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SF Murder Conviction Overturned In ’00 Girlfriend Stabbing

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) – A state appeals court has overturned the second-degree murder conviction of a man who fatally stabbed his former girlfriend in front of her two young children in San Francisco 11 years ago.

A Court of Appeal panel in San Francisco on Wednesday by a 2-1 vote set aside the conviction of Tari Ramirez, also known as Tare Beltran, and ordered a new trial for him on charges of murdering Claire Tempongko on Oct. 22, 2000.

Ramirez, 38, was convicted of second-degree murder in San Francisco Superior Court in 2008 and sentenced to 16 years to life in prison.

The appeals court majority said the conviction should be set aside because jury instructions in the trial were “at least ambiguous, if not misleading” on the standard for a second-degree murder verdict.

The slaying of Tempongko, a 28-year-old jewelry store worker, received widespread publicity because her death followed a two-year history of domestic violence.

Ramirez was arrested three times in 1999 on domestic violence charges and served four months in jail for one of the attacks.

In the month before she was murdered, Tempongko called police to her Richmond District apartment twice, first on Sept. 1 after Ramirez allegedly choked her and again on Sept. 7 when he rang the buzzer of her apartment while intoxicated despite knowing of an emergency protective order that required him to stay 100 yards away.

On Oct. 22, 2000, Ramirez came to Tempongko’s basement apartment and during a confrontation stabbed her 21 times with a kitchen knife in front of her son, then 10, and daughter, then 5. Ramirez was not the children’s father.

Ramirez admitted at the trial that he stabbed her, but said he acted in a state of shock after learning she had become pregnant with his child and had had an abortion.

He argued he should be convicted of voluntary manslaughter, which carries a lesser sentence of three to 11 years in prison, rather than second-degree murder. Prosecutors contended the homicide was calculated and deliberate.

Ramirez, a Mexican citizen who had been working as a dishwasher, fled to Mexico after killing Tempongko. He was arrested in Cancun, Mexico, in June 2006 and brought back to San Francisco for trial.

A year after Tempongko’s death, her family sued the city of San Francisco for allegedly failing to transmit police reports on Tempongko’s calls for help to probation officials, the district attorney and the Superior Court.

The city settled the lawsuit in 2004 by awarding $500,000 to Tempongko’s two children.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have

One Comment

  1. Mark Zemke says:

    This guy ought to be dropped down a very, very deep mine shaft, followed by one baseball-sized rock after another — he’ll feel the pain of being beaten senseless before finally dying and filling that special spot in Hell that awaits him.

  2. genomega1 says:

    When are the taxpayers going to say enough already. What did it cost to put this guy away the first time?
    The man killed her, he admits it now we have to pay to do it all over again? Insanity as defined A. Einstein.

  3. samurai says:

    hay que tomar en cuenta que claire no era una persona ejemplar, tomaba mucho, humillaba a su pareja y lo celaba, lo último causaba la perdida de trabajos de tare, eso lo omitió el juez. además asesino a su propio hijo. nadie asesina solo por que si tiene que haber causas. felicito a los juzgados por esta decisión y espero que salgan a la luz todas las pruebas omitidas a favor del señor tare.

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Pleasanton Cop Who Fatally Shot Teenager Cleared Of Criminal ChargesA Pleasanton police officer who shot and killed the son of an Oakdale reserve police officer last summer during a bizarre confrontation at an auto dealership has been cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.
San Francisco Crews Prepare For Incoming Storm By Clearing Out DrainsCrews in San Francisco were busy clearing storm drains in preparation for an incoming storm Thursday.
Sunnyvale Officers Cleared Of Wrongdoing After SWAT Standoff Ended In Knife-Wielding Man's DeathThree Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety officers who shot and killed a knife-wielding man during a SWAT standoff last summer were cleared of any wrongdoing by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Traffic Returning To Normal After Eastbound Pileup On Bay BridgeAn injury crash blocked multiple lanes on the lower deck of the Bay Bridge for about 40 minutes Friday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Crews Clear Another Homeless Encampment In San JoseCity crews in San Jose started the process of clearing out a homeless encampment near Happy Hollow Zoo on Monday morning, a process that is expected to take most of the week.
Homeless Camp In Downtown San Jose Cleared OutA planned cleanup of a homeless encampment in downtown San Jose got started Friday morning and will evict people who remained there after the city issued a 72-hour vacation notice on Monday.

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Friday, October 9, 2009

Not Being George

The look on George W. Bush's face sums up pretty well how I and more than half of America feel at this early stage of the Obama presidency. The tears represent a deep sorrow over the steady erosion of our freedom - something that Bush ironically was accused of attacking - through the increasing lurch toward "sin" taxes for "our own good" and the battle currently raging over who will ultimately oversee and administer our health care. The tiny flag symbolizes the diminution of the great nation of The United States at the hands of the very people who were elected to preserve her proud heritage.

Of course, these are my own interpretations of a photo that was taken long before Barack Obama was even a gleam in the public eye. I'm sure that the photographer was completely unaware of how prescient his work would prove to be, for as we learned today, the man leading the push toward America's mediocrity has been rewarded by those who wish us all to be equal.

It now appears that anyone interested in tearing America down from the inside until we resemble the rest of the countries of the world is worthy of the now-worthless Nobel Peace Prize. Those who validate the premise that America and her citizens are no better than anyone else are applauded for their attempts to level the playing field of the world stage, artificially raising Third World nations to statuses they have no business attaining until they decide to join the current century. Forgive my sense of conceit, but when the entire world looks to us for rescue and sustenance, I feel that we have earned special standing.

Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize after only nine months in office, with virtually no distinguishable accomplishments to justify such an honor. Further, the deadline to be nominated for consideration was a mere twelve days after he was sworn in as president. There can be no explanation for this travesty other than the fact of Barack Obama's not being George W. Bush, combined with his incessant denigration on the world stage of this country and her great people. These are the things that citizens of other countries love to hear.

After running all over Europe and the Middle East on a seemingly non-stop Forgive Us Our Trespasses tour, Oslo no doubt decided that Obama's obsequious contriteness had struck the tone so long desired by those who either hate us or simply envy us. Finally, one of "them" was running America.

Jimmy Carter - who succeeded only in getting Anwar Sadat killed in the seventies - was finally awarded his Nobel Prize in 2002 for his "untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." I thought that the prize was for actual accomplishments, but it appears "efforts" are more than adequate these days. In the case of Barack Obama, it seems that "good intentions" are now sufficient, as they were with Al Gore's award.

Al Gore was given the award for his constant harping on the evils of man - particularly American "man" - and their wanton destruction of the planet. Never mind that his views are being exposed right this minute as pure poppycock; Oslo liked his condemnation of America.

So it is small wonder that true patriots of America have been expressing their collective consternation with the current state of their nation. There is even less to question concerning their disdain for Obama's trivial award. If there was ever any doubt that Oslo hated George W. Bush, this should put to rest such doubts. And I make a motion that the committee replace the medallion with a certificate-style award, one that can be easily mounted on a spindle and perforated, just like Charmin.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Author! Author!

Santa Monica Citywide Reads is in its closing week, and we've saved the best for last. The Highest Tide's author, Jim Lynch, will be making an appearance at the Santa Monica College's Pavilion (Gym) on Saturday, May 17, at 3:00 p.m. Admission is completely free and all ages are welcome. Jim will introduce and give some background on the book that's bringing us all together and audience members will have the opportunity to ask him questions. A book sale and signing will follow.

Parking at Santa Monica College on Saturday is free. The college's address is 1900 Pico Boulevard. We recommend parking in Parking Structure A (see map below), which is accessed off Pico Boulevard, near 17th Street. The author talk will take place in the Pavilion (Gym), which is located south of Parking Structure A, and can be found near the bottom center of the map detail posted below.

We hope you will join us!

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Saturday, February 5, 2011

Super Saturday

Good morning everyone!!!
I'm very happy to share with you today my very
first post and project for Queen Kat Designs!!!
For my first project I was able to work with the
cutest pixie stamp designed by Terrell Dorfeo with
Meado Pixie Arts. She is absolutely adorable with
her delicate wings and two little kitty cats that sit
comfortably in her hands. I first colored her with
my Copics, and then I added patterns to the card
in blues, greens, and browns, just perfect for a little
fairy that I always invision fluttering around the
woods hopping from tree branch to tree branch.

You can find this stamp "Kitty Cat Fairy"

in the QKD Store at 20% off along with all of the
other rubber stamps and acrylic stamps are 80% off,
but you'll have to hurry because today is the final
day of this fantastic sale!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!
LOVES :) -Sarah

1 comment:

Natasha said...

This is amazing! I love the image and your card is fantastic!


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Recently I was checking out the Marrimekko AW15 collection and they have this incredible fuzzy ultra-coat in the most perfect shade of orange and I instantly realised that I needed something like that in my life. Now, I have never considered orange to be a colour that I needed in my wardrobe, makeup bag or indeed anywhere on my person. It never occurred to me that this colour could be chic. Tell me about a fuzzy, bright orange coat and I would picture a hippy affair, which would be worn with Crocs. Hem, no.

