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Roasted Chickpeas

This weekend, I roasted chickens to throw in salads this week. I loved this recipe because of the different flavor options it explained. I made the garlic ones and they were delicious in a salad!

Black Bean Lime Dip

I enjoyed the chickpea salad so much from dinner last night that I decided to make a huge batch to make lunch sandwiches out of this week! The only downside is I make the already previously posted homemade classic hummus recipe for lunch every week so I didn’t want to chickpea overload! As a result, I decided to research a black bean dip to eat my veggies with and I thought this one sounded good:

It was a good one that I am glad that I found, but I put in a tad too much ginger I think! Ginger can be very hit or miss for me too, so maybe next time I’ll just use a little bit less ginger. But I liked the citrus spin on a black bean hummus dip!

Easy Classic Hummus Recipe

I bought some large carrots and chickpeas from the store to make a carrot and hummus snack for the week, and found this easy recipe to make.

It was delicious, and a recipe to definitely use again in the future! Probably will double it next time though to make a bigger batch.

Also made a variation on this recipe by grinding up fresh parsley and green onions to make a green hummus:

Energy Bites Recipes

A friend of mine is teaching a workout class tomorrow for her church and I am helping her run it, and I told her I would make some energy bites as a good fuel post-workout! I found these two recipes that I wanted to try and they were awesome…

Coconut Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites Recipe:

Peanut Butter Chia Seed Oatmeal Energy Bites Recipe: –> (I used chia seeds instead of flaxseeds here)

Mango Guacamole Stuffed Chicken

Tonight for dinner I decided to try my first stuffed chicken! Wow it was great, can’t wait to make some more stuffed chicken recipes in the future!

I stuffed the chicken with the Mango Guacamole recipe from WGC:

And for the chicken, the first thing I did was butterfly the chicken. Then I rubbed the outsides with salt and pepper. After that, I spooned the guacamole inside the chicken and stuffed it pretty darn full! Then, I cooked the chicken at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the internal chicken temperature was 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Loved the guacamole with the mango a lot and loved it with the chicken.

Fresh Blackberry Compote

Today I made a compote based off of this recipe:

I tripled the recipe, but I kept the sugar and lemon ingredients at the single recipe measurements, so the only thing I tripled was the water and fruit.  However, I boiled mine a whole lot longer than the recipe says because it wouldn’t thicken up (which I’m guessing is because I didn’t add all the sugar) and added about a tablespoon of cornstarch after a while and it thickened up perfectly right away! Can’t wait to use it on pancakes, ice cream, parfaits, etc!

Homemade Pumpkin Purée

I bought an extra pumpkin for the chili cook-offs I was entered and turned out I only needed one pumpkin. I finally got around to baking my leftover pumpkin and this time instead of dicing it, I decided to roast it and make a homemade purée. However, that was my first time roasting a pumpkin and roasted pumpkin by itself is delicious… I definitely are some of it before I puréed the roasted pumpkin! Here’s the method I followed for roasting and puréeing a pumpkin:

The pumpkin I had was pretty small though, and all it needed was 20 minutes at 400 degrees. That was perfect enough!


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Tag Archives: sach

Test Your Verbs

link download: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?1smq1f7pnij6c3r

Sách gồm nhiều bài test vè trình độ hiểu biết về các động từ tiếng Anh của bạn

501 Writing Prompts

Bao gồm các bài viết mẫu được tính điểm.

Một bài viết mẫu ví dụ trích từ sách:

More and more farmers and food manufacturers are genetically
modifying their crops to reduce susceptibility to disease, improve
flavor, and reduce costs. Do you think genetically modifying foods
is a good idea? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and
examples to support your position.

A few decades ago, manipulating genes in people, plants, and animals was just
science fiction. Today, it’s a reality, and genetic modification may have many
positive applications in the future, including the eradication of many hered-
itary diseases. But like most scientific and technological advances, the genetic
modification of organisms for our food supply can be as dangerous as it is
beneficial. Because of the potential dangers of this technology, I think genet-
ically altering plants and animals in the food supply is a practice that should
be very tightly controlled and carefully studied before it is an accepted and
common practice. Unfortunately, it may already be too late for that.
Many people don’t even realize that many of their foods are genetically
modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are already prevalent in supermar-
kets and grocery stores across the country, but manufacturers are not
required to label foods as having been made from GMOs. As a result, mil-
lions of Americans purchase and eat GMOs every day without even know-
ing it. Yet we don’t even know if GMOs are harmful to our health. We
don’t really know how GMOs may affect our bodies or our ecosystem.
When we mess with DNA, we may be making changes that have all sorts
of dangerous repercussions, including some that we may not even realize
for several generations.
One of the main concerns about GMOs is the unpredictability of the
behavior of altered genes and of the bacteria, plants, and animals that inter-
act with the altered organism. For example, a crop of corn genetically mod-
ified to be less susceptible to a particular insect may take on other unwanted
characteristics due to the change. It may, for example, become more sus-
ceptible to another disease, or it could develop a tougher skin on its kernels,
or it could decrease the crop’s ability to produce vitamin E.
More frightening is the domino effect of genetically modifying foods.
Any change in an organism’s DNA has the potential to affect not only the
organism but also anything that feeds off of it, including us. How do we
know how GMOs might affect us on a microscopic, genetic level? We don’t
know, and can’t know, without years of studies that track all sorts of poten-
tial outcomes over several generations.

link download: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?ib5i4f01dvhp25r

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text:
Growing up/old

Found an old face mask in the fridge… so here I am using an expired face mask smelling like royal honey while watching a Korean crime thriller.

I really should take better care of myself. I guess being grown-up also means being about to take care of oneself… before taking care of others and taking on other responsibilities.

  • Run tomorrow
  • Start sleeping and waking up at proper times.

On a side note, fixed some stuff at home and feeling happy that it turned out decent and secure!

We have this fengshui furniture that is supposed to bring in wealth because of crystal + running water + the right direction. I find it quite amusing cos we’re still staying in a HDB flat haha. But not complaining about that.

Anyway it’s hazardous cos it is near the powerpoint. Planted a “safety box” for it (and us). Prior to this was a flimsy plastic box… and that was preceded by a plastic bag. Hahahah how we are still alive is really, 谢天谢地.

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text: This three-year project investigates how time and space is constructed and understood in the sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur), both with regard to the sagas as narratives and with regard to their transmission. Based on the premise that the sagas are firmly grounded in medieval Icelanders’ perceptions of their physical and social world and its relationship to the past, the project aims to create new knowledge through the study of mental maps, negotiations of identities, liminal times and places, as well as the multiplicity of temporal constructs in both the sagas and the society in which they originated. In addition, the prototype of a new digital research tool in the form of an openly accessible online ‘Icelandic Saga Map’ will be developed as part of the project, see Senior and junior researchers, PhD students at the University of Iceland, and international experts will work on aspects of the research project both individually and together.


text:
Pray for Timothy’s work; pray for translation work in Luke & John

1. Please pray for our 23 year-old son, Timothy, as he looks for work in the Kansas City area (preferably near Blue Springs, MO, where he lives). Pray for a good ministry or work position which will use his gifts and give him encouraging interaction with Christian friends his age.

2. Please pray for much wisdom and understanding for Anikó as she translates the “Jesus is Lord” booklet into Hungarian Ardelean Bayash, especially for the 5 sections of Scripture from Luke 7, 8, 15 and 19.

3. Please pray for Lívia as she begins translation of the Gospel of John 1, 2 and 3 in Hungarian Ardelan Bayash, that her translation would be clear, accurate and natural in her dialect.

Many Hands raise high up

“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands…”(1 Tim 2:8 ESV)

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text:
it@cork conference program announced

As Chair of the organising committee for this year’s it@cork Technology in Business Conference, I’m delighted to announce that the program has been announced and registrations are now open.

The conference is on the 28th of November in the Radisson, Little Island. This year’s theme is Connect and Innovate and we have a spectacular line-up of speakers including

  • Hans Rosling, who’s presentation at the Le Web conference last year was the best I have ever attended, bar none
  • Graham Whitehead (the renowned futurologist who works for BT Exact, the research arm of BT), and
  • Anthony Williams, co-author of the award winning, bestselling business book Wikinomics.

Early registrants will have their name entered into a draw for free copies of Wikinomics.

3 thoughts on “it@cork conference program announced”

  1. For a heavily sponsored gig like this, is â‚¬400 for one day reasonable? There’s going to be a certain element of pitching involved (Microsoft talking about trends in software anyone?), so I would have expected it something people could decide not to attend for a full day.

    Compare this to for example, which is â‚¬210 for three days.

  2. @Langer Dan – it@cork is a not-for-profit organisation. The annual conference is the one event in the calendar year which generates a significant income and money made from the conference is used to fund the activities of it@cork for the rest of the year.

    Pricing the conference is always a balancing act between offering value for money and continually growing the level of activity of it@cork.

    The line-up this year is world-class and if you attend any it@cork events you will be aware that shilling for your company is not tolerated (as last year’s Microsoft speaker discovered).

  3. it@cork ran a half day Java Conference 2 weeks ago for just â‚¬30pp.
    The Technology in Business Conference is a completly different style event, which costs â‚¬300 for it@cork members.
    Our members attend in their droves as they see the value of it and the other 20 free events we run every every year.

