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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Disneymoon Autograph Book

This week at Die Cuttin' Divas it is Anything Goes as we end the month of August. It is so time I shared this fun project. Back in July my dear friend got married in an amazing carnival themed wedding.  For her honeymoon she got to finally go to Disney World, it was her first trip and she got her wish to meet Belle. I made her an autograph book to bring on her honeymoon - I mean Disneymoon.
I found this great png image of Mickey and Minnie almost kissing and made it the center of my design. From there I worked to design the mini book.
This cute paper was a great choice for cover my book covers. I used so 5x8 grungeboard (it is a little ore flexible) to make the album so the pages would be big enough to add photos later on.
The inside cover included the couples name and dates using print and cut. I am so pleased with how this book turned out and the couple had a blast on their trip (I enjoyed all the stories afterwards. I hope you can play along with our Anything Goes challenge at Die Cuttin' Divas this week.
- Mickey and Minnie png
- Mickey Font Cricut Cartridge- Disney
- Walt Disney Script Font - moon
- The First Few Years Cricut Cartridge - yellow frame
- Hannah Montana Cricut Cartridge - heart
- Cinch machine for binding
- Tim Holtz grungeboard- basic

Monday, August 29, 2016

Back to School with Bitten By the Bug 2

It is the season of Back to School (My daughter started 2 weeks ago and I started last week!) so it is the perfect time for Back to School projects with Bitten By the Bug 2.
I made this card for my daughter's first day of school. I wanted a school bus card so I used this cute one from Locker Talk.  I decided that I would create the card using the outline layer - just copy and flip that image, line them up and weld together!
Once the card was put together I felt the windows needed a little shine to them so I added some Glossy accents to make that happen.
Hope you and yours get back to school without much fuss and you can join in the fun this week at Bitten By the Bug 2.

- Locker Talk Cricut Cartridge - bus
- Glossy Accents - windows

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Happy Birthday with Die Cuttin' Divas

It is time to celebrate the months birthdays with Die Cuttin' Divas. Share with us your birthday themed projects and join in the fun.
For this cute gift bag I played with the Imagine cartridges and pattern fill option on Cricut Design Space. I selected some fun images from Imagine More Cards and added an extra layer behind them,which I filled with a pattern from a different cartridge.
Once I had these printed out I did not feel it was complete so I added the banner piece which I also filled with an additional pattern.  It is easy  to do this -
1. Select the image or cut and turn it into a print image.
2. Go to the color selection area and click on patterns.
3. Choose the pattern you want from those you have.
Once I had all my layers printed and cut our I used some pop up squares and ribbon for my  final gift bag look. Hope you can join us in our Birthday celebration challenge this week.

- Imagine More Cards Cricut Cartridge - Happy Birthday with Cake
- Lori's Garden Cricut Cartridge - pattern fill for additional oval
- The First few Years Cricut Cartridge - banner piece
- Hey Diddle Diddle Cricut Cartridge - pattern fill for banner piece

Monday, August 22, 2016

Summer Flowers with Bitten By the Bug 2

Summer flowers are in full bloom around - which might be why our host at Bitten By the Bug 2 asked us to create projects with summer flowers on them this week.
I started by selecting flowers to use on this project - there are so many great ones out there to use.  I liked the pitcher on this which is why I selected the in the end.
I wanted my card to not just be a simple fold so I used a fun tri-fold card and added an additional flower on the inside. The final touch was a little sparkle to my flowers.  Summer flowers that last year round right?  Hope you can play along with us at Bitten By the Bug 2 this week.

- Country Life Cricut Cartridge - flowers in pitcher and flower pot
- Phrases Cricut Cartridge - tri fold card
- Stickles: Cotton Candy, Waterfall & Burgundy

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Thanks A Brunch with Die Cuttin' Divas

Welcome to another Tuesday challenge with Die Cuttin' Divas.  This week we are asking you to create Thank You cards or projects (we can always have a few of those one hand!!)
I was trying to decided what to do and did a quick search for thank you puns and found the "Thanks a Brunch" line - as I love brunch it was a perfect starting point for my card. (I was going to retake these photos because of the sun peaking in - but isn't that the best light for brunch??)
I love this smiley breakfast plate from Kate's Kitchen.  I wanted to have the layers on the plate so I printed each piece separate before layering on my card.  I added the "Thanks a Brunch" to the layer inside the card cut I used.

Thank you for visiting my site today.  I love seeing your thoughts.  Hope you can play along with us at DCD this week.

- Kate's Kitchen Cricut cartridge - print and cut plate and meal
- Creative Everday Cards Cricut Cartridge - card base
- Boys Will Be Boys Cricut Cartridge - print and cut font

Monday, August 15, 2016

Mr. & Mrs. with Bitten By the Bug 2

This week at Bitten By the Bug 2 we are celebrating weddings and anniversaries. Summer is always a time for weddings so show us your amazing and fun projects featuring your Cricut cuts. I made this cute gift bag to wrap a fun gift for a close friend's wedding last month.
I wanted my bag to be playful to match this couple. They had a carnival themed wedding - AMAZING and the gift was an autograph book for their Disneymoon!!
I played around with the design and once it was finalized went to cut and realized I would be wasting a chuck of paper with the large back piece of the mat. I went back in and attached my car piece to the mat so it would cut out of the middle. Love that trick.
I added the cute Mr. & Mrs. at the top and tied it off with the simple black bow.  My husband and I ad a wonderful time at the wedding - including cotton candy!!  Hope you are enjoying the wedding celebrations of summer and can play along with us at Bitten By the Bug 2.

