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Overwatch Devs are Looking for a Lead 3D Character Artist

By   /   Jan 28, 2015

Overwatch made a lot of ripples with its announcement in November 2014, it is not every day that Blizzard announces a new IP right?

We now have some more information regarding the future of the game and the already impressive character lineup that it has. The developers are going to invest heavily in making new characters as they are already looking to hire lead 3D character artist, what happened to the last one?

The Official job description as found here explains how they need someone with a veteran experience to guide the team of developers in making new characters for Overwatch:

As lead character artist you are an unstoppable combination of visionary artist, gamer, and leader. As an artist, you’ll collaborate closely with the art director to define the vision for both character design and organic modeling. As a gamer, you’ll be part of a team of designers, engineers, and artists whose singular goal is to create truly epic moments. Lastly, you’ll draw on your veteran experience to guide a team of the most talented artists in the industry in creating a legion of characters to inhabit this new and exciting world.

So yes, a lot of other iconic characters are coming to stand side by side with the likes of Raynor, Tyrael, Arthas, and Kerrigan.

There is an extensive list of requirements that you will need to fulfil in order to be eligible for the post though. For instance they want a five years experience and specialization in Maya, Photoshop, Zbrush, or Mudbox. Also, they want people who have shipped AAA PC games working as a lead artist before.

If you think you are up to scratch for this, read up on the complete job listing and apply.

Only recently, a rather surprising news brought up the name of Overwatch again; it was revealed that the trademark that Blizzard filed for the name of the game had been suspended due to a clash between a mobile game’s trademark registration.

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Black Ops 3 Zombies Shadows of Evil Jugger-Nog Perk Locations, How to Find

By   /   Nov 7, 2015
Black Ops 3 Zombies-

Where to locate Jugger-Nog Perk-a-Cola machine in Black Ops 3 zombies map, Shadows of Evil.

Jugger-Nog in zombie mode allows you withstand more damage ensuing in your survival. Where you’ll normally got down after 3 hits, using Jugger-Nog will increase it to 6 hits.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing with a full team or trying to solo; Jugger-Nog is an absolute life-saver and should be equipped as soon as possible.

However, finding this Perk-a-Cola requires a little effort since this is one of three perks whose location continues to rotate in every game. You may find it in the Waterfront District in one game and in the Footlight District or Canal District in other games.

Despite the district change, the location where the vending machine is located doesn’t change.

For more help on Black Ops 3, read our PC Tweaks Guide, Easter Eggs Steps Guide and How to Turn on Power.

Shadows of Evil Jugger-Nog Perk Locations

There is one little tip using which you’ll instantly know where the Jugger-Nog is located without roaming all three districts. While you’re in the Junction, head towards each gate and you’ll come across a broken bottle sitting on a crate. In order to find the Jugger-Nog, you need to head inside the district which has red bottle outside.

For your convenience, I’ve listed all three possible locations where you’ll be able to find Jugger-Nog Perk-a-Cola:

Waterfront District Perk
After you reach the area, you need to turn into the beast and activate the power switch near the stairs to open up the path. After this, go up the stairs and through the corridor to activate another power switch and use the machine. Once again, note that the actual perk may vary, but the location remains the same.

Footlight District Perk
This is very similar to the Waterfront District –- you need to change into the beast, activate the power switch near the stairs to make the stairs appear, head upstairs, and find the machine on the right side.

Canal District Perk
After you’re in the Canal District, you need to head towards the Canal Station by opening up all the gates leading to Zandi’s Smoke Lounge which is where the machine is located. Once again, you need to turn into the beast to activate the machine and use it later.

If there is something else you would like to know, make sure to let us know in the comments section below!

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No Man’s Sky Did Not Impress Microsoft’s Ex-Community Manager

By   /   Mar 9, 2016
No Man's Sky ps4

A couple of days ago the release date and surprising price tag of $60 for No Man’s Sky was revealed, just like we told you so many months ago. However, it looks like the insanely huge scale of the game has not impressed everyone.

For instance, there is Raj Patel, the former community manager for Microsoft who says that he is yet to see the fun in the game. Procedurally generated worlds appear so dull to him.

He was commenting on the PS4 and PC title through his Twitter.

Every image I’ve seen gameplay of No Man’s Sky looks like it could take place on the same planet. ‘Infinite Universe’ eh? I do not see it.

Agreeing that procedurally generated games do not interest him so much, he added that “it has potential and COULD be great but from what I’ve SEEN so far, it already seems stale. I have not seen the fun.”

Just to clarify things, it doesn’t mean that the guy has seen all that the game has to offer – how could he since there are quintillions of planets in the game. However, Patel is basing his opinion on everything that the game’s developers have shared with the public so far.

That being said, we think there still is some hope for those of us who think that way about the game because maybe there is more to it that we will get to see and experience when No Man’s Sky finally releases.

Talking of, Hello Games has scheduled the release on PC and PS4 on June 21, 2016.

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Charlie Rubin: Making It to the Road by Finishing the Work

Charlie Rubin has been a TV writer and producer for two decades. In addition to his credits for “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Seinfeld,” “In Living Color,” “The Jon Stewart Show” and creating the TV writing concentration at Tisch School of the Arts’ Department of Dramatic Writing, he is also the reason I was accepted into the program.

In the interview below, we discuss the craft of writing and ways of managing mental health for young writers.

I’ll transcribe this. You don’t have to worry about dangling modifiers or anything.

I always worry about dangling modifiers. If I’m ever dying, the last thing I’ll be worrying about is dangling modifiers. I want to go out on a complete, lucid sentence.

So you want to talk about how I take care of myself when I sound like this?

[Laughs] Just some things I’ve been curious about. You see so many writers come through these halls. Do you think it’s true that artists or writers are more prone to mental illness or addiction or—

No. I think that’s something artists put out about themselves to inflate their self-worth and to give them the dignity that their work doesn’t always give them. I’m not saying that there aren’t plenty who’ve had mental illnesses, but there’s no glory in it. There’s no romance of it. What is the romance of a 32-year-old poet who kills himself? What is the romance of Sylvia Plath? There is none. But I think sometimes people act as if there is some. Sylvia Plath is her poetry. It isn’t her failing personality.

I don’t think we are, [but] I think we get to be more extreme about it. If you’re not willing to be extreme and take risks and have someone turn around and say, you’re kind of nuts, you’re probably not doing good work. You want to shake people up, but it should not be part and parcel of being allowed to act like you’re special.

Most of the writers you see are within my age bracket. I remember I was graduating and asking you, “What if my partner has depression?”

I remember. Very well, actually.

What are some things you see writers really struggle with?

[Pause] Sometimes people are disturbed by the fact that they see more than they can write. They’re not good enough yet, or they don’t know how to organize their thoughts properly, or how to convey what they feel in a way that is disturbing, original, and different. There’s stuff you learn to get better at as you go on. I think that’s tough.

But what really destabilizes people in an environment like [a school] is people who are cut from the pack and become pariahs. When you collect a group of writers, whether it’s a writer’s group or a class or a bunch of nasty ass young people in Los Angeles believing they know everything there is to know about screenwriting, there just comes a point when some people get cut from the herd. Sometimes it’s because someone gets successful first and that person moves into a different group, but that’s just life.

Renata Adler—critic, writer—somewhere in one of her books, she writes about people who don’t make it to the road. You’re moving towards the road. You see it up ahead with people moving along it, going somewhere, but you can’t reach it. You can almost touch it, but at a certain point you realize, “I’m not going to make it to the road.”

When I read that (I was about 30), I was immediately disturbed by it, because I was afraid. “What if that’s me?” I think we all have that fear, that there is something crucial to life that you can see and touch, but you’re not moving with it. You’re going to just miss it. At a certain point some people stop trying, and they probably stop trying too soon.

I think that’s disturbing in a writing school like this. People see who gets the honors, who gets singled out as the writer of their year.

I saw a play by one of our students in the Fringe Festival a few weeks ago. I had known her my first year [teaching] here. Her story about dramatic writing is not a happy one. A few people just told her, “Don’t change a thing. Everything is great.” And she believed them. So she couldn’t understand why she wasn’t getting anything on and no one was reading her stuff. It cost her about a decade, but she’s bounced back. I think it’s a big issue in a writing school, is how the sheep is sorted from the goats and who’s doing it (I’m still trying to complete that metaphor). “They can tell I’m not going to make it to the road.”

But it’s not true, because as writers, we keep evolving and changing. What makes it hard is it’s a school. Most of the people are in their 20’s and 30’s and they’re still at that place in their head where there are these emblems of taste and confidence and success who are the faculty. They haven’t learned enough yet to reject that need for our acceptance, because we are an imperfect group of humans.

I remember your story about L.A. and figuring out what choices to make as a writer. What helped you through those obstacles or hard time in life?

Other people’s writing. You learn what is fabulous about all the work that’s in the world. You learn in your life that you’ll never get to read a tenth of the things you want to read. You know this, but what you do read help you maintain a thorough, ongoing desire within your life. You can substitute book with an art museum, a good movie etc. These things are ennobling.

In my 20’s, I kind of measured myself against how bad things were. You’re afraid of what’s great even if you can’t recognize that. But at a certain point, the switch got turned and I realized what I really wanted to be doing was to measure myself against what was great. That helped me get through, weirdly enough. How do I feel when I see these things? It’s seeing how you feel stacked up against…Rembrandt. Do you feel you could still keep trying to make it to the road after you’ve walked through the MET? People who learn lessons about themselves as artists learn that they can. There are adjustments you make. I will never paint like Rembrandt.

[Laughs] You seem okay with it though Charlie.

I’ve adjusted. But I think that’s helpful. Other than doing my own work when I’m infuriated with myself, there’s nothing I like more than seeing other people’s work. Instead of being fearful, to [want to] get better, revel in it, love it. If you’re a teacher, helping to fix it and for people to recognize their inconsistencies and brilliance. I think these things help people.They help you as a writer and they help you go on as a person.