Comments are closed.


text:
1 billion web sites in 2013

Netcraft has been tracking the number of web sites on the internet for many years. Every month, they publish their latest numbers. As of May 2012, their chart shows close to 700 million sites (the blue line is the number of unique domains, the red one is sites with unique HTML which excludes placeholder templates like landing pages for newly purchased domains):

As you can see, the growth is impressive and unimpeded. Also:

  • The total number of web sites seems to follow Moore’s Law and double every 18-24 months.
  • At the current rate, we will hit 1 billion sites in 2013 and 2 billion sites in 2015.
  • Over the years, the number of web sites seems to be roughly equal to the number of people on the internet.
  • If WordPress continues on its current trajectory, there will be 300-500 million WordPress sites by 2015.

Published by

Toni Schneider

Partner at True Ventures. Team lead at Automattic. Advisor at Atipica, Bandcamp, Bigscreen, Handshake, Hatch Baby, Madefire, Renovo Motors, and Tend.ai.

20 thoughts on “1 billion web sites in 2013”

  1. It would be interesting to see what percentage of those sites are dead sites, spam, splogs, and other worthless junk. I see counting the number of sites is akin to counting the number of accounts on Facebook or Twitter, but ignoring the number of dead/garbage ones. Regardless, the numbers are astounding!

  2. Pingback: As the web turns 25, the Webby Awards form a museum piece in its honor | PandoDaily

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text:
ABC 730

LEIGH SALES: I'm joined now from Canberra by the two politicians who hold the Finance portfolios for their teams and they're also acting as campaign spokesman, Mathias Cormann and Tony Burke.

Thank you very much to both of you for being with us.

SALES: Tony Burke, if I can just start with you, there's some reports coming in that we're getting Federal Police raids at Labor Party offices in Melbourne. What's going on?

BURKE: Well, I'll leave that for the AFP to give reports as things happen. But, certainly, it is the case that those raids are happening. There are allegations floating around about documents that were leaked from the NBN and there's no doubt the leaks that came from the NBN caused immense damage, immense damage to Malcolm Turnbull when they showed that the cost blowout of the NBN, the fact that it was slower, the fact that it was going to be delayed. The thing that I also know with this is during the life of this parliament, Leigh, on 23 different occasions we've asked about leaks from all parts of this government right through to the National Security Committee of Cabinet. The night before the Budget, you had Government staffers handing out cabinet-in-confidence documents around the press gallery. And I also know how many of those inquiries have resulted in police raids. I don't know how many times they've been referred to the AFP, but I do know how few times they've resulted in police raids.

SALES: So are you suggesting that the Government has improperly lent on the AFP to cause them to raid ALP offices in Melbourne?

BURKE: I make no criticism of the AFP at all. I simply know that when there have been leaks even from the National Security Committee of this government, when there have been Government staffers walking around the section of the building I'm in right now handing out cabinet-in-confidence documents, the Government ...

SALES: OK, you made that point. So you can't tell us any more about this raid? You made that point already.

BURKE: The Government hasn't previously acted on referrals to the AFP.

SALES: Senator Cormann, can you shed any light on this matter?

CORMANN: That's the first I've heard of it. I'm not aware of it. The AFP obviously is an entirely independent organisation that makes their own judgements on these things.

BURKE: But they don't make their judgements on what gets referred to them.

SALES: Thanks. Let's move on. Against the backdrop of the campaign, Australia has just posted the slowest wage growth in decades. Mathias Cormann, between that, low inflation, low productivity and a stubborn deficit, do politicians need to level with Australians and say to them that they're unlikely to continue enjoying rising standards of living?

CORMANN: Well our economy's an economy in transition. We're dealing with global economic headwinds, we're dealing with lower global economic growth and we're dealing with much lower global prices for our key commodity exports and that is of course why it is so important that we continue to implement our plan for jobs and growth. And, I mean, if you look at the results that we've achieved so far, the economy is growing at three per cent - higher than any of the G7 economies, double the rate of Canada, employment growth is strong, the unemployment rate at 5.7 per cent is not as low as we would want it to be, but it is much lower than what had been anticipated when we came into government in 2013. So we've got to keep heading in the same direction, we've got to keep implementing our plan for jobs and growth, including a more competitive enterprise tax rate.

SALES: Tomorrow Treasury will release the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Outlook. Senator Cormann, would you expect it to be basically the same figures as the Budget?

CORMANN: Well, the Budget was delivered about two weeks ago, so I certainly wouldn't expect there to be any material variation, that's right.

SALES: Tony Burke, Labor announced its Medicare indexation policy today, but wouldn't it be more honest to have a conversation with the Australian people about the problems with the long-term sustainability of bulk billing?

BURKE: Well, no. I mean, my fear with the GP tax, which is being introduced by stealth through the ...

CORMANN: Introduced by Labor.

BURKE: But the - introduced. Nice try, Mathias.

BURKE: You tried to introduce it in the 2014 ...

SALES: Well it's correct, isn't it? He is correct.

BURKE: No, no, no, we ...

CORMANN: Well that is exactly right.

BURKE: We shifted the indexation date by eight months.

CORMANN: Ah, ah, OK.

BURKE: We shifted it by eight months to bring it in line with the financial year. That is completely different to a ...

SALES: So for you it's a shift.

BURKE: That is completely different to freezing the rate all the way through to 2020, which they only sought to do once their original co-payment GP tax had failed in the Parliament. The motivation here's quite clear. Now, the biggest concern about this ...

SALES: How is that addressing the bigger picture question that I'm asking about which is levelling with the Australians about the long-term sustainability?

BURKE: No, no. But you've got to remember what happens to the Australian population when people ask this question before they go to the doctor. My concern isn't that people end up with $20 a week out of their household budget because they went to the doctor. My concern is the people that as a result of this don't go to the doctor as bulk billing rates fall as this (inaudible).

CORMANN: Bulk billing rates are higher. Bulk billing rates are higher ...

SALES: Why are you scared to answer my question about the long-term sustainability?

CORMANN: ... than they were under Labor.

TONY BURKE: Because the long-term sustainability of Australia's health is a decent thing to pursue. Medicare has given as a unit cause of health care a much better financial outcome than a system like exists in the United States. We have good productive rates of health care in Australia with the Medicare system. It might be an ideological position from the Liberal to want to shift to a co-payment system, which they're doing by stealth here, but it is not what we believe.

SALES: Senator Cormann, let me - let me ask you for your response.

CORMANN: Well, I mean, inconvenient truth for Labor is that they're trying to save bulk billing rates when bulk billing rates are actually higher than they were under Labor. They're trying to save Medicare when Medicare is safe. I mean, our funding for Medicare is higher than it has ever been. Yes, I mean, we need to identify savings and efficiencies in order to invest them in other parts of the health system. $2.9 billion additional funding for state hospitals, more than a billion dollars in additional funding for drug treatment - drug treatment services through the PBS for cancer treatments and hepatitis C treatments and the like. So we are paying for our funding increases by making savings and efficiencies in other parts of the budget. Labor is just trying to go the easy road by jacking up taxes, which hurt jobs and growth.

SALES: Tony Burke, a response there.

BURKE: Find a doctor who will say that this isn't putting pressure on them to bring in co-payments and that's where Mathias' argument falls down around him.

CORMANN: 85 per cent bulk billing rate right now.

SALES: Tony Burke?

BURKE: You extend it to 2020 - it's like saying if someone goes without a pay rise for a few months and that's the same as saying now you go without a pay rise for five years. It's a completely different economic impact and Mathias knows that.

SALES: Let me move on to another subject before we run out of time. Senator Cormann, haven't Peter Dutton's remarks about asylum seekers backfired on the Coalition because many Australians weren't born here and in particular many people had parents and grandparents who weren't born here who came to this country not able to speak English, dirt poor and who slogged their guts out to make a better life for their children, so therefore are Peter Dutton's remarks not a slap in the face to those people?

CORMANN: Not at all. Peter Dutton is a very effective minister for Immigration and Australia of course is a very successful multicultural country with people coming here from all corners of the world. Indeed, I came here from a particular corner of the world. I wasn't born here and of course I still speak with a funny accent, as some people might say. But the important point here is that people across Australia need to be able to have confidence in the integrity of the system. People need to be able to have confidence that people come here through an orderly process. And Tony Burke is here and he was the Minister for Immigration for two and a half short months and in that period more than 80 illegal boat arrivals arrived on our shores with more than 6,600 people on them.

SALES: Let me ask ...

CORMANN: Peter Dutton has presided over more than 600 days without an illegal boat arrival and that is what - these are the outcomes that the Australian people want to see.

SALES: Tony Burke, let me throw it back to you and pick up on the point that Mathias Cormann raised, which is: has Labor not given up any moral high ground in this discussion because of your performance on this issue in your six years in government?

BURKE: Well, first thing, when Mathias referred to my time as Immigration Minister, in that period there was a 90 per cent reduction in the number of boats coming and people putting their lives at risk on the high seas. In terms of the Government's policies that are about stopping ...

CORMANN: More than 80 boats.

