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theCHIVE is The World’s Largest Photo Entertainment Website and App, and is home to some of the most interesting content from around the world. What started a small side project, has turned into a media powerhouse, with over 30 million monthly users, 180 million page views, and over 11 million App Downloads.

In addition to users submitting their favorite things from around the web, theChive’s team of editors keep their ears to the ground to discover some of the coolest things that are out there. We weren’t surprised when we found out that they selected SAFEGO as one of the 13 coolest products on the web; but it definitely made us smile when we saw ourselves listed next to some of the other amazing products they selected.

You should take a look at the entire list here here.

If you need to save some time, here are a few of our favorites:

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LASW Open Ended Assessments

With the scantrons of Open Ended assessments flowing our way, it’s imperative that we take this critical formative information to design our instruction for the next quarter of the school year.  Please put LASW/Open Ended Assessments on one of two Grade Level Collaboration times: Either…

Friday, December 14 or

Collaboration of Jan 29, 30, 31

Grade levels should be looking for patterns and trends and developing common instructional routines to address our students current level of performance.  Our work with ILT in January and February will address one instructional strategy (close reading and annotation) that should have a positive impact in this area.  Finally, Please send me copies of the actual open ended assessments of the target students that Natalie and I are working with.  We will send those names to you by e-mail since that is a more secure method.  Thanks a million

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Get lost in the green and blue

UIUC has a huge, widely apread out campus. Within it, you’ll find a wide range of places.

One such place is the Arboretum. It is a large area of land (where you can probably get lost easily) with different views as you keep walking. And it’s the perfect place for nature photography…

…ohmygosh the butterflies! I was highly gratified when one butterfly (pictured below) was kind enough to keep still for the time needed to focus and take a photo. Butterflies usually aren’t that calm (no need to pass judgement on my blog title, okay? Okay.)

There were these tiny peppers in so many colours. A new entry on my Bucket List is to eat purple peppers somewhere soon.

The sky was all kinds of beautiful too that day…

A few sections of the arboretum (technically, most parts of the arboretum) are like something out of an old English novel countryside…wildflowers, long, swaying stalks, a small pond, a wooden bridge…

And this is probably one of the most interesting photographs I’ve ever taken. Again, I would like to thank the grasshopper and the tiny moth (look for it!) for taking the time to pose for this…

While roaming around there, I realized that the walks where your shoes get lost in the grass, are well worth going out for. It’s well worth the 5 mile walk, and the aching feet.

And I later realized that I hadn’t looked at my phone for the whole time I was there.

From India to Illinois : I moved continents!

I’ve been missing for a while (again), but this time I have an extremely valid reason – I was firstly holidaying around the US, and now I’m settling in at my new home. After living a little more than the first two decades of my life at the same place, I’m now living away from home, because I’m doing my PhD at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The level of adulting (kindly excuse my use of crazy words) has gone up, people.

In the last couple of weeks, I have…

…learnt that packed lunches are a wonderful thing

…already got my first set of bruised scabby knees

…pulled/pushed doors in the wrong direction (way too many times)

…gotten a water account in my name (well they first named me Baner (first name) Jee (last name), but I got it changed after I’d laughed a full minute)

…left my water bottle in class (and then retrieved it the next afternoon)

…learnt that I can cook well enough and my experiments aren’t bad at all

…had a staring contest with a rabbit in front of my apartment building

After the staring, it royally ignored me

…understood that if your front door is open and someone is moving around in your room, it’s probably just the maintenance guy fixing your window blinds(and not an intruder, so don’t scream)

…stuck to my resolution to wash dishes as soon as I’m done with them

…gotten lost in Walmart (and Target. And JC Penney)

…repeated myself several times (slowly) because my English is accented

…learnt that my English is accented

…been expressed deep commiseration and laments over the fact that I’m a doctoral student, and will probably stay here forever

…already gotten socialized to dread midterms

…confirmed that UIUC is indeed surrounded by cornfields, but what people leave out is that within those cornfields you have pretty much everything you might need

…visited the ‘Taste of Champaign-Urbana‘ and despite the live music and delectable food, been most excited by the froyo spoons which change colour when cold

…got a taste of what the (in)famous #gradlife is about

…observed the “Undergrad” and seen several stereotypes played out

…observed the “Grad” and seen several stereotypes played out

…realized that I’ll probably be okay.

Now these realizations/learnings were only in university, so you can imagine how much I was bombarded with while I was being touristy before I got here. It wasn’t as much of a culture-shock as it is a learning process. The widespread reach of American movies, TV series and Tumblr has done at least one thing – made American popular culture known to everyone.

And now I must go and study, because you know, Grad school and all that.

(I’m probably just going to chat with my flatmates about which restaurant we’re going to try out this week)

Spring is here

Spring has always been my favourite season. And how can it not, when nature literally begins coming back to life suddenly, after months of dormancy? It’s like a naturally poetic time.

First, I thought this photograph was too bleak and signified only thorns and and despair. But it’s so obvious that it actually shows that even the thorns can’t stop the delicate new leaves from coming out. Did I mention spring is an inherently poetic time?

