role the ship played into the storyline, so you had to have an understating of how everything worked.  Unfortunately, it was heavy enough in a few parts that it bogged the story down a bit.  Some of it was very confusing and I had a hard time keeping up with it.  But once it got past the explanations, the story picked back up again.

Overall, it was a good book and I enjoyed it.  It did have a few parts with some heavy science, but the plot moved past them quickly.  The book is available on both Amazon and Goodreads, and you can keep up with Mr. Stith at his website.

I received the above mentioned book for free for a review.  All opinions are 100% my own.

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Monday, December 31, 2012

I got Rasterbator to work properly in Linux. It uses some convoluted way to grab the working directory (I'm not even sure why it needs it), and ends up using "\\" as a directory separator in a few places and "" as the root. Without delving too deeply into any of this, I changed both these to System.IO.Path.DirectorySeparatorChar and wrote a Makefile because I have no idea how to use any of the Visual Studio stuff with Mono. Anyway, the archive's here. It contains a precompiled version, which should work.

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Here, There be a Writer

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Busy Sunday and Progress Was Made

Hello, Dear Readers!

I am a little behind and a touch overwhelmed. But, that's a normal state for me since the beginning of autumn.

With that being said, I am happy. I have my later afternoon coffee and my Yule Tunes. I braved the Sunday shoppers, something I am not terribly fond of. Something about crowds and spending money. It's not a Scrooge thing, but I always seem to think simply when December comes around.

So, I will give you my update and shorter as it is...

This past week:
    *Writing: finished the H'port Christmas show script. David's concept was chosen, Green Eggs and Hammondsport Christmas, using various Dr. Seuss and his characters and throwing in various songs. Basic plot centers around A Star Thief stealing the Who's Christmas Star. The Whos think the Grinch stole it, but this is a year after the BIG Christmas theft by the Grinch, he is reformed, so he sets out with Max and Cat in the Hat to find the star. I whole a big chunk of the dialogue and then David wrote the narration and filling out the dialogue.
           -Also have a story that I am working on tonight. It's been eating away at me for about a week now. that's next on the docket.
     *Theatre: working on getting sheet music and backing  tracks for the shoe mentioned above. Also organizing rehearsals, promotion, props, and costumes. Writer, Director, Producer, and Actor (but I have David and Sara sharing duties, many hands they says...). It's not really that bad, but when we do this show, which happens in a 2 week time span, everything feels nuts. Lake Country Improv performed Friday, good crowd, made a little money, made people laugh. So, was successful, seeing as we had a rotating audience as people came and went. But, it's our biggest audience on whole, about 40 or so, coming in and staying for a game or two, then leaving again. I feel good. Was about 2 hours straight of improv (with a break for the parade). Felt like a marathon.  Oh and working on audition material for my auditions next week, Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. Show won't start rehearsing until January, so, after the last day of auditions (Tuesday, December 16th) I will get a break.
      *Reading: marathon read the last of Maddaddam (Margaret Atwood). At first I thought the third book was slow; the pacing of the first two were far more active, with new stuff coming at you constantly. Maddaddam was different as it was set in one place and focused more on two of the characters, Zeb and Toby. While nice, I felt the pacing slowed right down. And then WHAM the last third of the book picked up, making it really exciting. I enjoyed it and the whole series. Bittersweet end, but it worked. If you want something different, go read Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, and Maddaddam, Cork-Nut! :-)
      *Social Media/Visiting: Off and on. Missed yesterday, but I was sleeping and recovering from the marathon improv-o-ganza.
      *Chistmas prepping: shopping, decorating the house, thinking about baking cookies and breads (also the Xmas dinner - Roast Beast maybe?).

This Week:
      *Writing: try to squeeze some between the hours, even if it's just a poem or a blog. Something to keep the juices flowing.
      *Editing: time to take The Audition off the back burner and work on it. It's a re-write, but it's been slow cooking for a while and it's time to finish it. Also, I will be printing a copy of The Real Road Trip (my NaNoWriMo Novel) for editing in January, well, Round 1 of editing.
      *Reading: start The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Neil Gaiman) and finish The Art of Asking (Amanda Palmer).
      *Theatre: See H'port Christmas Show above.

A Round of Words in 80 Days; a blog challenge that knows you have a life. Come and visit us at the Blog Hop.

So question time, Dear Readers! What do you feel about snow and the holidays? Do you like snow for Christmas/Holidays? Do you get snow? Or have a green holiday? I need some snow to complete the feel of the season. I grew up in Fredonia, NY, off of Lake Erie where Lake Effect is a state of being most winters. Don't get a lot of Lake Effect in Corning. And for that I'm thrilled, because I don't miss it, but I do miss having snow in December. I am still hoping for enough snow to make Christmas awesome. What about you?