SALES: Tony Burke.

BURKE: ... that are about stopping people taking that risk on the high seas, our policies, as a result of a national conference, are the same as the Government's. Our policies on how to treat ...

CORMANN: But you don't believe in it.

SALES: Tony - allow Tony Burke to finish, please.

BURKE: Sorry, Mathias! I had 33 people die on my watch! Don't you tell me I don't believe this. Don't you tell me after I've had those names on my desk. On the policies as to how you treat people who are in our care in detention centres, on those issues, we have a very different approach to Peter Dutton and a different approach to the Government and an approach that people used to think was closer to Malcolm Turnbull's views, except now they've seen, far from him changing the Liberal Party, the Liberal Party has changed him.

SALES: Gentlemen, we are out of time, unfortunately. Tony Burke, Mathias Cormann, thank you very much.

BURKE: Thank you.

CORMANN: Always good to talk to you.


text:
Institute Of Culinary Education Launches National Expansion With New SoCal Outpost

The Institute of Culinary Education recently announced its plan to open a second location near downtown Los Angeles, after 42 years in New York City. ICE will bring to Southern California its award-winning education model, which includes a highly developed curriculum, student focus, strong externship and job placement record, as well as a deep connection to the local culinary and hospitality industries.

As ICE launches in LA, the school’s initial focus will be six to thirteen month career diploma programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts and Restaurant & Culinary Management. The Hotel & Hospitality Management program will be added later in the year.

“Los Angeles is an ideal next step for ICE, as it has the confluence of food culture, diversity, job opportunities and a nationally recognized, vibrant culinary community that ICE can support and grow just as we have in New York City,” said Rick Smilow, ICE’s president and CEO. “ICE will provide a new option for ambitious and creative students who want to start or change careers, advance in the culinary and hospitality industries or are cost- and time- conscious in their approach to education.”

ICE took over a portion of the lease previously occupied by the former Le Cordon Bleu Pasadena location, which is already equipped with the necessary infrastructure to build a culinary school. ICE will update the school to reflect the brand standards of its flagship NYC campus opened in 2015 — often considered the “best in the nation” by leaders of the food industry. Renovations will begin in early 2018, and ICE anticipates opening and commencing teaching in the first half of the year.

“I was thrilled to learn that the Institute of Culinary Education is expanding and opening its second location in Los Angeles,” said Wolfgang Puck, chef and restaurateur. “LA is a hub of culinary innovation, and having a culinary school of ICE’s caliber in this market will only enhance the city’s standing as a major culinary center in the United States.”

The school will aim to create the same sense of community, creativity and campus life offered in NYC, adapted to the thriving LA food scene. Once career program classes are up and running, ICE will build on its platform for inspiration and is considering options to offer specialized amenities and features similar to the NYC campus, such as a chocolate lab, culinary technology lab and an extension of its “farm to classroom” program, and later on, recreational classes and special culinary events.

“I’ve been working with ICE students in New York for years and they are consistently among the best young chefs in my restaurants,” said Tom Colicchio, chef and restaurateur. “I’m very much looking forward to having an institution like ICE produce the same level of talent for my LA and Las Vegas restaurants and to what their next generation of culinary leaders will do for the west coast food scene.”

CoffeeFest Feb 2018 728×90

The school will employ top tier culinary professionals to teach ICE’s curriculum. While an ICE education is grounded in classic French technique, it also offers the opportunity to explore food globally, including the cuisines of Italy, China, Thailand, India and regional America, as well as specialized techniques from artisan bread baking to modernist cooking and more. ICE will work to evolve its globally-inspired curriculum to reflect the local culture, diversity and flavor of LA.

In addition to its highly regarded Culinary Arts and Pastry & Baking Arts programs, ICE will also offer its Restaurant & Culinary Management program, which focuses on owning, operating or managing a food business. This will allow students to “double major” and learn both how to work in and make money from the business of food.

“California has always been a trendsetter when it comes to the culinary arts,” said Panorea Avdis, Director, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. “ICE’s new LA campus will ensure future generations of top chefs are pushing the boundaries of our state’s long-established variety of cuisines and locally sourced ingredients, which gives us that added advantage as a global destination for adventure seekers, business travelers and entrepreneurs, alike.”

ICE is currently one of the top-rated culinary schools in the nation, receiving a ranking as the number one culinary school in America from The Daily Meal in 2016, and distinctions from the International Association of Culinary Professionals, FSR Magazine, online education directories and more. Over the years, numerous ICE alumni have won top national awards and become leaders in the field. Prominent alumni include Chefs Mark Murphy and Vivian Howard, Top Chef’s Gail Simmons and Modernist Cuisine co-author Maxime Bilet. Many ICE alumni have launched successful businesses in the Los Angeles area, including: Zoe Nathan (Rustic Canyon), Steve Samson (Sotto and Rossoblu) and Vic Casanova (Gusto).

“At ICE, our mission is to enable the creative light within each individual, empowering them to find rewarding careers in the culinary and hospitality industries,” said Smilow. “We’ve helped more than 14,000 alumni find their culinary and hospitality voices, and are thrilled to be able to bring that mission to the west coast and Los Angeles area.”

To learn more about ICE’s new Culinary Arts expansion in Los Angeles, visit their website.


text:
47:  Of Poems, and the Wisdom of Cats

Gib, looking large-eyed and self important.We’ve had no rain of late.  The crops may suffer, and many may suffer by that.  (I won’t, but the lesser sort will.)

In my house there’s been talk of my lord.  Some say Lord Purrlie [Burghley] is out of patience with him because he does not wish to wed.  And that a servant of Lord Purrlie’s writ a poem with a dedication to my lord.

I know what a dedication is.  I see them in books.  You tell rich folks that they’re the world’s wonder.

 If they like what you’ve writ they’ll give you money, so you can write more.

I’ve no need to flatter rich folks, because I’m an Earl’s cat.  And this other poet has a place in Lord Purrlie’s household, so he’s not like to want mine.

I haven’t seen his poem, but I hear tell it’s about Narcissus.  I’ve read of him.

He was a pretty boy that all loved, but he loved no-one.  One day he took a drink from a pool, and saw his own fair face in the water.

Then he loved himself, and wailed mightily about it, because when he reached into the pool his image dissolved.  And so he found he couldn’t love himself even as he wished to.  Yet he couldn’t come away from his face in that pool.  (He never thought to return home and buy a mirror.)

He shrivelled and died there, and his corpse changed into a flower.

A clever tale about a fool boy.

We cats are too wise to gaze upon our own images.  We know what will befall us if we do.

A grey cat with green eyes walking through grass.I may offer my deep-brained sonnet in honour of my friend Smokie to my lord.  I’ve finished the rough of it.  I turned to my book where I told of our meeting, and read of the scent Smokie had that was strange to me at first.

It was the smell of the smithy, where he learnt all the wicked words he knew.

I never went in there.  Too clamorous.  Now I wish I had.  We poets should not be squeamish, for we never know what we may come to write of.

Shall I compare thee to a puff of smoke?

Thou art more furred, and less fumiferous.

Nor can my vap’rous senses well invoke

thy scents so sweetly odoriferous.

The smell of leathern aprons, and the shop

where hammers rang, and smith or ’prentice swore,

as, stung by sparks, they let some hot thing drop,

or taunted friends above the furnace’ roar.

But thou wert forged by Nature’s hand, I vow,

midst fragrant flowers where we fought in play.

Thy breath’s of milk fresh squirted from the cow,

thine hue from clouds that slake the burning day.

And if, in this, fond judgement is bewrayed,

I never writ, nor no cat ever sprayed.

Flowering Hawthorn (Mayflowers) against a tree trunk in a misty landscape.

Now, here’s a strange thing.  I became so carried away by my lines, my rhymes, my meanings, and the Queen Cat of Heaven knows what else, I ceased to think of Smokie and told a lie, as poets do.

My senses are not vaporous [foggy].  But fog is like to smoke and my sonnet is a matter of conceits, so I must feign to be a fogwit.

And I like not that word “odoriferous”, but it’s a better word than “odiferous”.

When I finished, I was so joyed I leapt up and ran about like a mad thing.  The kitchen cat joined me in my frolick.

Some sayt, “Why are the cats so skittish?  Shall we have rain?”

Which shows how little they know us.

Toutparmoi - Note from the EditorThe Latin poem Narcissus by John Clapham (1566-1619) was published in 1591.  He may have written it at Lord Burghley’s instigation to steer the unwilling young Earl towards marriage, or he may not.

What the Earl thought of it is unknown, and Gib’s no help.  He’s more interested in Ovid’s version of the Narcissus story in Metamorphoses, and in the wisdom of cats who can’t be ensnared by their own reflections.  And in his own poem, of course.   I think Gib’s fine phrase “fond judgement is bewrayed” means “a foolish opinion is revealed”.

11 thoughts on “47:  Of Poems, and the Wisdom of Cats

  1. Rachel McAlpine March 24, 2016 / 10:21 am

    As a poet, I am learning a lot from Gib that I should have learned decades ago. If only I had dedicated my books to rich people! If only I had trumpeted the glories of a well known patron of the arts like Donald Trump… I have wasted my life.

