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Johns Hopkins Gazette | April 6, 2009
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The newspaper of The Johns Hopkins University April 6, 2009 | Vol. 38 No. 29
Provost's Undergraduate Research Awards

Summer 2008 Recipients

Ersin Akinci, Bethesda, Md.
senior, history and history of art

"The Torrid Zone in 15th- and 16th-Century Western and Islamic Science"
Sponsor: Richard Kagan, professor, History, KSAS

Anum Azam, Tinton Falls, N.J.
junior, biomedical engineering

"The Role of Surface Tension Forces in 3-D Self-Assembly of Nanoparticles"
Sponsor: David Gracias, assistant professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, WSE

Yoonah Chi, Bethel, Conn., and
Jill Lasak, Broomall, Pa.
senior, neuroscience, and
senior, psychological and brain sciences

"The Relationship Between the Korean Board Game Baduk and Processing Speed, Executive Function and Short-Term Memory in Older Adults"
Sponsor: Justin Halberda, assistant professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences, KSAS

Deanna Chieco, Katonah, N.Y.
senior, neuroscience

"The Role of the Frizzled-3 Receptor in Sympathetic Nervous System Development"
Sponsor: Rejji Kuruvilla, assistant professor, Biology, KSAS

Daniel Colacurcio, West Caldwell, N.J.
senior, neuroscience

"Boronate Compounds Modulate MAG-Mediated Inhibition of Axon Regeneration"
Sponsor: Ronald Schnaar, professor, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, SoM

Avik De, Kolkata, India
junior, mechanical engineering

"Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) With Sparse Sensing: A Topological Approach"
Sponsor: Noah Cowan, assistant professor, Mechanical Engineering, WSE

James DiCarlo, Columbia, Md.;
Jaime Liu, Woodside, N.Y.; and
Ingrid Spielman, Glen Rock, N.J.
junior, chemical and biomolecular
junior, chemical and biomolecular engineering; and
junior, materials science engineering

"Mating Type and Ploidy Detector for S. cerevisiae"
Sponsor: Jef Boeke, professor, Molecular Biology and Genetics, SoM

Kristin Donato, Watertown, N.Y.
junior, biomedical engineering

"Genetically Engineering Fluorescent Brain Tumor Cells"
Sponsor: Arvind P. Pathak, assistant professor, Radiology MR Research, SoM

Precious Ann Ventura Fortes, Stockton, Calif.
senior, anthropology

"Migrating Bodies: How Migration Has Altered Health Care and Education in Poor Rural Provinces of Northern Philippines"
Sponsor: Clara Han, assistant professor, Anthropology, KSAS

Jonathan Gilbert, Berwyn, Pa.
senior, chemical and biomolecular engineering

"Reversible Removal of Cells From a Surface Using a Switchable Low-Density SAM"
Sponsor: Joelle Frechette, assistant professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, WSE

William Hays, Flintstone, Ga.
junior, composition

"The State of Modern Opera: A Technical Examination and Cultural Investigation"
Sponsor: Hollis Robbins, Humanities, Peabody

Joseph Heng, Singapore
sophomore, biomedical engineering

"Cochlear Implant-Mediated Perception of Musical Timbre"
Sponsor: Charles J. Limb, associate professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, SoM

Alexander Hoogland, Grand Rapids, Mich.
sophomore, environmental engineering

"Exploring the Environmental Chemistry and Fate of a Highly Used Herbicide Safener in Natural and Engineered Systems"
Sponsor: Lynn Roberts, professor, Geography and Environmental Engineering, WSE

Vasilisa Kizub, New Albany, Ohio
junior, biophysics

"Advancement of Research on Gene Expression: Defining the Molecular Significance of Chromosomal Remodelers"
Sponsor: Gregory Bowman, assistant professor, Biophysics, KSAS

Su Liu, Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.
senior, public health studies

"The Effect of Maternal Antibodies of Mothers of Children with Autism in Mouse Models"
Sponsor: Harvey Singer, professor, Pediatric Neurology, SoM

Rebecca Orchard, Wadsworth, Ohio
senior, French horn performance

"Integrated Music Analysis in Fin de Siecle Vienna"
Sponsor: David Smooke, Music Theory, Peabody

Oi-ying Irene Pang, Mo On Shan, New Territories, Hong Kong
senior, sociology

"The Effects of Microfinance on Informal Finance Among Urban Market Women in Ghana: A Case Study"
Sponsor: Joel Andreas, assistant professor, Sociology, KSAS

Molly Plovanich, Hamlin, N.Y.
senior, biophysics

"Enhancing the Stability of the Notch Ankyrini Domain Through Consensus-Based Mutagenesis"
Sponsor: Douglas Barrick, professor, Biophysics, KSAS

Aarthi Rao, Sewickley, Pa.
senior, Writing Seminars

"An Examination of Identity in Young Adult Indian-American Short Fiction"
Sponsor: Jean McGarry, professor, Writing Seminars, KSAS

Sarah Robinson, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
senior, nursing

"Prevalence and Health Effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in African-American and Afro- Caribbean Women"
Sponsor: Jacquelyn Campbell, professor, Community Public Health Nursing, SoN

Lisa Rosinsky, Clarksville, Md.
junior, Writing Seminars

"Poetry in Performance: From Auditory Imagination to Spoken Word"
Sponsor: Douglas Basford, part-time lecturer, Summer and Intersession Programs, KSAS

Shelby Strong, Essex, Mass.
senior, history

"The Cleveland Orchestra's Musical Response to World War II Culture: 1940-1942"
Sponsor: Richard Giarusso, Musicology, Peabody

Wesley Sudduth, Lake Orion, Mich.
junior, international relations and economics

"Kelo, Hathcock and Eminent Domain in America: The Struggle Between Personal Freedom and the Collective Benefit"
Sponsor: Joel Grossman, professor, Political Science, KSAS

Shaw-Wei David Tsen, Tempe, Ariz.
senior, molecular and cellular biology

"Inactivation of Viral Pathogens Using Femtosecond Lasers"
Sponsor: T.-C. Wu, professor, Pathology, Oncology, Gynecology and Obstetrics, and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, SoM

Callie Vincent, Cool Ridge, W. Va.
"Psychological Workplace Violence and Depression Rates in Nurses"
Sponsor: Jacquelyn Campbell, professor, Community Public Health Nursing, SoN

Jonathan Yen, Hillsborough, Calif.
junior, biomedical engineering

"Generation of Patient-Specific Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Without Integrating Viral Vectors"
Sponsor: Linzhao Cheng, associate professor, Gynecology and Obstetrics, SoM

Fall 2008 Recipients

Jiwoon Chang, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
junior, molecular and cellular biology

"Observing the Development of Motor Neuron Cells Using HB9 Promoter"
Sponsor: Assaf Gilad, assistant professor, Radiology MR Research, SoM

Yung-Chi Chuang, Plainsboro, N.J.
senior, chemical and biomolecular engineering

"Microscopic Origin of the Slip Boundary Condition at a Fluid Solid Interface"
Sponsor: German Drazer, assistant professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, WSE

Jaeyoon Chung, McLean, Va.
senior, molecular and cellular biology

"TRB3 as a Critical Mediator of Melanoma Progression"
Sponsor: Rhoda Alani, associate professor, Oncology Hematologic Malignancies, SoM

Debalina De, Ballwin, Mo., and Soumya Irivinti, Derry, N.H.
junior, public health studies, and junior, biomedical engineering

"Detection of HIV Infection Among Neonates Using a Biobarcode-Based Nanoparticle Assay on Dried Blood Spots"
Sponsor: Deborah Persaud, associate professor, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, SoM

Anne Fehrenbacher, Champaign, Ill.
senior, public health studies

"Not for Sale: Human Trafficking Across the Atlantic"
Sponsor: Lingxin Hao, professor, Sociology, KSAS

Amy Goh, Lansdale, Penn.
senior, nursing

"Yoga and Cortisol Levels in Victims of Intimate Partner Violence Residing at the House of Ruth Maryland"
Sponsor: Phyllis Sharps, associate professor and director, Community Public Health Nursing, SoN

Mitra Heshmati, Columbus, Ohio
senior, neuroscience

"Time-Lapse in Vivo Imaging of Collateral Sprouting by Cerebellar Climbing Fibers"
Sponsor: David Linden, professor, Neuroscience, SoM

David Huberdeau, Woodbridge, Va.
junior, biomedical engineering

"Development of an Upper-Limb Prosthetics EMG-Based Control System"
Sponsor: Nitish Thakor, professor, Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, SoM

John Kegelman, Yorktown, Va.
senior, mechanical engineering

"Fluid Mechanical Evaluation of Arm-Stroking Patterns in Front Crawl Swimming"
Sponsor: Lester Su, assistant professor, Mechanical Engineering, WSE

Lucas Kelly-Clyne, Wilton, Conn.
junior, political science

"On Level Ground? A Post-Baccalaureate Study Examining the Financial Successes and Political Preferences of 1997 College Graduates from The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland"
Sponsor: Karl Alexander, professor and chair, Sociology, KSAS

Sneha Ramesh Mani, Singapore
junior, molecular and cellular biology

"The Role of the Cajal Body in Small RNA Processing"
Sponsor: Trina Schroer, professor, Biology, KSAS

Chih-Ping Mao, Austin, Texas
senior, cellular and molecular biology

"A Novel DNA Vaccine Based on Linkage of Antigen to Viral Fusogenic Membrane Glycoproteins"
Sponsor: T.-C. Wu, professor, Pathology, Oncology, Gynecology and Obstetrics, and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, SoM

Gyasi Moscou-Jackson, Baltimore
senior, nursing

"IPV Screening Preferences of African-American and Afro-Caribbean Women Seen in Health Care Settings"
Sponsor: Jacquelyn Campbell, professor, Community Public Health Nursing, SoN

Neil Neumann, Des Moines, Iowa
senior, biophysics

"Elucidating 3-D Geometry in the AraC Protein Using Lanthanide-based Resonance Energy Transfer"
Sponsor: Robert Schleif, professor, Biology, KSAS