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Here, There be a Writer

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Now on to the rainy day and the goals...

On a lazy Sunday you write on the porch while is it raining...

This Week:
     *Reading: well over halfway through The Golden Compass (Phillip Pullman) and remembering why I love this book and series. It  is well written and the characters are all unique (well the main ones). Only about 40 pages into Wicked though (Gregory Maguire). Not really what I was thinking it was going to be about. Question, Dear Readers, have you read Wicked, and what are your thoughts? I guess I was excepting something like the Oz books, but aimed for adults about the Wicke Witch of the West. It feels weird and....I don't know. I think I'm still early in the book. Gonna keep reading it. We'll see...Also, hopefully I'll start another Agatha Christie mystery, Murder of the Orient Express.
      *Writing: I wrote Monday (ROW80), Tuesday (side story for Love in Ferns, my current WIP), Wednesday (ROW80), and Thursday (3 poems), nothing Friday (although I got a brilliant idea for a concept piece and wrote maybe 20 words. I wasn't trying to write, but got distracted) or Saturday.
      *Social Media: 4 blogs each day since Monday from ROW80 and WIPpet Wednesday. I managed to read all the entry on the Linky List for ROW80. That doesn't happen often. Kinda proud of myself on that one! :-) Sending more time on twitter, although that get overwhelming and need to figure out a better system. So many tweets get missed.
      *Housework: working on laundry for this week and dishes. Hang with friends and had a hair cut and dying party, watching Coraline, and eating white chocolate raspberry cake (from Wegmans). Yum!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Red Hair

*Theatre Stuffs: rehearsals for improv scheduled for latter half of June. Show in Corning tentatively scheduled for July 24th at the Corning Elks.

This week (upcoming): There are a couple goals that need the whip to be cracked this week.
     *Reading: want to finish The Golden Compass and re-watch the movie. Continue with Wicked and Murder on the Orient Express.
     *Writing: write daily.
     *Editing: work on edits for the rough draft of Love in Ferns
     *Submissions: I want to have more than 1 this week, and since I haven't submitted in a few weeks the goal is going up to at least 3, maybe 4.
     Housework: VACUUMING!

New news, Dear Readers! I have decided to attend Connecticon in July. Still figuring out which day I am going, Saturday or Sunday, but will be purchasing my pass this week. So, therefore I need to work on my planning for this little side trip. Someone I know is planning on being there, and I promised myself if he came closer to me that I would make the trip. Only problem, there will be a 24 Hour Theatre that weekend and I will have to miss it. But, good side, will be writing a script. So, still will be a part of it. Actually kinda excited. Probably more so as July gets closer.

It's now raining and there's a robin running in the rain in the neighbour's driveway. It's a good day to be lazy, yet still get some chores and writing done.

A Round of Words in 80 Days is a Blog Challenge that knows you have a life. It's a Blog Hop! Stop in for some ice tea and yogurt parfaits!

  1. I've never read Wicked, but I have heard of it. My mom and sister saw the play a few years ago. I now it is a bit different.

    The cake looks delish and your hair is beautiful!

    1. Thanks! Glad you popped in to say hi!!

  2. Your hair looks great. I always wished I could go red, but my father terrified me of dying my hair when I was a kid. I haven't read Wicked either, but was forced to listen to the soundtrack just shy of a billion times. Normally I love musicals, but it began to grate on my nerves after a while. Though it could have been the company...I try not to examine that time too closely. Also, I am totally impressed that you made it to the whole ROW80 linky list. Good luck from a ROW80 blog hopping friend.

    1. Thanks, I feel a little like Ariel with this hair :-)

      It's been years in coming, reading Wicked. I figured, why not, right? See what the fuss was about. Still haven't seen the musical, although I know a good chunk of the music from the musical. That also happened when RENT came out. Sometimes I get turned off when I am inundated with a thing. I also was turned of of Moulin Rouge for a while for that same reason.

  3. I have ready Wicked, and it's definitely very different to The Wizard of Oz. It made a big impact on me, but it isn't a happy book.

    Sounds like your writing is going well!

    1. I am gathering that. It's picking up after I met Galinda.

  4. I've found that Twitter can be overwhelming at times. You're often following hundreds or even thousands of people, and it's like a tidal wave. The #MyWANA community is great, and there's a weekly #StoryDam chat (Thursdays at 8 p.m. Eastern). I check in with those communities regularly and that keeps me engaged with fellow writers without the overwhelming stream of tweets that is Twitter.