I love how the bare trees begin sprouting out again, I love how a lot of the flowers which were planted ages back finally open their buds and start blooming.

I love how the weather becomes practically perfect in every single way.

I think I just love the fact that spring makes everything seem so hopeful and possible…like an acknowledgement of the fact that the few months of the new year which have gone by might not have given you everything you desired already, but there are still so many months left. There is still hope for wonderful things to happen.

Okay. I think I myself get hopelessly poetic during spring. And now I know why I loved reading P. B. Shelley’s ‘Ode to the West Wind’ – because though it is dedicated to the harsher wintery winds and talks mostly about despair and destruction, it talks a lot about what is to come, and how everything will bloom again in spring.

O Wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
– Percy Bysshe Shelley (Ode to the West Wind)
Happy Spring!

Look Back. Move Forward.

Hello hello. I think I might be late to this party (by at least a month), but better late than never, right?

To begin my posts in the new year, I’m going to do something I haven’t done much (except for blogging awards) – tackle a Tag. The New Year’s Tag, to be precise. I think it’s actually a YouTube tag, but eh…let’s adapt.

So let’s begin the mock interview!

(Note : WordPress is somehow bungling up the formatting of the bullet points. No amount of checking and rechecking is working. Help!)

(Update : My friend helped fix it! Yay for friends who know HTML! Thanks Sahil)

Just stealthily adding in my favourite photograph that I clicked in 2015

  • If you could look back on one memory from last year that you wish you could relive, what would it be?

This one’s tough…but I think I’d say my trip to Hyderabad for a friend’s brother’s wedding (because it was marvelous fun), AND some memorable family get-togethers

  • What was one New Year’s Resolution that you accomplished

New Year’s resolutions always remind me of Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes) as he explains how he doesn’t need resolutions because he’s already perfect. Pity I don’t think I’m as perfect as Calvin does, but I’m still not a big proponent of NY resolutions, because of their inevitably short life. Because circumstances change, and the same resolution cannot always hold true.

But, even with my ‘I-don’t-need-resolutions’ approach, I think I subconsciously resolved to stop worrying so much about what others were saying. I accomplished that…a bit.

  • 3 words to describe last year?

Exciting. Changing. Steadying.

  • Best music related creation/inspiration last year by an artist in your opinion?

Adele’s 25 (because however bandwagon-ish that may sound…for Adele, I don’t care) and some of the stuff on Coke Studio.

  • Something you’re looking forward to this coming year?

A lot of things. Hoping for quite a lot too. Let’s not jinx anything.

  • What did last year teach you?

That growing up and being independant is freeing and frightening at the same time. And that’s fine; life doesn’t progress in black and white, and is in fact mostly grey.

  • What was your most worn clothing item of last year?

I think there would a list of things because once I like something, I hold onto it like Christopher Robin held onto Pooh. Same goes for clothes, so I’m sure people were forced to see some of the same stuff on me repeatedly (and they were too polite to say anything) because I was so delighted with it and loved it too much.

  • If you had to sum up your year in one word, what would it be?

Hey! I’ve already used 3 words to describe the year 5 questions back, and now just ONE word? Do you not know of my rambling verbosity?

If I have to pick a word…Transformative.

  • What are you hoping for more of this coming year?

More books, more meeting up with old friends, more communication, more belief in good things to come.

  • What are you hoping for less of this coming year?

Less of YouTube binges (just like me to give up Facebook, but fall into the whirlpool of YouTube), less of apprehensiveness, less anxiety.

  • Best book you read last year?

Tough! But I think I really enjoyed working my way through the Watchman Books from Discworld by Terry Pratchett. Also, finally read Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, which was pretty haunting.

  • What is your New Year’s resolution for the upcoming year?

Refer to second question above.

However, I guess I continue with the wish to be more confident about myself and being so apprehensive about my instincts.

And that’s it! Tag complete. This was more fun than I expected, and required a lot more contemplation than I had anticipated.

Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for sticking around, and hope you’re having a wonderful year so far. Keep being awesome \m/

Back to the Mountains

It was my parents’ 25th Anniversary (yep, silver jubilee and all) some time back. And we decided to spend it away from home. Once again, my parents spent ages ruminating over the options, and never deciding. So once again, I had to finally put my foot down and decide on a destination by myself.

Because we couldn’t get too many days off from work, the place had to be nearby, and had to provide some much-needed respite from the Delhi heat. So after much thought, I zeroed down upon the Queen of the Hills – Mussourie.

It was a good decision!

It was smoggy, so we didn’t get a perfect view of the mountain range around. However, the one day we decided to amble along the Mall road, it was sunny enough to give us all sunburn (we returned with red noses and foreheads).

All in all though, it was lovely. We stayed at the lovely Kasmanda Palace, which has beautiful English gardens, a restaurant deck which overlooks the valley, and old-world vintage decor inside the main building, which is fascinating to look at.

The trip was centred around admiring nature, relaxing in peaceful surroundings, and me trying out my new DSLR.