Nikhil Rao, Austin, Texas
senior, chemical and biomolecular engineering

"SiRNA Inhibition of Pro-Apoptotic Genes in Stem Cells"
Sponsor: Michael Betenbaugh, professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, WSE

Zachary Senders, Jamison, Penn.
junior, biology

"The Impact of Statin Treatment on Neuropathic Pain and Regeneration Following Sciatic Nerve Injury"
Sponsor: Beth Murinson, assistant professor, Neurology, SoM

Kathryn "Kari" Sepelyak, Hockessin, Del.
senior, neuroscience

"Effects of Temporal-Parietal vs. Inferior Frontal Cortex Damage on Temporal Order Processing"
Sponsor: Argye Hillis, professor, Neurology, SoM

Nisarg Shah, Mumbai, India
senior, chemical and biomolecular engineering

"Evaluation of Mucus-Penetrating Biodegradable Polymer Nanoparticles in Mice Lungs for Delivery of Chemotherapeutics for Lung Cancer"
Sponsor: Justin Hanes, professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, WSE

Janice Son, Haymarket, Va.
senior, neuroscience

"Relativity of Early Glial Activity in Optic Nerves of the DBA/2J Glaucoma Mouse Model"
Sponsor: Nicholas Marsh-Armstrong, assistant professor, Neuroscience, SoM

Gloria Sue, San Jose, Calif.
senior, biophysics

"Interactions Between Internal and Surface Charges in Proteins"
Sponsor: Bertrand Garcia-Moreno, professor and chair, Biophysics, KSAS

Grace Tan, Singapore
junior, biomedical engineering

"Investigating Ventricular Tachycardia as a Result of Premature Stimuli in a 3-D Canine Cardiac Model of Heart Failure"
Sponsor: Natalia Trayanova, professor, Biomedical Engineering, WSE

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Sunday, 15 May 2016

The Disney Tag

I always love watching disney tag youtube videos, so although I haven't actually been tagged I figured why not do it on my blog? I'm a huge disney fan so I'm excited to have a go at answering some disney questions!

1. A scene in any disney movie you wish you could experience?
I think this would be flying to Neverland with Peter Pan! Who wouldn't want to fly over London, especially with Tinker Bell!

2. An unforgettable experience/moment you've had at the Parks?

This is a hard one, so I have to pick two! The first memory is from a trip when I was much younger, the studios at DLP were still quite new, so there was a lot of characters out including pluto and stitch. I remember stitch riding on plutos back, pluto stealing my toy pluto and stitch stealing my dads camera bag and me chasing after them! Another memory was when I spent my 18th birthday at DLP. I had the best time - especially eating at cafe mickey with goofy standing on a chair trying to get people to sing happy birthday to me!

3. When was the first time you went to a disney park?

I have only ever been to DLP, but the first time was when I was about 2 years old. I don't remember any of it but have photos of me in Annette's diner!

4. If you could chose any of the characters to be your best friend, who would you choose?

SO HARD! I have to pick more than one. Peter pan, Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley.

5. Who are your favourite Disney Princesses?

When I was growing up, Jasmine was always my favourite, but now I have to go with Belle and Cinderella. Cinderella 2015 is just the best thing to happen to my life. I don't think I will ever tire of watching it!

6. Name a scene/moment in any Disney movie that never fails to make you cry?
Another hard one, as a lot of scenes make me cry. I'm a wimp. The whole Fox and the Hound movie makes me sob, but I'm going to have to go with Return to Neverland when 'I'll Try' plays. Even listening to it on spotify ruins me.

7. What is the first Disney Movie you remember seeing?
I really don't know about this, but I guess either Peter Pan or Herbie, The Love Bug. Dad being the VW fan he is, we were always watching the Herbie films. Peter Pan was my whole childhood though. Jumping on the trampoline pretending to fly, dressing up as captain hook and tiger lily. So many memories!

8. What is your favourite Disney movie?
Peter Pan, which you probably could have already guessed.

What's your favourite disney film? I also tag my best friend Emily to do this tag, because I know she will love it! You can find her blog here!

Kate x

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By Derek Ogden

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has extended itself with the addition of a third row of seats, giving the big sports utility vehicle a fine balance of occupant comfort and cargo-carrying flexibility.
The Pajero Sport comes in three versions – GLX, GLS and Exceed – and continues to offer exceptional value and performance in the genuine 4×4 SUV class, with smooth eight-speed automatic transmission, thrifty 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine and Super Select II four-wheel drive.
The well-specified GLX features dual-zone air-conditioning, leather interior, rain-sensing wipers, dusk-sensing headlamps and electro-chromatic rear view mirror.
The range-topping Pajero Sport Exceed features the latest in advanced safety systems, with multi around monitor, blind spot warning, forward collision mitigation and Ultrasonic Miss-acceleration Mitigation System among its standard equipment. (The latter helps dopey drivers who accelerate instead of braking from ramming something.)
Mitsubishi’s new off-road terrain control and Super Select II all-wheel drive systems are fitted to every Pajero Sport.
Along with rear view camera, reversing sensors, seven airbags, emergency stop signal, hill descent control, hill start assist and trailer stability assist systems, Pajero Sport boasts a long list of standard safety features.
Mitsubishi has used the Pajero Sport to help introduce the company’s new Dynamic Shield styling theme, lending it a distinctive appearance from every angle.
Latest design 18-inch alloy wheels all add a robust character and a premium appearance. LED rear combination lamps have a unique vertical design.
However, it’s all about aerodynamics – a drag co-efficient of 0.04 Cd – in this case, among the best in class.
The front bumper has been shaped to ensure the smooth flow of air along the sides, while the A-pillars are rounded and flush with the glass to reduce wind resistance.
Front air dams, ahead of the front tyres, reduce air resistance and suppress lifting force.
Pajero Sport’s sides taper inward at the rear to smooth airflow separation and lower air resistance, while a front-end design decreases splash over the windscreen when driving through water.
Occupants step up into a cabin with interior space bettered over its predecessor with more front seat headroom, and extra shoulder room in the second row.
Reach-and-rake adjustable steering and seat slide travel ensures drivers of almost all sizes can find a comfortable seating position.
Uprated noise insulation has been used to achieve a calm interior, while the four-spoke leather steering wheel is functional with a sporty overtone.
The latter incorporates cruise, audio and other controls with auto transmission paddle shifts mounted behind the wheel.
Sharply contrasting instrumentation contributes to a luxury appearance and a multi-information display in the dash panel provides information on fuel consumption, fuel range, eco-drive assistance, as well as drive and off-road modes.
Users can connect to apps, including navigation, stored on their smartphone through the system’s seven-inch colour touch screen or via voice control.
The system also allows users to make calls or send SMS messages hands free. Smartphone Display Audio is standard on all Pajero Sport models. Digital radio is standard with all variants fitted with DAB, along with traditional AM/FM tuner.
An all-new eight-speed automatic transmission has been given its first outing in a Mitsubishi vehicle and has been specially developed for Pajero Sport.
It features a sophisticated adaptive control system which features uphill control to select the best ratio; downhill control, where lower gears are selected to support deceleration via engine braking; and accelerator pedal release control, in which upshifting is temporarily prevented when the accelerator pedal is rapidly released to provide engine braking and assist acceleration performance once the pedal is re-applied; and rapid kick-down control.
Pajero Sport includes a range of active safety features including ABS anti-skid braking with electronic brake force distribution, along with emergency stop signal, which warns following vehicles by flashing the hazard lights in an emergency braking situation or when ABS is activated.
Active stability and traction control stabilises the vehicle by regulating engine output and brake force when instability is detected through sudden steering inputs or one or more wheels slipping.
It also restricts driving wheel spin to provide optimum drive force and traction.
Rear-view camera, reversing sensors and speed sensing auto door locking add to the list. The result is a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
The addition of a third row of seats to make a seven seater is all very well but while the front two rows of seats are easily accessible, generous in width and supportive, the back pair are a design challenge.
A nice touch is a shallow compartment in the floor the full width of the back with a lid to hide smaller items from view.
The loading lip is high and the tailgate, without power operation, heavy and awkward to close.
The test Pajero greedily gulped up to 13.6 litres per 100 kilometres worth of diesel in the city and suburbs. However, this turned into a redeeming 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres on motorways at 110 km/h maximum. Reducing the speed to 100 km/h on the open road cut consumption even more, to 5.1.
The Pajero Sport has a tight, for its class, turning circle of 11.2 metres. Reduced lock-to-lock turns also improve ease of parking.
Power assist has been calibrated to reduce steering effort when stationary or at low speeds while providing greater feedback at higher speeds.
All Pajero Sport models incorporate Super Select II four-wheel drive with dial-up 2H, 4H, 4HLc and 4LLc. Terrain off-road modes – gravel, mud / snow, sand, and rock – likewise can be selected. For horror stretches the Pajero Sport GLS can call on a rear differential lock.

For details contact Berwick Mitsubishi, 2032 Kangan Drive, Berwick, on 9709 2999.

Model range
Pajero Sport GLX: $45,000
Pajero Sport GLS: $48,500
Pajero Sport Exceed: $52,750

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June 7, 2011

Only Half Racist

I don’t agree when people say only white people can be racists. They come in all ethnicities and backgrounds.

Lately it has disturbed me that some people want to date or marry outside their race but can’t stand the opposite sex of that culture.

This is just an example and I’m not picking on anyone but it’s something people need to think about.

For instance if you are an Asian man and you find white women attractive but hate white men you better forget about Caucasian girls altogether because in case you haven’t noticed most of the time sons from those unions tend to look like white men.

Look at Apolo Anton Ohno; he doesn’t look Japanese. He’s a good-looking young man but more than likely took most of his genes from mom’s side of the family. It happens.

I’ve seen comments from black women that hate white women but they think white guys are handsome. Some mixed kids look totally Caucasian and you just might have daughters.

You also have to consider that person’s family. That white woman has a white father and that white man has a white mother.

You may tell yourself you will make exceptions for her family and a few are different and okay but the rest are all bad. Whether you realize it or not it will show through and as a few politicians have shown us in the news eventually something sneaks out and reveals your true opinion.

