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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Adobe Reader Critical Quarterly Security Update

Adobe has released the quarterly security update for Adobe Reader and Acrobat XI for Windows and Macintosh. The update addresses numerous critical vulnerabilities and should be installed as soon as possible.

Release date: October 13, 2015
Vulnerability identifier: APSB15-24
CVE numbers: CVE-2015-5583, CVE-2015-5586, CVE-2015-6683, CVE-2015-6684, CVE-2015-6685, CVE-2015-6686, CVE-2015-6687, CVE-2015-6688, CVE-2015-6689, CVE-2015-6690, CVE-2015-6691, CVE-2015-6692, CVE-2015-6693, CVE-2015-6694, CVE-2015-6695, CVE-2015-6696, CVE-2015-6697, CVE-2015-6698, CVE-2015-6699, CVE-2015-6700, CVE-2015-6701, CVE-2015-6702, CVE-2015-6703, CVE-2015-6704, CVE-2015-6705, CVE-2015-6706, CVE-2015-6707, CVE-2015-6708, CVE-2015-6709, CVE-2015-6710, CVE-2015-6711, CVE-2015-6712, CVE-2015-6713, CVE-2015-6714, CVE-2015-6715, CVE-2015-6716, CVE-2015-6717, CVE-2015-6718, CVE-2015-6719, CVE-2015-6720, CVE-2015-6721, CVE-2015-6722, CVE-2015-6723, CVE-2015-6724, CVE-2015-6725, CVE-2015-7614, CVE-2015-7615, CVE-2015-7616, CVE-2015-7617, CVE-2015-7618, CVE-2015-7619, CVE-2015-7620, CVE-2015-7621, CVE-2015-7622, CVE-2015-7623, CVE-2015-7624
Platform: Windows and Macintosh

Update or Complete Download

Update checks can be manually activated by choosing Help > Check for Updates.
    Note: UNcheck any pre-checked additional options presented with the update. They are not part of the software update and are completely optional.

    Windows XP

    If you are still using Windows XP and have Adobe Reader installed, please note that there will be no additional security updates for it.  I suggest uninstalling it and install an alternate reader.  Personally, I like Sumatra PDF.  It isn't a target and doesn't include unwanted extras with the install or updates.  (See Replacing Adobe Reader with Sumatra PDF.)  Adobe Reference:  End of support | Acrobat and Reader for Windows XP

    Enable "Protected View"

    Due to frequent vulnerabilities, it is recommended that Windows users of Adobe Reader and Acrobat ensure that Protected View is enabled.  Neither the Protected Mode or Protected View option is available for Macintosh users.

    To enable this setting, do the following:
    • Click Edit > Preferences > Security (Enhanced) menu.
    • Change the "Off" setting to "All Files".
    • Ensure the "Enable Enhanced Security" box is checked.

    Adobe Protected View
    Image via Sophos Naked Security Blog
    If you are looking for a replacement for Adobe Reader, consider Replacing Adobe Reader with Sumatra PDF.

    Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
    May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

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Evocation of Bethor:
This was a mixed bag for many reasons. I’d actually begun working with the energies of Bethor out of sequence with the others months before, drawing up little talismans with his sigil for prosperity. Interestingly, although I never got any huge windfalls from this work, I did notice an odd tendency to come up with all sorts of little schemes for making money. They were all nickel-and-dime things, but I felt a definite shift in my attituted toward generating money.
On this occasion, I gave it The Full Monty: candle, special talisman, home-made Jupiter incense, and a ritual with the protocol I’d settled on for the other Olympians. The charge was deliberately general, since I’d already approached this spirit with specific requests regarding my fortunes: Teach me! Teach me to be a king in my world. Teach me the nobility and generosity necessary to be a king and to evolve in this way.
Nothing further to report, really.

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Looking for Extra Cash? List of 50 Side Businesses

*Neat* list of a bunch of side businesses you can get going with little or not start-up funds.  Sites like Etsy.com, ebay, and craigslist have made it possible for everyone to find a market for almost every type of goods.  Of course as far as making money, I would not recommend blogging 😀

There’s also a link to an article about how the author started his own side business.  There are tons of excellent articles on this site, some that I’ve featured before via Consumerist.  Worth taking a peep and an excellent site for these troubled times.

The Simple Dollar » 50 Side Businesses You Can Start On Your Own.

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It’s Time for Wednesday’s Work In Progress

This week I have chosen a great story, Until I Saw You  by reyes139  with a Strong Bella and an Edward that goes after what he wants … Both have secrets … It is 35 chapters in so far and things are Heating  up … here is the summary for the story by the person that knows it best ..  The Author

He wants her-she wants him ..both play the age old game of cat and mouse but neither are willing to be the mouse.. a mobward in love and a sassy bella making him work for it

So here it is … As always click on the Banner and it will take you to the first page of the story …….   Wednesday’s Work In Progress

By sephrenia

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Leia at Singplay System, Changi Airport

Last Sat we had lunch at Dian Xiao Er, Changi Airport T3. Leia loves the fish maw soup & herbal duck a lot.

After lunch, we went to basement. Strolled around & decided to let leia have an hour of Sing Play System. She was in absolute paradise playing & making new friends.

With supermarket, playgrounds, retail stores, eateries & food court… Bret commented basement seemed so much like a shopping mall. Indeed.

There were many young children having a great time at the family-oriented mall within Changi Airport. If only we can fly with Leia… gotta be next yr.

Housework Day

Wednesday was a public holiday. Made Fried rice and heat up Leftover Hotpot ingredients with Soup for lunch. Leia’s eyes brightened up the moment she had a sip of soup. It was delicious. Feeling homely, Bret and I did housework instead of heading out.

In the kitchen, he did washing while I took out my rainbow vaccum to clean the floor in the living room. The little girl said, “Everyone is doing something. What about me?” I can’t be more glad to know my girl wants to pitch in despite the freewill to play toys or ipad.

So… I gave Leia the handheld vaccum 🙂

The vaccum was just right for Leia. With specific instructions, I did a short demostration. It was not her first time and this time, I saw improvement. Focused in vaccuming the hair and anything on the floor, my cinderella did quite a good job. Like adults, the 4 yr old looked satisfied with her contribution in keeping the house clean.

I reckon children do enjoy housework with their parents.

Hotpot & Masks

On public holiday eve, Bret and I did grocery shopping at cold storage for hot pot ingredients. Reached home, I prepared the soup by boiling carrots, corns and vegetable for the broth.

We invited Cousin Esther and her son, Jaydan over to join us. Every Friday Leia will go to Aunt’s place to play with Jaydan. The duo have become buddies.

I bought a Mask Making Kit from Smiggle.

Here is Leia’s work!

Comes with 20 masks. The kids had fun making their masks and they pretended to be lions scaring each other. The laughter of children reminds us how simple it is to be happy.

Library Books – Oct 2014

Bret went woodland for errands. In that 2 hours, I found some phonics activity books and interesting library books for Leia. Woodlands Regional Library tops my list for best varieties of children books.

Decided to borrow the book title, “Amelia Bedelia’s First Library Card”.

From Source Barnes and Noble:

In the picture book Amelia Bedelia’s First Library Card, young Amelia Bedelia and her classmates visit the library. Exploring the shelves of books, volunteering at the front desk, and meeting the librarians is so fun! But Amelia Bedelia’s favorite part is getting her very own library card.

After reading the book, I took out Leia’s library card ! Her eyes widened instantly at the surprise. Didn’t take long for Leia to reveal a smile full of pride as she reads out her name on the card.

At the shelves of junior section, a set of books caught my attention. Timmy and Tammy by Ruth Wan-Lau and illustrated by Eliz Ong.

Let Me Read encourages young readers with frequent sight words and sounds. What I love most was the local flavour 🙂 The titles: Food Court, Singapore Flyer, Mrt were close to our hearts.

About the author,

Ruth Wan-Lau has worked in public communications and as a writer and editor of children’s books for 15 years. A lover of books and all things wordy, Ruth taught her two sons and her daughter to read fluently by age four…”

The set of books can be purchased online here.

I love libraries.

Couple Time on Tues

It was his off day. We woke up playing “Plants vs Zombie 2” on our mobile phone. Followed by shower and getting dressed. Verbally we list down the things to fulfil.

11.30am Lunch
12.00pm Woodlands (He went to do some work while I found some books from the library)
2.30pm Central (Collect Free Samsung Tab)
3.00pm Osim (Get accessory)
3.30pm Grocery Shopping at Cold Storage
5.00pm Pick up Leia from School
6.00pm Hotpot Dinner at Home
9.00pm Cousin Esther and Jayden came over
12.30pm Lights out

For the entire day Bret and I were having a harmonious time travelling from north to central to east. Doing things together and nuturing our relationship with humour & words of appreciation throughout the day.