To get back to Sylvia Plath, as her well-known story proves, it isn’t your writing that sends you to the oven. Her mistake was not recognizing that the work, rather than being something that makes you despair, in fact is the only thing that works for you. You despair that the work won’t be any good, but in fact it’s the work that makes you not despair, when you actually do it, even if it’s no good.

You’re in this position where you’re a writer, but simultaneously a caretaker of all these writers who are trying to figure their shit out. What insights have you garnered from that?

That Susan [Shapiro] and I should probably have been parents.

[Laughs] I feel like you have sort of oddly parented many people through teaching.

She does a much better job than me. She’s the best teacher I’ve ever seen. At the same time, I hate the narcissism of breeders. People who have children think that no one’s done anything harder than that, and I think that’s true. But at the same time, I recognize that I can be a parent to two dozen people a year as much as I can be. These people don’t have parents here. They need someone who isn’t trying to fuck them over, who isn’t trying to make them feel bad about their work. That’s something I do do right. I like people’s work. I like it when it’s good, when it gets better. There are some people here who are so threatened by other people’s work. It has no dignity at all.

How do you help someone who is struggling with their writing, or they’re just having a hard time for some other reason?

I tell people to finish what they’re doing. Nothing makes you despair like no work. When you actually produce something, you can move on to something else. You can move backwards [to something else], you can move sideways. That’s a lesson I have not always followed. When writers are really depressed, my attitude more often than not is, “What are you working on? Where are you? Okay, so you think it sucks. How close are you to finishing it? Finish it.” It tends to be decent advice.

Hard thing in a school like this is people expect too much too soon. Sometimes their parents push them into stuff like that. Around my second week working here, I was given this note and it said, “Would you get the names of students who have agents for a New York Times article?” They wanted to write about students who have agents. I read this out loud to the class and it got very quiet, and I took it, crumpled it up, and threw it. They laughed hysterically, and the reason they laughed was because they were tired of that environment too. They were tired of it because it was fostered by Dramatic Writing. It was hyper-competitive in those days. Teachers tried to hitch themselves to student stars. Teachers made deals with agencies.

In the last five years, I have been approached by agents and managers two or three times who would like first-look at my students, and they offered me something [for it]. $2,500 in one case, $5,000 in another if they could sit in on my class. I didn’t think that was helpful at Dramatic Writing, pitting the students against each other.

[Laughs] That was a useless answer.

I don’t think so. The reason I wanted to interview you was because of the positive effect you had on me.

But the thing is, is that I’m a sulky sourpuss.

Not in the way you treat other people.

I do believe, [especially] with the TV concentration, that everyone’s work is as important as your own, and I like to integrate that with people early on. I think it’s the nature of working on successful television shows. There are bad apples everywhere, but ultimately if we work on the same show, I’m not competing with you. I’m competing with the universe of this show to make it better every week. You and I should be helping each other, because the show will be good that way.

It’s a good thing to instill on people. Writing feels very solitary sometimes and people can get stuck in that.

Yes we do. I had a student once, kind of a talented guy. He was writing a “Bernie Mac” spec, and one day after class I said, “You’re doing a pretty good job, but you never talk in class. I think it’s a pretty favorable environment. Talk more.”

He said, “I know you want me to do this, but if I have good ideas and I help her, maybe she’ll get successful before I do.” That was very typical [back then]. I was stunned. A few weeks later, when we were looking for someone to carry the class banner, [a professor] proposed him. I said I would not allow this person to represent a school that I am in because I hated that attitude so much.

One reason we’ve bonded is because you have a dark sense of humor.

You think?

And I’ve definitely met others who have some dark stuff going on, or they’re going through dark times. What would you say to someone who’s struggling to keep working and to keep living?

I know what a therapist said to me once. A friend was talking about killing himself all the time and it was starting to shake me up. He said to me, “The next time he brings it up, casually ask him if he’s thought about how he’ll do it.” He said people who really have thought about killing themselves will have some kind of plan that may not have great dimension to it. But when you start hearing specifics, that’s when you should start to worry.

I’ve done that twice at Dramatic Writing. I’ve said to two different students, “When you think like this, do you think about how you would do it?” It’s good to talk it out and suggest going to therapy. I think you have to get someone to discuss things as openly as you can. You have to find a way to do it that’s casual.

My closest friend drowned in Florida and I have two theories about that death. He had peritonitis and he’d almost died several times. The dramatic one was he got stung by a man o’war and that caused him to drown and wash up on the beach. My other thought was that he Virginia Wolfe’d it because he got tired by the fact that every year, he’d almost die once. He just got sick of it all. He used to tell me dreams he had about the end of the world, and it was hard to disguise for me that he actually wanted his world to end.

It’s hard not to think of that when you’re a writer, an artist. You’ll know these people because you’ll be in communities of them. And it’s not just people who don’t find their voice. Sometimes people just get overwhelmingly depressed and all you can do, if you realize it, is to talk them out of it. Allow them to see parts of themselves that are very valuable to you.

What keeps you going?

I think I keep getting better. I know I keep getting smarter but that won’t necessarily make me a better writer. I think I have some fulfilling relationships in my life. As I said to you, I look at all the books on my shelves that I know I’m not going to get to. I always have something that I’m taking notes about, that I want to do. Last night at 2:00 AM I was writing down an idea for [a screenplay I’m working on]. It’s a good thing. It means I haven’t given up on that movie.

There’s always something I want to be doing. Sometimes it’s not teaching you bastards.

[Laughs] I think you’ve earned that.

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Fox News: 71-year old former Marine treks cross-country raising funds for injured service members

By Meg Baker | Fox News | | June 28, 2012

Former Marine Rick Hermelin began a 3,000-mile coast-to-coast trek in March in an effort to raise funds and awareness for a non-profit that supports injured and critically ill service members and their families.

Now, Hermelin, 71, is closing in on the finish line, after riding an ElliptiGo cross country for the charity Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. He's on pace to make it from Parris Island, S.C., to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, Calif., in just 100 days. He's due to complete his trip in two days.

Hermelin has already surpassed his $10,000 goal, carrying only his backpack while turning heads on his ElliptiGo.

"Last year, when I decided to do the coast-to-coast, I thought of the ElliptiGo as a way to do it in 100 days and to do it with a lot less strain, actually no trauma to my body," Hermelin told

Reaching Ramona, Calif., Hermelin has primarily been housed by firehouses across the country as he makes his journey, and says on other nights, Americans have graciously welcomed him into their homes. "It's been an opportunity to meet a lot of nice, genuine people out there."

The veteran says he thought about running across the country, but "wasn't sure if my body would hold up for the entire journey." Hermelin, a professional massage therapist, said, luckily a client, who could no longer bike or run due to severe back pain, suggested trying the ElliptiGo, a low-impact cross training machine alternative to the stress that repetitive running would put on the body.

The crazy-looking contraption pedals like a bike and emulates the running motion.

Hermelin served in the Marine Corps from 1959 to 1963 as an Aviation Communications Technician. Having completed 100 marathons, 100 half-marathons and 100 10K races, he was looking for his next big challenge.

"There was 100 of each, so coast-to-coast took on the 100 theme, and doing it on the ElliptiGo allowed me to do that. Had I done it on foot, it would have taken me at least twice that long."

Hermelin is a true warrior, proclaiming that this excursion has been one of the easiest things he has ever done. "There’s been some hard days, long days, but at the end – whether a 20-mile day, a 60-mile day – nothing hurts, no soreness, no aches, no pains. I'm used to being pretty much pain free, it's been my lifelong experience."

Link to article | Download PDF copy of article.


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Volgenau School of Engineering
George Mason University
George Mason University Mason
George Mason University

Katherine Russell

Instructor, Computer Science

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Katherine Russell received a BS in computer science in 2007 from the University of Maryland University College and an MS in computer science in 2012 from George Mason University. She is a PhD candidate in computer science. Her research areas include researching multiagent systems, swarm intelligence, and multirobotics. Russell has previously taught courses for the Computer Science Department in information systems and has published papers in multirobotics, swarm robotics, and reasoning using a computational theory of evidence. She has been a member of Mason’s RoboCup Team(2010–12) and is a professional web developer.

BS, Computer Science, University of Maryland University College (2007)

MS, Computer Science, George Mason University (2012)

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Faculty Rank: Instructor


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Eyal Yanilov’s MaxKravMaga Review – Pros and Cons

krav maga

Eyal Yanilov Max Krav Maga

MaxKravMaga is the most professional reality based self-defense video training program available online today. Let’s take a look at the program and talk about some of the strengths and a few of the drawbacks.

About The Krav Maga Program

MaxKravMaga was created by Eyal Yanilov, a world renowned authority in self defense for the past 30 years. MaxKravMaga is a massive collection of more than 20 hours of clearly explained and easy to follow self defense instructional videos which include training modules for beginners and experts alike.

Eyal Yanilov spent the last several years putting together this video training program and according to him this program is the most comprehensive online today.

However, with so many self defense video programs out on the market and on the internet today, is Eyal Yanilov’s MaxKravMaga really worth the money?

To answer this question and to find if this program is really for you let’s talk about some of the pros and cons of Eyal Yanilov’s MaxKravMaga.

The Pros

Suitable For Different Levels

There is no doubt that many people can benefit from this package. Beginners will find these self defense videos’ clear and concise nature gives them a solid foundation to build their self defense skill set as they build their confidence to move on to the more advanced training modules. Advanced and professional self defense practitioners and instructors as well as experienced martial artists will appreciate the huge variety of training modules and the extremely professional level of instruction which Eyal possesses.