If you don’t accept the entire race you need to just walk away. Forget about dating until you can overcome your anger and hatred for the other side of the coin. It’s all or nothing, my friends.


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Thursday, 29 April 2010

The Goldfinch have been great practise for the camera, these beautiful birds always look good!

This is the second photo I took with it.

Then a few shots on the feeder taken from the patio doors

This one taken from a bedroom window

There are only a two or three Goldfinch around at the moment, we had up to 15 over the winter now i'm hoping they are off nesting somewhere and we'll soon get so see some juveniles again.

Sunday, 25 April 2010

New Miller Dam

Took a walk around the dam on Saturday afternoon, it was a gorgeous day so we made the most of it and went up through the woods, which we've not done before. Neither does anyone else it seems as there was hardly anyone about.

There was plenty of birdsong all around, some of which I didn't recognise. We did see Bullfinch, Long Tailed Tits, Great & Blue Tits, Chaffinch, Robins, Wrens and plenty of Crows. Butterflies were out in force too, basking in the sun and flying around our heads, Comma, Peacock, Small White, Red Admiral, Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood.

On the water we saw Great Crested Grebe, Mallards, Mute Swan, nesting Coots, Moorhens, Greylag Geese, Canada Geese, lots of Black Headed Gulls and what looked very much like a couple of Common Terns too.

I made the most of the camera took a ridiculous amount of photos and overused the burst function but we got some lovely head shots of the Geese who were very happy to pose for me.

I think even managed to successfully ID some of the flowers too including these Wood Anemone, of course feel free to let me know if I've got it wrong!

Here are some of the images from the day.

Thursday, 22 April 2010

New Camera

Well, the camera arrived a couple of days ago and i've only had chance to take a few pics around the garden and briefly at the local park.

I've always had a pretty basic camera till now and i've been reading the novel (instructions) that came with it and my head is spinning with all the different functions! It's going to take me some time to get to grips with it all I think - i've been a point and click picture taker for so long, it's going to be hard to break the habit. Though no point in having a fancy camera if I don't know how to work it!

Saying that if I had the time i'd book myself on a basic photography course tomorrow, but I don't so it will be trial and error for me.

Here are a few i've taken so far.

House Sparrows

Grape Hyacinth BlackbirdFemale Chaffinch
Collared Dove
Mistle Thrush
Dunnock (have now moved the bird bath so I can get a clear shot of the feeder!)
One of the Starlings nesting in the guttering
I'll save the Goldfinch for another post, they are such beautiful birds I think they deserve their own post, plus i've taken lots of photos of them!!

Sunday, 18 April 2010

Lotherton Hall

Made the most of the sun on Saturday with an afternoon at Lotherton Hall, we checked out the bird gardens and walked around the ground. There were Rooks and Crows everywhere, the Rooks were nesting in a lot of the trees.

We saw quite a few butterflies too, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell but none of them settled enough for a photo. There is a feeder station in the wood which was covered in Chaffinch, I managed to get pretty close for a photo when a great big dog ran up and scared them all off!

The woods aren't very big but looked beautiful in the sun.

The Chaffinch were everywhere and I managed to get a couple of shots as they didn't seem too bothered by the people.

Along with a Pied Wagtail who never seem to bother too much about the people.

There were plenty of Ladybirds about too including this one on some tiny flowers, which I think are a type of Speedwell? Finished off the day with another new bird for me - a Red Legged Partridge, there were a few in a field on the way home - nice to see a lifer when you're not expecting it!

Our trusty little Kodak Easyshare camera is finally starting to fail on us, in the 6 years we've had it we have taken around 15,000 photos (mostly of the little one!!) and the error messages or just not switching on is becoming more and more frequent. We have taken the plunge and ordered a new one - after working out our budget and doing a bit of reading up we've gone for a Panasonic Lumix FZ38 it should be here by the end of the week so i'm looking forward to trying it out.

Thursday, 15 April 2010

Yeadon Dam

We stopped at the dam last weekend and it was pretty quiet on the water compared to our last visit. The birds that were there had been overfed on bread and I think were feeling pretty lazy!

There were Chaffinch and Great Tits in a small copse of trees to one side of the water, I managed to just get this Chaffinch before it flew of. We watched a Squirrel run about above our heads from tree to tree for a while.

There were plenty of signs that Spring is in full flow now, Coots were building nests, a group of male ducks made some very strong 'passes' at a poor female, nearly drowning her in the process and on a nicer note the trees are now starting look a lot more life like.

What a difference a couple of months makes!

Roundhay Park

Took the little one off to Roundhay Park today, made the obligatory visit to Tropical World - had to pay a visit to see the baby Meerkats!

Then we headed out into the park and explored around the Upper Lake for a change. There is a wooded area that i've never been in before and we spent quite a bit of time around here listening to the bird song.

It was quiet and peaceful and the little one was happy watching a Coot on a nest in hope eggs would hatch any minute - they didn't in fact the Coot stood up and there were no eggs at all!

Anyway there were two Robins vying for our attention one either side of the fence and both quite friendly. I spotted movement on a tree and moved closer to see my first Nuthatch of the year, it even flew out onto some branches so we watched if for a while. A very large crow came along and had a bath in the stream. The birds are obviously very used to the people and didn't seem to mind us at all. Before we left the wood a male Blackcap put in and appearance and sang beautifully for us.

On the lake there were quite a lot of Tufted Ducks, Coots, Mallards and the odd Moorhen. A pair of Swans are nesting just under the island and one of them chased off a pair of Canada Geese, not just away from the nest but right off the lake.

Onto the the main lake we passed a lot of Crows, Jackdaws and the one or two squirrels. We sat and watched a Great Crested Grebe and a lot of Black Headed Gulls for a while. A bird suddenly flew around our heads making a lot of noise - an Oystercatcher! It flew up and down the lake, the Gulls weren't impressed but it stayed around a few minutes constantly squawking before flying off again over the trees. A very nice bird to end an the afternoon and a little surprising to see at Roundhay.

Monday, 12 April 2010

North Cave Wetlands

We made the most of a trip to Newport, Hull for a family reunion this weekend and squeezed in a couple of hours birding beforehand. I asked on Birdforum if there was anywhere close by and found out that the wetlands were 10 minutes away from where we were going.

It was around 10 when we got there and we spent a good couple of hours walking around and checking out the three hides. There is a map available here and the actual reserve was easy to find and well signposted.

Our first Ladybirds of the year were found right by the first information board though they were hidden in the shade a little.

At the first hide which overlooks the village lake we were impressed by all of the information and guides on the walls. Plenty to help you make identifications of what you were seeing. We saw plenty too - there were Black Headed Gulls all over the reserve and they were certainly noisy as were the many Greylag Geese!

I got my first ever sighting here of Avocet, there were quite a few out on the lake and I was very pleased to see such an iconic bird. It's one i've always known since becoming a member of the YOC as a child! Nearby we saw 2 Snipe wading (an id I was helped with by another birder in the hide - thank you!) and a Little Ringed Plover running about on the sand.

There was no chance of any kind of decent photos of the birds so I stuck with the scenic views and will say that some of white dots on this one are Avocets!

The second hide overlooking the Island Lake was the biggest i've ever been in and very cold with the windows open too! But what a view, we could see, Avocet, Lapwing, BH Gulls, some other gulls which I didn't id but they were huge, Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Redhsank, Teal amongst others. We spent a while looking from all sides till the little one got too fidgety.

She could run off a bit of steam as we walked around the maize field, which gave me my first sighting of a Yellowhammer when two landed in the middle and ran about a while. The reedbed lake had two more Little Ringed Plovers, Redshank, Mute Swans, Lapwing and on the far side a huge number of Woodpigeons on the banking.

A nice little pathway led around the top end of the reserve and there was plenty of birdsong as we walked. Blue Tits, Chaffinch and Blackbirds were all around. Another first for this year were a few Swallows above our heads and Sand Martins over the water.

We had the south hide (which is accessed from the road) to ourselves for a while. There was a Great Crested & Little Grebe diving in front of us then a Cormorant popped up too. We had taken the scope I bought from Aldi, which i'd only ever tried out in the garden so far and though not as impressive looking as some we saw our little scope did quite well. I managed to id a Wigeon at the far side of the Main Lake and watch the Cormorant drying it's wings across there too.

The full list of birds we saw there with the lifers in bold. That 100 is getting closer!

Black Headed Gull
Blue Tit
Canada Goose

Great Crested Grebe

Greylag Goose

Little Grebe
Little Ringed Plover

Mute Swan

Sand Martin

Song Thrush

Tufted Duck

Wood Pigeon


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Showing posts from 2011

Happy New Year to YOU!

May you all have a  fantastic 2012 that is filled with:
Good Health
Success and

Happy New Year!!!

Cranberry-Maple Syrup and Merry Christmas!

Your pancakes will really be perfect on Christmas morning when drizzled with this mouthwatering cranberry-maple syrup!
This syrup is a cross between a colorful jam and viscous syrup.  Crushed cranberries provide an interesting texture with a tart flavor, mingling with the sweet sticky maple syrup.  Four ingredients are all it takes.  Cook the cranberries in the maple syrup, until they pop, then crush the cranberries with a potato masher.   The aroma as it cooks is mouthwatering.
I saw this recipe somewhere on the internet a while back, but don’t remember where.  It’s a great recipe ~ so try topping your waffles or pancakes with this fruity syrup!

Cranberry-Maple Syrup
1 cup pure maple syrup 1 cup fresh cranberries ½ teaspoon orange zest 1 tablespoon butter
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring syrup, cranberries and orange zest to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, until the cranberries have popped, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and crush cranberries with a potato …

Fried Apples My Way

I’ve always been crazy about apples ~ especially, baked apples, until I made fried apples; they’re even better!  Fried apples are not quite apple pie but a close second.  Perhaps, most folks think of fried apples as a dessert; but in my mind, it's a side dish.  This is a simple, seasonal food that is packed with flavor.
Cook the apples just until they are fork tender.  They can quickly surrender and turn to mush, so watch them closely.  It’s as easy as apple pie!