    I haven't read "Wicked" yet, although it's on my to-be-read list. I'll be interested to hear your opinion on it once you've finished it. "The Golden Compass" is a fantastic book. I thought the last book in the series was a little slow, but otherwise I enjoyed the trilogy. Happy reading and writing!

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Mediterranean migrant arrivals reach 31,993, Deaths: 664

11/4/17 Geneva - IOM reports that 31,993 migrants, including refugees, entered Europe by sea in 2017 through 9 April, with over 80 percent arriving in Italy and the rest in Spain and Greece. This compares with 172,774 through the first 97 days of 2016.

Mediterranean Developments

IOM Rome spokesperson Flavio Di Giacomo reported yesterday (10/04) that over 2,100 migrants rescued last week have been brought to Italy since IOM’s last report. Among them were over 500 Bangladeshis and around 50 Syrians – the rest, mostly sub-Saharan Africans.

Among the Bangladeshis and Syrians, Di Giacomo said, were many who had resided either in Libya or Egypt for several years. Many others were reported to have recently left Turkey to make their way to Libya via Sudan.

Di Giacomo said figures from Italy’s Ministry of Interior indicate over 11,000 migrants arrived in Italy via the Mediterranean in March, more than the number arriving in either March 2016 or March 2015. Roughly 27,000 migrants this year have left Libya for Italy through the year’s 99 days – that’s over 7,000 more than the number arriving through the same period last year.

Arrivals to Greece remain low – just over 300 thus far through April, and 4,107 since the beginning of the year. In 2016, during the same period, 150,000 migrants, including refugees, had entered Greece via sea from Turkey.

Deaths on the Mediterranean through 9 April total 664, almost 90 percent being recorded on the Libya-to-Italy route. During the same period, last year, Missing Migrants Project (MMP) recorded 1,217 – nearly twice 2017’s total – due to the 9 April 2016 incident off the coast of Egypt, where 459 migrants were recorded drowned or missing.

Worldwide, Missing Migrants Project reports that there 1,183 fatalities through 9 April (see chart, below), with the Mediterranean region accounting for the largest proportion of deaths – over half of the global total. This is just under 1,000 fewer fatalities than were reported at the same point in 2016. However, these data do not account for full reporting from North Africa and the Horn of Africa, two migration corridors where data collection tends to be slower than in other regions.

Comparative table of global totals of MMP data for 1 Jan–9 April 2016 and 2017

For latest arrivals data in the Mediterranean, please visit:

For further information please contact:
Joel Millman at IOM Geneva, Tel: +41 79 103 8720, Email:
Flavio Di Giacomo at IOM Italy, Tel: +39 347 089 8996, Email:
Sabine Schneider at IOM Germany, Tel: +49 30 278 778 17, Email:
IOM Yemen, Saba Malme, Sana’a, Tel : + 967 736 800 329 (mobile), Email:
IOM Greece: Daniel Esdras, Tel: +30 210 9912174, Email: or Kelly Namia, Tel: +30 210 9919040, +30 210 9912174, Email:
Julia Black at IOM GMDAC, Tel: +49 30 278 778 27, Email:
Abby Dwommoh, IOM Turkey, Tel. (Direct): +90 (0)312 454 3048, Mobile: +90 (533) 698 7285, Email: adwommoh@iom.intor Mazen Aboulhosn, Tel: +9031245-51202, Email:
IOM Libya: Othman Belbeisi, Tel: +216 29 600389, Email:  or Christine Petré, Tel. (Direct):  +216 29 240 448, Email: or Ashraf Hassan, Tel: +216 29 794707, Email:
IOM Niger: Alberto Preato, Tel: +227 8053 5933, E-mail:
Hicham Hasnaoui at IOM Morocco, Tel: + 212 5 37 65 28 81, Email:

For information or interview requests in French:
Florence Kim, IOM Geneva, Tel: +41 79 103 03 42, Email:
Flavio Di Giacomo, IOM Italy, Tel: +39 347 089 8996, Email:

Regions in focus

Missing Migrants Project by International Organization for Migration (IOM) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This means that Missing Migrants Project website content is free to share and adapt, as long as the appropriate attribution is given. Missing Migrants Project is made possible by funding by UK Aid from the Government of the United Kingdom; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the Government of the United Kingdom’s official policies.


