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Currently Reading

Tegan Mae's bookshelf: currently-reading

Witch Finder
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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Fresh Start

Hi everyone!

Here is my most recent update. These past 5 months have a been a little crazy. I've been in and out of the hospital and taking classes and starting a second job.

I have also decided to start posting these reviews, and other YA related activities, at my new blog The Rowdy Librarian.

I will still post the links on here for you guys coming up, to help with the transition.

I will still be posting at The Founding Fields as Lady Salvatore. I will also be recording reviews for a fellow reviewer's podcast! So keep an eye, or ear, out for those!

Thank you for being loyal readers and for joining me on this new venture!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Type: Young Adult
Genre: High Fantasy
Tea: Hot water with a plain teabag that didn't sit in it for very long.
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars.

"I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt." (from
This book is a joke. A big joke. But not a funny one. One of those unfortunate ones that physically hurt you when someone tells it. One that you never want to hear again and will run from if it shows up. Yes, this was that bad. I couldn't even finish it. What was bad about it, you might ask. EVERYTHING. ALL OF IT.
Adelina was boring. She was a piece of cardboard. Yes, it's terrible what her dad was doing to her. But all she did was feel sorry for herself. And then when she accidentally kills someone all she does is go on and on and on about how horrible she is. And she has the weirdest flashbacks. I just...everything in here is accidental and she just gripes about her life. She makes mopey Katniss in Mockingjay look like a ray of sunshine. I don't know. She was boring and not even remotely badass like the description says. They say it's like a high fantasy X-Men. If this was an X-Men movie, I'd be pissed.
Her "love interest" is bizarre. He's a jerk and not interesting at all. He's just an excuse to have a romantic storyline in this book. And that storyline can't even save it. Her sister was a spoiled brat and...can you tell that every character sucked?
And what kind of place is she living in? I've had authors reimagine our world and make it their own, prime example being Jacqueline Carey in her Kushiel's Universe series. You know what country it would be if it was in our world, but she makes it entirely her own and you're sucked into this amazing land. But in this book she basically takes Renaissance Italy and renames stuff. It was awful. This was NOT high fantasy. This was a train wreck.
I've heard good things about her Legend series and I will give that one a chance. But never again for this one.

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Title: Illusions of Fate
Author: Kiersten White
Type: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Tea: Golden Mojito, sort of good, but sort of lackluster.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

"Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.
Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray."

This was my first Kiersten White novel, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but the description intrigued me. The description is a liar.

First off the only thing Downton Abbey (which I LOVE) related is the fact that this girl works at a hotel. For like 2 seconds. Then suddenly she is lavishly taken care of by some random stranger. Yeahh...that doesn't happen to Daisy or Anna or any of them in Downton. Cassandra Clare could've been a warning sign, as I wasn't the biggest fan of City of Bones. Another thing that sucked me in is I loved The Madman's Daughter and I love, love, LOVE Libba Bray. The Gemma Doyle trilogy is one of my favorites! This was NOTHING like those books. A pale imitation maybe, but not much more than that.

The world confused me a bit. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be like an alternate version of our world and where she lived was maybe supposed to be London and the island she is from is supposed to be...somewhere? It is kind of vague and you get lots of description of how crappy it was for her at home, but not much more.

This fell into every trope a YA book can fall into. Insta-love, love triangle, "my boyfriend is actually an asshole", poor-little-girl-gets-turned-into-a-"princess". Just everything you could think of. The only thing that I really enjoyed was the magical aspect. There was some actual thought put into that and is honestly what saved this book from getting a worse rating. My favorite was the book that could turn into a bird...or is it a bird that can turn into a book...? Either way, that was awesome. That bird saved Jessamin more times than not. She'd be dead without that bird.

And the ending. Oh the ending. When I was reading and saw I only had a small portion left, but nothing was resolved yet, I was worried. I didn't want to read a whole second book as this one was giving me a hard time. But I wasn't worried for the reason I should've been. This was the most hastily, sloppily tied up ending. It was a rush and a mess. It was like she just realized she needed to end the book. It did nothing for me. I was really let down.

I will try giving another one of her books a chance because they intrigue me, but this one just had too much going on and nothing really developed. It's like everything kind of started to develop, but then tapered off.

This one is up to you, but don't go in judging it from its description, you won't get that.

MARY: The Summoning (Bloody Mary #1) by Hillary Monahan

Title: MARY: The Summoning
Author: Hillary Monahan
Type: Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Tea: Haute Chocolate, something you think you know, but full of surprises.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
"There is a right way and a wrong way to summon her.

Jess had done the research. Success requires precision: a dark room, a mirror, a candle, salt, and four teenage girls. Each of them--Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna--must link hands, follow the rules . . . and never let go.

A thrilling fear spins around the room the first time Jess calls her name: "Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. BLOODY MARY." A ripple of terror follows when a shadowy silhouette emerges through the fog, a specter trapped behind the mirror.

Once is not enough, though--at least not for Jess. Mary is called again. And again. But when their summoning circle is broken, Bloody Mary slips through the glass with a taste for revenge on her lips. As the girls struggle to escape Mary's wrath, loyalties are questioned, friendships are torn apart, and lives are forever altered.

A haunting trail of clues leads Shauna on a desperate search to uncover the legacy of Mary Worth. What she finds will change everything, but will it be enough to stop Mary--and Jess--before it's too late?"

MARY: The Summoning is the first in a series entitled Bloody Mary. I was really excited when I saw this. I haven't read a good YA horror story since I picked up Katie Alender's Bad Girls Don't Die trilogy. Those books scared me, and I was not disappointed with this one!

The story of Bloody Mary always freaked me out anyway. I was never one of those girls that went to the bathroom and tried saying her name three times, just not worth it! So I live vicariously through books when it comes to horror, especially the stories that really freak me out. This book had such an interesting take on the story. You got Mary's back story in journal entries scattered throughout the novel, I was so excited each time I came across one, I just had to know what happened to her!

Mary's manifestation was also really interesting. Clues were given based on her appearance as to how she died, which was a lot of fun while reading the journal entries. She was also REALLY scary. She didn't just show up in mirrors, she was in ALL REFLECTIVE SURFACES. WHAT?! I kept thinking how if she latched onto me, I'd be in so much trouble. There are reflective surfaces EVERYWHERE and I don't think I could handle that.

I also really liked the characters and the one's surprise connection to Mary. I think it was an accurate portrayal of friendship and loyalty in a messed up situation. The ending was also very surprising and had me itching for the second book once I was done! Unfortunately that will not be released until (hopefully) the fall of this year.

Definitely check this book out, but you may to want to cover your mirror.

The One (The Selection #3) by Kiera Cass

Title: The One
Author: Kiera Cass
Type: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopian/Romance
Tea: Silver Yin Zen Pearls, a step up from other similar teas, top of the line (plus silver cover!)
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

"The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants."

This book is the third in Kiera Cass's The Selection series. If you haven't read the first two, be forewarned, here be spoilers for those. This book is SO much better than the first two. I, obviously, really enjoyed the first two or I wouldn't have kept reading the series. But this one blew them out of the water. The first two were a lot of set up and a lot of America going back and forth between Maxon (swoon) and Aspen (yuck!). This book brings us to the end of the Selection, and it's time for Maxon to choose a bride. If you think it's going to be easy and simple and you know what's going to happen, you're wrong.

There are so many twists and turns in this book! There are familiar faces finally brought back that really surprised me! This book made my heart hurt at some point and I'm not ashamed to say that I cried. Aspen somehow makes me sort of okay with him, but I still am in a rage over that whole situation. He's the jerk, but makes America feel like it's all her fault...Okay...I digress.

I went through a whole range of emotions reading this book: happy, sad, angry, nervous; you name it, I felt it. I read this in a day. When I finished it was really glad because I enjoyed it, but really sad since I thought it was over. Turns out it's not! There's going to be a 4th book called The Heir, but don't read the synopsis yet unless you want the ending of this one ruined.

If you enjoyed the first two, read this one, it is above and beyond those! And if you still haven't read the series, pick them up!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Sunday Funday List: Funniest Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes

Hi everyone! I know I've been slacking on my lists, I'm sorry! This week I'm changing it up a bit, since I do do more than read! Buffy the Vampire Slayer is probably one of my favorite TV shows, if not THE favorite. I didn't feel well last night and the first thing that popped into my head to watch was funny Buffy episodes. Below are my favorite, funny, episodes. I have other favorites, but they definitely aren't funny, haha. All synopses courtesy of IMDb.

Here they are by season:

Season 1:

While there are funny moments, I don't think I would specify any of the first season episodes as strictly funny.

Season 2:

Episode 6: Halloween: "On Halloween, Buffy and her friends patronize an unusual costume shop where customers turn into whatever costume they are wearing."
What happens to them is a scary thought, but the episode cracks me up. Seeing these characters we know so well as someone very not like them is great fun. Also, when Willow scares Giles by walking through the wall is priceless.

Episode 16: Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered: "As Valentine's Day approaches, Xander tries to improve his love life through witchcraft and finds himself with too much of a good thing."

This episode kills me. Poor Xander gets his heart ripped out on Valentine's Day, so of course in typical Xander fashion, he casts a poorly thought out spell. Drusilla is my particular favorite in her affections for Xander. And the Buffy-rat is also highly entertaining.

Season 3:

Episode 5: Homecoming: "As Buffy and Cordelia vie for Homecoming Queen, a group of killers gathers to participate in SlayerFest '98."