That night, the happy husband planted more than usual pecks on my cheeks and several surprise hugs from behind 🙂

Pray & Always believe something Wonderful is going to Happen”


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Thanksgiving is just around the corner here in the states. It’s a day of thankfulness where we gorge ourselves on turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings with family and friends. In my house I have The Vegan Daughter, the daughter that raised a turkey for FFA during high school and now refuses to eat it, and the daughter whose favorite meal in the whole wide world is turkey and gravy. My son is coming also and I am sure he will just be happy to get a good meal! But it means at my house I get to be creative. I will be preparing LOTS of vegetable dishes (OH how I LOVE roasted veggies!) and making a few recipe adjustments. But I have promised Juliette I will not mess with her turkey and gravy!

thanksgiving feast

I like Thanksgiving well enough, but for me it is a two-fold reason for celebration. I get a fantastic meal and a day with my family, and I get the day off! And the Friday that follows it! A 4 day weekend as a matter of fact. So I have decided to dub the day after Thanksgiving the “Official Day of the WIP” for me. In other words I am going to pull out all of my WIPS that were cast to the side for one reason or another and do my best to finish at least a few of them. 😀

I recently organized my “sewing room” and threw all of my WIPS in a box. Some of my WIPS just need buttons!! Like this pretty pink chiffon blouse. This is Cynthia Rowley 2215. It is a pretty simple button down blouse. I received the fabric from Ann at Pretty Grievances a while ago. I think I will get some good wear from this come spring- once I get those buttons on!

Pink Animal Print Blouse

Cynthia Rowley 2215

I need to finish this coat on WIP Day for 2 reasons. #1- I am having a WIP day and #2- Because I needed to have a coat made for my Sewlution. This coat is 3/4 of the way finished. I just need to put the sleeve lining in and the shoulder pads. Finish off the lining and do the buttons and buttonholes. A few hours is all I need! And being WIP day will be an all day thing I think I am good to go!

I also have this dress. It is lacking buttons and sleeve binding. That’s it! Another one I cast to the side before completely finishing. I think because it is just not me. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE the dress and wish I did not feel so silly wearing it- But I do. 😦 Maybe it is the super full skirt. Maybe it is because I don’t normally wear the color. I am not sure! I think I will finish it up, wear it somewhere, take some pics and THEN decide!

If I get these all finished up I have ONE more. A vintage nightgown I started on the other night. I would say I am about half way done!

Vintage Nightgown

That is how I plan on spending my Friday! Then I still have the WHOLE weekend for starting something new! Which, if you are anything like me you are always down for a new project!

How about you? Do you have extra days off for Thanksgiving week? Will you be doing any sewing?


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GM’s Maven Gig is a Car Sharing Service Tailor-Made for the Gig Economy

TechCrunch – May 3, 2017

Maven, GM’s dedicated mobility wing, is launching Maven Gig on Wednesday, giving occasional gig economy workers a way to easily gain access to a vehicle for short stints to do things like deliver groceries and food on demand, and provide ride sharing services. For $229 per week, inclusive of insurance, unlimited miles, free charging and regular maintenance, Maven Gig provides access to Chevrolet Bolt EVs initially, so you can be a freelancer when you need or want to, and easily return the car when you don’t.

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Finishing 2nd to Manchester City would be no disgrace

Last night Manchester City went top of the league with a 5-1 away win against Spurs. It would now be no surprise to anyone if they remain top of the league for the rest of the season.

Whilst this might risk of coming across a bit negative, a bit defeatist, in all honesty, it would be no shame to finish 2nd to this Manchester City squad. A side which has got 34 points out of the last 36. A side which is in contention for the quadruple. A side which Spurs manager has recently – and rightly – labelled as the best in the world.

Arsenal currently sit 2nd in the Premier League table, 2 points behind Manchester City. Some in the media (MOTD pundits) have already started the claims that the cracks are beginning to appear – we are unbeaten this year remember – and that we are a club in a crisis after a single draw. The truth is the fact we have up to this point competed with Manchester City is an achievement, and were we to finish 2nd to them, it would be no disaster.

In a game where money has always been king – in the 1930s we were known as the Bank of England club due to our finances and famously boasted we could out bid any club for any player by £2,000 – Manchester City currently sit on the throne.

Yesterday, Manchester City announced their latest financial results. A £56.1m loss for 2012/13. Their loss has halved for the second consecutive season, partly to do with their way above market rate naming rates for the Eithad Stadium. As a comparator, Manchester City get £40m a year just from stadium rights, whilst Arsenal get £20m a year for both stadium and shirt sponsorship.

Anyway, what was most interesting in the announcement was Manchester City’s wage bill. In 2012/13 they paid £233,000,000 in wages. And this is where money becomes king. Everyone agrees that Manchester City have the best squad in England. They have four strikers in Aguero, Negredo, Dzeko and Jovetic that would all be either 1st or 2nd choice strikers at every other club (bar Manchester United). For £233,000,000 you can buy a lot of quality who will happily sit on the bench.

Arsenal’s wage bill for the same period was £154,500,000. A difference of £78,500,000 a year. Now taking into account that in the period, Arsenal made a £6,700,000 profit, you can start to see how Manchester City’s financial muscle makes the difference. Were Arsenal to increase squad quality and quantity to a similar size as Manchester City, the wage bill would have to be increased to a similar level. Arsenal would need to find an additional £80m, in a  business which made just £6.7m. Obviously Arsenal have signed some new deals recently which should generate a further £30-odd million, however this would barely make a dent.

Going back to Manchester City’s wage’s, their wage bill at £233m is just £9,800,000 less than Arsenal total turnover for the period (£242.8m). Hopefully you are starting to see the uphill struggle we face. Clearly the only way to compete would to have someone bank rolling us – but would you risk having a Vincent Tan or Assem Allam?

Back to that difference between the wage bills. It works out at £1.5m a week. For that, a club could buy 6 players on £250,000 a week, or 3 players for £250,000 and another 5 for £150,000. You are starting to get a very expensively arranged 1st team. To think ,that would be 8 new players. Once you add the £150m that Arsenal currently spend, you should be able to build a squad which is running away with the league. Give me £1.5bn over the last 5 years to spend on transfer fee’s and wages and I will win the league.

According to reports, Manchester City currently have 11 players earning over £100,000 a week, and 2 over £200,000 a week. Arsenal have just 3 over £100,000 a week (Walcott, Podolski & Ozil). That is a huge gap to over come. And I have not even begun to discuss the transfer fees associated with closing that gap.

The gap is, however, closing, and without the need to be bank rolled. The new Puma deal will add to our finances. As will the other commercial deals we have recently signed. The extra TV money could become a neutraliser, as the extra cash for Arsenal will benefit us more than it will Manchester City. Extra money for City makes little difference, as they can still only have a 25 man squad and it will be very hard to improve what they currently have, whereas the extra money for Arsenal will see us close that wage gap and buy better players at the top end, whilst the lesser players at the bottom are cut adrift.

You can see already the gap closing. Arsenal attracted Mesut Ozil in the summer, and are due to unveil Julian Draxler at some point in 2014. As long as the club keep working on increasing commercial revenue – in the 2012/13 period, we earnt £70m less than Manchester United from commercial deals – we can continue closing the gap.

We are maybe a little bit too far behind them this year to be disappointed with finishing 2nd, but the gap is closing.

Edit: Manchester City fans, this is not a dig at the money you spend, as far as I am concerned, how a billionaire spends his money is up to him. This blog is about Arsenal and how far behind we are in terms of financial muscle.

18 thoughts on “Finishing 2nd to Manchester City would be no disgrace

  1. Wolfgang

    That is why if MC can’t win the epl ,it will be really shocking.There is absolutely no doubt money plays a significant role.During the 90s,MU signed all the best players and could dominate the epl until Wenger threw a spanner at red face.Now we have two teams bankrolled by immense wealth as well as Arsenal who rely on their own means.
    Hopefully Arsenal can win either the epl or FA.

  2. Rich

    This does not read like a dig it reads like a realistic and sensible assessment of the situation. The reality is Arsenal in their day, United in their day, Liverpool, Blackburn etc all dominated in their day because of money and it is no more true now than it was 100 years ado. City have a very strong squad but I think a lot of credit needs to go to Pellegrini, he has spent less than Mancini did and has ffocused on making the best out of what we have rather than moaning about how we need more players. The change in performance from guys like Nasri, Kolarov has been amazing and he dealt with Hart brilliantly. Pelle also signed cheaper players on lower wages than Mancini or Hughes. For Arsenal to finish above Chelsea and United even if they did come second would be a big acheivement as both united and chelsea in terms of wages and spend dwarf arsenal.

    I will admit I thought you would crack in november and you have been relentless in winning week after week as we have put in the best run in our history. Chelsea too have been knocking off win after win.

    Exciting times

    1. I.P. from South Africa

      Wolfgang, MC has no debt presently, just like Arsenal and one wonders whether Stan Kroenke is not also perhaps in the league of “immense wealth” as well.

  3. Ifeanyi Nnamani

    If finishing second to Manchester City is not a disgrace then it means your family is a shameful family.
    9years trophy drought.
    Arsenal FC please we the FANS need silver wears.