Fried Apples
4 apples:  2 Granny Smith and 2 Honeycrisp ½ teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons brown sugar (I use Splenda) Dash salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon Dash nutmeg
Melt butter in skillet. Drizzle lemon juice over apples. Cover and cook about 15-20 minutes or until tender.  (Watch closely; they can turn to mush quickly). Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, and toss. Serve warm or room temperature, maybe with a dollop of whipped cream.

Be sure to take time to check out my friend, Linda’s, great blog @…

Corn-in-a-cup From Stephen’s Unorthodox Cookbook

Wednesday morning Haiku for you…

claims he eats like wren
while cooks spam from can superb
and that’s no bird seed!

I’m a little late with this, and had intended on posting it in November but; if you follow my blog, you will remember it was a hectic time at our house then.
Stephen was inspired to make corn-in-a-cup after having it at Jack-n-Grill in Denver.  I love corn and the name intrigued me, and then I realized that he really didn’t give measurements or directions for it.   I took the plunge, anyway, and whipped the dish together quickly and snapped a couple of photos.  How hard could cooking it be?   A cup of corn, some chile powder, hot sauce and parmesan, easy, easy and actually, pretty good.
Then, I had second thoughts about it:
If you’re acquainted with Stephen’s blog, The Obsessive Chef,you’re aware of his colorful, entertaining writing and his cookbook is no different.  “Unorthodox” is the word that comes to mind!  I agree with Stephen though, it’s good to “think outside the …

Crispy Sesame Chicken

Sesame seeds on oven-fried chicken?  Crispy chicken without a grease-filled iron skillet?
This recipe got my attention, when I saw it in my America’s Best Recipes cookbook, and I had to try it!  The recipe includes grated Parmesan cheese and dry breadcrumbs, along with sesame seeds for the breading.  Use skinless chicken and it’s even healthier.
I can tell you this chicken ROCKED!   It turned out very crispy and juicy and smacked of good flavors.  Just try it --- I bet you will think so also!

Crispy Sesame Chicken
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese ½ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 1 teaspoon pepper 1 (3 to 3½-pound) fryer chicken, cut up, skinless ¼ cup butter, melted
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Dip chicken in butter. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done. 4-6 servings
Yum!  Tender and crispy too!
Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Co…

Baked Salmon with Mushrooms and Garlic

I really like salmon ~ whether it’s straight out of the can or fresh and grilled or baked.  But, I’ve never combined it with mushrooms until now and it definitely won’t be the last time.
The origin of the recipe is a mystery to me; one of those in my “must try” file.  Whatever, it’s delicious!  The blend of ingredients compliments the salmon excellently.   It’s a tasty salmon dish that goes great with a helping of rice and broccoli, for a good side dish!

Baked Salmon with Mushrooms and Garlic
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced 1 pound salmon filets Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste 4 tablespoons Italian breadcrumbs ¼ cup onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons finely minced parsley 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Lemon wedges for garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place mushrooms in baking dish that is sprayed with a cooking spray. Salt and pepper salmon filets and layer over mushrooms. Combine breadcrumbs, onion, garlic and parsley…

WOO HOO!!! I’m Soooo Happy to Be Back!

I’ve missed all of you, and thought of you often!  I have been on the internet very little since late October and here is the reason why…
Close to dinner time on October 25th, Bill told me to call the paramedics because he was having difficulty breathing.  During his hospital stays, he had several lung and heart procedures; was diagnosed with pericarditis, resulting in pericardial window surgery.  He is very thankful as well as happy ~ and I am too ~ to say that all test results were good and he is recovering well.  I knew 4 days ago he was returning to his usual self when his sense of humor returned!
And now that I’m back, I’ve got a tasty Chicken Marsala recipe for you.  I really like Italian dishes, and the depth of flavor in this one will surely have you repeating the recipe many times.  This is a lighter version of Chicken Marsala, without the usual ingredients of butter, flour and cream.
It’s a simple Marsala sauce:  reducing Marsala wine to a thin syrup with mushrooms and braisi…

I'm Taking a Break

Due to family concerns, I will be taking a break for several weeks.

I will miss you but I will be looking at your blogs from time to time.  Here's wishing you all the best.

Happy blogging and Happy Halloween!

Till later...

The Best Lemon Pound Cake ~ I’m Telling You the Truth!

On my September 27th post, I told you I would be baking the Lemon Pound Cake recipe from the Tate’s Bake Shop Cookbook that Bill had been yearning for.  I finally got around to baking it and now I’m trying to figure out what took me so long…

You know how foodies say, “I swear, it’s the best I’ve ever eaten?”  Sometimes I try the recipe, sometimes I don’t.  Everyone’s taste is different and you just never know; however, I can honestly say, “this Lemon Pound Cake is the best pound cake I have ever eaten in my life.”  And Bill echoes the same.  NO LIE!!!  It is outstanding!!!
Here’s what Kathleen King, the owner and founder of Tate’s Bake Shop, says about her cake, “The lemon flavor really comes through in my lemon pound cake.  It keeps well and freezes well, and is exceptional on its own or with fresh berries and cream.”

Here’s what I say about it:  Enjoy it on its own!   If you love lemon and love pound cake, you will fall hard for this one!  It’s so good that after having a slice of it, …

Crusty Cheddar Garlic Pepper Biscuits my Way

Biscuits aren’t fancy but believe me, these biscuits are as about as flavorsome as you can imagine a biscuit would be ~ crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside.  Over the years, I’ve tried many variations of this biscuit and never achieved a “great” crusty top layer until by accident recently.  Here’s how it went:
Normally, in recipes for cheese-garlic biscuits, the biscuits are baked and then brushed with the garlic butter when they come out of the oven.  But, one evening in a rush, I brushed them with the butter mixture when I realized they needed more baking time ~ they just weren’t the golden brown they should have been and I was afraid they may not be baked through on the inside.  So back in the oven they went and when they came out and I bit into one, Voila!  I was shocked!  They were a beautiful golden brown, tender inside with a very crusty, cheesy, garlicky top!
We swore they were the best!  Make the batter, drop the biscuits and bake a while.  Pull them out of the oven;…

Crunchy Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia plus… a Surprise Visit from Fairy Hobmother

I used to be leery of eating fish way back when and only ate fresh bluegills that Dad and friends caught at the lake.  With time, I tried more varieties.   So, I was pleased to have my first tilapia experience at a restaurant with my boss and co-workers when I was in the working world not so long ago.  I saw tilapia on the menu but had never heard of it.  I was curious and then thankfully someone before me ordered it.  I was saved a lot of embarrassment as I would’ve definitely called it “till-up-eeee-uh!”
This dish is delicious with a capital “D!”  The crouton crumbs are crunchy to begin with and combining them with the cheese and cayenne pepper makes a perfect crunchy topping for the slightly firm flaky texture of the tilapia.  It’s a quick dish to prepare that we really like.  It’s a winner!  And I hope you will try it and think so also!

Crunchy Parmesan Encrusted Tilapia
4 tilapia fillets ¾ cup finely crushed garlic-flavored croutons 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated 2 t…


WARC-Truncated: length

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September 7, 2016 in Uncategorized

I am excited to announce that I will be doing Fall Mini Sessions again this year on Saturday, October 15th.  Mini Sessions include a 15 minute session, 15 images and all the printing rights for $150.  Limited spots available, please contact me via my “Contact” page to get more information and reserve your spot.

Here are a few of my favorite images from last years minis…

_KLA9978 _KLA0097 _KLA9994 _KLA0083 _KLA0239 _KLA0195 _KLA0244 _KLA9838 _KLA9798 _KLA9691 _KLA9697 _KLA9729 _KLA9744 _KLA7853 _KLA7809 _KLA7945 _KLA7645 _KLA7670 _KLA7649 _KLA7459 _KLA7545 _KLA7333 _KLA7376

Categories: Uncategorized


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Wednesday, 23 November 2016

Merry Christmas

Image: Mini Magnolia - Tilda Catching Stars
tools: Staedtler watercolour pencils, border punch, Spellbinder Label 4 die, flower punch, Martha Stewart Frond punch, ribbon, doily

Done this card based on a sketch from The Sketchy Challenge #108 Team A Karina's Sketch.

  1. Midweek Magnolias - anything goes
  2. The Sketchy Challenges #108 Team A Karina's Sketch
  3. All About Magnolia - Challenge#18 All About Holy Night
  4. A Blog Name Hero - holiday theme
  5. Christmas Sweet Stampin' Challenge - anything Christmas

Lisa said...

This is so gorgeous!! The image is so sweet and colored beautifully!! I love the layers and the pretty flowers!! Have a great day!! Big hugs :)

A Mermaid's Crafts

Gail said...

What a pretty card! That little image is adorable and your embellishments are wonderful! Thanks for joining us at Christmas at Sweet Stampin' where our challenge is Anything Goes with Christmas. --Gail

McCrafty's Cards said...

Gorgeous card, I like the sweet image and the papers
Kevin xx

Chris said...

A bright and lovely card, sweet image and a great take on the sketch.
Thank you for playing along with us at Christmas at Sweet Stampin’ this month.

Doris Klein said...

That's just cute!!! Beautiful colurs and sweet Image!

Thanks for playing along with our current challenge at The Sketchy challenges and good luck!

*DT* The Sketchy Challenges
*DT* Die Sketchtanten
Kleido’s BastelStüble
Blog-owner Do-Al(l) Kreatives

Melanie said...

A lovely card!
Thank you soo much for taking part in our "Sketch” challenge over at The Sketchy Challenges & good luck in the draw.
Hope to see you again in our next challenge as well…

(DT-Coordinator Creatalicious Challenges)

(DT Crafty Friends)

(DT The Sketchy Challenges)

Sharon said...

This is fabulous. I love Tilda and your colours are beautiful.
Thank you for sharing this with us at All About Magnolia.
Hugs Sharon.. x

Emma said...

What a great card, thank you for joining us at Midweek Magnolias for our ‘Anything Goes’ Challenge, hope to see you again. Emma DT x

Kirsty-Anne Duckworth said...

