text:
Mouse In Boot

I wish I could tell you the story I am about to tell you is not as bad as the title suggests. But I really can't. I really, really, just sadly absolutely cannot. It is horrible. It is true. It will give you nightmares, it will make you forget what it is to want to eat food. It will very easily convince you that staying in a little clean bathroom, without windows is a good idea, because it is horrible.

Now that was, of course, a bit of an exaggeration, simply because I live in a city and I am not used to mice. So yes, to me it is horrible, this story I am about to tell you, but of course you may think, "Ha! The wimp!" And well, it's okay I'm expecting it.

It was a windy day. Actually, no I have no recollection of the weather because this was what? Three months ago? Okay, so I have no idea what the weather was... But you know, sometimes it is just nice to add in those little details so as to create a setting and then oh I don't know, intensify the suspense.

OOOO the wind howled in my ears. The sky was dark, the sun had set, the stars were no where to be seen.

Okay, I'll stop.

I was in a garage. I know that isn't as scary as being in the middle of a dark forest, the moon lost amist the sky, but it's the truth so I gotta stick to it.

A garage. And on a trailer-like thingamagigy. I was trying on skiing boots because I was going to go - take a guess. Good. Now, I didn't have my own skiis with me because I was in Vermont and I usually go skiing in Massachussets, so I was trying on someone else's skis that I was going to borrow. I placed my foot inside the boot. I tried to force my foot in but there seemed to be something at the bottom.

No biggy.
Probably just a piece of paper, or a rock, or something...

I reached down into the boot.
I pulled something up.

It was really grey, and rough, and looked like one of those things you clean dishes with that are metalic and hairy looking? (Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about?) Steel Wool.

The moment was quick. I looked at my friends uncle with a look of pure disgust. What the heck is this?   By the look of his face I should not have asked. But I did anyway. Of course I did.

I threw it to the ground.

"What was that?" I asked.

He said, "You don't want to know..."

"Was that a mouse?"

I didn't need to see him nod to know that it was a mouse.
Are you screaming yet?

Well, that's all I have to share for today. I'd appreciate you trying to top my mouse experience...

Invisible Neighbor Takes New Action

Please pardon if my writing seems to be proper I am in the middle of reading Pride and Prejudice and must confess I am being transformed into an aristocrat.

Oh what a pity it is to find alas my life of war to be over! The time has come for me to cease the endless undeclared war between me and my neighbor! For my neighbor has, quite unfortunately, made a peace offering. To what of which that is I shall explain, if only you will listen. And do not forget the past acts of war that were taken against me in the past, observe here and here.

I was walking, jolly, with prudent intentions, to dispose of my garbage as fast as possible when a sudden realization disturbed my countenance. The toilet was in my house and I earnestly required it. I dropped the garbage can and sprinted to my residence, passing dear sister on the way in.

        "Cassidy, dearest I must occupy the washroom!"

        "Right away, dear!" She responded with intent concern.

When I was ready I headed back out the door, walking with the intention of finishing the job I started. But as I looked ahead of me to the spot of which I let rest my can of garbage, I found only an empty space. I stopped.

Alas! I was frightened! Did someone steal my dear garbage can?

I hurried to open the garbage room door with fear of it being too late. The door handle was quite dirty I must say, this is courage I display.

Inside the garbage room sat a perfectly luxurious garbage can completely intact. It was mine and I was saved!

But here comes the part of which there is fear. Fear only because it is so strange. So very strange, however benevolent, I was frightened.

As I looked inside the garbage can I observed ever single peace of garbage to be missing. And as I looked inside of the recycling bins it was there my garbage lay. I stood there with my eyes wide for minutes.

What ever could this mean?

My neighbor disposed of my garbage during my swift absence. That was all it could mean. And after what feels like years of war between this invisible neighbor, I realized it was all over. However fun the experience was, it is and will always be over.  And for that I will be ever grateful. This was a noble deed of my neighbor, of whose identity I still do not know, but I thank him or her dearly in my heart.

