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Advice for First Year Law Students: Practice Writing!

pen7a.jpgOver at PrawfsBlawg, Paul Horowitz offers sage advice to first year law students. For all incoming 1Ls, I recommend that you read Paul’s post.

I have one piece of advice to add — practice writing as much as you can. This advice is best heeded long before you go to law school. Take writing classes in college. Or take a non-fiction writing class outside of college. I believe that there are plenty of courses offered. Or, if you can’t take a course, get books about how to improve your writing. And practice writing on your own. Basically, write, write, write!

Writing is one of the most crucial skills in law school, and it is the one that I find many students could greatly improve. Your law school writing course is designed to teach you how to do legal writing. It is not a general writing course. Many of the problems I see on exams and in student papers stem from general writing issues — inability to write clearly, poor organization, badly articulated concepts, and so on. You can never get enough training in writing. So work on improving this skill, and you’ll likely improve your success in law school.

If you have difficulty in your first year of law school, I recommend taking a writing course over the winter break or over the summer break. Take a course where somebody works with you on basic composition skills. You can never get enough practice.

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6 Responses

  1. Aaron W. says:

    At the risk of bragging, I am generally known as an excellent legal writer; for instance, i wrote a student note accepted for publication as a first-year. Any person who asks me, I tell them: buy Henry Weihofen’s book “Legal Writing Style.” I can vouch for the 2nd edition. I have looked at and read alot of books on legal writing and none surpasses Weifhofen’s book. It will break down all your bad habits as normal writer and teach you the right habits as a legal writer. It is practical, pragmatic, and utterly useful.

    I had to rebuy a copy recently and found that it was out of print. But I got it gently used for a good deal on amazon. I would strongly suggest you hunt this book down.

    The only other big point is that I wish someone would tell law students, is originality is a bad thing. Say you have to write a release clause in a settlement and you don’t have one handy. Don’t be ashamed to go to a more senior lawyer and ask for a model, and then to rip it off shamelessly. Find a contract that has been “battle-tested” and change as little as necessary. You are infinitly more likely to “catch everything” if you do that. That doesn’t mean you should just copy it. Even a contract that has been used for 70 years and been attacked from every angle, might still contain a mistake or two. So use it skeptically, but by all means use it.

    On a similar note, if a contract provision is demanded by a statute or regulation, just copy the law/regulation at issue. It ain’t very creative, but it is the best practice as a lawyer.

  2. Dave! says:

    I disagree pretty strongly. The only writing courses I would even remotely consider prior to law school would be basic composition and grammar. Any other writing courses will necessitate more “re-education” once you hit legal writing as a 1L.

    I’ve yet to meet a single faculty member teaching legal writing who didn’t think *they* were Bryan Garner. Faculty generally all try to teach their vision of legal writing, which is usually based on the partners from their limited firm experience. In the end, you’ll have to re-learn legal writing again anyway when you meet god’s gift to legal writing at your firm–the partner you work for.

    And tenured faculty members? I’d advise you to make law review and read article submissions and cite check. After retching 80% of the time, you’ll eventually read a well-written article and it will be like a breath of fresh air.

    The greatest writing skill you can have to take into law school is to be a chameleon–to be able to adapt your style and organization to whatever a particular faculty member wants. What do they want? Usually for you to parrot their own style.

    So instead of wasting time on writing classes that won’t help your grades or your career, here’s what you should do: ghost write novels for celebrities. Seriously, you’ll learn the critical skills for legal writing: dealing with a prima donna who wants everything their way, believes they are the great writer, while you do all the work making your writing sound like theirs!

    Not that I’m bitter or anything.

  3. associate says:

    Dave, you make some good points, but I think the post is about developing basic skills rather than trying for a unique style.

    If you can’t write clearly or put complicated ideas into words, none of the self-proclaimed Bryan Garners out there will find you very useful, regardless of their idiosyncrasies.

    Aaron, thanks for the book recommendation. I don’t think originality is always a bad thing in legal writing, but as you point out, it’s not always a good thing.

  4. Bruce Boyden says:

    Dave, my experience working for demanding partners, talking to other law professors (both legal writing and non), and reading and commenting on student papers myself is that there is a very broad consistency of opinion on what good legal writing is. Sure, there’s going to be some idiosyncracies and some profs/partners who don’t even realize they’re idiosyncratic, but if your entire experience has been with the latter sort of people, I’d say you’ve had an extremely atypical run of bad luck.

  5. Dwalker says:

    This recommendation is spot on! Far too many lawyers leave law school without the ability to put a proper sentence together. I saw hundreds of poorly written briefs during the nine or so years that I clerked in trial and appellate courts. And now that I am employed to edit law firm marketing materials (articles, client alerts, etc.), I can tell you that they can’t write for a non-legal audience either. How difficult is it to follow basic usage rules, use active voice and reduce clutter (like those ubiquitous “of” clauses)? Darn near impossible for most, it seems.

  6. Sean M. says:

    Let me add that Bryan Garner (who has twice been mentioned) has some fantastic books on legal writing. He has his idiosyncrasies, like putting citations in footnotes rather than in-line even on court submissions, and gender-neutral writing, but he has tons of excellent advice.

    His new book with Justice Scalia is a must-read.

    In general, I have heard classmates grumble about grades and said something along the lines of, “We all wrote the same thing. Grades came down to writing style.”

    And that is likely true. In my experience, at least, a well-written examination will get better grades than a poorly written one that contains the same information for a couple of reasons:

    1. A well-written examination makes it easier for the professor to realize you’re hitting the points they want you to.

    2. A well-written examination is a breath of fresh air to a professor slogging through seventy-something exams at the end of a semester.

    3. Most classes have mandatory curves, so professors have to discriminate based on something.

    Even though exams cannot be masterpieces, basic organization, style, grammar, and transitions can make an exam stand out from the pack.


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the Degree Confluence Project

United States : California

18.7 miles (30.1 km) SSE of Baker, San Bernardino, CA, USA
Approx. altitude: 681 m (2234 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest Multimap topo aerial world confnav)
Antipode: 35°S 64°E

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: Looking Southeast with our cairn in foreground #3: GPS display

  { Main | Search | Countries | Information | Member Page | Random }

  35°N 116°W (visit #1)

#1: Panoramic view from the confluence

(visited by Devron Byerly and James Radzwill)

01-Jan-2001 -- On New Year's Day 2001 my friend James Radzwill and I visited 35N 116W, which is one of the more remote confluences in southern California. Situated in the East Mojave Desert, the confluence is about 20 miles by line of sight from the nearest town, Baker, California. To go from Baker to the confluence, we drove 21 miles on the paved Kelbaker Road, then drove 20 miles off road (some of it requiring four wheel drive), then hiked a 15 percent uphill grade for three miles into the Bristol Mountains.

At one point during the off road part of the drive we startled a small herd of bighorn sheep, which bounded away at our approach. We could easily see their distinctive arched horns. What a pleasure to spot these beautiful animals in the wild.

The three mile hike into the mountains would have been difficult if it weren't for a desert wash (a dry river bed) that leads practically right up to the confluence. Thanks to the wash, a hiker can just walk the smooth, sandy river bed with no trouble at all. We chose this confluence because, of all the southern California confluences, it was conspicuously unvisited. If you look at a map you'll see why. It takes a lot of work to get there. So imagine our surprise when we started our hike and noticed two sets of fresh footprints going right up the wash ahead of us! "James," I said, "We've been scooped." And sure enough, the prints led all the way to the confluence, so we knew we were not the first people to visit it. Knowing that no one would trek to this point by chance, I began wondering if I would return home that evening to find the point posted on the Degree Confluence Project pending list. The last quarter mile was pretty rough going. We scrambled up and down rocky ravines where the footing was treacherous at times.

At last we arrived at the confluence, which is situated on a slope that offers a beautiful panoramic view of the East Mojave Desert. We ate MREs for lunch, then built a three foot cairn to mark the confluence. We took several pictures there and I later noticed the GPS screen photographs better in daylight with a flash.

That night at home I rechecked the Degree Confluence Project pending list, and still no one had submitted the confluence. Is it possible someone would visit the confluence apart from the Degree Confluence Project? James and I will watch and wait.

 All pictures
#1: Panoramic view from the confluence
#2: Looking Southeast with our cairn in foreground
#3: GPS display
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Moderate without a GPS.


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Medicine: Cured

In Boston, Drs. T. F. Hunter and S. G. Mudd experimented with carbon dioxide gas. Properly administered, they said, it would sober drunkards. Various mild tests seemed to uphold their theory. Last week, they executed an experiment which, they believed, would prove conclusive. Three policemen procured for them from the streets of Boston a drunkard known as "Case 11." He offered terrific resistance to restraint, but was finally subdued, passed into a coma. Reported the physicians:

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National Affairs: It Happened in '84

One of the traditions established by U.S. political history is that the party which elects a President also wins a majority in the Senate. Last exception to that rule was in 1884, when the voters sent Democrat Grover Cleveland to the White House in his first term and left the Senate with a Republican majority. There may well be another exception in 1952, if a Republican is elected President.