Buffy and Cordelia's rivalry is the best part of this episode. And it makes the latter part of the episode even more entertaining. The highlights would be Faith ruining Scott's homecoming date, Cordelia trying to kill a vampire with a spatula, and her speech at the end in the library. Just a fun episode all around.

Episode 6: Band Candy: "Adults throughout Sunnydale behave like immature teenagers after they eat cursed candy"

Only two words needed: Principal Snyder. Seeing him revert to teenage form is hilarious.

Episode 16: Dopplegangland: "While casting a magic spell, Anya and Willow accidentally summon Willow's evil double from an alternate universe"

We met Willow's vampire doppleganger in a previous episode, but in this one we really get to know her. Watching the two of them interact is a lot of fun. And how vampire Willow handles Percy is fantastic.

Season 4:

Episode 5: Beer Bad: "Xander finds employment as a bartender at a pub where some of Buffy's friends turn into terrifying Cro-Magnon creatures."

The funniest part of this episode is when Buffy turns into a cave woman. She talks to the little people in the TV, falls off of her chair, and is just very un-Slayer-like. I can't stop laughing the whole time I watch it.

Episode 9: Something Blue: "One of Willow's spells causes her statements to become reality, with consequences both entertaining and life-threatening."

This episode is proof that words are stronger than we think they are. All of Willow's words come to life with some really funny consequences. One particular highlight being Spike and Buffy getting engaged.

Season 5:

Episode 1: Buffy vs. Dracula: "Buffy finds herself pitted against the legendary Prince of Darkness, Count Dracula."

The best part of this episode is Dracula turning Xander into his minion. And Xander's reactions to being said minion. As well as his "distractions" from anything related to Dracula. Just watch it.

Episode 11: Triangle: "While Giles is in England meeting with the Watcher Council, a bickering Anya and Willow mind the magic store and inadvertently conjure up a fearsome troll."

Anya and Willow's feud creates some pretty entertaining moments in this episode. I also really like seeing more about Anya's background, including the fact that she wasn't always scared of bunnies.

Season 6:

Episode 5: Life Serial: " The Geek Trio begin their plans by testing Buffy's abilities and subsequently ruining her attempts at employment."

If I had to pick the funniest episode of the series, this would be it. I LOVE this episode. The Troika (Jonathan, Warren, and Andrew) try to find ways to ruin Buffy's life without her noticing. Poor Buffy is trying to get back on track and trying various ways, but keeps being thwarted. My favorite scene would be Buffy's monologue at the end where she calls Spike a neutered vampire that cheats at kitten poker. Or the whole scene in the Magic Box.

Episode 14: Older and Far Away: "After Dawn talks to a guidance counselor about her feeling lonely, she accidentally puts a spell on Buffy and her friends, trapping them inside the Summer's house with a sword-wielding demon."

While this may not be the funniest of funny episodes, it has its moments. There are some one liners and scenes in here that do not deserve to be missed.

Season 7:

Episode 6: Him: "Dawn's simple crush on Sunnydale High's star quarterback RJ starts to become obsessive, leading Buffy to investigate the boy herself. When Buffy, along with all the other women who see RJ, also fall in love with him, Spike and Xander must team up to discover the source of this attraction. But first they have to keep the women from doing anything crazy in their competition for RJ's affection."

This episode is priceless. This is another love spell gone wrong a la Xander in season 2. But this time we see the effects from the women's point of view. Favorite scene has to be when Spike and Buffy are attacking each other outside of Principal Wood's office, which he can't hear due to classical music.

Episode 16: Storyteller: "Andrew creates a documentary called "Buffy, Slayer of the Vampyres", a record of the current situation in Sunnydale to show to future generations. He manages to capture many important moments, and to annoy almost everyone in the house. But Buffy needs to tear him away from his filmmaking because the Seal of Danzalthar is active and Andrew may hold the key to closing it before it destroys the town."

Andrew is hilarious. He was always my favorite of the Troika and this whole episode is perfect. His humor makes this episode. His storytelling is great. I love getting a look inside his mind.

Well there's my list! Anything you guys would change?

Monday, November 3, 2014

Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

Title: Tarnish
Author: Katherine Longshore
Type: Young Adult
Genre: Historical
Tea: Raspberry Black Tea, can be subtle, but also full of zest.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

"Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court—and to convince the whole court they’re lovers—she accepts. Before long, Anne’s popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice—but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart’s desire and the chance to make history." (

Tarnish is the third book I read by Katherine Longshore. It is a companion novel to her two others, Brazen and Gilt. This novel is predominantly about Anne Boleyn, though she does play a role in all three books. There have been tons of books written about Anne Boleyn. "Not another one!" you say. But this is not your typical Anne book. In Tarnish, Katherine Longshore gives you a look into Anne's history and what her daily life is like living at the castle as a ladies maid to the queen. Also what it is like to live in her sister Mary's shadow, who also happens to be Henry VIII's mistress.

I really enjoyed this portrayal of Anne. Katherine Longshore doesn't show her as a power hungry, man-stealing girl. She's your typical teenager that just wants to fall in love, preferably with the right man. Unfortunately her goals start to shift when other people try to meddle with her love life, among them her father and the poet Thomas Wyatt.

All I can say is I'm so glad I didn't have to deal with the drama of living in court. We think school is bad? That's cake compared to what these people dealt with on a regular basis. Anne's tribulations echo a lot of what teenagers go through in school: do I listen to what everyone else says? Do I follow my own dreams? How doe these rumors even start? And what do I do if that older guy that I think is cute starts giving me attention?

I liked seeing Anne in a different light that she is often written. Katherine Longshore does a fantastic job of getting insider her head and giving the reader lots of information while still telling a compelling tale. If you are interested in Anne's beginnings, I would suggest this book. It can give you a taste and you can decide if you want to learn more about this doomed queen, who really was just a girl like everyone else.


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Monday, May 28, 2012

Interview with Elton Brand Super Collection Winner

Recently, we got to catch up with Kevin M. of Washington, to hear more about how his life has changed ever since becoming the proud new owner of the Elton Brand Super Collection.  Read this exclusive interview here.

How did you run across this auction?
Actually, I wrote a computer program that aggregates my searches across Craigslist, Amazon, Ebay,, and a few other sites like and its sister site, The program has been running on my supercomputer for several years with zero hits, so when this one came up, I knew I had to have it.

What was first going through your mind when you found it?
Mostly that Jennifer Lopez had really gone downhill! Then I realized there were no pics of J-Lo, just Elton. That was a bummer.

What did you have to eat the night before you won? Do you feel like that positively affected the outcome of your winning the auction?
I ate a basketball rim because my favorite nickname for Brand is 'Front Rim' Brand. Hehe, that's funny. BTW, basketball rims are not as chewy as they look.

How long have you been a die-hard Elton Brand stalker....errr...collector?
All my life. You see, it was prophesied when I was still in the womb that I would start a jeans company called Elton Brand jeans. When I finally got enough venture capital to start the company, some upstart basketball chump from Duke blocked my trademark request. Since then, it's been kind of an obsession.

Now that you have the collection, how do you expect it to change your life?
I will offer it to Sir Elton himself in a last attempt to mollify him into letting me start Elton Brand Jeans Co. With whatever cards are left over after that, I have a few rooms that need wallpapering.

Is it true that you are planning on throwing them all in your bed, and rolling around in the cards?
I was told there would be no personal questions in this interview!! But no, if I roll around in these priceless cards, it will be in the bathtub.

How many requests from media outlets and talk shows have you been contacted to be a guest on, and what are they?
My agent has received a total of -3 requests. I have been asked to stay away from Conan, The New York Times and, most emphatically, Beckett.

J-Lo has been in contact with me about your date. As a special favor to me, she had agreed to go out with you, and reported back to me. She said that you had taken her to McDonalds, ordered, and requested she pay for you. After that, you took her to the movies and had her flirt with the ticket guy so you could both get in free. What's up with that?
I can't think of ANY reason to be with a hot, female celebrity other than to get free stuff from her fame. other reason.

It is no surprise how high the Elton Brand Super Collection went for on Ebay. I am just amazed at how quickly you were able to pay. Were there any financial backers helping fund this purchase? Did you have to mortgage your house?
What? J-Lo actually paid for the E.B. Super Collection. That's how much she wanted to go out with me!

Do you have anything else you would like for our blog subscribers to know?
Well, not to get all serious, but it was really cool to win this. The philanthropy aspect of the auction is really great, I'd like to do something like that sometime. I'm not the biggest Elton Brand fan out there. Actually, I could take him or leave him. But I do really like the crazy variety of the lot. The refractors and die cuts are super cool and I'll enjoy them. Also, I initially heard about the auction right here on 6 Million Cards, so blogging really paid off! Sorry the lot didn't go for more though.

Thanks a bunch and I'll let you know how it works out with J-Lo!

Thank you, Kevin - you've been a great sport.  I got a real kick out of your answers!

Friday, May 25, 2012

A note to myself when getting googly-eyed at blaster boxes

I was gonna do a video of myself addressing me of the future, but figured I'd chillax on the whole vid thang for a while.  Instead, here is a letter:

Dear me of the future,

You are reading this because for whatever reason, you are planning on buying boat loads of blaster and retail boxes ... heck ... even hobby boxes.