Enter: this beauteous, original 1950s princess cut, to-die-for coat of my dreams. Randomly found on Etsy, in exactly my size, the perfect shade, in the perfect boucle fabric. And on sale. It had to be mine!
I’ve not taken it off since I got it and I’ve not worn something that has attracted so much attention in a while! Its causing quite the stir- and frankly I’m being upstaged by it!
But I’m not complaining! Comfortable, effortlessly chic, ideal for these mild spring days and the perfect partner to warm pastels and gold pieces in my wardrobe!

It seemed to me like orange was this new colour to explore and experiment with. Focusing my brain on this shade I succeeded in scoring some serious thrifty goodness! Welcome to my collection: orange vintage belt, peachy baby doll dress, apricot stockings (you know I love a leg colour to tie in with the outfit!) and even a clutch bag. They all go together well and I end up looking like a candy-cane. I’m OK with that. Next stop: summery orange lippy!

Incredible coat of my dreams } Vintage 1950s, Episode Vintage via Etsy
Peachy fuzzy dress } Vintage 1960s, Beyond Retro
Turtleneck worn under dress } Zara last year
Opaque white tights } American Apparel (they do the best colours!)
Insane gold brogues } Miley by Miista, nearly sold out. (I got the last pair in my size!)

Thanks for stopping by!

Be sure to subscribe to my mailing list using the box below to keep up to date with all my posts. Please get in touch if you have any comments, questions or suggestions- I love hearing from you! If you would like to have your work featured here contact me to tell me all about it.


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Comikaze 2015! in Los Angeles Oct 30 - Nov 1

This is going to be a really big event for all of the different projects i've got going.

Oct 30 - Nov 1 we'll have a booth for New Praetorians! Booth # ET37 ALLLLLLL the way in the back of the convention to the left, near the signing booths.

I'll also be on 3 different panels! One one Saturday at 1pm in room 515A: "Professional Nerd Girls" with a bunch of other lovely ladies.

Two on Sunday: 2pm Room 501BC "So you want to RPG.." and 3pm Room 501A "Artist/Writer Collaborations"

I'll be bringing a hand full of #NewPraetorians items (Books, shirts & posters) to hand out so come out and give us a listen!

We will also be recording a CCDD game!!! Saturday, 3-5pm. George Rockwell will be Game Mastering and hand full of our super fun friends!

Not sure what #CCDD is? check out:

For any of you who are Table Top Roleplaying Game Developers I'll be interviewing you for the Game School Podcast at the New Praetorians booth so if you want to be interviewed please message me at to set up an appointment time!

WHERE: Los Angeles Convention Center 1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015

Fri. October 30th, 2015, 1pm - 7pm

Sat. October 31st, 2015, 9am - 6pm

Sun. November 1st, 2015, 10am - 4pm


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Sunday, May 20, 2012

Tatte Idli - Special masala idli

Tatte in Kannada is plate, idlis made in small little plates that can be set up in their own stand and steamed. Why is this special? Well, for one the shape is different from regular idlis but more importantly because this idli can be eaten just by itself without much side dish fanfare. The idli batter is already decked up with fresh masala ingredients to enhance the taste.

When I was writing this post, I realized that I have not started any serious dose(dosa) or idli recipes yet on the blog. What a shame J, I will get to it some time in the very near future.

Back to Idli batter, there are number of versions each working really well for the people that make them. Some people swear by their proportion of urad dal and rice,  some by the time of grinding and fermentation methods while some go by the actual mixing. In Karnataka and Andhra, idli is made with the rice rava and not by grinding rice. Nammamma makes some of the pure white, light and airy idlis using the rice rave that resemble the fully bloomed pristine jasmine flower from my home town and hence called mallige idlis.

I alternate between the rava and rice method depending on my mood, time available for grinding the rice etc. The texture of idlis made using the rava is slightly more grainy and feels soft and crumbly when you break into them. On the other hand, idlis made with rice is more bouncy and smoother to the bite. Hallmark of a good idli in either method is a light and airy end product.

Now if you do not have a tatte idli stand, doesn’t mean it is the end of the world. Use the pan that comes with your pressure cooker (the one you use to make rice or dal) and spread the idli batter to about ½ inch thickness in the pan. Or use your regular idli plates to make the idlis.
What do you need to make Tatte idli?
I use the same batter for normal idlis
Idli dough ingredients:
1 cup deskinned urad dal(or deskinned whole urad)
2.5 cup rice rava
1 Tsp fenugreek seeds
1 Tblsp salt
3/4 cup water to grind

Masala ingredients:
1 Tblsp black pepper corns
1 Tblsp cumin seeds
4 Tblsp chana dal
4 Tblsp thinly sliced fresh coconut (see notes)
2 Tblsp chopped cilantro
How do you make Tatte idli?
Making Idli dough:
  • Wash urad dal in atleast 3-4 changes of water, scrubbing the dal as you drain the water.
  • Soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds in 4 cups of water for 4-6 hours.
  • Soak rice rava separately in 3 cups of water for 4-6 hours.
  • Wash the urad dal one more time, drain out the water.
  • Grind the dal and fenugreek seeds in a grinder/blender using not more than 1 cup of water at different intervals until you get a really smooth dough (see notes).
  • In the meantime, take fistfuls of soaked rice rava, squeeze out the water and put in in a wide bowl.
  • Scoop out the ground dal on to the squeezed rava, put salt and with a light hand, mix them all together into a homogeneous mixture.
  • Cover and leave it in a warm place over night to ferment.
Making the tatte idli:
Note: Each tatte idli is approximately equal to 3 regular idlis
  • Pound the pepper and cumin in a mortar and pestle into a coarse crush, DO NOT POWDER THEM. (see notes)
  • Soak chana dal in 2 cups of water for about 45 minutes or until they plump up, drain the water.
  • Chop the coconut into thin, longish juliens – idea is to have to bite into coconut pieces when you eat the idli.
  • Add the coarsely crushed pepper-cumin, soaked chana dal, chopped cilantro and chopped coconut pieces into the fermented idli batter, give it a mix.
  • Prepare the tattes (or the cooker pan) by smearing a drop of oil all around it. Pour the batter to about ½ inch in the plate.
  • Set the plates (or the pan) in the idli cooker or regular cooker and steam it for 20 minutes on medium heat.
  • Remove the idli stand from the cooker/steamer and let it stand for 2 minutes.
  • Using a blunt knife, remove the idlis from the plate by working around the edges first.
  • Grinding urad dal into a really smooth, bouncy dough is half the battle won, use as little water as needed to run your mixer. Using fridge cold water helps your mixer/blender motor to survive longer.
  • Pepper and cumin seeds are crushed enough to release flavor, do not make a powder of them. Pepper powder also makes the tatte idlis spicier.
  • I have seen two varieties of rice rava in the stores here - one is slightly larger grains than the second. I prefer the smaller variety.
  • Scrubbing the urad dal helps remove any remnant black skin and result in a white idlis.
  • One of my cousins stops making idlis and dosas in winter as she does't believe you can ferment them well, what works for me is to preheat my oven to 170F (minimum my oven will go down to) and switch it off. Place your idli batter bowl inside the oven overnight.

Prathibha said...

very delicious idli..we make thatte idli plain as well as spiced version

NamsVeni Pothas said...

Tatte Idli my old memories!!!!very tasty and healthy.

Nagashree said...

@Prathibha - :-), somehow when amma took the plates out, it was always masala idli.

@namsVeniPothas - Woodies, right?

Gayathri NG said...

Thanks for sharing such a authentic dish, looks nice and yummy...

Anonymous said...

Mmm. Mouth watering I am not a great cook myself but easily recognize one in you. Very pleasant to read the detailed writing especially the passion around making the bland idly into a spirited and spicy one.

Look forward to more. Like it

Kannada Cuisine said...

I love masale idli and tatte idli as well..REminds me of my home town Tumkur so much.It is famous for Tatte Idli as you might know!

Nagashree said...

Thanks all for stopping by.

@anonymous - Thanks for your comments.
@gayathri - Yes, it is an authentic dish, try it out and let me know.
@Kannada cuisine - I have not been to Tumkur but my parents lived there for a while long before I was born :-). Some of my cousins studied in Tumkur Engg college.

Tina said...

Sounds delicious...

Akila said...

Very different.... Looks lovely..... When u find time do visit my blog


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31 January 2011

H{ippity} Hop Jan 31

Hello, friends:}

HOOOORAY! I finally had a chance to make some things with my Ippity stamps!! **NOTE:: Let me clarify--I usually use my Unity and Ippity stamps together. It's just that for H{ippity} Hops you can only use Ippity. I finally had a chance to use only Ippity!

I created my cards using the Ippity Twisted Challenges! I had a great time--I also liked that I had the entire month to think about my cards! That was awesome! I combined challenge #2 and #3 for this card. I love that photo--and the Echo Park paper just matched perfectly! I used my Ippity Book It! [tag background], How You Doin'? [sentiment], and Snippity of Ippity [tag] stamp sets. Super fun--I like that this card could be for just about anyone! I don't know if you can see it--but I embossed that white paper--just to add texture.
This next card is one of my favs! LOVE it! I made a simple card--CAS! I made this card for the Ippity Twisted challenge #4. HINT::: I painted those brads! I didn't have enough green brads, so I painted them! And then I added glitter for fun! LOVE it:} I used my Ippity What Matters Most [bird], Devoted [branch], and Sweet Thoughts of Spring [sentiment] for this card. I also masked the branch so the leaves weren't inked--love how this turned out!!
That's it for me today! Be sure to stop by all the other blogs--a complete list of participants can be found on the Ippity home page! You are going to LOVE all this eye candy! And don't forget to leave some love!!