Super cute and love the bright colours thank you for joining us in The Midweek Magnolias challenge :)


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Paper Piecing Memories by Babs

Paper Piecing Memories by Babs

Monday, February 10, 2014

Pop-up Box Card

I have been seeing many posts on the internet, of a card style called  a pop-up box. It's the neatest design and what I really love about it, it actually folds flat, so it fits inside of an envelope for mailing. So, needless to say, I couldn't wait to create one and it was so easy and fun!

Here is the link I used to create the base of the card:

Click here Youtube, to view my video tutorial on on fleece tear bears, which will give you the basic concept on how to create the furry chick.

I've created mine using patterns from Little Scraps of Heaven Designs and I went with an Easter theme. The chick is created using yellow fleece and I love the fuzzy look it gives. I've added some embossing on the eggs using embossing folders by The Paper Studio and Cuttlebug. The sentiment was created with a stamp by Hampton Art and colored with Copics. Paper by Doodlebug Design and We R Memory Keepers. Finally, I added some Prima flowers, ribbon, and Doodlebug Twine.

I love how  it turned out!

  1. Adorable Barbara! I made one of these too! it's on my blog today!

    1. Thanks Lezlye! Your Valentine version is beautiful! I love this card style.

  2. What a cute card. I love it.

  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.


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Thursday, March 30, 2017

Freshly Made Sketches Challenge

I have been such a lazy blogger this year even though I have created I have not been posting on my blog.  I do need to keep myself posting as I create.

Today among a couple other cards I made, I decided to do the Sketch for this week at Freshly Made Sketches Challenge Blog.

I do struggle with doing clean and simple cards. I always want to add more and more to the card.  I kept this card very close to the sketch.  I used all patterned paper from the same 6 x 6 collection.

This Hero Arts stamps was on the top of the pile of stamps on my table so it was used on another card.  The sentiment says so much.  I have so many friends that this wonderful quote applies to.

Have a good day.  We have rain and more rain and the wind is picking up, but at least it is not snow.

1 comment:

Narelle Farrugia said...

So pretty! I love the strips of pink and I love the texture you've given them. Thanks for joining us at FMS this week!


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Homegrown Vegetables Without A Garden

To place an order
call 888-917-3908 (24/7)
or visit our online store

Photo of the Month
Planted EarthBox with flowersWoman with EarthBox resultsEarthBox full of tomatoesCloseup of fruit

Gardening Tips

Plant Selection

Try Everything, vegetables, herbs and flowers! Whatever is available at your local nursery will grow in your EarthBox®. Use the smaller 5-7" tall seedlings available in 2" pots, or start with seeds. Your County Cooperative Extension Agency (in the phone book) can recommend the best varieties for your area and season along with providing pest and pollination information.

Potting Mix

Do not confuse potting soil which contains rock with potting mix that does not include rock. Almost any brand of potting mix for containers or hanging plants will work. You’ll need the big bag–2 cubic feet or about 60 quarts per box. The potting mix can be used 5-6 seasons before replacing.

The EarthBox® is designed to be used with a strip of common dry granular fertilizer or plant food for vegetables. Almost any brand of fertilizer will work as long as it is not designed to be mixed with water and all 3 numbers on the label are between 5 and 15. You’ll need two cups of fertilizer for each planting. Organic fertilizers can also be used. Simply use 3 cups of organic fertilizer to replace the 2 cups of chemical fertilizer. Do not add any additional fertilizer during the growing season.

Refer here to learn about plant selection and placement. Resist the temptation to overplant your EarthBox. Select a sunny spot, as most warm season crops, such as tomatoes, need 6-8 hours of daily sunlight. Cool season leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce require partial shade. The plants should always be planted through the plastic cover into the potting mix. Always leave the cover on. Gently loosen the plant’s root ball and set your plants into the soil as far away from the fertilizer strip as possible.

Allowing the reservoir to go dry will shut down the system, so don’t try to regulate the water level. Always use the fill tube to keep the water reservoir filled. You’ll know the reservoir is full when water flows from the overflow hole. Add water every few days when the plants are young, and every day when your plants are mature. You can purchase the EarthBox Automated Watering System and your boxes will take care of themselves.

Tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, beans and other vines or tall plants need support. The EarthBox® Staking Kit (not included) is the perfect solution for your plant staking problem. Install the staking system and string the netting between the vertical stakes to provide the support your plants need.

Replanting and Winterizing

At the end of the growing season remove the old plants, the cover, and dig out and discard the fertilizer strip. Drain the reservoir by tipping the EarthBox to avoid frozen water in the system. Cover the box with a new cover until you are ready to plant again. To replant add additional potting mix if necessary, creating a mound, and then continue with Steps 5-8 of the instructions.

For Tomatoes and Vegetables

Most vegetables require a higher pH level than most potting mixes provide, and they love Calcium! To prevent blossom end rot, simply add 2 cups of dolomite or hydrated lime to the potting mix before each planting. Remember to keep the reservoir filled. Letting the system go dry stops the intake of Calcium and fertilizer to the plants. If Blossom End Rot develops during the season, mix 1/4 cup of hydrated lime to a gallon of water. Spray the mix directly on the plants or add it to the water reservoir the next time you water your EarthBox®.

Caster Socket

The EarthBox® will accept standard casters with a 3/8" diameter x 1" length stem.

Three Simple Rules

  • Always keep the cover over the potting mix and fertilizer.
  • Always keep the reservoir full.
  • Place the fertilizer on top of the potting mix and don’t use water-soluble fertilizers.

For more tips, visit our online forum!

Contact Us | About Us | EarthBox® 1350 Von Storch Avenue • Scranton, PA 18509 • 1-800-821-8838


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Sunday, January 25, 2009

Challenge - Day 25 Rubber Stamps revisited

I already posted my stamping challenge but I realized I did it on Jan 18th, one day early. Here's another one. Glad I realized it. Today I did an 8x8 page about the cat. With out children you use your pets. I did a digital layout and an acrylic overly with stamps. The digi stuff came as part of Photoshop. The acrylic sheet came from Ben Franklin, StazOn ink, and the stamp sets (Cold Play and Inspired By Nature) are Stampin' Up.

I found it hard to photograph the acrylic s sheet, sorry.
Twenty-five down and six to go.

  1. how fun, thanks for sharing technique!!

  2. Squeeker pages are still my very favs.


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Friday, August 14, 2009

Kindergarten Orientation!!!

How is that possible??? Last night I took Jackson to meet his teacher and learn all about kindergarten. First this*.......and then kindergarten? What's a mom to do?

It was a tough night emotionally for me. First, by baby is growing up. I am happy and proud, but also a little sad. It flies by, doesn't it? Then I was happy that I had put him in such a great school. The PTA is super involved and the school loves parent involvement. His teacher is AWESOME. Not only does she have 24 years of experience as a kindergarten teacher, but she is passionate about health and fitness. She is an avid runner!! Could there BE a better match for me?

Then I was sad. Really sad. As I started getting excited about the school year and getting involved, I realized that I won't be involved in this school. We are moving in October, and I will be pretty busy until then. Jackson will be spending most of the school year somewhere else. I won't get to hear all about the teacher's style etc. in orientation. He'll be just another "new kid." I am excited about our new life, but now the pressure to find another school just went up. Murdock has set the bar pretty high. At least I know he'll be in good hands for the next six weeks or so.

Lots and lots of changes. I suppose that is life. Bring it on!

*The tooth was lost a couple of weeks ago.

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Posts Tagged ‘Latitude’

VMworld Europe 2016: Let the Transformation Begin

Claire Vyvyan

Claire Vyvyan

Senior Vice President, Infrastructure Solutions Group, EMEA
Claire Vyvyan

Latest posts by Claire Vyvyan (see all)

For the first time ever, Dell EMC had a combined presence as Global Diamond Sponsor at VMworld Europe. Held over four days last week in Barcelona, Spain, the VMworld Europe theme was be_TOMORROW. This event attracted an audience of industry thought leaders, subject matter experts and IT professionals—all of whom enthusiastically immersed themselves in the latest in Cloud infrastructure and business mobility technology.

Dell EMC: Let the Transformation Begin

Our Dell EMC event theme was Let the Transformation Begin, and we showcased our strong combined portfolio across these key areas:

  • Modern Infrastructure
  • End User Compute
  • Converged Systems
  • Data Protection
  • Modern Analytics
  • Cloud.

I was joined by Maurizio Carli, EVP Worldwide Sales VMware, and Jean-Pierre Brulard, SVP & GM EMEA VMware, in welcoming 200+ customers and partners at the Dell EMC welcome reception on Monday evening, at Eclipse bar, Hotel W. Such a great start to a busy and productive week! This was followed by two equally successful events through the week—our Virtustream Cocktail reception and the VCE User Group Meeting.

We certainly know how to draw a crowd! The Dell EMC booth was always packed, which was understandable given the extent of our combined portfolio, featuring: a VxRack, VxBlock 540 with XtremIO, VxRail, Dell EMC Virtual Rack, and a Client Solutions ‘Petting Zoo’ with Wyse products and our latest Latitudes. Additionally, we had a Dell Edge Gateway in the VMware Internet of Things Pavilion supporting a smart factory demo.

Dell EMC at VMworld Europe: From High Energy to High Engagement

The incredible dynamism of the event gave way to some great discussions, including:

  • 80+ meetings with customers, partners and press to talk about our strategy and the importance of our VMware partnership
  • 60+ theatre sessions including some on VxRail and All Flash
  • Eight Dell EMC sessions, which attracted large audiences
  • 2,100+ social mentions

Thanks to everyone involved in making our first combined presence such a success—we truly are better together!  Let’s make sure we leverage all the great opportunities that result from this event to WIN BIG!

You can still tune in and join the conversation on social media using #vmworld.

Everything VMware at EMC

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Friday, June 28, 2013

A Friend To The Rescue and Plans Are Made

Rantoul, IL.

66 deg. clear, W. wind @ 7 mph.
Forecast = high temperature 82 deg. partly cloudy, NW wind @ 10 to 20 mph. 30% chance of rain.

What would humans do without friends? Oh, I suppose they'd muddle through, but it sure is nice when a friend comes to the rescue.