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Wednesday, Mar. 23, 2011

Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea

At once operatic and bluesy, Atkins' voice vacillates between a cool Neko Case alto and a deep Janis Joplin howl. Emerging from a year in which she shed a label, a band and a long-term boyfriend, the singer-songwriter put all of her energy into February's Mondo Amore, collaborating with Cotton Mather's Robert Harrison in a Park Slope, Brooklyn, studio.

The Paste magazine party on Austin's frenetic Sixth Street was a particularly high-profile stop on the band's promotional tour for the album. They put on a soulful, captivating show, with a lush, dark wall of sound behind Atkins' wailing vocals of love gone bad. The audience stood transfixed and some surely joined a growing list of devotees, over 300 of whom recently raised more than $20,000 on the website Kickstarter to help the band get a tour van and light show. We weren't the only ones who noticed: Spin magazine called Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea the best live band of the festival.


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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Dracunculus vulgaris, the Dragon Arum or Snake Lily

The strange and unusual Dragon Arum or Snake Lily, aka Dracunculus vulgaris, despite its exotic look, can be grown relatively easily in a partially shaded garden in zones 5-8. These photos are of a specimen at the Niagara Parks' School of Horticulture & Botanical Gardens.

Even the foliage is ornamental, with the large, ruffled leaves arranged in sets of three and consisting of a snake-skin pattern.

Of course the flower is the main attraction with the purple-red spathe sending up an almost black "jack" (or spadix).

At some point in the maturing process, the flower begins to small like carrion for about a day, attracting flies to do their pollination business. This particular specimen did not smell yet, thankfully.

This is a very cool plant, native to the Balkans and Greece, the isle of Crete, the Aegean Islands, and up into Turkey.

Here's to dirt under your nails.

Mark, the coolplantsguy


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Friday, February 24, 2012

Light reflecting particles in cosmetics

Light Reflecting Particles in cosmetics:
Doing some internet research on Light reflecting particles in cosmetics like Mica,Talc etc found a very good and elaborate article

1 comment:

  1. That's great - I was gong to mention mica. I'm more into skin care than make up, but the few times I wear makeup it's mineral makeup.

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Please note: This blog is only for informative purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns.

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Thursday, March 31, 2011

There's always more...

Vanilla sour cream poundcake with Nutella buttercream for David's graduation. It was so rediculously good, I can't even describe it.

Jackson's Bakugan ball birthday cake. It ended with horns and we also had cupcakes, but those pictures are on Amy's camera.

Minnie Mouse cake with coordinating cupcakes for a 4-year-old girl's birthday party

Day #12

Day #12... a picture of something I love...

Cake... what else?!

that picture was taken just after I started my clake decorating class in April of '09. Isn't it amazing how far I came since then?! I truly love it!

And this naughty girl!!! :) She like cake too, well the icing, atleast

Day #11

Day #11... a picture of something I hate

As previously mentioned, I hate things that waste my time. It will make me crazier than just about anything. This usually comes in the form of making a special trip somewhere for something and the store (or whatever it may be) not having what I made the special trip for. And what makes me even more crazy? When whatever wasted my time also ends up being a waste of money. That is all.

Day #10

So, here I am again. Geez. Even when I decide to make a commitment to blogging, I just can't seem to make it happen.

Anyway, Day #10... a picture of the person you do the craziest things with (or for, as I chose to do).

This was our attempt Dec. '09 to get a family Christmas picture. It didn't work out so well and just reminds me of the crazy things we do with/for our kids.

I immediately thought of a time I was pregnant with Jackson... a time when I acted crazy for him and he wasn't even born. We had just bought out house and found out he was a boy so the room had to be painted. We weren't in the house yet, and were using the last month of our lease to clean/paint/decorate the house before we actually moved in. I was making 45 minute trips to the house every night after work to Lowes, etc. and doing alot of painting. This particular night, I went to buy paint... white paint that I was going to color match for his very blue room. I go to the shelf and there is NO flat white paint. NONE. Well, I wasn't having it. I was pregnant, tired, hungry and just made a wasted trip (doing something that ends up being a waste of my time is the biggest pet peave I have) and I was not leaving without that dern paint. So there I was in all my "pregnant-ness" literally climbing the paint shelves looking for that white paint and cussing and crying at the same time. I think back on that night and laugh at how rediculous I acted... all for my son who was still in my stomach :)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

more cakes

nail polish bottle for a spa-themed birthday party

purse cake... the picture is awful. It was taken with my phone, but the cake turned out super cute!

sheet cake and smash cake for a 1st birthday party

for a St. Patrick's Day birthday

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

S0 what have you been doing the last week-and-a-half?

Here's what I've been doing...
(other than not blogging)

Jackson made this one :)

With a little bit of this in between...

you knew Caroline would end up naked, right?!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Pectus Carinatum

I thought this would be the easiest place to talk about what's been going on with my chest. I have had the condtion known as "pectus carinatum" since I was little. This is basically a deformity of my chest wall where my chest wall grows out (also called pigeon chest) instead of growing flat. It has never bothered me before. I never noticed any growth, never experienced any pain. I felt like the only time it was noticeable was when my clothes were off, and its not like I walk around often with my clothes off.

Over the last year and a half or so, I have noticed a significant amount of growth so I mentioned it to my doctor just over a year ago. She sent me in for x-rays and there was nothing medically wrong, other than the growth of the bone.

Over the last couple of months, I have again noticed growth, and with that has come alot of pain. It is waking me up in the middle of the night, I can't sleep comfortably, and it really hurts when I work out. You know I work out alot, I have been doing kickboxing almost every day since right before I got pregnant with Jackson. There is alot of twisting involved, and I can't even do it anymore because of the pain in my chest when I do it.

With these new developments, I felt like something must be going on so I decided to do some research. "Symptoms" and things I have always considered normal for me are directly tied to the deformity of my chest wall. When I was in school, one of the things we always did was counting respirations. Our teacher told us to just watch our pateint's shoulders and that would be the easiest way. My classmates noticed that they had to watch my stomach and not my shoulders, which is right. I absolutely breathe with my stomach and not my chest. This is very typical for someone with pigeon chest. Also, I have tried very hard to be a runner, and I have gotten alot better, but judt can't seem to run for a long distance even though I have been "training" for over year. My heart starts beating too fast, I can't catch my breath, etc. even though I consider myself to be in great shape. This is also a very significant symptom of someone with pigeon chest. I also learned that even if a chest wall deformity can be "dormant " for many years, it can get worse as the person ages and have serious medical comlpications as you get older. Doctors and insurance companies no longer consider corrective surgery a purely cosmetic procedure because of the long-term issues.

So, I decided to make an appointment with a reconstructive surgeon at Wake Forest. I met with her last week and we discussed my symptoms. SHe took pictures and upon laying me down and feeling my chest wall, she was shocked, and told me that mine was the worst chest wall deformity she had seen. She set me up for a CT scan, which I had yesterday. She told me she will call me once she finds a thoracic surgeon since surgery would involve breaking my sternum, etc. SHe told me that she wants to find someoone very experienced in doing the surgery on adults. So it might mean having it done at Duke or somewhere else.

I am waiting to hear the scan results, but I am feeling optimstic to know what is going on and that it might all be resolved soon.

I'll keep you posted, and answer any questions you might have, You know I'm an open book :)


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Steve Smith has choice words for Rams CB Janoris Jenkins

Discussion in 'NFL Zone' started by WoodysGirl, Oct 20, 2013.

  1. big dog cowboy

    big dog cowboy THE BIG DOG Staff Member

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    Let Dez say something like that and watch the reaction.
    Corso likes this.
  2. Corso

    Corso Well-Known Member

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    Truer words never spoken...
  3. kapolani

    kapolani Well-Known Member

    1,333 Messages
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    I should hate him, but I can't.

    Dude always walked the walk.

    Have to respect that.

    Plus, he can flat out ball.

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Wednesday, January 07, 2009

10 Strange and Interesting Manufacturer Instructions

While the disgraced cyclist Piepoli crosses into ridiculousness and says he cheated in his moment of "weakness", I bring some interesting manufacturer warnings and instructions to your attention today. You may have come across this, and most of you may have not. Most of you may not even religiously follow these instructions but suffice to say, they're still out there. Lets see what a few of these have to say about performance bikes and components (click pictures to zoom) :

1. SRAM Red Ceramic Bottom Bracket Requires Monthly Maintenance :

The much celebrated advantages of ceramic bearings fall victim to its apparent need for re-greasing every '100 Hours of use'. Excuse me, but does that sound a little strange to some of you? Any serious racer these days can log in 100 hours of riding in maybe a month and a half. Two to be conservative. Top athletes will rake up that mileage and time in about 20-23 days (think Tour de France). Such an overhaul periodicity is kind of ridiculous. Thanks be to ceramics. And the statement on "dry conditions" also seems a little vague to me. SRAM should have defined what is 'dry' according to their definitions. Most people do ride when its dry, don't they?