Kasmanda Palace (view from the restaurant deck)

Kasmanda Palace (view from the restaurant deck)

Slightly smoggy views in the morning unfortunately

Slightly smoggy views in the morning unfortunately (as in, it broke my heart, because I had been looking forward to some spectacular views)

The palace gardens are beautiful. Such a lot of flowers!

Still searching for the name of these flowers. But just look at those colours!

Calla lilies

Calla lilies

Swaying Himalayan Aster (according to my extensive research)

And what’s an English garden without a birdbath…

There’s a Magnolia tree in the garden too. And it was flowering. Win!

And for those of you who haven’t seen magnolia flowers before (just like I hadn’t before this trip), here’s how they look off the tree…

Surprisingly, more than the flowers, I was enchanted by a huge Maple tree. I even got a leaf home, as a souvenir and memorabilia of our time here.

This maple tree had me captivated

This maple tree had me captivated

We took a half day trip outside Mussourie. We first went to Landour, which is famous for being the place where Ruskin Bond lives. I was very excited about going there. I imagined bumping into him somewhere, and discussing how much I liked his books.

Imagine my disappointment when the driver suddenly drove past a red building, with ‘Doma’s Inn’ written on it (surrounded by distinctly Tibetan paintings) and pointed out what looked like a side door, and said, “That’s where Ruskin Bond lives”.

And that was it. Before I could protest and ask the driver to stop, we had flown down the narrow road, leaving Bond’s house behind. The disappointment of not even being able to see Bond’s house properly, let alone him, was so much that I didn’t take any pictures in Landour at all. Oh well. I guess I’ll have to plan a stay at Doma’s Inn soon.

After Landour, we moved on to Dhanaulti. This wasn’t the first time we were going that way. My parents and I remember Dhanaulti as the place-we-were-on-our-way-to-but-our-car-broke-down (this happened at least 10 years back). So, though we knew about Dhanaulti and should have already visited it, had it not been for a very bad road 10 years back, this was the first time we actually went there.

The roads are a lot better now, I was told many times by my parents, who have a better recollection of what had happened the last time we were on that road than I did.

The place to visit in Dhanaulti, is the Eco Park. It’s supposed to be a peaceful place, but now has a variety of ‘adventure sports’ (kids hanging from harnesses and zipping down a line) and swings (in the shape of animals). I understand that children must be kept occupied in such a place where there is nothing to do, but it affects the serenity of the place. A lot.

It was only when we walked quite a distance into the forest, did we actually experience the stillness of the forest; the only sound was the incessant buzzing of cicadas (which are found in abundance here), and the occasional trilling whistle of some bird.

Deodar trees at the Dhanaulti Eco Park. Towering above us, I could tell why they were regarded as sacred by Indian sages. And below our feet, their needle-like leaves covered the forest floor

Deodar trees at the Dhanaulti Eco Park. Towering above us, I could tell why they were regarded as sacred by Indian sages. And below our feet, their needle-like leaves covered the forest floor

The fun part was when I had a long whistled conversation with a bird in the forest. When it whistled, I whistled back, and it replied back in turn. I was hoping it would show itself, because I could make out by the increasing volume of it’s whistle that it was coming closer, curious to find out whether I was some new bird who just did NOT know how to speak bird.

Sadly, it didn’t reveal itself. I only saw one bird which allowed me to photograph it…

This tiny little guy was the only one who posed long enough for me to get a photograph

This tiny little guy was the only one who posed long enough for me to get a photograph

Side note : I love ‘conversing’ with birds. And if you want to try, you just need to know how to whistle. When you hear a bird chirping, whistle back. In most cases, the bird will whistle back and keep replying every time you whistle. I did this with another bird in Mussourie too

So, back to Dhanaulti Eco Park…

Gorgeous flowers were in abundance. And interesting insects to boot

Gorgeous flowers were in abundance. And interesting insects to boot

The Eco Park was lovely, and if we would have had more time, I would have loved to just sit on one of the many log seats in the forest, and enjoy the surroundings.

Yes, I’ve grown old.

Back from Dhanaulti, we enjoyed some time on the Mall road, went up to Gun Hill (so called because there used to be a canon on that hill, which was fired every hour of the day to tell the time. It was stopped because the canon ball once crashed through someone’s roof. I surmise the person wasn’t very happy about that) by cable car. Because of the smog, the view wasn’t as great as it should have been, but we did catch a bird’s eye view of our hotel!

See the red turrets? That's the Kasmanda Palace, the hotel where we were staying

See the bright red roof and turrets? That’s the Kasmanda Palace, the hotel where we were staying

A special mention to the night view of Mussourie. Spectacular!

Mussorie at night. Glittering and bright.

Mussourie at night was as gorgeous as ever. Glittering and bright.

There’s still so much to explore in Mussourie. And so many other seasons to see it in. Now I kind of get why people go there multiple times. And as Ruskin Bond puts it…

“It is always the same with mountains. Once you have lived with them for any length of time, you belong to them. There is no escape.”
― Ruskin Bond (Rain in the Mountains : Notes from the Himalayas)

(All photographs belong to me. Please ask before sharing them anywhere.)