    Liked by 3 people

    • toutparmoi March 27, 2016 / 7:31 pm

      Were Gib and his rival poet Nero alive today, I think they’d find your certainty worrisome. But at least you won’t be tempted to write a biography of Gib based on his poetick fictions. He’s left a “true account” of his life behind him. Though who knows how true it is? The cat in the portrait of the Earl of Southampton is black and white, whereas Gib describes himself as white with bluish dapples. And as for Nero… I fear how he came to have no tail may be a mystery for all time, despite his poetic accounts of how he lost it.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Mick Canning March 28, 2016 / 1:14 am

      Good heavens, I would not dare…I trust that Nero’s missing tail and sundry other little mysteries will be dispelled in the fullness of time!

      Liked by 1 person

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German poll sees SPD losing support on core campaign issues

Reuters News
Posted: Apr 12, 2013 8:02 AM
German poll sees SPD losing support on core campaign issues

By Stephen Brown

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German opposition Social Democrats (SPD) are losing support in their bid to unseat Chancellor Angela Merkel in September's election and are no longer trusted more than her conservatives on social issues, according to a poll out on Friday.

The Politbarometer poll for public broadcaster ZDF will make tough reading for candidate Peer Steinbrueck ahead of a congress of his center-left SPD in Bavaria on Sunday to present the official platform for the federal election on September 22.

The long-standing lead for Merkel's coalition widened to 46 percent versus 41 percent for the SPD and their Greens allies, while the proportion of Germans who would prefer a third term for Merkel rose three points to 63 percent.

Only 27 percent said they would prefer Steinbrueck, down from 29 percent in the last Politbarometer poll in March. The 66-year-old former finance minister, who was Germany's most popular politician less than two years ago, ranks eighth in approval ratings, where Merkel consistently ranks first.

It was the second poor survey for the SPD this week.

A Forsa poll out on Wednesday suggested for the first time in three years that Merkel could get a governing majority with one point more support than the SPD, Greens and hardline Left combined. The Politbarometer poll put the combined opposition one point ahead - but the SPD rules out an alliance with the Left because of its extreme views.

Steinbrueck is a moderate whose nomination last year meant he had to veer to the left on issues such as higher taxes and regulating banks to mollify that wing of the SPD. But his high personal earnings and verbal gaffes have alienated many left-wingers and women voters.

Embarrassed by the choice of a campaign slogan "It is we who decide" that was already being used by a temporary employment agency - not the kind of business the SPD supports - Steinbrueck told German TV that it accurately reflected voter sentiment.

"There is a craving among the people for less selfishness and more broad public welfare," said the candidate.

Party leaders worry that the economic troubles of Cyprus are prolonging the euro zone debt crisis, which plays to Merkel's strengths rather than focusing the campaign on domestic issues, where they believe they have the upper hand.

However, as well as suggesting that the German public has vastly more confidence in Merkel's ability to manage the euro crisis - 46 percent versus 10 percent for Steinbrueck - the poll said that for the first time more people trusted Merkel to bring about "more social justice" than the SPD candidate.

That could undermine the SPD's hopes that its focus on social issues such as more funding for education, equal pay for women, a minimum legal wage and more affordable housing will persuade voters to make Steinbrueck chancellor in September.

(Editing by Mark Potter)


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Speak with an experienced building professional today! (207) 490-5900

Maine DOT Garage Fryeburg

April 12, 2016

One of two similar garages TPD built for the Maine DOT, energy efficiency was the focus of a project completed for the Maine Department of Transportation. We installed specialized, insulated wall and roof panels called Insulated Panel Systems (IPS). Radiant heat was installed in the concrete floor slab, which is much more efficient than forced hot air-especially in a building with a high ceiling where large garage doors are frequently opening and closing.

With IPS, insulated panels provided substantial energy savings for the State of Maine at the steel building maintenance garages by reducing their heating and air conditioning requirements.


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Guatemala - Mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers

Mobile and fixed-line telephone subscribers in Guatemala was reported at 16398004 in 2008, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources.

 guatemala mobile and fixed line telephone subscribers wb data
Trading Economics members can view, download and compare data from nearly 200 countries, including more than 20 million economic indicators, exchange rates, government bond yields, stock indexes and commodity prices.

The Trading Economics Application Programming Interface (API) provides direct access to our data. It allows API clients to download millions of rows of historical data, to query our real-time economic calendar, subscribe to updates and receive quotes for currencies, commodities, stocks and bonds.

Mobile and fixed-line subscribers are total telephone subscribers (fixed-line plus mobile).

Guatemala | Infrastructure


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Josh Olson on

Withnail and I

Released 1987
Distributor Cineplex-Odeon Films

The first film in director Bruce Robinson’s (so far) four-film canon is virtually unknown in the US but a true cult item in Britain, telling the story of two down and out ’60s actors driving each other crazy at a country cottage. Unclassifiably oddball, it’s an actors’ showcase best enjoyed with a few drinks. Witty, slyly funny and stolen by Richard E. Grant as the booze-soaked Withnail.  In 2000, readers of Total Film voted Withnail and I the third greatest comedy film of all time.

About Josh Olson

Josh Olson  was the only student in his second grade class to see The House That Dripped Blood.  Many years later, he wrote and directed the no-budget horror film, Infested, a brutal assault on The Big Chill, with zombies. He went on to write the screenplay for A History of Violence and was nominated for the WGA, BAFTA and Academy Awards for Best Screenplay. He kept losing to Larry McMurtry, but that’s okay.  He co-wrote the teleplay for the Masters of Science Fiction episode, The Discarded, with Harlan Ellison, and is currently writing a sophisticated thriller, Tabloid, for Mick Jagger.


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disengage before sleep

I’ve found that everyone I know is different when it comes to sleep.  I’m an early to bed early to rise person….don’t show me an intense movie within hours of bedtime.  I have read myself to bed my whole life.  Recently I read a book titled “Nickel & Dimed” a book about how the minimum wage earners are not able to provide a living, by Barbara Ehrenreich   I ate this book up.   It changed me.  So I naturally began to read the next book, “Bait & Switch”.

This book is about corporate America.  I’m an ex teacher from FL.  I didn’t expect to relate to this book, other than commiserate with a lot of my friends who lost their retirement to overseas cheaper labor.  Basically the dissolution of America’s middle class.

The second chapter; Finding a coach in the land of OZ, really hit home. This is so familiar-how come?  I always suspected that teachers were jerked around by corporate America.  If students did better, then it was the program that was pushed on the school system.  If they did worse, then it was the teacher’s fault.  The books were changed every year.  I kept the books that I liked.  My students would file in and almost have a heart attack when they saw a big pile of books on their desk.  Books were what they should be, a resource, not a lesson plan.  It got to a point where we were told basically what to do & when to do it. I got out of teaching, because it had become a business.  It’s been 13 yrs since I taught.  I don’t really know what is happening now.  Perhaps with the dissolution of America’s middle class, students are left alone.

But this is not the point of this blog, the point is to relax before bed. I think that night I could have cleaned 10 houses & still not slept.  This book awakened a sleeping monster hidden in my gut.

I read, now a little more careful of the content, my husband tubes out, a good friend of mine takes a night walk.

Do anything that will help your mind disengage.

Oh and  I will finish this book, though I’ll do it during the day.

Mother Earth/Leroy Pudd

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Vacation Report, India: Arrival

Vacation Report, India: The Arrival

Vacation Report, India: Poetree Sarovar Portico

Vacation Report, India: Periyar National Park

Vacation Report, India: Grand Hyatt Mumbai

Vacation Report, India: Airport Lounges

Vacation Report, India: Departure

The Route

We took a rather round-about route because we wanted to land directly in Kochi as opposed to another city (like Delhi, Mumbai, etc.) and go through customs there. To achieve this, we flew Delta to London, British Airways to Doha, and then Jet Airways to Kochi.

Outbound Routing

On the flight to Atlanta, we had the opportunity to try Delta’s new premium peanut snack. No more self-branded nuts!

Honey Roasted!

We had a short five hour layover in Atlanta, so we went to the SkyClub in terminal E and stretched out a little. We took this opportunity to get a quick nap before our next leg.

On our next leg, we flew in DeltaOne on one of Delta’s 767-300ERs. This meant we got Westin blankets and pillows, as well as Tumi toiletry kits. On longer flights, this makes all the difference in the world.

Lie-Flat Seats!
Personal lighting, 110V outlet, and USB charging.
Ridiculously comfortable bedding and the Tumi kit
Lumbar massage? YES PLEASE!
Passive noise-cancelling headphones
The Tumi Kit
Older OS but the screen tilts!

For our snack, we were given spiced Georgia pecans. These were offered with our selection of water, orange juice, or champagne.

Champagne and Juice

We were then introduced to our purser and given our dinner menus. I opted for the lamb while Carrie opted for the fish.

Once we were in the air, we were given our three course meals: appetizers, main course, and our choice of dessert.

Creole Blackened Fish
Wine for my lamb
Cheese plate for dessert

We made excellent time thanks to some storms in the US giving us a very strong tailwind. The downside being that parts of the flight were bumpier than normal.

Closer to London, we were given the option of having breakfast. Unfortunately, they didn’t bring the cabin lighting up so we weren’t able to get a very good picture of it, but it was delicious!