The war is over, my friends.
The struggle has passed.
There may be peace.
Glory be to the name of I
and to Neighbor.

Till we meet again.
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Posted on October 16th, 2012

Cuffs: COOEE

Since a few days the proud owner of a couple of industrial plexiglass bracelets by the Swedish COOEE – as some of you who follow me on Instagram might have seen already.  And I’ve worn them a few times, definitely keepers!

Follow me on Facebook,Twitter & Bloglovin!

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  • Nuria

    Mooie armbanden!!

  • Daisy Roadster and Coco

    I like this type of bracelets. They’re not like any jewel and yet have a feminine touch. Good buy !

  • Eva

    Ze zijn echt gaaf! Heb alleen hele smalle polsen dus vind het eng ze online te bestellen…

    • Raspberry & Rouge

      Moet goed gaan hoor! Ben benieuwd! Xx

  • davie+erica

    Love those! So much!!

    ox from NYC!

  • Jolien

    These look super cool!

  • Jony

    Vind ze super mooi!!

    x Jony

  • dipitblack

    Ah I love them!
    Most of the bracelets are too girly,
    but these are firm, classy and just gorgeous!

    Great find!

  • Corina Nika

    They are one of my favorite cuff types

    Win a Black & Gold Statement Necklace from my shop. Join the GIVEAWAY

  • Cassandra

    I want some of this good stuff now! 😀 They are pretty! 😀

    Btw I would like to invite you and your readers to the new Bloggers Against Social Injustice network where fashion bloggers come together to make this world a better place.

    You can join in the fun by participating in events organized by the Bloggers Against Social Injustice committee & also at the same time spread the words of such good cause.

    Play your part & help those unheard voice be heard. You are just a click away! :)

    Facebook: Click here for our Facebook
    Twitter: Click here for our Twitter

    I hope to see you there! :)
    Bloggers Against Social Injustice

  • Rielle

    Heel mooi!

    X Riëlle

  • Chicks About Fashion

    Mooie armbanden!
    Check ook onze blog.

  • Rowan

    Ze zijn zo ontzettend gaaf! Wel jammer van ‘t prijskaartje :(

    • Raspberry & Rouge

      Thanks! Daarom was ik ZO blij dat ik ze mocht krijgen :) Wie weet 😉 Xx

  • Clara

    Love your cuffs!

  • Deppa

    Yeah yeah yeahhhh for the new cuffs!

    See you!

    Ik vind zulke armbanden erg mooi!
    Ben helemaal weg van de industrial look in everything!

  • Accessorizing You

    Oh my, I’ve fallen in love with these!!

  • Carola

    aye lovee!

    Heartbeats //Vienna Wedekind//

  • Virginie

    I’m completely mad of this jewel line and feeling very curious about it… Love it.

    Virginie/ Style Reload

  • olga

    great pictures, love your blog!

    want to follow each other? :)

  • Rebecca

    Gorgeous bracelets! They are so bold and unique! Love them!

  • Kira Fashion (@KIRAFASHION)

    awesome cuffs!

  • Ciska

    Ive loved them since I first saw them. Hope you will show an outfit with them soon!

  • laborsadimarypoppins

    beautiful post!!Your blog is so lovely! I
    xoxo Gloria

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Rate with ♥
15  Cmnts
10 Favs
0 Collects

Artist description:
I like drawing poofy dresses. ;D
Java Draw   Created Jun 20, 2012   460 x 640px    Unless noted Copyright 2012 Sobur.

More by Sobur

Do I know you?
Saint Tail
Oreki Houtarou (thechilione)

COMMENTS 15 Post a comment

L3iAnVillPa3  Jul 02, 2012

i love the colors that you put together (: 5/5h

ElliTheRaverx3  Jul 02, 2012

i love poofy dresses^^ 5H and faved

eyes_of_elly  Jun 30, 2012

Very cute, and I love the style!

