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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Polish Ninja Max Factor Fantasy Fire 1,500 Polish Milestone

My favorite Polish Ninja Rhonni is having a amazing giveaway for the Clarins 230/Unicorn Pee dupe MaxFactor Fantasy Fire
So, Rush over and enter
Ends 3-10-12

Monday, January 23, 2012

 This was my base Essie Mezmerized with some NYX Girls Gilded Glitter but you cant really see the gold flakies under Chelsea's Franken

 With Flash

Isn't this frankenpolish beautiful??
I do not normally wear a topcoat over glitters and this was no exception I just let the Glitters Shine so my Glitters are not normally hungry like everyone says they are, mine are starving because I don't give them topcoat
Chelsea really blew me out  the water with Ornament Smash and her other frankens are equally amazing the application isn't to thick and layers beautifully
Also, Get 5% off of your order on some Chelsea's nomilicious frankens by using my code
I also have Labor of Love and Martian Salad that I will be sharing this week

One of Dyan's Favorite Bands.....

I today I have something special for 2 people very dear to my heart One of my Polish Girls daughters had a medical emergency in which she is surely but slowly making progress and alot of us that are doing these mani's also sent her cards so that she know's that we care and she is in our prayers and thoughts.
One of the first things I ever learned about Dyan was that she loves The KottonMouth Kings well it just so happens that I love The KottonMouth Kings as well so I was estatic that we had common interests in music!!
Which brings me to my Team Dyan Mani
 I am proud of this mani I did used a stamp plate and some nail art pens for the black and silver lettering and I used WnW Ink Well for the base and Colorclub Perfect Mol-Ten for the lettering and accent nails

I wanted to share one of my favorite songs with you from KMK I hope you enjoy
Tangerine Sky

I love this song!!!
Hope your feel better soon Dyan

Friday, January 20, 2012

Iv'e said this all at least once...

I had to share this video my polish mommy shared in one of the groups and needless to say It was my day in a nutshell I know I have said all of this at least once....
shame on me....
I know that you ladies will concur!!!

Well until next time...

Thursday, January 19, 2012

I entered O.P.I'S Nails 4 Life facebook contest this is my entry please vote for me if you like it I appreciate all of your love and support

Check out this lovely blogsale my friend Danielle at Coloring My World One Nail Polish At a Time is having
See what's for sale here
she has Kardashians, ChinaGlazes and Essies as well as some plates I believe

The ever so lovely Chelsea is selling her lovely homemade  and she always is finding VHTF'S and HTF'S and selling this means silvercaps ladies
Buy Chelseas HTF'S here
buy her frankens here

Dont forget to
Enter My Giveaway
Clairvoyant has been added for ever dollar you donate is one entry to win clairvoyant

Don't forget to give Zae's video a watch

Stay Tuned...

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

So I am adding a extra prize to my giveaway the person who donates the most to Vh1's Save the Music Foundation will be rewarded  for their kindness with
Cult Nails Clairvoyant this prize was donated to the giveaway by Maria herself from Cult Nails
*Now just a reminder this is to help Support to keep music in schools  and no matter how big or small you donate it's still a donation and it's appreciated don't forget one random donator will win a complete set of flakies and the one who donates the most is going to win Clarivoyant and if you have already donated and want to donate again I will add them together for what ever your grand total maybe
So Big Thank You Maria I appreciate your support for my giveaway

Dont worry for you non donators your fabulous prize for just a reminder
and I am debating adding a 2 winner for you non donators but I am in the process of looking
Let the Suspense kill you

and this lovely display is for one randomly selected person that donates

So stay tuned for more giveaway updates hopefully coming this week

Sunday, January 15, 2012

O.P.I Here Today Aragon Tommorow Suede vs. Zoya Verushka

I have a comparison post for everyone today, I participated in the 2 free zoyas for shipping and chose Veruska and Savita so I was so excited about this and proceeded to tell my friend Chilli about my purchase. So, with that being said she then proceeds to ask me if I had O.P.I Here Today Aragon Tommorow Suede.
I said yes and she say's I think their dupes....

and here we are today...

Zoya Verushka
 No Flash

O.P.I Here Today Aragon Tomorrow Suede
No Flash
 Verushka brush Left and H.T.A.T.S brush right
 Forefinger &  Ring are H.T.A.T.S and Middle and Pinky are Verushka with Flash
 Forefinger &  Ring are H.T.A.T.S and Middle and Pinky are Verushka with no Flash

So the final result is that Verushka is a wee bit darker and the it looks as if the finish is more satiny that Here Today Aragon Tommorow Suede is more of a... well a Suede finish I think they are similar enough that if you have one you don't necessarily need the other but if your loving the subtle difference like I am then you definantly need them both

I also have some nailmail I recieved this last week
 My Zoyas Savita and Verushka and I want the True collection so bad
I partook in a Fantasy Football group and even though I finished last
(I didnt quite understand fantasy football)
I still won some goodies Stephanie B. you chose my dum-dum flavors perfectly

Do you own Verushka or H.T.A.T.S if so which one?

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Color Club 2011 Pride: Live Your Life In Color Collection

I am so excited to share this Color Club Collection with you because of the meaning behind the collection
I have for ya'll the Color Club Pride Collection
Pride: Live your Life benefits New York-based AIDS charities.
One of my favorite colors is rainbow (haha just kidding) no but seriously and I am all about showing off your true colors no matter what anybody says!!!

So I present to ya'll my followers
New York, NY- July 2011 - What makes us proud: Being bold. Making a statement. Living life to the fullest. Equality for all. From New York-based Color Club, the new PRIDE collection- vibrant polishes in every color of the rainbow, from red to violet-captures what it means to live your life in color and express your true self
(or just your mood du joir). Seven formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, and paraben-free shades celebrate equality with cheeky names like "Not Just for Kelly, Green" and "Boys Wear Blue," while a protiom of proceeds from the sale of the collection benefit New York based AIDS-related charities. Life comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and preferences.
At the very least, shouldn't your nail polish?
Don't you think the little rainbow wrapper tops are adorable?
*Note: The Pride Collection shades are all existing colors except for Not Just For Kelly Green which is exclusive to this set oddly enough that was the only one that came with a sticker on the bottom

P is for Pride with Flash
 P is for Pride no Flash
I love this red creme I just love how red it is!
Polish for All with Flash
 Polish for All no Flash
This neon orange creme was opaque in 2 coats like all these polishes I add 3 just for maximum opacity but this was glow in the dark lol
 Dress For The Parade with Flash
 Dress For The Parade no Flash
I normally don't like yellows but this bright yellow creme is a winner for me it was opaque with no white basecoat and it wasnt streaky
 Not Just For Kelly Green with Flash
 Not Just For Kelly Green no Flash
I love the name of this color =0o and it's the perfect green if you ever want a "GREEN" polsh
 Boys Wear Blue with Flash
 Boys Wear Blue no Flash
this almost neon blue creme is once again a pigmented bright winner I think it maybe a dupe for 220 volt from funky fingers as well as the next one
 Express Yourself with Flash
Express Yourself No Flash
this purple creme is the perfect purple its nothing but purple I also think this is a dupe for funky fingers riot

The colors of this collection are designed to match the colors of the Pride Flag

I hope you ladies have enjoyed this little taste of the rainbow just as much as I have. The collection also came with a topcoat which are multiplying as I acquire more color club sets tee-hee
 Ace at The Polish Lab is having a polish sale and 100% percent of the proceeds will goto a Charity of her choice so you can check out all the details by going to

I have a Zoya Verushka and OPI Here Today Aragon Tommorow Suede comparison post coming up per request of My Chilli and don't forget to enter My own Charitable Giveaway for Vh1's Save The Music Foundation remember if you donate it doesn't have to be alot anything helps and you will be entered to win a complete set of Flakies from FingerPaints and you can enter that by clicking the picture in the
 top right sidebar
Stay Tuned

Sunday, January 8, 2012

FingerPaints Effect Topcoats and Nail Mail

I have to say I am full on the flakie craze I love them sooo much and like I said before I would love to own
Inglot 204 so much that it's not even on my wishlist because Im on a "No-Buy" off my wishlist because I a, participating in a spring swap =0D But to today I have for you the FingerPaints Effect Topcoats.
Why don't I just call them flakies you may ask, I have the Sparkle Effect Topcoat to share with ya'll as well oh and I cant forget about some lovely little NailMails I recieved in the last couple days so I hope ya'll enjoy

Motley No Topcoat

Motley Mattefied

Twisted No Topcoat

Twisted Mattefied

Flecked No Topcoat

Flecked Mattefied Topcoat

Asylum No Topcoat

Asylum Mattefied

Flashy Topcoat

Flashy  Mattefied
I Flaketefied my phone hehehehe

Now this beauty right here is a duochrome sparkle must-have
FingerPaints Sparkle Topcoat
It color changes from silver to purple one of my favorite color combos!!!

 I got this lovely surprise in the mail from my Smushface Lover Sarah at Chalkboard Nails she always features amazing wonders on her blog so check her out

 I won this in a secret santa giveaway from Nicel at Operation: Nail It! and these are surprisingly all my favorite polish colors so yay!
 My swap with my lovely Ashley I.
 Some Lovely Extras from Marissa when she sent the prizes for my giveaway!!!
 Christmas Swap with my PolishBestie
 A surprise Package from my polish girlfriend
arn't they cute!!!
they taste almost like teddy ghrams thank you ladies once again for doing this sweet gesture for me!!
Don't forget to enter my giveaway and donate!!!
Also don't forget to check out Zae's new video!!


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Honor The Fallen
Honoring those who fought and died in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn
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Marine Sgt. Chad M. Allen

Died February 28, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

25, of Maple Lake, Minn.; assigned to 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Feb. 28 while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, Iraq.

Minnesota Marines killed in Iraq

The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — A 25-year-old Marine from Maple Lake was killed in Al Anbar province, Iraq, when a bomb exploded during combat operations, the Department of Defense and his family said March 1.

Sgt. Chad M. Allen was on his second deployment in Iraq and was scheduled to leave the Marines on May 1, his father said.