- The First Few Cricut Cartridge - photo mat/frame
- Sweethearts Cricut Cartridge - Mr. & Mrs.
- Something to Remember Cricut Cartridge - car

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Back To School - 4th Grade

This week at Die Cuttin' Divas we are thinking about school and want to see your School themed projects. With 5th grade starting in a few weeks for mine I thought I would look back on 4th grade a little and work on some pages for her school album.
The first day of 4th grade was especially nice because I was able to be there for these fun photos. When looking at all of the st day pages together it gets so crazy to see how she has grown.
I loved this title cut and when it cut out I thought it would look great broken up instead of a row.
I added some fun cuts of the school and globe (daughter picked that one) to finish the page off.  I hope you are ready for Back to School mode to begin and maybe get a chance to play along with out fun challenge this week.

- When I Was A Kid Cricut Cartridge - back to school title
- Locker Talk Cricut Cartridge - globe and school

Monday, August 8, 2016

Rule the World - with Caffeine

Happy Monday to all. It is time for a new Bitten By the Bug 2 Challenge.  This week we are getting you going with caffeine - that is we want to see your projects featuring coffee or tea.
I made this card after seeing the sentiment online and knew it would be perfect. I went looking for a coffee cup and selected this cute one. I added a oval frame and some embossing.
The final step  was to make the sentiment piece.  I am loving this Boyfriend font and love that I can add sentiments onto my cards this way -print and cut is so wonderful.
Hope you have enough caffeine in you to survive your day and create with us this week at BBTB2.

- CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge - oval frame
- A Child's Year Cricut Cartridge - coffee cup
- Boyfriend Font - print and cut onto rectangle
- The Paper Studio embossing folder
- Washi tape from a Recollections collection

Friday, August 5, 2016

A Brave Page

My daughter dressed as Merida from the movie Brave for Halloween and so when we traveled to Disney for the holidays that year the costume was ready to go and she was very excited to wear it when she met Merida.
The meet & greet is such a fun experience because you get to talk with her and practice your bow and arrow skills as well. Merida talked to our daughter and played with her wig.
I wanted to add the little bears that Merida's brothers turn into in the movie to this so I used print and cut to add them as well as this great cut out of Merida with her bow and arrow (I thought it looked fun facing the photo of my daughter shooting the arrow as well).

Happy Friday everyone.

- Disney Believing in Dreams Cricut Cartridge - the bears and Merida
- Project Life Heritage Edition cards
- The Merida written on the photo is from Photopass/Memorymaker at Disney World.

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Tom Sawyer Island at Walt Disney World

Happy Tuesday! It is the first one of August so that means we get a great sketch to play with at Die Cuttin' Divas. I love working these into my Project Life pages.
The sketch this month was just right for a title card in my on going Disney album (have to get this one finish before our next trip coming so so soon!!)
I went right to my Project Life stash and selected cards to use for the layers and other pockets on my page.  I love layering the cards to get added color and patterns.
Once  I had the layers ready I selected my cuts and added on some printed images to finalize the look. I added an extra cut on another card as well to complete my page.
Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom is such a hidden gem.  A raft ride over and some fun play time exploration.  It really is a fun little adventure.
Hope you have a great week and get a chance to play with this fun sketch at Die Cuttin' Divas.

- Carson's Creations sketch
- Life's A Party Cricut cartridge - map
- My World Cricut cartridge - log cabin circle
- Project Life Kraft Edition cards

Monday, August 1, 2016

Seal of Approval

And just like that it is August! Hard to believe summer is drawing to a close soon - but there isstill time to be crafty so let's go. This week at Bitten By the Bug 2 our host has asked us to create projects featuring a sea animal.
I love this fun circus seal image so I decided I would play around with him for this challenge. I cut him out and glued all his pieces together (happy his eyes, nose and smile glued on without trouble).
Once he was all set I added my sentiment to the label I had selected and created the base for my card.  A little embossing and Stickles were the final touches.
Hope you get a chance to join us this week at Bitten by the Bug 2 and our seas animals challenge.

- Birthday Bash Cricut cartridge - seal
- Phrases Cricut Cartridge - label
- All Things Pink - font on label
- Cuttlebug embossing folder - dots and spots
- Pinstripe embossing folder
- Stickles - Christmas Red


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Interview with Blessing Awah of Sparkles Jewelries

“I started with just Five Thousand Naira (N 5000) 3years ago and today my stock is worth hundreds of thousands by God’s grace.”

Hi everyone, we are pleased to bring you this interview with Blessing Awah. If you are part of our Facebook Community, then you probably already know of her. She has been our Sponsor for the Sunday Selfie contest throughout the month of April. She is a special person who stepped in when when she needed to. Her interview is inspiring and filled with helpful nuggets for every woman who is thinking of starting a small to medium scale business. Kindly leave a comment for her at the end of this post. Thanks!

Naija-Housewives Tell us a little about you…Where you grew up, your family…anything you want us to know.

Blessing Awah My name is Blessing Awah and I’m married to Aniedi Awah and a mom to our three year old son, Michael. I’m from Akwa-ibom state. I grew up in Warri, Delta State. I did my primary and secondary education in Warri and graduated from Lagos State University where I studied English.

Blessing Awah

Naija-Housewives What got you interested in business?

Blessing Awah I grew up seeing my mom doing business and it paid the bills. I have always been a business minded person even when I was doing a 9 to 5 job. But I finally became a full time business lady when I got married.I knew that the best way to be there for my son and husband 24/7 was if I’m my own boss.

Necklace and Earrings (Yellow)

Naija-Housewives Why did you choose jewelries? Was there any particular reason?

Blessing Awah I chose to go into the jewellery business because I love Jewelries and Fashion in general. But what really made me to channel my energy on Jewelleries was seeing that the competition was not as much as clothing business and then I loved the “transformative effect” it gave to a lady when she wore even the simplest piece of jewellery.

Naija-Housewives Who are your main customers and how do you sell to them?

Blessing Awah My main customers cut across the young and old, the hip and conservative ladies; men with fashion sense, prospective couples and men that love to give their wives special surprises. I run an online shop and most of my customers buy my products online via my Facebook page, BBM or WhatsApp. All they need do is choose their item of choice and proceed to make payment into my account and as soon as I get an alert I parcel the item to them via courier or in person if she/he is based in Lagos.