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Leadership Team

William MacLeod 2014

Bill MacLeod
Chief Executive Officer

William (Bill) MacLeod joined the Mississauga Halton LHIN in 2007 as Chief Executive Officer.  He has enjoyed a distinguished career as a health service executive in many roles and capacities. The majority of his career has been devoted to a number of hospital CEO roles including developmental roles at one of Canada's largest academic health science centres, Hamilton Health Sciences.

Mr. MacLeod trained at the University of Toronto Health Administration program where he received the Robert Wood Johnson Award as the student most likely to make a noteworthy contribution in the field of Health Services Administration.

In 1985 he was chosen as the CEO of Peel Memorial Hospital in Brampton where he successfully introduced Program Management and Continuous Quality Improvement methodologies to health care.

In 1990 Mr. MacLeod was selected as the CEO to lead Women's College Hospital where he brought about financial health, increased quality and led the Hospital through a strategic planning process which resulted in the creation of the Women's Health Research Institute, a joint institute with the University of Toronto.

In 1997 Mr. MacLeod left Women's College to pursue opportunities in private sector health care services. After a short stint as President of Health Link Communications, he was soon drawn back to hospital care to take on the role of President of Toronto East General Hospital, then as CEO of St. Michael's where he guided St. Michael's through the acquisition of the Wellesley Hospital's resulting in the successful closure of the Wellesley Hospital.

Mr. MacLeod was appointed Supervisor at Hamilton Health Sciences by the Minister of Health and subsequently became President.In 2001, Mr. MacLeod was asked to take responsibility securing MOHLTC approval for the Hospital's new $400 million multi-site redevelopment plan.

In his activities outside of the hospital, Mr. MacLeod has played leadership roles with the Canadian College of Health Service Executives, Canadian Healthcare Association, Ontario Hospital Association, the Ontario Chartered Quality Institute Network, Council of Ontario Research Directors, and the Young Presidents Organization. He has also led the United Way Health Sector Campaign (2 years in Toronto and 2 years in Hamilton).

In his personal time he loves to golf and travel, most preferably with his wife Linda, and to spend time with his three children Andrew, Collin and Magenta.

Mira Backo-Shannon

Dr. Mira Backo-Shannon
Vice President Clinical

Dr. Mira Backo-Shannon, a Queen’s Medical School graduate, has worked in the Mississauga Halton region for 15 years. In her initial role as a physician hospitalist at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, Mira held several leadership positions, including President of the Professional Staff Association and Director of the Hospital Medicine Program. She later moved into community family practice, co-founding the OakMed Family Health Team where she served as Physician Lead and Medical Director.

Mira joined the Mississauga Halton LHIN in 2013 as the Primary Care Physician Lead, where she concurrently served as Chair of the Primary Care Network and the Primary Care Steering Committee. She remains Program Chief and Medical Director of Primary Care, Seniors Care, Palliative Care, Rehab and Complex Continuing Care at Trillium Health Partners.

Dr. Backo-Shannon works at the medical schools of the University of Toronto as a Lecturer and McMaster University as an Associate Clinical Professor. She holds a Master’s Degree in Health Policy and Administration from the University of Toronto.

Angie Burden

Angela Burden
Vice President Health System Strategy, Integration & Planning

Angela Burden is a dedicated health care professional, who brings her experience in leading complex cross-functional strategic initiatives in both the United States and Canada to her new role at the Mississauga Halton LHIN.

Prior to joining the LHIN, Angela worked as Vice President, Regional Programming and Strategic Development at the Mississauga Halton CCAC and as Director of Innovative Practice at Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) where she was responsible for system transformation efforts, research and evaluation, and strategic partnerships. She was instrumental in providing leadership to the development and implementation of the Caroline Family Health Team functional integration care coordination model. Angela has worked in various levels of government in Ontario and New York State, and brings a client-centred and community development lens to her work.

Angela holds a Masters of Social Work and is committed to building strong relationships and collaborative programs to ensure a health care system that is focused on quality outcomes for all patients.

Liane Fernandes image

Liane Fernandes
Vice President Regional Programs

Liane Fernandes has over 20 years of progressive leadership experience in health care.  Prior to joining the Mississauga Halton LHIN in July 2011, Liane held the position of Interim Senior Director with the LHIN Collaborative (LHINC) in Toronto where she worked closely with senior management and representatives from the various sectors funded by LHINs including Community Care Access Centres, Community Support Services, Mental Health and Addictions, Community Health Centres, Hospitals and Long-Term Care, leading and supporting a number of LHIN provincial projects. Liane collaborated closely with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Health Quality Ontario, Cancer Care Ontario, the Ontario Medical Association and health system partners in the pursuit of creating a strong, sustainable, quality health system.