London-Heathrow Sheraton Skyline

We planned a nice long layover in both London and Doha to give ourselves some padding for local customs, and time to leave the airport to find a local hotel. Here, we opted for the Sheraton Skyline. They offer discounted cabs to the hotel and since I had SPG Ambassador service, I was able to arrange everything well in advance!

London-Heathrow South Gallery

Upon returning to the hotel, we had plenty of time to relax at the South Gallery, as we were flying Club World to Doha. The WiFi was nice and fast, and the food was quite nice. The cheese and wine were probably my favorite – no surprise, there!

More juices!
Chili… rice… pasta…

Though we were late in leaving for our plane, we made it with plenty of time thanks to heavy fog which delayed our departure by an hour. Once we were in the air, it was smooth sailing, though! This was my first experience with a Club World seat, and though we didn’t have Westin bedding, the seat itself was much more comfortable than on Delta (even without the massage).

The Boeing 777-200 we were on was divided into four cabins: First Class, Club World, World Traveler Plus, and World Traveler. The Club World cabin was arranged in a 2-4-2  configuration, which was a little cramped compared to the 1-2-1 layout of Delta’s 767. We also do not have direct aisle-access for all seats as we do with Delta. The nice thing was that since the seats were arranged facing each other, Carrie and I were able to talk to one another without having to turn constantly.

Conversations without twisting…
Makes for happy necks!
The seat!
TV controls
Folding TV and table
Seat controls

Instructions for operating the seat!

As with our DeltaOne experience, we were given our menus by our purser and asked to select both our appetizer and main course. I opted for the steak while Carrie went with the chicken.

Mezze plate!
Delicious steak…

A very cool feature of our Boeing 777-200 was that our in-flight-entertainment OS showed us what we were flying over from different angles!

Viewing Options
Over-Wing View

Close to landing, we were given a very quick breakfast. Pastries, smoothies, and fresh fruit.

Pastries and fresh fruit!
Buttermilk and oat smoothie
Mozzarella danish

Doha Airport

Upon landing in the Doha airport, we made our way to the arrivals area to collect our bags. I was lucky enough to notice a very distinct curved wingtip and was rewarded with a sight of one of Qatar Airway’s Airbus 350s! For an AvGeek like myself, this was a real treat!

Another shot!

Doha Marriott

Since we had 13 hours in Doha, we opted to head to the nearby Marriott. Thanks to my status, I was able to guarantee a room for the same day! Gotta love it! The light poles we drove by were actually laser etched with the Qatari National Anthem, which I thought was a nice touch. They also change color periodically!

The beds!
The TV and table
Amazing shower
Opulent bathroom!
The balcony!
Balcony view at night

Our last flight was in economy on Jet Airways, on a Boeing 737-800. Since it was just 3 hours and 40 minutes, we thought we could tough it out. It was fairly cramped, but we were still given a full meal service and fresh tea, which was nice.

Overall it was a very positive experience, and I am decidedly pleased with my expenditure of miles!

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Classic Book Thursday 2/13/14: The Story of the Trapp Family Singers

Because I am studying the eras of WWI and WWI this semester with a homeschooling youth group, our Commonwealth School, Europe and stories that have emerged from it are on my mind a lot. Every week I give a hero story to the youth to inspire them. Maria Von Trapp’s story is definitely heroic! I mentioned this to a family member, and this family member did not think she is a hero. I respectfully disagree and I told this family member so. The family member said, “What was so heroic about her? All she did was follow her husband.” To which I had to take a deep breath so as not to hyperventilate in fierce, angry defense of Maria’s valor.

As I calmly told this family member, it takes a lot of faith for a mother not to give up in normal, everyday life. We have constant pressures, ordinary things like what is your family going to eat for the next meal, when are you going to go shopping, what are the children getting into next, etc. Then to put the stress of blending a family, living in Nazi Germany, and what to do about it on top of that? Maria definitely deserves the highest praise for becoming a stepmother, for having the courage to bear children, for not giving up being a wife and mother, and for getting her family to America.

I read her story years ago, I think when I was pregnant with Baby #5, the same year I read Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place. I absolutely loved learning the real details of the real story behind the Sound of Music. We watched SOM as a family last Sunday and Monday nights, as we realized our littles hadn’t seen it all the way, over and over, like the older ones had. The movie and the real story have some differences, but both are charming and I am so grateful that I have stories like these in my life to inspire me. I finally get why so many girls my age were named “Julie”! Julie Andrews was everybody’s favorite star in the 60s and 70s, of which I am a child.

I also enjoyed reading the book below that same summer when I was pregnant with #5. It has a lot of pictures and focuses more on the family’s new life in Vermont as the ski lodge they owned. Get these books and fall in love with the Von Trapps all over again. I almost feel inspired to turn my own brood into a singing troupe just so I can be more like Maria!

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U.S. escalates clandestine war against militants in Somalia

Posted by

Source: NYT/TampaBay

The Obama administration has intensified a clandestine war in Somalia over the past year, using special operations troops, airstrikes, private contractors and African allies in an escalating campaign against Islamist militants in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation

About 200 to 300 U.S. Special Operations troops work with soldiers from Somalia and other African nations such as Kenya and Uganda to carry out more than a half-dozen raids per month, according to senior U.S. military officials. The operations are a combination of ground raids and drone strikes.

The Navy’s classified SEAL Team 6 has been heavily involved in many of these operations.

Once ground operations are complete, U.S. troops working with Somali forces often interrogate prisoners at temporary screening facilities, including one in Puntland, a state in northern Somalia, before the detainees are transferred to more permanent Somali-run prisons, U.S. military officials said.

The Pentagon has acknowledged only a small fraction of these operations. But even the information released publicly shows a marked increase this year. The Pentagon has announced 13 ground raids and airstrikes in 2016 — including three operations in September — up from five in 2015, according to data compiled by the New America Foundation, a Washington think tank. The strikes have killed about 25 civilians and 200 people suspected of being militants, the group found.

The strikes have had a mixed record. In March, a U.S. airstrike killed more than 150 al-Shabab fighters at what military officials called a “graduation ceremony,” one of the deadliest U.S. airstrikes in any country in recent years. But an airstrike last month killed more than a dozen Somali government soldiers, who were U.S. allies against al-Shabab.

Outraged Somali officials said the Americans had been duped by clan rivals and fed bad intelligence, laying bare the complexities of waging a shadow war in Somalia. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the Pentagon was investigating the strike.

Some experts point out that with the administration’s expanded self-defense justification for airstrikes, a greater U.S. presence in Somalia would inevitably lead to an escalation of the air campaign.

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Syrian Warplanes Kill Turkish Soldiers Fighting in Syria

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Syria is a sovereign nation that has the right to conduct airstrikes against invading Turkish troops in the northern territory of Syria.

Source: NYT

Turkish soldiers were killed on Thursday by Syrian warplanes while fighting inside Syria for the first time since the civil war there began in 2011, the Turkish military announced.

Three soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded, the military said. The troops were advancing toward Al Bab, a city in the north held by the Islamic State, close to the border with Turkey.

The announcement heightened the tensions between Syria and Turkey, neighboring countries that have powerful allies.

The Syrian government is backed by Russia and Iran. Turkey, a member of NATO, began a major offensive in northern Syria in August as part of its fight against the Islamic State.

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If You Are Enjoying Pleased to Dwell…

HelpHere is a really helpful idea that you might be able to copy. Victoria got in touch to say that she is so enjoying the book that she met with her senior pastor to suggest that he make it a church-wide recommended advent read in 2015. It would be wonderful to see how many churches can either make it a recommendation, or even a gift to their church members for next year’s advent . . . any ideas on how to help this happen, please let us know!  Please comment if we could help with this idea in any way (the comment will not be visible to others).

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New partnership between True and School of Artisan Food announced

27th February 2018 | Partnerships &Latest News &

True has formed a new partnership with the award-winning School of Artisan Food.

school of artisan food

The award-winning School of Artisan Food

Built around a dedication to all things artisan, the school, based in Nottinghamshire, gives catering professionals and food enthusiasts from across the world the opportunity to expand their skills and knowledge of artisan food production.

Founded on mutually shared values around the importance of quality food and ingredients, the arrangement will see True’s equipment placed throughout the School’s teaching kitchens and collaborative spaces.

An ideal venue to showcase products and demonstrate them in working kitchens, True will invite select clients and foodservice professionals to events and special experiences, and work with the school’s in-house and guest tutors to highlight key product features and benefits.

True, which has a UK headquarters in South Yorkshire, manufactures a complete range of quality commercial refrigeration solutions, including prep tables, upright cabinets and under-counter storage systems, chilled display merchandisers– all having a place in the school’s wide-ranging curriculum.

Scott Jones, True’s Sales & Key Accounts Director, said: “We’re delighted to be entering into this partnership with the School of Artisan Food. It’s an arrangement which will benefit both organisations.