Some of the many, many boxes I picked up this past winter.  Man, was that fun!
Possible causes are:
- it is your birthday or christmas
- there is a monster card show in town
- you have read all the hoopla on a certain product and absolutely must hop on the bandwagon (ahhh, how sweet it would be to pull a Bryce Harper superfractor ... forgettaboutit son ... ain't gonna happen!)
- Walmart or Target have discounted last years crap to 40% off

(don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it)

If this comes in your line of sight, how can you not buy this, with its 25% off sticker?!?!
Flat out, don't do it.  You never pull anything really cool.  Yeah, ok, you pulled the 2010 Bowman Chrome Strasburg purple refractor when he was hot.  Then there were the 2 Lincecum rookie autos, the Griffey letter auto...but think about all the JUNK.

I still remember pulling this beauty at around mid-night, and waking my wife up in excitement!
Slick pull, had only one box been opened.  The background tells a different story.
You are in this hobby because it is not a leach of your finances.  You are a collection buyer ... able to make your money back on cards, and the only reason you buy cards to begin with is not to keep them, but to flip them to get more cards.

Unopened stuff at full price (and oftentimes at discounted prices) are a money killer.  Do you hear me, me of the future?!?!? MONEY KILLER!!!

What, you thought I only bought one?
(don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it don't do it)

You drop a few hundred clams on some boxes because you simply cannot shake the excitement / obsession of sitting down and tearing through the wrappers (which, might I add, are so much more difficult to open than they were when I was growing up.  I seriously doubt that me of the future at 9 years old could even successfully open one unassisted.)

Remember how it feels.  Recognize the signs.  Logic goes out the window once you get in these buying modes.  Pure bliss, you think.  But me of the future, I guarantee you this:  unless you get a fantastic HIT, the most enjoyment you will have is the actual time before buying them, due to the anticipation of opening.

You see, me of the future, here is the problem.  Let's take one single box.  $20, at the cheapest, right?  Let's say you get lucky and land an autograph.

YESSSSSSSSSS!!!! I GOT A HIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let's up the ante here ... let's say you get,!  FOUR autographed cards in one $20 box!  This surely would land you in the guiness book of world records for mostest awesomest box eva.  What happens then?!?!?!?!  Reselling will likely net you $6, and you will have a pile of base cards that you might be able to get a few bucks off of.  When the wrappers hit the ground, you will try your hardest to say it was fun, but you will realize in the pit of your stomach it was a waste of money...and what is worse ... that feeling *stays* with you ... for a long time.

Hmmm, wonder how many autographs were in these... :)

You see, me of the future - it just isn't worth it. The only time it really is fine is when you buy a lot, and it is vastly, vastly discounted.  But even then, having cases of unopened cards is like a drunk living in a bar.  They oftentimes just won't last.

Don't deny it - this picture is just flat out sexy.
You have a sickness, me of the future.  A disease.  The first step is to admit it.  Besides, who in their right mind would throw down $20 for the cheapest of unopened new boxes, that only come with 7 or 8 packs?!?!  Remember the glory days of the 80's and 90's, when $15 would get you over 500 cards, inside of 36 packs?!  Not only were they much easier to open, but they also came with a pepto bismo flavored razor blade - one to a pack.  Ahh, the fun.

Not nearly as fun, but super cheap compared to the new cards.
But it gets better, me of the future.  Not only do I implore you to stick to wax to only times when you get vast discounts, I also beg of you to stick with what you know.  Buying entire collections.  Sure, it can be more money, but it is so much more fun, and in the end, you almost always get your money back, while being able to have some cool extra cards to show for it.  Not only that, but sometimes these collections have unopened packs in them for a fraction of what the stores sell them for!

I know, I know, I know!  Collections for sale are oftentimes few and far between, (or is it far and few between?  Good thing this is a personal note, because that woulda been embarrassing.)  But I implore you - BE PATIENT!  They'll come along!

A small sampling of the 5,700+ unopened packs I bought from someone - ahh, memories!
Still feeling the itch?  Let's be honest here.  You don't want a $20 box.  You want 5-10 $20 boxes.  Hop on ebay right now.  Do it.  Think of the coolest cards you want right now.  93 SP Jeter?  Several Pujols inserts?  Josh Hamilton autographs?  Look around at what you can get for that money, visualize them in your hands, and then visualize the pile of 300 cards that came from the blaster boxes... not a one of them worth more than $5.  Which would you rather?

Trust me, a 93 SP Jeter Rookie is *much* more photogenic.
Me of the future, you are bright, smart, hilarious and gorgeous.  Don't let anyone tell you different.  Just stay away from the wax!

Mine Faithfully,
Me of the now

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

I'm a Greedy American

It has been an absolute blast doing these goofball auctions.  I thought it would be a good idea for half of the money I get from these auctions to go to help kids in need.

I have changed my mind.  It is not a good idea to give half.  It is a good idea to give it all.  The video explains a bit more about this.

Will you join me in doing the same?  If you do, I'd love to hear about it.  Tell me what you do so we can inspire others to help those in need.

I have just been thinking a lot lately.  If I get $2, $20, $50, etc. from these silly auctions, what good is it going to do me?  Probably no good whatsoever.  It is odd to think that for the price of a dinner at a restaurant, that same money could literally help save the life of someone.

Does that resonate with you?  It really does with me, though, not nearly as much as it should.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Elton Brand Super Collection on Ebay + Date with Jennifer Lopez ?

I posted an auction for this at on ebay - Hopefully it will give you a good laugh.

They don't take kindly to folks saying anything about charity, but half of the proceeds for this auction will go to help children in need, so bid it up!  When the winner pays, I'll post here where the money went.  Here is the ad below.

Hello, my friend. I do not believe that it is by chance that you have stumbled upon my internet page. It is fate, no? You clearly have clicked on this link to view the goodness of him ... Elton Brand, or EB as I call him (I am very close friends with someone who knows of him.)

I have made the difficult decision to sell off this very prestigious collection. Enough with the chit-chat. I will start off the bidding of his wonderful rookie card of EB himself, in all his finger pointy goodness.

Impressive, no? Well, if that's not enough, how about I double the offer?

Still with me? Well I am about to knock your knickers clean off you. I will double the double offer.

Hello ... sir? Wake up and pick yourself up off the floor. I know you are thinking to yourself "This cannot be! they must be fake!" That is not true. I have taken a picture of the back of one to show you. See?  The amount of conviction in his eyes on the back of his card simply cannot be from a fake.

I truly am an EB super collecting boss, and am allowing you to get on the ground floor of a multi-million dollar lifestyle - for pennies on the dollar. EB will be going to the hall of fame. Don't believe me? How about I add some more finger pointy rookies?

BOOOM. Yes, BOOM. One is even a refractor. Don't take me wrong, ok? EB can be serious. Because of this, I am throwing in, at no additional charge to you, eight special serious face EB rookie cards.

Worried about the serious versions scaring your wives, children and goats? You may want to keep these babies tucked away, and only display them if needed. For all those other times though, I have happy EB rookie cards too.

What's that? You are sick of finger pointy, serious and smiley EB rookie cards? How about this sweet action?

EB in action! Clearly, he is about to jam upon Kobe, MJ, Lebron, Durant, Griffin and Chamberlain all at the same time. Now for the high end stuff.

BAM! Finest, Stadium Club Chrome, Bowman's Best and inserts! What, want more?

How do you like my Gold Label style? Truly worth their weight in gold.

Your children and wives must be going to bed now, because the goodness doesn't stop here. Now, it gets even crazier.

See this??? One of them is serial numbered to #500. It is the only one that is #ed 088 of the 500, making it a true one of one.

The ladies will flock to you, after you show off your new ELTON BRAND Super Collection.

What is this? You may say. Can it be? Yes, it is! An E-XCEPTIONAL insert and a TRUE, REAL autograph of EB himself ... while he was in college. Yes, this card was touched by the finger pointy hand of EB.  The autograph itself was

Dear friend, I want to thank you for looking at my super collection of Elton Brand.  No, scratch that.  You want to thank me for showing you your future super collection of Elton Brand.  There are none of those annoying cards with fabric on them. Just cardboardy, finger pointy goodness. You may think that a collection like this could go for $20,000 or more, which I have been offered by multiple parties in the past year when I was not ready to sell. There are 132 cards here in all, that are either rookies or inserts, and I am starting this auction off at 99 cents with NO RESERVE!

As a winner of this auction, you will receive all cards shown above, be interviewed, and featured on my blog.

You could also be granted a date with Jennifer Lopez and a game one on one with Elton Brand himself.

Bid now, and bid high.  Winning this Elton Brand Super Collection will change your life forever.

*Date with Jennifer Lopez is contingent upon you contacting J-Lo, asking her out, and saying yes.  The same goes with the one on one basketball game with Elton Brand.  This auction in no way, shape or form guarantees either, winning this auction will dramatically increases your chances on both accounts.

Friday, May 18, 2012

How much did the invisifractor sell for?

Right now, I'm just waiting on the winning bidder to pay.  We'll see if that happens.  Here is a video of the auction view!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Invisifractor Video

I have been getting a lot of questions and comments on the invisifractor I have pulled, so here is a video of it!
This is regarding my invisifractor ebay auction that can be found here.

invisifractor just pulled!  Note to the ebay winner:  If you win, and it is not what you expected, you will most definitely receive a refund, and the next bidder in line will get a crack at it.  50% goes to charity to help less fortunate kids and the winner will get both a t-shirt as well as an exclusive interview on my website!

Friday, May 11, 2012

Interview with a vampire, err...pack searcher

So this past week, one would find me celebrating my birthday 12th 21st birthday the way I always do - with baseball cards, good food and cheesecake.  During my lunch break, before going out to eat with the fam, we went to hit up a few targets and wal-marts.  I normally don't buy full-priced boxes, and usually only buy full collections, but I thought I would go ahead and splurge, since you only turn 21 12 times!