  4. blueknight

    Adug have owned us only 5 years… in the next 5 years you will see what we are about… we will be the biggest club in the World!… hahaha you say… we are 80 million off Uniteds turnover (271 mil) so right now we are in 6th Place.. ( rm,barca,BM, Rags,PSG,City)

    Have you seen what we are buildin in M/C? the new training area 150 mill.. ready in 6 months time, then the hotels,shops, etc… then the two South american clubs we will be buying,,, to add onto the one in OZ ,Africa, and USA… you hate us now ? i dare not Think what you will Think of us in the future… blue skys ahead

  5. Tony Tango

    Thanks for the high praise in this article and it doesn’t come across as a dig. The only thing I would say is that you are mistaken in regard to our sponsorship deal. Not only does it include the stadium naming rights AND the shirts it also includes the naming rights for our new training and youth complex (the Etihad campus) which is central to our future and the links we are establishing with clubs around the world. The deal also lasts for 10 years and our profile and global support has already increased significantly since it was signed. I’m honest enough to admit the deal is a very favourable one and that it would not have happened if we had different owners but the level of it’s value has been vastly exaggerated in the media. Our losses in the last accounts (£50m+) are of course still huge but we are moving rapidly towards zero losses and this due to many other factors other than just the Etihad deal. I agree that it would be no shame at all if Arsenal finish second particularly as it would mean you have beaten Chelsea and Man Utd, 2 clubs who have been spending and paying huge wages for many more years than us. Can’t wait for the game at your place, though I’ll be sat with my Arsenal mate with the home fans so i’ll have to keep my gob shut!

  6. Cheadle

    Good Article except for on tiny but “big” detail 51 + 1 = 52 and 50 + 3 = 53
    City have a one point lead not a two point lead. Nevertheless The title is theirs to lose and the long awaited Arsenal collapse has now been rescheduled for February if it happens pundits can heave a collective sigh of relief… IF IT DOES NOT HAPPEN THEN HOLD YOUR BREATH TILL MAY!!

  7. Joe is Special

    If fair play comes in Citeh are dead in the water but for now they are the best side in the EPL by quite a distance. I would still rather be 2nd using money we generated then be top through nothing short of financial doping. I’m proud of my club and the way we are moving forward. The inevitable demise of teh $$$$ clubs will see the balance restored.
    Money will never buy class and respect.

    1. Rich

      Class and respect is something spurs and Newcastle fans fall back on because their team isn’t good, so it is funny to see Arsenal fans using it! Class in football is about class players , respect is earned by the way a team plays and behaves ! On this front I think guys like Silva , kompany and aguero have class and respect unparalleled in the Premier league! Arsenal are a bigger and better club than needing to fall back on Geordie arguments to claim some kind of moral victory!

      As for Fair play it has come in, it is the reality and City (who incidentally lost less than Chelsea) will pass Financial Fair Play and next year will be break even. Purely from prem deal and getting to last 16 and new deals already signed we have closed over 50m already.

      Money got arsenal into the league, it made arsenal a big club, Liverpool became what they were with pools money, united with the Edwards etc etc. There is no moral superiority there is only footballing superiority!

      I think arsenal have improved greatly, have easily been the second best team in the Prem and are doing well – they should focus on filling the squad gaps and push on

    2. Bilboblue

      So what did it buy you when as the OP said, you were known as the ‘Bank of England Club’? Hypocrisy much?
      Unfortunately, spending money is the only way to compete for a club that is/was outside the Champions League, get over it, the OP has in writing a very fair piece.

      1. Joe is Special

        Nobody has a problem with spending money mate but it should be money you made. We were called the Bank of England because we were stable and had large sums of money that we generated in the 30’s and 40’s. We didn’t need to dope our way to success as a club we’ve always been self sufficent unlike the oil clubs. When their backers get bored they will sink like a stone.

      2. Bilboblue

        Joe, have you actually researched how Arsenal became the club they are?
        You were ‘financially doped’ (pathetic phrase by the way) way back in time, it’s exactly the same thing, albeit on a bigger scale. Even back in the 1990’s you needed a £50m injection of cash from Danny Fizsman (not a small amount back then) and that helped you be where you are now.
        Arsenal are a great side, and a great club, maybe some of your fans need to wind their necks in, before you look even more bitter than you do now and start to ruin peoples views of that?

        As for the tired old cliche of owners getting bored…. maybe you need to google about the Etihad Campus, you really think he is going to walk away after investing so heavily in the future of the club?

        Anyone would think you wanted to stifle competition and keep a place at the top table (that your club bribed their way on to) for yourself…..

  8. Rolee

    Just FYI shewore, the Etihad sponsorship deal is not just stadium naming rights, it includes shirt sponsorship as well as training ground sponsorship and sponsorship of the campus that is currently being built around the stadium in East Manchester.

  9. Bilboblue

    Decent article. Nice to know some Arsenal fans are not bitter. I remember watching in wonder at the players Arsenal had when hammering us every game, and being awestruck at the style of football being played by players we could never have afforded to sign in a lifetime.

    I guess I know how other clubs fans feel now.

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    Cardone Power Steering Pump w/o Reservoir - Domestic

    Part #20-292
    • Product Details

      Part No.20-292

      A1 CARDONE Remanufactured Power Steering Pumps are built to meet or exceed OEM performance. Original designs are scrutinized for potential improvement, and where applicable, design upgrades are implemented to produce a more durable part than the original. All critical components are tested to ensure proper function. Every unit undergoes a hydraulic efficiency test to ensure reliable, long-lasting performance, providing a quality product both you and your vehicle can rely on.

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      • Shafts are surfaced to precise specifications to eliminate premature seal wear and extend pump life
      • Guaranteed fit and function
      • Meets or exceeds O.E.M performance

    • Specifications

      • Pulley Included:No
        Mounting Hardware Included:No
        Reservoir Included:No
        Pulley Attachement Type:Press-On
        Hose Port Type:O-Ring
        Power Steering Outlet Thread Size:M16 x 1.5
        Package Contents:Pump, O-Ring, Teflon Seal, Instruction Sheet
        Product Condition:Remanufactured
        Remote Reservoir:No
        Housing Material:Cast Iron
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    Disclaimer: We strive to keep all information accurate and up-to-date; however, product availability, pricing, promotions and store hours are subject to change without notice. Please contact Customer Care if you have any questions or corrections.


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Roast Magazine Store

An Essential Source for the Entire Coffee Industry

Roast is a bi-monthly technical trade magazine dedicated to the success and growth of the specialty coffee industry. Roastaddresses the art, science and business of coffee roasters by covering the issues most important to them, with high-quality editorial focused on the technical aspects of coffee.


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I Feel Jealous

Suitable for 5 - 7 years

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  • FREE UK delivery for schools on orders containing at least one paid item.
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Product Description

A great choice for any child who has grappled with the green-eyed monster, this book describes what it is like to feel jealous, as it is experienced by young children. Readers are sure to identify with Mike Gordon’s comical and inventive illustrations of envy and its various causes! Written in vivid text by top children’s poet Brian Moses, this book also offers various inspiring solutions for dealing with jealousy in all its guises.

Product Details

Wayland (Publishers) Ltd

Date published

November 16th, 1994

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Tudor Times Shop chinaware is bone china. Bone china is strong, beautiful and extremely durable if it is cared for properly. The following tips should enable you to enjoy the product for years to come.

Washing Bone China

Gentle hand washing without using abrasive scourers as soon as possible after use is the best way to keep bone china looking pristine.

Washing in Dishwashers

Whilst we recommend gentle hand washing as the safest way to clean bone china and keep it pristine, it is fine to wash our bone china in the dishwasher if you follow these guidelines. Stack the machine so that the china does not touch any other item that may cause scratching or damage by vibration. Do not overload the dishwasher. Use the most delicate cycle available on your dishwasher. Ensure the maximum temperature is 60ºC (140ºF) or below. Use mild and gentle detergents, not powders or tablets. Make sure there is a rinse cycle to wash away any detergent film.

Please be aware that over time the glaze and ceramic colours on bone china can deteriorate with lots of dishwasher use.

Removing Stains

Wash your bone china as quickly as possible to reduce the possibilities of staining with strong tea or coffee.

Try removing stains by:
Soaking in warm water before washing.
Soaking a slice of lemon in water.
Bicarbonate of soda - see manufacturer’s instructions.
Use a cleaning solution like baby utensil sterilising solution.

Bone China Durability

Bone china is delicate. If looked after properly our bone china will last for years. Bone china may be damaged by extreme temperature changes for example hot water poured rapidly into a cold bone china mug may cause it to crack. A metal spoon placed in the mug before the hot water will help. If you take milk then adding it before the hot water will also help. Do not put bone china in the freezer, or heat above 60°C (140°F), or put it in contact with a naked flame. It must not be used for cooking purposes.

Bone china will be more likely to crack with hot water if at some time in its life it has suffered an impact.

Storing Bone China

To avoid scratching the surface, do not store bone china items directly on top of each other. When storing mugs, to avoid scratching or chipping, make sure they are not touching or stacked on top of other mugs.


text:
When in Doubt, Add Butter

When in Doubt, Add Butter

Large Print - 2012
Average Rating:
Rate this:
Gemma Craig has spent her career as a private chef taking care of other people. There's Lex, the fussy department store owner straight out of a movie from the thirties; grossly overweight Willa, who must radically change her eating habits or die; and the strange Oleksei family, with a constant parade of mysterious people coming and going. Then there's the hideously demanding Angela who is "allergic to everything," and the man Gemma thinks of only as "Mr. Tuesday" because they've never met. Everyone relies on Gemma, even while she goes home alone each night and feasts on cereal and quick meals. But when life takes an unexpected turn on a road Gemma always thought was straight and narrow, she must face her past and learn to move on in ways she never imagined.
Publisher: Thorndike, Maine :, Center Point Large Print,, 2012.
Edition: Large print edition.
Copyright Date: ©2012
ISBN: 9781611734904
Characteristics: 367 pages (large print) ;,23 cm.