I have been writing. And exploring Delhi

Though my blog was silent for a while (okay, more than a while), I was writing posts on other sites. And I thought I could share them with you all!

A post from my time as an intern at the organization where I’m working now is here.

I’ve also been blogging for a storytelling organization, Darwesh. So you’ll find a few posts by me at their blog here. (For the record, visiting old monuments and hearing fascinating stories about bygone eras? Count me in!).

As a result of getting associated with Darwesh, I’ve ended up exploring a lot more of Delhi in the last few months than I’ve been able to in all the years I’ve lived here (since I was born, to be precise). Some pictures below, because they’re beautiful and remind me of awesome places.

Roshanara Begum's tomb in Roshanara Bagh

Roshanara Begum’s tomb in Roshanara Bagh

An old haveli door in Chawri Bazar, Old Delhi

An old haveli door in Mehrauli

Dome and spire of Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki’s dargah in Mehrauli, which is the end point of the Phoolwalon ki Sair festival

Safdarjung's Tomb

Safdarjung’s Tomb

A facade of Safdarjung's Tpmb

A facade of Safdarjung’s Tpmb

The parrots'shrieking is the only noise at this tomb

The parrots’shrieking is the only noise at this tomb

All pictures taken by me. So please ask for permission before using them. Kthnxbai.

Of Long-due and Sudden Trips, a Pocketful of Sand and Ligaments

Such a lot has happened since I last posted the list of my favourite feel-good songs. And when I say ‘a lot’ I mean it in the absolute sense; no exaggerations.

In the first week of February, I visited Kolkata after a gap of 7 years, even though it’s my parents’ first love as far as cities are concerned by virtue of being the city they spent their childhood in. It was a wonderful trip as I had my cousin sister’s wedding to attend and then, after a long time, six of us cousins got together at the same place. It was a lot of laughing, new friends, joking, teasing, reminiscing, tears and emotions running high. I had been looking forward to this trip since a long time, and it lived up to the expectations that I had from it (might need a separate blog post for it).

Victoria Memorial, Kolkata

While in Kolkata, my friends from university called me to tell me that they had given my name for a university fest to be held in Kerala. While the message was delivered to me over a abysmal cellphone network, which meant I heard only two words out of seven in a sentence, I got to know all the details only once I got back to Uni.

So, merely a week after getting back from a week-long holiday in Kolkata, I was off again to Kasaragod, North Kerala for the First Convention of Departments of Social Work of Central Universities of India.

It was a glorious trip, as only one with friends can be. Lots of uncontrollable laughter, hilarious antics, jokes and madness. Once again, I met a lot of new people and made some wonderful new friends. Also, being in God’s Own Country, how can I forget the beautiful surroundings? Coconut trees, rivulets, the mighty Arabian Sea! A feast for the senses! I think a photo post will be needed for it.

Bekal Beach, Kerala

Bekal Beach, Kerala

My last day in Kerala wasn’t idyllic however.

I got a ligament injury in my knee.

So now, I’m back home, sitting with my leg in a knee immobilizer (which is pretty much like a cast and lives up to its name), wondering how I failed to notice the wondrous ways in which a knee works.

Now take a moment to thank God for knees and the wonderfully versatile ways in which they function.

More than anything, it’s one of those times when you feel like indulging in self-pity and asking that futile question – “Why me?”. But I don’t have the time to do that. I’m more busy worrying about how on earth am I supposed to make up the classes and fieldwork I will miss, not to mention the irksome attendance issue that my department has.

Pray for me, will you?


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DIY Cornflour and Bicarb Christmas ornaments

We made some of these decorations a few years ago, but decided we would like to make some more. What prompted this was seeing some ornaments in a shop recently that I knew we could replicate…for a fraction of the cost.

In the shop I saw a set of three white decorations with the words Peace, Love, and Joy written on them in gold. This all turned over very slowly in my mind, too slowly for me to think that I should have at least taken a photo. And a visit to the shop’s website doesn’t show them. However, judging by the cost of their other decorations, I would say this set would be at least $20. For three ornaments. Yes, they were probably a little less ‘delicate’ than the ones we can make, but I can live with that!

On my Christmas board on Pinterest I’ve got a couple of pins of this recipe. But it is the same on each website I’ve visited, and plenty of people have used it. It uses only three ingredients, is easy to make, and gives the most beautifully white decorations. The ones we made some years ago are still beautifully white.

If you are looking for a Christmas activity that the kids can help with, this could be the one for you! My son has asked if we can make some more this weekend!

The recipe:

1/2 cup cornflour (cornstarch)
1 cup bicarb (baking soda)
3/4 cup water

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir continuously until the mixture thickens.

Christmas decorations - cooking the dough .

 When it has thickened, remove from the heat, form into a ball, and place in a bowl to cool. Keep it covered with a damp towel to stop it drying out.

Christmas decorations - letting the dough cool .

In fact, I think I have cooked it a little too long here 😦 But it is very forgiving!