At target, my wife left my son and I to rummage through all the blaster boxes, and here he came:  a man who was all business, barrelling to the '12 bowman.  He swiftly grabbed all of the loose 2012 bowman packs from the gravity box, spread them out on the conveyer belt of the unoccupied checkout station.  I looked back and said "wow, you must really like '12 bowman!  There are some blaster boxes over here too."  He then reached in his pocket to pull out some calculator thingy and place packs on it one by one.  "I can't tell if there are any autographs in those though." he responded.

Have I just stumbled across a pack searcher???  Previously, I had only read online how evil these people are, and how they rip off everyone by sucking the good stuff from stores.  Certainly, they were discreet in doing these things, and not in front of others.

Nope, nothing discreet here.  He was setting up shop and going to town.

"There are about four of us in the area that do this full time.  I have been to 70 stores.  See this?  This pack weighs 2.35 ounces, instead of 2.29 ounces.  This means that there is a card in here with a sticker that has an autograph."

My jaw hath dropped.  How is this ok?

He dug with his nails at the back of the pack "see here ... the autograph is always 4th from the back, and if you push them back, you can see the initials of the card....JG is the one here."

He then proceeded to pull out his smart phone to find out who it is.

My mind was racing ... what do I do?  Do I take a picture of him in action to show this monster in action?  Do I tell him it isn't fair to everyone else buying?  Is it ok for him to do this?  What right does he...

"Uhm, excuse me ... I don't think I can use this auto.  Would you like to buy it?"

"YES!  Thank you so much.  That is so nice of you!"

I admit, my mind blanked while I said yes and was on my way to the checkout station.  Was I a hypocrite?  Wait ... did I even think it was wrong that he was doing this?  Surely there is justification somewhere in here, seeings how I was not the one who searched the pack.  'Twas merely a gift.  Yes, a gift!  No matter what people's stance are on this situation, one thing was for sure - I wasn't about to turn this down.

Later on that night, we went around to get some more boxes, and lo & behold - I found SIX 2011 Topps value boxes.  I was rather pleased, as I had heard that these puppies had been sucked back up by Topps.  Gladly, I grabbed them all, plus some Gypsy Queen and Allen & Ginters.

While I didn't pull anything phenomenal from any of the boxes I bought, I did have a really fun time opening them with my wife and son.

Some of the boxes I dove into for my bday.

2012 Invisifractor Just Hit Ebay!

After not getting anything hugely awesome in my birthday baseball card box break, I decided to have some fun and post up my 2012 Bowman Prospects Bryce Harper, plus my 2012 invisifractor on ebay to see how well it would do.  I've gotta admit - the attention it has already gotten was well worth it, lol!

The Ebay Auction

2012 Invisifractor Discovered; More Rare than SuperfractorMay 11, 2012 from Card Mfr. Headquarters
For Immediate Release

After a number of excited collectors and investors have discovered in its 2012 retail product, it just doesn't hold a candle to its hobby and jumbo counterparts. An unofficial Spokesman from the popular baseball card manufacturer has confirmed and extra surprise in the retail version. Something more rare than the superfractors.

Enter: the Invisifractor. A slickly designed card using cutting edge technology to give the appearance that it is invisible.

"You can literally see right through it" an unofficial spokesperson in an exclusive interview.

"The best part about it, is that when placed on top of a regular base or chrome card, the card actually *becomes* an invisifractor. It is truly remarkable. It is so rare in fact, that there is not a serial number anywhere, making each invisifractor rarer than a superfractor. Yes, that means that it is a 0/0 card."

One has been pulled from boxes at a well known retail outlet, though, the lack of markings on the card make it difficult to substantiate the claim.

When asked what he was going to do with it, the proud new owner mentioned that he is going to put it up on ebay.

"I'm going to make a killing off of this puppy! Imagine the value of a superfractor Stephen Strasburg, combined with a superfractor Bryce Harper. I'm going to be riiiiiiich! When purchased off of ebay, the owner should IMMEDIATELY send it off for grading, as it should certainly receive a 10."

While some are not clear about if this is a hoax or not, others claim they see right through this shameless shenanigan to score some easy money to buy some more baseball cards.

Front of the Invisifractor

Back of the Invisifractor

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Fun Mailday + Blaster Boxes!

It is a well known fact:  baseball cards can make any good day, great.  I figured I would let loose by cracking open a few blasters today.  With wife and 2 kids in tow, we went to a few wal-marts and targets in the area.  Since my birthday is coming up, and I moved virtually all the Astros find, I figured I could splurge a bit.  I picked up a blaster of 2012 Gypsy Queen, 2011 Allen & Ginter and 2012 Bowman.

I admit, I am not a fan of bowman, but this year, with its white borders and clean design, I like them!  Among others, here is what I got out of the blasters.

There are the notables anyhow (there were plenty of other rookies and such).  2012 Bowman Gold Yu Darvish (YEAH!)  2012 Bowman Yoennis Cespedes (I have wanted a card of his for quite some time now), a black mini Frank Thomas, a mini Matt Moore rc and a chrome Bryce Harper.  Can you believe, at the time of  this post, that the '12 Harper fetches $10 or so on ebay?  One of the Darvish went for $50 yesterday, but I think that was a fluke.  Oh, and I can't forget Nolan Ryan in all of his orange and yellow Astro-ey goodness.

When I got home, I was delighted to see a package I have been waiting a very, very, VERY long time for.  It was light a few cards, and 2 had issues, but here is a pic (the crummy pic of course, as always is thanks to my phone.)  I'll explain a bit below the picture what you are looking at.

Briefly speaking, there are rookies of:  Hunter Pence, Dan Uggla (auto), Lincecum, Puckett, Bonds, Clemens, King Felix, Kershaw, Chipper Jones, Andrew McCutchen, Ichiro, Matt Moore, Michael Jordan, Evan Longoria, Bryce Harper, Mike....ahem...Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Gonzalez, Mark Trumbo, Bo Jackson, Greg Maddux, some By the Letter, Autos, etc.  Yes, as always, ALL are FS!

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Saturday, February 21, 2009

A Little Film: Oktapodi

I'm just going to take a minute to mention a little animated short that I'm really excited about. I work at Dreamworks Animation, and last year, they brought in ten or so guys from France to be trained for several months before moving to India to head up Dreamworks' studio there as animation supervisors. These little guys (little in age, as well as stature: they were just out of school, having graduated from Gobelins, a very prestigious animation school in Paris) with their backpacks, frequent cigarette breaks, and kisses on both cheeks, were an adorable addition to our campus.

Towards the end of their stint in LA, Dreamworks screened all of these kids' final project films from Gobelins. All of them were impressive, but one stood out. Oktapodi is a madcap 3-minute story about what happens when you separate two octopi in love on a Greek island. It's really wonderful: from the Greek music, to the lovable octopi themselves, the dreamy Mediterranean architecture, to the clever, fast-paced story. It was clear that it was well beyond a simple student film, and now it's nominated for an Oscar! How cool is that?!

Now, it probably won't win. Pixar has a contender in the Best Animated Short Film category, Presto, so there goes that. But, I think it's good to point out: while Presto had all the resources of the most renowned animation studio in the world behind it, Oktapodi was made by just six students. Pretty awesome.

I really liked Presto and a couple of the other nominees as well, but tomorrow I'll be rooting for our boy Julien and the other five, and their two lovelorn octopi.

You can watch the entire film (that's right, all three minutes of it), here.

  1. Just watched this, very cool film. Let me know about anything else worth watching... usually I can't get to the restaurants you talk about!

  2. Hello!

    I found you using google. I don't know if I qualify as a spammer. But, I see you work for Dreamworks. You probably know where I'm going with this, but I have an Animated Screenplay that has ranked in several competitions.

    You can download it at my website: Furry Wars

    I don't know how to even begin to market it, hence my comment. I'm sorry if this was inappropriate. I just feel more comfortable having tried.

    Marcus Bass

  3. OMG T that was hilarious! I was laughing out loud when the octopi started shooting ink in the dude's face. I wish I was a French animator working in India....

  4. Ian Betts! So happy to see you here! In the world of short films, I will give you two quick recommendations: One is La Maison En Petites Cubes, the one which actually won the Oscar. It's sweet and a little sad, and you can actually watch it here.

    The other is called Plastic, and I just watched it today (and met the two lovely Aussie ladies who made the film!). I wasn't able to find it online, but it's worth seeking out! Another extremely impressive student film.

    Marcus, I'm afraid I have no idea how movies make their way into this place! Best of luck on your endeavor!

    And, Brad, I know! super funny!


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Coding Divas

Crafting Goodies

Coding Divas is a side project by Federica Sibella and me. We enjoy working and experimenting together as we form a nice mix of style and code.
The small products we creates usually come as solutions to those little issues faced almost daily from designers and developers.

logo + website

Visit website


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Friday, 12 September 2008

I have awards

I have had a couple of awards and it makes me feel like I am back in the land of blogging!!!

I received this off Viv at Crafting Haven ...

and received this one from Julie at Simply Jools.

I am passing this onto all the lovely people who left me comments on my post of my news!!!

Also, I have cards to show, which I will add later when I get home. Stayed up until 11 pm on Wednesday night crafting and watching Desperate Housewives and really got back into it. Only problem was I was so tired last night, I just couldn't bring myself to turn on the computer :o)

Natalie said...