Naija-Housewives What are some of the challenges you have faced since you started your business?

Blessing Awah Like with every form of business, challenges are what define one’s will power and ability to fight for what he/she believes in. The major challenge I have in this business is stocking. There is a limit to how much product I could have on ground at a time. A customer might see a design that she loves, but this could be something I stocked like a year ago; it then becomes impossible to make it available for the customer at that moment and I end up feeling bad whenever I can’t  meet my customer’s demand or need.

Naija-Housewives What do you enjoy most about your business?

Blessing Awah I enjoy that I get to meet new and interesting people every day. And I also get to make profits too.

Naija-Housewives How did you meet your husband?

Blessing Awah I met my husband on a movie set. I was an actress while he was the director of that production. We became friends when we found out we were both from the same state, and the rest they say is history.

Blessing Awah and Family

Naija-Housewives How supportive of your business ventures is he?

Blessing Awah He is very supportive of my business venture. I will say he is my number one fan and critic. Most times when I want to survey a particular design, I get him to wear the male product and I see how well others accept it and the longevity warranty given to me by the manufacturer. So I will say he’s a hundred percent supportive of my vision and business.

Naija-Housewives How did you hear about NAIJA HOUSEWIVES?

Blessing Awah I googled for Nigerian women groups on Facebook and Naija Housewives was among the search results that came out. I read the vision statement, I liked it and I said I should give it a try and I ended up getting addicted to visiting the page daily.

Naija-Housewives What motivated you to sponsor the Sunday Selfies on Naija Housewives’ Facebook Page?

Blessing Awah I got motivated to sponsor the Sunday Selfies because I like the concept of celebrating every Naija woman every week. And it happens that April is a very special month for me, because it happens to be my son’s and I birth month. So I decided to sponsor the Sunday selfie in order to put smiles on the faces of my fellow Naija Housewives for the whole month of April as a way of saying thank you to God for keeping and blessing us.

Pearl Neck piece

Naija-Housewives What advice do you have for women who are struggling to start a business?

Blessing Awah There is nothing like having patience and perseverance in a business. Just start small and you will be amazed at how fast you will grow over the years. I started with just Five Thousand Naira (N 5000) 3 years ago and today my stock is worth hundreds of thousands by God’s grace. So don’t be scared that you can’t make it. Just make sure you like what you are selling or what you want to sell and have an agreement prayer over your business with your husband and children. Then advertise your goods on social media and see how much difference it will make.

Naija-Housewives Do you have anything to say to us?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Naija Housewives is a name I’m proud to be associated with. I will advise you to keep up the good work, creativity and the different segments that is targeted at making every Naija Housewive a better home builder and helpmate to her spouse and family.

You can get in touch with Blessing through the following:

Phone: 08099779355

WhatsApp: 08099779355

This interview with Blessing Awah of Sparkles Jewelries is part of our series called “The Woman Entrepreneur.” Read about other amazing women here. If you would like to be featured in this series, get in touch with us through the Contact Form.

We'd love to hear from you

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Bankruptcy's Impact on Copyrighted Software Licenses

When a company goes into bankruptcy, the bankruptcy laws make available to it a series of special tools not otherwise available to companies outside of bankruptcy. These tools are designed either to give the debtor a chance to reorganize its business operations so that it may become a profitable enterprise and thereby propose a plan of reorganization to its creditors, or to allow the company's assets to be liquidated with the proceeds being distributed to creditors. One of these special tools is the right to assume or reject unexpired contracts and leases. If rejected, the debtor can walk away without ongoing liability and the non-debtor party will be left with a claim on which it may receive pennies on the dollar. If assumed, the bankrupt company can move forward with the contract or lease as if no bankruptcy ever occurred. Once assumed, the unexpired contract or lease can then be assigned to a third-party, even when the contract or lease has a specific provision prohibiting assignment. It is, therefore, normal course for a debtor in bankruptcy to review each of its unexpired contracts and leases to see which it should keep and which it should discard, as well as which of those to be discarded might realize value if assigned to third parties.

The Basics

In general, an executory contract can be assumed by the bankrupt if it can:

  • Cure existing defaults;
    • Monetary defaults must be cured although courts have differed over whether non-monetary defaults need be cured.
    • Defaults that are caused by the filing of the bankruptcy case or the financial condition of the debtor do not need to be cured.
  • Compensate the non-debtor party for any damages the defaults caused;
  • Provide adequate assurance of future performance.

Once the executory contract is assumed, it can be assigned to a third-party.

Executory contracts can be rather easily rejected. Courts usually rely on the debtor's business judgment to determine if rejection should be authorized.

The Exceptions

Certain executory contracts cannot be assumed or assigned without the consent of the other party to the contract. These are contracts where "applicable law" excuses the non-debtor party to the contract from accepting performance from someone other than the debtor or the debtor in possession. This provision has been generally applied to prohibit the assumption or assignment of contracts for personal services.

There is a dispute amongst the courts as to whether non-exclusive patent licenses can be assumed or assigned without the consent of a non-debtor licensor. There are also special rules for assuming or assigning shopping center leases, timeshare contracts, and aircraft leases.

  • Contracts to make a loan cannot be assumed.
  • There are special rules that protect tenants in possession when the debtor rejects a lease.
  • There are special rules that protect licensees of intellectual property when the debtor is a licensor of that intellectual property and rejects the license. However, intellectual property for this purpose includes trade secrets, patents and copyrights, but not trade names.

The Analysis of Computer Software License Agreements

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recently decided that a debtor in possession could not assume a non-exclusive license agreement involving a copyrighted software program registered with the United States Copyright Office unless it first obtained the affirmative assent of the non-debtor licensor. The case, In re Sunterra Corporation, decided by the Court of Appeals on March 18, 2004, is helpful in identifying issues that should be addressed when a license agreement is negotiated, since by the time of a bankruptcy filing by the licensee the opportunity to do so will have evaporated.