Prior to moving into health care administration, Liane practiced clinically as a registered Physical Therapist in acute care, rehabilitation and the community   She then successfully held a number of leadership positions in the hospital sector, developing expertise in the areas of Professional Practice, Redevelopment, Organizational Training and Development, and Corporate and Strategic Planning.

Liane has a proven track record of innovative achievements, including an Ontario Hospital Association recognized best practice framework for her work in the hospital sector advancing professional practice.  In 2009, she achieved her Masters in Health Administration from the University of Toronto and was recognized with the Robert Wood Johnson Award as the student most likely to make a noteworthy contribution in the field of Health Services Administration.

A Certified Health Executive, Liane is excited about the opportunity to work collaboratively with health system partners and effectively lead health system transformation.

An active member of the Brampton community where Liane lives with her husband and three children, she enjoys being a member/Chair of her children’s elementary and secondary school councils, as well as a Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Brampton.

David Fry

David Fry
Vice President Home and Community Care

David Fry brings more than 18 years of health care leadership experience to his role as Vice President Home and Community Care at the Mississauga Halton LHIN. He has worked in clinical and leadership positions in hospital, and home and community care settings with particular interest in the area of mental health care delivery. He also held the role of Director of Client Services, Ontario Association of Community Care Access Centres and most recently, Vice-President of Patient Care at the Mississauga Halton CCAC.

His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy and a Master of Health Science in health administration from the University of Toronto.

Andrew Hussain
Regional Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Central Ontario LHINs

Andrew Hussain, Regional Chief Information Officer for the Central Ontario LHINs, is highly recognized for his work in Information Management and Technology Services. Andrew is well regarded in the industry and has over 17 years of extensive experience in Information Management and Technology Services both in Canada and the US. Andrew’s strategy work was recognized at the 2006 Canadian Information Productivity Awards and was the recipient of the 2005 TELUS Award for Innovation.

Prior to joining the Mississauga Halton LHIN, Andrew was with the Work Place Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB) and Trillium Health Centre. His diverse background in both private and public sectors in a variety of business verticals including health care has complemented his role as the Regional CIO for the LHINs.

Dale McGregor

Dale McGregor
Vice President Finance, Performance & Corporate Services

Dale McGregor is a seasoned financial and operations executive with broad experience in the health care system. Dale has extensive senior management experience within complex teaching and research hospital environments. He has an excellent track record of leading and contributing to organizational success through a broad range of strategic, tactical and operational initiatives.

Prior to joining the Mississauga Halton LHIN in June 2015, Dale held the position of Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services & Chief Financial Officer at St. Joseph’s Health Centre, a large community teaching hospital in Toronto. He spent 14 of his 15 years at the hospital as Chief Financial Officer with a broad range of accountabilities that varied over his time there. In addition, Dale worked at the Hospital for Sick Children for over ten years holding various progressive positions including the Director of Business Development.

Drawing on over 25 years of industry experience, Dale’s strength as a leader in the allocation of scarce resources and in the effective and efficient use of these resources has directly contributed to very strong financial positions for his organizations. Dale has a demonstrated track record of building and leading strong teams and establishing collaborative relationships with stakeholders to facilitate optimal outcomes for patients, customers and the health system.

Dale is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA), a Certified Health Executive (CHE), and holds a BA in Economics from the University of Waterloo.

Dale has served on the Board of Directors of Plexxus and HealthPro. He has also been involved in his local community in various volunteer capacities within hockey and lacrosse organizations.

Jutta Schafler Argao

Jutta Schafler Argao
Vice President Quality and People

Prior to joining the Mississauga Halton LHIN as Vice President, Quality & People, Jutta Schafler Argao served as Vice President of various portfolios with the Mississauga Halton CCAC. She is an experienced executive whose career in health care spans 25 years, multiple sectors and accountabilities, as well as two provinces (British Columbia and Ontario). Jutta has been accountable for a broad range of organizational functions including quality, patient safety and risk management, human resources and organizational development, strategy management, decision support, service provider relationships and contract management, ethics, privacy, patient relations and research.

Through her experiences in regional, acute care and community care organizations, Jutta has developed a passion for, and honed her expertise in, creating vibrant work environments in which people can excel at providing meaningful, outcomes-focused patient care and support services. Under her leadership, Jutta’s teams have developed innovative and people-centred programs, recognized through Mississauga Halton CCAC’s award of Exemplary Accreditation Status through Accreditation Canada and the Ontario Hospital Association’s Quality Healthcare Workplace Gold Award.