Congratulations on the awards Tara. x

Jill said...

congratulations on your awards Jill x


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Basic Cake Mix Batter

45 mins (prep 10, cooking 35)
7 ingredients
16 servings
This recipe is from "Woman's Day" magazine, September 12, 2006. It is a very simple basic cake batter. You can add a variety of different things to make several different cakes.

Categories:  <-60-mins , 3-steps-or-less , brunch , low-sodium , low-in... , time-to-make , holiday , easy , cakes , number-of-servings , inexpensive , dessert , for-large-groups ,
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Serving Size (59.7 g)
Servings 16
Amount per Serving
Calories 260.19 Calories from Fat 86.4
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9.6g 236.35%
Saturated Fat 5.99g 479.53%
Trans Fat 0.36g %
Cholesterol 29.02mg 154.77%
Sodium 101.57mg 67.71%
Total Carbohydrate 39.5g 210.66%
Dietary Fiber 0.48 g 30.45%
Sugars 25.93 g %
Protein 4.48g 143.45%
Vitamin A 290.63IU% Vitamin C 0.43mg%
Calcium 128.17mg% Iron 0.92mg%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet value must be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs:
  Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less Than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less Than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carb   300g 375g
Dietary Fiber   25g 30g
Potassium   3,500 mg
Protein   50 g
Calories Per Gram
Fat 9•Carbohydrate 4•Protein 4
*Nutrition information was calculated excluding the following ingredients:
large eggs


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Black Bean & Corn Tacos With Radish Salsa & Feta

30 mins (prep 10, cooking 20)
13 ingredients
12 servings
This recipe is from the acouplecooks.com, an awesome blog with tons of unique vegetarian recipes. The only difference I've made was adding corn, which makes this a more healthy vegetarian meal with complete amino acids.

Categories:  <-30-mins , easy , 3-steps-or-less , main-dish , comfort-food , mexican , taste~mood , vegetarian , time-to-make ,
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Serving Size (83.97 g)
Servings 12
Amount per Serving
Calories 289.67 Calories from Fat 86.49
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9.61g 177.47%
Saturated Fat 3.63g 217.88%
Trans Fat 0.0g %
Cholesterol 17.55mg 70.19%
Sodium 405.24mg 202.62%
Total Carbohydrate 38.62g 154.48%
Dietary Fiber 7.06 g 338.98%
Sugars 1.17 g %
Protein 14.65g 351.61%
Vitamin A 379.8IU% Vitamin C 28.14mg%
Calcium 210.46mg% Iron 5.48mg%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet value must be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs:
  Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less Than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less Than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carb   300g 375g
Dietary Fiber   25g 30g
Potassium   3,500 mg
Protein   50 g
Calories Per Gram
Fat 9•Carbohydrate 4•Protein 4
*Nutrition information was calculated excluding the following ingredients:
serrano pepper


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Chocolate Cake Dripping With Chocolate Sauce

60 mins (prep 25, cooking 35)
11 ingredients
1 servings
I made this today and was thrilled with the result. The sauce also goes well with vanilla ice-cream. This is the only sponge recipe I've tried that actually rises.

Categories:  <-60-mins , chocolate , fruit , cakes , comfort-food , taste~mood , egg , eggs~dairy , time-to-make , dessert ,
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Serving Size (723.18 g)
Servings 1
Amount per Serving
Calories 3314.84 Calories from Fat 1782.09
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 198.01g 304.63%
Saturated Fat 123.0g 615.02%
Trans Fat 7.43g %
Cholesterol 487.62mg 162.54%
Sodium 1479.68mg 61.65%
Total Carbohydrate 405.99g 135.33%
Dietary Fiber 41.94 g 167.74%
Sugars 243.43 g %
Protein 38.41g 76.83%
Vitamin A 5683.04IU% Vitamin C 0.0mg%
Calcium 206.65mg% Iron 16.2mg%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet value must be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs:
  Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less Than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less Than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carb   300g 375g
Dietary Fiber   25g 30g
Potassium   3,500 mg
Protein   50 g
Calories Per Gram
Fat 9•Carbohydrate 4•Protein 4
*Nutrition information was calculated excluding the following ingredients:
strawberry jam, boiling water, golden syrup


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Christine's Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Wings

21 mins (prep 15, cooking 6)
3 ingredients
6-8 servings
I love to make my BBQ chicken wings this way. My Fiancee hates when I make my chicken wings like this because the meat just falls off the bone but that's why I love them. I think these are sticky and so, so, good.

Categories:  5-ingredients-or-less , chicken , chicken-wing , side-dish , crock-pot , <-30-mins , easy , poultry , oven , meat , equipment , appetizer , time-to-make ,
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Serving Size (85.55 g)
Servings 6
Amount per Serving
Calories 146.29 Calories from Fat 4.86
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.54g 4.95%
Saturated Fat 0.04g 1.15%
Trans Fat 0.0g %
Cholesterol 0.0mg 0.0%
Sodium 873.46mg 218.37%
Total Carbohydrate 34.67g 69.35%
Dietary Fiber 0.77 g 18.37%
Sugars 28.27 g %
Protein 0.7g 8.37%
Vitamin A 190.51IU% Vitamin C 0.51mg%
Calcium 28.07mg% Iron 0.54mg%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet value must be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs:
  Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less Than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less Than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carb   300g 375g
Dietary Fiber   25g 30g
Potassium   3,500 mg
Protein   50 g
Calories Per Gram
Fat 9•Carbohydrate 4•Protein 4
*Nutrition information was calculated excluding the following ingredients:
frozen chicken wings


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Golden Brandy Bundt Fruitcake

150 mins (prep 30, cooking 120)
14 ingredients
1 servings
This is so moist and fruity tasting. I have also made it in 2 loaf pans and it takes about1 1/2 hours.I have also soaked the fruit overnight in 1/2 cup of the brandy called for in recipe for extra flavour.

Categories:  holiday , weeknight , cakes , oven , christmas , number-of-servings , equipment , <-4-hours , time-to-make , dessert ,
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Serving Size (1520.46 g)
Servings 1
Amount per Serving
Calories 5208.96 Calories from Fat 1781.73
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 197.97g 304.56%
Saturated Fat 122.58g 612.91%
Trans Fat 7.76g %
Cholesterol 508.69mg 169.56%
Sodium 4495.54mg 187.31%
Total Carbohydrate 857.4g 285.8%
Dietary Fiber 46.84 g 187.34%
Sugars 401.71 g %
Protein 50.81g 101.63%
Vitamin A 14597.37IU% Vitamin C 31.7mg%
Calcium 605.39mg% Iron 28.47mg%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet value must be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs:
  Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less Than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less Than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carb   300g 375g
Dietary Fiber   25g 30g
Potassium   3,500 mg
Protein   50 g
Calories Per Gram
Fat 9•Carbohydrate 4•Protein 4
*Nutrition information was calculated excluding the following ingredients:
blanched slivered almonds, candied pineapple, apricot brandy


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Italian Herb Butter

185 mins (prep 5, cooking 180)
8 ingredients
1 servings
Cooking time is chilling time. Herb butters are a nifty way to spice up any meal. I like herbed butters as a quick easy way to flavor frozen or canned veggies. Just add a dab of herbed butter and heat up the veggies. You can substitute margarine for the butter. If you choose to use dried herbs instead of fresh use 1 1/2 times the amount called for.

Categories:  low-protein , condiments,-etc. , <-4-hours , low-carb , low-in... , low-sodium , eggs~dairy , time-to-make , very-low-carbs ,
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Serving Size (464.25 g)
Servings 1
Amount per Serving
Calories 2242.1 Calories from Fat 1656.36
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 184.04g 283.14%
Saturated Fat 116.52g 582.61%
Trans Fat 7.43g %
Cholesterol 487.62mg 162.54%
Sodium 95.25mg 3.97%
Total Carbohydrate 161.67g 53.89%
Dietary Fiber 2.7 g 10.78%
Sugars 116.49 g %
Protein 2.71g 5.42%
Vitamin A 5679.34IU% Vitamin C 3.54mg%
Calcium 84.95mg% Iron 0.62mg%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet value must be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs:
  Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less Than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less Than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carb   300g 375g
Dietary Fiber   25g 30g
Potassium   3,500 mg
Protein   50 g
Calories Per Gram
Fat 9•Carbohydrate 4•Protein 4
*Nutrition information was calculated excluding the following ingredients:
fresh parsley, fresh oregano, fresh basil, fresh ground black pepper


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Millionaires Shortbread or Creamy Caramel and Oat Squares

50 mins (prep 20, cooking 30)
6 ingredients
12-16 servings
This is a well used recipe in my house-everybody loves it, and it’s so simple to do! I sent some of these to my husband’s office as part of a Christmas cookie platter, they fought over these-so I guess they liked them! N.B-If you need help with conversions please see HokiesLady's review!

Categories:  <-60-mins , chocolate , sweet , easy , kid-friendly , comfort-food , taste~mood , brown-bag , to-go... , time-to-make , picnic ,
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Serving Size (56.9 g)
Servings 12
Amount per Serving
Calories 251.04 Calories from Fat 118.62
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13.18g 243.38%
Saturated Fat 8.0g 480.08%
Trans Fat 0.36g %
Cholesterol 29.14mg 116.57%
Sodium 134.6mg 67.3%
Total Carbohydrate 31.06g 124.23%
Dietary Fiber 1.02 g 49.05%
Sugars 20.51 g %
Protein 3.11g 74.76%
Vitamin A 313.96IU% Vitamin C 0.43mg%
Calcium 67.04mg% Iron 1.35mg%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet value must be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs:
  Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less Than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less Than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carb   300g 375g
Dietary Fiber   25g 30g
Potassium   3,500 mg
Protein   50 g
Calories Per Gram
Fat 9•Carbohydrate 4•Protein 4


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Rosemary-Mustard Roast Leg of Lamb

500 mins (prep 20, cooking 480)
8 ingredients
10 servings
Before coming to Zaar I seldom cooked lamb. Now I fix it often. This recipe was in one of those supermarket booklets. I made a couple of changes and we loved the results. The cooking time includes the time needed to allow the roast to marinade in the refrigerator.