The facts are straightforward. RCI, formerly known as Resort Computer Corporation, developed software for the resort and hospitality industry. Sunterra owned and managed timeshare resorts and licensed RCI's software so that its timeshare customers could trade their timeshare rights. Under the software license agreement, for which Sunterra paid RCI $3.5M, Sunterra acquired a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use, copy, modify, and distribute a specific RCI software program that RCI had registered with the United States Copyright Office. In accordance with the software license agreement, Sunterra then spent $38M to modify the software to its needs. Under the terms of the software license agreement, Sunterra owned the modifications and licensed those modifications back to RCI. Each party was obligated to keep the source code confidential.

Sunterra later filed a Chapter 11 case in the District of Maryland and confirmed a plan of reorganization. Before confirmation, RCI filed a motion asking the bankruptcy court to rule that the software license agreement was deemed rejected because it was an executory contract that could not be assumed without RCI's consent. RCI contended that its consent was required by §365(c) of the Bankruptcy Code, and because RCI refused to provide its consent, the license could not be assumed. Sunterra prevailed in the bankruptcy court as well as the district court. RCI then appealed to the Fourth Circuit.

Is the Software License Agreement an Executory Contract?

The parties disagreed over whether the software license agreement was an executory contract. The Bankruptcy Court had held it was not executory. The District Court disagreed and found the software license agreement was an executory contract. The Fourth Circuit's analysis of this issue was fairly simple. By Fourth Circuit precedent, it was required to apply the following test to determine executoriness: whether the "obligations of both the bankrupt and the other party to the contract are so far unperformed that the failure of either to complete the performance would constitute a material breach excusing the performance of the other." In the view of the Fourth Circuit, the agreement was executory because each party had a material ongoing obligation to keep confidential the software source code developed by the other.

As an Executory Contract, Can the Debtor Assume It?

Having found the software license agreement was an executory contract, the Court now had to determine if Sunterra could assume the agreement. This was a true reorganization, rather than a sale of assets, so there was no need for Sunterra to assign the license agreement to a third party. The court decided that a non-exclusive software license is governed by the same principles as govern a non-exclusive patent license, i.e., that the licensor must affirmatively consent to the transfer of the license to a third-party. The court looked to the assignment clause in the license, which permitted the assignment of the license to a successor in interest that acquired substantially all of the assets of the debtor. However, the court then distinguished an assignment from an assumption. While the licensor might have assented to an assignment, it had not assented to an assumption. Accordingly, the debtor did not have the licensor's assent to the assumption and the debtor's motion was denied.

This means that Sunterra, having spent $38M to modify the software after having paid RCI $3.5M for the software license, was left without anything! Imagine the bargaining power that RCI now has over the negotiations for a new software license!

Drafting Considerations

Here are some bankruptcy-related issues that should be considered when drafting or negotiating a software license agreement:

  • The licensee might want to make sure the licensor's copyright of the software is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.
    • The case referred to above involved a registered copyright.
    • The Bankruptcy Code's protections for licensees where the license is rejected
    • by the licensor/debtor might be interpreted as limited to registered copyrights.
  • Consider whether the license should be exclusive or non-exclusive.
    • If exclusive, the debtor will be treated as having an ownership interest in the copyright and may be able to assign that ownership interest without the licensor's consent.
  • Consider carefully the terms of the assignment clause in the license.
    • Should the licensor consent to language that permits the licensee to assign the license without the licensor's subsequent written consent, even to an entity within the corporate family of the licensee or to a successor in interest?
    • Should the licensor consent to language that permits the licensee to assume of the license without the licensor's subsequent written consent in the event of the licensee's bankruptcy proceeding?
  • Consider the terms of the provision that allows the licensor to recover its attorney's fees and costs.
    • Should the licensor be entitled to recover attorney's fees and costs associated with a licensee's bankruptcy case, including the cost of its counsel monitoring the licensee's bankruptcy proceeding or attending hearings that do not directly implicate the license agreement? If so, should these be limited to those arising after a default?
  • The licensor should not rely on provisions in a software license agreement that say the license is terminated if the licensee ever files for bankruptcy. These clauses are not effective in bankruptcy cases.

Welcome to Richard Bernard

We are pleased to announce that Richard Bernard has joined the firm as an associate in the Bankruptcy and Reorganization Group. Richard will reside in both our Garden City and New York City offices.

Prior to joining Nixon Peabody LLP, Mr. Bernard was a bankruptcy associate in the New York City office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP. There he represented, among others, General Electric and its subsidiaries as asset acquirers, secured creditors, and lessors in numerous bankruptcy cases, including Enron, PSINet, and Owens Corning; NEON Communications as debtor in possession; and Wells Fargo Retail Finance as agent for secured creditors of FAO Schwartz.

Mr. Bernard was a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Robert A. Mark, chief judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Florida, following receipt of his Juris Doctor degree.

Practice Group and Attorney News

Daniel Sklar and Peter Tamposi Â– Mr. Sklar and Mr. Tamposi, both of our Manchester office, are currently representing the debtor of the Golf Club of New England in a Chapter 11 reorganization proceeding in the Bankruptcy Court of New Hampshire. They expect to file the plan of reorganization shortly.

Daniel Sklar and Mark Berman Â– Mr. Sklar, of our Manchester office, and Mr. Berman, of our Boston office, have been recognized for their bankruptcy knowledge in the newly published Chambers USA Guide of leading business lawyers.

Mark Berman Â– Mr. Berman, of our Boston office, is the co-chair of the 11th Annual Northeast Bankruptcy Conference, sponsored by the American Bankruptcy Institute. The conference has consistently drawn the largest attendance of any of the ABI's regional conferences.