Dave, (One of the Illinois Bunch) that many of you will remember from previous posts, has been reading this blog and knew that Jim was thinking about going up to the Elkhart area to try to get the slideout problem taken care of. Well, Wednesday, Dave sent Jim an e-mail telling him about an RV Repair shop that he has used that is located in Middlebury, IN. Because he knows the owner, he had the owner's cell phone number and told Jim to go ahead and "drop" his name if he wanted to.

Jim really didn't have any idea of who to contact up there so this was a very welcome suggestion.

Yesterday morning, Jim called the number that Dave had given him and talked to Larry at Fox RV Inc. in Middlebury, IN. After talking to Larry about the slide problem plus a few other minor items that could use attention and then telling him when we would be in the area, Larry checked his books and said that he could get Bobbie T in to work on her on the 9th of July.

Wow!!! That's the day that Jim had originally planned to get up to that area and would give Larry plenty of time to work on Bobbie T. before he needed to take her up to White Pigeon, MI. for an appointment that Jim has made with Quadra Mfg. to have "Big Foot" levelers installed on the 12th!

Jim was very impressed with Larry. He seemed very knowledgeable about Bobbie T's slideout system and also seemed to know exactly what to do to check and repair the other minor problems that Jim told him about.

So, , ,  ,  ,  , now the plan is complete and I can tell you all about it. : )  We'll be leaving here on Monday, the 8th of July, (right after the 4th of July holiday weekend), head up to Middlebury for the appointment at Fox RV on the 9th, spend a few days doing touristy things in the Middlebury/Shipshewana area and then head up to White Pigeon on the 12th to get the levelers installed.

From there, the plan is to head on up into Michigan, cross the Mackinaw/Mackinac (?) bridge up into the U.P of Michigan, head across the U.P towards the West, stay at a CG that is right on the North end of  Lake Michigan,  near Manistique for at least 1 week, (probably 10 or 11 days), then head into Wisconsin to see Linda's brother, Glenn, (who lives way over on the Western edge of Wisconsin), before turning South and returning here to Rantoul, arriving back here sometime around the 10th of August.

Of course there are things that they want to see and places they want to go along the way, but I don't have all the details of that. I'll be sure to keep you posted on anything I find out though. ; )

Oh, and don't forget, all these plans are written in pencil, and Jim still has that big eraser, so everything is subject to change. ; )

A Point to Ponder : You need only two tools. WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.

Thanks, Dave.

1 comment:

  1. Iheard it a little different.... My tool box only has two tools.... A pen and a checkbook!


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In addition to our current job vacancies we are always looking for volunteers

Volunteering at the Passage

The Passage has a strong culture of volunteering and we are very grateful to those who offer their time and skills to support our work.

Find out more


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About Us

Passageway FoundationRite of Passage believes all its graduates should know the pride and sense of accomplishment that comes from achieving academic and professional goals. Working with community partners and dedicated employees, the company established this 501(c)3 to make it financially possible for ROP youth to continue their education in community colleges, four-year universities and vocational trade schools.

Recipients have attended institutions of learning nationwide including Metropolitan State University of Denver, Arizona State University, University of Colorado at Boulder, Lincoln College of Technology, Community College of Aurora, Mesa Community College, ITT Technical Institute, Georgetown University School of Medicine and the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver.

Since its inception, the Foundation has provided over $1,000,000 in scholarships to ROP alumni.

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i'm gonna make you love me before long

its been two months since my last post. alot has happened.
ok a quick rundown of life thus far:
i am down to 6 clients from my previous 10. wow. i'm sure you can guess what has happened to some of them. its been hard. the wedding planning is going really well! we have our venue, caterer, photographer (the lovely jenni s) and a LOT of ideas! i also am pretty sure i have my dress picked out too. winter in albuquerque has been so fun. we saw the river of lights display and the twinkle light parade. we spent thanksgiving in santa fe. my sister's baby boy is due june 10, and i've accompanied her to several ultrasounds. reena and michael came here for xmas, and i made a big feast. i got some wonderful xmas gifts like my new rat bonzie, who is incredible. i also got myself some nice gifts, like a record player! new years eve was AWESOME. after a half day, a bunch of my co workers came over and we all drank and talked the day away. that night, teresa, paul, anna, zak, vic and i went to atomic and burt's got incredibly crunk and danced!! it was seriously SO fun. i also sported my corpse bride blue wig, which makes me feel beautiful.
things i know about myself: when i am happy, i dress up. i do my makeup. i feel attractive. and much more importantly, i do art. for me, i find that writing comes out of my horrible experiences, and i am kind of paralyzed when it comes to creating art. i have to be in a more high functioning state to produce art. and boy have i been. it is SUCH A GOOD FEELING to feel like i still have some abilities, to feel creative, to have some confidence in myself again.
i am happy. this is partly due to medication, partly due to my sheer luck in life, and to being surrounded by wonderful people.
i finally feel at home in abq.
i watched a movie on lifetime called "7 things to do before i turn 30"and yes it was awful. please keep in mind that it was starring amber benson, who played tara on buffy the vampire slayer. i ADORE her. i will watch anything she is in. so anyway, i forced vic to make a list of things we wanted to do in the next couple of years. it was really fun. here is mine:

10 things to do before i turn 30.

1. camp at the white sands monument
2. go to japan, particularly sanrio land.
3. get married to vic!
4. have an art show
5. get down to a healthy weight
6. do a road trip up the pacific coast highway ending in vancouver.
7. spend a few months in india.
8. become a makeup artist
9. do a falconry weekend in either VT or WV
10. see the pyramids.

WOW do i have a lot of work to do. but it's gonna be fucking fun.

1 comment:

Andrea said...

i'm a HUGE fan of lists...

that's a great one!

happy new year, girlie!


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Monday, December 26, 2011

Why do we love bad news so?

I happened to read a blog about the evangelical love affair with bad statistics -- particular the ones about how terrible young evangelicals are with respect to their views and habits of sex.  You can read the whole thing here.  It occurred to me that there is much truth in this -- and not only for evangelicals.  Sure, it is true that Barna is the magnum oracle of bad stats and every time he opens his mouth evangelicals both cringe and relish the terrible picture his polls paint of their faith, their people, and their future.

I wonder if we Lutherans are so different.  It occurred to me also that while we have much to be concerned about, we as Lutherans have tended to largely forget Luther's admonition to put the best construction on everything.  Maybe I am guilty of that in this blog.  Well, that is not true -- I know I am guilty of this!

When Pres. Matthew Harrison issued his Advent call to repentance, I wonder if he did not have some of this in mind.  Now, to be sure, we have many cracks in our foundation that we need to address and these weaknesses will not go away by looking the other way, but I wonder if it is not true that we have learned to secretly delight in how bad things are.

Contemporary worship and music have a firmly entrenched place within the LCMS -- there is not denying it.  It is not Lutheran and, in some cases, barely qualifies as Christian.  It is as wrong for what it lacks as for what it has.  BUT. . . in thousands of parishes across the land, LCMSers gather around the Word and Table of the Lord, using mostly the services of LSB, singing the hymns in that book.  They hear Law and Gospel from competent but not always exciting preachers.  They tend to each other's needs and concerns as brothers and sisters in Christ.  They teach the children in Sunday school and gather as adults to be in the Word of God.

Stats say our people are graying and that we do not have as many children as we used to... but that reflects the culture and the state of the nation around us.  Before we begin to break down every presumed barrier that might prevent the stranger on the street corner without a hint of faith or background from feeling right at home in the pews, maybe we need to step back a bit and think about what we are doing.  Bringing new people into the life of the Church gathered around the Word and Table of the Lord is not impossible.  The Church has been doing this for a couple of thousand years admit persecution, with largely illiterate and often superstitious folks, as outposts of hope amid the world's darkness.  Our Church is not dying.  Where the Word and Sacraments are, there is the Church and there are the resources to keep the folks alive in the faith and to welcome new folks into the faith.  We have the resources.  We know the Church will go on.  The shape of Missouri may change but the Church will continue.  The Word and Sacraments will make it so as God has promised.

Everyone knows that finances are tight in Synod but by and large we multiply the resources of money that end up in the plates.  Lutherans tend to be frugal and it is my experience that we make the dollar go along way in the work of the Lord.  I am convinced that people in my own parish and parishes like mine do not appreciate how far each dollar goes as wise and careful folks work to make sure that the money is multiplied and not divided by the way we spend it.  On college campuses, in Lutheran schools, and in Lutheran parachurch organizations, we make sure that what the people of the Lord have entrusted to us goes a long way.  We need to celebrate this instead of constantly complaining about bloated bureaucracies and empty programs.  We paint the good with the bad -- that is not the eighth commandment!

We do have young people (teens and twenty-somethings) who fall under the spell of the world and whose attitudes and practices with respect to consumerism, sex, morals, truth, etc., are not what they should be.  BUT we also have faithful and pious young men and women who fight the battle of the flesh and who quietly keep the faith within the bounds of their human frailty.  I can name a few dozen off the top of my head and they are right here in my own parish.  I could name more if I spent some time.  I bet you could, too!  If you find yourself depressed about the state and future of young folks in our church body, head to Higher Things or Lutheran Summer Music, just a couple of examples, of places where those young people will inspire and encourage you!

If we care about the Church, it is our nature to focus on the wrongs that need to be righted instead of rejoicing in the good that is there all the time...  I know I am guilty of this.  I bet you are, too!  So, maybe we need to heed a bit more the good words of Luther and think the best before we assume the worst.  Sure, we may be wrong in thinking good where there is mostly bad but what a wonderful thing it is to rejoice in good news -- even when it comes in small quantities.  I don't believe much in resolutions for the New Year but it might be time for us to at least give equal weight to the good, dontcha think?  If you agree, put a "Ya, you betcha" in the comments.

Jeremy Loesch said...

Ya. You betcha.

I may be in the choir, but keep preaching!

Thanks Larry. Very excellent words.

Anonymous said...

Good news doesn't seem to make the news. It seems most times Lutherans are in the news, it's typically bad news - ELCA, scandal, etc. There are many faithful pastors and congregations in the LCMS. Thank God for them.

Lutheran Desert Rat said...