From the critics

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Jun 13, 2016

I enjoyed this book for exactly what it was, light enjoyable reading.

Jul 30, 2015

Nothing memorable with speck of humor. When the "twist" was revealed, I felt it was one BAM!!!! at once, and that's it. It had me guessing, but not in a good way like leave it to the reader's imagination kinda way. Instead, this book felt incomplete to me.

lbarkema Jun 19, 2014

Very predictable, but that didn't stop me from loving the story and enjoying the ride.

May 29, 2013

Pretty predictable, but likeable characters. I'd read another ....

Mar 31, 2013

An entertaining bit of candy floss - fun while it lasts, but of no substance. The plot is predictable - I knew which happy ending we were headed to about 1/3 of the way into the story. Great summer read if you just want to be entertained by something light and sweet.

skylars Feb 04, 2013

Cute story about a woman whose biological clock is running out. Her current profession is personal chef. She finds out her "one night stand" is one of her clients who she's never met face to face. Of course, it has a wonderfully happy ending!

Nov 24, 2012

This is chick lit a cut above the rest. I enjoyed Gemma's take on her career as a professional cook, working for a variety of clients (some were really from hell), and her interesting personal life. If you're looking for a breezy read with well-developed characters, this works better than okay.

Oct 26, 2012

Light fluffy read. A bit far-fetched and everything ties up too perfectly in the end. The romantic twist is way too obvious. Other than that, author has great sense of humor and keeps you wanting to turn the page.

jeanner222 Oct 12, 2012

I’m not going to lie: I picked this book because it has cupcakes on the cover. Surprisingly, this novel has nothing to do with cupcakes or baking.

Gemma Craig is 37 years old and still single. And that’s the way she likes it. She has her own business; she is a personal chef. As we read along, we meet her different clients (different for each day of the week) and sort of get a sense of Gemma’s cooking style and/or philosophy.

A one-night stand, an amorous client, and an unfortunate incident with a peacock lead to messiness in Gemma’s life, both personal and professional. Can she straighten out her life and keep doing what she loves?

I’m not quite sure how I would rate this novel. I read it quickly and enjoyed certain aspects of the novel. Unfortunately, the writing is uneven, and the tone changes abruptly within the narrative. One thing I know for sure: I would not recommend this to someone attracted to the overly cute cover.

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The Perfect Tree and Favorite Christmas Carols

The Perfect Tree and Favorite Christmas Carols

Book - 1990
Rate this:
Badger sets out to find the perfect Christmas tree but is reluctant to destroy the tree's beauty by cutting it down. Includes four traditional Christmas carols.
Publisher: Morris Plains, N. J. : Unicorn Pub. Co., c1990.
ISBN: 0881101045
Characteristics: [44] pages :,color illustrations ;,26 cm.
Additional Contributors: Bivins, Christopher 1961-- Illustrator

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Some things never change: the winner of the dispuut of the year competition and the fact that Ronan Keating is (arguably) the best musician ever would just be two random things (it has come to our attention that the first thing has actually changed. Oh well). However, most importantly: GIST is still GIST. And will be GIST. We pride ourselves on standing up against the tyranny of the majority’s attempts to impose its mediocre drinking habits upon us. Nay! Never! ‘Gezelligheid?’ Bah! Humbug!

But to be fair, we’re actually quite a nice bunch. We enjoy having intellectual discussions (believe it or not – we’re not as dumb as we look), playing ingenious drinking games and watching ‘Met het mes op tafel’ during our infamous Wednesday night hangouts. Our culinary skills are famed throughout the land and our wits know no equal.

What about you, dear reader? Are you cheekier than Jonah? Are you a better cook than Juul? Are your remarks as inappropriate as Rutger’s? Are you a bigger bullshitter than Evan? Are you just as punctual as Alex is? If your answer to all these questions is a resounding ‘yes,’ don’t hesitate to join us for a beer or two (or three) during one of the Monday night socials.

Our current members are Frans, Matthijs, Juul, Kasper, Jonah, Alex, Evan, Rutger, Pelle, Pieter and Bram.


text:
sidgwick: (Nervous)

The Picassos are typical newlyweds: in love and actively dreaming bigger dreams than any place can contain. Both enlisted in the military upon graduating high school. Matthew never quite had the grades to make college work and he wasn't keen on any of the entry level jobs he could find so he enlisted. He wanted to be the sort of sim who could provide while doing something heroic. Jessica had the brains to enter college but she didn't like the laissez-faire attitudes of her college bound classmates, she wanted to be challenged beyond academics. She wanted to test her own limits. When Matthew met Jessica he fell in love with her earthy charms. This was a woman who could fix a car, cook a great meal and design her own clothes. In her spare time she loved to bargain hunt and can't pass up any opportunity for DIY. As much as Matthew was in awe of Jessica's high energy and desire to challenge herself, Jessica was equally enamored with Matthew's compassion for his comrades. He would never leave anyone behind in training. He'd push himself harder and inspire his fellow trainees to push themselves to greater heights. For Matthew it wasn't a competition to be better than everyone, it was a challenge to be better than himself. It wasn't long before they married. Just in time for their transfer to Strangetown. Both Matthew and Jessica approached the move with excitement. The cheap real estate allowed them to have a larger house than expected which they decorated with thrift store and garage sale finds. But now that they are out of training and into the very heart of military operations they're finding that time to build a family is in very short supply.

Ajay Loner loves surf, sand, sun and lazy tropical vacations. Strangetown was never on his list of places to move. But rent is cheap and money is good. He hopes to make it big as a lawyer and Strangetown is on the fringe of the law. Between the mad science, the relic hunters, the iffy methods of the military and the local kooks, there's always work for a hungry lawyer. Luckily for Ajay his ethics are fairly flexible so he often finds work defending some of Strangetown's fringe players in their slightly criminal pursuits. However, Ajay is still trying to find a way to get his name out there in a way that doesn't result in trash can assaults or worse. When he's not pounding the pavement he's at home starting his own pirate radio station. If he's really honest with himself he'd rather be living in a hovel on Twikkii Island entertaining tourists than sweating it in the desert. Besides, even if he were honest with himself he really does love his gadgets and money is money.

Date: 2012-05-23 06:56 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] aledstrange.livejournal.com
I want your game, can I have it!?? XD

Really awesome as always. Ajay looks amazing and love how you fixed his house (imo, that yellow-ish house is *his* house. canon for ever! :P). Great use of space, and looks amazing inside and outdoors.

Also love how you decorated the Picassos' house. You have an awesome talent to pick and mix cc and styles. So beautiful! <3

Date: 2012-05-24 04:02 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] sidgwick.livejournal.com
I'm glad you like my game. I swore that I would reduce my CC but that hasn't really happened. It is better organized than in the past though ;)

There *is* something about that house that screams Ajay (for no apparent reason).

Date: 2012-05-24 06:27 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] meetme2theriver.livejournal.com
Perfection. :) The Picasos fit so well in that house in Strangetown, it's becoming kind of "head canon" for me. I mean, the Grunts do need some military neighbours, so what could be better? And I agree with ale, Ajay living in the yellow house IS pretty much canon. ;)

Lovely makeovers as always. :D I really like Jessica's little sewing room (especially the wallpaper) and the blouse she's wearing. And the stories are awesome. :) Also, your pictures are a bad influence - I'm trying to keep a low CC game (AGAIN), but you make me want to go out and download ALL THE CC. :P

Date: 2012-05-24 04:06 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] sidgwick.livejournal.com
Strangetown kind of HAS to have more military folks than just Buzz and the boys.

I'm definitely a CC junkie. I've tried to go without but I find that for makeovers & storytelling I really like having a huge palette to choose from. For gameplay though I tend to be able to go with a lot less CC (relatively speaking).

Date: 2012-05-24 08:56 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] katee412.livejournal.com
Matthew and Jessica's tale is so sweet and believable, it's made me want to give them the time of day ;)

Date: 2012-05-24 04:08 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] sidgwick.livejournal.com
Matthew and Jessica often fall into that bland category for me because there are so many default couples (the big extended families like the Curious, Smith and Singles wind up being much more interesting). I'm glad I could make them a little more interesting.

Date: 2012-05-24 09:14 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] nonikk63.livejournal.com
I really like the detailed background stories you always come up with! :D Matthew and Jessica are just as I myself imagine them (besides the sewing, but that fits excellently!), and I'd like to put them in that house in Strangetown myself.
And everyone else is apparently choosing the same house for Ajay as well! :O - I had no idea - but I've moved him into the same house a couple of times.

Your makeovers are lovely as usual. They are always so realistic and lived-in looking.

Date: 2012-05-24 04:11 pm (UTC)From: [identity profile] sidgwick.livejournal.com
Thank you! I'm glad you liked them. Its always fun seeing other people's makeovers and going--yes! that's exactly how they are in my head too. I like seeing totally different takes but it is neat to feel like we're all "capturing" the essence of the characters and sharing them.