Thanks so much for stopping by! LOVE sharing with you! Be blessed:}

ps...and just in case you didn't see this card, here is my simple card for the Cupcake Inspirations and Wplus9 {Stamp Away With Me} Color Cue challenges. LOVE it! LOVE that button on the flower! OH--and it fits the Ippity Twisted Challenge #4- brads! HOOORAY for fitting one card into three challenges:) Read more about it HERE.

CSN Review:}

Hello, friends:}

I cannot believe it has been a month since I told you I was going to review some amazing products over at CSN!! I LOOOOOOVE CSN Stores! Great prices and fabulous products!!

The first product I bought was this super cute carry-on luggage with wheels. I love the size and the color! So cute--perfect for our weekend trips or our trip to Indiana. Here is a pic of me using it at the airport! LOVE it!

The next product that I bought was this bracelet--who knew CSN carried bracelets that could be engraved!! ?? LOVE this bracelet--it is so cute. It's the perfect size for my wrist. I wished that I could have had O'G engraved on the front, but there are no apostrophes. It had two scratches on it when I got it--but I didn't mind. I knew it would be scratched right away--and it made me wear it instead of holding on to it {since I didn't want to scratch it...you know what I mean?}! I wear it all the time with lots of outfits!

I'm a CSN junkie--because I also got this backpack. I have not used it, but I know it will be useful when I'm traveling around craft fairs, zoos, or other places that I need to carry my camera/money/etc. but don't want to use my purse. Love that this comes in several colors!

I also wanted to share my FAV shoes that I got from CSN! I love these boots! They arrived at our door within 5 minutes of our departure to the airport in December! I immediately opened them and took them with us to Indiana. I wore them in the snow and bowling! These shoes are super comfortable! LOVE that fabric that hangs over the top! Such a cute design:}

Last but not least...I wanted to share my favorite purse that I got from CSN. This baggallini is my FAV FAV FAV! I love the way the fabric feels. And you won't believe it--but this purse has TONS of pockets and storage! LOVE it! It's perfect!!

If you haven't been to CSN--you must head over there NOW! I spend hours just looking at their shoes and purses...but they have more! They have over 200 sites and stores to shop from.

Thanks so much for stopping by--be sure to leave a comment telling me what you bought from CSN or what you are planning on getting! LOOOOOVE CSN Stores:} Be blessed!

30 January 2011

Guest Sweetie over at Cupcake Inspirations

Hello, friends:}
OH MY--this is an exciting day for me! I was featured as one of the Top 5 over at Cupcake Inspirations last week with this card. That made my day--until I checked my email later that night. I got an email from Rachel asking me to be the Guest Sweetie! HOOOORAY! Thanks so much, Rachel

This week's cupcake inspiration photo is gorgeous--look at that teal tissue paper and that super cute heart with the decorative edges! I had several ideas for cards to make...but I loved this one! I was inspired by an old card made by Mish Mash. LOVE that embossed background. I also drew off the heart and button. I love those little flowers. For stamps--I used my Ippity Here & Now set. LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I also used brads making it eligible for the Ippity #4 challenge. This also fits the Wplus9 {Stamp Away With Me}challenge. LOVE these colors together!

Please stop by the Cupcake Inspirations blog for complete details on this challenge! The sponsor this week is Prairie Fairy!! And be sure to check out the rest of the CI DT members' blogs! LOVE it!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be blessed:}

29 January 2011

EIC #124 {Too Cute Kawaii}

Hello, friends:}
We have another brand new store to check out and get inspired at over on the EtsyInspired blog! This week we are headed over to the fabulous Too Cute Kawaii! This store is filled with super cute polymer clay creations and jewelry! Made in Orlando, FL, this artist makes earrings, hair clips, and even party favors!
Our sponsor this week is Meljen's Designs Digital Stamps. These digital stamps are so cute! The EIC DT were lucky enough to get some of these digis to play with.
I was inspired by Too Cute Kawaii's animal lover hair bow centers. I love this dog digi from Meljen's Designs--which was perfect for the card that I made. I paper pieced this digi and typed out the sentiment. EASY! I was also inspired and cased a card by Lisa Johnson. LOVE how this turned out!

**NOTE:: I wanted to use a darker blue to look more like the bow center--but this teal turned out to look the best.

That's it for me today, but be sure to stop by all the EIC DT members' blogs to see their fabulous creations!! What a great team with lots of talent!!

Rachel Hope {January Guest DT}
Be sure to stop by the EIC blog for more details--we have 2 winners this week! Remember to link up your creation by Friday, Feb. 4th at noon Pacific Time. We have two winners this week--1) Too Cute Kawaii has donated these super cute cupcake earrings to one lucky player and 2) Meljen's Designs will be giving one player 4 digital stamps!! Thanks so much to our sponsors and featured Etsy store!!

Thanks so much for stopping by! LOVE being inspired at Etsy--gotta love EtsyInspired! Be blessed:}

28 January 2011

FWF--real quick:}

Hello, friends:}

It's FWF over on the Unity blog! You know--I love my Unity! I have lots of cards to share, but only one today! I entered it a week ago in the Hip Hop sketch challenge. LOVE this cuttlebug stamp die. I used my Unity Joy Ride On My Way stamp set. LOVE that little airplane. I just love how this turned out! So cute.
Sorry about the horrible pic--again. There was no sunlight!

That's it for me today--well, not really. I have another card over on the All Things Unity blog. I made it for the NEW ATU challenge! Check it out HERE!
I would like to enter both these cards in the Wee Memories {anything goes} challenge! LOVE it! You still have time to play--click HERE

Be sure to stop by the Unity blog for more players in FWF! And be sure to leave some love--you could win FREE Unity! There's even more sales going on over at the Unity store--check them out HERE! LOVE Unity:}

Thanks so much for stopping by! I will be sharing more--more--and more later:} Hope you have a great day! Be blessed:}

27 January 2011

PDCC #66

Hello, friends:}

Well--I never get tired of saying, "It's another fabulous color story over at the The Play Date Cafe this week!" I think because it is sooooooo true! This week we have brought back another splash of color!

Sarah picked this week's splash color as lilac or lavender. LOVE it! I used some of my black and white sewing patterned paper with my Hero Arts dress form. I dry embossed the lilac paper for extra texture. This card is fairly simple...but if you look closely, I used some glitter dust around the edges of the die tag. LOVE it! The sentiment is from Unity's Jan. 2011 KOTM. LOVE how this turned out! LOVE that pop of color with the flowers...and those gems--perfect little touches!

That's it for me today--I hope you will stop by all the other The Play Date Cafe DT members' blogs! They have some amazing splashes to share with you today! LOVE it!

Colleen Dietrich {New Private Blend Designer}

Be sure to head over to the PDCC for more details on this challenge too! It ends on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 11:59pm EST. Be sure to link up before then!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Love the PDCC!! Be blessed:}

24 January 2011

More Gray cards

Hello, friends:)

I just wanted to upload some of my gray cards....before the deadline!! These cards were made for the Gray is the New Black Challenge in the Moxie Fab World. I love love love love all these frames on this card. This is a very simple card--but packed with DETAIL! Love it:} I used my Unity Happy Everything set for that beautiful glittered butterfly.
I also want to enter this fun card--it was created for the Play Date Cafe challenge. LOVE these colors together. I also love love love those flocked birds! You can read more about it HERE.
That's it for me today--short and sweet. I do have TONS more to share...so I am hoping to get more time today to write up some posts and create some more! Thanks so much for stopping by! LOVE sharing with you! LOVE playing along with challenges! Be blessed!

23 January 2011

ATU#23 {Tri-fold or Easel cards}

Hello, friends:}

I am sooooooo excited! I cannot believe all the fabulous creations that were linked up to the All Things Unity mini card challenge! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for playing along! And don't forget to head over to the ATU blog on Wednesday to see some featured players! You could win the NEW ATU blinkie!!

And there's still time for you to play along to win the January prize package! Our very own ATU GDT member, Carole, has offered up the Fresh Farm Ippity stamp set! Make sure you link up your creations to our challenge before the end of January to be eligible to win!

NOW--for the good stuff:) Today starts a brand new challenge over at All Things Unity! The challenge is to make a tri-fold or easel card! ACK--I've never made either! But I have to tell you that there are some great tutorials over on Splitcoaststampers

Diagrams: Penny Wessenauer Digital Papers: Kevin and Amanda

I love how this card turned out! I used the Limelight sketch and chipboard challenge, Off The Wall Craftiness colors, and the challenge for ATU#23! LOVE it! I used my Unity Life Becoming set for the sentiment and the flower stems are from Ippity's Faith Blooms set. LOOOOOVE it! I was also inspired by a Mish Mash creation--she is so fabulous!