“The school and its students have a passion for quality food and ingredients, which we as a commercial refrigeration manufacturer hold in the highest regard. The unique venue is ideal for our wide range of products, which are designed specifically to keep quality ingredients as fresh as possible, for longer.

true refrigerators at the school of artisan food

True equipped the School’s working kitchens with our latest refrigeration technology

“We can’t wait to invite customers to experience the school’s impressive facilities, see first-hand how well True products perform in a working kitchen environment.”The School of Artisan Food was founded in 2009 and runs courses in all aspects of artisan food production. Facilities, located in restored stables at the historic Welbeck Estate, are specially equipped for the teaching of breadmaking, cheesemaking, brewing, butchery, charcuterie and preserving, along with food business and entrepreneurship courses.

It has established an outstanding reputation for the quality of training it provides, with courses being taught by some of the most skilled and experienced artisan producers and practitioners in the world.

Julie Byrne, the school’s Managing Director, said: “This is a great opportunity to ensure that our students have access to cutting-edge refrigeration equipment. In the absence of preservatives, high quality refrigeration is essential in the production of delicious, nutritional artisan food.”

To find out more about the School of Artisan Food, visit its website.

For more hints, tips and ideas, follow us on FacebookTwitterLinkedIn and Instagram and subscribe to our email newsletter.

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Library Spaces Offer Comfort in our Increasingly Digital World

by Matt Bushey, February 3, 2017

UPDATE 3/14/17: Library at Hotel Jackson named one of 10 Best by USA Today: “Combining rustic elements with a contemporary western design, the Sacajawea Library at the Hotel Jackson was inspired by the works of award-winning local author and educator, Kenneth Thomasma, who wrote the Amazing Indian Children series.”

The printed word is alive and well!  As more and more of our world goes digital, many of us still find there is nothing quite like curling up with a good book:  A real book, that is, that you can hold in your hands and flip through the pages.

We incorporate bookshelves and library spaces into many of our projects to create a focal point, establish a room’s character, and provide comfort and solace from the outside world.  The books themselves provide color and texture, in essence becoming a building material that is the perfect combination of function and form.

It is during these winter months that our library spaces are most often appreciated.  They become a sort of “comfort food” for the soul.

So in that spirit, we offer you this visual tour of a few of our recent library spaces and reading rooms:

At the Cliff House Resort in Maine, the main lobby and reception area was completely reconfigured to welcome guests in and direct them toward the ocean view, with areas of respite along the way.  An expansive library occupies the center of the space, with rough-sawn shelves and nautical books.  The library gives the resort a personal, residential feel, tied to its specific locale.

bookshelves_modern farmhouse

This modern farmhouse in Jericho, Vermont is light and airy, with an open plan.  The living and dining area is surrounded by a regular rhythm of white bookshelves and artifacts, providing a personal touch to the modern space.

Hotel and Spa

Hotel and Spa

At Casa Madrona Resort in Sausalito, California, the hotel lobby is marked by a stone fireplace with flanking double-height bookcases, serviced by a towering library ladder.  A pair of blue wingback chairs complements the colors of the books, alluding to both the nautical spirit of the Bay, and the Victorian aesthetic of the Mansion on the hill.

bookshelves_asset management

In corporate environments, we are increasingly utilizing library spaces as alternatives to conventional meeting rooms.  This makes for a nice casual and comfortable place to get work done. And with more offices moving to open office layouts, a library provides a much-needed quiet space were employees can concentrate on focused work.  This was our approach for this Asset Management Firm in Burlington, where we combined clean and contemporary detailing with a touch of Vermont, for a library that reflected the culture of this particular company.

At the Hotel Jackson, the library is one of the most popular rooms in the house.  Here, the bookshelves are integrated into the architectural details of the space, including the window trim and fireplace surround.

And finally… the newest library space in our portfolio is now under construction in Portland, Maine.  As described on their website, the Portland Harbor Hotel is undergoing a major renovation of the guestrooms and public spaces.  At the heart of the project will be a reimagined lobby, designed to strengthen the connection to the streets of the Old Port District and the harbor.  The space is designed to evoke a “Captain’s Library”, with cozy seating and bookshelves lining the walls.  These renderings give a glimpse of what the space will become.

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Friday, October 11 • 10:30pm - Saturday, October 12 • 1:00am
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica Movie 1: Hajimari no Monogatari

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She has a loving family and best friends, laughs and cries from time to time... Madoka Kaname, an eighth grader of Mitakihara middle school, is one of those who lives such a life. One day, she had a very magical encounter. She

Friday October 11, 2013 10:30pm - Saturday October 12, 2013 1:00am

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Getting to know iOS 7

If you have a newer iPhone or iPad then it may be compatible with Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 7. This means a better interface and lots of new features – even a new version of Siri!

Our Digital Hub staff have some tips for making the transition as smooth as possible.

The iOS 7 update is being progressively rolled out to compatible devices over the next few months – and contrary to some rumours it does NOT make your device waterproof!

You can check for the iOS 7 update by going to your device’s Settings > General > Software Update.

With technology moving at such a fast pace, you may find that just as you get used to an operating system it all changes. So here at the Modbury Digital Hub we thought we would give you a few quick tips to help you with some of the new features.

The biggest change is what is best ipad5described as the ‘swipe in’ feature.  This is where you put your finger on the edge of the screen and swipe onto the centre of the screen in a single motion.

Doing this will bring up a menu that allows you to perform some actions quickly without having to dive into your iPhone settings. From here you can adjust airplane mode,WiFi, bluetooth and volume. You can also use this screen to quickly access your camera, clock or music.

Once you are done to make this screen disappear you can press your Home button, or swipe down from the arrow above the bluetooth icon.

ipad6If you want to close all the apps that you have running you can still do this in iOS 7 but it is a little different. You still ‘double-click’ the home button to bring up all the apps that are running – but to close each app you use your finger to ‘push’ the selected app up off the screen in one motion.

We hope that this has helped make the transition a bit easier. What are your thoughts on iOS 7 and do you have  any tips for the new operating system?

If you need some help using your iPad, check out our Digital Hub group sessions. You can book online or call us on 8397 7333.


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Alone Again… Naturally

Two years and two days have passed since I met WFB (Whole Foods Boy). A little over one week ago I asked him to move out. Alcoholism and depression are motherfuckers and I can handle one, but not both. He basically moved in with me last summer, though he was still under a lease with his roommate for six more months. It was June of last year when he “moved in.” I asked him to stop living in my house if he wasn’t at least helping with dishes and mowing the lawn. Three months later, he was in a car accident and had to reveal to me that he had been driving on a restricted license due to not complying with state laws and getting an Interlock Breathalyzer system installed in his car TWO YEARS PRIOR when he got his second DUI. I forgave him the major omission, but still asked him to move back in with his roommate. He never left. In January of this year, he began paying rent and moved all of his things in to my house.

On the subject of alcohol, I’m the kind of person who will buy a six pack of beer that will last me six months. He drinks two or three beers a day for no reason and binge drinks on the weekends, often to the point of belligerence. He doesn’t drink Coors or Budweiser with low alcohol content – he purposefully buys beers in the big bottles that are anywhere from 10-15% alcohol content. I was embarrassed to take him anywhere that alcohol would be involved. In August of last year, we were invited to a party at a local bar. My friend’s friend was paying for all the drinks that night, and I informed WFB of this fact. He still ordered $20, $25, $30 bottles of beer, justifying the expense because “we were all sharing them.” He drank so much that he didn’t remember leaving or the cab ride home. He woke up the next day and asked if we had walked home.

In May, he went to a birthday party without me. I was house-sitting and didn’t feel well enough to attend. He drank so much that at 5:00 am, when he was supposed to be headed to work, he could not blow clean to start his car. His phone was dead and once he left his friend’s house, the door was locked behind him, everyone asleep inside. He walked almost 30 blocks to the house where I was staying, reeking of alcohol and his eyes bloodshot. “Can you take me to work?” he asked when I opened the front door in shock. I dropped him off and barely spoke to him. He was fired the next day. He swears it had nothing to do with his physical state that day.

He sat at home for almost three months, living off of the three months of PTO he had accrued that were paid out to him. He never filed for unemployment. He applied for only 2-3 jobs a week, stating that he had to completely re-write his cover letter every time and “that took a lot of time.” One week into his unemployment, my friend offered him a part time gig in a warehouse that would allow him to make money while looking for a career in something he had more interest. He assured me he was going to continue to apply for jobs while working at this temporary job. It was early August when he finally applied and started working in the warehouse. He is still there. They offered him full time and he is no longer looking for a career that interests him. He says he’s not going to be there forever, but that’s what he said about Whole Foods. He was there for over four years, and his mother was the one who talked him into applying there. He would still be there if he hadn’t been fired. I pushed him into the warehouse job because it was guaranteed income and he could continue the job search while earning some money.

About a month ago, I wanted to try to work things out. I went to his parents (who had just returned from seeing WFB’s brother in rehab) about his problem with drinking and his lack of motivation. There is a long line of alcoholism in their family. His parents promised to help him however they could and supported my decision if I chose to end the relationship. I recently started nursing school and I am not equipped to handle the stress of his depression and alcoholism along with the stress of school. I came home and relayed what I had told his parents. He spoke with them the next day, coming home to tell me that he was going to start AA classes and make an appointment with a therapist. He has been saying for the past six months that he is going to contact his previous therapist and get help. There has been no such contact. He has attended no AA classes. He is not very good at following through.