When the dough is cool enough to handle, place it on a (corn)floured surface and knead it gently. You can add more cornflour if it is a little sticky.

When it is lovely and smooth, roll it out on your non-stick or floured board. About half a centimetre thickness is good. If it’s a little thinner or thicker then that’s fine too. I found it easier to work with half of the dough at a time. Leave the rest covered by the damp towel until you are ready to use it.

Christmas decorations - rolling out the dough .

Use cookie cutters to make your shapes. We used a straw to make the holes for hanging the decorations, which worked very well. Lift the shapes carefully off your board and smooth the edges with your finger. You might like to dip your finger in some water to help with this. It’s important to note that any imperfections in the dough, for example cracks or bumps, will be magnified once baked. Cracks will also be a weak spot in your decoration. Be sure to allow extras as there is likely to be some breakages! Place your decorations on a baking tray lined with baking paper, silicone sheet, or whatever you like to use. I used baking paper.

Preheat your oven to 80 degrees C (175F).

Here is our first tray ready for the oven:

Christmas decorations - ready for the oven .

Notice the two stars in the bottom right-hand corner? They have a few lumps and bumps for some reason.

Bake your ornaments for 40 mins to an hour, depending on your oven. Mine took 40 minutes, and I turned them every 10 minutes. Sometimes they can curl up at the edges. Just gently press them down when you turn them over. Gently. I broke a few doing this.

You can also leave your decorations to air dry. We’ve done that before. It works just as well, but it takes a couple of days in Sydney summer. Mind you, with the extreme temperatures we sometimes get, they could be ready much quicker!

Here is that tray after they have been baked:

Christmas decorations - after baking .

You can really notice the bumps on the stars, can’t you?

Here are some other imperfections.

Christmas decoration imperfections .

Once they are completely dry you can decorate your decorations. Or leave them plain. They are beautiful either way! Imperfections may be covered by glitter, sequins, beads, paint – whatever you like! Get out your crafting supplies and go wild!

Christmas decoration decorating .

Easy Christmas decorations .

Make hangers from ribbon, lace, twine, or a strip of net fabric, whatever you like.

I made three in the style of the ones I saw in the shop that started this project:

Christmas decorations - Peace, Love, Joy DIY .

I picked three of the smoothest, most perfect looking hearts for this. I think they look pretty good! I’ll make some more sets of these when we make our next batch of dough. They will make good gifts for various friends and family.

Of course, you don’t have to make these exclusively as Christmas decorations. We have used some as tags on birthday or other gifts as well. Maybe tie some around your kitchen jars to show what’s kept inside. Or tie them to storage boxes. Remember that they are quite delicate, so best not to use them where they may get clunked around a bit.

What do you think? Have you made ornaments using this recipe before? Please share your tips if you have!

Linking up with:

21 Rosemary Lane – Share Your Style, Too Much Time on my Hands – The Handmade Hangout, Posed Perfection – Creative Ways, Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olsen – Share Your Cup, Lamberts Lately – Create it Thursday, Savvy Southern Style – Wow us Wednesday, Domesblissity – Thriving on Thursdays, A Tray of Bliss – Five Star Frou Frou, Love Bakes Good Cakes – Freedom Fridays, The Pin Junkie, Oh My Heartsie Girl – Friday Features, Domestic Superhero – Pinworthy Projects, 24 Cottonwood Lane – Best of the Weekend, The Pinterested Parent – Sunday’s Best, The Interior Frugalista – DIY Sunday Showcase, Nifty Thrifty Things, Thoughts From Alice – Sundays at Home, Julie’s Lifestyle – Cooking and Crafting with J&J, My Pinterventures – Merry Monday, Claire Justine – Creative Mondays, Create With Joy – Inspire me Monday, I Should be Mopping The Floor – Inspiration Monday, Yesterday on Tuesday – Project Inspired, Merry About Town – Monday Funday, Kathe With an E – You’re Gonna Love it, Our Home Away From Home – Tuesdays at our Home, Cozy Little House – Tweak it Tuesday, The Tip Junkie – Tip me Tuesday, Lou Lou Girls, Table and Hearth – Think and Make Thursday, To Simply Inspire – The Mommy Club, Crafty Wife – The Wednesday Roundup, Wondermom Wannabe – This is How we Roll, Life With Lorelei – Home Matters, Cozy Little House – Holiday Linkup, The Dedicated House – Christmas Around the World

7 thoughts on “DIY Cornflour and Bicarb Christmas ornaments

    • Thanks, Mimi. We have some salt dough decs made at preschool, but they went soggy and yuck. Has that been your experience? These ones stay nice and hard and white. I found the ones we first made in 2012 and they are still looking good! x Fiona

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Are We Entering the “Time of Truth”? – Part 2/2

(For part 1, see

The pressure to bring out the truth is intensifying, SaLuSa says.

“You cannot fail to have noticed that of late, the pressure on the authorities to bring out the truth has intensified. As more of you are making your own enquiries so the questions become more frequent, and they cannot be ignored. Brave individuals now stand up and talk [about] their findings, and it adds to the knowledge that already exists. …

“It is in fact too late for the last cabal to stop the incoming tide that will sweep away the dross and lies, that have brought about your problems. … Fortunately, you have since seen through their plan to enslave you, and bring it about by creating chaos and taking away your sovereign rights.” (24)

Ker-On watches from behind the scenes.