Date: 2012-05-26 06:19 am (UTC)From: [identity profile] atticbox.livejournal.com
ext_491313: (red)
Your decorating is amazing! Simply stunning! I too want your game. :D

Date: 2012-11-16 11:33 am (UTC)From: [personal profile] littlepinkrose
You make better houses than I do. LOL :) Welcome to SimfulThings :3 Post what you want :)

sidgwick: (Default)

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Skin Deep Published in Aurora Wolf!

Source: Aurora Wolf – A Literary Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy (

Just wanted to let you know that Skin Deep, a short-story that I’ve worked on and detailed on the blog has been published by Aurora Wolf – A Literary Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy.  Please head over to their website, read my story, rate and comment on it and (while you’re there) perhaps, read and comment on other stories that I are listed.  Right now my story is on the from page (with the above image – thanks to Aurora Wolf for letting me use the image!).  There is no cost to read the story, or  in other words, its FREE!

Skin Deep has been very much of a long-term passion project.  It was one of the first stories  I wrote with the intent of getting it published.  The story that is published in the 3rd major draft of the story.  My first draft came in the 90s and I submitted it to several markets found in Writer’s Market & Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market.  I only remember one piece of feedback that I received for it from an editor who thought the Psionics (mind powers) in the story strayed too close to magic for her tastes.

I put it “in the trunk” for a while and then I rewrote it substantially around late 2013 – early 2014.  The basis of the current version came from this rewrite.  I had the plot and most of the character, but something still didn’t feel right about the character and her motivations.  I put it up again (not submitting it significantly) until I revised it mid-2015.

As I noted in the blog about the story,  I changed the main character’s name, and really worked to increase the setting of the story and I think that’s what was missing from the 2nd draft–not enough setting to really ground the story.  In all, I’m glad I got to tell Mahalia’s story.  Please go read it if you have a chance–best of all, did I mention its FREE!

In case you missed it, Childe Roland was also published late last year.  It is still up and, like Skin Deep, it is also FREE!  Please head over to to give it a read as well if you have the time.

Lastly, I’m still writing and working on other projects.  As you’ve no doubt realized by the slowness of the blog, I’m really overwhelmed with coursework and classes, but I’m trying to get a handle on the massive amounts of reading and grading that I’m having to do.  I will post more about other projects that I’m working on in the coming months.  Like a business, I need to refresh my sold “stock” with new “stock” if I’m going to make my writing career work, so I have lots of new projects in the wings.  More on these soon.  Well, that’s all for this week, and I’ll try to have a new post up next week (I promise, I really will TRY!).  See you next post!


text:
Safari Dress and Dark Accents

GROCERYSAFARI2Favourite safari dress again, this time grocery shopping – some things never change especially on an extended time away from home. I’m not the sort of person who likes to go away for short trips especially if it involves flying and with children. Even with my slightly reformed ways in better packing, there’s always a lot of forward planning. I used to wonder why people traveled to the same place year after year, surely you’d get bored? Well I’m that person now! There’s comfort in knowing what to expect, what there is for the kids to enjoy so there’s much less research needed. However, there’s still a lot of new things to discover and each year my kids approach similar activities in a different way as they grow up. GROCERYSAFARIThese sandals are great to update an old classic dress. GROCERYSAFARICLOSEThe strap length is perfect for me as a cross body leaving my hands free for grabbing things off the shelf and choosing fruit and vegetables….and gripping a shopping trolley that refuses to roll straight arghh!

Thanks for reading!

4 thoughts on “Safari Dress and Dark Accents

  1. Sue

    I like the black accents – a little edgier than the regular tan details which I would have added. Black can be quite harsh on the legs sometimes which is why I choose softer colours but your sandals work well here especially with the bag. Jolie chic.

  2. Pingback: Closet Addition: Leather Jacket | Silk Path Diary

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Specusphere, alas, is pining for the fjords

4 03 2013

It’s been a while since I submitted any reviews to them, but I am nonetheless saddened to hear that The Specusphere, one of the pillars of online speculative fiction reviewing in Australia over the past several years, is running up the curtain and going to join the choir. Reviews editor Satima Flavell and webmistress Amanda Greenslade have felt it necessary to draw a line in the sand, and to announce the site’s demise. They, and the other stalwarts of Specusphere, are to be commended for maintaining the site against increasingly difficult circumstances and the continuing pressure of real-world commitments, and I wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

And at Satima’s request (not just to me, but to all of their stable of reviewers), I have begun the task of salvaging what I can of the contributions I did make to Specusphere over the years. There are something like a dozen reviews which I have reclaimed from the site, and which I will install in my still pitifully small review section on this site. You can see the first of these, my 2009 review of the Twelfth Planet anthology New Ceres Nights, here, and over the coming days, as time permits, I’ll add the others.

Vale, Specusphere. May your reviews live on after you.

One response

10 03 2013
The Specusphere reviews | Simon Petrie

[…] A week or so back, I mentioned that The Specusphere, which for the past several years had been one of the main review sites for Australian speculative fiction, has closed its doors and was at the point of dismantling its website. As a small act of salvage, I’ve copied across to here the fifteen reviews which I had contributed during my years on The Specusphere‘s books. You can find the reviews here, if you’re interested. […]

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Welcome to our very first Singaporean Mum Abroad story. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to parent my children overseas, instead of in Singapore. Would I do anything differently? How would being in a different culture influence my parenting style? In this series we’ll be asking Singaporean women who are now mums — overseas — to share their lives as women and as mothers away from home. We hope you’ll enjoy reading this. Do let us know if you are a Singaporean mum abroad who would like to share your experiences, or if you have a friend who would. Just email <editor@singaporemotherhood.com>. We’d love to hear from you!

Audrey Chang spent 15 years crewing for Singapore Airlines before leaving the friendly skies to teach at the Singapore School for the Deaf. She also dabbled in real estate, and was an auto journalist in Dubai for two years. These days, however, the 46-year-old is a stay-at-home-mum to Hugh Love, 7. Audrey met her husband Andrew, 54, a Product Manager in a medical software company, through a mutual friend in Singapore.

Audrey and one-day-old Hugh, in Dubai

Giving birth in Dubai: Hugh was born in Dubai, U.A.E. Due to a short cervix, mine was labelled a high-risk pregnancy and I had to have a cervical cerclage. Of course that wasn’t a full-proof measure so we needed a hospital with an excellent Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit. All the private hospitals didn’t offer that. Only the government hospital, Al Wasl Hospital, did.

The upside was that the cost of delivering a baby was cheaper. The downside was that I didn’t have a regular obgyn; I had to see any doctor who was available on the day of my appointment. However, I was able to reserve a private room for recovery after delivery, on a first-come-first-served basis.

I was scheduled to have my cerclage removed at 38 weeks but Hugh decided to grace us with his presence at 35 weeks! Since my cervix was very dilated, the doctor couldn’t locate the cerclage. To prevent my cervix from tearing, she decided to do an emergency C-Section. Because men weren’t allowed in the delivery room, Andrew had to wait outside.

As luck would have it, the private rooms were all occupied so I was placed in a room with three other new mums. It was fine but the symphony of baby cries woke Hugh up very often.

The nurses were like military officers, commanding you to feed the baby or express milk, wash the baby, and so on. I was terrified of them! Plus, no one could pronounce Hugh’s name properly; he was either “Huge” or “Hi” or “Hug”.

Finally, since Hugh was born during Ramadan, all my visitors weren’t allowed to consume anything, and the cafes downstairs were closed.

Grandma’s birthday, 2016
Aussie BBQ in the backyard during Christmas, 2014

Then and now: We moved to Australia in June 2010. Andrew’s company offered him a position in New South Wales so it was a good opportunity to be near his mum and his siblings. When we first arrived, I hardly ran into a fellow Asian, let alone a Singaporean. Most Asians were living in Sydney, which is about 87 km south of where we are. These days, I see many more Asian faces. We chose to live here as we wanted to be in-between Andrew’s workplace in Sydney, and his family in Newcastle (90 km north of us).

Life in Wyoming, NSW: Wyoming has all the amenities we require: several supermarkets within a 5 km radius, and an area across our house with a swimming complex, gymnasium, and a karate school, all of which Hugh attends.

(See also: Singaporean Mums Abroad: Germany & the United States)

His school is 10 km away and next to a huge shopping complex that has two supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths), three hyper markets (Target, Big W and Kmart), a cinema, an ice-skating rink, a public library, more than 10 restaurants, and over 50 retail stores. So there’s no real need to travel to Sydney often. I return once or twice annually to Singapore. My mum flies over every year, and my brother and his family meet us once or twice annually somewhere on the globe.

Parenting in Australia: It seems like parents are more relaxed with their kids here. They let them run around in parks in their bare feet, and get dirty. I can’t believe how parents can let their kids walk around in bare feet, even in the malls and when it’s in the middle of winter! Booties? What are they? I haven’t seen a single baby wear them!

Parents here are also very patient. Punishment doesn’t happen until after probably three to five warnings. I don’t hear many scream or yell at their kids like I do in Singapore. They also teach the children independence at a very young age, letting them do most things themselves.