Four weeks ago, we broke up. Three weeks ago, we tried to work it out. A little over one week ago, we broke up and I asked him to move out. He has yet to look for another place to live. He doesn’t know how to take care of himself, and I cannot mother another man. I saw a six pack in his closet when I moved my printer out of his room two days ago. Some things never change.

He came home crying today, asking me if I’m happy. I simply left the house. I’ve grieved the loss of our romantic relationship for so long that I cannot cry any more about it. I’m sad some days but I am happy others. Some days I want to crawl into his arms and say, “let’s work it out,” but I know I’ll just turn around and change my mind the next day. Love is a bitch.

We Are Beautiful

Instead of my usual love-lorn rantings, I want to take on another subject today: body image. Specifically mine.

I spent four days with my mother last weekend on a road trip to Bloomington, MN to shop at the Mall of America. I learned a few things on that trip:

1) The Mall of America is just a mall with some rides and the same stores I have in my own, fabulous city (no offense to Bloomington. The people in Minnesota are incredibly friendly.)

2) I can handle that much time with my mother much better than I thought I could.

3) My size 4 mother has some very serious body dysmorphia.

I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life. I wore a 34C bra by the 4th grade and had very muscular legs thus earning me the title, “Chubby Cheerleader” due to my wearing of over-sized jeans and sweatshirts trying to camouflage a body that was winning the developmental race in my class. In the height of my depression a few years ago, I weighed 180 pounds and wore a size 14. I’m 5’2″ and currently weigh 140 pounds. My body type is hourglass – my friend calls me “BTSW” (Big Tits Small Waist). I have heavy, muscular legs (thanks, Dad!) and have to go up several sizes in skinny jeans just to get them over my thighs. My bra size is now 34DD and I’m usually between a size 6 and a size 8. My closet includes everything between size 4 and size 10, extra smalls to extra larges. I have one sweater that’s a plus size 1, whatever that means. I don’t care because it’s comfy as hell. I’ve learned to try things on in several sizes to find the one that flatters my shape the best. If it doesn’t flatter me I leave it behind. There is no sense in owning an article of clothing that makes me feel insecure.

As I shopped that first day, I picked up items and held them up to judge if I thought they would fit. I wasn’t really paying any attention to the size on the tag. However, my mom would pick up a shirt, look at the size tag and say, “oh, it’s a medium. It’ll be way too big for me.” A few times I noticed the thing she put back was an exact match of what I was holding. I have learned over the years to ignore these comments. Mom has always been in constant competition with me for everything. She can’t stand that I wear size 7 shoe when she needs 7.5 because you can’t really go down in shoe size without some marked discomfort. She used to race me on the stationary bikes at the gym: “I’m going faster than you.” “I’ve gone farther than you.” All the while, I rolled my eyes and concentrated on not passing out from the stank of sour sweat and horrible body odor that haunted our gym.

The shopping comments weren’t the thing that bothered me the most. It was the constant chatter about what I was wearing. When we met at her house, I was wearing yoga leggings, a fitted t-shirt and a zip-up hoodie. Mom looked me up and down then said, “Oh, you’re wearing leggings? I could never wear those because my butt is too lumpy. I guess I could, but I’d need a tunic. No one wants to see my lumpy butt.” Did I mention my mom is 5’6″ and a size 4? She has long, thin legs and a thigh gap that I will never have without some kind of dramatic plastic surgery (which will NEVER happen). She’s kind of pear-shaped, but her boobs have gotten bigger as she has aged. After her lumpy butt comment, she went on that she “can’t find leggings that fit her legs as tight as my leggings fit mine.” My ego was already bruised and we hadn’t even gotten in the car to leave. It reminded me of the time I gave her a pair of capri jeans that had become too tight for me. Instead of “thank you,” she said, “I wish these pants were as tight on my legs as they are on yours. It’s so hard for me to find skinny pants that fit like skinny pants.”

I grew up with a mother and brother who constantly told me I was fat. My brother’s name for me was Miss Piggy and, to this day, he still brings up the blue sailor dress I wore in the 5th grade that was so tight you could see my belly button. My dad never spoke directly to me about my weight, but would instead say things like, “should you be eating that?” The worst part was that they kept soda, chocolate, and candy in the house at all times but I wasn’t allowed to have them. My brother was naturally skinny, like my mom, so he could have whatever he wanted. To this day, I have trouble with self-control around sweets because I was constantly told ‘no’ as a child. One can’t learn self-control when denied something over and over. These days, I can’t have sweets easily accessible or I will take down an entire package of [insert any junk food here].

I couldn’t help that I had cleavage in every slightly V-necked top I owned, and my mother told me they made me look slutty. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-twenties that I started showing some shadow between the girls. I finally realized I have a great rack and it was going to waste! I was taught by my mother that I should hide my body and feel ashamed of my curves. My mother is trapped by her self-image and focuses so much of her self-worth on her appearance, so she judges mine as well. Her motto is, “What Would Barbie Do?” I’m pretty sure Barbie would tell her to love herself, no matter what she looks like. Mom makes comments about what other people are wearing all of the time. She isn’t a mean person, but she has some real issues. Her mother judged her very harshly and so she judges the rest of the world and, unfortunately, me.

But you know what? I’m beautiful. I have an amazing body. I love to dress up in pin-up style dresses and when I go out, I turn heads. I have cellulite. I have stretch marks. My arms jiggle and my belly bulges when I sit. But I am strong. I can punch a bag like I’m going to knock it off the chains. I can leg press 200 pounds. I can bench press 70 pounds. I know that’s not an insane amount of weight, but it’s nothing to scoff about. I have learned how to wear clothes that make me look good and feel good. I don’t worry that someone might see the size on the tag. If they did, so what? It’s a number or a word. It doesn’t represent my accomplishments or my failures.

I’m beautiful and so are you. If more of us would stop worrying how we are perceived by others, we would be so much happier. Focus on the things that make you happy. If you are uncomfortable with yourself, make a change, but learn to love yourself, imperfections and all. In the words of one of my heroes, the great RuPaul: “If you can’t love yourself, how in the Hell are you going to love somebody else?”

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I found an old journal I started when I was first dating my now ex-husband. It was all flowery and mushy, like all 21 year old girls can be when they think they’ve found “The One.” Unfortunately, the longer we were together, the more miserable I became. One entry I wrote seemed a bit foreshadowing: two months into our relationship, I put ink to paper that “I’m going to marry Jeff. Mom and I argued about it, but I’m in love and we’re going to get married one day.” I remember her saying we were too young, too immature… She and my father have been married almost 39 years: she was 18 and he was 27 when they wed. Anyway, we did marry but it didn’t last, obviously.

Here is where the damage lies. I love my boyfriend. He’s fantastic. He witnessed a hangry break-down for the first time that involved crying and a lot of “I’m so hungry that nothing sounds good!” He patted my head, told me he loved me and everything would be fine. This completely stumps me. This is the kind of support I’ve needed my whole life, but I feel like it’s not real. I’m afraid one day he’ll say, “we need to talk…” and that’ll be it. I’ll tell him a deep, dark secret and he’ll run. Will he become bored with me? Maybe I’ll run. I seem to have a talent for ending relationships. I’ve been the one in all of my serious relationships to throw in the towel. I’ve had three of them: the first lasting over one year, the second two and a half years, and my third being my six and a half year marriage. How do I convince myself to let go and let it be? I don’t know that there are enough affirmations in the world to make me believe I’m worthy of the love I’m receiving, but I’m going to keep telling myself “happiness is my destiny” and “I am worthy of my love and another’s love in return” in hopes one day I’ll hear truth in those words.

I’ve learned some valuable lessons these past two years:

1) How to take care of myself. Before my divorce, I had never lived alone. There was always someone to lean on if I couldn’t pay the rent or I didn’t have enough money for groceries. Living alone taught me how to manage my finances. My name is the only one on the lease, and I’m 100% responsible if I can’t pay. I can now cook for one and I discovered I don’t need a ton of space. I also don’t NEED those $200 boots.

2) How to be alone. Not just sans romantic relationship. I mean hanging out by myself and not worrying about why no one is calling me, inviting me to do something. I discovered there are a number of things I enjoy doing by myself. I took a ten day road trip across the country by myself. I picked the music, how often to stop, where to stop, etc. and there was no one to argue with me. I plan trips to see my friends in other places of the country, and flying alone is great. I chat with my seat-mates or I read a good book, depending on my mood. If I want to see a movie that no one else wants to see, I’m no longer afraid to go alone. Shopping by myself is fantastic. Going to the gym has to be the best: I can go at 4:00 pm on a Saturday and the place is empty. Crap, I just gave away my secret…

3) How to have friends and keep the right ones. Friendships are relationships that must be maintained by all parties involved. I used to think that I needed to be everyone’s friend but now I realize that I don’t need one hundred friends, or even twenty. A handful of solid friends who will be there for me through thick and thin are all I need. I now have that group, and I make sure they all know I’m as solid for them as they are for me. Toxic friendships aren’t worth the heartache. I don’t regret those relationships, as they taught me some of the greatest lessons. I understand now that friendships, like romantic relationships, are two-way. Either party can initiate at any time. No more of this “well, I asked last time. It’s their turn.” That’s bullshit. Call them.