Very Useful Bonuses

When you become a member of Eyal Yanilov’s MaxKravMaga you will also receive these 4 bonuses:

1. Mental Training and Combat Mindset Module

This module covers in depth analysis of the mental aspect of self defense.. often sited as one of the most overlooked aspects of self defense training. This Mental Training program covers it at an extremely high level, including tactics and techniques used by elite special forces and which were not available to the general public until now.

2. Eyal Yanilov’s Masterclass Seminar Module

Filmed during a 2 hour seminar of Eyal’s in London England, this training module puts you front and center in one of Eyal’s coveted seminars which he does all over the world. It feels like you are right there in the seminar.. and considering Eyal’s seminars are very costly ( he is an extremely sought after self defense authority )..This is a great way to experience it for yourself.

3. Anti-Carjacking and Road Rage

Carjacking has become one of the most prevelent crimes in many parts of the world today and rates are rising rapidly. Carjackings are often brutal and violent in nature, as well as pose a strong threat of kidnapping either to the driver or passengers.

4. Using Firearms as non-lethal weapons

Knowing how to use a firearm as a non-lethal weapon is imperative for anyone who wants to have a well rounded self defense arsenal. The truth is, sometimes you simply cannot shoot your gun due to a number of different reasons.

Surprisingly Organized

With over 20 hours of videos and more than 600 techniques, you’d expect Eyal Yanilov’s MaxKravMaga to be fairly disorganized. However I found it extremely easy to follow… everything is very well organized.

Money Back Guarantee

The product comes with a 60 days money back guarantee and if you are not completely satisfied with what you get, you will get a refund.

The Cons:

May Be A Little Overwhelming At First

Just because there are so many different training modules in the program, the members’ area can be a little overwhelming at first. However all the training modules are organized by level and/or category and once you get started, you will find it is not difficult to find what you are looking for.

The Bottom Line on Eyal Yanilov’s MaxKravMaga

Overall, there is no doubt that Eyal Yanilov’s MaxKravMaga is an extremely comprehensive and detailed self defense video training program that comes with a great amount of valuable information and insight about reality based self defense. It is evident right from the start that Eyal is very knowledgable and experienced with everything regarding self

There are other good self defense programs online and some of them are cheaper than this one, but I seriously doubt that you will find any program that is so comprehensive as this one, with the level of instruction as taught by Eyal Yanilov, great bonuses and very good customer support.

I hope that you found this Eyal Yanilov’s MaxKravMaga review to be helpful for you, all the best!

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The Orchard Acquires ‘Kings’; Halle Berry-Daniel Craig Drama Set Against Backdrop Of LA Riots – Cannes

Mike Fleming Jr

Updates throughout A few more details on The Orchard’s acquisition of Kings, a story Deadline broke this morning. After heated bidding following a strong promo reel, The Orchard acquired the Deniz Gamze Ergüven-directed film that stars Halle Berry and Daniel Craig.

Kings is described as a drama about a foster family in South Central, set a few weeks before the city erupts in violence following the verdict of the Rodney King trial in 1992.

The filmmaker helmed Mustangs, the 2015 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.

Charles Gilbert of CG Cinema is producing and co-financing, with Maven Pictures co-founders Trudie Styler, Celine Rattray and Charlotte Ubben executive producing alongside Wei Han of Bliss Media. Maven Pictures and Bliss Media also co-financed the film.

Vincent Maraval’s Insiders is handling international sales; Maraval is also as an executive producer.

Deal was negotiated by Danielle DiGiacomo, The Orchard’s VP of Acquisitions with CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.

Related stories

The Birth Of An Art Form: How Alejandro G. Iñárritu And Emmanuel Lubezki Learned To Master Virtual Reality - Cannes

Netflix's 'Meyerowitz Stories' Director Noah Baumbach On The Big Screen Experience: "It's Not Going Away" - Cannes

'Okja' Cast Interviews: "Netflix Is Going To Change The World" - Cannes Studio

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Tumblr Vs. Facebook

Christina Wang By Christina Wang on
Badge: Author | Level: 1 | Computers & Laptops Expertise:

Tumblr and Facebook is something that all of you should know about. Facebook is a website where you can socialize with your friends. But Tumblr is a website where you can blog and reblog anything you want. This article will describe each website and saying which one is better according to me. But i'm not sure what others think because as you know, everyone have different opinions since we are all different.

On tumblr, people usually just follow others because of certain interests that they have & no one would really judge you since no one really knows you. Tumblr is what's on your mind and your afraid to say so you just reblog (or blog) things that relate to you & im pretty sure that most people on tumblr can relate to you. But, the only bad thing about tumblr is that there are strangers (creeps). So, my best choice if you want to make an account would be, not to use your real picture, just use some cartoon or something. There are also ask boxes where others can ask you questions, you can choose to answer or choose to delete it. To be honest, I love tumblr; it's a website that I go on a lot these days. It's better than facebook. Lolz.

For facebook, you have friends & family there and they would usually judge for who you are since they know you. The only thing that I like about facebook is that, there are apps, games, pages, etc. and you aren't really bored by it incase you do get bored somehow. At first, the apps are addicting, trust me, I use + in LOVE with Farmville, but after awhile, it gets annoying since most games, you need to buy things there to make the game better. There are also chats there in facebook where you can talk to your friends in private.

As you can see, I prefer tumblr over facebook. If you have a lot of followers on tumblr, it gets really fun since you will take like 20-30min just to read and reblog things & you don't really get bored like that. On tumblr, you can even edit your own profile & stuff while on facebook, all you see is that plain background. Now, enough talking about tumblr & facebook. Which one do you prefer better, tumblr or facebook?


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Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Boil In Bag Brown Rice

By joey on
Badge: Publisher | Level: 12 | Food & Drink Expertise:

I had been looking for something simple to make as I am on the go much of the time between work and the duties to my dog and home. i have liked the boil in a bag concept for rice for sometime now and I saw a fairly new product from Uncle Ben's. It is whole grain brown rice that you boil in a bag. It makes two cup bags of rice. It takes about ten minutes or so to cook it depending how you like your rice. There are 4 bags per box. Box being about 14 ounces. The price is about three dollars per box. I am thinking the price is not too bad and i usually like to steam my vegetables and throw them atop the rice. Makes a great meal that way. I also will use the rice as a side after grilling chicken or fish. It compliments the main dish very nicely to say the least. I usually put a little smart balance spread on top of the rice and am ready to go. I find it quite tasty and my dog Maverick loves it too. I usually share with him. I have never seen him run so fast for his food bowl as when he knows that i have cooked rice for us. I am trying to eat healthy and the merits of brown rice over white are pretty obvious. Of course this is sodium and cholesterol free unless you add stuff to it that has it. You can also microwave this product if you wish to. Ever since I came upon this product I have been raving about the taste. I have tried other brands as well but according to my taste buds Uncle Ben's is the real winner. I can not speak for the microwave way of cooking this because I have always boiled it. Of course it comes in the traditional orange colored box that many of their products have come in over the years. I really like this product quite a bit and highly recommend it to anyone who likes rice but does not want to have to cook it the old fashion way that takes way too long to make.


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Cascade Liquid Dishwasher Detergent

Reviewing: Cascade Lemon Regular Kind  |  Rating:
klkwid By klkwid on
Badge: Publisher | Level: 9 | Other Home & Garden Expertise:

Well, Cascade is an OK product, I guess is the best way to put this one. It does the job for the most part, but it really doesn't get all your dishes clean if you don't prewash. This is disappointing to me, because I look for products that make my life easier-this adds one more step to my routine. For a while I was just putting the dishes straight into the washer after a quick rinse. I was disappointed when I'd take them out and see that there were still coffee rings and bits of stuff still baked on-actually baked on worse now because it went through a hot water cycle. I had to switch my routine to include a good soak in Palmolive (check out that review, too!), then a quick wipe out to put into the dishwasher before adding Cascade. When you do the presoak, this product works pretty well. It has something they call "Shineshield" that is supposed to leave your glasses and such shinier without any leftover soap scum on them from the dishwasher. I have to admit that you don't really see much soapscum on the dishes, so that is a good thing.

All in all, this is an ok product. It's the cheaper version of this kind of product-there are others available that are supposed to do a better job with taking off all the food remnants and such, but I just don't think I should have to pay more to get a soap that's supposed to do that already!! The other downside to leavign things caked on before washing is that you're going to end up clogging your drain in the dishwasher-that can be messy. I guess I'll stick with the regimine and presoak before putting dishes in. It seems to work for me without adding extra cost of special products that may not work anyway!


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Archive | August, 2011

Bazaar Ramadhan: Kampung Pandan

11 Aug

Salam and good evening!

Hye all. Just came back from the Bazaar Ramadhan in Kampung Pandan, Cheras. I think of all bazaars that i’ve been to, this is by far the best bazaar ramadhan that i’ve been to.

There are so many varieties of food available and it’s totally awesome! All the food that i bought, are all very tasty. Of all the food, i love specially one: The Crispy Rojak.

The Rojak is just marvelous. All crispy, tasty and the gravy is just awesome with lots of nuts.

That was just only one part of the bazaar that i went. I wonder what the other part is selling?

Well till next time. Selamat berpuasa 😉

Gosh! Did it rain?

10 Aug

Hello and salam guys and gals.

Gosh. Spent so much time in the room, didn’t even notice that it rained. Usually i would hang out with my collegues for a smoke outside the balcony and at the same time seeing what’s happening outside. Not that i smoke of course, i don’t!

I guess we don’t know now due to the fasting month, so we don’t visit the balcony as much as we used to during other months. LOL.

Well, that’s what happens if you isolate and get chained-up in your room!

Owh, update- and it’s still raining at the time this article is published.

20110810-051405.jpg see ya!

A fine Wednesday morning

10 Aug

Assalammualaikum and good morning Malaysia!

It’s a beautiful & fine morning today! Not many cars, not heavy a traffic jam and no pressure!

I’m hoping today and the rest of the week would be a fine day for all of us, God willing.