Allen, who died Feb. 28, entered the Marine Corps in 2003 and was trained as a light armored vehicle crewman before joining the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, according to a Marine Corps news release. His father, Steve Allen, of Danbury, Wis., described his son as a “very well loved young man.”

Allen enlisted in the Marines the day after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks but didn’t go in until 2003, said his mother, Deborah Allen, also of Danbury. “He was going to save his family from harm.”

Allen was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

His parents said he volunteered for a second tour of duty in Iraq to take the place of an injured fellow Marine. Steve Allen said his son had told him Feb. 25 that he had been promoted to sergeant.

Chad Allen, the second of four children, grew up in Maple Lake and graduated from high school there. He worked for a car wash and a landscape company before joining the Marines.

He loved to fish and ride his motorcycle and was homecoming king in high school, his mother said. “He was awesome, he was the coolest kid,” she said. “He was very happy, very outgoing, never could sit still for a minute.”

Allen was the second service member from Minnesota to die this week. On Feb. 26, Army Sgt. William Beardsley, 25, was killed by a roadside bomb in Diwaniyah, about 100 miles south of Baghdad.

Beardsley, who had lived in Coon Rapids for a short time, had signed up for a second tour in part for health insurance to cover his wife’s medical bills. He died the day she left the hospital.

His father, Jim Beardsley of Blaine, said his son had a request.

“He said, ‘If anything happens to me, I want to make sure my kids know who I am,’ ” Jim Beardsley said. “He was afraid that if something happened to him, the kids being as small as they are, they wouldn’t understand why he was gone. ... They’d think he was just gone. That was his fear.”

Jim Beardsley said his son came to Coon Rapids in 2002 or 2003 to work at his father’s excavating business.

“He’d outwork anybody. If somebody else would dig, he’d dig faster,” Jim Beardsley said.

The younger Beardsley left the Twin Cities in December 2005 to join the Army, and shipped out to Iraq in September.

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Monday, February 6, 2012

14 Days of Valentines: 4, 5, & 6

For the fourth, at first I wasn't sure what to do. While I was shopping at Walmart for a few things, I spotted a sale on these Coca-Cola t-shirts for a dollar. Coke is Tomás' absolute favorite, so I thought he might appreciate that. I wrapped it up, and in the note I said, "This is just "four" you!" I woke up before him on Saturday morning, and led the hearts from our bedroom downstairs to his gift. I was glad I did it without waking him and ruining the surprise. It worked out alright! He modeled the t-shirt for me afterwards too.

On the 5th, I typed up five things I love about Tomás, and printed out the list for him. Of course there's much more than five things I love about him, but I just listed a few. I used the hearts again, as usual. Sunday was a relaxing day, so I thought my little note would suffice for that day.

Today, I made a six-sided date dice with ideas for us to do on date night. We really have a tough time deciding sometimes, so I thought that would be useful. I came up with six ideas, and printed them on a dice template that I cut out and made. It turned out alright, I thought. This time,  I was lucky I had it ready because Tomás came home for lunch around noon, and he got to open his gift then. '

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The Flick Chicks

Judy Thorburn

06/18/07 - CineVegas 2007

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Judy Thorburn

CineVegas Film Festival 2007 at the Brenden Theatres in the Palms Resort and Casino

Las Vegas Tribune -
Las Vegas Round The Clock

The Women Film Critics Circle -
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CineVegas Film Festival 2007 at the Brenden Theatres in the Palms Resort and Casino

 9th Annual CineVegas Film Festival draws film buffs, filmmakers, and film stars.

The 9th Annual CineVegas Film Festival kicked into gear on June 6 and ran through June 16th at its usual host location, the Brendan Theatres at the Palms Resort Casino. This year’s lineup included more than a dozen highly anticipated world and U.S. premieres, independent films seeking distribution, a series of shorts, and several entertainment icons (Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley, Charlize Theron, Mike Newell and Ocean’s producer Jerry Weintraub) appearing in person to be honored with a special award and tribute.

While this year lacked the usual celebrity panel discussions, something new was added to the schedule; La Próxima Ola, which showcases the next “wave” of upcoming films and talented filmmakers coming out of Mexico. Of course, attendees with the right credentials also looked forward to the fabulous evening after parties at some of the top nightclubs and venues that Las Vegas has to offer, including Revolution Lounge at the Mirage, the plush Foundation Room upstairs at Mandalay Bay, the Observation Deck high above the strip at the Stratosphere, and the topping on the cake, the exciting final night bash that was also a celebration of Vegas magazine’s 4th anniversary. The party was held at the “beach” at Mandalay Bay and featured a star studded Red Carpet event, entertainment by American Idol runner up, Katherine McPhee and lots of scrumptious food and drinks.

Pauley Shore

Mark Philippoussis

Caroline D'Amore and Kim Kardashian

Kelly Carlson and George Maloof

Katherine McPhee

Johnny Brenden

Ivan Kane of Forty Deuce

Frank Marino

The Fantasy Girls

Criss Angel

Nathan Burton and Brittany Palmer

Bei Ling

Stormy Daniels

As always, it was great to see my buddies from Utah, fellow film buffs/critics Adam and Kevin, of

. who would not have missed this festival for the world.

The festival started off on a high note with plenty of glitter and star power when The Palms Casino Resort laid down the Red Carpet in front of the main entrance for the opening night premiere of Ocean’s 13 to benefit International Rescue Committee For Not On Our Watch, a charitable group whose goal is to support the humanitarian relief efforts in Darfur and help stop the ongoing atrocities and genocide in that region. Hundreds of fans arrived early, only to be huddled together behind barricades to try and get a glimpse of the arriving film’s stars Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin, Andy Garcia and producer Jerry Weintraub as well as Carrot Top, Wayne Newton, CineVegas chairman Dennis Hopper and CineVegas artistic director Trevor Groth. After the screening veteran producer Jerry Weintraub was honored with the 2007 Vanguard Producer Award and Festival President Robin Greenspun presented him and Not On Our Watch with a check for $1,000,000 representing the proceeds of the festival’s fundraising efforts.

Matt Damon and wife
photo by Jill Ann Spaulding

Jerry Weintraub
photo by Jill Ann Spaulding

Ellen Barkin
photo by Jill Ann Spaulding

Don Cheadle
Photo by Rob Goald

Andy Garcia
photo by Jill Ann Spaulding

Wayne Newton
photo by Jill Ann Spaulding

George Clooney
photo by Jill Ann Spaulding

Brad Pitt
Photo by Rob Goald

Last year the slogan for the 2006 CineVegas was the World’s Most Dangerous Film Festival. This year’s festival catchphrase was “you’ll sleep when it’s over”. I, for one, can vouch for that. In order to take in as many films on the schedule as possible, as well as attend the tributes and after parties, there is very little time for serious attendees to get some shut eye.

Since many of the movies being screened co-incide with each other, I was forced to make a decision and pick from those I considered to be the crème of the crop. This year rather than just showing our badge for entry into the screenings, the press had to submit a list of movies we wanted to see and hopefully get tickets for those we requested. As it turned out, I wasn’t granted tickets to all on my “wish list” but for the most part, I was happy to have sat through enough screenings before my body became glued to the theatre seats. I can honestly say that there were many films that I would highly recommend. The following, in my opinion, were the best of the bunch.

The first was the Thursday night screening of The Devil Came On Horseback, a haunting documentary by Annie Sunberg and Ricki Stern, that details what former Marine, Brian Steidle experienced during the six months that he spent in Darfur, the Sudan, as a neutral observer and monitor with the African Union. Twenty seven year old Steidle had no idea of what he was in for when he became eye witness to the horrible crimes perpetrated on the citizens of the country by its own government in the name of ethnic cleansing. Through Steidle’s recollections, horrendous images he captured through photographs, and interviews with survivors and other natives, the true story unfolds with his camera revealing evidence of undeniable war crimes against humanity in a far off third world country. Steidle was so emotionally shocked by what he saw first hand that he took it upon himself to try and wake up the conscience of people and put pressure on political leaders to put a stop to this ongoing reign of terror. Rather than entertaining, this important, gripping and harrowing film works to bring attention to a worthy cause that involves saving the lives of our fellow human beings.

Brian Steidle and Annie Sunberg

Following the movie I went downtown to an after party being held poolside at the Golden Nugget where I mingled with other invited guests and the stars of The Grand, (set in the world of poker tournaments – I missed this film, because I didn’t have a ticket) Ray Romano, Richard Kind, Jason Alexander and former Saturday Night Live performer Chris Parnell. I didn’t get a chance to chat with the guys who were busy playing blackjack at a poolside table, but I managed to get a few moments with co-star Chris Parnell who let me know what he has been up to since leaving SNL. Chris, who was very personable and took some time out to chat with me, said he appears in two movies that will open in the near future; Hot Rod (slated for an early August release) which co-stars present SNL cast member Andy Sanberg, and Walk Hard (to be released in February) that co-stars John C. O’Reilly. After we spoke, I headed back home since it was already very late, and I hoped to get enough rest so I would to be bright and ready for day two.

Chris Parnell and Judy Thorburn

My numero uno 2007 CineVegas film was the Mexican import, Bad Habits (Malos Habitos), written and directed by up and coming director Simon Bross. Bross made such a brilliant impression with this, his first feature film, that mark my words, he is going to be a major force in the world of feature films. Don’t let the title fool you. Although one of the major characters is a nun, the film’s premise is about personal sacrifice involving food, what we know as eating disorders, and the toll it takes on the lives of the protagonists who are hungry for meaning in their own world. Everything about this film is spectacular beginning with the fabulous acting by all three female stars. The story chronicles the lives of a nun who believes that denying herself of food is payment to God in exchange for miraculous cures; an anorexic wife and mother obsessed with being skinny, and her daughter, a chubby preteen forced to follow her abusive mother’s strict eating habits. Each scene is exquisitely crafted using water or light, camera angles and superb editing, to convey exactly what Bross sets out to invoke.