As a quality champion, Jutta has worked to help establish Synergy GTA West Community Quality Network, a network of health system partners working to advance quality in the Mississauga Halton and Central West LHIN regions. In partnership with Mississauga Halton CCAC’s contracted service provider organizations, Jutta also initiated the Human Resources and Organizational Development Community of Practice, whose purpose it is to enable the evolution of neighbourhood based models of care through highly skilled, integrated care teams.

Jutta holds a Master in Health Administration from the University of Ottawa, has completed University of Toronto’s Advanced Health Leadership Program through Rotman School of Management and is a Certified Health Executive through the Canadian College of Healthcare Leaders.

Jutta lives in Mississauga with her husband and their three children.


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Saturday, 13 April 2013

Snow Day!

How do,

Well this snow is not looking like it is going to give up anytime soon. I don't mind snow but i am not a hugggggeeee fan really i usually have had my fun and get sick after making just one snowman. So i thought i would share with you this years snowman :)
Snowman doing a handstand.
As you can see i didn't go for a generic snowman i went for a snowman with a twist hehe :)

Did you have fun in the snow?!

LOVE IT: Viktor&Rolf ~ Flowerbomb Perfume

Smelling lovely is a must right?

Well I FINALLY got given Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb perfume as a gift :) SCORE! I have wanted this perfume for soooooo long! I have never bought it myself because it is not the cheapest or perfumes, and spare dosh for like many of you I assume is not a regular occurrence for me. So you can utterly imagine the excitement that came over me, when I got given this.

The first thing that stands out to me is the packaging, I do love it! It portrays a pretty floral product which indeed it is! I like the way the box shows the illusion of a wrapped present that is secured by a wax stamp!

Moving to the bottle itself, I just feel like it is very well presented and girly. The liquid has a slight pink tinge, and this is carried on through the metal on the product as well, which i think is a great touch! The plastic wax stamp which is made into a tag on the bottle is also really cute. (However be careful when transporting the perfume, because it is not that strong and mine has snapped off :( Whoops)

I utterly LOVE the smell! This shouldn't be a surprise or I guess I would not be writing this LOVE IT post. It is rather strong therefore not much is needed. Floral scents come through the strongest, however it is not overpowering because I am not usually the biggest fan of overly floral perfumes. It is rather sweet but also musky, and I think it has a sexy element about it. By far the best thing about this perfume is that it actually STAYS!

The only downsides are as I mentioned before the price and the tag being weak for transportation.

So if you are looking for a new fragrance, that is feminine and sexy try this!

Price: £65.00 (50ml) ~ This price is taken from boots.

~ Katie x


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Thursday, June 23, 2005

Back to books

I've been reading like crazy lately-now that I actually have time to go to the library, I've been spending my Saturday afternoons there, and it's been great. I take the train to work every day, which gives me about a half hour each way, and I was reading and re-reading all the books in my house. That got old really fast, but now I have new stuff, and I don't even have words for how great it is. :)
Jamie and I have been talking about moving lately; the original plan was to move to England after we get married, because he's a British citizen, but now it looks like we'll be going either to northern CA or to OR to live near my mom and older sister. We'd talked before about moving to Chico (near Sacramento); it's a college town, so I could finish up my education there, and land is really cheap. I'm going to visit my mom next week (in OR), and the other day he started saying, "Well, maybe if you really fall in love with it we could move up there...". Now he's all excited about the prospect of having a little farm, and he's drawing blueprints of the house we'll build. This from the epitome of the SoCal white boy. :)
Nikki the redhead-Dorothy-why'd you change?-I saw the other day that Jars of Clay has a new album out. I don't know if you've seen it or not. It's called "Redemption Songs".

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All posts tagged brainwashingf

Beta Males Service BBC

Drop To Your Knees and Worship Your BBC Masters

Black men should be served and serviced by beta males. All white men are betas. You need BBC to stretch you open, spurt it’s hot load over your lips, and to take you by force. White masculinity is pathetic and you CAN’T get off without BBC. Your sexual desire is being warped.

Fetishes: BBC, forced-bi, blow jobs, anal, race play, inferiority, Hypnosis, Brain Washing. 20 minutes Two versions included one with effects and one without.


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Spain's high-class escorts have announced that they will not be offering their services to the country's bankers until they start fulfilling their responsibilities to their society. "Today, life in Spain really sucks," one of the girls said. "So, we don't have to."

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Wednesday, June 4, 2008

I just got home from day two and the first thing mom says is "(GASP) Your skirt is see-through!"

That's right, the skirt I've been wearing all day and (even went to the printer wearing) is see-through.