Review: Rise of The Planet of the Apes

9 Aug

Hello and Salam guys!

Well, I did mention yesterday that I would give a review on the subject at hand. A little tad late, but what the hey.

My review on the movie; Rise of the Planet of The Apes:

1. Good storyline. Great background of how the world turned out ruled by apes. So I’m guessing the director is putting the theory of man evolving from apes to a different kind of level.

2. Great actors. Frankly James Franco is always a good actor at best.

3. The plot was awesome.

4. It somehow managed to capture the audience’s attention mentally and emotionally.

Well, there are more to say. It’s got it’s own great storyline on how the planet came to be ruled by apes. I’m sorry to say about The Planet Of The Apes though(2001). That was quite a disappointment.

‘Nuff said. It’s a movie worth watching. Everything was great.

Sneaky tips: But please stay a minute or two during the credentials though, because that’s how you’ll find out how the entire planet got ruled by apes! Apes are as not as bad as they seemed as shown in the previous Planet Of The Apes.

So that’s all my review for now, folks. Above are shots taken from the movie.

Have a good one and see ya!

Preview : The rise of the Planet of The Apes

8 Aug

Hello people!

I’m right now in Times Square. Going to catch the movie Rise of the Planet of The Apes. Haven’t watch a clip in ages!

Guess i’ll be breaking my fast in the cinemas after all! Will give a review later on!

See ya

Live blogging starts today!

8 Aug

Hello & salam everyone!

Well, officially today my live blogging begins. As of right now, i’m in my room, enjoying my speakers with the volume on high mode! Just wanting to release some stress on some matters.

I don’t know why, but everybody seems to be in a mood today. Monday maybe? Who knows.

In front of me, there are 2 of my laptops for me to do work. One for blogging and the other strictly for work.

Both are Dell. One is Xps Studio and the other an Inspiron 1720 17″ screen. Nice to do graphic wonders! But it only comes with one slot of RAM and the maximum RAM capacity it can go up to is 4gb. So that pratically spoils half of the cool thing that this machine can do.

Anyway, be returning to work now. See ya guys later 😉

Dell Studio Xps
Dell Studio XPS
Dell Inspiron 1720Dell Inspiron 1720

Monday morning life in KL

8 Aug

Salam and good morning 😉

This is what life is about in KL. You can’r go through life WITHOUT the traffic jams, honking and cursing on a beautiful Monday morning!

Relax people. Take a deep breath and think how lucky we are that we have a good life God has given. We have cars, clothing, food. Some people are not that lucky.

So be sure to thank Allah for all of His kindness towards us.

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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Mother Jones’ tag.

The toothpaste is out of the tube.  The public has been getting news online for years now, the most recent Pew Study showing the majority of people 30 and under use online sources as their “go to” for news.  And it’s been free.  So why does the New York Times think anyone will be willing to start paying $15 a month for the same access (after you’ve clicked on 20 times.)
As of March 28th, you’ll have to pay for anything past the home page and section fronts.  The fee for unlimited access to online content will be $195 a year.  Add on iPad access, it’s $260.  Unlimited digital access: $455.
Let’s get real.  I have been a news junkie my entire adult life.  I consume more news than just about anyone I know.  I get ill on vacations where I am removed from the news.  I have worked in the news business for three decades during which time I will take responsibility for destroying too many trees, perhaps forests. I am a heat-seeking missile for the latest coverage, the most in-depth coverage, the most creative or thoughtful coverage.  I have never balked at spending money on subscriptions for newspapers and countless magazines.  But I, for one, am not going to pay for the Times online.

Now, admittedly, I won’t have to:  my daily newspaper subscription entitles me to free access online.  I’m just sayin’, that if I was asked to, I wouldn’t.  The New York Times, and every other publication,  is going to have to figure out a more sensible business model.  Company chairman Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. is calling it one of the most significant days in the Times’s 159-year history: “Our decision to begin charging for digital access will result in another source of revenue, strengthening our ability to continue to invest in the journalism and digital innovation on which our readers have come to depend.”

I agree it’s a significant day for the New York Times.  Only I think it day that will go down  as the worst miscalculation of consumers in the company’s history.  Sulzberger seems to believe the world is invested in good journalism.   Sadly, they don’t care.

This isn’t a critique of the New York Times and what many see as its mistakes or declining standards over the past few years. This is not about Judith Millers’s war drums before the invasion of Iraq, or Jason Blair, or the embarrassment of the front page John McCain faux mistress story in the middle of the presidential campaign.

I believe the New York Times, on balance, is still an outstanding newspaper, worthy of its many Pulitzer prizes.  Their obituaries of the 9/11 victims, focusing on who they were as people instead of what they did for living, was a defining moment in journalism.  Their science, health and medical reporting is in a league of its own.  Their willingness to take on pharmaceutical companies separates them from network news which has become co-dependent. Tom Friedman, Maureen Down, Paul Krugman, I love them even when I don’t love them.  I will miss Frank Rich.

After all, a brilliant mind, even one with whom you disagree, is a terrible thing to waste.  Which brings me back to the wacky decision to charge for the New York Times online.

It’s been five days of hard work for many of us searching for the inside, untold, and full story of the revolution in Egypt and its global implications.  I certainly didn’t find what I needed on any of the broadcast networks or even cable news channels.

CNN did have great video on Thursday and even convinced Piers Morgan to dump his Colin Firth interview and roll live with it. CNN has great reporters there led by Ben Wedeman and Nic Robertson who live and breath the region and are the most nimble and knowledgeable.

But you can get their coverage and a whole lot more if you follow the Mother Jones updates 24/7 and link to YouTube.

You can also hear the silent screams of those frustrated by what they’re seeing day in and day out.  Like those from the Abu Muqawama blog from the Center for a New American Security, an independent and non-partisan  non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C.

This sample is a reaction after watching MSNBC’s Morning Joe.  All television news bookers, get out your pencils.

Egypt: People Who Might Actually Know What The %$#@ They’re Talking About (Updated)

January 29, 2011 | Posted by Abu Muqawama – 10:25am | 12 Comments

I was home in Tennessee for a brief 24 hours and woke up yesterday morning to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” which Mama Muqawama likes to watch before work. Nothing against the people on that particular show, because it’s probably just representative of U.S. cable news in general*, but I was absolutely stunned by the willingness of the show’s guests to opine about Egypt without having any actual experience in or expertise on Egypt or the broader Middle East. Is it really that tough to say, “Hey, that’s a great question, Joe, but I am not really the best guy to give the viewers at home a good answer?”

Instead, guest after guest — most of whom are specialists in or pundits on U.S. domestic politics — made these broad, ridiculously sweeping statements about the meaning and direction of the protests.

I traveled to Egypt twice in 2005 and lived there between January and August of 2006 while studying Arabic after having completed my master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies at the American University of Beirut. I am by no means an expert on Egypt. But I like to think I know the people who are, so as a service to the readers, I am providing you all a list of no-%$#@ experts on Egypt. This list is, happily, by no means exhaustive: unlike the lack of informed commentary on Afghanistan, the United States has thousands of people who have lived and studied in Egypt as civilian researchers and students and can thus provide some reasonably informed commentary on events there. The following list is filled with some people whose opinions matter and whose analysis might actually be informed by study and experience. This list is in no particular order except for the first two people on the list, who are both good friends as well as two of the world’s best experts on Egyptian politics.

Issandr el-Amrani,

Elijah Zarwan, Crisis Group

Michael Wahid Hanna, The Century Foundation, @mwhanna1

Marc Lynch, GWU/CNAS/

Steven Cook, CFR@stevenacook

Samir Shehata, Georgetown University

Josh Stacher, Kent State University, @jstacher

Amil Khan, Abu Muqawama, @Londonstani

Max Rodenbeck, The Economist

If you can, follow the live feed on al-Jazeera Arabic, which has made for the most exciting television I have watched since the Red Sox came back from three games down in the 2004 ALCS. (These events are arguably more geostrategically significant.) If you can’t follow that feed, try al-Jazeera English or follow the updates on Robert Mackey’s most excellent New York Times blog The Lede.

*An exception to the rule: Ben Wedeman at CNN.

Update: Someone in the comments suggested Shadi Hamid (@shadihamid), and I second that. Again, my list was happily not exhaustive. There are a lot of very smart analysts out there who can thoughtfully opine on Egypt — in large part thanks to the legions of Arabic-language students who pass through Cairo at some point in their training.

Here’s an excerpt on “why good journalism matters:”
January 26, 2011 | Posted by Abu Muqawama – 11:08am |

Perhaps unsurprising for someone who grew up working in a newspaper, I spend a lot of time analyzing journalism and often criticize journalists. So I need to highlight when journalism is frankly awesome. Do yourself a favor and listen to this amazing audio recording of the Guardian‘s Jack Shenker reporting from inside an Egyptian paddywagonafter being beaten by plain-clothed state security thugs and imprisoned. Pretty freaking great.

On a related note, where the hell was al-Jazeera yesterday?

The human chain protecting the Egyptian Museum from looters

Here is a sample of  24/7 updates from Mother Jones:

UPDATE 26, Friday 12:20 p.m. EST: The White House has released a photo of President Obama receiving a briefing on the Egypt protests:

What's wrong with this picture?

(What else have you missed?) Read the rest of this entry »

a pop culture and news blog with no anony-mousity


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Sunday, February 25, 2018
  • Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2008
DNC Launches New Anti-McCain Spot On YouTube
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The Democratic National Committee began playing a new spot on YouTube March 18. Lockstep, a :60, advances the Democratic cause by portraying John McCain, the presumptive Republican...