After the screening Bross spoke about the movie and why he made it. As a cancer survivor, he said that “given another chance at life, I wanted to make a movie that comes from the heart, from a very honest point of view, something that was very important for me, eating disorders which was not in the news at the time. I knew two models that I worked with in commercials that died (as a result of eating disorders). But it is also about faith, not as a solution or trying to be scandalous. I am not against or pro church. 98% of Mexicans are Catholic. I was inspired by the true story of a 17th century Spanish nun who was sure she could make miracles happen by fasting. I asked 300 nuns if their prayer could stop quakes, etc. and they said yes”.

Indeed the power of the mind and one’s belief are very strong forces. Bross explores how those powers, taken to the extreme and as delusions can be disastrous.

Eagle vs. Shark, from New Zealand, is an offbeat little flick directed by Taika Waititi, that took me by surprise, in a good way. The charming and very quirky romantic comedy is about a couple of odd characters, Lily, a sweet natured, lonely cashier at a fast food burger joint who is fired from her job but takes it in stride using her free time to go after the man of her dreams, nerdy video game clerk Jarrod by crashing his “dress as your favorite animal” party. In costume as a shark with video game prowess she gets the attention of Jarrod, adorned as a fluffy headed Eagle. Loren Horsely as Lilly and Jemaine Clement (who looks like a cross between John Travolta and Mick Jagger) as Jarrod are splendidly in character. It’s a match made in geek heaven until Jarrod announces that he must leave town, and embark on a mission to seek revenge on the bully from his high school years. Needless to say, Lilly tags along where she endures some trials and tribulations, the inevitable heartbreak and of course, reconciliation. Reminiscent of Napolean Dynamite in its oddball nature, this wacky tale of socially inept misfits is endearing and the zany and hilarious moments will cause you to walk out of the theatre with a smile on your face.

Another memorable film was writer/director Adam Rifkin’s innovative and provocative film, Look, which follows images of unsuspected American’s going about their business as captured through the lens of surveillance cameras. Although told through a written narrative with actors portraying the characters, Look is filmed as close to reality as possible with in your face interweaving storylines from the point of view of a hidden camera that will make you think twice about what you are doing at any time and any place, since you never know if you are being watched. The result is a mixture of funny and at times shocking revelations that will stay in your mind long after the movie is over.

On Sunday I saw director Amir Mann’s, The Fifth Patient starring Nick Chinlund, which is about a man who wakes up with amnesia in a hospital in Africa and in a desperate race against time must find out his true identity before his captors, the local regime, executes him for being a spy. I would have cut about 15 minutes to move up the pace and there were some plot devices concerning the unexpected twist at the end that was questionable, but all in all, the film is an ambitious effort that kept my interest.

Nick Chinlund

I liked Throwing Stars starring Jason London, Michael deLouise, Scott Michael Campbell and Kevin Durand as three childhood buddies who bind together to help their fourth buddy get rid of the body of a crazed meth/animal porn impresario that he unintentionally killed in an act of self defense. The dark comedy is very funny, involves wacky situations, and a little monkey that almost steals the show.

Cast of "Throwing Stars"
Photo by Judy Thorburn

In another totally different genre Have Love Will Travel offers an inside look at the world of private dancers and their drivers. Do I have to say more?

On the subject of sex, Viva is a throwback to the sexploitation films of the 1970’s by first time director and the film’s star Anna Biller. Intentionally bad acted, the film works as an off the wall spoof of the 1970’s sexual revolution from the point of view of a suburban housewife who is trying to discover herself and in turn become liberated. It was a hoot, to say the least.

Cast of "Viva"

The following Wednesday I saw La Vie En Rose, the life story of legendary French singer Edith Piaf. I wasn’t crazy about the way the film occasionally shifts back and forth in time in a non linear fashion, but Piaf's singing, and tour de force performance by a young actress I had never before seen, Marion Cotillard, who embodies the ever suffering, temperamental chanteuse made up for any filmmaking flaws that seem minor by comparison. Cotillard portrays Edith from her teen years through her last. Her physical transformation, including mannerisms, hair and makeup to age her is perfection. This is the best female performance of the year, so far. If she doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for her powerful work in this film, the Academy desperately needs a wake up call.

Blue State stars Breckin Meyer and Anna Paquin in the story about a disillusioned young Kerry campaign worker named John Logue who decides to move to Canada after George W. Bush is re-elected for a second term. Paquin is the young woman who answers his ad to share the ride. The well crafted story centers on their journey and what they encounter after reaching their destination. It turns into a learning experience, about self discovery, and finding out that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Broken English marks the very impressive screen debut of writer/director Zoe Cassevetes, daughter of late actor/filmmaker John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowland. Parker Posey is Nora, a thirty something single young woman anxious to find love. In her quest, she somehow always winds up picking the wrong guys, jerks for one reason or another. That is until she meets Julian, handsome Frenchman that refuses to take no for an answer in his pursuit to get her to give him a chance. Call it a chick flick, if you must, but there is no reason guys won’t enjoy this refreshing flick and maybe grasp a thing or two about women. Posy is simply fabulous. She uses her face and body to speak volumes without uttering a word. Her chemistry with Melvil Poupaud is sizzling, the dialogue is how people really speak to each other, and I know plenty of women can relate to Nora in more ways than one.

Thursday evening’s after party was held inside Planet Hollywood where CineVegas badge holders had the choice of attending any or all of the parties taking place at the Extra Lounge, Heart Bar or the upstairs more luxurious Living Room. The Extra Lounge was also the setting for the judging of the best five VEGAS.COM TV commercials. Actor Dennis Hopper, comedy magician Nathan Burton, Phantom star Brent Barrett, impressionist Gordie Brown, Pres. Howard Lefkowitz and V.P. Brian Allison, acted as judges as they, along with guests, including director David Lynch, got to view commercials by the finalists who were flown in from all over the country. After careful consideration, Brian Lazzaro was chosen the winner for his clever and memorable TV ad called the All Nighter. Lazzaro was presented with a $5,000 prize and an opportunity for the creative genius to direct a multi-million dollar spot for

Judges award $5000 prize to Brian Lazzaro

Director David Lynch

Tao Beach above the Tao Restaurant in the Venetian Hotel and Casino was another party setting. I had never visited this fabulous rooftop outdoor venue with its beautiful pools and surrounding white leather couches and lounging areas and I was blown away by the breathtaking environment. The place is so luxurious as to be fit for royalty. This party started at 9pm and although I didn’t get there till 11 it was still going strong with several CineVegas film stars and other celebrities in attendance. I passed Bobcat Goldthwait as I was making my way in to the party. Later I made my over to Mexican screenwriter/director Simon Bross, the creative genius behind Bad Habits, my favorite film at this year’s festival, who was accompanied by his friend, Babel and 21 Grams screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, and Clifton Collins Jr. who has co-starred in Traffic and Capote. I had to let Senor Bross know how much I loved his film and that he was a brilliant director with a great future in cinema.

Guillermo Arriaga, Judy Thorburn and Simon Bross

Judy Thorburn and Clifton Collins Jr.

Getting to see and listen to A-list movie stars and top filmmakers discuss their craft in person is a highlight for most fans who attend CineVegas. This year actress Charlize Theron was honored as the recipient of 2007’s CineVegas Half Life Award, which is given to an actor in the prime of their career with an already impressive body of work.

At 3pm on Friday, June 15, Charlize sat down in front of a packed theatre for an informal discussion with Pete Hammond of Maxim magazine to talk about her career and to show clips from several of her upcoming movies. Charlize first said that when Dennis Hopper called her to say she was going to be honored with this award she “couldn’t believe it and that it really means a lot” to her. She reflected on her early years in South Africa where was born, and how she got started as an actress. “I was a ballerina. It was my life. At 16, my friends entered me in a modeling contest, which I won and then went on to Europe and then New York. At 18, my knees said no more. My career was over. I went to Hollywood and here I am today. I didn’t speak English. I had this thick Africanz accent, but was thrown into the deep end. I had to either swim or drown. I met a guy in a bank who sent me on auditions which was great, but I needed to speak English. My roommate, who was from Bosnia but came to America at the age of six, helped me learn English. I also picked it up from watching American TV shows like Dynasty and Dallas, nothing but the best”, she said jokingly. Charlize recollected on her first film, “Children of the Corn", either 3 or 4, can’t remember which one, but I thought this is it. I called my Mom and said I made it, although I had no knowledge of the film industry and was raised with the philosophy that I was ready to pay my dues".

Charlize went on to say that “I feel blessed to work with people I consider a mentor, who keep feeding my thirst for knowledge". She mentioned working with Woody Allen and Dennis Hopper as examples. But, Hopper was taken by surprise and blushed when she looked at him and stated, “He is more yummy than ever.”

Regarding her Oscar winning role of real life serial killer Aileen Wournos in Monster, Charlize said, “I had an instant connection with Patty Jenkins who wrote the script. Her drive and intelligence came from a place so hard to find. Who are we? What is our nature? There is a lot of ugliness in us that we don’t want to look at. I wanted to make this film so someone can look in the mirror and understand who this woman is. Funny thing, I had a vivid dream during the shooting of the film where Patty said I was being replaced by another actress. I had paranoid moments. There is nothing subtle about this character. She was in your face."

Dennis Hopper added, “I don’t think a man could have made this movie with all its sexual encounters and rape. Charlize responded with “Patty said never think of yourself as a victim. A man would have said pucker up and stop your wining."

When questioned about the possibility of directing, Charlize said “I don’t think I want to direct”. But, producing is something else with two projects under her belt. She is very proud of the documentary she produced called East of Havana and was eager to show a clip and discuss the film’s subject, an underground youth movement in Cuba that consists of rappers who express their views as a fight against censorship.

I was surprised that Monster or any of her other movies wasn’t screened at the festival. Instead she brought along clips from three of her upcoming films, In The Valley of Elah which co-stars Tommy Lee Jones, Sleepwalking (formerly titled Ferris Wheel) in which she co-produced and co-stars with Dennis Hopper (who joined her on the couch) as her father, and Nick Stahl as her brother (who was in the audience but was called down to sit with them), and Battle In Seattle written and director by her boyfriend actor Stuart Townsend. “People will think I am biased because I sleep with him (referring to Townsend). But I was blown away by how well he wrote the script. He was incredibly passionate about it. I am glad I kind of cast myself in the film. It is incredible and very powerful film. He (Townsend) would have been here with me, but he is busy in the editing room."