Ya, you betcha.

Anonymous said...

As Prof. Fred Danker would say,
"The church and the cosmos they

Anonymous said...

Pastor, you write the truth from Holy Scripture and our sacred confessions of truth. Continue on with your musings, as they are helpful. Blessed Christ Mass.

Anonymous said...

George Barna pontificates on trends
on the American church scene for
one reason: TO SELL HIS BOOKS.

In the 1990's his books were all
about pastoral leadership. Now he
is pushing his books on the
Christian's faith journey.

He was born in 1955, so he has about
one more decade to publish books for
the evangelicals.

Norman Teigen said...

Ya, sure, you betcha.


text:
Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

Let's start with the bad news.

As some of my readers know, I had a bit of a setback with my exam results, which means that instead of being on holidays with my med mates from 22 November, I have to keep studying for the supplementary Barrier exam (to be held on 13 and 14 December). [If I fail, I have to repeat second year, so obviously I have plenty to motivate me.] Very upsetting - I cried for a day, but then I gave myself a stern talking-to and started studying again.

That meant I had to put my grand plans of finding a place to live on the backburner. I can't spare the time to research online, and then inspect units all day Saturday (and other days), and then pack up and move out. I was resigned to living here until early next year, when I'll have time to look again.

Time for some good news.

Enter my knight in shining armour, otherwise known as my sister's fiancé. He lives with my sister in London, and he recently bought a house in the inner west with his best mate. His mate is moving in, and is looking for a housemate.

That's where I come in! The rent is great, the location is great, and it's a house - not a bloody unit. Yay!!

And I'm also very excited because my new housemate has a dog! I haven't had a dog since my beautiful Snowy died over 10 years ago.

So now I need to focus on these exams, then move into the new place a week later - just before Christmas. Looking forward to celebratory Christmas drinks...

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Speed dating, redux

A few days ago, I went speed dating again.

This time went by myself, and I did it with a different company. It was much better - better organised, better host, all drinks provided (and filled up as soon as they were empty), and lovely food provided too.

It was slightly different to standard speed dating - this one had a theme. The theme was "university educated". I don't care if the man of my dreams is university educated or not (as long as he can spell!), but the deal with this theme is that you receive a trivia question to answer with each guy you meet, and the winner gets a prize at the end. I love trivia, so it was the obvious choice for me.

The trivia was fun - quite hard actually - and I didn't win the prize.

What surprised me was that everyone took the "university educated" theme quite seriously, so I had to explain my current and past university history to each guy. I suppose it was the obvious thing to talk about, but it was quite different to last time, where I only revealed my career details to about half of the guys.

I met 11 blokes (there was one no-show), and they were all nice and fairly normal. No scary/strange stories - in fact I didn't find myself praying for the 8 minutes to be up all night.

Despite that, I wasn't particularly into anyone. Like last time, I put "yes" beside 2 guys, just because I was admonishing myself for being too picky. Neither of them picked me, so no matches again! Unlike the previous speed dating company, this one doesn't tell you how many other men picked you - they just say "other people expressed an interest in seeing you again". So it could've been one, or it could've been 9! Who knows...

I think that'll be my last foray into the world of speed dating (for a while at least). Time to come up with a better idea. To quote Charlotte from Sex and the City: "I've been dating since I was fifteen! I'm exhausted! Where is he?"


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Identifying potential and developing leaders in under-represented populations remains a critical challenge in our society. A key way to address this challenge – and the challenge of overall school performance – is strengthening students’ ability to win admission to and succeed in the best possible colleges, given their interests and abilities.

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Monday, June 11, 2012

One Track Mind

Multi-tasking may be a popular concept, but it doesn't work for everyone (like me).  In fact, I don't really believe in it.  I think that what really happens is that our brains switch tasks so rapidly from one task to the next that it only appears we are doing more than one thing at a time.  And if the brain fails to switch in time, one or more tasks suffer.

Last week I finished two paintings for an upcoming show barely on time.  That same day I got a call saying one of my painted furniture pieces had sold in an adjacent shop, but that a bit of touch up was needed before it was delivered.  I wasn't surprised - as the little red desk had been there for over a year!  That's how slow sales are. So I loaded up my paintings, a variety of reds, glaze, topcoat, brushes, etc., and headed out for the forty mile drive.  I dropped off the paintings, hurried to get to the shop before five, did the touch-up, picked up some Chinese food and headed home.

After dinner I was happy to have some new work for my blog - until I realized I'd forgotten to photograph the new paintings!  And so forgive me for posting three of my personal favorites - paintings I've never been able to part with.  Note that Black Bird was painted before my divorce - and subsequent name reclaim.
Grumpy Chick, 6" x 9" 2008
Black Bird/White Wind, 2005. 36" x46"
The Watch, 2008 14" x 18"

julie cavender said...

Hey Patrice, it's nice to know you are painting and selling. I always enjoy seeing your work, whether old or new!

Shayla said...

your birds are fantastic

Patrice said...

Hi Julie - painting more -selling not so much, but the furniture redo biz keeps me going!

Thank you Shayla, for liking my feathered friends...


text:
Monday, February 13, 2017

Oroville Dam: California officials ignored warnings a decade ago

Republicans should not evacuate until it is certain that it will be necessary, and until they know precisely when it is necessary. This is what they think we should do about climate disruption.

Global warming is causing an increase in the amount of moisture in the air, and thus more incidences of extreme precipitation. It is also causing snows to melt earlier, which is one of the causes of the Oroville problem.

By Chandrika Narayan, CNN
Updated 6:50 PM ET, Mon February 13, 2017

Environmental groups warned nearly 12 years ago that the nation's tallest dam in California was an imminent disaster.
They worried that heavy rain and fast-rising waters could overwhelm the main concrete spillway of the Oroville Dam, overflow the emergency spillway and flood communities downstream.
They were ignored.

And this weekend, some of their fears were realized.
Ron Stork, policy director with Friends of the River, a Sacramento environmental group, said state and federal officials were told to reinforce the spillway.
"We urged them to put concrete on the spillway -- our argument was that without a proper spillway, the hillside would wash away and cause catastrophic flooding," Stork said.
A perfect storm of events led this month to the partial failure of the dam, which provides flood control for the region.
"Extreme hydrologic events precipitated this near-disaster," said Blake Paul Tullis, a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Utah State University.

Authorities ordered mass evacuations for some 188,000 people, out of concern the spillway could fail and send walls of water roaring downstream. The sudden evacuations sent residents into a panic.

Stork said he had seen this coming way back in October of 2005 when Friends of the River, along with the Sierra Club and the South Yuba Citizens League, filed a motion with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as part of Oroville Dam's re-licensing process.
In the motion, they argued that the Oroville Dam -- which was completed in 1968 and owned by the state of California -- did not meet modern safety standards.
They stressed in the motion that the auxiliary spillway was designed to work with a replacement dam that was never built. Without that new dam, the Oroville Dam's auxiliary spillway was designed to be used in in a controlled, infrequent way and not in an emergency capacity, they said.

The energy regulatory commission rejected their motion to reinforce the emergency spillway with concrete.
Stork said money was an issue.
A response filed by the State Water Contractors and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California said FERC, which issues the licenses, could not require them to pay the damages required for the upgrades.
The filing also said that flood control arguments were "misdirected and unsupported" due to routine dam safety checks and the uncertain effects of climate change on the river basin.

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Texas calls for a convention of states to amend the U.S. Constitution… can the Republic be saved before it collapses?

The Lone Star state has become the 11th state to pass a resolution calling for a Convention of States as outlined in Article V of the U.S. Constitution, one of two ways the nation’s founding document can be amended, but some critics wonder if the effort is too little, too late to save the republic.

As reported by WorldNetDaily, the Texas House voted 94-51 to pass SJR 2, a version of the COS legislation passed by the state Senate in February. Passage of the COS resolution was a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who endorsed the idea in January 2016. He declared passage of the amendment an emergency in his January 2017 State of the State Address.

Analysts monitoring the effort believe that Missouri will become the next state to pass a COS convention resolution, WND noted.

The Convention of States effort was launched nationwide in 2013 following the publication of “The Liberty Amendments” by former Reagan Justice Department official, constitutional scholar and talk radio giant Mark Levin. The book suggests 11 new amendments to the Constitution that, if ratified by three-quarters of states (38), would devolve power away from Washington and back to states themselves, as our founders envisioned. (Related: Read This Leading Presidential Contender Is Now Supporting A Convention Of The States.)

Article V provides two methods for amending the Constitution:

— Congress passes a constitutional amendment and sends it to states for ratification or rejection, needing three-quarters of them to approve before it is adopted;

— Two-thirds of states petition Congress for a Convention of States for the purpose of proposing new constitutional amendments, which – if passed out of the convention – must also be ratified by three-quarters of states to be adopted.

Levin, has said often the COS is the only way Americans, via their state legislatures, can take power away from the swamp that is Washington, D.C. Elections, he says, do not seem to matter.

Natural News founder/editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, has made similar observations. As he wrote on May 2 following the passage of a horrible spending bill that did not include a single priority of President Donald J. Trump:

It’s now abundantly clear that centralized big government is broken beyond repair. The system cannot be saved, not even when we elect outsiders who share our desire to fix the system. The swamp is all-consuming, deeply corrupted and swirling with vile actors (like John McCain) who are lifelong statists, steeped in the belief that a large, powerful, corrupt government should appease the powerful corporations and lobbyists while betraying the People.

The thing is, the founders knew and understood that someday an elected Congress and president could usurp so much power from the states that it would become virtually impossible for the people to reclaim it. That’s why they included the Convention of States provision in Article V; they knew that states had to retain some ability to amend the Constitution so they could retake power that had been stolen from them without any interference from Congress. According to Article V, once two-thirds of states petition the Legislative Branch for a COS, it must be granted; Congress has no choice. And any constitutional amendments that come out of a COS and are subsequently ratified by enough states automatically become part of the Constitution. Congress has no say whatsoever.

For his part, Levin says this rising COS movement is going to be the biggest story of 2017 and beyond.