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BESTEK USB Travel Power Strip

  • $40.99

BESTEK's travel power strip is a great solution for charging abroad. With 8 adapters (Type I/E(F)/G/A/D/N/H/L), it allows you to power multiple devices in over 200 countries (except Type M- South Africa 8.7mm plug) with varying voltage requirements and types of power outlets. Has five smart USB ports that can max up to 40W/8A or 1250W output for devices and two outlet charging stations, perfect for international travel. With a surge protection of 1700 Joules and ability to charge 7 devices simultaneously, BESTEK's USB travel charging station protects your devices against surges and spikes so you never have to worry about damages to your valuable devices.

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Posted by: shorelineclusterpoets | October 17, 2016

Meeting Tuesday, Oct. 18

Greetings all. Sorry for the late, late reminder, but we will have a meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Scranton Library in Madison (local history room).  I hope to see you there.

Reminder: we will have an open to the public reading on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 11 am in the Library (lower level). Please let me know if you have any questions.

  1. I’ll be there.

  2. I was going to carve a pumpkin tonight but I’ll be there,

  3. Unfortunately I won’t be able to make it tonight. I have a training session for working the upcoming election.

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Archive for don’t dream

The “Don’t Dream” Make It Happen.Tee

Posted in APPAREL with tags , , , , , , on February 24, 2011 by shotymeapparel

If I could say the one shirt that started all of Sho’ Tyme Apparel.  It would be the “Don’t Dream” Shirt.  Three versions have been released so far with a four rendition coming soon.

The ever popular “Cement” Edition received well known  attention from local rap artists, Mc’s and deejays. The design is inspired by the AJ3’s and it’s crisp color and texture.  Yes , texture.  Not only you can visually see, but you can personally touch the design….Unreal..

Then, we came out with a Penny edition that completes the outfit when wearing the Nike Air Penny 1’s .  That is very limited indeed.

The newly  released “Royal” edition  brings in a new flavor as it goes will with it’s Royal and Cool gray colors.  Not to mention the texture … Not only that you have to see it.  But you gotta touch it.

Both editions are available at at Getta Clue Store in Sacramento, iVogue boutique in Los Angeles. and at


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Toni Payne Defends Estrange Husband, 9ice's “Living Things”Song That "Praises Yahoo Boys"

Tony Payne and 9ice
It’s funny how a single interview can generate a lot of heat. Few days ago, Nigerian rapper Falz The Bahd Guy was interviewed during which he called out musicians who praise Internet fraudsters in their songs cos he feels they are encouraging ills in the society. Conflicting views were all over social media concerning the interview. While many supported his stance, we still had lots of comments criticizing Falz, one of which came from a little boy called Segun Wire who wants to be a Yahoo boy in future.

Although 9ice has come out to state that his song wasn’t addressed to yahoo boys in any form nor was he praising fraudsters, many people still finger him as the musician that fits Falz’ description of Singers that praise yahoo boys. This is because of a song by 9ice called “Living things”
However, the criticisms on social media didn’t sit well with 9ice’s Ex-wife, Tonipayne who was seen hanging out with the singer few days ago. She expressed herself on twitter where she compared the song to songs by American rappers who glorify guns. See her tweets below.

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Cambridge Soroptimists mark International Women’s Day

Educate the World’s Girls

Members of Soroptimist International of Cambridge were joined by the Deputy Mayor of Cambridge, Cllr George Pippas and Mrs Pippas to celebrate International Women’s Day at Silver Street Bridge.
The Soroptimists joined members from across the region to dance out their message demanding “Education for the World’s Girls”.  MP’s are being asked to urge the Government to encourage all countries around the world to provide a full education for the 40 million girls who presently can’t go to school.
Several hundred books have been collected to go to schools in South Africa

Grateful thanks are due to Mike Crofts our photographer for the day

View the video of the Event on the Bridge


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Best Bathroom Cabinet Refacing Before And After

The Idea of Bathroom Cabinet Refacing Before and After

Bathroom Cabinet Refacing Before and After – For most of us, the bathroom seems to be one of the most important parts of the house. Having a bathroom in bad conditions can make the whole house feel more unpleasant. In addition it can reduce the value of the house when it is time to sell it. But the only thing that can greatly enhance the beauty of your bathroom is cabinet remodel. The remodel mainly refers to changing cabinet doors, handles, and possibly some wood scrap that make up kitchen cabinets.

Because the cabinet interface is not necessarily an easy thing to do you might want to call an expert. There are many things to consider before doing this project. Some of them may not even notice until you begin to discuss it. Of course you have to be careful when choosing a professional that will help you transform your bathroom too. Many cabinets will get exposed to moisture in the bathroom. This humidity can be caused by the rain you took or other reasons. If a person washes their hands, they may get water on the table that can also flow. Each situation will be different. Quality is beyond this will be very important to consider for bathroom cabinet refacing before and after.

Many people do not consider bamboo is very strong. But this is one of the strongest timbers used in the cabinet industry. It is also very abundant timber. It grows rapidly and harvested several times throughout the year. There are many places to cultivate it as well. Everyone will have different options when they see the kind of government they want. The cost is important to a lot of remodeling and new construction work though. They need to ensure that they stay within a certain budget. That’s all the great idea we can share about bathroom cabinet refacing before and after.

Gallery for The Idea of Bathroom Cabinet Refacing Before and After

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Millennium: 2nd millennium
Centuries: 15th century16th century17th century
Decades: 1550s  1560s  1570s  – 1580s –  1590s  1600s  1610s
Years: 1584 1585 158615871588 1589 1590

The year 1587 was a common year which started on Thursday.

Events[change | change source]

Births[change | change source]

  • August 18Virginia Dare, Virginia colony settler, the first person of English parentage born in America (date of death unknown)


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Bad Moon Rising

It does, indeed seem to be a bad moon rising. The real moon was at its closest to us for a while on the 19th, this was taken at 8:15pm lazily from my front door… it is about 50,000 km closer to us and about 30% brighter than it is at its furthest distance. I’m not blaming it, and it was a remarkable sight, but a lot of bad crap has been happening of late, so the old Creedence Clearwater Revival song kind of fits the mood.

There’s obviously the tragedy in Japan, though all the papers seem to focus on the issues at the nuclear plant the plight of the survivors of the tidal wave seems really dire. More recently, we seem to have got ourselves into yet another oil war. I mean, yes, Gaddafi was reputed to have sponsored the IRA in the 1980s and Reagan was right when he named him mad dog but there are enough other mad dogs around the world that we are happy to leave be. Still puzzles me how the army of an small island nation can fight on three fronts at once, but so be it. I hope we won’t still be engaged there this time next year, and definitely hope not this time a decade hence…

Closer to home it’s coming up to the end of the financial year, and that’s when the portcullis is going to come down on a lot of government spending. The Grauniad has been having a bleeding-hearts fest on this, cue the violins in the background, photo of pained looking young mum with a couple of kids who seems to be losing some sort of childcare, though the article failed to tell her story. Then we have the loss of the NI Music Therapy Trust. WTF is music therapy? And why does it need to be fancy instruments, if it’s about the kids ‘expressing themselves’ then can’t we substitute the percussion instruments with dustbin lids and the like? It was good enough for me as a kid, you know, the tin cans or the more advanced version with bottles filled with varying amounts of water. This is one of those things that is undoubtedly nice if you have the spare money, but we don’t now. Let’s face it, kids playing any sort of musical instruments sounds pretty ropey unless you happen to be the doting parents, so this isn’t about sophistication and tone colour, it’s about them having a good time. As the outgoing Labour Liam Byrne said, “I’m afraid to tell you there’s no money left”. But with a bit of enterprise I’m sure we could find something for the kids to play with and make a racket for an awful lot less money, and no expensive musical instruments to break, either!

Then there was the Budget, and unlike it seems everyone else I see this one as a mean and chiseling sort of job. The tax rises are achieved through underhand methods like fiscal drag and rescaling indexation to the duplicitous Consumer Prices Index that excludes housing costs, for the very good reason that we all know Britons don’t like to spend a lot of money on bricks and mortar so there’s no point in including that. Of course Tories can’t be seen to be raising the headline rate of tax, so they grub about and frig with the tax thresholds, so you get to pay more tax anyway.

Well, Georgie babe me old mucker, I’m not paying any of your stinkin’ 40% tax, even if you bring the threshold down to 25k, as I’ve pushed my costs down well below needing that part of my salary, so I’ll be saving that in AVCs so I get to retire earlier or have more when I do retire. There’s no bloody incentive to work for tax at 42%, because I am shorter of time on this earth than I am of money. After I saved my ISA last year I’ve been building up a war chest for this year, as I could see taxes were going to go up this year.

So I could push my salary below my running costs and claw back even more tax from you this year, George. Nasty nickel-and-diming budgets like this one makes it more worth my while to do that, and indeed the increased personal allowance helps a tad. I wasn’t part of creating the credit crunch and I’m not aiming to get soaked for clearing it up, chum. But what I will be having from you, buddy, is some of those nice National Savings certificates that you cancelled last year. About £10k’s worth, actually, because then I can transfer the contents of my Cash ISA into my shares ISA and get my emergency fund inflation-proofed to real inflation, i.e. RPI, and tax-free too. I always thought it’s so rude to tax me for the paltry returns on cash that don’t even match inflation. Tax the amount over RPI, fair enough, but not the return needed to compensate for the Government’s fiscal mismanagement, that’s plain cheeky.

Monevator and his buddies are greedy tykes wanting RPI plus something in my view 😉 Living in these desperate times financially RPI and tax-free is just fine with me. I don’t ask my cash to make money for me, but what I would like it to do is sit there and stay the same value over the years, and at the moment my 3.2% Cash ISA in gently losing the fight year on year. This is my emergency fund, so it doesn’t have to try and get bigger every year, staying the same is quite okay, and RPI matches my experience of inflation in the UK. For me CPI is away with the fairies, because I don’t buy iFads which are getting cheaper, depressing the CPI.

The Creedence Clearwater Revival track I pinched the title from ain’t bad, either, I think it was the first record I ever got to play.