Charlize Theron, Nick Stahl and Dennis Hopper
Photo by Judy Thorburn

I was very impressed by how smart, down to earth, sweet, and genuinely humbled Charlize Theron appeared to be. This, plus beauty and talent, she seems to have it all.

Later in the day 2007 Marquee Award recipient Anthony Hopkins, who is considered to be one of the best living actors today, sat before a packed house to give some insight into his background that entails almost 50 years as an actor. Hopkins revealed that 40 years ago Peter O’Toole asked him to do a screen test. He went on, “It was a unique experience having never made a movie”. Not many people are aware that Hopkins was Lawrence Olivier’s understudy. He does such a good impression of Olivier’s voice (which he gave us a sample of) that when Spartacus was re released years later director Stanley Kubrick asked him to dub in Olivier’s voice on the soundtrack in a scene with Tony Curtis because due to sound problems in the old soundtrack, Olivier’s dialogue was lost.

Anthony Hopkins

In Magic, Hopkins played a ventriloquist driven mad by his dummy. The actor said he was not thrilled about working with a dummy. “I had to learn to throw my voice and did the basics. But I got so involved (in this role) that I said “cut” to the camera as Fats (the dummy). It was very difficult to co-ordinate the stuff.”

In the late 80’s and early 90’s Hopkins career was not going great. But being cast in Silence of the Lambs changed everything. “I thought Nick Nolte would get the Oscar. It was a great honor for me to win the award. There is no way of mapping out your career. Things take you by surprise. Funny thing, I originally thought the movie was a children’s story. I was finishing off a contract in the theatre. Sometimes, you disappear for a few years and come back again. You get to a certain stage in life and I think, just go with the flow. Nowadays, I also like to paint and write music.”

When asked what role seemed effortless, Hopkins said, “Hannibal Lector. Villains are easier to slip into. I knew this guy. I don’t know why, but I am drawn to morbid interests. I felt the tone in my muscles. I was very specific how I wanted him to look. The villain in Fracture was very much like someone I knew”. Would he come back and play Hannibal in another sequel? Hopkins responded, “Having the character locked in a glass booth is more powerful; walking the streets not so.”

Regarding is role as President Nixon, Oliver Stone “Wanted me because he thought I was an outsider, thought I didn’t belong. I thought I would make a complete ass of myself, or stay in theatre in wrinkled tights for the rest of my life. I thought after reading with some of the great American actors Stone would make fun of me. But after putting on the clothes in wardrobe, I felt a breakthrough and went with my intuition. As far as wearing prosthetics, you can either work from the outside or the inside."

The worst theatre experience he ever had was when he was appearing with Judi Dench on stage in Anthony and Cleopatra. “It was three weeks into the run and a voice went off in my head. It said you THINK you are really good. I felt naked, vulnerable and really open.”

After the conversation, Hopkins’ film Slipstream was screened. Before closing he discussed how the film, in which he wrote directed and stars in, came to be. “Three to four years ago, I sat down at the computer to see if I could write. The story is very personal from my own life. Three times it has happened to me, a strange stream of consciousness; it comes during a crisis, that I lost contact with my immediate memory and all sense of time. It was the worst feeling I ever had – most frightening. I get carried away and tend to get a bit manic when the brain gets overloaded. In this film it is like eight seconds of your life that you go through in an hour and a half. Relax and let it happen. I wanted to see the breakdown, how it comes in strobes. I wanted the film to bring real terror and anxiety. I am proud that it was accepted at Sundance and played there.”

The fact is Anthony Hopkins is a brilliant actor. But his movie Slipstream is like one big confusing hallucination. He should stick with what he does best, acting! This effort doesn’t pay off.

On Saturday afternoon, 2007 Vanguard Award winner, Mike Newell, the British director of Enchanted April, Four Wedding and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, just to name a few of his critically acclaimed box office hits, had his turn on the couch. After showing short clips from some of his best films, Newell took part in an insightful discussion about the wide range of films, from nice romantic comedy to a mafia film that he has directed. ‘It is simply the stuff I get interested in. There is no master plan. I am interested in the characters; the notion of a fading mafia man, a commitment phobe, or even Harry Potter, a classical thriller. In talking about the difference between British and Hollywood movies he sees British filmmaking as a “cottage industry. In England the mindset is what does the audience know that I don’t? Does it (the film) please me and more, does it please my friends. In Hollywood it is all about discovering what the audience wants. We think the audience doesn’t matter. It’s the same delusion. If I can inject pleasing myself into the Hollywood way and put that trick over, that is an interesting process.”

Director Mike Newell

Newell then talked about “needing an antidote after Harry Potter. I lobbied shamelessly for the film adaptation of the classic novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera. I went to screenwriter Ron Harwood. Yes, it was frightening to put such pressure on myself, but you are compelled by the material or not. This was the most humane piece of work I had seen in a long time. I had to go a dangerous route and cast incredible actresses Americans were not familiar with. It doesn’t have a hook like Angelina Jolie to hang a hat on. The movie becomes the star. The buzz starts here (at the festival) before the film is released. It has great actors but not commanding world stars. The novel itself is a series of intricate flashbacks. Ron Harwood had to make the story comprehensible and tell it as a compelling forward moving narrative. The intricate stitchwork comes through the narrative with help from the editor and camera work so that it forms a texture, patina.

What I could tell from the extended clip that was shown, Love in the Name of Cholera starring Javier Bodem looks to be an engrossing and beautiful love story that should satisfy both the director and his audience.

Another British actor, Sir Ben Kingsley was honored with the Vanguard Actor Award. Dennis Hopper introduced Kingsley as one of the greatest living actors and said it was a privilege working with him. The audience was surprised to find out that he had music aspirations as a young man back in England. In the 60’s he wrote songs for a play, was asked to sing a chorus and The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein who was also a theatre impresario asked him to come along as part of the show. One night John Lennon was in the audience and I got to meet him. The story got exaggerated as years went by to the extent that word spread that he was almost signed to be a rock star. “I wanted to pursue and acting career. The Royal Shakespeare Company provided me with a career craft. I would have fallen off the rails a rock star”, he laughed.

Dennis Hopper, Sir Ben Kingsley and Elvis Mitchell

You could tell that music is still much a part of his soul as he described acting in musical terms. He said, “Tea Leoni is this generation’s Katherine Hepburn and that working with her in his new movie “You Kill Me” (that was going to be screened shortly after this tribute/conversation) was like two instruments in a duet. Another great actress I have worked with is Lauren Becall, a strong, archetypal woman.”

The actor gave some insight into his acting technique and how he sets the tone for his character. “The first scene is very important. You have to look, speak and set a form for the rest of the film. It’s a device that you use judiciously and not to wear out. My first experience was with director Lord Attenborough. My character expands over 50 years. I had to identify what would sustain me throughout. Anger and indignation was my spine for the character. As Ghandi, I was first introduced as an angry man being thrown from a train. I connected every gesture to that moment, its cause and affect. If the cause is racist violence, the affect manifests as resilience of the man thrown off the train. The effect is residual. All the characters do what they had to do. Each man finds their own place in destiny doing what they had to do. In House of Sand and Fog, as Anne Franks dad, and as Meyer Lansky I approached them as patriarchs that had to do deals to survive. In Oliver Twist, I used a memory of an old man in an antique shop that I knew as a young child as a model for portraying Fagan. He hunched down to be at the same level as me when he spoke to me, and I used that posture with Fagan and the kids. Hopefully, there is redemption in all the characters I portray, with maybe a few exceptions. Actors have to show vulnerability, to be able to love and be loved.”

He also wanted to make it clear that the camera has to be in the right place or actors are wasting their time.

I certainly did not waste any time listening to one of my favorite actors. I have always admired Ben Kingsley’s acting ability, but I now am also impressed by his intelligence and eloquence. I stayed afterwards to see his flick, the closing night film, "You Kill Me". Again, I think he is a superb actor, but I thought he was miscast as a Polish hit man from Buffalo with a drinking problem who falls for Tea Leoni and makes an effort to become a changed man. They have zero chemistry and although the story is quirky and humorous at times, I was underwhelmed.

On Friday night an Award Reception was held outdoors, poolside at the Palms. Maria Menounos (who earlier in the week received a star on the floor of lobby of the Brendan Theatres and is the producer of the CineVegas screened, Land of the Merry Misfits) was hostess for the 2007 honoree’s award presentation. Charlize Theron, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley and Mike Newell all made their way down the red carpet before coming on to the stage where they each graciously accepted their award.

Maria Menounos presented with Brenden Celebrity Star by Johnny Brenden
Photo by Jill Ann Spaulding

Maria Menounos hosting Awards Ceremony

The final event was held on Saturday afternoon. In a ceremony helmed by Artistic Director Trevor Groth, festival President Robin Greenspun and Chairman of the Creative Advisory Board Dennis Hopper, awards were presented to festival winners that included, among others, Adam Rifkin’s LOOK which received the Grand Jury Prize, Tie a Yellow Ribbon which received a Special Jury Award for Best Director, as well as All God’s Children Can Dance which was acknowledged with a Special Jury Award for Distinctive Visual Expression.

Additionally, the Jury Prize for the fest’s new program block focused on Mexican cinema, La Próxima Ola, was awarded to Bad Habits (Malos Hábitos). Crowd pleasers I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal and Throwing Stars picked up the Audience Awards for Documentary and Narrative Features. The Heineken Red Star Award was presented to The Living Wake.

Jennifer Aniston and Andrea Buchanan’s Room 10 received the CineVegas Short Film Jury Prize while David Schmoeller’s Spanking Lessons received the CineVegas Nevada Short Film Jury Prize. The jury also acknowledged BITCH, Equal Opportunity, Year of the Dog and the local film Danuta with Honorable Mentions.