“I am telling you, as we get closer to 20, this will be the biggest issue in front of you,” Levin said recently on his radio program. “The left will go crazy. They’ve already started. Their organizations are getting ramped up. Some of the conservative think tanks will start to attack as well. The Washington politicians will go nuts. The media will go nuts.”

He’s 100 percent correct. The Convention of States organization reported that already more than 200 Left-wing groups are mobilizing to oppose the convention – which means that, once again, the Left is mobilizing to oppose allowing Americans to get back more of their lost liberties and freedoms. Once again, the Left is playing the role of the authoritarian big-government cheerleader. (Related: Read The BAD Logic Behind BIG Government.)

Critics of the COS process claim – wrongly – that a COS will become a “runaway convention.” But as Abbott and Levin have both noted, that’s impossible because states themselves would agree on an agenda before a convention was ever convened. Besides, if someone at the convention would propose repealing parts of the First Amendment or the entire Second Amendment, as has been often suggested, it is folly to believe that 38 states would ratify it.

With elections proving to be less and less effective at stopping the usurpation of power by Washington and its never-ending encroachment on states rights, the only way to save the republic without bloodshed or secession is a COS.

Find similar stories at Collapse.news.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

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Pat's Sanitarium
Pat's Sanitarium
A retreat for the well-being of my mind from the insanity of the life that is mine.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Dear Blog...

Mood: Meh.
Currently listening to: Motherfucker From Hell - The Datsuns

...I'm sorry to have neglected you all this time but it HAS been a terribly busy week at work. All kinds of miniature dramas are occuring there and i have to ensure the completion of this project by next TUESDAY!!! I swear to Jeebus - ever since last Thursday i've had to put up with nearly everything that the fates could come up with to scupper the project. And not from an expected direction either, oh no that would be too easy wouldn't it? No, no, no I have to put up with everything from requests for porn and handphone pilfering amongst other things!!!

That and the fact that no one has any real idea if we're ahead or behind schedule. Seems that the person who planned this didn't take into account the plethora of public holidays that would occur during these last few weeks... *sob*

I swear blog, between that and the insane rush hour traffic which i face every morning and evening coming from that damnable place its getting to the point where my spleen is about to explode from carefully suppressed stress.

On the bright side, we finally managed to find a Chinese restaurant in the area last week - no more anus burning curries at the local mamaks! Yay anus!

I can't wait until this is over.

On another more completely illogical and random note i have had the song Tutti Frutti by Little Richard stuck in my head for the last two days now. Occasionally i even amuse my colleagues by, when under momentary periods of stress, yelling out an incomprehensible "A Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!" at the top of my lungs. I blame my brother.

Er... just thought you should know blog.

Well, nothing else has been happening otherwise... I do recall meeting Louisa on Sunday evening with Zamil and the others. It was fun. Apart from the fact that i had just jumped off a plane moments before and was silently suffering from a bout of constipation at the time. Pauvre anus.

Come to think of it, i went for mamak with Zams quite a few times this week - which, if i haven't mentioned before, is actually a very rare occurance, busy man that he is these days. Well, he's a celebrity now doncha know so i guess he's gotta do what he's gotta do, eh blog? Come to think of it he invited us to go for that Tsunami Aid Relief concert thing this Saturday... I'd better remember to buy tickets!

Wow... singing in front of 80,000 people! All those eyes staring at you - i don't think i'd ever be able to take it...

Speaking of celebrities i had to go with Albert for his voice acting gig over at the Astro building on Tuesday. It was a pretty interesting experience and they said he was a natural! Come to think of it, i heard the ad over the radio this morning on Hitz.fm! It was a little different from the final version i heard at the studio but it was still pretty cool hearing him over the radio...

And hey! That reminds me of another local celebrity that i... well, kinda know i guess. Serina actually sent me this email:

Dear Batman and Joker,

My sister's band is currently no. 2 on the msian top ten chart. No. 1 is Reshmonu, and yesterday, Too Phat went up from no.4 to no.3. Which means my sister is facing really tough competition.

She needs to get first at least ONCE in order to get normal radio rotation, which would give her band the chance to make it. This week is particularly crucial as she is sandwiched between two such famous and established bands. If she doesnt get first this week, she's lost her chance, And she's soooo close! So pls, pls, pls vote for her this week, and if you can, pls get your friends to help as well?

If she does get first, i'l...i'l...hmm..what can i offer two such gorgeous hunks who already have it all? *winsome smile* Ahh...mamak on me when i go over :)

And if my sister gets really famous, so famous that even i get interviewed, i'll mention both your names. I promise.

Her band is tempered mental and the single is 'honestly'. It's a three piece band. My sister is the vocalist as well as the bassist. She writes and arranges all the songs.

You can vote at www.hitz.fm

Thanks so much!

PS: Could i have sneexe's email add pls? Ask her first if it's ok.

Well i couldn't refuse now could i? Despite having to write down a lot of personal info in order to sign up and vote i'd like to think that i can help her sister out... Although Reshmonu is still one cool cat as well IMHO. I'd better tell the others about this as well huh? I really hope they'll do the same...

For purely selfish reasons of course my dear blog - i think the off chance of my name getting a kudos in an interview some time in the future would be nice for obscure lil ol' me.

But where was i? Oh yes, i was getting to my weekend...

Well, not much to write home about as usual just the usual mamak on Friday with the gang followed by dance class (the jive is over thank God - we do the Tango next!), French lessons and karaoke with Albert, Chen Hoe and some of his friends on Saturday at the Red Box in Sunway. REALLY expensive karaoke mind you since it cost RM50 per person!!!

I guess Leonard made a good call in not coming that night. He hates karaoke doncha know?

Come to think of it, i've hardly ever seen him since he moved to Shah Alam... *sigh*

Speaking of Lenny it looks like he's posted a Chinese horoscope thingy on his blog... and, oh blog, i know i hate this stuff and i shouldn't looke at it since it goes along with my placebo/self-fulfilling prophecy/self justification theory but i couldn't help it. YOU know how important a year this one will be!

For the Monkey, Overall Lucky stars will be present and you should grab every opportunity this year. Noble persons will be around helping you and you will perform well at work. There will be chances of getting a raise and promotion. Health luck will not be up to expectations. As for your love life, you will need to work hard for a better outcome.

With good wealth luck, there will be lots of opportunities around. You should handle your money properly and not spend on unnecessary items.

Good wealth luck? In regards to Armenia i hope... *crosses fingers*

Your career luck will be good, smooth sailing. Persons of Nobility will appear and guide you along the way. For those at work, you will prove to be of great help to the company. Always build a good relationship with one another.

Excellent! Just when i'm going to Armenia to work... could the Persons of Nobility be my Godfather and new friends to be?

The only bad news for this year is your health luck. You will need to take very good care of yourself. You will also get hurt easily, therefore be alert. Due to stress from your work, you must find yourself some time to rest. You must also stay away from alcohol and cigarettes.

Uh oh. That can't be good... alcohol and cigarettes you say? From work stress? This is beginning to sound all too familiar...

You should show more concern to your partner especially you, married woman. You should avoid getting involved with third parties. Singles will be able to meet their dream dates during business functions.

Does not have a partner at the moment? Check.
Not a married woman? Check.
Never EVER going to get involved with third parties? Check.
Er... business functions? Hrmmm... Still, i must get over my current irrational fear of women/relationships. Actually i'm not so sure if its not so much fear if a desire to not impose myself on anyone at the moment... i'm not sure that i can handle myself yet...

Hey that was pretty good! Well, except for that whole health thing... maybe cancer will finally catch up to me or the promising start that this year may bring will slowly devolve into alcohol abuse over time... Oh blog, i can pull this off can't i? Its been ever so long since i last tasted the sweetness of a personal victory.

Dearest blog, I can't stand the dependency i have on the people around me, the sooner that i leave and establish myself elsewhere in a state or some semblance of ideality and self sufficiency the better i feel that i will be. The best option i have just happens to be in the middle of nowhere... because whatever it is i'm looking for is sure as hell not here. Lets hope that all that patience and planning has resulted in a good and lasting decision this time around - its seriously time to start moving forwards decisively rather than floating around in some strange limbo of life...

*sigh* Third time lucky, eh blog?

Lets just hope that they have a decent sort of internet connection down there or else i'll have to start referring to you as 'Dear diary' instead.

Well, i guess that settles two of my resolutions for this year... Its a pity about the smoking one though - i was doing relatively well until i started working again so i've shot back up to a pack a day. I'll try again after Chinese New Year...

On the bright side dia... er... blog, i've actually expanded on my fitness regimen now that i've been working the weights for the better part of a year in a relatively dedicated fashion. Its time to work on my cardio and to this end, on top of the 3 sets of weights at the gym (on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays), i have decided to add 1 set of weights, plus some treadmill running (10 mins), and swimming (10 laps front crawl and 20 laps breaststroke) to the alternate days between my other days in the gym (namely Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday). This should leave me Saturday free since i'm much too busy doing my dancing and French classes...

I've been doing this for a week now and it has proved satisfying.

Well, except for the part about the treadmill - i can only manage an utterly pathetic 4 minutes at 11km/h!!! Swimming is not a problem though so i'm not too sure what is wrong. Never liked jogging for the most part (its so boring blog) but i think it has to do with the fact that the treadmill is placed 5 centimeters in front of the huge gym mirror. Perhaps some jogging outside will cure this.

Hell, my daily schedule now revolved around work, coming home, immediately going to the gym, eating dinner, playing some PS2, and then promptly falling asleep.

Well, its getting late now and i think that i've ranted on a tad too much. Another day of work beckons...

Adieu blog.

PS: A Wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!

Damn, L'il Richard's the bomb!

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About Me

Name: Patrick Pincon
Age: 27
Studied at: Monash
Work: Business Development
Nationality: Malaysian/French
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Email: ppincon@gmail.com

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Patrick/Male/21-25. Lives in Malaysia/Federal Territory/Kuala Lumpur, speaks English and French. Eye color is brown. I am what my mother calls unique. I am also cynical. My interests are Reading/Trying new stuff.
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Malaysia, Federal Territory, Kuala Lumpur, English, French, Patrick, Male, 21-25, Reading, Trying new stuff.

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