Categories:  lamb~sheep , st.-patrick's-day , african , greek , australian , high-in... , south-west-pacific , low-carb , low-in... , low-sodium , time-to-make , very-low-carbs , holiday , european , high-protein , meat , english ,
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Serving Size (1.1 g)
Servings 10
Amount per Serving
Calories 0.89 Calories from Fat 0.0
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.0g 0.05%
Saturated Fat 0.0g 0.03%
Trans Fat 0.0 %
Cholesterol 0.0mg 0.0%
Sodium 0.1mg 0.04%
Total Carbohydrate 0.2g 0.66%
Dietary Fiber 0.01 g 0.5%
Sugars 0.01 g %
Protein 0.04g 0.76%
Vitamin A 0.05IU% Vitamin C 0.19mg%
Calcium 1.09mg% Iron 0.01mg%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet value must be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs:
  Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less Than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less Than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carb   300g 375g
Dietary Fiber   25g 30g
Potassium   3,500 mg
Protein   50 g
Calories Per Gram
Fat 9•Carbohydrate 4•Protein 4
*Nutrition information was calculated excluding the following ingredients:
whole grain dijon mustard, dried rosemary, fresh ground black pepper, mint jelly


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Simple Crustless Broccoli Quiche

50 mins (prep 15, cooking 35)
9 ingredients
4-6 servings
This is so simple and basic and really quite delicious. It's sort of a cross between a quiche and a frittata; it can be made ahead and re-heated; it's good hot or at room temperature. And, it lends itself to all sorts of variations -- other vegetables, other cheeses, ham or bacon or crab.

Categories:  <-60-mins , north-american , breakfast , cheese , french , brunch , egg , eggs~dairy , time-to-make , lunch~snacks , european , easy , american , broccoli , vegetable ,
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Serving Size (60.81 g)
Servings 4
Amount per Serving
Calories 228.12 Calories from Fat 148.77
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 16.53g 101.7%
Saturated Fat 10.54g 210.8%
Trans Fat 0.0g %
Cholesterol 54.42mg 72.56%
Sodium 45.14mg 7.52%
Total Carbohydrate 3.8g 5.07%
Dietary Fiber 0.12 g 1.96%
Sugars 0.84 g %
Protein 16.03g 128.24%
Vitamin A 491.02IU% Vitamin C 0.0mg%
Calcium 468.16mg% Iron 0.14mg%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet value must be higher or lower depending upon your calorie needs:
  Calories 2,000 2,500
Total Fat Less Than 65g 80g
Sat Fat Less Than 20g 25g
Cholesterol Less Than 300mg 300mg
Sodium Less Than 2,400mg 2,400mg
Total Carb   300g 375g
Dietary Fiber   25g 30g
Potassium   3,500 mg
Protein   50 g
Calories Per Gram
Fat 9•Carbohydrate 4•Protein 4
*Nutrition information was calculated excluding the following ingredients:
half-and-half cream, broccoli florets, white pepper


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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #63

I finally finished reading a book this month! Wintersong was fantastic & I'll share my review with you all this Friday but in the meantime, this "WIR"-Wednesday I'm starting...

Off the Ice (Juniper Falls #1) by Julie Cross
All is fair in love and hockey…

Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.

Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.

It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.

For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

Why I Chose This Book / What I Think So Far:
I requested and received an eARC after reading the blurb and doing a cover reveal of Off the Ice last month. After reading Wintersong and stumbling through a few other books I tried to read this month I needed something a little lighter and Off the Ice seemed like just what I needed. I'm just starting it so I don't have any thing to share about what I think of it so far, so stay tuned for my review next Tuesday!

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

True Blood

Sexy or not, peoples?

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Entourage is a show that was conceived by Mark Wahlberg and is pseudo based on his life as he started in Hollywood. It's a show that's geared towards the male audience and is quite popular now since it debuted in 2004. I think of it as the male sex and the city and where girls try to identify what character they are in SATC, groups of guy friends try to assign which friend is to what character in Entourage. I am a fan of Entourage but I think it's time for the show to end.

I am a big believer in humans evolving and learning from life over the years and I just feel the characters are stuck in a rut and surely people that old can't still be that clueless. Besides E, the rest of them seem to be doing the same things over and over. Vince is still a pansy, dude doesn't even score as many chicks like he used to, Drama is still a whining drama queen, Turtle well I like Turtle but he is still the same and still their errand boy, Ari is still funny but is still yelling at everything. I should mention that i admit that I am usually turned off my older characters that don't learn from their mistakes, which is probably why I didn't like the movie, "It's complicated", I got turned off by "Weeds" ( I mean how long can a so called mother continue to be doe eyed and act all innocent while she is a drug dealer) and I might be headed there with "Californication". Let's even forget the evolving part, Entourage is just not as funny anymore, this season has been such a snoozefest, with the season premiere being the ultimate lullaby. And instead of dragging us through this painful downslope they should just end it.

I had this thought after watching the season premiere and even mentioned it to my friend and since then, they've decided the next season will be the last and then there will be a movie and I am in complete support of that! :)

Hope everyone is having a good Sunday, just thought I'd share.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Oh my word, I just like abandoned this blog sha. I really am sorry, I should never abandon my blog oh. I don't have much to say really let me do an off the wall post.

So if you have not heard Jesse Jagz, Jag of all trades, you are on a long ting oh, that album is hot and I have dubbed him the Kanye West of Naija. If you disagree, jump inside gutter. His songs are not the same yet he managed to make it flow in the album and it didnt sound all over the place. My faves are Wetin Dey, Intoxicated and L-O-V-E U, but the whole album is hot sha.

Don Jazzy is a beast in his domain.

I'm tired of hearing about Lindsay Lohan ugh

Ok I am done talking, watch this video.

Now watch it again and focus on the little boy and see how he lobbied. Hilarious.


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Thursday, October 13, 2011

School Spirit

Show your school spirit with one of these bows! Wear them to any game or school event! The smaller bows are only three dollars, and the two large bows are five dollars! Buy one today and go cheer on your favorite team! Comment if you would like to buy one!

Wear one of these bows on a bun

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The Eagles
Nov 13, 2013 (Wed) 8:00 PM
Thompson-Boling Arena
The Eagles – Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit – will perform classics spanning their career, including some that have never been performed live, as well as songs featured in History of the Eagles, the band’s acclaimed documentary that provides an unprecedented and intimate look into the history of the band and the legacy of its music.
Tickets on sale now!
$149, $95, $65 & $40 (plus applicable service charges)
Tickets can be purchased at the Thompson Boling Arena Box Office,, all Knoxville Tickets outlets or charge by phone at (865) 656-4444 or (877) 995-9961.

Advanced tickets for the November 13th concert will go on sale to American Express® Cardmembers beginning Monday, July 15 at 10AM through Thursday, July 18 at 10 PM
Additional Information
The Eagles have sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, earning five #1 U.S. singles and six GRAMMY® Awards. Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is the best-selling album of all time, exceeding sales of 29 million units. The band’s Hotel California and Their Greatest Hits Volume 2 have sold more than 16 and 11 million albums
respectively. The Eagles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
More Information
© 2018 Thompson Boling Arena • All Rights Reserved.


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TV4 taps Idol presenter for VR show

Swedish broadcaster TV4 is to launch a new virtual reality TV show that will bring VR experiences to mobile devices, tablets, computers and headsets.

The show, Veckans 360, will be presented by Pär Lernström, best known as presenter of the Swedish version of the Idol talent show franchise.

Veckans 360 will be a weekly show featuring VR content encompassing skydiving, paragliding, Safari-type experiences and Formula 1 motor-racing.

Per Åstrom, innovation manager at TV4, said that the show was an important next step in the groups VR strategy, and a way to test the technique for future use in creating television entertainment.

TV4 claims to have been the first Swedish broadcaster to launch a VR experience, with trial 360° versions of Idol and coverage of the Myanmar elections in 360° on the TV4Nyheterna service by reporter Stefan Borg.

Veckans 360 will be produced by ENT in partnership with Lernström’s own production company, Oh Deer, and will be broadcast in the autumn.


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Internet Questions:

What sets fiber apart from DSL, Satellite or Mobile broadband?

First, it’s important to note this is not a satellite or wireless service. This is a fiber optic network which offers a much higher, consistent speed than other forms of internet. This service will not be metered, so the amount of internet you have at the beginning of the month will be the same at the end of the month. The most compelling and interesting aspect of this internet service is the speed. As of now, local internet service providers advertise their highest speeds around 10 Mbps. Those who sign up for the freedom FIBER service will choose between two different speeds: 100 Mbps (up and down) or 1 Gig (up and down). These speeds present limitless opportunities.

Is this service good for online gaming and streaming?

Absolutely! Our upload and download speeds will be the same, so you should have no issues with buffering or lag in your gaming or streaming even if others are streaming/playing other games throughout your house.

Will you be offering email services?