**NOTE:: I promise those buttons are orange--the sun was going down!! I will try and get better pics soon!

That's it for me today! Be sure to stop by all the other ATU DT members' blogs--did they make a tri-fold or easel card?? I can't tell!! And don't forget to leave some love!
Carole {Guest DT}

Sara--taking a little break
Don't forget--we have some new things happening over at the All Things Unity blog! We have new featured winner blinkies and a badge for all of our fans and players! We also have a monthly prize!! I hope you will stop by the All Things Unity blog for more deets on this challenge! We love when you play along with us! You have 2 weeks to finish your tri-fold or easel card--deadline is Feb. 5th at 11:59pm EST. Hope you will join in the fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Lots of love! Be blessed:}


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  • Marcine - February 19, 2013 @ 11:41 am

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Going Nuts for Cashews

Recently, my brother came up to me and said “Hey have you ever heard of these guys…their cashews look soooo good….let’s try them!”.  He was referring to the Brooklyn based artisanal cashew company Nuts+Nuts. This Brooklyn based artisanal cashew company provides the freshest cashews that are farm direct from Indonesian. They offer a variety of snack packs filled with roasted cashews blends based on their own family recipes made with local, fresh and all-natural ingredients.

We ordered their sampler pack, which came with 4 snack packs with a variety of roasted cashews: Spicy, Honey Sesame, Sweet & Salty and Lightly Salted.  We devoured them all immediately upon receiving them!  I loved the quality of their packaging to maintain freshness of the amazing quality of cashews. Our favorites were the Spicy cashews, that had a tangy kick, and the Honey Sesame cashews, which were crunchy sweet!

Nuts+Nuts Spicy & Honey Sesame with Sweet Silk Coconut Cashew Truffles (center)

Since we loved the cashews so much, we decided to try using Nuts+Nuts plain roasted cashews to make some of our sweets. Once I received these gorgeous cashews, I began testing them out for some of our sweets. Maybe it was the fact that that the cashews looked like they’ve been soaking up some rays in a tropical paradise to get that perfect golden tan or the Asian influence of Nuts+Nuts flavors, but I had an idea.  ”Why not highlight the deep roasted nutty flavor” and thus shortly after, I began creating a variety of cashew truffles!  These truffles have a soft cashew filling that is made with the same technique as our sweets to obtain that fudge like texture but coated in chocolate and rolled with a topping.

We contacted one of the owners, Cyrilla Suwarsa, to see if she would be interested in trying out our new creations and collaborate with us. After meeting Cyrilla, hearing her story and knowing her and her husband really enjoyed our Coconut Cashew Truffle, I knew we had a great match! Not only do our products complement each other, but I was especially drawn to our similarities as women entrepreneurs with a family operated business.

Cyrilla started Nuts+Nuts with her sister Caecilia to help provide much needed support to local famers in Indonesia to create high-grade cashew nuts. The sisters teamed up with an expert in agriculture to work together with these farmers in a symbiotic relationship. The cashew nuts are purchased directly from the farmers and are cured with a unique and special family recipe in small batches to create delicious, freshly roasted snacks, using only natural ingredients and no preservatives. It was unfortunately in 2003 when Cyrilla was diagnosed with Lupus that led to this collaboration with her sister, but now through Nuts+Nuts, both sisters aim to raise awareness about Lupus and give courage, comfort, and strength to all those who suffer from the disease. Additionally, Nuts+Nuts hopes to foster the cashew nuts industry in Indonesia, providing the farmers with additional knowledge about agriculture and allowing their children to have a better education and a brighter future.

So we thought we’d share our discovery and have teamed up with Nuts+Nuts to offer a sweet & savory gift!  Sweet Silk presents our new Coconut Cashew Truffles that are made using Nuts+Nuts plain roasted cashews with a pinch of cardamom, dipped in milk chocolate and rolled in coconut. Inspired by the organic nature of the product and the company’s mission, we’ve packaged our treats in a kraft ballotin truffle box tied with raffia ribbons.

So, maybe you can’t take a tropical vacation, but you can take your palate on a journey through Indonesia & India! So visit our online shop to purchase a gift box of our Coconut Cashew Truffles (gluten-free!) along with Spicy and Honey Sesame snack packs from Nuts+Nuts for your own escape or as a gift for someone who may need a delicious getaway!


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Monday, April 6, 2009

Sleepless, stoleful nights [MFM/Scarf #30]

Had another one of those can't-sleep-a-wink nights last night. Mostly this was because of the three or four cups of coffee I drank around 5:00 pm but it also had something to do with my latest commission: my mother in law has asked me to weave a stole for a close friend of the family who's going to be ordained as a priest next month. My in-laws were over last night to talk vestments (much to my father in law's surprise, I think!) and after they left I couldn't stop thinking about colours and fibres and structures and on and on and on... You'll be hearing loads more about this stole project in future posts, I can guarantee you.

Finally, since I couldn't sleep anyway, I got out of bed and tackled a few quiet things that needed doing, including wet finishing scarf #30. As you may recall, I'd left wide gaps in the reed and was worried about how they'd fare when the scarf was wet finished. Part of last week's horrid-break was due to indecision and inertia related to this: I was pretty sure the current sleying wasn't going to work but just couldn't drum up the energy to cut and resley. I thought maybe it'd be okay if I used a boucle for weft instead of the smooth cotton in scarf #30, I wasn't sure how to adjust the gaps... finally I just had to come to terms with the fact that what was needed was for me to cut #30 off, wet finish it and see what happened.

The hold up here was that, due to the sparseness of the warp threads, a loose fringe really didn't seem in order and I'm a bit of a lazy bugger when it comes to twisting fringes. But heck, at 4:00 in the morning when you can't sleep, you may as well twist some fringe, eh wot? So that's what I did - whacked #30 off, fiddled with the fringes some to find the best way to do 'em, and then twisted them and washed and dried the scarf. I steeled myself for disappointment, even disaster. I told myself I could always keep the scarf myself if it didn't turn out well...

...and it turns out I'll almost certainly be keeping this scarf because I love it! Love, love, love, LOVE it. I know that's totally self congratulating but... well, it's true. Self, I congratulate you on a lovely scarf! I haven't even trimmed the weft tails off yet 'cause I've been wearing it since I woke up (on the couch, at noon). I love the colours, I love the weight -- it did exactly what I'd hoped drape wise. Yes, it's a bit picky - got to be careful not to snag it on anything 'cause the weave is really loose - but I think it's totally worth it.

So here's the scoop:

As I said on Wednesday, I was aiming for a wide scarf with enough drape that it could be worn comfortably knotted around my neck. The scarf was around 15" in the reed and I wove with a temple so it was pretty close to 15" on the cloth beam. Once it was off the loom and had been mooshed around as I knotted and twisted the fringes, it had gotten narrower: its pre-wash dimensions were 13.5" x 80".

I had hemstitched the scarf on the loom but the hemstitching looked a bit wimpy and the fringe a bit skimpy, so I knotted the fringe right on top of the hemstitching to give it some bulk, twisted the fringes hard, and then knotted at the bottom of the twist. Then, to add more texture and interest, I knotted each twist one more time somewhere in the middle at random heights. I'm super happy with the fringe; maybe this will be the kick in the pants I need to twist my fringes more often!

I washed the scarf on delicate - was concerned to note that it had caught on something in the washer and some of the threads pulled a bit but I managed to push them back into place with a fingernail and all was well. I dried it on low heat but even so the end result is 12" x 76" so not too much shrinkage, really. The difference in width is largely due to the vanishing gaps, actually. The spaces I left in the reed are completely gone - no sign of 'em at all in the finished article! And yet, if I hadn't left the gaps, not only would the finished EPI be denser than it is now, there'd be far less weft in each shot so the fabric wouldn't have the same drape and hand.

So... I guess I'll tie on the warp exactly as it is and keep weaving a couple more! I'll make one with the same colour weft as the first so that I can sell one of them - no way am I parting with this one! And then I might use the boucle I'd had in mind just to see if that preserves the gaps some.

Incidentally, I'm also really happy with these scarf-on-model photos, in spite of the fact that the model is me. :P I guess you don't have to be a beautiful willowy Italian model to do a scarf justice. It's a bit fiddly to take good pictures of yourself but with time and patience it can be done! It'd be a whole heckuva lot easier if Bella had one of those nifty swing-out-and-swivel-around LCD screens that let you see what the camera was pointing at from the business end of the lens but we made do.

Before I tried taking pics of myself, I took a couple of Ron. He's so obliging! I grabbed the closest scarf to hand for these and the colours are a fright with the shirt he's wearing but even so I quite like these snaps because they show just how sweet and smiley and helpful my No.1 Squeeze is:

I think this may be my new all time favourite picture of him:

♥ ♥ Isn't he a doll? ♥ ♥

Sue said...

Yes, he is! And your scarf looks great. Hard to tell how it feels, except that you obviously love it. I'm glad that your experiment worked out so well. OXOXO Mom

ASpinnerWeaver said...

Glad you get to keep one for yourself. Glad you have a sweet and obliging husband.(I am lucky enough to have one, too.) I am looking forward to hearing about your priest's stole;I made a couple many years ago.

laura said...

really like the colors, and wow! great photography!

jackie said...

Doll indeed!
I made a stole for a priest last year at this time. YOu can see the finished product here
I always twist my fringe and I get compliments on my fringes quite often. Every now and then, you have to keep one for your self. My solution to drape is to weave most of my plainweave slightly warp faced (it weaves up quicker too!)