2. Campy's Ceramic Bearings Cleaning Schedule and Storage Under The Sun :

10 speed bearings

Campy's 10 and 11 speed ceramic bearings need maintenance on an average of every 5000 kms. For their 10 speed bearings, they tell you to consult your mechanic to make a schedule that's best for you. Oh, and don' t miss the text in bold above. You are not to store or expose its high performance ultra torque crankset to high temperatures. Apparently, the composite will die a slow death under the sun. I thought better of the longevity of resins. but I don't discount this possibility. I have blogged before about the resin being the environmental weakling in carbon fiber composite. If you see any discolorations on your carbon fiber bike (like yellow marks), take a minute to think about what you're exposing the bike and its components to. For more information, contact your bike's makers directly.

11 speed bearings

3. SHIMANO's 7900 Bearings Info Missing :

There is no information put up in Shimano's tech docs site for the BB-7900 so I can't see what Shimano's new bottom bracket maintenance schedule is like. Its been a good one or two months since 7900 groupset came out to market, right? If you're purchasing this component, you might be really guessing as to what periodic panacea it needs to run well. Just a heads up to users, bike shops and retailers. You may not want to do anything that's not recommended in written by them and then find out its too late. Unless you get the manual with the bottom bracket when you purchase it.

4. Shimano 7900 Crankset Needs Torque Checking Every 60 Miles

Shimano's top of the line Dura Ace crankset needs to be checked for torque every, say what, 60 miles? Kinda stupid. Does that mean pro riders riding 100+ miles a day have to get off their bikes and check torque readings at some point in between? I don't think Campy or SRAM say this in their manuals.

Well, I wouldn't say its a bad idea calling this out and in this case, the manufacturer might be really cushioning for the extra safety. But it doesn't make sense if you apply it to certain situations.

5. CAMPY 11 Speed Chain Cleaning Advice :

I know a lot of people who swear by the fact that the best way to clean a chain thoroughly, inside out, is to remove it and leave it in a container of an appropriate cleaning solution for some time. Its getting easier these days to do that with these nice connector links on the chain. I may have done this with my chain a few times. However, Campy's super 11 speed chain does not take such abuses. Do not remove your chain for cleaning and lubing. Period. Just ride your bike with all the dirty eyesore like a good boy.

6. Campy's 11s Chain Opening Advice :

This is getting strange. If you open your delicious looking Campy 11s chain once more than twice, you're opening yourself to a world of trouble. Heads up.

7. Galvanic Corrosion In Campy 11s :

For those of you rich cyclists living near the seaside or riding your carbon toy long periods in the rain, heads up. Your equipment might be swallowing more salt water than it can gulp. Ultimately, galvanic corrosion will show its ugly face and lead to failure. This isn't really anything new. In the past, a lot of carbon bike parts failed due to this mode of corrosion between the Aluminum and the graphite interface. As you may know, both these materials are spread out in the electrochemical series of reactivity. That means their corrosion capacities are different. I think there is a standard most bike manufacturer's try to meet that specifies there must be some sort of an insulator, like fiberglass for example, embedded at this interface to prevent corrosion. I don't know where to look for this standard online (anyone know?). However, Campy still gives you their warning regardless. Galvanic corrosion is real, folks. Take this seriously.

8. Campy Technical Website Review :

If I didn't wholeheartedly put the finishing touches to my Campy stab today, it'd be unfair to a lot of people. For all the next dimensional revamping they did on their new Record line of components, you'd think the imagineers of Campagnolo could spare a little time to make their website look better. Or even organize material in a better way, to say the least. I spent a good 2-3 minutes to look for something in particular on their technical instructions site and that kind of thing can piss anyone off. Looks like Shimano and SRAM are doing much better in website design.

Web 2.0 Vomit?

If you guys have come across any strange or interesting warnings and instructions, do pass it on to me if you can. It doesn't matter if its historical. Let's see if we can add to this list.

  1. Ron : I really think all they use ceramic ball bearings for is the weight savings gained by it. Even that is ridiculous, considering how many grams each ball weighs. Apart from those, I really see no speed advantage to ceramic bearings. Its all marketing hyperbole. My steel bearings on my Master Piu have lasted me many years, and still look rounder like on the day I bought it.

  2. Anonymous5:15 PM

    the issue of cleaning chain by dipping in liquid is a controversial one. talk to three people and you'll get three different perspectives on that. personally, i dont feel such a technique makes any big difference. however, im not a campy expert on 11 speeds so not sure on their removal restrictions.

  3. Anonymous5:30 PM

    In regards to #8, they're Italians they don't need to be be organized, as long as they produce beautiful components. They don't even need to work properly, that's just a bonus. ahhhhh Italy.

  4. Re: the 7900 Crankset torque check at every 60 miles.
    I think they mean that torque should be checked following the first 60 miles after installation and then "periodically" after that.
    They don't define periodically however.

  5. Surestick : You may have a point. But I took their statements at face value since they didn't mention "the first 60 miles". Yes, periodically is vague as well.

  6. hmm. good thing i'm not running sram ceramic bearings. i'd have to service them before and after the 94 hour limited endless mountains 1240k i'm riding in september.

    as for campy chains - i do believe the warning stands for 10sp as well - clean the chain on the bike and only use their $$$ chain tool to install. the campy 10sp was a noisy and dropping waste - wippermans with their plates are so much smoother in my experience.

  7. Anonymous11:15 PM

    Thanks to your post, I guess I wont be putting my money on any of these so called high end components. So much for high end.

  8. Dude... my brain turned to tapioca pudding at the Shimano 7900 Crankset

  9. If you see any discolorations on your carbon fiber bike (like yellow marks), take a minute to think about what you're exposing the bike and its components to.

    I've learned that the yellow marks indicate that the resin has been exposed to too much ultraviolet radiation (sunlight). It would make weight-weenie-sense that the parts have a very thin coating which thus wouldn't do much to protect the resin from sunlight.

    A colored coating would protect the composite much better but would not look "as good" as the visible fiber.

    In the boating world the solution to this problem is several "heavy" layers of UV-resistant clear coat.

  10. #5 - I have heard that the new oils/chain lubes on the market are so good that removing chains and soaking them in some kind of solvent is something of the past.

    1)Clean/wash with washing powder
    2)Dry over-night

    They get my money.

Thank you. I read every single comment.


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Monday, January 21, 2013

Tammy's scrapin corner - Challenge 46

Hello Every one!  Time for another challenge over at Tammy's scrapin Corner.  This time our amazing sponsors are the following
 and Eureka Stamps

For my card I played with the ohhhh so very sexy Bodacious Bev from Kenny K ;)
For this card I used paper from Cloisonné - by GCD.  I used a doily from my stash as well as some bling.  The stick pin comes from Rhonda Sue (it was part of a box of goodies ;) ).  The sentiment was cut with my standard circle and I also used the scallop circle all from Spellbinder.

Here's a look at the digi that I colored with my copics and I fussy cut
And here's a closer look at the sentiment from Create with TLC.
So yesterday I blogged a card saying it would be for my hubby... now I'm thinking this one would be a great one as well lol

I hope I will be seeing your entries in our challenge at Tammy's scrapin Corner

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

  1. Pile it on challenge - Have a heart (my stick pin has a heart)
  2. Craft us crazy - Celebrate love
  3. Challenges 4 everybody - Anything goes
  4. Corrosive challenges - put a pin in it
  5. Whoopsi Daisy - Use a digi
  6. Bombshell stamps - Heartbreaker (yup she's one for sure ;) )
This is the 1st post of many... so really hope that you will stay put :0  Don't forget to leave me a comment because I sooo love to read them.

  1. This is so wonderful Thank you for your designs this week
    you are always amazing
    hugs Tammy

  2. OOOh this is fab i love the colours and the layout is fab. Thanks for sharing at challenges 4 everybody . Hugs trisha x dt

  3. This card is awesome Vicky, love everything about it. I don't know how you get all of it done. Karal

  4. This is a beautiful card ! Thank you for playing with us at the Corrosive Challenge Blog.

  5. Va-va-voom! The doily is an especially nice touch. Thanks for joining us at The Corrosive Challange. Good luck and please join us again soon.

  6. Another wonderful card. I love that stick pin. joann sassy raggedy

  7. Great colouring and fabulous card

    Joan x

  8. A lovely card Vicky. Thank you for joining us this week at Whoopsi Daisy. Hugs Christine x

  9. A lovely creation. Thanks for sharing with us at Corrosive Challenges and good luck.

  10. Lovely card! The doily is the perfect backdrop, and I absolutely love your pin! Thank you for joining our Corrosive Challenge this fortnight.
    Ruza, CDT

Your comments make my day!!!