Howard Gorney Â– Mr. Gorney, of our Boston office, recently completed a course to become a trained mediator, specializing in bankruptcy and bankruptcy-related matters.

John Duncan and Mark Berman Â– Mr. Duncan, of our San Francisco office, and Mr. Berman, of our Boston office, coauthored an article entitled "Top Ten Things to Know If You Are an Investor or a Director of a Failing Business." The article was published on and in "Counsel to Counsel," published by Martindale Hubbell.

Doug Spelfogel Â– Mr. Spelfogel, of our Garden City office, is lead counsel for the creditors committee in the Chapter 11 case of a major landfill operator in Louisville, Kentucky. He recently participated in a contested matter where the court, in a detailed written opinion, denied the request of the state to terminate the debtor's license to operate, paving the way for the debtor to succeed in its efforts to sell its business and produce a dividend for creditors.

Doug Spelfogel Â– Mr. Spelfogel, of our Garden City office, recently lectured on the Revised Uniform Commercial Code and its effect on Bankruptcy Law at a continuing legal education program in New York City. Doug is also scheduled to speak on Bankruptcy Practice in New York at a New York State Bar Association program in June.

Craig Tractenberg and Richard Pedone Â– Mr. Tractenberg, of our Philadelphia office, and Mr. Pedone, of our Boston office, are currently representing the Ground Round Franchise Council and numerous franchisees in the bankruptcy of the Ground Round Restaurant chain.


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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles...Friends....BEWARE! My kids brought home the Gertrude Hawk Chocolate fund raiser for PTA the other day. I think Gayle and Esther will be calling you regarding this...YOU CAN SAY NO... dont feel like you HAVE to buy from them. I only do this to support the PTA .

Guess what else? Isaac is selling seeds for the SCOUTS! He will be calling regarding this.....YOU CAN SAY NO!!! This is just a heads up that you will be getting a call...I will say this for the seeds though...I bought the $5 wild flower mix...I had these crazy wild flowers snowed...and they were just as beautiful as in summer...I will be getting some of those again. It was fun to send the kids in with a handful of wildflowers for their teachers...when they really werent in season...hahaha.

If you dont want to buy...just tell me, and I can steer them away from you...otherwise you will have to tell them NO on your own;-)

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Saturday, June 27, 2015

"The Fox and The Cat"
acrylic on birch panel
11 x 14 inches plus frame
available for purchase HERE

For this painting, I chose to interpret the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, "The Fox and The Cat".  The tale was simple: a fox boasts that he has many tricks and a cat confesses that he has only one.  The fox is caught by hunters and the cat climbs a tree and escapes them.  The tale is supposed to teach that in times of danger, one option is more effective than having many at one's disposal.

I'm not sure how helpful or true that tale is, but I wanted to paint the fox and cat in my own interpretation, so here, the ghostly fox protects the cat; the foxes' skull is seen at the bottom of the painting.  Also, the fox is shown with several tails, like the Japanese kitsune, with each tail representing more luck.

"The Fox and The Cat" will be showing tonight in Alexi Era Gallery's show, Emanate, which is the first at their new location.

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Poster Presentation COSA-IPOS Joint Scientific Meeting 2012

A randomised controlled trial evaluating Insight, a web-based cognitive rehabilitation programme, in cancer survivors with self-reported cognitive impairment (#731)

Victoria Bray 1 , Haryana Dhillon 2 3 , Melanie Bell 4 , Michael Kabourakis 2 , Melanie Price 4 , Janette Vardy 1 2
  1. Sydney Cancer Centre, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Centre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-based Decision-Making, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. Psycho-Oncology Cooperative Research Group (POCOG), School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Up to 70% of cancer survivors self report cognitive impairment after chemotherapy and 30% have impairment on neuropsychological testing. Survivors consistently report that this has a major impact on their quality of life and functional abilities. The mechanisms are unknown and there are no proven treatments.
Insight, a home and web-based cognitive rehabilitation programme has been successful in the management of cognitive symptoms in non-cancer populations with similar cognitive deficits, and in a pilot study in breast cancer survivors.
Our randomised controlled trial evaluates the efficacy of Insight in cancer survivors who self-report cognitive impairment following completion of potentially curative chemotherapy for solid primary tumours (excluding central nervous system malignancies).
Our primary hypothesis is that Insight will improve self reported cognitive function. Secondary hypotheses are that Insight will improve objective neuropsychological performance and will lead to: (i) improved quality of life; (ii) reduced depression and anxiety; (iii) reduced stress; (iv) reduced fatigue.

We are recruiting cancer survivors with self reported cognitive impairment, as indicated by changes in concentration and memory on the 2-item screening test from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Quality of Life Questionnaire–C30 Cognitive Functioning scale. Participants must be aged 18 years and above, have completed potentially curative chemotherapy within the last 6-60 months and have no evidence of cancer recurrence.
The intervention arm receives the 40 hour Insight programme and the control arm receives standard care. Both groups participate in a 30-minute, structured telephone consultation teaching compensatory cognitive training strategies.
Participants complete neuropsychological tests and questionnaires evaluating patient reported outcomes at baseline, post intervention and 6 months post intervention.
This is a home-based study allowing cancer survivors with access to computer and internet facilities from any location in Australia to participate. Sample size is 214, with 124 patients randomised to date.


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Top 5 Best Mascara In Pakistan, Reviews And Prices

Mascara is the must have makeup product for women. Mascara always gives a glamorous look to the eyes. It gives eyes a dramatic look also. Mascara is even complete the over all eye makeup. It is using to add volume to eyes and incredible look to eyes. There are so many famous brands who are providing mascaras. Mascara is available in a wide range. Women use it according to their need. There are so many types of mascaras are easily available in markets. Now a days, colorful mascaras are also in fashion. But black mascara has a great value among all. Here in this post i am sharing 5 best mascara in Pakistan below.