Most people are very friendly. Drivers are patient on the roads too. Retail staff are always greeting customers and chatting with seniors. They will also accompany you to an item if you need help locating it, instead of just pointing in the general direction of where it is. Young children also tend to interact with other children and adults a lot. Consequently, they are not shy at all.

Making friends: I feel that it’s easy to make friends with other parents when you have children. You meet at the playground or park and can easily strike up a conversation. Some of my good friends were made that way. Others are mums of Hugh’s classmates. We help each other out with school pick-ups and emergency childcare.

With cousin Christabel in the pool at home

The biggest adjustment: It has to be living in a big house with a huge backyard and a pool! I used to be able to clean my whole apartment within two hours but now I need to split the days between the living room and the bedrooms, the kitchen and the bathrooms, and a couple of days for the backyard and the pool area.

First day of school!
Walking to school with his bestie Isaac, carrying his bag for him

Differences in childcare and schooling, compared to Singapore: Hugh is currently in a private Adventist school. Children start school at approximately 6 years of age. They do Kindergarten, Year 1-6 in Primary, Year 7-10 in High School, and Year 11 & 12 in College. How is it different? Hugh is in Year 3 and so far… We can complete the whole week’s homework in one day!

Other differences:

• Public school is free
• Private school uniforms cost a lot! (Eg. $30 for a shirt, $76 for a sports jacket, $35 for a hat, $9 for a pair of socks, and $66-79 for a school bag)
• Learning through play is emphasised
• Second language isn’t offered till high school

Work-life balance: There’s very little “overtime”. People generally go home on time. Shops close early (about 5.30-6 pm) so most people are home for dinner. I don’t hear of people working long hours and many have the whole weekend off to spend with their families.

(See also: Singaporean Mums Abroad: Sweden & China)

Favourite family-friendly places in Sydney:

i) Treetops Adventure Park, Wyong — adults and kids get to climb obstacles and test out balancing skills. There are areas for picnics after.

ii) Gourmet Pizza Kitchen at Erina Fair Shopping Centre — great pizzas and pastas at reasonable prices. Kids get to play with dough while they wait for their meals. There’s a playground nearby so you can dine alfresco while watching the kids play.

iii) Henry Kendall Cottage & Historical Museum — Has exhibits of items from the past, like drink bottles, typewriters, and telephones. There are picnic tables on the grounds as well.

iv) Reptile Park (requires entrance fee) — A zoo with wallabies, wombats, dingoes, snakes, crocodiles. and insects. There are daily educational talks about these marsupials and reptiles, and how to handle the deadly Funnel Web Spider if you encounter one. Huge playground and picnic area.

v) Unima Beach park (FOC) — Has a children’s playground, and bike and skating paths. Large area for kids to run around.

What Audrey misses most about Singapore: Hawker food and more hawker food! I attempted to cook some on my own but was not too successful.

The best thing about living in Wyoming: No traffic!

Are you a Singaporean mum abroad? Would you like to share your experiences? Or do you have a friend who would? Just email <editor@singaporemotherhood.com>, we’d love to hear from you :)


text:
Custom Vimeo BBCode for UBB.Threads

I’ve had quite a few customers request a custom BBCode for Vimeo, so rather than go into a long post about it, I will post the file and some short instructions on how to implement.

There are really two ways to add a Custom Tag. One being to manually type all the appropriate fields in and the other is to import from a previously exported tag from a working UBB.Threads site.

Since I have one working on many sites, I exported it for your convenience.

The file to import into the Custom Tag Editor is below:

txtVimeo Custom Tag - v1 - Downloaded 1091 times

To import this file, go to your Admin Control Panel, Content tools and select the 2nd Tab ( Custom Tag Editor ).

The URL to this page would be:

where the colored text would be replaced with the base URL to your forums.

Locate the bottom menu ( or tabs, if you prefer ) and click on “Import New Tags”.

Once imported, you will see the following form:

The ‘Custom Tag’ I used is ‘vimeo’, however you are free to use the more common ‘video:vimeo’ if you would like. I prefer the shorter / less typing approach.

The other reason I use the vimeo tag, is that it mirrors the same tags or “shortcode” used in WordPress. Makes sense to keep it consistent ;)

So when the user inserts the tag into a post with the following as an example:

[ vimeo ][ /vimeo ] ( no spaces )

The result is:

Have at it and enjoy !

Comments are closed.


text:
Hot News >

LIPA ratepayers to pay for inaccurate demand forecast

posted Apr 20, 2010, 9:41 AM by Derek Donnelly

Originally published: January 23, 2010 10:49 PM
Updated: January 23, 2010 11:12 PM

Quick Summary

The over calculation will cost ratepayers, already saddled with among the highest electric bills in the nation, some $5 million annually for the next 20 years.

This is a  view of

Photo credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas | This is a view of LIPA's Caithness power plant. The plant, located in Yaphank, is the utility's newest generating facility. (Jan. 20, 2010)

For years, the Long Island Power Authority warned the lights would go out without $6 billion in new projects, including undersea cables, a wind farm and the $1.49-billion Caithness plant.

But by 2006-7, the utility had accumulated so much excess available power that it agreed to pay Caithness Energy, the plant's owners, $102 million to delay opening the plant in Yaphank for a year.

The overcalculation will cost ratepayers, already saddled with among the highest electric bills in the nation, some $5 million annually for the next 20 years.

Projecting future energy needs can be an imprecise science. LIPA's predictions went awry as the cables under the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean came online sooner than expected and consumer demand leveled off in response to the souring economy and steadily rising rates. Another pressure: The state requires LIPA to provide enough power to be well above the Island's peak summertime demand. LIPA now says it has no need for new power sources until 2020.

Plant stirs emotions

No one argues that Caithness, which began commercial operations last August, is the cleanest-burning and most efficient plant on Long Island. For years, however, it was the subject of litigation by residents, and it stirred passions for and against. Many urged LIPA to forego the Caithness deal and instead upgrade existing plants.

LIPA never announced that the Caithness plant was delayed a year at a cost of $102 million. Newsday discovered the increased cost in a state comptroller database of contracts for LIPA and other public agencies. Recently, the comptroller updated the original $1.49-billion plant cost to $1.59 billion, without explanation. An expert said the delay and its cost were unusual.

"It's very rare," said Dowling College business school dean Matthew Cordaro, who was a top executive at LILCO and managed power projects similar to Caithness while an executive at power-plant developer Long Lake Energy. "Usually utilities when they plan these type of facilities are cautious, they don't want to have too much capacity."

And while slowing a project can be costly to a developer, the amount for Caithness sounded "excessive," Cordaro said.

LIPA chief executive Kevin Law inherited the contract when he took over LIPA in October 2007. "I can't second-guess the decisions that were made before I got here," he said. Nevertheless, he added, planning to have adequate power is always "challenging," and decisions made about Caithness were based on the "best available information" about future demand at the time.

Law's predecessor, Richard Kessel, declined to comment. Previously, he has defended decisions about future power needs based on demand growth early in the last decade. In a 2003 interview, he blasted critics who he said didn't understand the impact of growing demand. "What should I do - sit back and worry about criticism and let the lights go out?" Kessel asked. "I'm not going to let the lights go out."

Caithness spokesman Don Miller would say little about the additional cost. "With respect to the startup delay," he said, "Caithness accommodated LIPA's request pursuant to the power purchase agreement."

LIPA general counsel Lynda Nicolino said the 2006 contract "contemplated that Caithness would have commenced operation in summer 2008, but allowed LIPA to postpone the start" for a fee. "LIPA subsequently requested a summer 2009 commercial operation date because the additional power was not needed in 2008."

A changing landscape

By that time, she said, the Neptune cable project was online, delivering 660 megawatts of power. In addition, demand for power on Long Island had begun to flatten out.

At the time LIPA issued a request for bids on Caithness between 2004 and 2005, Nicolino said, the additional capacity was projected to be needed. "The cables weren't operational yet," she said. But over the next two years, both cables came online. "Our resource landscape changed," she said. And LIPA figured "rather than have an excess of capacity that cost X [with Caithness], we deferred it and paid Y." The original Caithness contract as well as the extension exercised were approved by the state comptroller's office, she added.

Law noted that the $102 million paid over the 20 years amounts to less in "real dollars" than the $74.5 million LIPA would have paid upfront had it allowed the plant to start operating a year earlier.

Decisions such as the Caithness payments demonstrate that "utility planning is important and mistakes can be very costly," said Gordian Raacke, executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island, the nonprofit policy-advocate group.

Back in 2000, Raacke had urged LIPA not to contract for a fleet of small power plants called "peakers," which operate to fill power needs during peak demand times. Raacke argued the units were expensive and impractical. He advised that LIPA work to reduce peak demands by installing more solar energy systems on home and business roofs, but the request fell on deaf ears, he said.

LIPA contracted for more than 1,500 megawatts of power in the past decade amid concerns of major blackouts, including the California blackouts of 2000-2001 and the big Northeast blackout of 2003.

Cordaro called LIPA's persistent claims of the lights going out "fear mongering."

"It was never the case," he said. "We never got to the point of the lights going out. And it resulted in poor financial decisions and expensive contracts."