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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Merry Christmas! New Christmas Card Pictures:

Surprised faces. Not sure why.
Funny faces. I wonder what Isaac was thinking about.
This picture and the next one are the pics that I used on the card. It turned out really cute!
This is the last picture I took, and probably my favorite! I was really excited to get a picture of them "being sweet", usually I don't catch it in time!

Jessica said...

The say cheese one is so funny. You can just tell that they are fake smiles, but it is still really cute. I love the sweet one of Isaac hugging Savannah too. :)

Caroline said...

I love the last one! How sweet they are. :)

Ace said...

too cute! Merry Christmas!


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Henry George’s Challenge to the Economics Profession

Warren J. Samuels

Professor Emeritus of Economics,
Michigan Stare University, East Lansing, MI

American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Vol. 42. No. I (January, 1983)

ABSTRACT. A session of the American Economic Association and the History of Economics Society commemorating the centennial of the publication of Progress and Poverty, while correctly assessing some of Henry George’s writing as hyperbole, raised two important issues: George’s legitimacy as an economist and his analysis’s significance for economics. Our generation sins on the side of illogic too, but George’s status has been questioned not only out of snobbishness but because he was perceived as unsafe; he raised “dangerous” fundamental issues. He questioned the terms of access, to and use of land as channeled by real property and other rights and he asked whether the institution of landed property was anachronistically suited to the enjoyment and wealth of some as contrasted to all people.

Two important issues in the study of the ideas of Henry George and their reception by his and later generations have been raised in the investigations of Aaron Fuller, Gene Wunderlich and Terence Dwyer1: the legitimacy of George as an economist, and the significance of his analysis for economics. Let me begin with Fuller’s correct assessment of some or much of George’s writing as hyperbole. If we mean by hyperbole that an argument is overstated, that excessive claims are made, then surely George’s characterization of the moral and social regeneration to be expected from the single tax qualifies:

The sterile waste would clothe itself with verdure, and the barren places where life seemed banned would ere long be dappled with the shade of trees and musical with the song of birds. Talents now hidden, virtues. unsuspected, would come forth to make human life richer, fuller, happier, nobler . . . . They need but the opportunity to bring them forth. Consider the possibilities of a state of society that gave that opportunity to all. Let imagination fill out the picture; its colors grow too bright for words to paint. Consider the moral elevation, the intellectual activity, the social life.2

But lest we denigrate George unduly, let us consider the hyperbole embedded in conventional practices in economics. First, limiting assumptions are used, and conclusions are drawn and then extended beyond the reach permitted by the assumptions. Second, partial equilibrium solutions are used as proxies for general equilibrium solutions. Third, as with Say’s Law and the Coase Theorem, there is casuistic manipulation of assumptions to maintain the ostensible integrity and viability of certain desired conclusions. George’s immodesties are obvious; those found in more orthodox economic analysis are more subtle and recondite, but no less present and significant. Hyperbole lies without deceiving, Macaulay said, but our kind deceives even ourselves.

Why has George’s legitimacy as an economist been an issue? He clearly had mastered economics as it stood in the 1870’s, that is, principally, classical economics. The original definition of an economist-“one who is conversant with, or a student of, economics [the science]”3-is more inclusive, but the more recent use of the term-“one versed in the science of economics”4– includes: George, even if it should, regrettably, exclude one or two of his critics. George actually was quite conservative; he largely accepted classical economics, and his theory of economic policy gave effect to the values of an industrial capitalist system.

But in our time there is another sense in which the term ‘economist’ is used: to designate the members of a profession which, by its research, adds to the body of economic science; or, by applying the science, develops advice for decision-making on economic problems for government and business executives and legislators as well as private individuals; or, by teaching in academic settings, trains the next generation of men and women to qualify for the designation under one or another of its rubrics. The question of George’s qualification for the designation arises because he ran up against the arrogance, hubris, and entry barriers of a newly professionalizing discipline.

But it is not only professional snobbishness that must be called to account. George also was perceived as unsafe. Although he believed that his policies would extend and strengthen individualism and the system of nonlanded property, others, sensitive to any challenge to established property rights and to policies seemingly socialistic (George thought his policies would prevent socialism), considered his proposals anathema. Many believed he opened the door to even worse change, although the threat to landed fortunes was serious enough in some eyes. George, accordingly, was and has been suspect as an economist because he was a professional outsider (as the profession came to define itself) and because he raised issues which many believed it dangerous to associate with economics.

Even so heterodox an economist as Simon Nelson Patten would restructure economic theory to render it immune from dangerous conclusions such as those offered by George:

. . . economic doctrine must be recast so that it would rest wholly on present data. It will not accept socialism; and to free itself from the snares into which it has fallen through the careless statements of its creators, it must isolate itself, more fully from history, sociology and other disciplines that give undue weight to past experience.5

The central theme of Georgian positive economics is clear and significant: the structure of individual opportunity sets has been formed, to an important degree, through the evolution of landed property as an institution, and the distributions of income and wealth (as well as other facets of economic performance) reflect, in part, the identification and assignment of real property rights. George raised two fundamental policy issues: 1) he questioned the terms of access to and use of land as channeled by real property and other rights, and 2) he asked whether the institution of landed property then extant was anachronistically suited to the enjoyment and wealth of some as contrasted with all individuals.

Whatever one’s normative views on these matters, the positive analysis and the policy questions are fundamental. Both were anathema to an establishmentarian perspective once any actual or potential conflict between landed and nonlanded interests had been resolved.

The famous controversy between George and Francis A. Walker over the interpretation of data from the census of 1890, recalled by Wunderlich6 is significant in precisely this regard. Data on landholding and their interpretation were important to both the analysis and the critical questions of policy, for the data would help define reality and influence the probative value of alternative policy premises. The distribution of land ownership and the trends therein are important and certainly were deemed so by most parties to the controversy.

Wunderlich, therefore, is absolutely correct in identifying the importance for policy analysis of 1) specifications of universe and of unit of observation and 2) data construction per se with regard to all “facts” pertaining to land. Manipulation of such “technical” matters could and did influence people’s definition of reality.

George challenged the value system associated with landed property as it then existed as a preeminent institution in American society. In doing so, he also challenged both the theory and data construction upon which important areas of economic analysis rested. To a very large extent the discipline of economics has sidestepped George’s questions.

It is ironical to note, as Dwyer does, that in pressing these challenges George anticipated some of the developments of modern economics. We honor some of his contemporaries with the mantle of the profession for less. Perhaps it is fitting, now that a century has passed, that we answer George’s questions in our fashion.

1. Aaron B. Fuller, III, ‘Selected Elements of Henry George’s Legitimacy as an Economist,” American Journal of Economics and Sociology Vol, 42. No. I (January, 1983). pp. 45ff, Gene Wunderlich. “The U.S.A.’s Land Data Legacy from the 19th Century,” ibid., Vol. 41, No. 3 (July. 1982). pp. 269-80; and Terence M. Dwyer, “Henry George’s Thought in Relation to Modern Economics,” ibid.. Vol. 41, No. 4 (October, 1982). pp. 367-72.

2. Henry George, Progress and Poverty (New York: Robert Schalkenbach Foundation.1979, centennial edition). p 471. Fuller quotes the famous “simple yet sovereign remedy” claim dear to George’s critics, which led Karl Marx and George’s Marxist critics to condemn him as a panacea-monger. Ibid.. pp. ‘405-06). Sir Eric Roll dubs this George’s “idee fixe” (A Hstory of Economic Thought. New York: Prentice Hall, 1942, p. 466).

3. W. A. Neilson. cd., Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language (Springfield, Mass: G. & C. Merriam Co., 1940, 2d ed.), p. 814.

4. Clarence L. Barnhart. ed., The Amman College Dictionary (New York; Random House, c. 1948). p. 381.

5. Simon Nelson Patten. “The Conflict Theory of Distribution,” Yale Review, August, 1908, reprinted in Essays in Economic Theory, Rexford G. Tugwell, ed. (New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1924); quoted in Robert W. Andelson, ed.. Critics of Henry George (Rutherford, N.J., Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. Press, 1979), p. 270.

6, Wunderlich, op. cit., p. 269.

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Monday, January 26, 2015

Free Community College!

This essay appeared in newspapers across Indiana...

Since it appeared, another observation shows us that Obama is flailing about with this proposal: He's taxing 529 account for college in order to pay for free community college. Nice!

President Obama has proposed free community college for everybody in the United States.

At present, according to the American Association of Community Colleges, there are 6.5 million students in public community colleges. Most of their $31 billion in revenues comes from various levels of government. Although their average cost per student is about $5,000, the average student only pays $950 per year in tuition and fees.

The proposal is supposed to cost about $60 billion over the next decade. This estimate is probably based on a static analysis—that only these 6.5 million students would attend community college, imposing an additional burden of $950 per student on taxpayers. A more sophisticated prediction would take into account the likely increases in both the number of students and the average cost per student.

Average costs would be expected to increase with additional subsidies and the greater bureaucracy that typically accompanies more government involvement. We’ve seen how massive government subsidies have impacted the overall cost of health insurance and health care in the United States over the last 70 years. Or in the field of education: How about the cost of K-12 education, wholly financed by taxpayers, where we currently spend about $300,000 per classroom of 25 students?