“There is so much activity going on at present that is pushing hard to bring out long concealed truths. Ones that will alter your whole understanding of how you have been misled for such a long time. Matters that should have become public knowledge long ago, and expanded your awareness of your own place in the world.

“The time is approaching when the floodgates will be opened, and no amount of denial or attempts to conceal the truth will work. You are to become enlightened as to your true selves, and your destiny as this cycle reaches its end.

“Can you not feel the air of expectancy around you and the driving energy that is bringing out the truth? It is happening right now, and once people gain the confidence to speak their minds, there will be no stopping them.” (25)

The truth must come out so that Ascension can occur

SaLuSa tells us that “decisions that concern your own evolution can only be correctly made when you have the full facts.” (26)

The forces that have dominated the planet have had their run of things, but, as SaLuSa warns, “all of that will have to change in readiness for Ascension.” (27) The truth must come out because it “will help you understand why the changes will be so sweeping.” (28)

Matthew warns us that we can expect the dark forces to use everything they have to halt that process.

“You can expect the Illuminati to fight viciously all along the way, but their dark activities becoming public cannot be detoured, much less stopped. The door has opened a crack and nothing they can do will keep it from opening wider and wider until the vibrations of the in-pouring light are so powerful that they will vanquish every iota of darkness on the planet.” (29)

How much truth can we take?

Matthew acknowledges that the Light forces are concerned with “how much shocking information psyches can handle at one time.” (30)

“With the massive amount of truth to be revealed, a foremost consideration is to attain a balance between how rapidly startling information can be given and how much psyches can assimilate healthfully.” (31)

Our job will be to remain grounded and balanced. “Keep calm,” SaLuSa advises us, “as you get to hear of the truth behind many tragedies that have occurred in recent times.” (32)

“At times your minds will be overflowing with questions,” SaLuSa tells us. (33) But “answers will be provided,” SaLuSa assures us, “and we will follow those up with whatever proof you require.” (34) “The truth cannot be hidden and every event that has ever occurred is held within the Hall of Records.” (35)

Diane elaborates:

“As a member of the Galactic Federation I have access to the Akashic records and can tell you that every deed and thought is recorded but is not used against you, and is there to ensure the truth is indisputable. It follows that when we can at last meet you, our teaching of your true history can be supported by irrefutable evidence.” (36)

We appear now to be just entering this time of truth. We can see how many people are angry at the fraud and corruption that has occurred. Voices are being raised. Commissions of inquiry are being appointed. Prosecutions have begun. Regulatory bills are being passed.

This process will not stop until everything is known. Once it is, the ability of the Illuminati to control us will have ended.

(1) SaLuSa, April 14, 2010, at

(2) Diane of Sirius, May 29, 2009, at

(3) Ag-Agria, June 12, 2009, at

(4) SaLuSa, May 5, 2010, ibid.

(5) Mira the Pleiadian, April 23, 2010, through Valerie Donner, at

(6) SaLuSa, Feb. 10, 2010, ibid.

(7) SaLuSa, Feb. 24, 2010, ibid.

(8) Mira the Pleiadian, April 23, 2010, ibid.

(9) Ker-On of Venus, 3 Oct. 2008, at

(10) SaLuSa, Oct. 26, 2009, ibid.

(11) SaLuSa, May 5, 2010, ibid.

(12) Ker-On of Venus, 3 Oct. 2008, ibid.

(13) SaLuSa, Oct. 26, 2009, ibid.

(14) SaLuSa, June 19, 2009, ibid.

(15) SaLuSa, Feb. 10, 2010, ibid.

(16) SaLuSa, Aug. 3, 2009, ibid.

(17) SaLuSa, April 14, 2010, ibid.

(18) SaLuSa, June 19, 2009, ibid.

(19)SaLuSa, Sept. 28, 2009, ibid.

(20) SaLuSa, Feb. 3, 2010, ibid.

(21) Matthew’s Message, May 19, 2010, at

(22) Matthew’s Message, April 26, 2010, ibid.

(23) SaLuSa, May 10, 2010, ibid.

(24) SaLuSa, May 3, 2010, ibid.

(25) Ker-On, Aug. 5, 2009, ibid.

(26) SaLuSa, Aug. 19, 2009, ibid.

(27) SaLuSa, May 5, 2010, ibid.

(28) SaLuSa, Feb. 10, 2010, ibid.

(29) Matthew’s Message, April 26, 2010, ibid.

(30) Loc. cit.

(31) Matthew Ward, March 29, 2010, ibid.

(32) SaLuSa, Feb. 24, 2010, ibid.

(33) SaLuSa, Oct. 26, 2009, ibid.

(34) Loc. cit.

(35) Loc. cit.

(36) Diane of Sirius, May 29, 2009, ibid.

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Scripting News for 9/11/07

Does Iraq make America safer?