(Read Also: Top 5 Eyeliner In Pakistan)

Top 5 Best Mascara In Pakistan With Prices

Well, there are so many famous brands are providing mascara to give volume to eyes. In this post you will find top 5 mascara in Pakistan. These mascara brands are very popular and well reputed in Pakistan and easy to find in markets, So lets start with CoverGirl mascara which is on 5th in our list.

READ ALSO:  Maybelline Baby Lips Dr Rescue - NEW Moisturizing Lip Care 2014

5. CoverGirl Lashblast Luxe Mascara:

Top 5 Best Mascara In Pakistan - CoverGirl LashBlast Luxe Mascara

Cover Girl lashblast luxe mascara gives your eye lashes a cluster look. It’s glossy effect gives you a shimmery effect. It is very much affordable mascara in all.

  • Lengthen and Volumize Lashes.
  • Easy removal.
  • No smudging or Flaking.
  • Long Lasting For 12 Hours.
  • Shimmery look.
  • Available in four shades.

  • Original Lashblast Luxe Is Better Than It.

Price: Rs 899.

4. Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara:

Top 5 Best Mascara In Pakistan - Revlon Grow Luscious MascaraRevlon Grow Luscious Mascara is famous due to this fine and thin texture. It is light-weighted mascara that gives an incredible looks to eye lashes.

  • Gives Instant Longer and Lusher Look.
  • Long Lasting For 12 Hours.
  • Doesn’t Smudging or Flaking.

  • Doesn’t Volumize Lashes.

Price: Rs 499.

3. Maybelline Volum’ Express The Colossal Mascara:

Top 5 Best Mascara In Pakistan - Maybelline Volum Express colossal MascaraMaybelline Le Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara gives a polished look. This mascara makes your eyes look covered and fluttery. It’s thick and dramatic look make the eyes fuller.

READ ALSO:  Top 5 Best Lip Gloss Brand In Pakistan With Prices

  • Gives 9X Volume.
  • Light-weight.
  • Extra Black Color.
  • Dramatic Pigmentation.

  • Wet.
  • Thick Texture.

Price: Rs 500.

(Read Also: Maybelline Color Mascaras)

2. L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara:

Top 5 Best Mascara In Pakistan - L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes MascaraL’Oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara is the most popular L’Oreal product in women. This mascara give your lashes a more dramatic look. It is very save for eyes and will not give any side effects to lashes.

  • Volumize and Curl Lashes.
  • Doesn’t Flaking or smudging.
  • Creamy Formula.
  • Easily Removable.

  • Doesn’t Provide Much Length.
  • Strong Chemical Smell.
  • Not Waterproof.

Price: Rs 1200.

1. Diorshow New Look Mascara:

Top 5 Best Mascara In Pakistan - Diorshow New Look MascaraDiorshow New Look Mascara is the most demanding mascara in Pakistan. It always craft the eye lashes to look attractive and glamorous. It makes the lashes fuller and thick.

  • Gives Infinite Volume.
  • Multiplying Effect.
  • Doesn’t Clump.
  • Gives Volume To Every Single Lash.
  • Thin Texture.
  • Light-weight.
  • Gives Fuller Lash Look.

  • Hard To Remove.

Price: Rs 1800.

Well, these were the top 5 best mascara in Pakistan which are easily available in leading markets. Which one do you have? Share your views with us.

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Whirled Musings

Across the Universe with Cosmic Connie, aka Connie L. Schmidt...or maybe just through the dung-filled streets and murky swamps of pop culture -- more specifically, the New-Age/New-Wage crowd, pop spirituality & religion, pop psychology, self(ish)-help, business babble, media silliness, & related (or occasionally unrelated) matters of consequence. Hope you're wearing boots. (By the way, the "Cosmic" bit in my moniker is IRONIC.)

Monday, January 10, 2011

Snippets for a Monday afternoon

Happy New(ish) Year! It's past time for me to get back to my Whirled; no more excuses. While I'm putting the finishing touch on several longer posts, and churning out content elsewhere for pay, here are a few snippets.

What's wrong with this (big) picture?
New-Wage guru-ette
Marianne Williamson, who first rose to fame in the early 1990s by popularizing A Course in Miracles with her book, A Return to Love, has been an Oprah fave for years. Marianne's stock-in-trade is flowery, poetic writing that is often lovely to read but has a tendency to be kind of rambling, while offering very little in the way of practical advice. (Kind of like this blog, come to think of it, except for the flowery and poetic writing and the being-lovely-to-read bit.) I met Marianne years ago at a book signing in Houston, and because in my brief conversation with her she exuded what seemed to me to be genuine kindness, I still tend to give her, perhaps against all reason, a little more of a pass than I do other New-Wage superstars. But her latest opus... jeez.

The story goes that Marianne was standing near Oprah one day when the latter was chatting about dieting. As most of us know, Oprah has experienced dramatic weight losses and re-gains – repeatedly – over the past couple of decades. According to the story Marianne tells, she said to Oprah, "If you could have done it by yourself, you would have done it by now." Oprah asked Marianne to 'splain, and Marianne said she would reply by email. Subsequently she sent Oprah several letters detailing how Oprah or anyone else should ask God for help to move forward from food addiction or compulsive overeating, and the accompanying emotional baggage. At some point – we're not told exactly when – Oprah suggested that Marianne turn those emails into...hold on to your hats, Dear Ones, because this is really unprecedented...a book. And the result is A Course in Weight Loss, published in November 2010 by, appropriately enough, the New-Wage fiddle-faddle factory Hay House.