There are many other reasons to question the community college proposal. Continuing with the cost side: Why should the average family of four pay $780 in higher taxes to support another $60 billion program? In a time of immense federal debt and tight state budgets, why should this be a strong budget priority?

As for the recipients, how will students treat community college if it’s completely free? Will they value the education appropriately and become more responsible individuals? More broadly, is it smart for society to create another “entitlement” program?

From the market’s perspective: How will the perception of a community college degree be changed within the labor market? With concerns about a “bubble” in higher education, is it wise to increase government subsidies into that sector? Only 20% of community college students complete a two-year program within three years. Are we imagining that the benefits are greater than they would be?

Needs-based subsidies for higher education are already in place through Pell Grants. Why is it wise to subsidize community college tuition for all students, even those from upper-income families? As with the minimum wage, the policy is poorly-targeted—in this case, subsidizing all students, rather than just those with fewer means.

Given all of these concerns, the policy proposal seems more political theater and cynical political games, than good (or even serious) public policy.

Interestingly, Governor Pence has proposed increased funding for vouchers and charter schools. Other school reformers are calling for “backpack funding”, which follows each student to the school of their choice (and varies with student needs). With these policy choices, the approach is to finance the decisions of parents and children, rather than sending money to a school and then forcing students to attend that school.

President Obama takes a similar approach. He could have proposed free community college, but only at the community college closest to each person’s house. Instead, he said that we should empower students to obtain educational services at the community college of their choice.

Given that we’ve decided, as a society, to finance K-12 education, why not give those parents backpack funding as well—so that those with any level of income have the freedom to choose the school that’s best for their families?

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Georgia Institute of Technology, Campus Recreation Center

Atlanta, Georgia

The Campus Recreation Center is a unique, adaptive reuse and expansion of the existing Olympic swimming and diving venue at Georgia Institute of Technology. The facility now has a 50-meter competition pool; six-court gymnasium space; fitness center; racquetball courts; a climbing wall; leisure pool; offices; locker rooms and a 500-car, three-level ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONCOST PER SQ FT$124.17CITATIONRenovation/Modernization CitationFEATURED IN2005 Architectural PortfolioSUB CATEGORYRenovation deck.

Georgia Tech wanted to provide students with a premier recreation and aquatic center. It also wanted to provide a world-class aquatic facility for the men’s and women’s varsity swimming and diving teams, and attract premier national, state and local aquatic events.

The original recreation center had become obsolete. In 1996, Georgia Tech was the site of the 15,000-seat Summer Olympics aquatics venue. The new facility was attached to the existing recreation center and was built as a freestanding outdoor space built solely for this event; it was not suitable for year-round natatorium use. The extreme vertical height of the venue was necessary to accommodate the 15,000 spectator seats, 13,000 of which were temporary.

The design incorporates an intermediate floor at the fourth level over the pool to accommodate about 60,000 square feet of gymnasium and multipurpose space. Because the existing roof was 120 feet above the natatorium floor, ample volume and space were available for an additional floor. This solution provided more space for the recreation and athletic programs.

"A very complex project. Wonderful solution to providing an athletic center on campus."--2005 jury


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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Today I found an interesting site called Foldit, where you can download a program that lets you try folding a protein graphically. It differs from sites like Folding@home, which just draw on your computer's spare processor cycles, in that it actually hopes to use human intuition to help solve the protein folding problem, and compare it to the performance of computer algorithms on the same task. I downloaded it, and wanted to give my opinion on it.


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Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Just a quick one...

Waiting for a call to start, so thought I would just make contact so you don't think I have forgotten you.

  • work - busy, same old same old, need to do a "process improvement plan".  If every one of these improved things even 0.1%, then by now we would be 249% perfect.  Which tells you all you need to know.
  • Home - hot, but enjoying good weather, another day from the plasterer, final stages being completed.  Need to get the painter in soon to make it the same colour as the rest of the house.
  • Life - nearly got one last night.

Monday, 27 June 2011

Whether the weather be hot....

The sun is shining, for the second day in a row.  When we were in April, the sun shone for a couple of weeks, and the UK started to resemble a Mediterranean country.  When I say that, I mean of course that it was hot, the roads were melting and the Union Jack shorts and vest tops were out in force.  Now I am a great fan of the vest top, however I have concluded that, as a rule, they look better on women than men.  Now shoot me for being gender-baised, and of course rules are there to be broken, and round here they often are with even the bulldogs having tatoos, but I digress.  I was talking about April, and a fine month it was too.

Since then we have had plenty of rain.  And of course on the weekend of Wimbledon and Glastonbury, it is the law for it to rain.  So what a shock it was yesterday to be so hot I didn't know what to do with myself.  So I found some shade and blew the froth off a cold one.

Now I am back to work, looking out the window, which is wide open to catch any small breeze going, looking at the sunny vista and listening to those eternally chipper birds and their infernal song.  I even have my top off (steady ladies) and am still too hot for words.

Oh well, at least we are past the longest day, and are now on the long and inexorable slope down to the short days and long nights of winter.

And on that note, I bid you a happy week, until we meet again...

Friday, 24 June 2011

And . . . relax

And before you can blink and take stock of where the weekend went, it is Friday again.

I continue to be busy, but I have had just a moment to consider what kind of busy I am being.  Am I busy because there is a lot of work to do but that work is all contributing to something useful, and something that I am enjoying because I am adding value.  Or, am I spending an inordinately large amount of my time fighting a machine, to try and coax it in to changing direction, or making a decision, or at least contributing to what I am trying to achieve.

When I find out, I will let you know.

In the meantime, have a good weekend, and speak next week.

Thursday, 23 June 2011

And another one...

I'm feeling on a bit of a Bowie roll, so thought I would bring your attention to another of his songs, Five Years.  I would have preferred to have embedded that also, now I have mastered that wonder of modern technology, but can you adam and eve it if they have blocked embedding for this clip.  Still, worth a look.

I have just recalled a small and mostly insignificant moment from my past.  As you may or may not know, in the Nineties (younger readers can Google that one for a history lesson), I was in a band.  We wanted to "make it", as all young bands want to do, even though "making it" really meant spending two years sleeping in the back of a transit van, driven by an overweight ex-Iron Maiden roadie (you just had to be there, maaan) who has a penchant for Motorway Service Station Pasties (and we know what Rhod Gilbert has to say about those) and anything that could be eaten, drunk, smoked or otherwise ingested with one hand.
Anyway, one time we got ourselves a gig at the Camden Falcon, which may mean nothing to you, but at the time it was THE PLACE to be seen as a young band.  I seem to recall something like that was where Suede were found, and maybe Morrissey was in the audience.  There again, too much Pepsi Max may just have damaged that memory beyond repair.
Anyway, digressing again (note to self, must do more digressing), back to our gig.  The routine for such an even goes something like this:
  • Nameless/faceless/useless support band (played by us in this scene) arrive at venue
  • there is one only person on duty when you arrive
  • the said person has no idea who you are, where you need to go, or who will be doing the sound check
  • you buy a pint, wander round, sit down, stand up, wait a bit longer, smoke a fag, and then realise the dingy door at the back leads to the "venue"
  • you enter said venue, which is always painted a uniform black, except for the punch holes and sick stains
  • within the room are the undead.  They are creatures that prefer to avoid both sunlight and water.  They are the sound crew and the engineer and anything else that needs doing, all in one human form
  • you wait another couple of hours, you let the main band set up their gear and sound check
  • you then setup your gear in front of the main band's gear.  The stage was small to start with, and with two band's gear on it, the space for humans is severely limited.  Being in a band trying to "make it" means you put up with pretty much any and all sh!t, and are very adept at playing your instrument in a space the size of a small wardrobe
  • if there is time, you do a sound check, which consists of the engineer making sure every mike is plugged in and turned on.  The average sound check goes like this: "kick drum", thump, thump, thump.  "OK, snare". Thwack, thwack. "High hat", tic, tic, tic.  "Whole kit".  Boom de boom.  "Lead guitar", twang. "Rhythm guitar", strum.  "Vocals", la la la.  And for the support band, if it happens at all, that is how long you get for a sound check.
  • Then you just wait around until 9pm, play for 45 minutes to a crowd smaller than the band, before waiting until half midnight when the main band finishes, at which point you remove your gear and yourself back to whatever sorry hole you dragged yourself from to get to the venue.
Obviously all that is with rose-tinted glasses; it is rarely as fun as that.

Anyway, at the Camden Falcon, the engineer, let's call him Swampy, was an undead of the long haired variety.  Now, don't get me wrong, I like long hair as much as the next Rapunzel, so no problems there, it is just the damage it seems to do to their ability to speak.  Anyway, this one did speak, and actually very eloquently (so that is one in the eye for your prejudice then.  Ed).  And as we were setting up, he was to utter what was to me words that will not and indeed have not ever left me, to this day.  These words, which will be underwhelming with all the build up, were simply "There has been nothing new in music since Bowie in '79".

That has always seemed profound to me.  And actually, take a listen, coz his presence is very much with us still.

Tuesday, 21 June 2011

Time takes a cigarette, puts it in your mouth...

Some of you, those of a certain age, and of a certain musical persuasion, may recognise the line from Rock 'n Roll Suicide by David Bowie.