This concludes my coverage of 2007 CineVegas, the little festival that has grown into a major showcase for some of the best up and coming filmmakers and to honor those Hollywood entertainment icons that have made an indelible impact on audiences and the industry. I want to thank all of the hardworking CineVegas staff, the PR mavens at Kirvin Doak, and offer a special acknowledgment to the volunteers, especially Alberta Gogle, Suzanne Bugg and Jackie Mussa who always greeted me with a big friendly smile and warm personalities.

As exhausting as it is fun, I look forward to next year. Finally,  as the 2007 CineVegas slogan suggests, I can get some sleep.

You are here: Home Features Feature Articles Judy Thorburn 06/18/07 - CineVegas 2007


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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Mojo Monday Sketch #82

I keep checking out the different challenge and sketch sites to get motivated and so far it's working.

Used one of my favorite bunny stamps for this, plus a SU sentiment. MS punch for the edges and labels one set of Nesties.

I'm enjoying blogging and receiving comments! I'm REALLY surprised that people leave me comments; I look at what I do and it just doesn't seem special. But it makes me free special to read the comments I get. Thank you! :)

Yaneri ScrapyCrafter said...

Your stamped imaged is sooooo cute! Great job with the matching ribbon! Not too sure what to think about how you name your blog. Why so frustrated with stamping? You are doing a GREAT job at it!

Emily said...

Just too freakin' adorable! This made my day when I clicked on your blog and saw this cute card! You did a great job putting it all together. I had to cruise through your blog before I left this comment. I see you like the mouse house stamps as much as I do. Please keep doing the challenges cause you've got some talent girl. I'm linking up as a follower so I can see what you're up to:))) Hope you don't mind.

Butternut Sage Designs said...

oh my goodness that is just the cutest bunnie, he reminds me of a toddler! So cute. You did a great job with the colors too! Hugs~Donna

Lori said...

Such a cute card!! The bunny is too cute. Great job!!

~MudpieMouse said...

I love this card. The layout and color combinations you chose are perfect and the sentiment is Adorable. Keep on stampin' on!


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Air Date: Sunday, January 20, 2013
Time Slot: 9:30 PM-10:00 PM EST on HBO
Episode Title: (#12/202) "Revenge Play"
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

Episode #12: "Revenge Play"

Debut: SUNDAY, JAN. 20 (9:30-10:00 p.m.)

Other HBO playdates: Jan. 20 (10:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m.), 23 (midnight) and 24 (10:30 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Jan. 21 (9:30 p.m.), 22 (11:00 p.m.) and 26 (8:00 p.m.)

Amy and a still-reluctant Tyler meet Jeff at a jazz club, where he reveals he's already been working on a story about Abaddonn but needs proof of bribery, leading Amy to revel in her fantasies. When several top execs can't log onto their accounts, Abaddonn's breach of security is exposed, leaving Tyler scrambling to find a solution that won't lead investigators to him or Amy. Suspecting foul play, Dougie (Timm Sharp) vows to root out the true perps, while Krista (Sarah Burns) is rushed to the hospital with a pregnancy complication.

Written by Mike White; directed by Mike White.

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Wednesday, 25 January 2012

McDonalds is creating 2,500 new jobs in the UK. Is sneering at "McJobs" just plain old snobbery?

The Golden Latrine began to suspect that McDonalds did not have the most rigorous hiring policy after a friend listed "self-harm" on an application form under 'interests'. And still got the job.

The global fast food giant announced yesterday that it was creating 2,500 new jobs in the UK, sparking a debate about the worth of such "McJobs" - a term derived from Douglas Coupland's slacker bestseller Generation X, defined by Coupland as: "A low-pay, low-prestige, low-dignity, low-benefit, no-future job in the service sector. Frequently considered a satisfying career choice by people who have never held one."

Newspaper columinists and economists wrung their hands over this being the "wrong type of service job" (basic and low-skilled, rather than the creative, hi-tech jobs we're all supposed to crave in our glass-and-steel utopia), but is working in McDonalds really that bad? Is it the modern day equivalent of the blacking factory that Dickens' David Copperfield is sent to work in? Or is the real problem, as McDonalds themselves put it, "the prejudice that still exists around service sector jobs."

I can't help but think it's the latter. Charlie Brooker wrote a brilliant blog last year about working in a shop (you can read it here). He concluded:

What I disliked most about working as a shop assistant wasn't the occasional snooty customer, or the shop, or the hours, but they way people reacted when I told them I was a shop assistant – their automatic assumption that I didn't enjoy it. I didn't particularly enjoy my life at the time, but I did enjoy the job. Not every day, not constantly – but I liked it more than I disliked it.

This rang true for me. I worked in a call-centre and for the most part, angry clients and asinine corporate motivational videos aside, quite enjoyed it. Nevertheless I used to occasionally find myself on the receiving end of similarly nuclear levels of condescension - mostly from well-meaning types who felt I should be doing something more commensurate with my genius.

More annoying were the ethical objectors. I recall a trainee paramedic telling me, in complete seriousness, with pitying eyes: "I really admire what you do. I personally have to do a job that means something." To which the only appropriate retort is: try paying your rent in principles when your landlord comes a-knocking.

I worked in a call-centre to raise the money to do my journalism qualifications, so there was always an end-goal in sight. But reading the Guardian's reader debate on McJobs, most of the comments from past employees were reasonably positive. People said the job taught them discipline and in many cases, if it wasn't a glamorous life, well that was an incentive to work hard and do well.

And let's be honest, there are worse things to do for a living than fry chips and serve burgers. As one poster put it:
I worked at Burger King's for a while when a student. I definitely saw it as a step up from my job before uni (working at a kennels). Anyone who thinks fast food provides s**tty jobs should try one where the real thing is provided in large quantities.

What was most shocking was the level of vitriol directed at fast food workers. Several even reported being physically attacked by customers. In part that's likely to be because fast food places tend to stay open late to cater for the lairy throwing-out time crowd. But it's also because there is a general air of contempt that hangs around these jobs, which is fostered by the non-lairy professional class too.

A number of posters on The Guardian's discussion seemed to think that the correct response to "Would you like fries with that?" was "If I wanted fries, I'd have asked for them." Which is to miss the point that the server doesn't actually care if you have fries, they just have a script they have to stick to, and they get in trouble if they deviate from it. Personally I would have stabbed them in the eye with my till fob, no second thoughts.

McDonalds certainly has a diverse racial profile (mainly because a lot of Brits consider such service industry jobs beneath them) and the general consensus was that they promote from the shop floor. So next time you're wrecked and mouthing off in McDonalds/KFC/Greggs, spare a thought for the person behind the counter. This probably isn't their dream job, but it's a job, and right now that's better than nothing.

Have you worked in a McJob? The Golden Latrine invites you to share your experiences of unruly customers/psychopathic managers/terrible corporate videos below.

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

David Cameron is downright delusional if he still thinks unemployment will fall over this parliament

The Golden Latrine dimly remembers July 2010, one month after the Coalition's election - a time when he was still hiding under the duvet, fingers firmly plugged in his ears, la-la-laing and praying it was all just a feverish dream.

Back then our freshly-minted PM latched on to figures from the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) to confidently predict during Prime Minister's Questions: "Unemployment is going to be falling during this Parliament". Let me just repeat that: Unemployment is going to be falling during this Parliament.

While it was transparently obvious that the deficit reduction plan was going to wipe out large swathes of public sector jobs, Cameron was insistent that the growth in the private sector would more than makes up it.

In fact, as recently as June 2011, Cameron's friends at the Thatcherite Centre for Policy Studies were claiming that public sector job losses would be offset by a ratio of 3:1 in the year from March 2011.

Those claims now look openly delusional, to put it mildly. Over the last year, new private sector jobs have (just) offset public sector job losses, but I don't imagine that momentum is likely to be maintained.

Cameron, meanwhile, is still claiming that there have been over 500,000 new private sector jobs created since he was elected, a claim which some minimal digging from Channel 4's FactCheck proved to be just plain untrue.

New statistics released on January 18 by the Office for National Statistics show unemploymemt at 2.68m (8.3%), the highest since 1995. David Cameron responded at PMQs by taking "responsibility" for the figures, rather than the blame - a stance nicely lampooned by the Guardian's parliamentary sketch writer Simon Hoggart:

[Cameron said] "The government takes absolute responsibility for everything that happens in our economy, and I take responsibility for that." But not the blame. It might be the government's responsibility, but it isn't their fault.

Except clearly it is. The idea that the private sector could take the slack for the wholesale vandalism of the state (and by extension, public sector jobs) has been shown to be fundamentally flawed. In the three months to November, employment in the private sector rose by 5,000, while employment in the public sector fell by 67,000.

There was also a large increase in part-time work, a classic sign, as Larry Elliott has pointed out, of weak demand in the labour market.

And why does all of this matter, you ask? Because unemployment is the spanner in the economy, creating a vicious circle. When unemployment is high, people have less money to spend: benefits don't stretch far, and companies can get away with offering pitiful wage increases to those clinging to a job, knowing employees will be take whatever they're offered. But that lack of spending hits the economy, which means new jobs aren't created. It's a cruel algebra, and one that looks set to be troubling the UK for some time to come.

Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Journalists take shelter, Wikipedia is offline

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. The Golden Latrine has taken to his Anderson shelter and advises you all to do the same, for today the apocalypse has hit. Yes, that's right, Wikipedia is down for the day.

This seemingly minor inconvenience will hit the journalistic profession with the force of a meteor strike. Forget all the other issues bedevilling the profession - the Murdochs, phone-hacking, the loss of advertising revenues, dishonest journalists - this is, as political types like to say, a game changer.

Newsrooms across the globe will come to a standstill. Puzzled journalists are, right now, sitting and scratch their heads, starring bereftly at their half-eaten sandwiches, wondering where the hell they are going to find out the GDP of Gambia, that actress's credits or an explanation of a basic scientific concept. It's almost as if they're going to have to start doing genuine research.

But there is a serious point behind Wikipedia's temporary snooze. Their 24-hour blackout has been decided upon by their community to protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate. Anyone trying to log on will be confronted with this:

There is a reasonably clear explanation of the two bills here on the BBC website. Essentially they are entertainment industry-backed bills designed to crack down on music and film piracy and illegal downloading. And the punishments they are looking to impose are suitable draconian: anyone found guilty of streaming copyrighted content without permission 10 or more times within six months may face up to five years in jail.