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Friday, December 9, 2011

On Horseback

I have a mental list of practical skills that are, while not actually so much practical in the strictest sense of the word, are nonetheless skills that are, rather, useful to have, since they involve activities that we may be called upon to participate in off and on throughout our lives on a casual basis, and that can also be quite dangerous if we participate without knowing what the hell we're doing.

Short and incomplete list:

  • lighting a bonfire, fireplace, or grill
  • swimming
  • ice skating
  • shooting a rifle or pistol
  • using a chain saw, wood chipper, or other large power tool
  • driving a stick shift
  • steering a boat
  • horseback riding
  • using a pocket knife
Sure, ice skating is more merely painful, and absolutely no fun, if the first time you've ever been on the ice is in a group outing with some of your buddies from college, but I know of plenty of idiots who got themselves seriously injured because they didn't know how to light a fire properly (hint: it doesn't involve a Dixie Cup full of gasoline), and I know of one wonderful child who was killed his first time on horseback, on a poorly-run, unsafe trail ride at a state park in Missouri that his parents didn't realize was unsafe because they were unfamiliar with horses, too.

But forget the fear-mongering--call my list, instead, a life skills bucket list, or a list of accomplishments for the well-rounded person. Whatever you call it, and lengthy intro aside, what I am wanting to tell you is that my little girls were basically living the dream last Friday:

First horseback riding lesson? Mark it off the bucket list, and you might as well just go ahead and skip Christmas after that, because it does not even compare.

The girls' horseback riding class at PALS featured a well-fitted helmet that each child wore at all times when around the horse (not just when upon it)--

--and a dedicated side-walker for each child, and a second walker holding a lead rope:

In addition, since PALS is primarily a riding-therapy program for people with special needs, the horses are invariably, calm, kind, patient, and well-trained. The absolute only thing that I had issue with is that they didn't require students to wear a heeled boot (just a closed-toe shoe), but I put my kids in heeled boots anyway, so no problem.

The girlies learned how to mount their horses, how to start them walking (with Willow's lazy horse Splash, this involved a big kick!), how to hold the reins and balance--

--how to steer--

--how to stop--

--how to hang on when they work up a little speed--

--how to take off their tack and groom them and make them comfy--

--how to talk about them using all the right words, croup and forelock and barrel and such--

--how to wait patiently, still and quiet--

--and how to put away all their tack and gear in just the right place, even if it's REALLY heavy:

Along with always looking out for things that I want the kiddos to know, I'm always looking out for sports and activities that have value for building them into the types of people that they'll want to be.

Forget the discipline, patience, affinity with another creature, willingness to grub and muck stuff that are of such value--it took a total of one lesson before the girls informed that they want to grow up into the type of person who was good with horses!

Well, okay.

Tina said...

Such a beautiful thing to watch! Here in Iowa, we have had a hard time finding stables close by that will give lessons to kids under 8. We will be moving to Montana soon and we hope that we have more options. Can't live without horse lessons!

julie said...

From what I've seen, it seems to take a lot of careful planning, vigilance, and manpower to make horseback riding lessons safe for children as young as my two, so I can see why most stable wouldn't even offer it. I think our particular program has an advantage there, since it's primarily a riding therapy program--they've had to do all that work already, and to an even greater extent, to make sure that their clients stay safe.

horseridesnet said...

Horse riding is a wonderfully relaxing way to spend the day on your hen weekend.

Bryce Canyon Horseback Riding

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Rok Da Vote: 6th Edition Rumors Poll Closed

40K 6th Edition Rumors - MathThought for sure I’d get a bigger response but what can you do? Since the votes haven’t changed in a few weeks it’s time to shut this one down. Here’s the results regarding the 6th edition rumors for 40K:

What are your thoughts on the recent 40K 6th edition rumors?

  • Haven't seen them yet. (8%, 3 Votes)
  • Looks like a lot of wishful thinking to me. (36%, 14 Votes)
  • There may be some grains of truth in them. (10%, 4 Votes)
  • I'll believe it when I see it. (23%, 9 Votes)
  • I'm excited by them! (10%, 4 Votes)
  • I'm just happy the rumors are flying. It must be close. (13%, 5 Votes)

Total Voters: 39

Loading ... Loading ...

With a fair lead, 36%, people voted that the rumors look like a lot of wishful thinking, myself included. I’ve no doubt that there’s some merit to some of what we’re hearing but I just don’t see GW making so many of the radical changes that are floating around. We saw 8th edition Fantasy become easier to play, or dumbed down depending who you ask, much like 5th edition 40K. The reasoning behind such a move is to make the game more assessable to newer players by not overly complicating rules. Why would GW suddenly have a change of heart? Anything is possible though.

Following that at 23% were the people who voted that they’d believe it when they see it. This vote was basically saying the same as the above in a slightly different way. So, basically we have 59% of the voters saying it all just looks like BS.

We move on to 13% saying they’re just happy rumors are flying. Generally speaking when we start seeing this many rumors it means things are closer than we realize. In a similar vein there’s 10% who are excited by the rumors and finally 8% who had not seen the rumors yet.

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Crescent Moon Ranch’s Community Garden Project

Check out the new members forums!

Crescent Moon Ranch was a working ranch that was donated to the US Forest Service in the mid-1900s. It once boasted a full apple orchard with over-shot water wheel that was homesteaded in the early- to mid-1900’s along Oak Creek for irrigation purposes.

In 2006, some community members became interested in the orchard as a rejuvenation gardening project. Many committed people contributed to the regentrification of this area.

The Crescent Moon Ranch Community Garden aims to bring educational opportunities by way of agriculture pratices, cultural gardening exchanges, fresh produce, and ditch stewardship. The garden supports only organically grown food and flower crops that pose no threat to plant & animal life downstream of the garden. It is watered using ditch water from Oak Creek.

The garden has individual plots, an orchard area, and a food forest. The vegetables and byproducts from the garden are not sold. Gardeners exchange 8 hours of ditch work in the winter months for their gardening plot, and are responsible for walking the ditch a number of days over the growing season. For insurance reasons, gardeners need to be members of Gardens for Humanity.

Geoffrey Worssam, teacher at Sedona’s Red Rock High School, and the US Forest Service restoration project Manager, Jennifer Taron, mobilized students to refurbish the 1-acre apple orchard and develop a community food garden, with plants such as common vegetables, and an artistic component to beautify the area.

Sedona’s Gardens for Humanity, a local group of volunteers focused on beautification, obtained an $8,500 start-up grant for the project from the Greater Sedona Community Foundation. Home Depot in Cottonwood, Arizona also donated $500 worth of materials.

The view of cathedral from the top of a dry dusty dirt road is a stark contrast to the luscious apple orchard land that is irrigation-fed out of the cool clean water of Arizona’s protected water way, Oak Creek, a breathtaking river that runs through the heart of the Sedona area.

Today, the garden project has blossomed into a thriving organically based garden that is open to school groups, community members, and individuals for the purposes of gardening and learning from other gardening experts in the field.

Rob Lautze, Garland’s Lodge in Oak Creek orchard manager, has been a longstanding participant in the development of organic gardening that is suitable to the area.

This unique garden is truly a model of collaboration between schools, government, community members.

For more information on this exceptional project, please contact us.

How to Get Involved

  1. Read the “Volunteering” section of this website, particularly the “Getting Started” information.
  2. Read the By-Laws.
  3. Fill out an application for your own garden plot.
  4. Spread the word.

Happy gardening!

Posted in Historical Information | 1,464 Comments

New Member Forum

Check out our new member forum!

Click here

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Matches in which James Faulkner won an award (20)

17th December 2010 Sheffield Shield 2010/11  Tasmania v Western Australia Bellerive Oval, Hobart f52856
2nd November 2011 Ryobi One-Day Cup 2011/12  Tasmania v Victoria Bellerive Oval, Hobart a21570
1st December 2012 Ryobi One-Day Cup 2012/13  Tasmania v Western Australia North West Tasmania Cricket Association Ground, Burnie a22214
29th January 2013 West Indies in Australia 2012/13  Australia Prime Minister's XI v West Indies Manuka Oval, Canberra misc262354
19th February 2013 Ryobi One-Day Cup 2012/13  Western Australia v Tasmania Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth a22427
22nd March 2013 Sheffield Shield 2012/13 FinalTasmania v Queensland Blundstone Arena, Hobart wisff0
14th April 2013 Indian Premier League 2013  Rajasthan Royals v Kings XI Punjab Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur tt3570
27th April 2013 Indian Premier League 2013  Rajasthan Royals v Sunrisers Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur tt3605
19th October 2013 Australia in India 2013/14 3rd ODIIndia v Australia Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali a22915
9th January 2014 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash 2013/14  Melbourne Stars v Adelaide Strikers Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne tt4020
17th January 2014 England in Australia 2013/14 2nd ODIAustralia v England Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane a23192
26th January 2014 England in Australia 2013/14 5th ODIAustralia v England Adelaide Oval, Adelaide o3463
29th April 2014 Indian Premier League 2014  Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi tt4291
11th May 2014 Indian Premier League 2014  Royal Challengers Bangalore v Rajasthan Royals M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore ipl434
5th January 2015 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash 2014/15  Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne tt4679
29th March 2015 ICC World Cup 2014/15 FinalAustralia v New Zealand Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne wc400
10th April 2015 Indian Premier League 2015  Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Gahunje tt4834
19th June 2015 NatWest T20 Blast 2015 North DivisionNorthamptonshire v Lancashire County Ground, Northampton tt4972
25th March 2016 ICC World Twenty20 2015/16 Group 2Australia v Pakistan Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali wctt169
21st August 2016 Australia in Sri Lanka 2016 1st ODISri Lanka v Australia R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo o3768

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NewsCrime Crime Blog

Crime Blog

What could local thieves want with thousands of dollars worth of police equipment?