Never tried this embedding thing before, so here goes:

I am neither considering taking up smoking, nor committing suicide, but it is a line about time that I can recall, perhaps the only line.  I do remember Bruce Quarterman from Uni (not even half a man - oh how we laughed) who oft quoted "time is an abstract concept", which works fine when you are a student, not so much if you are a watch repairer.  Or are trying to catch a train.  So best put to one side his advice then.

This week motors on, work continues on the house (plumbing and plastering today, electrics tomorrow, floor levelling Thursday/Friday) and work remains unfeasibly and unsustainably busy, but then that is the modern world.

How I long for a flagon of ale and perhaps a goat or two to herd.  Not so keen on the Black Death and falling down sickness.

Enough of this, better go do some more conference calls.

Thursday, 16 June 2011

Just a quick one...

I notice my posts are decreasing, and that is largely due to the massive amount of stuff going on in my working life, and also my home life.  I have avoided calling it my personal life coz that would imply I have one.

I have to believe that there is now a light at the end of the tunnel, and not some wotsit with a torch bringing me more work, but one can only say that so many times before you stop believing it yourself, let alone trying to convince others.  The tough economic climate is definitely partly to blame, and occasionally tough colleagues do not make it easier, but I am not sure I can or will be able to carry on at this pace without making some changes somewhere in my life.  No other thoughts on that one right now, so watch this space, as they say in NASA.

We are off to Brad and Angelina at the weekend, an overnight stay that is always enjoyable (and I have to say that in case Brad is reading, ha ha) and I am very much looking forward to it, firstly for the fun and good company that will be enjoyed, second because it will take me away from my "won't it be lovely when it's finished" house, and thirdly because I need to make sure I was not dreaming when I recall the pole-dancing pole in their back room.  All I can say is that after three pints of Stella, you would be surprised how good I look wrapped round a pole.

And on that note, I shall bid you adieu.

Friday, 10 June 2011

And . . . relax

Very quick, coz I have a worktop to collect.  It is 4m long and I plan to put it on the roof rack.  Am I mad?  Probably, but will tell you next week.

Have a good weekend.

P.S. iPhone update.  Was in a churchyard, and mentioned that there was usually a specific tree species found in graveyards.  Quick Googling on Safari told me it was the Yew tree, which is the tree of life.  Those I was with were mighty impressed.

Thursday, 9 June 2011

Holidays, are they worth it?

They definitely are, but in a couple of very dark hours this week I have paused a moment to consider that very question.

Work is hard.  This seems to be becoming the norm, and from anecdotal comments from friends, I think it may well be the same all over the corporate world.

So, the question is, what to do?  What I do is spice up life by having some building work at home.  Now, on the "percentage complete" scale, things are still moving towards 100%, but the trouble is that going from 89% to 91% doesn't really register, and so we are beginning to get the feeling that things will just never end.  I think, and hope. that last night was my lowest of low points, and today I am feeling slightly more chipper, and with my dad doing some more painting today, and the doors arriving, I am ready for the next challenge.  This is likely to be getting Maggot 2's room prepared for the first coat of paint tomorrow.  I am likely then to be finishing it on Saturday morning.

We have a free window this weekend, which is exactly what we need, and I plan to do some DIY, but also spend some time with my family.

Until tomorrow....

Saturday, 4 June 2011

Just a quick one...

I am now back from my little holiday on the Isle of Wight, and very nice it was too.  The joke, for those not in the know, is that when you step off the ferry on the island, you need to set your watch, back fifteen years.  Now this is a little harsh, but also a little true.  There is something about places that are "at the end of the line" that always attracts the slightly different or the very different or the person who, in their own personal search for happiness, has chosen a path with a "no through road" sign at the start.

I do not want to be too flippant for fear of upsetting the locals, especially since most of them look like the could or, and maybe have been, two rounds with Mike Tyson.  And that is just the women.  However, it must be noted that there were plenty of tattoos, piercings, odd haircuts likely conceived in the kitchen, and a general sense that normal ain't so normal there.  Our first few days seemed to consist of passing through various council estates, all with roads that are one and a half cars wide, and with the obligatory row of cars on one side means a constant pulling behind a car to the let the oncoming traffic come on.  This is very much like the road in which we live, which is a Victorian road built wide enough presumably for a couple of horses to pass each other without touching, but not so good for cars.  Our road is about two hundred metres long.  Now I am not sure how many miles of road there are on the Isle of Wight, and Google could not tell me, but the rather alarming majority of them were too narrow for two cars to pass whilst both in motion.

To be honest, for the first three days of the trip we were totally underwhelmed by the island, however on the final two days we did go, late in the day, to the Needles, and en route travelled the southerly coastal road, and some of the scenery was amazing, our "autumn" as Maggot 2 says when he sees something awsome.  Even the man-made stuff was appealing.

Aside from the Needles, which we thoroughly enjoyed, even with the tacky fairground at the top, we visited two of the "top attractions on the island".  The first was Blackgang Chine (BGC), at which we bought a Super Saver ticket for that and Robin Hill.  BGC was truly awful.  There were a few funny moments, a crooked house that was crooked, and a singing pet shop that was full of pets singing, to name but two, but overall the place was a mishmash of unrelated and frankly uninteresting "exhibits".  We concluded that the designers had obviously never seen another "theme park" of any sort, perhaps in light of the fact that they may have never left the island, except perhaps those advertised on the back of The Beano.

It does have an interesting issue to deal with.  The site is the location of several landslides, and indeed some elements of the park have been closed as they have fallen in to the sea, requiring the owners to keep moving attractions inland.  There are a couple of houses on the site that are presumably abandoned by their owners, including one fantastic house that is now a walkthrough story thingy, the exact subject of which I have long since forgotten.  This must make for an interesting business model; is it worth investing in a ride or attraction that could be in the drink in a few years' time?  The answer seems to be a resounding no, or rather, the decision was obviously made that no attraction should cost more to put up than it can make in profit in a year, which very much sets the tone for the quality, or lack of it, and also the high number of bits that incur additional charges to be enjoyed.

With all this negativity about BGC, we did not hold out much hope for Robin Hill, but we could not have been more wrong.  This was a lovely day out, enjoyed by both adults and children alike.  The site was attractive, and there was a fantastic toboggan run that we all had two goes on (and it cost money too, which we paid with pleasure) and also a falconry display which was just fantastic.  The final bird that was flown liked to come in low, and skimmed a number of heads, including ours, at great speed.  It was fantastic to see the bird flying, and also to listen to the enthusiastic commentary from the falconer.

The sun also shone for the final three days, which added to the fun and pleasure, and meant we could visit the pool on the site.  The maggots swam, I simply made sure they were safe, from the side of the pool.  A chap needs to be careful with too much shock to the old ticker.

As for the site, it was a lovely, quiet site, with plenty of room, two great playgrounds and a real sense of country serenity, with some essentials, for us at least, thrown in.  A great site we would visit again, were it not on the Isle of Wight, a place to which I fear we will not be returning any time soon.


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Wednesday, 16 July 2008

Free copies of BBC Tracing Your Roots

BBC Scotland's Radio 4 genealogy series Tracing Your Roots have produced a couple of CDs featuring 3 pogrammes of the first series on each CD.

For free copies send a large padded SAE to:

Tracing Your Roots (CD's) Zone 3.05
BBC Scotland, Pacific Quay,
Glasgow, G20 8NS

The postage will be paid by the BBC.

(With thanks to Jolly Roger at the YFT forum)

Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving

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Saturday, August 15, 2009

On My Honor

So Scraps 'n Pieces has come out with their newest kit called 'On My Honor'. I was having a hard time figuring out what kind of a page I wanted to make with the kit--while I do have 3 boys none of them are old enough to be into scouts. Once it occurred to me that I had old camping pictures to use I was set--I LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors in this kit and there was good paper and elements that could be used for anything. The kit is on sale for the next week so click on the preview to head over to pick it up.


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Monday, July 7, 2008

Summer "You Pick" Swap Challenge #1

I joined a swap on the Cricut message boards for the Summer. You pick a partner from the message boards and you each complete challenges issued by the host and then send them to each other.

Challenge #1 was four Summer themed cards with 3 elements and 3 papers each.

Here are the four I created. TFL!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Dream Books

This is a picture of the front of one of the 17 "Dream" wordbooks I made at the end of the May/beginning of June. I was SO mad at myself for not taking a picture of them all together but I finished them at 5 am after staying up all night and then wrapped them in boxes before I thought to take a pic. I was recently able to retrieve one temporarily and get a pic so I thought I would post it.

I was paid to make 17 of these for my mom to give as gifts to some people in her business. They all loved them and I have to say that they all turned out lovely. All the covers were very decorative and the books were done in pinks, blues and purples. The insides were decorated very simply to give the recipients lots of options for what they wanted to ultimately put in them.

I used the Mickey Font Cart for this particular book.

Click here for the cut file.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Fiskars Circle Border Punch Review

Some ladies on the Cricut message boards were inquiring about these punches so I decided to play with the ones I bought last weekend and see what I thought about them.

This is a link to the 6 circle border punches that are sold by Fiskars:

I personally purchased the "Antique Elegance" and "Heart of Hearts" punches.

Like all punches, the circle punch has it's limitations. It only punches properly with circles that are 4 inches or 6 inches. Each punch comes with a template like this. The inner circle is the 4 inch template and the outer circle is the 6.