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9 thoughts on “Bad Moon Rising”

  1. Guv,
    Half way through reading this, I scrolled up to see if you’ve inadvertently tagged this as a “rant”! Mercifully, you haven’t. I’m sitting on a similar cloud of thoughts for a while now. Should put it to post too.

    Nicely articulated piece. Some of the few things I liked:
    0. Insights on Japan and Gaddafi.
    1. As I’ve pushed my costs down well below needing that part of my salary, so I’ll be saving that in AVCs so I get to retire earlier or have more when I do retire — Tell you what, Jacob (and I) are rightly proud. For a (self-confessed) gadget freak, you’ve done very well! 😀
    2. I don’t ask my cash to make money for me, but what I would like it to do is sit there and stay the same value over the years, and at the moment my 3.2% Cash ISA in gently losing the fight year on year. — Lovely! That is right up my road; been reading Dominguez lately? 😉
    3. if it’s about the kids ‘expressing themselves’ then can’t we substitute the percussion instruments with dustbin lids and the like? It was good enough for me as a kid, you know, the tin cans or the more advanced version with bottles filled with varying amounts of water. – Touched a sweet spot. Worked for me too, and this is what Jacob bangs on about Kids are only as expensive as you need them to be! Huxley would probably call it “pre-infantilisation”!

    P.S: Mwaaah, for the song. I happen to like that too 😉

    P.P.S: One of my comments on the previous post is hanging in ether (3 hyperlinks!). Have you missed it?

    P.P.P.S: Just noticed today, so I ask nicely, Why am I not on your blogroll yet? 🙂

  2. Great post and nice photo (I always like to see the great ray from Tycho bisecting the Sea of Serenity).

    I, too, hope we withdraw from Libya soon. If the rebels can’t win with much of Qaddafi’s airforce disabled and heavy armour smashed up, I can’t see much point in carrying on. At £500,000 per missile, this is not something we can really afford.

    I read the six page Grauniad piece yesterday and wondered where the evidence was that any of these schemes were effective. Funny that there always seems to be a demand for a free service.

    New NS&I certs will need thinking about depending on formula. I just have a nasty feeling that we could see an awkward crossover in a year or two with inflation plummeting because of interest rates soaring and a rising £.

    And yes, great song.

  3. Hey, I thought *we* were buddies? 😉

    Also, I expected you to be delighted they’ve retained the RPI link, as it’s shelved left right and centre. Got to sing when you’re winning ermine! 🙂

  4. @Surio, it’s a fair cop on both counts, it was a rant and you need to write some more now 😉 It’s easier quitting the gadgets when you’ve been working long enough that you have bought most of the ones you want 🙂 And I loathe mobile phones, which cuts out a whole universe of gadgetry.

    Your post was shot by Akismet, so I’ve hauled it out from the critter. You still need to get growing though, make some of that weather *work* for you. I would expect you have a much longer growing season than we have, however some of the farming practices in India are deeply disturbing, such as the effective mining of the groundwater in the Punjab and Rajasthan which should scare the bejesus out of people. Though industrial agriculture in the UK is unsustainable, it isn’t so fundamentally unsustainable that is destroys the infrastructure like that, though it denatures the soil which is taking us time to restore to an acceptable organic content, so it will depress yields in the interim.

    The American midwest is also mining groundwater in the Ogalalla Aquifer, so you have good (bad?) company. You’d have thought they would have learned from the Dustbowl. The Plow That Broke the Plains is a film of how the lack of water change things there once before, but the aquifer feeds much more area that the Great Plains… Take a look at for more about the permaculture, because you get to see DGF’s angle on it, she is the expert on all that, and you wouldn’t want to learn from me ‘cos I know jack about growing, I stick to building, and the mechanical and electrical side of things.

    @Monevator, but you *are* being a cheeky pup wanting a positive real return on cash 😉 Philosophically, if you want your wad to grow you ought to have to take a risk with it. It’s what the stock market is there for!

    However there should also be some place that widows and orphans should be able to put cash where it doesn’t quietly die with nary a whimper.

    @SG, crikey, the print version of the paper must be very different from the web version, 6 pages of heart-wringing, sheesh. Maybe you’ve put your finger on it – perhaps the service users would prioritise more if they had to part-pay for some of these things. It’s nicer to have a drum kit and a xylophone than dustbin lids and bottles of water, but is it necessary!

    And what the hell happened to make those rays on the Moon, it must have been and absolute hell of a bang to spit out crud halfway round the surface.

  5. Without checking in any way, I’m guessing that, averaged over 30 years or so, good cash accounts have been broadly neutral in real terms, sometimes losing, sometimes gaining on inflation.

    Like ermine I tend to think that this is a reasonable expectation for absolutely safe investments over the long term and that if you are looking for even small real gains you should be prepared to take some element of risk.

    Yes, the printed version of Friday’s paper was for really hard core Guardianistas (I’m not one, but I dabble occasionally).

    Re the ray (pun intended), dinosaurs would have seen the “bang” around a 100 million years ago, unaware that their descendants were going to be wiped out by another asteroid from the same group (cosmic thought for the day).

  6. @ermine,
    If I decide to rant about the collective stupidity that is otherwise known/otherwise passes as “India Inc.” or “Modern India” I’ll need three blogs’ spaces :x! I try to keep the blog a little more world-centric by choice — to keep drumming the fact that butterflies’ wings can cause earthquakes in China in today’s world!

    India does get the odd mention and I don’t hide my Indianness, and I do know for a fact that much is rotten in our state of Denmark. I’ve spent far too much time on the Internet for my own good ;-), and I’ve been reading up and understanding all the ecological disasters that has rolled past us… Thanks for the links, but part of my depressed bearishness and the ongoing tirade on modern trade is because I am aware of those issues already (other than the ethno-centric issues, I mean). Speaking of rants, I’ve posted part-III of that post – you’ve got a new axe to grind. 😉

    We had planted capsicum/peppers and coriander earlier and had a red ant/fire ant infestation that took away both soil and the seeds for their own colony! :-o. Oh well, they’ve got to live too, you know. We’re kind of back to square one. My DW suggested carrots next. Let’s see how that goes!

    P.S: I have the same disposition as you towards cell-phones!

    Re: previous discussion on the wisdom of the indigenous people, here’s a nice BBC documentary on the Penan people of Sarawak. Your local library might have this. HTH.

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text:
All positions are salaried with full benefits.

The United States Army Chorus

Bldg. 400, Ft. Myer VA 22211
Phone: 703-696-3645

The United States Army Field Band

4214 Field Band Drive
Fort George G Meade, MD 20755-5330
Phone: (301) 677-6586
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The United States Air Force Singing Sergeants

201 McChord St., Bolling AFB, DC 20332
Phone: 202-767-5665, 202-767-1756

The United States Navy Sea Chanters

617 Warrington Ave. SE Washington, DC 20374
Phone: 202-433-6088


text:
HDB Launches Jul 2014 BTO Exercise 19 – 25 Jul 2014

Past Event

Oh no, the event has ended. Don't miss out again, get the latest sales via our newsletter, Facebook, Twitter or RSS feed!

Starts19 Jul 2014 (Sat)Ends25 Jul 2014 (Fri)
Location HDB

HDB has launched 3,841 new flats in six projects located in the non-mature towns of Punggol, Sembawang, Woodlands and Yishun , and the mature town of Toa Payoh under the July 2014 Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise.

July 2014 BTO Exercise

A wide range of flats, including Studio Apartments (SAs), 2-room to 5-room flats, and Three-Generation (3Gen) flats, is offered to meet the diverse housing needs of first-timers, second-timers, multi-generation families, elderly and singles.

First-timers will continue to enjoy priority flat allocation, with at least 85% (for 4-room and 5-room) and 70% (for 2-room and 3-room) of the BTO public flat supply set aside for them. Eligible first-timer singles have the options of applying for a 2-room flat in Matilda Court, Waterway Sunray, Park Grove @ Yishun or Sun Natura.

Married/courting couples who wish to live together with their parent(s) can apply for a 3Gen flat at Park Grove @ Yishun. Other multi-generation families who wish to live near each other in the same BTO project can apply under the Multi-Generation Priority Scheme1(MGPS) for the flats in Matilda Court, Waterway Sunray, Park Grove @ Yishun, Sun Natura and Toa Payoh Apex.

[1] HDB will set aside up to 15% of the SAs, 2-room and 3-room flats in a BTO project (subject to a minimum of 20 units each) for parents applying under MGPS. The same number of 2-room and bigger flats will be set aside in the same BTO project for their married children.

The new Integrated Development in Woodlands – Kampung Admiralty – will offer two blocks of SAs comprising 48 SAs of 36 sqm and another 56 SAs of 45 sqm. This development is a special one-stop hub with an innovative design that brings together amenities such as a medical centre, eldercare facilities, a hawker centre and retail shops, with wide community spaces and generous green features, at the residents’ doorstep.

Residents will also enjoy special features such as a pneumatic waste system. The indicative monthly service and conservancy charges for the SAs in this development, payable to the Town Council, are $25.50 (for 36 sqm SA) and $36.50 (for 45sqm SA). 50% of the SAs at Kampung Admiralty will be set aside under the Studio Apartment Priority Scheme (SAPS) for elderly applicants who apply for an SA in the same town or within 2 km of their current flat/property, or apply for an SA to live near or with their parents/married child.