The title of the book is, of course, a blatant marketing ploy, and if you're at all familiar with the history of A Course in Miracles (aka ACIM), you'll also immediately notice that the cover of A Course in Weight Loss is vaguely reminiscent of the design of the classic ACIM book covers, consisting of simple text with a border and solid-color background. If you're not familiar with ACIM, suffice to say that it is a New-Wage study course with an impeccable spiritual pedigree, having originally been channeled by an atheistic Jewish woman, Helen Schucman, Ph.D., straight from Jesus H. Christ Himself. The success story of ACIM and Marianne herself are neatly encapsulated in this informative graphic. (Click for enlargement. And yes, I know I've shared this pic before. Sorry about the redundancy.)

Marianne's newest book is all about retraining your consciousness and healing your separation from Gawd, which, she explains, is the true cause of your portliness, anorexia, binging and purging, or what have you. "People report that just from reading this book they're losing weight," says Marianne, according to the Houston Chronicle article I linked to in the second paragraph of this snippet. Oprah herself listed A Course in Weight Loss as one of her "favorite things" of 2010.

The elephant in the room, if you'll pardon the metaphor, is actually a thundering herd of elephants. One hardly knows where to begin. There are several problems, apart from the glaringly obvious fact that Marianne herself has apparently never had a weight problem remotely on the scale (no pun intended) of Oprah's. "Well, gee, Cosmic Connie, that could just be because Marianne takes her own advice," you might say. If you believe that... um, you know those sayings about oceanfront property in Arizona, or bridges for sale?

So let's examine some of the elephants. First of all, that story of the origins of the book seems...well... a tad contrived. Oprah has long been in tune with all of the trends and ideas of the conspicuously enlightened set, embracing everything and everyone from Eckhart Tolle to, most infamously, The Secret. She has supposedly been in touch, almost ostentatiously at times, with her spiritual side for years. She has known Marianne Williamson for years as well. How could anything that Marianne says or writes possibly be so novel to her that she would even ask what Marianne meant by that remark during their conversation about dieting? Or was Oprah just making polite conversation? Or did the conversation actually occur as related? Something about that story doesn't quite ring true to me.

Secondly, the use of spirituality (whether of the New-Wage, Eastern, or Bible-thumping Christian variety) to aid in weight loss is hardly a revolutionary concept. If the blending of spiritual or religious concepts with weight issues is supposed to be a unique selling point for the book, the author and the promoters are kind of behind the times.

Third, Oprah is lavishly wealthy, and besides having her finger on the pulse of cutting-edge spiritual and pop-psychology concepts, she has easy access to all of the world's very best fitness trainers, dietary experts, and methods of medical intervention that she could possibly ever desire in order to achieve permanent weight loss, if such a goal were even possible for her. And indeed, she has had personal trainers and chefs and Lord knows who and what else to aid her in her struggle for years; contrary to the implication in Marianne's remark to her, it doesn't appear that Oprah has been attempting to to do it on her own for a very long time.

Fourth, just look at Oprah. While I think she's lovely at any weight, I have a strong feeling that being even remotely trim is going to be a lifelong struggle for her no matter what she reads or how she tinkers with her relationship to Spirit. I'm not making fun of or trivializing her weight struggle or anyone else's. I'm just making observations.

Could it be that Oprah was just trying to help out a gal pal whose star is kind of fading, by suggesting a quick and easy money op? Ya think?

In any case, Marianne is now making the rounds to promote and sign her new book. She'll be in my neck of the woods this coming Thursday, giving a lecture on what seems to me the painfully self-explanatory "The Lure of the Miraculous." Don't look for me there. I'll be staying home experiencing the miracle of The Big Bang Theory and $#! My Dad Says.

A Course in Methane Miracles: who's gonna step up to take credit?
One of the biggest disaster stories of 2010 was
the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last April. It was bad news to be sure, but as it turns out, it wasn't all awful. Texas A&M oceanographer John Kessler and fellow researchers recently published a study concluding that hordes of hungry bacteria have gobbled up nearly all of the estimated 200,000 tons of methane the spill released into the Gulf of Mexico. And the microbes performed this feat faster than anyone had previously predicted, without creating the expected oxygen-deprived "dead zone" in the ocean. Not everyone is convinced that the bacteria alone were responsible for the fact that the methane is all but gone, but some journos are calling it "the methane miracle."

Now I'm wondering who is going to be the first in the New-Wage community to step up and claim to have provided the power behind that miracle.

Will it be Phoenix, aka the Spirit Diva, aka Judy Marks, the gal who not only communicates with hurricanes but who also led not one, not two, not three, but twenty-three meditations on the Gulf oil spill?

Will it be Mr. Fire and his sidekick, Pat, who last year announced a "clearing" audio to clean up the mess, featuring Pat's music and Joe's weird vocalizations, which they claimed had awesome powers to tune listeners into the collective unconscious, thus enabling them to impact the oil spill and anything else perceived as being bad?

Or will it be members of that cultish sex-and-money (dis)organization, Access Consciousness (née Access Energy Transformation), who are experts in "Molecular Demanifestation" and "Demolecular Manifestation," and who are going to attempt to demonstrate their expertise by going out on a boat and demanifesting a giant glob of plastic in the ocean? Perhaps a group of Accessories will step forward with the claim that they've been practicing their skills on the methane from the BP oil spill, in preparation for their big ocean voyage (on which they will embark once they have taken care of basic details, such as manifesting a boat).

Or will it be some other New-Wage entrepreneur claiming that it was his or her frauduct or metaphysical superpowers that cleared it all away? Guys and gals, there's a huge money op here. What are y'all waiting for?

Accessories on the loose: monkeys and typewriters

Speaking of Access, in an Access post I wrote last year, I mentioned that a former Access insider shared some of the hooks that Access founder Gary Douglas and his right-hand boy, Dain Heer, have used to sucker participants into continued participation. Among these hooks, my correspondent wrote, were the "clearing statements."