Instead of using the template, I cut circles from the "All Mixed Up" cartridge on my cricut. I was surprised to find that the sizes did not match up. It only occurred to me afterward that they may have matched up if I had used "real dial size" but I'm not sure because I didn't try that. So, without using "real dial size", a 6 inch circle on the Cricut, equalled the 4 inch template, while a 9 inch circle on the Cricut equalled the 6 inch template. I know that doesn't seem to make sense but it's true. I also found a use for a 4 inch circle on the Cricut which I will show you further down.

On the punches, you turn one direction for the small circle and one direction for the large. I found that the small circle was EASY while the large circle was more tricky. Here is a picture of the two punches. You can see the guidelines and directions for punching on the listed on the punch itself.

The only difficulty I had with the small circle was keeping it in place to line up the punch properly. To aid this, I just put a few swipes of removable dotto adhesive in the center of the circle so that once I had it lined up, it stuck to the punch base and didn't move while I punched it. The small circle was SUPER simple and lined up beautifully.

I did NOT need the removable adhesive to assist with the large circle but no matter how I tried, could not get it to make a perfectly perfect circle in the end. There was always a tiny little overlap that didn't allow the design to complete itself fully. Now, you honestly wouldn't know if you weren't looking for it so it doesn't bother me that much but it IS imperfect and I know that this might really bother those with detail-oriented personalities. :)

Here are pictures of 3 cards using the small and large circles I punched:(Please note that I was doing this quickly just to play with it so my work is a little sloppy)

This last card, I cut a 4 inch circle on the Cricut, folded it in half and punched it. I kinda liked what it created so I decided to use it. One note of caution though -- these punches cannot really handle doubled cardstock very well so you should only use this method with paper or VERY thin cardstock.

Overall, I am very happy with the Antique Elegance punch but not as fond of the Heart to Hearts. I may try to return it for a different one. I found it harder to use and line up with the large circle than the AE punch. I like the idea of these punches and I think I will find lots more uses for them as I go along. They certainly provide a simple way to make a card VERY elegant!

I hope this helps you make your decision! Happy scrappin' everyone!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

A Candy Cake for Dad

I did it! Yes!! I set out to do something really new and different for my dad's Father's Day/Birthday cake this year and I was able to do exactly what I had envisioned!! You know when you have a vision of something and it just doesn't come out like you'd planned? That happens to me alot but this was a pleasant exception!

My dad's birthday is on June 20th so we always celebrate it on Father's Day. This year is his 50th so I wanted to make a very special cake for him. I'm a great cook but not so much in the bakery department so I decided to get creative. I've seen a few candy bar cakes created on the Cricut message boards so I decided to search the internet to expand on the ideas I had seen.

I was inspired by this woman's creations and after browsing her website for about 20 mins, I decided I could imitate some of what she did and spin it to work for my occassion.

I wanted a LARGE cake. This became an instant problem when I went to buy styrofoam for the inside. I can't BELIEVE the price of styrofoam! After perusing my local Michael's, I decided to head to an old craft store that I haven't been to in over 10 years. It's a run down lil' old place but wouldn't you know it, they had exactly what I needed! I decided to go with 3 different sizes of round paper mache boxes. They are 13 inches, 9 inches and 5 inches in diameter. The cost was half what it would have been to create the same sized cake with a styrofoam center.

The next challenge was the candy. I wanted to decorate the cake solely with my dad's favorites and still keep some color coordination (color coordination was the only thing I found lacking in the cakes from the site listed above -- they were a little too ..... confetti for me). I eyeballed what I thought would fill up the boxes nicely and purchased ALL of my candy at WALMART (I later had to run to my local grocery to grab one more package of fun sized snickers and they were almost $1.00 more per package -- sheesh).

This is the candy I settled on. My original plan was to make a band of licorice at the top of each layer almost like an icing/border thing but I found that licorice is too waxy to adhere with hot glue so I ditched that right off. Anyone want a 2 lb bag of licorice?

~Insert V8 bop to the forehead here~

I also didn't end up using the cinnamon bears and later added some reeses singles cups to the bottom layer. And I can't account for the peanut butter twix -- they were an impulse buy, near the register...... I thought I might use them but now I'll have to eat them -- oh darn.

I used hot glue for the entire project and to offset the effect of hot glue on chocolate, I put everything in the freezer for about an hour before I started. I also glued the lids upside-down to the bottoms of the boxes to separate the layers nicely. I covered the sides of the lids in a brown satin ribbon from Michael's.

I used skewers, Accent Essentials, Paper Pups and Celebrations for the top. My dad has a Great Dane and a Standard Poodle -- hence the dog cuts. I'm going to add 'googly' eyes to them tomorrow to make them extra cute and silly. I used a generic sentiment since it's for both his Birthday and Father's Day. The flowers have rolos candy in the centers and they are all embossed with CB swiss dots, though you cannot see the detail from this picture.

This was loads of fun and turned out fabulous! The cake stands 2.5 feet tall with skewers and all. I'm so excited to see his reaction tomorrow. TFL!

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Mother's Day Gift

I'm behind on my scrap blogging so I'm trying to catch up. This is a clock I made for my mom to go in her Mother's Day basket. She loved it. "Dream Big" is kind of her motto so I like to put it on things I make for her. I used a basic clock kit from Hobby Lobby and just decorated it with cardstock and cuts from the Alphalicious, Jasmine & Home Accents.

More Cards

Patriotic Centerpiece

This was inspired by an idea from the Cricut messageboard. The original creator's name is "Freddie" and this is a link to the post on her project:

I put my own spin on it to make it appropriate for the occassion. I used this as our table centerpiece for homecoming family gathering for my brother-in-law; then I gave it to his wife as a gift at the end.

This was made using Accent Essentials. Starting at 3 inches on each flower, I dialed down 1/4 inch for each cut. If you have the Expression, push your quantity button and set it to "1". This will hold the design so you don't have to push "repeat last" each time. I used the shift lock to avoid any details or holes being cut into the flowers. In the case of the double sided flowers, I simply made them twice and stuck them together back to back.

All the flowers are put together with 1/4 double sided adhesive foam squares. DO NOT USE SCOTCH BRAND. I found that they did not work very well as they are soft instead of firm like most foam squares. For the stems, I used red, white and blue straws because they worked with the colors but you could use popsicle sticks, sucker sticks, skewers, etc. I attached the flowers to the straws with big thick glue dots.

I filled the bucket halfway with white decorative sand and stuck the straws in that. I cut some stem-like accents and stuck in as filler. Again, all of this was pulled from Freddie's post on the Cricut messageboard -- this is NOT my original idea, it is simply my take on it.

Thanks for looking!

Welcome Home Wordbook

This is a wordbook that I made back in May for my brother-in-law, Josh & his wife, Stephanie. Josh had just returned from Iraq after a year of service for our country. He is a proud Marine and we were so happy to have him back home again.

I made this book for them to put in the pictures of when he first arrived, etc. They liked the book and I was happy with how it turned out.

Click here for the cut file.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Congrats Card for My Niece

My cute little Niece made it to the State competition for Elementary School debate (she's in fifth grade). This is a card I made her for the occassion.

I used Alphalicious for the "Congratulations" and PDDU for the girl inside the card. The flowers were done with Accent Essentials and the centers are done with acrylic beads aka: "skittles".

Grams Wordbook

This is a wordbook I made for my Grandma for her 80th birthday. I took pictures at the party to put in the wordbook later. This was a simple layout, 8x8 square to accomodate more pictures. It was made with Mickey Font & Accent Essentials.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

My First Word Book - Dream BIG

This is my very first word book. It was an absolute BLAST to make and I had so much fun and SO many ideas that came to mind as I was making it that I cannot WAIT to make more!

This was done on the Expression but could also be done on the lil' Bug. I used Plantin Schoolbook on CDS for the design (cut file below pics). I used .22 chipboard at a blade depth of 5, full speed, full pressure and multi-cut on 3. Heavy cardstocks on both sides of each chipboard page and patterned pieces are just standard scrapbook paper. Be sure to reset blade depth to 4 and lighten pressure when cutting standard paper to avoid tearing.

Click here for the cut file but note this disclaimer: Because this was my first word book, I didn't realize that manipulating the width of the letters would render the shadow function less "functional" which is to say, the overlay letters do not fit perfectly within the chipboard cuts. I didn't realize this until I had already cut the chipboard portion of the project and I wasn't inclined to fix it.

My First 7 Cards

These are pictures of my first 7 cards. Since I'm fairly inexperienced with card making, I started by using simple white prepackaged 5x7 cards and envelopes purchased a Walmart. This tends to give them all a rather simple look since there's no color variation in the back but I'll branch out as I get better, I'm sure. Here are the pictures, along with details on cartridges used.

The bees were done with WIMG and words with MTG. I used gold Stickles on the wings.

Embossing was done with the CBF: D'vine Swirl. Flowers were done in varying sizes using Accent Essentials. Green Stickles dotted in corners.
Happy Day 4 inch with shadowed background from MTG. Pink stickle dots.

Cuts from Celebrations. Red Stickles outlining balloons.

Cuts from Paper Pups.

Smile cut using GP -- shadowed and embossed with CBF: Swiss Dots.

Present cut from Celebrations & embossed with the CBF: D'vine Swirl. Thank you cut from Alphalicious.