After a Newsday report last year that revealed the original $1.49-billion cost for Caithness and other previously undisclosed project costs, Law issued a directive that costs for all future contracts will be publicly disclosed before they are approved, including subsequent costs.

Historically, LIPA has resisted inquiries about the cost of its initiatives and its internal finances. LIPA has recently fought proposed state legislation that would subject it to a Public Service Commission review of its rate structure. And for years, it wouldn't state the cost of a proposed wind farm off the South Shore. When the $800-million price for the project became public, the project was scuttled.

The $102 million was added to compensate Caithness for "increased costs" associated with the delay, including for equipment and labor.

Under the original $1.49-billion, 20-year contract, LIPA would have paid around $74.5 million a year to Caithness just for the plant's availability. (LIPA pays a separate fee for energy from the plant; capacity fees compensate the plant owner's costs to develop and construct a facility, to make it available).

Through the four-year Caithness approval and construction process, LIPA and Caithness both declined to release specifics about the cost of the project. Critics were startled in 2008 when the $1.49-billion cost was revealed - in a Newsday story - and the additional $102 million has prompted new anger.

"It's just another reason we should have supported repowering an existing plant instead of opening a new one on green space," said Lisa Tyson, executive director of the Long Island Progressive Coalition, which opposed Caithness. "If we had known the cost at the time, this would never have happened."

Neal Lewis, a director of the Neighborhood Network, which supported Caithness, said he didn't realize the project was delayed, or that LIPA paid a fee for it. But he said he didn't necessarily disagree with the decisions. "My goal is to push for clean energy and renewables. Sometimes that means more costs."

LIPA now seems to be taking a more conservative view of its power needs, even as Caithness says it would like to build a second plant on the site. Law said the authority recently decided to delay the anticipated need for a new power plant or other source of power by three years to 2020.

Despite the slowdown in demand, Nicolino said she didn't think LIPA had too much capacity. LIPA, she said, is required under state rules to have 16 percent above the peak requirements in summer - something all the new sources will address in the future, if usage grows.

The context for Caithness:

2000-2001. Rolling blackouts disrupt the California electric system.

May 30, 2003. LIPA, citing the “ever-growing need for electricity,” issues a request for bids for a new Long Island power plant “and/or” a new cable to link the Island to mainland resources Aug. 14, 2003. Major blackout hits the Northeast U.S. June 2004. The 330-megawatt Cross Sound Cable begins full commercial operation, the same month LIPA commits to both the Neptune Cable and Caithness. January 2005. LIPA trustees approve a contract that starts construction of the Neptune Cable. December 2006. LIPA exercises a provision of the Caithness contract allowing it to forestall the start date of the 350-megawatt plant, advancing it one year to summer 2009. April 2007. Construction begins for Caithness in Yaphank. June 28, 2007. The Neptune Cable begins full commercial operation, adding 660 megawatts of off-island capacity. August 2009. Caithness begins full commercial operation.


text:
Our club >

Judo is:-
  • fun !!!
  • a martial art and an Olympic sport
  • fantastic for health, fitness, coordination, discipline and self confidence
  • a great way to make new friends

Please come along to Our club and have a go!

Here's a fun BJC promotional video:

Why do you like doing judo? from Bryn Reade on Vimeo.

There is a LOT of information that could be written concerning Judo techniques, history, people e.t.c. Most of the senior members at our club are a mine of information if you wish to know more, so why not come along to Our club if you are inquisitive?


text:
WINTER 2016 | Watch List

Hey guys! Sloaner here with my list for the upcoming Winter season! I am assembling this list to help out people who are having trouble figuring out what to watch, and to provide them with my honest opinion of the show.

I am currently watching some shows that will continue so I am for sure continuing on with those. There are also a number of second seasons that are starting this time around. Certainly this will limit the number of full length shows I pick up. I have promised to watch 4 shows continuing from previous seasons, 4 second (or further) season shows that are starting up, and 4 new shows. Aside from these 12 series, my plan to watch list is very flexible, as many of the shows do not capture my attention very much. I have aligned all the shows that I am considering into the following list, which is organized by level of basic interest in the premise/art/design, and by decreasing interest (starting after the promised section). My reasoning towards watching a show is determined not only by my desire to watch it, but also by the rest of the series that I am watching.

Osomatsu-san (continuing)

I really like this show and I think it is very funny. Osomatsu-san had been widely written off because of its cartoonish art style. While yes it is unusual, I do not think that the art takes away from the anime. I would encourage people to pick this up because it is enjoyable, at least for an older audience.

Ace of the Diamond Second Season (continuing)ace of the diamond 2nd

I love sports anime. That should be well known by now. Anyway, Ace of the Diamond seems to be in a lull right now, and I am excited to see the resolution to this whole battle over the mound, although that probably won’t happen for quite some time, if ever.

Haikyuu!! Second Season (continuing)

haikyuu 2nd

Wow another sports anime- shocker! Actually Haikyuu is probably my favorite sports anime of them all and this season has yet to really disappoint me. I love all the new characters and the call to action is stronger than ever. Haikyuu is awesome and more of you should check it out!

Heavy Object (continuing)

heavy object.jpg

I actually like this anime, even though pretty much everyone else things it is one of the most god awful things to hit the earth. Sure the mecha is weird as hell, but the story and characters are by no means the worse I have seen.

Durarara!!x2 Ketsu

durarara ketsu

This series has given me so much life over the past year and I cannot wait for more. Durarara is a special kind of series that pulls off complicated character relationships and complex character development perfectly. Although I am sad that these may be the last episodes this series has to offer, I can feel the hype coursing through my body when I see that countdown.

Assassination Classroom 2nd Season

assas class 2nd

This is the first anime series that I bought the manga for after it ended. If you haven’t heard of this series before, it has one of the more interesting and most unique premises you can find in all of anime. I have seen my fair share of spoilers and from that I think I can safely say that this season is going to be a hit.

GATE 2nd Season

gate 2nd

Hype. Gate is a pretty great anime is you ask me. It pours in all the typical bits of anime, such as the badass loli, tsundere, dragons, and magic things, yet still manages to be a unique anime. I really liked the first season and I have high hopes for the continuation of something unusually fantastic.

Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season

shiraiyuki 2nd

Wow a bland anime gets a bland second season! Actually, I don’t think this series is that bad. I mean, Zen and Obi are kinda cool. Either way, my expectations are somewhat low for this. I am just watching it in the hopes that the second season will be better.

This. Looks. So. Badass. I have read all of the manga and have a special place in my heart for this intriguing series. I encourage all fans of Tokyo Ghoul and Parasyte to check this out because it is somewhat similar to those. The unique art style may set it apart from other anime, but readers know the true value of this series lies in the characters and plot.

Prince of Stride: Alternative

prince of stride

I would never miss out on a spots anime, no matter how odd or pointless it seems to be! PoS is going to be made by madhouse, so of course it is going to have beautiful animation. Overall, I am getting a very Free vibe from this. I expect good things to come!

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi

Not going to lie- I have been looking out for this anime for like 6 months on LiveCharts (where I get all these series). The premise is wildly interesting, and I thinl this anime will not disappoint! The art and character designs are totally up my alley.

Dimension W

dimension w

I am still not really sure exactly what this anime is about, but I am super excited based on the PV I watched. The main character has the kind of design that I crave to see in anime. I actually don’t have the highest hopes for this series, but I think it is going to be a good watch.

Shoujo-tachi wa Kouya wo Mezasu

Shoujo-tachi wa Kouya wo Mezasu

Someone compared this to Saekano: How to raise a boring Girlfriend, so of course I’m interested. The premise is similar except the main protagonist is invited to a gal game group, instead of creating his own. The characters remind me a bit or Oregairu characters, so it caught my eye.

Divine Gate

divine gate

Wow another gate anime! Only this one doesn’t look like it is going to be nearly as good as the other. The premise here is really nothing we haven’t seen, but there is a possibility of something pretty good here. I guess only time will tell.

Schwarzesmarken666. Ah. Actually that is what caught my eye about the series in the first place. The interesting art and the tags suggest that this anime could either be really good or just meh. The 19 people that rated the manga on MAL say it is an 8.26.

Musaigen no Phantom World

Musaigen no Phantom World

Untill I watched the PV this anime was safely in the Meh section. After the watching the PV I have found a great interest in the girl with pink hair. The animation is also kind of awesome, but I am still not fully convinced.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

I have not seen too many historical animes, but I have liked the ones I have watched. The idea of mature anime is exciting to me, and since you rarely see josei anime air, I figure it was worth checking out. This anime could either be fantastic or a total flop.

Sekkou Boys

Sekkou Boys

This is one of the most bizzare ideas for an anime I have ever seen. Granted the cast of voice actors is top notch. Although I can’t say that this anime is going to be a hit, I think that it is going to be one of the more bizzare anime out there, like Midori Days.

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar

Basically this is Danmachi all over again. I mean… It is really different but the main character is Bell and he dyed his hair brown and you can’t convince me otherwise. Anyways, the premise is actually pretty interesting and I think this series has the potential to be really good.