4) It’s okay to ask for help. There are days when I’m not okay. It’s perfectly fine to tell my friends and family that I need their love and support. No one is going to look down on me or consider me weak. It takes true strength to admit you need help and it’s something with which I’ll always struggle, but I grow stronger every time I reach out.

5) Love from another isn’t the be all, end all: I need to love myself. When my marriage collapsed, I was empty. I needed men whether they needed me or not. This was the hardest lesson. I didn’t ask the questions I had floating in my head, so I did not get answers. I was happy to live in the ambiguity of “are we dating, are you my boyfriend, are we just friends with benefits?” Men would drift in and out of my life. I always had a replacement shortly after each departure. Weekends were failures if I ended up in my own bed, alone. I worked so hard for relationships that would never be. The more a man rejected me, the harder I fought to understand why. I needed to know what was wrong with me so that I could correct myself for the next fellow that came along. Then one day, I realized that it’s not me: I’m perfectly fine. The right person will love me, imperfections and all. Love is great, but only if you love yourself first. Self-love was a long journey that started while I was married. I will always struggle to stay on that path and I know at times I will stray and end up in the brush. As long as I find my way back, everything will be alright.

It’s amazing how my life seems to be falling into place now that I have accepted myself. Things I thought would ruin the magic have actually made it stronger. Positive energy breeds positive energy, and I’m letting mine shine into the Universe. I’ll love me, you love you and we’ll all be okay.

I’ve been in a very depressed state these past few weeks. This seems to happen every time I return home from Seattle. I wonder if it is my heart telling me to go to the city or if it’s the simple fact I get to spend every day with my best friend for days on end, only to be thrown back into my daily routine so far from her. Either way, my fog has lifted. I finally feel like me again.

I sent a text to Morgan on Monday evening while I was out with Greg and Matt. I needed to talk to him about his late night, drunken messages to me. I was very accusatory and he was very short in his replies. He told me I needed to stop talking down to him and that we all do embarrassing things when we are drunk. His reason for ignoring me the next two days was that he knew it was inappropriate to send the messages. I asked that if it happens again he not ignore me and pretend like it didn’t happen. I was actually quite rude, but my feelings were hurt. I apologized yesterday, but didn’t get a response until tonight. He chatted with me briefly, but I was at the gym and he is working so it didn’t amount to much. I do enjoy his company, so I would like to perpetuate this friendship and not worry about romance.

Just before I left work today, the administrator’s wife asked me if I had any dates lined up for the weekend. I replied that I’m not currently in dating mode, but rather in self-exploratory mode. She talked to me about her search for herself, and it was the best pep-talk I’ve had. She is a great lady, and I hope to be like her when I grow up. She was single for ten years before she met her husband, and spent a lot of time doing whatever she pleased and not settling for less than what she needed. The two of them have been married at least 20 years now, have two fantastic children, and are an incredibly happy couple. It really opened my eyes that I still have to figure myself out. There are too many things I don’t know about me and I want to know my whole story before I try to learn the story of a potential mate. I feel lucky that I’ve had so many dating experiences in such little time. The past two years have taught me so many valuable lessons about life, love, and happiness. I’m getting closer to knowing the real me, and I’ve discovered I’m a pretty remarkable lady. I’ve made some good friends, and I’ve become less naive to the outside world. I’m loving myself more than ever, and one day I will share that love with a man who loves me as unconditionally as I do him.

This has been a bad week.

My visit to Miami was full of mixed emotions. My friends were not in the best of moods while I was visiting. My stay was fun but incredibly stressful. One night I even did yoga on their balcony so I could be alone and meditate.

The person I was falling for broke my heart. I tried to contact him today. The first message to initiate discussion about what in the world happened while I was on vacation. A second message to make sure he was okay and hadn’t hurt himself. I haven’t heard back and I’m contemplating contacting his family tomorrow if I don’t hear from him just to make sure he’s okay.

I opened up the lines of communication with my ex-husband. I miss him. We have texted on and off over the past few weeks. He invited me to our nephew’s party this weekend, then shot in that his new 20 year old girlfriend will be there and she’s excited to meet me. At first, it didn’t seem that weird. However, the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I became. I told him I didn’t think I was up for meeting her. The only reason a current wants to meet an ex is to size them up, or at least that’s my experience. Instead of coming out and saying “you were a big part of my life and she wants to meet you,” which he ended up saying later, he said “she’s really nice… I mean she’ll behave.” Seriously? I said I had a bad week and didn’t know if I felt up to meeting his girlfriend this weekend. He asked what was wrong and I told him: the stress of my trip, my heartbreak, my work stress, and finally the ache in my uterus from the IUD I had implanted yesterday. He was pretty nice about things, telling me that he would beat up any guy that wasn’t nice to me and telling me not to stress out about work. Then as we continued texting, he mentioned that his girlfriend and I got our IUDs the same day, so we should be friends. Being the great communicator I am, I told him I really wish he hadn’t shared that information with me. Apparently he is still pretty dense about what is acceptable to discuss and what is not. I won’t be going to my nephew’s party on Sunday. I’m keeping my plans with Kathleen to lounge at the pool.

I have a phone date with Carrie on Sunday evening, and I think it will do wonders for me. I’ve always felt I can tell her anything and everything, and there’s just something about spilling your guts to your best friend in the world that makes life seem a little easier. Kathleen has been a wonderful friend to me, and I don’t want to short-change her role in helping me through my recent difficult times. She has RA and her own stresses, but she is always there to listen and tell me when I’m being ridiculous or validate me when I’m actually being rational.

I’m glad I have such great friends, but my heart hurts today. I wish I knew how to heal it.

I battle with depression. I used to think there was something wrong with me for feeling so low. Depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder run strong on both sides my family, but no one told me until I confessed to my parents that I was seeing a therapist. I took medication for a short while, but I’m very non-compliant with any medication (I’m an uncontrolled asthmatic as well) and I didn’t want to deal with the sexual side effects. So I chose exercise, therapy and good old self-motivation. I haven’t seen a therapist in at least three years. Now, some days are bad, but most of them are good.

Today was a bad day.

I have an older brother. Almost three years separate us. I think I was a pretty good kid: straight A’s in school, never broke curfew, didn’t party… I didn’t get drunk for the first time until I was 19 (my brother gave me tequila). My brother sneaked out of the house almost every night. He put us all through family therapy and diversion when he got caught with pot in high school. I have picked him up from the police station twice (once I had to take him to the ER afterward with blood all over his face). Thankfully, he settled down after marrying almost seven years ago and has three children that wear him out.

Today is Mother’s Day. Gifts have always been a sore spot for me. Even when I was married with a combined income, I wasn’t able spend a lot of money on gifts for my family or friends. I thought I did well this Mother’s Day by giving my mom flowers and a hand-written card. I’ve always felt it’s the thought that counts. Her birthday is Friday, so I was going to get her another little something. For Mother’s Day, my brother sent Slugger (our local baseball team’s mascot) to her office Friday morning. He presented her with earrings, a pie and tickets to a Royal’s game. Someone video-taped the whole thing and she has been carrying around her lap-top for the past two days so she could show everyone. When I got to my brother’s house today, I handed her the flowers and card. She hugged me and thanked me, but quickly began gushing about how awesome it was that Slugger came to her office. She went on and on about how everyone was so jealous and it was the coolest thing that’s ever happened and asked if I wanted to watch the video of her freaking out. I wanted to hide. I felt tears welling up. I politely told her I was going to go see what Dad was doing.

I feel like this every time we have a family gathering for a birthday or holiday. My brother is always gifting something expensive to my parents. One event, it was OKC Thunder Jerseys for both parents and the dog. Another time, he bought my mom an authentic Chief’s jersey. I will never be able to monetarily compete, nor do I want to. I’m not sure if it’s sadness or jealousy but I don’t understand why I have to buy my mother’s love.

Though he wasn’t the best father growing up, my dad and I have always been closer, and both my parents have never been shy about admitting they have favorites. I’ve never had to suck up to my dad or buy him things for him to like me. Mom has gone with me to a couple of music events the past couple of weekends, and she tells me how awesome it is that I want to hang out with her. Then my brother does something big and I’m back to nothing.

If I had children, my mom would visit me more often. She actually said those words.

I just needed to vent. I have so many people that love and care about me. And now I’m going for a drive with the windows down and some Rise Against blowing my speakers.


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Have fun cooking | Tuscookany
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Torre Del Tartufo | Wow what a week!

Posted on july 19, 2014 by

This was one of the best weeks I could have imagined!! Torre Del Tartufo is a beautiful, picturesque villa in the hills of Tuscany. You are made to feel welcome and at home the moment you arrive and your rooms and the facilities are immactulate and full of character. Then there is the cooking - the happy noise of people having fun in a most fabulous kitchen was constant. Franco the chef was so much fun, a great teacher and when he said "Brava!" you knew you were doing something right. It was an experience I would recommend to anyone, with any cooking skill level, who want to pamper themselves and cook. And perhaps have a little wine thrown in there too! Brava Torre Del Tartufo!!

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