It’s a scary question prompted by a burglary Friday night at the C&G Wholesale police and fire supply store.

The burglars used a saw to cut the door frame at the Far Northeast Dallas store about 10:45 p.m., according to a Dallas police report. Among the stolen items were about two dozen knives, digital night vision equipment, body armor and 10 Texas penal code pocket guides.

“The suspects seemed to know exactly what they wanted and where it was located,” according to the police report.

DPD records showed no sign of any arrests late Sunday night.

Here’s the full police report:

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Howie Kurtz Tackles Al Gore's 'Hypocrisy' On Climate Change

If you're Al Gore and you own 20 percent of Current TV, and Current TV is sold to Al Jazeera, which is owned by Qatar's royal family, and Qatar's royal family also profits from oil trading, have you sold out the cause of global warming?

That's the question Howie Kurtz brought up on Reliable Sources this morning. I think it's a manufactured issue, but Dana Milbank begs to differ, saying "[H]e's been a big spokesman on global warming, a principled man and now he is this big, fat target." Continuing his rant, Milbank said Gore is "worth $300 million more than Mitt Romney and basically he's seen as a guy now who enriched himself, rather than advancing his cause -- opening up to the criticism of people like this global warming denier."

The Blaze writer Amy Holmes was predictably banal in her response, claiming Gore has "been telling the rest of the world to, you know, restrain and constrain our spending while he personally is becoming a wealthier man through, you know, his attack on Mother Nature."

What does that even mean? Does anyone think Al Gore bought Current TV in order to further his cause around global warming --so he could make a boatload of money on climate change? Really?

Finally, what does Mitt Romney's wealth have to do with it, anyway? Gore's wealth has come from sitting on the boards of Google and Apple after he left public office. He cashed in. Did anyone decide he was insincere about global warming because of those affiliations?

Gore and his partner Joel Hyatt bought a struggling cable network for $70 million in 2004. When Current was sold in 2013 for a price reported to be about $500 million, Gore's profit would be 20 percent of that sale price, less any financing that may have been obtained between 2004 and 2013. I have no idea what those financing arrangements might have been, but they either financed or else put their own funds in over the years in order to keep the doors open on what wasn't a particularly profitable enterprise.

For its part, Al Jazeera needed a channel with carriers. They have online traction, but were having difficulty finding cable carriers that would include their channel. By purchasing Current, they hoped to use Current's position as a channel already carried to build a news network competitive with CNN, which might explain why Time-Warner cable dropped Current the day the deal was announced.

I'm sure Comcast will follow suit, because when you own everything from cable to internet to pipeline to content creators, why bother with any voices you don't like?

At any rate, I'm having a great deal of difficulty connecting his sale of Current TV to Al Jazeera with a sellout of his credibility on climate change. I also don't view him as the sole authority on the question, but he is one who has credibility simply because he has been passionate and has put his money where his mouth is.

Gore defended himself during an interview with Matt Lauer earlier this week, reminding viewers that Al Jazeera has actually done a better job covering climate change issues than American media outlets. I haven't actually done a comparison, but it is true that our corporate media ignores climate change as much as they possibly can, because our oil barons appear to be even more militant about what their media can report.

To me, the jury is still out. I have mixed feelings about Al Jazeera English and am not sure whether Al Jazeera America will turn out to be a good thing or a bad thing. But if it pushes our corporate media to move toward something like journalism again, then I view that as a benefit and not a sellout.

PBS' Terrence Smith summed it up well before Howie 'rehabilitated' him:

SMITH: This strikes me as nonsense. He -- I think there's a certain amount of envy here for all the money he's made.

KURTZ: Is the questioning nonsense? Should he get a free pass on interviews on something --

SMITH: Fine. But --

KURTZ: You think the issue is nonsense.

SMITH: I think the idea that he is somehow adding to global warming by handing this over to Al Jazeera...

KURTZ: It's a question of political hypocrisy.

HOLMES: Sure, it's a fair question.

SMITH: A stretch beyond a stretch.

Yes, it is a stretch beyond a stretch. But it also highlights a pervasive idea that has now soaked in and taken root in media; that is, that media outlets are nothing more than the mouthpieces of their owners, and shouldn't have independence or credibility on their own.

Full transcript is here.

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service (revised 3/17/2016) for information on our posting policy.


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Posted to General on

Faithful gather to celebrate Yom Kippur

Mushka Goldman, 4, helps her mom, Chanie, the wife of Rabbi Berl Goldman, light a candle while her sister Rochel, 2, watches Wednesday evening to celebrate Yom Kippur at the Lubavitch Jewish Center.

In the warm glow of candlelight, a host of followers came to the Lubavitch Jewish Center Wednesday one by one to pray and ask God to forgive their sins.

It was one of many services in Gainesville to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year.

Surrounded by the sweet aroma of incense, the faithful then took a melodic journey through history, chanting the mystical words of the Kol Nidrei, a sacred Hebrew prayer that annuls all previous vows made with God. Women on one side, men on the other, they stood in solemn reverence beneath a white tent at the center in northwest Gainesville.

For some followers, the traditionalism of the Lubavitch congregation sets a spiritual mood that allows them to reconnect to their heritage and spirituality.

Ilana Rumbak, 48, said the service made her feel like she was home.

“Judaism is nothing without Yom Kippur,” said Rumbak, who attended the service with her daughters, Amy Rumbak, 20, and Carly Rumbak, 13. “What makes the service special here is that it’s very warm and traditional. They are still doing things the way they were done thousands of years ago.”

Amy Rumbak called Yom Kippur the “most important day” on the Jewish calendar. Jews fast, she said, because it’s a means of spiritual cleansing.

“Fasting shows God you are truly repentant of your sins,” she said.

Rabbi Berl Goldman led nearly 300 worshippers in prayer.

He explained that the separation of men and women during services is a means for the congregation to devote themselves solely to prayer and reflection without distraction. Many worshippers were dressed in white, symbolic of the Jewish belief that they are in an “angel-like” state on the holy day. Members greeted each other with, “Gmar chatima tova,” or “May it finish with a good seal.”

“When we greet each other with this saying, we’re wishing each other well as we put a final seal to our vows with God,” Goldman said.

Before sundown Wednesday, which is the official start of the Shabbat, or Sabbath, the girls and women were invited to light tiny candles. The women first light the candle, fan the warmth upwards, then cover their eyes and whisper a blessing.

“The candles represent the soul, hope and peace,” Goldman said. “The Jewish nation is one body, and tonight we’re praying for each other and for those who are not here.”

To repent for their sins, Jews are not allowed to eat, drink, wear leather-soled shoes or anoint themselves with cosmetics, deodorant or fragrances on the holiday.

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Research on Risk Management of Flexibility Information Systems

Feng YANG, Peiji SHAO, Dong LI, Liangqiang LI

This paper applies a document reading method and deductive-inductive method, studies idea of flexibility MIS, and Risk Management of Flexibility Information Systems on its development and operating environment, discusses an effect on information system risk administration brought by flexibility MIS idea, suggests that the information system risk management framework and implementing strategy by flexibility idea.
Key words: Flexibility MIS; Information system; Risk management; Change management

Flexibility MIS; Information system; Risk management; Change management

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CSN Login
Members Online: 3

You are here

What's in the future

Posts: 1
Joined: Apr 2004

My father has Stage IV, Small cell lung cancer. He is receiving 2nd series of chemo this week. He has been diagnosed for 8 weeks and since that time he has not been with us mentally because of the drugs. He has very few lucid moments. He has to have constant care. He is miserable, confused, constantly wanting to move, never at peace. The cancer is in his bones and liver, but not in his brain. I want to know, if the chemo works, will he have to remain on pain medicine, is it possible for him to get back to some degree of normal. He has been the backbone of a very close family, and the hardest part of all is not being able to get through to him to tell him what is going on so he will understand.