No, we will not be offering an email service in order to keep costs down. There are several great free email providers (Google, Yahoo, etc.) which will work regardless of your internet provider. If you have an email address currently hosted by your current provider, we recommend you create a new email address now. If you've used your email to get notifications from different websites, it would be a good idea to go ahead and update these with your new email address because once you cancel your current internet subscription, you will likely lose access to this email and won't be able to recover.

Where can I find the different packages for residential and businesses?

Please check here to see our different packages.

Do I have to pay anything when I sign up for service?

No. We are not requiring any type of payment when you sign up.

Are there any taxes or fees on the internet service?

There will be no taxes on the internet service. If you choose to allow us to draft your payment and sign up to receive an electronic copy of your bill, you will pay the $49.95 or $79.95 depending on the speed you choose. In order to keep costs down, we're encouraging you to let us email you your bill. If you do choose to receive an paper copy of your bill, there will be an additional $2.00 charge per month.

Will this project affect Tombigbee Electric rates?

No. A new company, Tombigbee Communications, LLC., has been formed to operate the new internet business to protect the interest of Tombigbee Electric rate payers.

Why is Tombigbee committed to this project?

The simple answer is if not Tombigbee, then who? We are dedicated to improving our community. We want our members and others living in this area to have the same opportunities presented in the larger cities. We want our students to be as well prepared to enter college and the work force as those who have the opportunities brought on by a high speed connection. We want our younger generation to have a reason and a desire to return home after finishing their education to start their families. We want to make this area competitive and enticing for industry to want to locate here. We want to improve our healthcare systems by providing the internet connection to provide access to the expertise of physicals at larger hospitals for those in our communities. We want to improve the quality of life in our community.

There are several reasons Tombigbee has decided to embark on this project, but every one of them involve wanting to help our community flourish. This project has been in discussions for almost a year with several studies taking place. The time for the project is now. We have the right team, the right management and the right motivation. We certainly have the need. Although this might not be a magic fix for the lack of economic growth and the slight population decline, it is a good leap in the right direction.

Why is broadband internet so important?

There are many reasons a high speed and reliable connection is needed in this area.

For one, there are a lot companies offering the chance to work from anywhere. This means people could still choose to live in our communities and work from the comfort of their own homes. Without an internet connection which is both fast and reliable, this is not as viable of an option.

This high speed connection can greatly impact our schools and our hospitals. We have received letters and support from superintendents and hospital administrators stating how much this will impact their area of work. With our school systems, it will give them the chance to take on innovative tasks such as creating Virtual Classrooms and integrating more technology in the classroom. Because we are building this network throughout the entire area, students will have the opportunity to receive extra help in areas they may struggle in. For the hospitals and other medical facilities, telemedicine (transmitting video links, emails, files, etc. of medical information) becomes a reality due to a reliable high speed internet connection. This can benefit all areas of our community and bring us up to speed with those in larger cities..

When will you be able to provide the service to my house?

Phase One will connect the city limits of Hamilton and Winfield. Our goal is to provide the service to every home and business in Marion and Lamar counties, and the cities of Fayette and Haleyville. The decision of where the next phase will be has not been made at this time. It will depend on our board of trustees and the succeess of phase one. However, make sure you sign up for the service regardless of your location to show the interest in your area.

VoIP Questions:

Can you use any type of phone with the VoIP phone service?

Yes! Any type of phone will work with our service.

Can you port your current phone number to our system?

Yes, you can port your current phone number to our voice system. We will have to have a copy of your latest phone bill from your existing provider, and we will have to have you sign a document stating you wish to move your number to our voice system.

Will long distance be covered?

Yes! Our VoIP services cover long distance calling.

If the internet is out, does this mean the phone is out?

Yes. If the internet service is down, the phone would not work. HOWEVER, it is our goal to build our system to have the necessary backup to work 99.999% of the time.

Will there be taxes on the VoIP phone service?

Yes, there will be taxes and fees on the phone service. The state and federal government mandate such charges to be applied to phone services. These are caluclated based on a percent which could change. These are not fees placed on you by Tombigbee Communications, but by the government.

Other installation questions:

Will we be able to use existing cables in the house to connect to the port outside? Or will you have to run new cables?

Since this is a fiber optic service, the cable going from the outside of your home to the inside will have to be replaced. It may be possible to use the same hole, and the installer should be able to answer any such question while they are on site to connect your service.

Will there be cables inside my home?

When we get to the inside of your home, we will install a small box called an ONT which coverts the fiber to an Ethernet connection. Once this conversion is made, we will then connect to a Residential Gateway (resembling a modem) which will be provided by us. This Residential Gateway will have a very strong wi-fi radio in it to get the service wirelessly throughout your house.


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Saturday, December 13, 2014

Team Yokomo Malaysia @ MNC 2014 Final Round

Team YOKOMO Malaysia has participated in the recent MNC 2014 final round which was held in Titiwangsa track.

We managed to captured 5 spots in the A main Mod class, with finishing results of TQ, 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 10th.

A Main Modified Class
1 Azri Amri                 YOKOMO BD-7 2015
2 KokWai Wong
3 Shahrin                     YOKOMO BD-7 2015
4 Norazam
5 Michael Lim
6 Nik Ejan                   YOKOMO BD-7 2015
7 Azhar J                     YOKOMO BD-7 2015
8 Heikal Bahrin
9 Jacky Siow
10 Baby Boy               YOKOMO BD-7 2015

And our Team YOKOMO Malaysia veteran, Mr. C.K. Yap, managed to finished a respectable 2nd in the highly contended A main Super Stock Class. Congratulation!

Congratulations to the TEAM!!!!! Thanks for your support!

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

  2. It was a great team effort. Thanks to Hobby Haven for the support to Team Yokomo Malaysia. Hope we are stronger in 2015 with more BD7 2015 World Champion cars in A Main in all classes.

  3. Congrats ! Standards has went up a lot !

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What does VDI awareness in Trend Micro OfficeScan 10.5 imply?

November 10th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Security, Software, Trend Micro

One of the new features of Trend Micro OfficeScan 10.5 is “Virtual Desktop Infrastructure awareness”.
But what does this mean? Trend has implemented two features, to ease the performance impact of running anti-virus in a virtual environment.

First of all, before performing a full system scan, OfficeScan will check with the server if other systems in the environment are also running a full scan. In order to avoid multiple full system scans in the same environment.

Second, they implemented the option to scan a virtual machine template. And save the results as a cache (which will be used when performing a full system scan).

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Oracle, Google Back in Court Over Copyright

(Pic- Getty Images)

(Pic- Getty Images)

08 May 2016, USA :
A six-year dispute between Oracle and Alphabet’s Google over software copyright heads back to court today for a trial that could lead to billions of dollars in damages and alter the ground rules for modern software.

The high-profile trial that begins Monday will again include celebrity CEOs on the stand, dense expert testimony, and an utterly unpredictable outcome decided by a jury. But what’s truly at stake in Oracle v. Google, round two?

For those who work with code for a living, a lot. The case revolves around how Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs, can and cannot be used. Boiled down, APIs define how different types of code communicate to each other. If owners of those APIs can use copyright law to control how programming is done, there will be a sea change in industry practices. For many developers, especially of open source software, this will be a change for the worse

When building Android, Google used Java APIs because programmers were familiar with the programming language, and many programs used it. Oracle says Google should have licensed the APIs from Java’s creator, Sun Microsystems, which Oracle later acquired. Google says it acted under a doctrine allowing “fair use” of small amounts of copyright material.

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Painlessly Rename Thousands of Photos in Adobe Lightroom 2016-17

Adobe Lightroom 2016-17 has some easy-to-use, powerful features. It helps you organize all your photos, but using those features in your workflow needs you to do some work. You need to decide how best to deal with these features. Lightroom provides a place; it’s up to you to find out how to use that place.

Be Careful When You’re Going to Rename Your Photos

One of the major issues among photographers today is finding the best way to rename digital images. Renaming photos in Lightroom equal renaming of the images on your drive. It’s something you should consider carefully and do early in your workflow. To avoid the hassle of manually renaming your photos, you can opt for a reliable and industry-approved utility such as the Easy File Renamer (EFR). Download it here: Rename Photos Effortlessly.

Import Your Photos

You cannot rename a photo unless you import it from your system. Use the import tool to import photos from your hard drive, a memory card, a camera, or any other Lightroom catalog. During this process, you can weed out photos that you know you don’t want (suspected duplicates). Here’s where you can rename photos as well. Follow these steps:

  1. Tap Adobe Lightroom
  2. Hit File and select Import Photos and Video
  3. Select your Source (the same way I did)
  1. Now either Copy or Move it in the Import wizard.
  2. Select the Photos that you need to import and rename.
  3. Tap File Handling (it collapses and displays options). Don’t forget to check Don’t Imported Suspected Duplicates.
  4. Tap File Renaming and check Rename File.
  5. Give it a Custom Name [first select Custom Name (x of y) and write that in Custom Text]. The Sample area displays the results. For example, give it a name Random (the way I did) and it will show you in the Sample area Random (1 of 10)
  6. Now choose your destination where you want to copy the files.
  7. Here you go! Click that Destination group. Open it and select Into Subfolder > Into one Folder (it copies all of them in one single file). Now tap Import and starts importing.

Files Stored in Your Android Phone?

If you’ve stored your images in your Android phone you can easily import these images too. All you have to do is to enable Photo Transfer Protocol (PTP) in your cell phone. This way you’ll be able to transfer photos through Lightroom. Here’s how:

  1. Open Notifications in your phone. Enable USB for photo transfer.
  1. Tap Photo transfer (PTP) to enable.

File Renaming Templates are Handy.