Eligible first-timer households can enjoy up to $60,000 of housing grants, comprising the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) (up to $40,000) and the Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG) (up to $20,000). With these grants, 2-room, 3-room, 4-room and 5-room flats can be purchased from $13,000, $100,000, $201,000 and $324,000 respectively (see Table 1). Further details can be found in Annex A. (PDF 782KB)

Table 1: July 2014 BTO Prices

TownProject(s)Flat Type #Selling Price (Excluding Grants@)Selling Price
(Including Grants^)
Non-Mature Towns
SembawangSun Natura (JPG 645KB)2-room*From $73,000From $13,000
3-roomFrom $150,000From $100,000
4-roomFrom $236,000From $201,000
YishunPark Grove @ Yishun (JPG 580KB)2-room*From $77,000From $17,000
4-roomFrom $263,000From $228,000
5-roomFrom $339,000From $329,000
3GenFrom $347,000From $337,000
PunggolWaterway Sunray (JPG 499KB) Matilda Court (JPG 525KB)2-room*From $82,000From $22,000
3-roomFrom $166,000From $116,000
4-roomFrom $278,000From $243,000
5-roomFrom $334,000From $324,000
WoodlandsKampung Admiralty) (JPG 707KB)Studio ApartmentFrom $91,000
Mature Town
Toa PayohToa Payoh Apex (JPG 521KB)3-roomFrom $273,000From $243,000
4-roomFrom $413,000From $398,000

* Come in two sizes of 36 sqm (Type 1) and 45 sqm (Type 2).
^ The assumed housing grants are meant for applicants applying as a family nucleus or two singles under the Joint Singles Scheme for a 2-room BTO flat. SHG is also applicable only to 2-room, 3-room and 4-room flats in the non-mature estates:
i) 2-room flat: $60,000 (comprising AHG of $40,000 and SHG of $20,000 where applicable) ii) 3-room flat: $50,000 (comprising AHG of $30,000 and SHG of $20,000 where applicable)
iii) 4-room flat: $35,000 (comprising AHG of $15,000 and SHG of $20,000 where applicable)
iv) 5-room flat / 3Gen flat: $10,000 (AHG only)
The actual grant amounts vary based on income and choice of flat type. Read more on various CPF Housing Grants available.
# SAs are sold on a 30-year lease, beginning from the date of key collection. Prices are inclusive of the elderly-friendly fittings/finishes.
@ Singles who apply under the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme will pay $15,000 more than the married couples. Eligible singles can also apply for AHG and SHG. The actual grant amounts will vary based on income. Read more on the various CPF Housing Grants available.

Table 2: July 2014 BTO Flat Supply and Pricing Details

ProjectsFlat TypeEstimated
Floor Area
* (sqm)
Estimated Internal Floor Area
^ (sqm)
No. of unitsIndicative #
Price Range
Non-Mature Towns
Sun Natura
(Standard Flats)
2-room3836120$73,000 – $98,000
4745210$92,000 – $119,000
3-room6865121$150,000 – $185,000
4-room9390397$236,000 – $301,000
Park Grove @ Yishun
(Standard Flats)
2-room383624$77,000 – $97,000
474596$103,000 – $123,000
4-room9390204$263,000 – $318,000
5-room113110216$339,000 – $409,000
3Gen12011548$347,000 – $411,000
Waterway Sunray Matilda Court (Standard Flats)2-room383698$82,000 – $110,000
4745326$109,000 – $139,000
3-room6865208$166,000 – $212,000
4-room9390574$278,000 – $341,000
5-room113110538$334,000 – $429,000
Kampung Admiralty
(Premium Flats)
Apartment +
383648$91,000 – $95,000
474556$105,000 – $115,000
Mature Town
Toa Payoh Apex
(Standard Flats)
3-room6865138$273,000 – $346,000
4-room9390419$413,000 – $507,000

1) * Refers to the estimated area of the whole apartment, comprising the internal floor area and the air-conditioner ledge.
2) ^ Refers to the estimated area of the apartment computed based on the centre line of the apartment wall.
3) # Actual prices may vary based on the actual attributes of the flats at the time of selection. See
Table A4 for details on the Optional Component Scheme.
4) + SAs are sold on a 30-year lease, beginning from the date of key collection. Prices are inclusive of the elderly-friendly fittings/finishes.

Advice for Flat Buyers

Applicants are strongly advised to apply for a BTO flat in non-mature towns to enjoy a higher chance of success in securing a flat.

Regular updates on the number of applications submitted for the various flat types/towns will be published on the HDB InfoWEB. Applicants are advised to check for updates before submitting their application.

Application for July 2014 BTO Exercise

Application for new flats launched in the July 2014 BTO exercise can be submitted online on the HDB InfoWEB from today, 19 July 2014 (Saturday) to 25 July 2014 (Friday). Applicants can apply for only one flat type in one town.

More details on application procedures can be found in Annex B. (PDF 99KB)

For enquiries, the public can:

  • Log on to esales.hdb.gov.sg; or
  • E-mail hdbsales[at]mailbox.hdb.gov.sg; or –
  • Visit the HDB Sales Office to speak with the Customer Relations Executives during office hours (Mon to Fri 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 1 pm).

Tapering of BTO Flat Supply

After ramping up the BTO building programme for three years, HDB has cleared the backlog of first-timer applicants. Hence, HDB has announced the transition to a more sustainable BTO building programme.

In the first half of 2014, HDB offered a total of 13,090 flats. These include 9,707 BTO flats and 3,383 balance flats offered in the May 2014 Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise. First-timer BTO application rate continued to be stable, ranging from 1.0 to 1.7 times in the first half of 2014.

In the second half of 2014, HDB will offer another 12,700 BTO flats across various towns. This will bring the total number of BTO flats offered in the year to 22,400 units. 3-room and larger BTO flats will number 16,700 units, more than the estimated 15,000 new Singaporean family formations annually. 2-room flats and Studio Apartments will number 5,000 units and 700 units respectively, to cater to demand from low-income families, singles and the elderly.

For those asking when is the next HDB Sale of Balance Flats exercise, it is November 2014.

In addition, HDB will conduct a second Sales of Balance Flats SBF exercise with about 3,000 units in November 2014 to augment the housing supply. These will provide ample choices for Singaporeans looking to buy HDB homes.

Next BTO Launch in September 2014

In September 2014, HDB will offer about 4,510 BTO flats in Bukit Batok, Hougang, Jurong and Kallang Whampoa. More information on the flats to be offered under the September 2014 BTO exercise is available on the HDB InfoWEB.

Other terms and conditions apply.

Sales on until 25 Jul 2014

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About Us    Classrooms    Contact Us    Downloads    Pictures    Rates        Summer Field Trips

Our Childcare center's goal is to make your child's day with us a happy and healthy one. JJJ Childcare assures your child maximum safety. Child-sized furniture and equipment are meticulously maintained for cleanliness and safety. Rugged indoor and outdoor playground equipment encourages healthy play. Nutritious hot meals daily help keep your child mentally alert and physically active.Limited enrollment guarantees personal  attention. Your child is always a special individual at JJJ Childcare!
Thank you for visiting our web site.  We would like to encourage you to visit us in person so that you can experience just how wonderful our learning center is.  However, please feel free to call or CONTACT us if you have any questions or if you would like to start the enrollment process.

JJJ Childcare, Inc.
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Directors: Sharon Summers
Email:  jjjchildcaresharon@gmail.com
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 JJJ Childcare's hands-on curriculum and child-directed learning program stimulates and guides your child's natural love for learning. Our curriculum is designed to guide your child through completion of important preschool cognitive skills at a pace that's just right for young, eager minds.


text:
The 2017 Six Demon Bag Halloween Spooktacular – Part 4: Scary Stories!

Happy Hallowe’en, Boils and Ghouls!

crypt keeper

Warm yourself by the campfire as we chill your blood with a grab bag of original tales including:

The Tale of the Last Minute by Ryan Gerossie

The Silent Parade by Jeff C. Carter

Freddy guitar

Wake Before Landing by Edward M. Erdelac (inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s Commonplace Book)

The Highest Form of Love by Jeff C. Carter

The Vendor by Elliott McMillan

closing song: The Crypt Jam by the Crypt Keeper

If this creature quintuple feature is too terrifying, you can listen here as we turn the lights on between stories to discuss the writing process.

We hope you enjoyed our first Spooktacular and wish you happy haunting until next year!

Download the episode mp3 (right click)

Subscribe and Rate at iTunes and Stitcher

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text:
The Day My Life Stood Still

Written by: Guest Writer

“Wake up Pascalle! Wake up!” That is all I remember in that moment – those seconds which felt like hours. I felt like I was in a movie – you know the part when the actress gets world crushing news and the camera zooms in on her face and the background blurs, as if the life around her is collapsing? That is how I felt as I sat on the toilet, staring down at the blood soaked toilet paper I was clutching in my hand. Just staring at it – and mentally yelling at myself to wake up.

I was 7 weeks pregnant.

In that moment, I knew. This is the beginning of the end.

Getting myself to my gynae is a blur, but I remember scrutinising my gynae’s face as she did the scan whilst I bled on her bed. I remember jumping from her face to the screen – trying to figure out what was happening, even though I knew in my gut. “We need to do blood tests to check your HcG levels – you may be too early to show a heartbeat.” I knew that too was a cover – I was over 7 weeks. Heart beats can be seen as early as 5, and there was nothing on the screen. I was laying in the hospital bed when she came to see me. “I am afraid it isn’t good news”, she said. My levels had dropped by over 10 000 in less than 2 weeks and a DNC was necessary given that I had started to miscarry.

1 in 4. That’s what all the articles say. Well – I am the 1 in 4. The 1. Why couldn’t I be the other 3? What have I done that is so bad in my life to be the 1? Why would God give me this child for 7 weeks – and then snatch it away? Had I done something wrong, eaten something? Drunk something? Maybe I shouldn’t have cleaned the kitchen cupboard the night before. What does this mean for me now – what would people think? Was it a boy or a girl? Would I now need to endure the torment of sympathy from others who had no idea what was happening to me? Would my husband look at me and see me as a broken woman who couldn’t carry a child?

People would say “Everything happens for a reason.” “Rather it happen now than later on.” “God does these things to test us.” “Don’t worry – you will have another one.” “Don’t let this define you.” “You need to carry on – life has to go on.”