Posts: 7
Joined: Apr 2004

Hey , my name is Tammy. I lost the best thing that has ever happen to me , my Mom . The tears are now flowing. I can only say this to you .You only have one dad , and he took care of you , now its your turn . Say everything you never got to say , and enjoy every moment with him. May God bless you and you are in my prayers. If your out come is different then my please email me i need to here something positive. I am a smoker myselfe and need to stop, its a hard habit to stop. If you want the truth of whats in your future, well only God knows . I lost my mom after 16 weeks of finding out. And yes the chemo took its toll . Mom had it everywhere,brain,bones,liver, colen. Yes he will have to remain on pain meds. As the tears flow ,I must tell you mom was our back bone ,she was all my brother and I had , I am so sorry, The truth is you need not to give up. Do you believe in God? Pray Pray Pray and I will Pray with you ,may god bless you and your family . Please email me and keep in touch shorefreak@msn.com . P.S now its your turn take good care of Dad

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Corporate Social Responsibility

2010 CSR Awards and Recognition

Wide recognition for Cisco corporate citizenship and leadership

Cisco is pleased to announce our 2010 CSR awards and recognitions for CSR programs and practices on environmental sustainability, governance and ethics, workplace opportunities, social investment programs, supply chain leadership, and corporate citizenship.

Environmental Sustainability

  • Cisco achieves high scores among 200 largest companies in San Francisco area for communicating environmental sustainability efforts.
  • 2010 Best Green Business Award, Gwinnett County (Georgia)
  • 2010 Greater Austin Business Award, for environmental responsibility, Austin Texas Chamber of Commerce
  • Cool IT Challenge v.4 December 2010 (#1), Greenpeace
  • One of America’s 10 Greenest Companies, Forbes
  • Green Power Purchasers (#6), US EPA List
  • Carbon Disclosure Project (#2 IT company), Carbon Performance Leadership Index (CPLI)
  • Best Green PR Campaign, PR News, Cisco Canada
  • Outstanding waste reduction efforts recognition, California Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP)
  • Silicon Valley Water Conservation Award, California.
  • Gold LEED Certification, Cisco Building 14, Bangalore, India
  • Buildy Award, for smart building and connected infrastructure innovations, BuilConn
  • Best of Interop Green Award, for Cisco Energywise, Las Vegas Interop and Best of Interop Japan
  • Gold Quill Award, for video series that inspired employees to think and act in environmentally sustainable ways, International Association of Business Communicators .

Governance and Ethics

  • Top 20 Companies for Leadership (#12), Business Week
  • World’s Most Ethical Companies, Ethisphere Magazine
  • Best Overall Governance, for compliance and ethics program, Corporate Secretary Magazine
  • Covalence EthicalQuote (top ethical reputation), top five
  • 2010 Ethics Inside Certification, Ethisphere
  • Overall Leader in CSR Practices, PR News
  • Most Respected Company, Cisco China, The Economic Observer and Management Case Center at Peking University

Our People: Workforce Development

  • World's Most Admired Companies (#20), Fortune
  • 100 Best Places to Work (#16 overall, and #4 among large companies), Fortune
  • Best Place to Work in North Carolina's Research Triangle (RTP) region (#3), Triangle Business Journal
  • 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers, Working Mother Magazine
  • Best 50 Employers in Canada (#3), Hewitt Associates
  • 100 Best Companies to Work for in Canada
  • 100 Best Companies to Work for in America (#16)
  • 100 Best Workplaces in the EU 2010 (#17)
  • Best Companies to Work for in Latin America 2010 (#38), Brasil
  • Best Companies to Work for in Mexico 2010 (#31), Mexico
  • Top 50 Best Workplaces in United Kingdom 2010
  • Best Workplaces in Austria (#3)
  • Best Workplaces in Belgium (#8)
  • Best Workplaces in Germany (#4)
  • Best Workplaces in Ireland (#14)
  • Best Workplaces in Italy (#3)
  • Best Workplaces in Japan (#5)
  • Best Workplaces in the Netherlands (#18)
  • Best Workplaces in Norway (#8)
  • Best Workplaces in Portugal (#2)
  • Best Workplaces in Spain (#1)
  • Best Workplaces in Switzerland (#2)
  • Best Workplaces in Norway (#1), Working Mother magazine
  • Top 50 (#37), DiversityInc.
  • Diversity Leader Award, Diversity Journal
  • Top 50 Companies for people with disabilities (#39), CAREERS & the disABLED magazine
  • America 's Top Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities, Diversity Business
  • Disability Matters Award, Disability Matters
  • Above and Beyond Award, Diversity Best Practices
  • 50 Out Front Companies for Diversity Leadership, Diversity MBA Magazine
  • Top 50, National Association for Female Executives (NAFE)

Social Investment

  • 2010 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE), for helping the underserved and reconnecting the Israeli and Palestinian people and economies, US State Department


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Click here to download a complete set of the factsheets in booklet style.

Learn the facts about sustainability and test your knowledge with our quiz.


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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Weed of the Moment: Crabgrass and its look-alikes

By: Tony Koski, Turfgrass Specialist

Guess what? You might actually be seeing crabgrass in your lawn this time of year! It was late germinating this spring (we didn't see it in Fort Collins until late May), but now it's large and in charge. This is crabgrass in late May:
Young crabgrass
Now it looks like this (late July):
Small (smooth) crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum)
Small (smooth) crabgrass--growing in concrete!
(That's a joke)
Small (smooth) crabgrass near sidewalk
Crabgrass seedhead
Many think they have crabgrass, but they don't. Here are some other crabgrass look-alikes that are often called crabgrass, but misidentified...

This is not crabgrass; this is bromegrass (wide, coarse blade; often a "W" watermark on upper tip of leaf):

Bromegrass in a bluegrass lawn
This is not crabgrass; this is annual bluegrass (characteristic apple green color; often with seedheads):
Annual bluegrass in a Kentucky bluegrass lawn
And this is not crabgrass; this is tall fescue (clumps of grass with rough edges on the leaf blade):
Tall fescue in a bluegrass lawn
 This isn't crabgrass either; this is orchardgrass (flat "stems" and tall white ligule):

The ligule is located like a collar on the inside of the leaf

Orchardgrass in the lawn
And no, this isn't crabgrass either; this is yellow foxtail (characteristic red base, yellow-y color):
Yellow foxtail, which can easily be confused with crabgrass.
The great news is that the same products that work on crabgrass
will work on foxtail.
Yellow foxtail--look at that distinctive red color!
Finally, this isn't crabgrass--this is bermudagrass (forms runners, invasive, pointy leaf tip):
Crabgrass is characterized by its prostrate growth habit, especially after mowing and a light, apple green leaf color. The seedheads are digitate (finger-like) and will begin forming in earnest in August. Crabgrass is a warm season grass (and a summer annual), so it will die with the first frost.

If you want to control it now, use any herbicide product containing quinclorac (such as Ortho Weed Be Gon Max Plus Crabgrass Control, Fertilome Weed Out Plus Q or Bayer All-in-One Lawn Weed and Crabgrass Killer). Be aware it may take more than one application to completely kill this persistent weed. It's much easier to control when it's a seedling or use preemergence products in early spring.

The big point to make, with the exception of foxtail and crabgrass, is that quinclorac will not work to selectively remove tall fescue, bermudagrass, bromegrass or annual blugrass from your lawn. So identification of grasses that LOOK like crabgrass is essential before you start spraying herbicides willy-nilly.

  1. So how does one control or kill: tall fescue, bermudagrass, bromegrass or annual blugrass from your lawn?

  2. Good question. Tall fescue should be removed by hand (digging) if only a few clumps are present. There is no herbicide that can selectively remove the tall fescue without harming your bluegrass. A severe infestation of tall fescue will have to be tolerated - or the entire area killed with glyphosate (Roundup) and reseeded or resodded. The same is true for bromegrass. Bermudagrass can be selectively controlled in a bluegrass lawn using either Tenacity (mesotrione) or Pylex (topramezone); it's best to have a lawn care professional apply these materials. It will require a minimum of 3 sequential applications (7-10 days apart) to control bermuda - and it's likely to return the next year because you rarely get all of it. Tenacity costs about $60 for 8 ounces, while Pylex runs about $400 (yes, $400) for 8 ounces. Annual bluegrass is very difficult to remove selectively from any turf. Total renovation of a lawn heavily infested by annual bluegrass is often the best course of action.