Gary originally and then Gary & Dain together would come up with what they said were new more powerful clearing statements - all the time. So if you missed classes or workshops, you didn't get the 'clearings' from these new and great clearing statements, and you didn't have them to process yourself with or process your clients (if you had any). While I was participating I observed many accessories try to make a 'go' of doing Access facilitation to create income. Most could not and no facilitator was raking in the money like Dain.

The other day someone forwarded an email to me that had been sent out by an Access facilitator who claims to be a relationship expert. This is a person who, among other things, teaches people how to stay married and happy, and also coaches women on how to find happiness and fulfillment as The Other Woman. (In Access, any type of sexual arrangement is apparently okay as long as it is satisfying to the Accessory.) During a recent "relationships bootcamp" call, the facilitator shared a new Access clearing statement:

What secret agenda for the creation of confinement, definement, and avoidance of choice and question pressurizing you utterly into stillpoint through sex copulation and relationship do you have that maintains and entrains what you cannot change choose and institute as life and living that is bigger than the reality of others?

Right and wrong, good and bad, all 9, POD, POC, shorts, boys and beyonds.

When I shared that clearing statement with my guy Ron, he said, "That kinda nails down the thing about monkeys and typewriters, doesn't it?"

Au contraire, Ronald! Far from being the result of random pecking, the clearing statement is in fact deeply meaningful. I'm willing to bet that the first paragraph can be easily understood after taking a few Access classes, downing a few Very Special Brownies, or consuming a large amount of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. Anything that severely compromises cognitive function should do the trick. (If you're wondering what "stillpoint" means, however, you'll have to listen to the bootcamp call to find out.)

The second paragraph is actually the classic original Access clearing statement, according to the former Accessory I mentioned at the beginning of this snippet. In use for many years now, it's a sort of shorthand, with each word having many meanings, according to the Ex-cessory. An early Access web page stated, "This phrase unlocks and erases all the programs, agreements and judgments which keep you stuck throughout all time and space." It's a phrase that is generally used after a "process question" to clear all of the energies – good and bad, right and wrong. Some of the things that are cleared include...

...implanted and explanted stuff, perpetually and/or eternally regenerating and all of the relays, spheres, uns, atomic, subatomic, pre-atomic structures, confluences throughout all time, space, dimensions and realities, ad infinitum.

All of these things were taught in Access One, at least at the time my correspondent was involved. I think they're taught in Scientology too, come to think of it.

But what do those weird things like "POD," "POC," "all nine," "shorts," "boys," etc. mean?

According to information on an Access web site...

POC is short for "point of creation." This means you are asking the energy to go to the point of creation (the moment where you first began functioning as though whatever thought, feeling or emotion was actually yours) and uncreate and destroy it, so that you can now function as the infinite being you truly are.
POD is short for "point of destruction," where you started destroying yourself by functioning from those thoughts, feelings or emotions that were not yours.

My Ex-cessory correspondent 'splained the rest to me:

  • All nine refers to the "nine layers of garbage" that Accessories are taught to eliminate. Each of these layers has a power of its own.
  • Shorts stands for "the meaning, the meaningless, the punishments, the rewards, the layers, the non layers, the meaningless glop and the glop." Hey, makes sense to me!
  • Boys refers to "the 22 nucleated spheres," which Accessories refer to as "the boys in the hood." These are issues that tend to repeat themselves no matter how often we work on them. Clear as a bell, eh? Although I would think that "boys" should be spelled "boyz" for cultural consistency.
  • Beyonds are "the usual feelings and sensations that stop you dead."

Now it all makes sense, doesn't it? I bet this is some of the stuff that Gary Douglas got from his old pal Raz, or Rasputin, as most of us know him.

The former Accessory tells me that Gary always used to say it didn't matter what order the words were said when repeating the clearing phrase. In that respect, the Access clearing statement is like the Four Magic Phrases of Ho'oponoponoponoponoponoponoponopono. Cool, huh?

When I shared Ron's comment with the correspondent who had forwarded the info about the "relationships bootcamp" and the latest Access "clearing statement," that person replied, "Honestly, he's so judgmental." "Judgmental" is kind of a dirty word in Access and, indeed, in much of New-Wage culture.

"But I'm not being judgmental," Ron protested. "I was merely pointing out some scientifical data."

Indeed. Besides, Ron and I both happen to like monkeys. We just think they should be kept away from typewriters, keyboards and phones.

* * * * *

That's it for now; more to come soon.

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Anonymous Anonymous said...

LOLOLOL! Great to start the year with Whirled Musings! Hilarious!

Thanks, Connie,

Saturday, January 15, 2011 9:37:00 PM
Blogger Cosmic Connie said...

You're welcome, Barb! And thank you for being one of my first commenters for 2011; obviously, I'm off to a slow start. In fact I was beginning to wonder if anyone still loved me, but then I realized that I haven't exactly been planting new content on my Whirled lately. It's going to take a while to get the pace back up.

In any case, regarding the great Methane Miracle: I'm guessing that someone from Access will be the first to claim credit for that one. They apparently got a head start back in August. One of my favorite private correspondents pointed out a Tweet on the Ocean 300 Twitter page:

"Thank you for everyone who contributed energy to changing the Gulf of Mexico a couple
weeks ago."
9:20 PM Aug 7th, 2010 http://twitter.com/ocean300news/status/20602678328

My correspondent also noted that Steve Outram, he of the fluttering eyelids, has stated he was using molecular magic on "a body of water." He
promised updates, but that too was back in August. The Methane Miracle seems like a perfect op for Access. What are they waiting for?

Sunday, January 16, 2011 8:13:00 PM
Blogger Emma said...

Hi Connie,

Are you aware of the alleged connection between "A Course In Miracles" and CIA mind control experiments?

Creepy stuff, the experiments. (I've only read it on the Internet so who knows what to believe, but there's actual government documents?! As a young-ish Canadian, it's hard to believe it happened in North America, in a supposedly "civilized" nation, in the 60s)

Sunday, March 20, 2011 7:07:00 PM

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