The recent case of Sheffield-based Richard O'Dwyer, the 23-year-old student threatened with extradition to the U.S. for running TV Shack, a site linking to pirated TV shows, proves that simply not being a U.S. citizen isn't going to save you. Those free South Park episodes may soon be a thing of the past.

The two bills also ban advertisers/search engines from linking to file-sharing sites, effectively rendering them invisible. So why are Wikipedia (and other internet giants like Google, Yahoo! and Facebook) so strongly against these bills? Well, you can read Wikipedia's full statement here, but it boils down to the fact that the wording of the bills is so open-ended that if passed it would be, in their words, "devastating to the free and open web". The battle for the internet has well and truly begun.

Is Wikipedia accurate?

When Wikipedia announced the blackout, there was a lot of snarky online comments along the lines of "Quick, we'd better stockpile inaccurate information". Amusing, yes, but research has continually shown that the myth of Wikipedia's inaccuracy is just that, a myth. A 2010 study showed that cancer information on Wikipedia was just as accurate (if less well-written) than on the National Cancer Institute’s peer-reviwed Physician Data Query.

EDIT: For anyone still puzzled, I've just found this nice little animation on the Guardian website which clearly explains SOPA.


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Graillot & Thalvin "Tandem" Syrah, Morocco, 2013

About this wine

Alain Graillot is best known in the Northern Rhone for his excellent Crozes-Hermitage wines. Here he has turned his hand to an altogether different terroir for Syrah - Morocco. As might be expected from the warmer climate, this is bigger and riper than a classic Rhone Syrah - more Southern Rhone in character than Northern - but has a definite 'old world' feel from spicy complexity and structure.

How many would you like?

£22.00 per bottle
Mixed Case Price £19.50

excluding delivery

Add to Basket > ProductPriceID=26062


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Teaching & Research

At the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb I teach two main undergraduate courses: Strength & Conditioning (1st year) and Motor Control (2nd year).

At a graduate level, I teach one main course, Writting and Publishing in Science. As a visiting scientist, I also teach at several other schools and universities in Croatia, Slovenija, and France.

I served as a mentor (or co-mentor) of undergraduate thesis of the following students: Mario Perković, Tihomir Sadibašić, Višnja Kraljić, Luka Šimić, Valentina Dučkić, Tomislav Pisačić, Davor Lješević, Tomislav Stepić, Paul Cota, Igor Blažinčić, Ivan Zorić, Davor Emeršić, Slaven Hrvoj, Mirko Baotić, Željko Vorel, Tomislav Blažina, Lari Pucar, Sunčica Jajčević, Dario Bašić, and Paola Orepić. I am proud that many of them are very succesful in their professional careers.

I am a founder and director of Motor Control and Human Performance Laboratory at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb. My current research interests include:

1.  Neuromechanics of human movement and performance

2. Optimization of sports performance in team sports

3. Prevention and rehabilitation of injuries in team sports

Our research group includes members of our lab (Saša Vuk, Pavle Mikulić, and Davor Šentija), as well as a number of collaborators from abroad: Slobodan Jarić (USA), Nejc Šarabon (SLO), Mark Latash (USA), Vedran Hadžić (SLO), Dragan Mirkov (SRB), Alan Nevill (UK), Guilhem Gael (FRA), and Giuseppe Rabita (FRA).

So far, I have mentored 4 PhD students – Sanja Šalaj, Tatjana Trošt-Bobić, Josipa Bradić, and Saša Vuk. Currently I have 6 PhD students under supervision: Boris Metikoš, Mario Perković, Marijo Baković, Marino Bašić, Saša Baščevan, and Luka Šimić.

My H-index is currently 18, and a full list of publications and citations  can be found at this link: Google Scholar.


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Friday, January 28, 2011

Aw jeeeeezzzzzzz.............!

Remember that just two years ago, Hank Paulson put together $800 million of your dollars to keep Goldman Sachs from bankruptcy. It sure paid off. Just not for you.

January 28, 2011, 5:33 pm

Blankfein Gets $13.2 Million for 2010

Mark Wilson/Getty Images Goldman Sachs C.E.O. Lloyd Blankfein.

Lloyd C. Blankfein, the chief executive of Goldman Sachs, had a rough 2010. But at least he got a raise: His bonus increased by $3.6 million, according to a regulatory filing.

The firm’s board of directors recently granted restricted stock valued at $12.6 million to Mr. Blankfein and a number of other senior executives including Gary D. Cohn, the firm’s president. The board also approved a new annual base salary of $2 million for its chief executive, who had previously made a base salary of $600,000. Mr. Cohn and others will see their base salaries increase to $1.85 million, the firm said.

Goldman executives aren’t the only ones to see a jump in their base salaries. After the financial crisis, most financial firms increased the base salaries, a move regulators felt would cut down on excessive risk taking.

At Goldman, base salaries increased outside the executive suite as well. The base salary for Goldman managing directors was recently increased to $500,000 from $300,000.

With a salary of $600,000, Mr. Blankfein’s 2010 compensation comes to $13.2 million. Senior executives often receive part of their compensation in cash but Goldman did not release details on this component of Mr. Blankfein’s compensation.

In 2009, amidst widespread public outcry over sky-high compensation on Wall Street, Mr. Blankfein and other senior Goldman executives received compensation packages valued at $9 million each. In 2007, the year before the financial crisis Mr. Blankfein made $68.5 million.

Goldman posted earnings of $8.35 billion in 2010, down 37 percent from 2009. The firm also found itself in the center of controversy over allegations that it puts its own interests ahead of clients, something it denies.

In July 2010 it paid $550 million to settle civil charges that it duped clients by selling mortgage securities that were secretly designed by a hedge-fund firm to cash in on the housing market’s collapse. It did not admit nor deny wrongdoing.

Earlier this month Morgan Stanley’s board awarded James Gorman stock and options valued at $7.4 million. But this represents only the equity portion of Mr. Gorman’s pay package; the cash component will be announced later this year. Mr. Gorman, in his first year as chief executive of Morgan Stanley, will earn less than the $15 million he took home in 2009 when he was the firm’s co-president, according to a person familiar with his compensation but not authorized to speak publicly about it.

JPMorgan Chase has not announced the pay of its C.E.O. but Jamie Dimon is expected to earn as much, if not more, than the $17.5 million he took home in 2009.

Citigroup’s chief executive, Vikram S. Pandit, after nearly two years of earning a mere $1 in salary while he tried put the bank back on track, was recently awarded a $1.75 million salary.

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Goin to the Giants game

Washington Redskins' Game Day discussions for 2003, 2004, and 2005
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Goin to the Giants game

Postby Skins2daGrave » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:12 pm

well it looks im goin to the giants game! :D :D it'll be my first one since last year when we faced the Seahawks at home (i know right, that was a long long time ago!) im really excited about it cuz i havent been to a game for a while. i just decided hey i might aswell watch the last game of the season with my 3 good friends cheering alongside me :) hey maybe i'll even meet some of you!

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Postby SkinsChic » Tue Dec 26, 2006 8:25 pm

Visit the THN Tailgate in the Green Lot A75 and you'll meet some of us.
Hip Hip Hooray!!!

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Posts: 44
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Postby Quackjack » Sun Feb 10, 2013 4:56 pm

Who are the Redskins looking to draft? A center seems like a viable option.
Steelers fan, but the Redskins are my NFC (and hometown) team.

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Postby Irn-Bru » Sun Feb 10, 2013 6:04 pm

"I’m never under the assumption that you draft for need. You draft the best available football player on the board. ... Because, in the long run, they are the ones who will help you win the most games." - Scot McCloughan

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December 9, 2013

Feature film on John Wesley Hardin to be shot in Comanche, Texas

Texas in the mid 1800’s has long been known as a haven for outlaws, cattle rustlers, rebel rousers and gunslingers. The likes of Billy the Kid and others made themselves known by shootings, robberies and basically a whole lot of hell raising.

Movies in Hollywood capitalized on the behavior of those guys beginning way back in the golden age of movie making. Movies about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Billy the Kid, Jesse James and a host of other gunslingers made lots of money for Hollywood producers.

Probably the most notorious of all Texas gunfighters is a man named John Wesley Hardin. I remember hearing about him from way back. Who remembers those Time-Life commercials in the ‘70’s that were famous for saying “John Wesley Hardin was rumored to be so mean, he once shot a man just for snoring”? Yes, Hardin, a very misunderstood individual, was a very deadly man with an itchy trigger finger. But let’s admit it, if we didn’t have characters like that in the old westerns, would we go see those movies about characters that weren’t so unpredictable? Probably not.

That brings me to the purpose of this post. A couple of independent producers have started to get a plan together to bring us a movie about the life of John Wesley Hardin and his life here in Comanche, Texas. Both of them are veteran Hollywood producers, stunt men as well as West Texas cowboys. They are super excited about shooting this movie in and around Comanche, Texas, because this is where Hardin spent a good part of his life and where his most famous shooting took place and where his legend was born. And to them, there just isn’t another place to make this film.

They are scheduled to begin shooting in the late spring or early summer of 2014, but with all other projects, the money isn’t in place yet. That’s where you, Texas, the lover of western movies or western movie aficionados come in. You have a chance to invest into the making of this epic film. And epic, it will be. No B grade or "spaghetti western" stuff here. The guys are looking to get Hollywood veterans like Jennifer Love Hewitt and Matthew McConaughey to participate. You can imagine how the likes of them could bring this story to life. But  no one knows for certain if they will be the ones that are finally chosen.

So now, if you’re interested in investing into a movie, here is your chance. They are asking for large donations for the stock option, which is out of reach for the average investor. But an investment company was formed to help give the small investor the chance to be a part of this project. You can invest as little, or as much as you feel you can afford and be a part of Texas movie history. The producers are saying they can get this movie to the level of Lonesome Dove and that excites me, The Impulsive Texan, because I am a super-fan of the move Lonesome Dove.

If you are interested in being a part of this opportunity, please contact me in a private email. I’ll give you all of the details on how to get started. Long live the Wild, Wild West!