  3. Very good article.
    Looks like it is annual bluegrass invading a large spot in my tall fescue lawn.

  4. Saint Augustine grass is the best weed control possible. Plant a runner and your problem will go away.

  5. Saint Augustine grass is the best weed control possible. Plant a runner and your problem will go away.


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Respecting Sutras: Proper Use, Terms, and Conditions

Q & A for Every Day. Insights: The Wisdom and Compassion of a Buddhist Master

Quotations of the Venerable Master Hua

Essay on Great Unity: Universal Propriety Brings Universal Harmony, Equality, and Justice

The Seven Kinds of Bowing

Chinese Lessons

The Confucian Analects

One with Virtue can Rule the World

Water Mirror Reflecting Heaven

Taking Responsibility for Who We Are and What We Do

Venerable Master Hsuan Hua's Precious Teachings & Lofty Spirit

In Memory of the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua

The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua's Parinirvana photographs

Images & paintings of Venerable Master Hua

50th Anniversary of Venerable Master Hua's Bringing the Dharma to the West

A Preview of the Commemorating Event for Venerable Master Hua's Fiftieth Anniversary of Propagating the Dharma in the West

Essay Contest Entries

In Memory of Elder Dharma Master Gwang Ching

Venerable Master Set Foot in Korea

Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dharma Protectors & Four Heavenly Kings

Special Events:

Luang Por Sumedho at CTTB 2014

Open Your Eyes, Take a Look at the World

Journals & Letters on a Bowing Pilgrimage

Dharma Realm Buddhist University and Sangha & Laity Training Programs

Opening Ceremony of Novice Trainee Program

IGDV Schools Founder

History of Instilling Goodness and Developing Virtue Schools

Students' Essays

IGDV Schools Photo Gallery

Vow to be born in the Western Pure Land

Exhortation to Resolve Upon Bodhi

Records of the Pure Land

Enter the Lotus Land at Ease

A Lotus Flower Blossoms Under Each Step One Walks (Chinese & English)

Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas

Patriarch Hall

Life-Lengthening Hall

Rebirth Hall

Speed Limit in CTTB

CTTB Signs

Panoramic Photos of CTTB

At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

A Pictorial Tour of the City of 10,000 Buddhas

Some Historical Photographs of the City of 10,000 Buddhas

Articles, Talks, Poems, and Photographs on the City of 10,000 Buddhas

Working in CTTB

CTTB's 30th Anniversary Celebration

CTTB Grand Opening 30th Anniversary Photographs

Lay Bodhisattva Preceptees for 2009

Wonderful Enlightenment Mountain & CTTB

The Avatamsaka Sutra Translation at CTTB

Resolve and Evergreen Trees in CTTB

Spring at the City of 10,000 Buddhas

Springtime in CTTB

Blossoming Trees in CTTB

Summer at the City of 10,000 Buddhas

CTTB's Mountain Gate

CTTB Lotuses

Autumn at the City of 10,000 Buddhas

CTTB Grapes

Winter at the City of 10,000 Buddhas

The Moon

Dusk and Night

Cherishing Life

Wildlife and Animals

Dew and dewdrops

Sunrise, sun rays, and morning scenes

Tower of Blessings

Ten Thousand Buddhas Jeweled Repentance

Sharing Experiences about the 2006 Bowing Session

Talks given at the City of 10,000 Buddhas

Buddhism: A Brief Introduction

Introduction to Buddhism

Han Shan and She Te

At the End of Life

Three Essentials of Those Close to Death

Gathas spoken by the Venerable Master Hsu Yun

Song of the Skin Bag by the Venerable Master Hsu Yun

Precepts for the Deceased: An Inconceivable Dharma Door

Buddhism and Science: Probing the Boundaries of Faith and Reason

Science and Spirituality

Looking at Hitech through the Lens of the Five Moral Precepts

Tapping the Potential for Wisdom in Humankind

The Inner Ecology: Buddhist Ethics & Practice

Buddhist Ideas for Attaining World Peace

The Transformation of Consciousness into Wisdom in the Chinese Consciousness-Only School

Offering of Pure Vegetarian Foods

Vegetarian Food

Diet for World Peace

The Manifesto of the Vegetarian Society

My Dear Sister

The Compassionate Deer-king

The Story of Liberating Two Burros

Environmental Issues: A Buddhist Perspective

A Buddhist Perspective on Animal Rights

Why Genetically Engineered Food Should Be Labeled

Meat Eating and Global Warming

How Buddhism Changed My Life!

Filial Paragons

Stories from, "The Love of Life"

Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dharma Protectors, and the Four Heavenly King

The Reclining Buddha Statue at Gold Wheel Monastery

The Golden Radiance of the Buddhist Lecture Hall

Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s Blessing amidst a Blazing Fire

Earth Store Recitation

Gwan Yin Recitation

Amitabha Buddha Recitation

Winter Chan Meditation

Avatamsaka Sutra Recitation

2014 Lay Bodhisattva Precepts Transmission photos

Honoring Elders Day

Cherishing Youth

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy 2008

Happy Chinese New Year 2008

Happy 2009

Happy Chinese New Year 2009

Happy 2010

Happy Chinese New Year 2010

Happy 2011

Happy 2012

Happy Chinese New Year 2012

Happy 2013

Happy Chinese New Year 2013

Lunar New Year Mantra Recitation 2013

Chinese New Year Celebration 2013

Happy 2014

Happy Chinese New Year 2014

Happy 2015

Happy 2016

Chinese New Year 2016

Some Essay Contest Entries for 2012

International Institute of Philosophy and Ethics

Snow Mountain Monastery Gwan Yin Session 2014

For ordering online, please visit the BTTS website at: BTTS Sutras
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Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Castro 'recovering' after surgery

Fidel Castro is said to be making a good recovery since illness forced the 79-year-old Cuban leader to hand over power to his brother Raul temporarily.

The Venezuelan government, currently Cuba's closest ally, said it had been told Mr Castro's recovery was "progressing positively".

It is not clear whether he is in hospital or recovering at home.

He has had surgery to halt internal bleeding, according to a statement attributed to Mr Castro himself.

The Cuban leader, who turns 80 this month, was quoted as saying that a punishing schedule in recent weeks had affected his health.

This is the first time Mr Castro has relinquished any of his duties as head of the communist state since he came to power in 1959.

Stephen Gibbs, BBC correspondent in Havana, says most Cubans are taking news of their leader's sickness in their stride.

Shops and offices are open, and there is no sign of extra security.

The White House has said it is monitoring events while Cuban exiles have been celebrating in Miami.

Raul Castro, the defence minister, has long been designated as his brother's successor should he become incapacitated.

Party postponed

In his statement, Fidel Castro said a recent trip to Argentina and last week's anniversary of the Cuban Revolution had caused him "days and nights of non-stop work" and put him under "extreme stress".

Resulting intestinal bleeding, he said, meant he needed an operation which would require several weeks of rest.

"Since our country is threatened by the US Government under circumstances such as these," the statement said, Mr Castro had delegated his functions as president and first secretary of the Communist Party to his brother Raul, who is 75.

A major celebration had been planned for 13 August - the veteran leader's 80th birthday - but the event has now been postponed until December.

Fidel Castro has been among the world's longest-ruling leaders - outlasting nine US presidents.

The news prompted scenes of wild celebration on the streets of Miami on Monday night, as thousands of people danced, banged cooking pots and chanted "Cuba, Cuba, Cuba!"

"There has never been anything that has given the people so much hope," Armando Tellez, 33, told the Associated Press news agency.

Others, like Miguel Saavedra, the leader of a conservative Cuban exile group, speculated that Mr Castro had already died.

"Castro is dead ... why is he dead? Because the government they give a lot of information to the whole world that Castro passed his power to the brother ... this news now is the best news... for 48 years," Mr Saavedra said.

But others were more circumspect, noting that Mr Castro had survived several health scares.

In 2001, he fainted briefly during a speech.

And in 2004, TV cameras captured the moment when Mr Castro slipped and fell, breaking his knee and fracturing his arm.

The White House said it was monitoring the situation, but did not wish to speculate on Mr Castro's health.

"We will continue to work for the day of Cuba's freedom," said spokesman Peter Watkins.

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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!!  I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited for 2012.  Yesterday in my yoga class we went through very slow yoga postures and while doing so my teacher took us on a reflection through 2011.  With each breath in and each breath out we traveled through last winter, spring, summer, and fall to finally arrive at the present.  Embrace the present for it leads to a better future.  Avoid holding onto the past.

And here we are on New Year's Eve 2011.  This year has seen a lot of changes for me.  Some were very difficult (and continue to be) yet they all should have a positive result in the long run.  I don't have any regrets from this year (which is good since I shouldn't be hanging on to the past anyway... see above).  I have personal resolutions and I also have blog resolutuions.  I will share the blog ones with you:
  1. Redesign blog layout.  The current one seems very stale.  I've been so inspired by different blogs and websites that I'm almost ready to start putting together a new look for Cup of Tea.  Stay tuned for that!
  2. Start writing better on this blog.  I have decent writing skills, yet when it comes to this blog I seem to just type away without really spending time on the correct words to express myself.  I've fallen into a mediocre writing habit here.  It's like if I'm not getting paid or not getting a grade in school for it, why spend time perfecting?  But a well written blog is always more interesting, so that is one of my blog resolutions.
I would also like to give a huge thank you to my readers.  Without you I would not have the motivation to continue on with this.  I read all of your comments and emails with excitement.  I love connecting with all of you and am continually glad that I decided to start a style blog.  Thank you!