Reikenzan: Hoshikuzu-tachi no Utage

Reikenzan- Hoshikuzu-tachi no Utage

Something about a comet. Maybe Comet Lucifer has just scarred me, but it doesn’t actually sound that bad. It is supposed to be funny so I will keep it on my radar, but I am not quite sure what to expect from it at this point.

Norn9: Norn+Nonet

Norn9- Norn+Nonet

Although the description says 3 ladies and 9 men, the art suggests that the anime focuses on the 9 young men. The manga says there are only 8 chapters (and a 6.72 rating). I expect essentially nothing and would only watch this anime for the cute guys. So… yeah I will probably watch it.

Nijiro Days

Nijiro Days

This will probably be crap. Basically I just like shows where guys interact in cute ways with each other. I acknowledge this, as well as most of those series ate horrible. I have basically zero expectations for this show to deliver something good, but I still may end up watching it.

Ooyasan wa Shishunki!

Ooyasan wa Shishunki!

This really depends on whether the series will be a short or not, as this is not clear to me right now. If it is then I might as well. If not them I will have to see if I am actually interested in this or not.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a feeling this is going to be really good. I just have had bad experiences with music anime and the age of the characters is meh to me. I might pick it up if people say it is really good and I will probably end up watching the first episode.

Dagashi Kashi

Dagashi Kashi

Very unique concept and character design. I read a series manga review saying that it is funny, but nothing very deep or whatever. I feel like I could probably like this anime, but am currently not captivated by what the show has to offer.

Active Raid

Active Raid

I saw this and I thought of Comet Lucifer and I wanted to cry. Also the description uses the word “quagmire,” which is really just odd to me. It may be good, but it is a premise we have all seen so low expectations here.

Luck & Logic

Luck & Logic

This looks… very moe. I’m not saying that moe is bad, I am just not a fan. Granted that is no reason to not watch an anime. It just looks like an overdone harem of sorts that has a very high chance of being something we have already seen.

Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut

Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut

Some ecchi harem thing that may or may not be good. I really liked Trinity Seven and this seems to be very similar, but I’m not keeping my hopes up. It all depends on if the main guy is cool enough or not. If he is unique then the girls will seem better than they actually are.

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!

 The character design and premise (aka No Game No Life) isn’t anything that is very interesting to me. The PV I say only made this worse. I think the anime has very little potential. Perhaps I put it on here simply because the death complex may be interesting.

Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm

Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm

How do things like this even get an anime? MAL rates this series a solid 3 (granted it is from the 2 out of 5 who have read the manga). I don’t know what to expect. The PV I saw is the only real reason this is here.

Bubuki Buranki

Bubuki Buranki

Well nothing much to go off of since literally nothing has been released for this. I like the art given and original works interest me, but there are no tags and the company hasn’t made their own work since 2012. The recent contributions have been to Heavy Object (meh) and Arslan Senki (yay). If this is mecha then probably no.

Well I hope you enjoyed my blog and maybe my odd opinions on these upcoming anime series!

Author: delaneysloane

My name is Delaney and I am a student blogger from from Santa Clara University in California.

4 thoughts on “WINTER 2016 | Watch List”

  1. Looking forward to a lot of the same shows! I’m a little worried about watching Ajin, but otherwise looking forward to all of those shows. The only main difference is I’m really looking forward to HaruChika, and Ao no Kanata no Four Rythm. Though I’m extremely biased since I play flute.

    Isn’t Ao no Kanata no Four Rythm being adapted from a visual novel? The manga on Mal only has one or two chapters out, it started publishing just a month ago.

    1. I have seen some other stuff come out about Four Rhythm and it seems whatever I looked up about it was not very representative of the series– ooppzz ahah
      also I have such high hopes for ajin- even since i binge read the entirity of the series it has been on my mind (highly recommend!)

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text:
Secrets to Native Advertising for Dental Practices

Having trouble watching this video? Click here.

Patient Attraction Episode 717

Native advertising is a fairly old idea that’s attracting increased interest lately. With smartphone web browsing skyrocketing, on-screen real estate is at a premium. And ad blockers are getting more and more sophisticated. I’ll be back after the break to tell you what native advertising is and how dentists can make it work for them.

– Have you heard the expression, “Everything old is new again?”

– That certainly applies to the idea of native advertising.

– I’m Colin, and welcome to the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– Most forms of online advertising today try to stand out from the page content.

– Today, banner ads are everywhere.

– That makes it tougher for one ad to stand out.

– Native advertising, though, blends with the format and look of the surrounding material.

– It looks less like an ad and more like part of the page.

– It becomes part of the page feed and part of the user’s experience with the page.

– Why should dentists use native advertising?

– For one thing, one study last year found that 25 percent more users looked at in-feed native advertising than at banner ads.

– And the study found that native ads increased intent to buy by 18 percent over banner ads.

– In the case of dentists, that can translate to an 18 percent higher intention to call your office.

– In the study, people spent 2 percent more time looking at the native ad than at the surrounding content.

– It caught their attention, and that’s a good thing.

– Another reason to use native ads is that, as I mentioned, smartphone browsing is growing tremendously.

– In fact, phone browsing exceeded “fixed” browsers in mid-2014, and the gap continues to widen.

– Obvious, set-off paid placement ads take up a lot of room on small screens.

– Since they’re obviously different from the content that the user wants, they may be ignored.

– And as the use of ad blockers increases, it’ll get harder to get even traditional ads seen.

– But native ads blend into the user’s experience.

– More and more companies are embracing native advertising.

– Spending is projected to reach $21 billion by 2018.

– So, native advertising is here to stay.

– However, it’s not intended to replace banners or other forms of online advertising.

– That’s because the goal of using banner ads is to encourage clicking on the ad and taking action.

– Native advertising has broader, longer-term goals.

– In fact, the ads may not even have a call-to-action.

– The goal is to engage the reader and to provide interesting, informative, and valuable content.

– To make them like and remember you.

– So consider using native advertising to increase awareness of your brand and your message, and to build engagement with your audience.

– If you’re ready to discover what my clients know that you don’t about attracting patients online, you should schedule a Patient Attraction Blueprint Session. They are free to serious dentists who want to see a patient attraction system that can double their practice. For more information, go to

– In tomorrow’s podcast, I’ll cover the different ways you can use native advertising in your marketing program.

– Until then, keep moving forward.

Leave a comment

About the author
Colin Receveur is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and dental web marketing expert who has pioneered the way dentists market themselves online for the past decade. Since incorporating in 2001, Colin has established a rock solid track record with his dentist clients and turned SmartBox into a stalwart of proven results for hundreds of dental practices.


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About Us

Smart Capital is dedicated to providing consulting service for Chinese family and companies regarding their investment in the United States, including family asset allocation, oversea study and immigration consultation, corporate investment and mergers and acquisitions. The company is based in Manhattan, New York. Our team is made up of experts who can offer professional and customized services for Chinese investors to invest in the United States.

Our company value giving back for the industry and society. We take an active role in non-profit associations and charity education . We hold events with the non-profit financial associations US Dealshub (www. dealshub.co) to promote Sino-US communication in business and finance fields. We also cooperated with the non-profit organization WIEF to promote education opportunities of children in poverty and culture communication between China and US.

Please scan company Wechat QR code below to visit our Wechat official account.

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text:
the blog backlash

I’ve noticed recently a lot of conversations bagging blogging. Admittedly there’s a lot of it going on, and not all of it is good or positive or even intelligible.

Most criticism is a kind of intellectual snobbery, where if it’s not Shakespeare that’s being created, then it’s of no value. But occasionally people whose opinion I respect say it’s all rubbish. But there’s something inside me that says it’s not. What is it?

I always said that I like blogging for myself, as a kind of journalling activity, and not so that others would read it, and I still think that’s true. I often get a shock when people say “Oh, I read that thing about (insert topic here)” because I keep forgetting that others can, let alone do, read it. But I’ve been wondering what it is that attracts me to blogging rather than traditional (pen and paper in the bedside table) journalling, and in doing so, maybe pinpoint a bit of why other people are taking it up like it’s going out of style.

And so I realised this: it’s a deeply creative act. It’s visually creative, because you can make it look interesting, using pictures or designs or whatever. It’s literarily (is that a word?) creative because you are putting together words that have probably never been put together in that order or sequence before, in a way that has new meaning. And it’s intellectually creative, because it’s about working through and expressing your ideas or bouncing off others.

The fact that they are creative is important for me, because the God I believe in is a creative God. Creativity (not just in the sense of novelty or newness, but creation itself) is an integral part of the expression of God. In creating, I believe we participate in the life of God.

I came to this realisation because the most fun part of blogging for me is clicking that button that says “view blog in new window”, where I actually get to see the finished product and go “wow, cool” (or occasionally “uh oh, better edit it”). There’s something complete and finished about a blog post, a sense of satisfaction at the creation of a something that did not exist before and would never have if I hadn’t made it happen. It’s a completed project. It doesn’t have to be an earth-shattering project, just one that means something to me. That’s enough.

If blogs are all about obtaining information for you, then I get why you don’t like them, or think they seem self-absorbed. But they do have value, independant of that, because people’s self expression has value. So I have no hesitation in defending the blog to all of you wannabe highbrow culture critics. Take your superior air elsewhere. 😀

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