This interesting feature allows you to create user-centric customizable template. Here you can rename files with advanced renaming configurations. You have many of these template options:

1. Custom Name – Original File Number

In this template, you can keep the original file number. Here you can also give it a custom name (the way I did).

2. Custom Name – Sequence

Photos scattered all over? Group them. First, give a number sequence at the end of any photo. And then make them belong to any photo group.

image3                                                                      image4

3. Custom Name

At its name suggests you can give your photo a custom name.

4. Filename – Sequence

This doesn’t allow you to change your image name. But you can add a number (in a sequence) at the end of your images.

Interesting, aren’t they? Yes, and you can create your own templates too. Read on..

How to Create Custom Templates?

Adobe Lightroom 2016-2017 allows you to create custom templates. This way you can rename photos easily. Here’s how:

  1. Click Edit.
  2. It shows you a naming scheme (currently you’re using)image
  3. Add new scheme the way I did to the textbox (as shown).image 7
  4. Hit Preset and then tap Save Current Settings as New Preset.image 8
  5. Give it a desired name and hit Create.
  6. Hit Done.
  1. Here you go! Did you see “Liyanage”? Congratulation! You’ve just created a new template.

    image 10

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Trump whines about the RIGGED Election. Trevor Noah SHUTS HIM DOWN!

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Trevor Noah attempted to open The Daily Show Monday night by talking about the recent conflict in Yemen, but he quickly admitted, “I get that most Americans are tired of hearing about wars in the Middle East, especially when you have your own war at home against the Tic Tac-sucking pussy monster.” So from there, he really had no choice but to pivot to Donald Trump.

As Trump’s chances of winning the 2016 presidential election continue to shrink, the Republican candidate’s claims that the system is “rigged” have only grown louder. “There’s a reason everything is going wrong for Donald Trump,” Noah said. “It’s because he is a terrible man, who has done terrible things, and has a terrible plan for the country.” But according to Trump, it’s because everyone’s against him, including “international banks,” “the blacks,” and most of all “the thing he can’t live without”: the “crooked media.”

“Oh, Donald Trump, the media is not ‘rigged’ against you,” Noah said. “They’re just recording what you say and playing it back. If anything, you’re rigging your own campaign.”

Noah suggested that perhaps Trump doesn’t realize that he’s the one on TV “saying the things that make him look bad,” thinking, “Who’s that guy? He makes me look like shit!” He compared him to a gorilla that doesn’t recognize itself in a mirror. But, perhaps wanting to avoid the lawsuit Trump brought against Bill Maher for a similar joke, he clarified, “Trump is not a wild animal, because if he was, his sons would have killed him by now.”

“Seriously, Donald Trump, the media has given you billions of dollars of free air time, you realize that? Billions of dollars!” Noah said. “How are they rigging it against you? Even your empty podium has been on TV more than Gary Johnson and Jill Stein combined.”

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Portfolio: Bushmills brand site, mobile site, Facebook App

Portfolio: Bushmills brand site, mobile site, Facebook App

Out with the old and in with the new… The new Bushmills site just went live! Hurray! The brilliant team at Pulse put together a stunning look and a fun brand site.

I helped shape the technical side of the brief for the internal agency teams – moving from flash to HTML5 for great animation and interactivity that works on desktop, tablet and mobile.  And making sure that the music player would work continuously as users navigate the site, on any gadget.  Then also helped out with site testing, debugging, fixing code to meet brand guideline requirements and deploying the site.

During the brief phases, I found ways to insure and guide creative options so that the site would embrace HTML5 and reject Flash. During the build phase, I helped proof the technical build to insure high standards are met, along with the legal requirements of a working gateway to be sure only people of legal drinking age view the content… while the search engines scan it all.  During the deployment stage, I worked with developers to make some technical changes to suit the brands hosting guidelines and trained up new teams to understand deployment processes for this world recognised brand.

Check it out at: Bushmills.com

After launching the main site, we also did a mobile version, and a “Bushmill’s LIVE” Facebook App for music and whiskey fans to see big name bands play exclusive shows in the distillery, which ran for 3 years (so far) internationally across to globe. Check their Facebook pages in early spring to find out more.

About the author

Terence Chisholm A proud geek, digital strategist, designer and programmer based in London (UK), Terence Chisholm makes great digital projects happen and has been "getting his geek on" since 1996 and in graphic design for print before that. Terry also likes travel, music, the arts and photography.


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War on Terrorism

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Two Wisconsin Men Charged With Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIL

Jason Michael Ludke, 35, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin has been charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Yosvany Padylla-Conde, 30, also of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was charged in the same complaint with aiding and abetting Ludke’s attempt to provide material support to ISIL.

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad of the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

Ludke and Padylla-Conde were arrested near San Angelo, Texas. The complaint alleges that the two were traveling from Wisconsin to Mexico where they intended to acquire travel documents necessary to travel overseas to join ISIL.

“The United States is committed to identifying and arresting persons intent on providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations. Those organizations pose a threat to United States' interests at home and abroad.” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad.

Special Agent in Charge Justin Tolomeo of the FBI’s Milwaukee Division stated “Terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority in keeping Americans safe. The arrest of these two individuals from Wisconsin, underscores how the real threat of terrorism can occur anywhere, at anytime. I would like to commend the efforts of the JTTF which includes a wide range of our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly for the safety of our citizens. We encourage all citizens to remain vigilant in reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.”

If convicted of these offenses both men face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. If convicted of any offense, the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S Attorney Haanstad commends the investigation carried out by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Paul L. Kanter of the Eastern District of Wisconsin, with assistance from Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Jolie Zimmerman.

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Traveling by plane with your camera gear

Recently a fellow photographer asked me about flying with her camera gear and what was allowed and what wasn’t? Since I fly for a living and I usually have at least one camera with me I’m pretty familiar with the rules and thought I’d share some tips here. First I have to give you a disclaimer in that TSA can decide to search any of your baggage at anytime and ask you  to take out every single item one-by-one for inspection. I’ve had it happen! Now with that out of the way luckily this is not the norm. Let’s go over some quick tips on carry-on vs. checked luggage. I absolutely HATE checking my luggage and only do so if I have no choice. This means that I want to carry both a camera bag AND a computer bag on board and therefore I will check the 3rd piece of luggage containing my clothes. Under no circumstances am I ever ever ever going to check my camera or computer gear. It’s like waving good-bye to it as I feel like I’d never see it again. If I have to check my camera gear, then I’m not going! Most airlines allow you one piece of carry-on luggage such as a roller-board suitcase and a personal item such as a backpack, briefcase or purse. For me that means a backpack.

A Quick FAQ

Q. Do I have to take my cameras out of the bag when going through TSA security?

A. Typically NO, but TSA at any time can ask you to take ANYTHING and EVERYTHING out of your bag. With that said I can’t remember the last time they asked to take my cameras out. It’s been years. This of course goes out the window outside the US. Foreign airport security is a lot less forgiving. Give yourself time as you will likely need to take out each piece of gear and put it in a bin.

Q. Should I just check my camera gear under the plane to save the time and hassle.

A. NO! You may never see it again if you do and the airline will NOT replace it.

Q. What about tripods/monopods?

A. I have been known to travel with a tripod from time to time and I put it in my larger roller-board suitcase with my clothes. This however, is a grey area. Some TSA checkpoints will let it go and others will require that you check it as a tripod could be used as a club/weapon. So be prepared with extra time if you’re traveling with a tripod and have it in a bag that you don’t mind checking (not with the rest of your camera gear).

The backpack pictured above is my BIG ThinkTank “Street Walker Hard Drive”  Backpack. This is the one I carry when I’m going on a trip specifically to shoot and I’m going to carry a LOT of camera gear. This one backpack also holds my MacBook Pro 15″ Retina notebook and iPad Air. It weighs a freaking ton once I have I have it loaded, but it still fits under the seat in front of me on a plane and therefore allows me to carry a rollerboard on with my clothes (and tripod) in it.

On trips where I’m carrying less photographic gear but still more than two lenses then I carry my smaller “Kata” backpack:

This one will still hold one camera body and 2-3 lenses plus my MacBook Pro. Also since it’s smaller you’ll be less likely to load a ton of gear in it and therefore it will be lighter to carry and manage.

Although both backpacks above  are great for those photo specific trips I go on, neither of them are my “regular” backpacks. Since most of my trips are not photo specific I’m usually carrying only one camera body (my Nikon D600) and one lens (my Nikon 28-300mm) or my even smaller Sony Alpha NEX-3N. My daily/weekly travel backpack is actually my Tumi Alpha T-Pass Laptop Backpack.

I really like this backpack A LOT! The T-Pass stands for “TSA Friendly” in that the back containing your laptop can unzip so that you can lay the bag flat (open) without having to remove your laptop saving you time. Tumi bags are expensive, but they come with a 5 year warranty and are very very very well constructed. I use this bag daily and it shows no signs of wear after one year so far. There is plenty of room in it for my laptop, iPad, camera stuff and just a ton of other little items that I carry. It weighs a ton once I load it up, but it handles the load very well.

The Bottom Line

For the most part you should be fine traveling by plane with your camera gear and carrying it on as long as your carry-on bag meets the size restrictions for the overhead bin or under the seat. TSA sees cameras everyday and while they still require you to take your laptop out and put it in a separate bin (unless you are TSA Pre-Check or you have a bag like my Tumi above), they tend to not ask you to take your camera gear out. The only other thing they can be uptight about is carrying a lot of batteries. So keep your extra batteries to a minimum and spread them across multiple carry-on bags as best you can.

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