Now I know why they call me "cheap".

Courtney said...

you work at a retirement community rach...NO ONE CAN SEE ANYTHING!!!

tate1186 said...

haha. that would only happen to you.


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The service is available in six countries and among a limited range of banks, though in recent weeks Apple has added four banks to its sole Singapore partner American Express; Australia and New Zealand Banking Group in Australia; and Canada's five big banks.

Apple Pay usage totaled $10.9 billion last year, the vast majority of that in the United States. That is less than the annual volume of transactions in Kenya, a mobile payments pioneer, according to research firm Timetric.

And its global turnover is a drop in the bucket in China, where Internet giants Alibaba and Tencent dominate the world's biggest mobile payments market - with an estimated $1 trillion worth of mobile transactions last year, according to iResearch data.

Anecdotal evidence from Britain, China and Australia suggests Apple Pay is popular with core Apple followers, but the quality of service, and interest in it, varies significantly.

To use Apple Pay, consumers tap their iPhone over payment terminals to buy coffee, train tickets and other services. It can be also used at vending machines that accept contactless payments.

Apple Pay transactions were a fraction of the $84.5 billion in iPhone sales for the six months to March, which accounted for two-thirds of Apple's total revenue.

In Australia, where Apple Pay launched a month ago, payment machines supported by one mid-sized bank reported frequent failures.

"Bendigo Bank is experiencing some unforeseen technical issues in accepting Apple Pay payments at selected merchant terminals," a spokeswoman for the bank told Reuters, adding that a lack of wider industry engagement in launching the service limited the lead time in testing the new technology.

Apple Vice President Jennifer Bailey said such experiences were premature and not representative. "Like any set of major technology changes, it takes time," she said. "We want to move as quickly as possible, we push it as quickly as possible."

Facing a slowing smartphone business, Apple has taken on the payments market hoping to add ways to make its devices more appealing, and more revenue streams. Apple takes a cut of up to 15 cents in the United States on every $100 spent.

While it has long mastered the supply chain for its mobile devices, the payments ecosystem has proved harder to control, and banks in other countries have reportedly negotiated lower transaction fees, contributing to its slow global roll-out.

Apple nearly doubled its R&D spending to more than $8 billion in 2013-15 as it pushed out a wave of new products including Apple Watch and Apple Pay, as well as upgrades to existing hardware devices and new services.

Apple has leveraged its huge U.S. user base to push Pay, but has met resistance in Australia, Britain and Canada where banks are building their own products.

"Payments in general is such a complicated system with so many incumbent providers that revolutionary change like this was not going to happen very quickly," said Joshua Gilbert, an analyst at First Annapolis Consulting.

The upshot: Apple has rolled out Pay in a dribble, adding countries and partners where it can - Hong Kong is expected to be added next - resulting in an uneven banking landscape with users and retail staff not always sure what will work and how.

In Britain, for example, $14 billion was spent via contactless cards last year, according to Windsor Holden, a Juniper Research analyst. That makes it harder to persuade people to take the extra step on their smartphone for the same checkout convenience.

"You have over 86 million contactless cards in circulation, you have to persuade Britons to register their cards to the (Apple Pay) service when they can already use them to make a contactless payment," Holden said.

In Australia, where more than 60 percent of all card transactions are through contactless cards, reception has also been muted. A spokesman for one large retailer said he had seen "very little uptake of the payment option" in his sector. He didn't want to be named as he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Diego Machuca, 32, banks with Apple Pay-holdout Commonwealth Bank, has an iPhone and is already "largely cashless". He says Apple Pay is appealing, but he wouldn't switch banks just to access that one feature. "Not over that. There's too much work involved just for tap-and-go," he told Reuters.

Three months after the China launch, users on online forums complained that using Apple Pay, even at popular fast-food outlets, was not as seamless as local services such as WeChat, Tencent's messaging and mobile commerce phenomenon.

Nonetheless, Apple's approach has spurred development in several markets where the mobile payments industry had previously not taken hold - giving it the jump on rivals Google's Android Pay and Samsung Pay.

Android Pay only launched in the United States in March and in Britain last month for use on the latest model Android phones. Samsung Pay is available in three markets; China, South Korea and the United States.

(Reporting by Matt Siegel in SYDNEY, Jeremy Wagstaff in SINGAPORE, Eric Auchard in LONDON and Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)


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HELSINKI (Reuters) - Estonia said a Russian jet violated its airspace on Friday, hours after neighboring Finland said two similar planes passed over its territory as it prepared to sign a defense pact with the United States.