God bless and have a great day!

The Impulsive Texan


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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

PROMO: Deep in Death by @ColleenHelme

Deep in Death – Release Blitz
A Shelby Nichols Adventure – Volume 6
Paranormal Mystery
Date Published: July 22, 2014

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Running “errands” for her mob-boss employer, Joey “The Knife” Manetto, often ends with Shelby in trouble, making her cautious about continuing her association with him. Instead, she focuses on a new client who hires Shelby to find her missing mother. What seems like a routine case turns into something more sinister and deadly than she ever imagined. In the meantime, Uncle Joey has summoned Shelby to his office, where she runs into her former nemesis. Shelby inadvertently hears something that makes her fear for the lives of Uncle Joey and his hit-man, Ramos. This time, Uncle Joey is not sure he wants to involve Shelby in something he knows could get her killed. Keeping Shelby’s involvement to a minimum has disastrous results, sending Shelby on a dangerous path. As her investigation unfolds, Shelby finds death at every turn, and soon realizes she is in over her head. Can she escape from danger in time? Or will she find herself deep in death?

A twinge of pain burned through my arm, and I gently rubbed the spot where I’d been shot nearly three weeks ago. Getting a shot in the arm may sound like a simple thing for most people, but when it’s done by a bullet, it’s a whole different story. At least it was healing nicely, and the scar wasn’t too big, but every once in a while my arm ached like it had happened yesterday, probably because I was overdoing it again. After a few seconds the pain subsided, and I finished pulling on my shirt and got dressed.
Today was my first day back at work since the shooting, and I was ready to take on a new project. This time the job was a client from my consulting agency, which suited me just fine. My last job for Uncle Joey, the local mob-boss, had gotten me both arrested for murder and shot by a bullet in the arm, so I was a little nervous about doing anything for him again.
A few months ago I had to tell Uncle Joey my secret that I could read minds so he wouldn’t kill me. We’d worked out a compromise, and over the course of our association, we’d even become close. Crazy as it sounded, I’d started to think of him as my real uncle, even though he wasn’t. Since most of his errands seemed to get me into trouble, he’d also saved my life a few times. Well, to be honest, it was his hit-man, Ramos, doing most of the saving. But it was Uncle Joey who’d told him to watch out for me.
I sighed every time I thought of Ramos. He had a troubled past which only I knew about, and I’d helped him come to terms with it. Besides saving my life several times, there was also a physical attraction that I only dared admit out loud to my best friend, Holly. Of course after seeing him, she had a crush on him too, and since we were both happily married, I had to think it was all right. But with all of that going on, I had to wonder about myself. I mean, Uncle Joey was a big, bad mob-boss who had threatened to do me bodily harm, and Ramos was his hit-man. They were the bad guys and I had a soft spot in my heart for them. Was something wrong with me?
My husband, Chris, had no qualms about severing all ties with Uncle Joey, and it put me in a hard spot trying to please them both. But since the last job, things had changed. After I got shot, Chris had a long talk with Uncle Joey, and I hadn’t heard from him in three weeks. In some ways it was a relief, but in others, I kind of missed him…and Ramos…well…mostly Ramos. Still, I wasn’t about to call and offer my services. Not considering what had happened last time. Nope. I wasn’t ready to get shot again. In fact, I would be pretty happy if I never saw another gun in my life.
I took a deep cleansing breath and checked the time. I had an appointment with my client at ten this morning, and it was time to go. Her name was Tiffany and this was her senior year of college. Since I didn’t have a real office, I’d told her we could meet at the campus library in-between her classes, and with her busy schedule, meeting on campus worked out great for both of us.
I drove through town with my windows down and breathed in the crisp fall air. It was the first part of October and the sky was the perfect color of blue. The trees were just beginning to change into brilliant autumn colors, and framed against the blue sky, the pure beauty and serenity lifted my spirits. With everything I’d gone through lately, I knew I was lucky to be alive.
I parked at the visitor parking meters near the library and headed toward the front of the building. It had been several years since I’d been there last, and a wave of nostalgia washed over me. I’d only been to one year of college before I’d talked Chris into marrying me. It was love at first sight for me, but it had taken some gentle persuading on my part to help Chris see how perfect we were together. Right after our marriage, we’d gone off to law school in another state. Josh had been born exactly nine months later followed by Savannah two years after that. There were times when I regretted not finishing college back then, but I wouldn’t trade the life I had now for anything.
I loved my family and, as it turned out, I had a pretty good career without a degree, and I was proud of what I’d accomplished. Of course, if I hadn’t gotten shot in the head during a bank robbery, which left me with the ability to read minds, it might be a different story.
It was still hard for me to believe how my life had turned upside down simply because I’d stopped at the grocery store for some carrots. Who would have thought? Now I had my own consulting agency where I could get paid for helping people, and most of the time, all I had to do was read their minds. Not that it was always that easy, but after getting shot, I’d take some simple cases for a while.
A young woman sat on a bench near the fountain where we’d planned to meet. Her gaze caught mine and her eyes widened slightly before she recognized me. As I approached, she smiled and gave me a quick wave. She had long blond hair and a sweet face, but her somber eyes seemed out of place for someone her age, like she’d gone through some hard times.
Since she was a college student, I was a little nervous that she couldn’t afford my one-hundred-and-fifty-dollar-an-hour fee. But we’d talked about that before I agreed to meet her, and she’d seemed fine with it then. She stood to greet me.
“Shelby Nichols? Hi. I’m Tiffany Shaw. Thanks for meeting me.”
“Hi Tiffany, nice to meet you in person,” I answered.
“I know this is kind of informal, but it’s such a beautiful day. Do you mind staying out here in the sunshine?”
“I think that’s a great idea.”
“Good.” She resumed her seat on the bench and I sat beside her. She was thinking that she wasn’t sure how to start. What she needed might not even be possible, but she’d read about me in the paper and figured if anyone could help her, it was me. She’d been saving up for years to hire a private investigator and wanted the best. After a little digging, she’d heard rumors that I had premonitions. It didn’t faze her in the least. In fact, after all this time, she thought it might be the only thing that would solve the case. She just had to make sure her dad didn’t find out, since he was the over-protective sort. He’d tell her she was throwing away her money, and probably accuse me of taking advantage of her.
That certainly put a lot of pressure on me, and my stomach tightened with dread that her father would disapprove. But since she was thinking about not telling him, maybe he’d never need to find out. Considering her age and circumstances, I had hoped she’d hired me for something easy, like finding out if her roommate was after her boyfriend. But no, she was thinking about her mother, and that she was probably dead, and I knew nothing was ever as easy as I wished.
“I’d like to hire you to find my mother.” Her lips tightened and pain flashed through her eyes. “You see…I’m getting married in a few weeks and I really want her to be there.” She didn’t add ‘if she’s still alive’ like she was thinking.
She’d always imagined her mother would be at her wedding, and now that it was actually happening, she couldn’t stop wondering where her mom was and what had happened to her. The day her mother had gone missing was the worst day of her life, and thinking about it brought all the horror back, but she knew she would never move on unless she had some answers.
“Tell me what happened,” I said gently.
She took a deep breath. “It’s been nearly six years, and I know that’s a long time, but just hear me out before you decide if you can take the job or not.”
“Okay.” I encouraged her with a smile. “Go on.”
“Like I said…it will be six years on the twenty-eighth of October since she went missing. That night, she drove to the office where she worked to drop something off and never came back. They found her car parked in the parking structure with the keys in the ignition. Her purse was on the passenger seat. Nothing was taken, and there was no sign of a struggle. It was like she just disappeared off the face of the earth.”
“What did the police tell you?”
“Well…they dusted for prints, checked her office, put out a missing person’s report, questioned her colleagues at work, and brought my father in for questioning.” She hated that they had suspected him. He was innocent. He had nothing to do with it. He loved her mom. It still made her angry. It was part of what had made the day so bad. She not only lost her mother, but her father was never the same after that.
“What happened to your father? Did they charge him with anything?”
Tiffany shook her head. “No. They had no evidence that he was involved, but the police always suspect the husband first. So it was bad enough that my mom disappeared, but the fact that they thought my dad had something to do with it made it ten times worse.”
She sighed, wondering for the thousandth time what kind of person she would be right now if she still had her mom. She’d probably be a lot happier, that was for sure. “My dad’s doing better now. He even got married a couple of months ago.”
“That’s good,” I said.
“Yeah.” She was glad he had finally moved on, and wished it was something she could do. But the ache just wouldn’t go away, especially with her upcoming wedding. This was the most important day of her life, and her mother should be there. So where was she? What had happened? Who had taken her? Why hadn’t she come home?
In her heart, she knew her mother never would have left unless she was forced into it. Speculation from the police and others of affairs, with her mom running off with another man, only deepened the wound, and she wouldn’t believe any of it. That’s why a small part of her had to believe her mom was dead, but what if she wasn’t? What if someone was holding her captive? It could happen, and she just couldn’t give up until she knew for sure.
“What did the police decide about the case?” I asked.
“Officially, she’s missing and presumed dead. At least that’s what they declared so my dad could re-marry. I don’t know what happened to the case files. But I’m hoping you can dig them up and maybe find something that got passed over. I know it’s a long shot, but I’ve never had the resources to hire a private investigator until now. Do you think you could look into it for me?”
I bit my bottom lip. The chances of finding out what happened at this point were pretty slim. My mind-reading ability wouldn’t be of much use, although I could still question her dad. Even though she didn’t think it was him, I’d learned that some people were really good at keeping secrets, and I wasn’t about to rule him out. I could probably get my hands on the police file and talk to the detectives who handled the case, but beyond that, I didn’t have much hope.

About The Author - Colleen Helme

As the author of the Shelby Nichols Adventure Series, Colleen is often asked if Shelby Nichols is her alter-ego. “Definitely,” she says. “Shelby is the epitome of everything I wish I dared to be.” Known for her laugh since she was a kid, Colleen has always tried to find the humor in every situation and continues to enjoy writing about Shelby’s adventures. “I love getting Shelby into trouble…I just don’t always know how to get her out of it!” Colleen lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family. Besides writing, she loves a good book, biking, hiking, and playing board and card games with family and friends. She loves to connect with readers and admits that fans of the series keep her writing.