Slate: “Republican Senator John Warner asked General David Petraeus whether the current strategy in Iraq ‘will make America safer.'”

Petraeus: “I believe that this is indeed the best course of action to achieve our objectives in Iraq.”

Warner repeated: “Does that make America safer?”

Petraeus: “I don’t know, actually.”

Health report, General Petraeus

Feeling much better today.

Health is beginning to return. I owe it all to patience, lots of sleeping, drinking fluids, and not trying to be healthy before I actually am. Today I’m going to take a 20 minute easy walk in the sun.

Watching General Petreus testify today. The Dems are very polite. Sorry I still think we should get the hell out of Iraq. I don’t think any more Americans should die there.

Elizabeth Dole is speaking now.

Help Mozilla with localization?

When I visited Mozilla in August, I met Michal Berman, who works in Toronto on localization of the browser. She asked if I had any insight into localization issues for RSS, and I offered that my readers probably know a billion times more about this than I do.

So I asked her to put up a blog post outlining her questions, and offered to link to it prominently from Scripting News. If you can help Mozilla, it’s definitely for a good cause. 🙂

6 responses to this post.

  1. we are running into similar problems trying to push an RSS feed (containing text messages) to a stadium arena board. Could sure use some help get the feed right. Anybody done this before? Hope not:)

  2. Posted by Jake on September 11, 2007 at 7:26 pm

    Is “to be safer” the only reason to wage war?

  3. Posted by Alex on September 12, 2007 at 9:05 am

    Well, of course the _real_ reason to wage war has always been power and money. But we have to justify the killing of other people before the population, right? So what else are you going to say? What could justify hundreds of thousands dead to a simple good-natured American? Obviously only personal safety. You can’t just go and tell him: “We caused all that death and destruction to spread democracy.” Especially since it is nowhere near to be spread. (I assume you meant that a war can be waged for some “noble” reasons)

  4. Dave, I picked up on that same exchange between Warner and Petraeus. So did a lot of people, I guess:

    I agree that the Democrats were polite in the extreme. You wouldn’t know, after listening to Crocker and Petraeus for two days, that Iraq had a home-grown insurgency; no, all the problems are due to a handful of foreign bad guys.

  5. Oh, and to Jake: Of course there are other reasons to wage war — conquest of territory, acquisition of resources, etc. Or maybe there are altruistic moments, too, such as the intervention in the former Yugoslavia. But the reason Petraeus’s remark is news is that “this is making us safer” is the administration’s bottom-line argument now.

  6. Posted by Jake on September 12, 2007 at 4:01 pm

    Did he say that “this is not making us safer” or just “I don’t know.”

    The administration may be relying on more intelligence than the general in forming its opinion.

    You could always get folksy – smashing the hornets’ nest may make you safer in the long run, but it sure stings a little when you’re doing it.

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Sekar Anindya

just another blog

The Most Ideal Method in Learning English on Classroom

on November 8, 2010

Hi people, I have some ideal method in learning English on classroom, this is it :

  1. First, we must consider the teacher who was explaining a lesson. Especially if the content being taught about grammar, we should really pay attention to understand.
  2. Second, do not forget to write explanations from the teacher in a notebook. The note can be seen later that when will the final exam, even can survive until whenever, because until many years into the future, English lessons will remain the same theory.
  3. Third, do not be afraid to speak English, it doesn’t matter if we are wrong to speak English, because we are still learning. Instead of the mistakes we can understand the lesson.

May be this is only the method that I can give to help you learn English in class.

Don’t be doubt to practice it.  Who knows it can be affective.

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A-10 Warthog Cockpit kit

Full scale cardboard cockpit shell of A-10 Warthog for flying enthusiastic and gamers. It is ready for Thrustmaster warthog joystick and throttle, Saitek pedals and 28'' monitor as Middle instrument panel. Manual will be available on Dogfightboss.com
A-10 Warthog Cockpit kit
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Dual Pistols

Availability: Blue, Green and Purple weapons can be crafted or found as drops. For skins available from vendors, please check the specific item’s page for details. Drop weapons list the boss and dungeon in the description. For any non-dungeon weapons where there were multiple skins of the same type, I included only the easier to acquire version.

Note: Unless I missed a similar one someplace, the Double Action dual pistols from “For a Fistful of Zombies” mission seem to be a unique skin. The Kyshtym Revolver and Walther PPKs share a skin, I’ve included both as they are a named dungeon drop.

Thank you Katelin, Makidai, Chosen-Blood, Gunpowder, Chromako, Zhukov, Durendal and Shaun2406 for the screenshots!


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Tiffany Jazelle Bracelet Sea Shell

Sea Shell: A Sea Shell is shaped throughout its journey, making each one unique in its own way.  Your Sea Shell charm bracelet is an everyday reminder of how beautifully unique and special you are.

Note:  This bracelet is accented with two Pyrite stones that provide good luck & good fortune to the wearer.

Stone Symbolism:

Apatite: Known as the stone of courage and creativity.

Blue Agate: Known as the stone of creativity, inner wisdom and passion.