Moscow denied sending planes across anyone's borders - but one analyst said the flights could have been staged as a reminder of Russia's influence, as countries in the region looked to strengthen ties with the West.

Estonia's defense ministry said a Russian fighter jet entered its airspace for less than a minute with its transponder turned off at 2.38 a.m. (7.38 p.m. ET, Thursday).

Helsinki said two different SU-27 planes crossed into its airspace on Thursday afternoon and evening, over the Gulf of Finland - the body of water that separates it from Estonia.

"We take these incidents seriously," Finland's defense minister, Jussi Niinisto, told reporters. "Having two suspected violations on the same day is exceptional." Past incursions had mostly been by Russian cargo planes, not fighter jets, he said.

Russia's defense ministry dismissed the reports, saying SU-27 military planes had conducted training flights on Thursday and Friday over neutral waters, Russian agencies reported.

Finland has grown increasingly worried about military activities by Russia - its former ruler with which it shares a 1,300-km (812-mile) land border - particularly since Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in February, 2014.

In response, Finland has tightened cooperation with Sweden and fostered closer ties with NATO. On Friday it signed a defense cooperation deal with the United States, covering training and information sharing but stopping short of military assistance.

"It's positive that United States is interested in Northern Europe's security situation and of collaboration with the region's countries. We see this as a stabilizing element," Niinisto said.

He declined to speculate on whether Russia had tried to show its power before his meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defence Robert Work.

But Charly Salonius-Pasternak, analyst at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said it was "entirely credible, that airspace violations were a reminder from Russia: 'Hey, we are still here'."

"It costs them nothing, and they can see that these violations have an effect on Finland," he told public broadcaster YLE.

The reported incursion in Estonia also coincided with a one-day visit there by Ukraine's defense minister.

German pilots patrolling the skies over the Baltics reported "noticeable and aggressive behavior" by Russian military aircraft overnight, a spokesman for the German defense ministry said.

He said two of up to six German Eurofighters stationed at Amari air base in Estonia had been scrambled several times to identify the Russian aircraft.

In April, two Russian warplanes flew simulated attack passes near a U.S. guided missile destroyer in the Baltic Sea.

(Additional reporting by Jack Stubbs and Dmitry Solovyov in Moscow, and Andrea Shalal and Sabine Siebold in Berlin; editing by Richard Balmforth)


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Friday, October 28, 2016

More scandal

Obama's lawyers file bullshit lawsuits against banks, make it cheaper to settle, then send the money not to the people they supposedly want to protect, but to left wing hacks, criminals, and activists.

America is run by criminals.  There is no other way to look at it.  We look down on the Russians and Mexicans, and Nigerians, but why?  We are the same.  Fucking psychopaths doing what fucking psychopaths do, with the active support of Obama, Hillary and for that matter the Bush's, both of them.

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How To Have A Successful Norwex Party; part 2

Whoa! Your Party is about 1 week away!

This week its important to get your peeps into the Facebook Event to get them excited about Norwex.

Get those cheerleaders to be active and LOUD with you!

★ Work hard to get between 25-35 RSVPs to your event. It’s ok to bribe them 😉 Make sure your peeps know that there is NO OBLIGATION to purchase anything, but to RSVP “yes” enters them into the free raffle.

★ Plus when YOU get 25 RSVPs YOU are getting a special gift from me!

If you have not already… send out those personal message invites to EACH of your guests. Here’s How:

★  Like every post you see
★  Comment on every post you see
★  Tag 1 or 2 guests on every post you see
★  Bonus Points, share your OWN before/after pictures, testimonials, and videos!
Why? Glad you asked! Facebook has a funny Algorithm. When I put up a post in your event, even if you have 50 guests “going”, not all 50 of them are scrolling FB at that exact minute so they can’t possibly see everything. Therefore Facebook will “test” my post by showing it in the newsfeed of 1 or 2 of the guests. If they don’t “like” or comment… its dead in the water.  If your guests engage on my post, Facebook thinks “hmm this must be interesting, lets show it to 2 more guests…” If those guests ignore it… it’s dead.  If those guest engage the process repeats.  YOU CAN HELP me by commenting on my every post and when you TAG certain friends, THEY will see it too and be likely to COMMENT.
Then eventually we have a rockstar party with 30+ guests and LOTS of fun engagement!

Start thinking of your dream wish list. Dream Big as Norwex is very generous and loves to gift hundreds of dollars worth in freebies.
Send me a little message with your wish list and I’ll do what I can to coach you to get it all FREE!

I’ll send you the rest of the steps later in the week. ★★ Any questions?