Author Links

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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Chicken Marinara

  • 8 whole Chicken Thighs, Bone-in, Skin-on
  •  Salt And Pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 2 jars (24 Ounces Each) Marinara Sauce
  •  Fresh Basil - To Taste
  •  Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling
  • 16 ounces, weight Penne Or Rigatoni
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs quickly on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a separate plate.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon grease/oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir around to cook, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and stir to heat. Add chicken thighs back into the sauce. Cover and place pan in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. (You may also simmer on the stovetop on the lowest heat possible.)

Cook the pasta according to package instructions Serve 1 chicken thigh with sauce over pasta, adding more marinara if needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. (For smaller children, you can cut the meat off the bone for them. Chicken is very tender!)
Photo credit: Sandy
Pioneer Woman:recipe

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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The Portrait

This is a two-parter since I missed posting yesterday. There's a poem that goes with this one anyway, so that can be make-up for yesterday. This is a self portrait of sorts: not directly representative in appearance, more metaphorical that anything.

The Portrait

Inside the cavity of the mind,
a wall; empty, and collecting time,
save for a solitary vision of mine;

A face: worn and stricken by strife,
with eyes that have seen more than should been seen in a life;
beacons of wisdom, keen as a knife...
yet...growing dull.

Color: bright and all around;
blue, the shade that floats above the ground,
commanding all to be joyful, proud:
never once peering to see within.

For why the facade of happiness,
when inside endless seas, never at rest:
aching, breaking, cold as death,
whose fingers are never far.

Still...the smallest conflagrations flick,
borne on wisps of frigid wind; thick,
like precious stronghold doors, which,
when locked, provide hope.

These: the smallest lights in crowded dark...
is there worth in searching for the distinctive mark
they leave upon even the blackest of hearts?

Tell me: what is a man without, at least, a glimmer
of some bright promise, though made in Winter,
will cease his frame from becoming any thinner
than the lamppost that it is.

For inside every man there is flicker; a flame,
despite its size, can warm his core, however lame
it feels to his name: HIS core it will remain,
and his choice of what to make of it.

A verdict set; the face was and always will be mine,
whether young as child or cragged as the miser with his glass of wine,
bleary but coherent as the tower's chime,
sounding its purpose.

What will be forged with the seconds that remain intact
is a choice that lies with me, either at my worst or at my best,
it is still my choice at that.

I only pray I do not waste it.

Artwork © 2012 Jeremy Owen
'The Portrait' © 2012 Jeremy Owen

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DIY Your School Supplies

By Marina M.

Need some cool and cute ideas for school supplies?  These don’t  take much time at all and they are creative things for school with little money and effort.  From crafty pens to pencils to fun  DIY notebooks and organizers.  These cool crafts will keep you in style.

To make a DIY SuppliesDIY pencil pouch you take a plain case and you can buy from Amazon, then take some sharpies and make any cute designs you want to put on it.  You can put all the pens, pencils and more.

If your locker is plain and you  need something to put on it then these will be perfect, emoji locker magnets.  You will need circular yellow magnets, sharpies, and a black pen.  Draw your favorite emojis and put it on your locker.

These DIY handmade bookmarks can take ten minutes to do and you can use them for all your books.  You will need decorative paper to make it look cute, yarn, anything you want to put on it do decorate the way you like, scissors, and a hole puncher.  Cut the paper rectangular and make the corners round and use the hole puncher to make a hole on the top of the bookmark.  Then tie the yarn into the hole and decorate your bookmarks with things you love.

Do you want some pencils that are cute and festive?   Well try doing this DIY confetti pencils at home.  The materials you will need is pencils, white spray paint, painter’s tape, hole reinforcement labels, colored acrylic paint, and paintbrushes.  Tape any parts of the pencils that you don’t want spray painted white, spray paint your pencils white.  Once your pencils are completely dry, start sticking your reinforcement stickers along the length of your pencil.  Start painting your confetti spots.  Once your spots are completely dry remove the stickers.  And there you go cute and festive pencils.

This denim covered can is perfect for markers, pencils, pens, and scissors.  Use scrap fabric and recycled blue jeans to make this fun pencil holder for school or your desk. A fun recycling project for any age.  You will need a can.  Then cut a piece of your old jeans and wrap it around the can.  Decorate it with scrap fabric and make it how you would like.

All these DIY are fun activities you can do at home.  They make the simplest things into something that makes it look fun and festive for anyone to enjoy.

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June 25, 2010

Easy and Fun T-Shirt Printing

Last week, I shared that teacher-dad showed our homeschoolers the easy way to print the design they like on their shirts. So during the week they hunted for designs on the net. On Monday they finally did it. Oh, what fun!

Here they are showing off their designs. The theme is on music appreciation which is our theme for this quarter.

1 comment:

  1. Those are quite beautiful and professional looking. Impressive! I wish we lived near your family!

Your comment is very much appreciated. But please know that my young homeschoolers will be reading this also. Thank you.
Looking forward to visit you.


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July 27, 2010

Something Red and Interesting!

While I was riding a bus in Hong Kong, I saw this red building from afar. I thought it was interesting.

It stood so red among all other buildings.

Here's something red from my kitchen today ; fried chicken dumplings. It is locally called gyoza but in our family we call it jaozhi. We love dipping it on black vinegar with chili powder.

One of my hobbies is taking picture of almost all my food before eating them. Everybody in the house knows that for they would have wait for me to snap a photo before they could eat. My camera always hangs on my neck so the waiting would only take few seconds though. Some good friends know that too because I do the same thing when I'm with them :-)

What odd hobbies do you have?

Thank you for stopping by. I really do appreciate all your visits. Lately, I noticed the traffic to our blog has greatly increased. The whole family is pleased. It brings more excitement to our day each time we see a comment left in our comment box.Thank you everyone. May you be blessed each time you stop by.

See more interesting red stuff here :

  1. I don't think photography is an odd hobby. Perhaps because it's one of mine.

  2. Oh that looks sooooooooooooooo good.The red building is cool also :)

  3. That building is unique and you're right it stand out among all the buildings around. The food looks very yummy!

    Barnyard Express

  4. What a great idea to paint it red! It can be seen from anywhere!!
    Oh, we got the same hobby..Even my family & friends will let me snap the food and then we'll eat! BTW, that dumplings looks super delicious ! :)

Your comment is very much appreciated. But please know that my young homeschoolers will be reading this also. Thank you.
Looking forward to visit you.


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Thursday, June 26, 2008

a fun update!

I have done a really poor job of updating our blog...I've been extra tired and a little sick to my stomach...but I am feeling much better now...because I'm almost at the end of my first trimester of pregnancy!!! We are expecting Baby Lee #2 in January 2009 :) We are so excited and thankful to the Lord for giving us this sweet gift of another child! He/She is the product of our prayers and our friends and family's praise the Lord!

In other news...Jada (the big sis) is talking up a storm and is really becoming her own little person. A funny story, we were at "The Farm Patch" yesterday, a local fruit and veggie store. The sweet old man that runs it brought Jada a banana to eat while we were shopping. She took it gladly, said "Tay Too" (translated Thank you) then blew him a kiss....all without any prompting from mom. The sweet man loved it too:) I have attached some recent photos I took of Jada.

Our good friends, the Cavins, are moving to Tennessee on Saturday. They are truly like family to us and we are really mad at them for moving...just kidding, but we will miss them like crazy. Jada and Sam, their son, are great friends and Jada will miss Sam a lot too. We really are excited about what the Lord has in store for the Cavin family in Tennessee...Drew earned his PHD at A&M and is going to be a professor at a school there. So, we love you'll be missed! I have attached a couple of fun photos of Sam from our photo shoot the other day...the last one is a bit too symbolic to not be staged!


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Lower Politician Wages

Over the past few days, while surfing a popular social network site, I have come across this post:

Salary of the US President. ..$400,000.
Salary of retired US Presidents ...$180,000.
Salary of House/Senate...$174, 000.
Salary of Speaker of the House...$223,500...
Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders... $193,400...
Average Salary of Soldier DEPLOYED IN IRAQ $38,000...
I think we found where the cuts should be made! If you agree, repost

Well, I of course started looking things up and thinking- Why do we pay our politicians so much? Some people tell me it's to keep corruption out of government, others say it's to attract the brightest minds.

I believe politicians should make no more than double the federal minimum wage. ($7.25/hr) Why? Well, because I think our politicians are way out of touch with the average American. Corruption exists already in our government, why not try something different?

5390 users have voted.

Responsiblity & "Sharing The Burden" of The Budget Crisis

Whenever someone looks at a budget crisis at any given moment, it’s easy to point to “cut spending, raise revenue” and say it's the best and most fair solution. While, on the surface, this is a great way to compromise and “move forward”, and it usually is... just not this time.

I have always had a problem with the idiocy of some people who forget or ignore the past. If you remind these people whom was responsible for “spilling the milk”, their reply is usually something like: “We need to focus on the current issue at hand.” or “You are just trying to point the finger.” Then they quickly want to move to a “fair” compromise. What I think is “fair” is: whomever “makes the mess, cleans it up”. How many times does your child have to spill the milk, before you take direct control of the milk-carton away? Same thing with the budget.

3355 users have voted.

The Fox News "Fear and Smear" Mantra

It's long been known to anyone with half a brain that Fox News and their comrades manipulate and distort facts solely for financial and political gain. When there aren’t any facts to twist, Fox News and Co. will just make them up, as needed. I read an interesting article on the Long History of Race-Baiting at Fox News which helped spur my writing today.

Many of us get our news from a variety of outlets: radio, TV, internet, newspapers, and magazines. All of which, at some point, have spelled out in explicit detail the blatant accounts of the lying liars at Fox News. These hosts include, but not limited to: Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Glenn Beck. We should add Alex Jones and Rush Limbaugh because they are certainly not exempt here. Also, let’s not forget to include Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes themselves. They are, after all, the masterminds behind the "Fear and Smear" mantra at Fox News.

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