Watermelon Jade: Known as a meditative stone. Worn to help soothe the mind and enhance relaxation.

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Big Cypress National Preserve

Big Cypress offers myriad amazing trails, offering the opportunity to hike for an hour or a week. During our last trip, we hit the Florida Trail for the majority of the time (6 hours) — winding through hardwood hammocks, pinelands, prairies, and cypress — and finishing with a stroll through an easy but magnificent swamp boardwalk.  But your options are endless; so research carefully to make the most of it (something we don’t usually do).

Established October 11, 1974, Big Cypress National Preserve was the first national preserve in the US National Park System. The critical role of this watershed to the Everglades National Park was of foremost concern for its establishment. It encompasses 720,000 acres of the Big Cypress Watershed, bordering the Everglades National Park to the south, and other protected areas to the west. The freshwaters of the Big Cypress Swamp are essential to the health of the Everglades, and support the marine estuaries along Florida’s southwest coast.

Historically, Big Cypress has been home to Native Americans, including the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes. Early settlers in the Everglades region heavily hunted herons and egrets for their much-desired feathers, which were then shipped to hatmakers throughout America and Europe; alligators and crocodiles were also hunted to near-extinction.

Petroleum exploration was allowed within Big Cypress — as in Everglades National Park — but plans have been underway to buy out the remaining leases. However, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott has emphasized that he is open to expanding oil drilling in the Everglades.

Another invasive force at odds with conservationists is the ORV. Long established as a recreational activity, off-road vehicles (ORVs) were originally used by many who worked to protect the preserve from development, and to access remote areas for drainage. With the increase of tourism and hunting, however, came an increase in ORVs’ use. Since 2001, scientists and conservationists prompted the National Park Service (NPS) to actively manage ORV recreation, and to reduce the number of their trails within Big Cypress, due to the “impacted wildlife populations and habitats through modifications to water flow patterns (direction and velocity) and water quality, soil displacement and compaction, direct vegetation damage, disturbance to foraging individuals, and, ultimately, overall suitability of habitats for wildlife” (2001 United States Geological Survey). The battle continues, with overwhelming concerns for the wildlife — mainly for the elusive Florida Panther’s habitat. As of early November 2011, a lawsuit has been filed to protect Big Cypress from invasive ORV employment — seeking to overturn NPS’ decision to introduce extensive ORV use in the Addition Lands. According to the lawsuit, NPS authorized the ORVs in the Addition Lands, a result they achieved “by improperly excluding pristine lands from a wilderness eligibility study, which allowed NPS to bypass recommending those areas to Congress for long-term preservation as wilderness for the public’s enjoyment of these lands in their natural state. The lawsuit also raises concerns with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Biological Opinion, which failed to address several key threats to the highly imperiled Florida panther, as well as other species. Here is a link to the press release, and here is a link to the complaint.” (WE-blog: Wildlife and Environment Blog). As one who’s encountered these mechanical beasts within the far reaches of Big Cypress, it’s indeed a sad and scary thing to witness — their sheer size, their bellowing noise, their enormous tracks — after walking for hours through the silence and beauty of Big Cypress’ flora and fauna, their force is all that more mind-blowingly evident.

For More Information on the ORV Issue and Lawsuit:

The most biologically diverse region in the Everglades, Big Cypress is home to alligators, venomous snakes, myriad birds, the Florida Black Bear, the Florida Panther, bobcat, deer, turkey, wild hogs, and the West Indian Manatee. The preserve is slightly more elevated than other areas of the Everglades, with rock outcroppings visible throughout.

Big Cypress is located off of the potentially dangerous Tamiami Trail (U.S.41), approximately half-way between Naples and Miami. The road doesn’t have to be fatal, if people gave it the respect it was due — a two-lane road in parts, it’s replete with twists and tricky bends. You can’t rush it. On our way out of the preserve during our last visit, we came upon an SUV … up a tree. It had obviously just happened, and to this day, we have no idea how a tight turn could hurl a vehicle 20 feet into a tree. Be careful on the Tamiami Trail — just go slow in the parts that make sense, watch for critters, and enjoy the scenery.

Coming up: The amazing, otherworldly Everglades vision of Clyde Butcher.

For More Information on Big Cypress National Preserve:

Swamp Scene in Big Cypress

Swamp Scene in Big Cypress

Trail in Big Cypress (Florida Trail)

Trail in Big Cypress (Florida Trail)

Trail in Big Cypress (Florida Trail)

Slash Pines Along the Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Prairie in Big Cypress

Poplar Sphinx Moth or Poplar Hawk Moth Larva, Big Cypress National Preserve

2 Comments Post a comment
  1. ORV’s truly are a scourge. I believe people should self propel through wilderness areas with some accommodations for handicapped people. Their cousins are jet skis and snowmobiles, who leave less imprint upon the land but still produce noise and air pollution, as well as increased danger. I wish the motorized people could feel what I feel when I walk, run, bike and ski in the wilderness. For me, it’s WAY better! Happy wild times! 🙂

    January 15, 2013

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