It was and still is relentless. All I wanted to do was punch them in the face and tell them to piss off and leave me alone. Because the thing is, those who have never lost a child don’t know. No matter how old. No matter born or unborn. No matter 7 weeks or stillborn. It was my child. My baby. And I was its mother – and I couldn’t protect it from what was happening. It was out of my control.

I tried to seek solace in blogs by other moms – but there was something “off”. The hidden raw truth. The things that no one wants to say. The reality of it all. So here goes my version. This is what I know.

1. Cry

Cry, by God just cry. Who do you need to hold it together for? You have just lost your child. A child you never knew and never got see grow up. A child that held a future and was taken too soon. Cry. Cry when people are looking and when they are not. Just cry. I read a quote that resonated with me. It goes: “Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give by cannot. All of that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.”

2. Write

People said journal. So I did and it helped a bit. But what helped more was writing to my baby. I wrote letters within days filled with tears and apologies and love. Letters telling my Peanut to ask God to tell him/her all about me and Daddy. And to ask Papa to show him/her how to make his coconut ice. When I told people this they looked at me like it was unhealthy – and this brings me to my next point.

3. Screw other people

This is your process. Your time. Your loss. People will try to get you to grieve and move on at a pace that makes them feel comfortable – but it will not work. Do things your way. Grieve your way. And stop trying to be strong for other people so that they don’t feel uncomfortable around you. This is happening and it is a real thing, and if people can’t handle witnessing it – then they need to buzz off until they can.

4. Remember your husband

This was shocking to me. As a mother, people hug you. Ask you if you are okay. Buy you flowers. Sit at your bedside. Wipe your tears. And all the while, there he stands quietly in the corner. Looking at you and you see it in his eyes. He is broken too. His world is shattered too. He has also lost his child. Remember your husband. You need to allow him his turn to grieve – you need to make sure everyone knows that he too is devastated. He deserves just as much attention and sympathy as you do. And this will no doubt be one of the bad times you spoke to in your vows. This will test your marriage. Just make sure you remember him too – two is better than one when facing a life-altering trauma.

5. Make peace with God

I was mad. And when I say mad – I was swearing at God. Telling Him that this was IT. I was done with Him and His way and His Truth. “Put your faith in God.” That was the most important thing I learnt growing up as a Catholic. And I did and NOW look! I hated Him and in those dark days after – I swore to never pray or go to church again. And then, a few days later I was writing to the Peanut and was so worried about where he/she was and I had this overwhelming sense of peace. Like as if He was saying: “The Peanut is with me.” And that’s the thing – faith. It’s a wonderful and treacherous thing at the same time. You just have to have faith that God has a bigger plan – and He gave you this because He knows your soul, and He knows that you can and will endure. Then being the 1 in 4 seemed like an opportunity. As if He had given me this path for a reason and He knew I could handle being the 1. I have made peace with God – and whatever it takes, you need to do this too – in your own way. And sometimes it is hard – I still question Him on bad days, but life is hard enough without having to hate the one Supreme Being.

Maybe I will have a baby one day. Maybe I will be blessed enough to hold my child and look into bright healthy eyes. Count the ten fingers and ten toes. Peer over a cot with worry to make sure my baby is still drawing breath. Panic when they bump their head or when their temperature sky rockets.

I guess that’s the message. Life. We take it for granted. We assume it won’t happen to us. We assume our baby will be fine. We assume we have one more chance. We assume we will see our loved ones again. We assume all the time.

To the other moms who have never experienced this (and I pray you never will) do the rest of us a favour? Kiss your child one extra time tonight. Hold them a little longer when you give them that hug. Appreciate the tantrums and screaming and cheekiness that boils your blood. Count the ten fingers and toes. Breathe and remember you are lucky to be the 3 in 4. Do this for the rest of us, until we can do it ourselves.

One thought on “The Day My Life Stood Still

  1. Vanessa Pillay says:

    U r a gifted mom. Remember u were the chosen one to allow ur baby to close his/her chapter on earth. I know its not easy but believe u me. GOD will surely bless u with another child. May GOD give u the strength Pascalle to be and do the best that you can for u r his child n he will never leave u to walk on this journey alone . Lots of hugs from VP….

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text:
Meaning of POOR in English

superl free from self-assertion; not proud or arrogant; meek.

2. poor ·superl inadequate; insufficient; insignificant; as, a poor excuse.

3. poor ·noun a small european codfish (gadus minutus);

 called also power cod.

4. poor ·superl destitute of property; wanting in material riches or goods; needy; indigent.

5. poor ·superl destitute of beauty, fitness, or merit; as, a poor discourse; a poor picture.

6. poor ·superl destitute of such qualities as are desirable, or might naturally be expected.

7. poor ·superl wanting in strength or vigor; feeble; dejected; as, poor health; poor spirits.

8. poor ·superl destitute of fertility; exhausted; barren; sterile;

 said of land; as, poor soil.

9. poor ·superl so completely destitute of property as to be entitled to maintenance from the public.

10. poor ·superl of little value or worth; not good; inferior; shabby; mean; as, poor clothes; poor lodgings.

11. poor ·superl wanting in fat, plumpness, or fleshiness; lean; emaciated; meager; as, a poor horse, ox, dog, ·etc.

12. poor ·superl without prosperous conditions or good results; unfavorable; unfortunate; unconformable; as, a poor business; the sick man had a poor night.

13. poor ·superl worthy of pity or sympathy;

 used also sometimes as a term of endearment, or as an expression of modesty, and sometimes as a word of contempt.

Webster English vocab.      Английский словарь Webster.


text:
S.F. Area Quakers Mull Over War Tax Resistance

On a local Friends Meeting held a workshop on tax resistance that I attended. I was pleasantly surprised at the large number of people who attended (given that the workshop was held during the distracting week between Christmas and New Years), and I was delighted at the amount of interest expressed and the quality of the conversation.

One San Francisco Quaker is skeptical about “easy, low-risk,” “symbolic” tax resistance and isues a challenge:

Scenario: The federal government has instituted a 50-cent-per gallon gasoline tax to cover expenses related to the war in Iraq.

For embellishment, imagine it’s and an entirely new Presidential administration that you voted for in has just assumed office (I don’t care which party as long as you think it was a good choice). We could imagine the new administration is being fiscally responsible and making up for past as well as ongoing deficits, and is exhibiting integrity by tying the tax directly to its use.

Question: What would Quakers do?

Would they continue to behave the same as usual?

Would they always pay in cash and withhold the extra charge for the war tax? If so, would they submit to being arrested for nonpayment of taxes — or maybe even theft — if the station owner called the police? How long would they stay in jail before paying the tax and any accumulated fines?

Would they pay by credit card but modify the receipt to withhold payment of the tax before signing?

Would they carpool? Or join carsharing groups?

Would they sell their cars?

Would they refuse rides in privately owned vehicles?

Would they move to the country and buy a horse?

Would they just buy a Prius?

Before doing any of the above, would they consent to wait expectantly together in meeting for business, to ask the Inward Teacher what on earth they should do?

I think it’s useful, from time to time, to contemplate such hypotheticals. What would your response be if the government enacted an explicit war-tax on something you enjoy or require. What if the government did enact a “Peace Tax Fund” designed to make people feel like their tax dollars were being spent peacefully?

The IRS insists that even barter counts as income and must be taxed, but there are exceptions to this rule, as a recent Wall Street Journal article points out:

Using a section of the tax code called 1031, a growing number of wealthy individuals and companies are participating in so-called like-kind, or 1031, exchanges. The strategy allows participants to defer, or sometimes even avoid, capital-gains taxes when they quickly replace business or investment assets with similar property of equal or greater value.

At the popular liberal-leaning blog Political Animal (associated with Washington Monthly), a columnist takes note of one of the recent news articles about phone tax resistance.

There’s really not much new content there, but the article has generated a healthy set of comments from people who aren’t very familiar with phone tax resistance, or with war tax resistance in general, and so it gives a good glimpse at the attitudes towards and misconceptions about war tax resistance that can be found in liberals who haven’t put much thought into the idea before.

The confusion between the federal telephone excise tax and the federal universal service fee is one that the phone tax resistance advocates should be sure to address. If people think that phone tax resisters are taking money away from a federal program to help the blind, deaf and disabled because they have a grudge with the government about the war, that won’t play well at all.


text:
Schoolhouse Rock Live!

“Getting Educated: Schoolhouse Rock Style”

The Birder Players production of Schoolhouse Rock Live! was a trip back in time; a blast from my past that was both educational and entertaining. Despite being in its inaugural year, the cast and crew put on an amazing tribute to the ever popular Saturday morning cartoon show. With a cast of six professionals and many other children from the Birder Studio of Performing Arts, the show consisted of Schoolhouse Rock classics and favorites. Musical numbers included: Verb: That’s What’s Happening, Unpack Your Adjectives, Just A Bill, Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla (Pronouns), Great American Melting Pot, Interplanet Janet and my personal favorite, Conjunction Junction.

Despite its educational foundation, the show was not without its fair share of laughs. The cast encouraged audience participation which included singing and dancing along. When the characters of Dori, Shulie and Dina performed Sufferin’ Till Suffrage, the tale of women’s work towards equal voting rights, audience members, myself included, were chosen to go on stage and participate in the voting processes. Once the initial shock had passed, it was a great way to interact with the cast and feel as if you were a part of the story.

Sallie Harrigan who portrayed the character of Dori was gracious enough to speak with me following the production, “I love what we do. We are professionally trained actors who are able to introduce kids to live action theatre. The students who attend the Birder Studio of Performing Arts are able to perform with us and gain valuable experience to help them as they pursue their own acting careers.” Harrigan’s commitment to the program are representative of the studios mission to educate, inspire create and achieve.

Proceeds from this event as well as others, are used to fund scholarships for the children attending the Birder Studio of Performing Arts. If you would like more information on the Birder Players or the Birder Studio please visit their website at

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