I wish you all a happy and safe New Year's Eve tonight.

Happy 2012!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Holiday in Pink

Last week my co-workers and I had our holiday lunch at the fancy Detroit Athletic Club.  What a great excuse to dress up!  I was lacking holiday-colored fancy clothes, so I went with this look instead:

sweater: Forever21
skirt: LC Lauren Conrad
tights: unknown
shoes: Mix No. 6

Who says you can't wear pink for the holidays?  Besides, the faceted beads (is that what those are called?) make it a bit more festive.  Anyway, the Detroit Athletic Club building is absolutely gorgeous.  Located in downtown Detroit, it was established way back in 1887!  I wish I had pictures of the inside because any attempt at describing it really would not do it justice.

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends!  I'm off to go enjoy my day off work today.  I'll be catching up with a friend in town from Chicago along with some local friends too.  Ahh I love days of just hanging out with nothing important to do.  :)

Until next time...

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Movie Spotlight: Miracle on 34th Street

Merry Christmas Eve!!  I've had this entry all ready to post and time got away from me!  So today I bring you a last-minute Christmas movie spotlight: Miracle on 34th Street, made in 1947.  But don't worry (because I know you are); it's available on Instant Play through Netflix, so you're not too late to watch!

This is one of the Christmas movies I don't own, so I always make it a point of watching at one of my friend's houses every year.  All  of these images are in black & white, but the version I watched yesterday had been colorized.  It's funny when you recognize a movie as being colorized, especially if you've seen a different colorized version of the same movie before.  You recognize some outfits being different colors from one version to the next:

In the version I watched, Natalie Wood was wearing a dark green robe... none of the above!  But anyway, I like seeing all of the snappy suits that Maureen O'Hara wears.  And hats!  I wish the everyday person still wore hats!  Oooh I love fashion history.

Well I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas tomorrow if you celebrate it, and if not I hope you have a fabulous Sunday!  I'll be relaxing at home eating Christmas cookies and drinking Trader Joe's Candy Cane Green Tea.  Yum!

Merry Christmas to all!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Autumn Recap

I forgot to post my season recap!  I was supposed to post this at the beginning of December.... and here we are on December 19! Hah.  Anyway, this autumn has had its challenges for Cup of Tea.  With the return of school and the earlier darkening of the days, photographing has been hard!  But somehow I managed to get in more outfit posts than I did over the summer!

My attire was all over the map.  I go from wearing a coat in one post, to not wearing a coat, to wearing bare legs, to wearing jeans with boots, to wearing bare legs and bare arms, to wearing a winter scarf... what is all of this?  Autumn in Michigan, my friend.  Autumn in Michigan.

Another Christmas Movie Spotlight is coming this week, get your Netflix Queues ready!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

DIY: Santa Brownies

A few days ago I made these super cute Santa brownies to take over to my friend's house for a festive treat!  Aren't they cute?

and they taste good too!  Here are directions to make them yourself!  I got these directions from Daisy's World and they worked great!

1 pan of your favorite brownies, cooled and cut into desired size and shape (I used a round cutter)
12-16 small strawberries, cleaned and hulled
vanilla-mascarpone buttercream (recipe below)

Mascarpone Buttercream Directions
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of salt

How It's Done
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment [I just used a hand mixer because I lack a stand mixer], beat butter and mascarpone cheese until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.  Add vanilla extract and salt.  Add 2-1/2 cups of sugar, half a cup at a time and continue beating until smooth.  Add more sugar, if needed to reach desired consistency and sweetness.  To assemble, pipe a ring of buttercream on top of each brownie.  Cut off the base of a strawberry so it is flat and place it upside down on each brownie, pushing slightly to secure in place.  Top the tip of the strawberry with a dot of buttercream to finish the santa hat.

Hope you enjoy!  I sure did!

And on a different note.... I'M A COLLEGE GRAD!! with a bachelors in graphic design to be specific.

^ That is how I feel, school spirit and everything!  So long Madonna University!  You were good to me :)

Happy brownie-ing!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Cup of Tea... Russian Style?

The first snow finally arrived in Michigan last week (that seems kind of late, especially for Michigan) and it only lasted half of the day before melting.  If there's a time when I want snow, it's in December.  I hope it comes back soon!

pea coat: Alloy
jeans: Levi's
turtleneck: Forever 21
boots: vintage c/o mom
hat: American Eagle
gloves: unknown

This is a jacket that I picked up on clearance during the summer.  At the time it was so hard to even imagine cold weather but the discounted price was great!  I saved $80.  Sounds good to me!  For some reason I think of it as being very Russian-looking.  I'm not even sure what Russian-looking is, but in my mind it is this coat.  That is my uninformed Russian fashion talk.  I'm sure if I were to actually wear this coat in Russia I would freeze to death.  It's not very warm as many pea coats aren't.

Anyone else feeling stressed out about now?  With classes ending and Christmas coming, I always have a million things to do.  The list-making is endless.  I have about 20 post-its stuck all around my computer.  It's becoming hard to keep up on all of the blogs that I read!  But just know that I eventually read them all.  You all are too fast for me to keep up!  I am absent from Google Reader for a few days and I come back to a gazillion posts!  And they're all fabulous so I can't not read them.  You can tell I'm kinda stressed since my counting went from a million to a gazillion in one paragraph.  Too many things to do!!!

Okay.  Breathe.  College ends tomorrow.  That should clear up some time.  Hopefully.

^Those are my neighbor's trees during the snow last week.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

All I Want For Christmas Is...

I'm jumping on the blogging bandwagon with my Christmas wish list!  Here are some of the things I'm hoping to get this season:

1. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling | 2. BC Footwear Sure Thing Wedge from American Eagle | 3. Mad Men on DVD | 4. Crystal Pleated Skirt from The Limited | 5. Snow & Graham 2012 Wall Calendar | 6. Fold Your Hands Child You Walk Like A Peasant on CD by Belle & Sebastian

Here's hoping!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Christmas Movie Spotlight: White Christmas

I'm in the mood... in the mood for the holidays!  I have officially started my Christmas shopping.  And today I bring you photos from one of my favorite Christmas movies, Irving Berlin's White Christmas.  I watch it every year.  I know it so well that I could recite the lines as I watch.  But I don't, because that's annoying.

The two photos I included are of Rosemary Clooney's (George Clooney's mother!) gorgeous dresses in the film.  Why don't people dress like this anymore?  If I went to a nice show these days, I could guarantee you most of the people in attendance would be wearing jeans.  And I know, jeans can definitely be dressed up, but come on...  if you don't dress up for an actual dressing-up worthy occasion, when will you ever?  Anyway, back to Rosemary Clooney... look at the sweetheart neckline of the second dress!  So pretty!  If you have never seen this movie, you're missing out (add to Netflix queue asap!)

In other news, this week is absolutely crazy.  It's only 8pm right now and my eyes are about to slam shut.  I'm frantically trying to get all of my school projects/assignments done by tomorrow.  This weekend is going to be a whirlwind of craziness including Greyhound buses, old friends, another viewing of The Nutcracker, lots of driving, and two back-to-back Christmas parties that are both being hosted at my house.  Whew.  Is it Sunday night yet?  That is the next time I'll have to breathe.  But then next week is my LAST week of college!!!  Come December 14th and I will officially be DONE.  Yippee!!!

Watch that movie^!!!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Leggings As Pants?

I usually spend large chunks of my weekend catching up on everything that I've put off during the week.  Like laundry.  So when I decided to wash ALL of my jeans, I had nothing to wear for the outfit I was planning on!  Duh.  (does anyone say that anymore?) So I cautiously pulled out... the leggings.  I'm always kinda been afraid of wearing them... they look good on most other people, but I feel awkward with them!  Leggings as pants?  Am I really going to go there?  Well, many people wear them like that and they look fine.... So here is the result.  Not bad.  Looks comfortable, that's for sure.

sweater: Sonoma
leggings: Target
scarf: Target
boots: Civico 10
boot socks: Target
clutch: Deux Lux
ring: Stella & Dot
necklace: American Eagle

And what was inside that clutch?  A book of course!  I felt kind of like Rory Gilmore, stuffing my purse with a book.  But the book I happened to be reading for class fit perfectly.  So why not?

^Good read by the way.

In other news, how is the holiday shopping going for everyone?  I have yet to even start!!  Eeek!  I have taken the first step in writing down ideas for people though.  Now I just have to work up the nerve to tackle Somerset Collection with all of the mad shoppers.  Of course, that will happen after I've done all the online shopping that I possibly can!  Funny, for a girl who LOVES new clothes, I really hate shopping.

Have a great day!