ChiLaRa  Jun 28, 2012

looking great!! she looks so beautiful x333

Greatmajo  Jun 24, 2012

She's so pretty!! I loe her dress and hair they are both poofy and adorable!

Pure  Jun 23, 2012

very good !! ..5h

Zoq  Jun 23, 2012

I like how you use colours, they arent too bright which gives it a nice..soft look, urgh i can't explain it, but it looks GREAT :D. Beautiful drawing, i love what she is wearing xD

SarahCandy  Jun 22, 2012

I love your style it's so unique and original. I love the eyes and the dress ofc.

foxluver1  Jun 22, 2012

Ooooooh! youre SO good at drawing clothes and such! I really love your style. Im soo not an anime person but i just might have to fav this one. her hair is awesomeee. +5 favs!

magamagoh  Jun 21, 2012

nice drawing, very soft..beautiful lines..5/5..

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Rate with ♥
22  Cmnts
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Artist description:
Hehehehee...... random planet quickdraw for sci-fi comp. I always speed draw, no matter what it is...I wonder what it would look like if I spent time on it?
Flash Draw   Created Apr 01, 2009   470 x 338px    Unless noted Copyright 2009 koolkat104.

More by koolkat104

Request - Orenji Akimori

Zoroark colored
Zoroark Lineart
Lava Dragon
Damnit! - Pain & Anger

COMMENTS 22 Post a comment

Lynnie______  Nov 03, 2009

oooh cool! :O i love your colour choice in this :)

JUR  May 15, 2009

Wow!!!Amazing work!!!

Koirakko  May 12, 2009

UniqueX  Apr 26, 2009

its so mystical.. nice colour choice 5hearts XD

designpup1  Apr 26, 2009

Equilibrium  Apr 15, 2009

very cool quick draw:)) love the colours:))

Gotenks23  Apr 12, 2009

awesoem! 5H ^^

Megggg(:  Apr 12, 2009

Woah! immense draw! ive already commented somewhere or another but who the hell cares? i love it! XD

poema  Apr 09, 2009

cool coulors!! yay colors i like it

T-rex1201  Apr 05, 2009

This is very interesting. Your color choice was good but u need a little more detail in your curves and shading. Good though.

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text:
one man's trash

there's a reason this girl is on my list of recommended reads. she can take this:

and turn it into this:

anyone have anything i can jewel-encrust?

images: garbagedress

kaye said...

the A.F. Vandervorst black leather hoof boots from the FW09 collection?

...don't they gross you out? like horses?

just wondering.

at least they're not knobby knees i guess.

RAT PACK said...

well, since horses are really low on my stuff-to-think-about-when-i-don't-absolutely-have-to list, humans with hooves actually make me think of fauns or the greek god pan... both of which are totally badass.

effin horses! pfffftt.

RAT PACK said...

... those boots still kinda gross me out, though. but i don't even know why!

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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Here are 2 of the 3 miniature redwork blocks that I've finished. The pattern called for coloured embroidery but I couldn't find my bag of threads so it ended up being Redwork :) I have misplaced the December block but I'll post it as soon as I can get home to find it. These have been so fun to stitch and as soon as I can find my other threads I'll be doing the coloured embroidery version !!

This is a little doll quilt that I started the other day for Isis. I need to finish quilting it and then raid my stash of buttons because she wants buttons on all of the squares :) I am going to finish it off Thursday as thats my off day for this week. So many projects - so little time !

Monday, July 28, 2008

Busy Stitching Away

I am busy stitching up the mini redwork months blocks that i posted about a couple of posts ago. They are working up super quick and way to cute - I like them so much I may have to make a couple of these mini quilts for a couple of very special blog buddies of mine :) I will be back to post photo's of the 3 that I have completed when I get home from work as this morning I rembered the camera but not the dang cord - grrr -

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Last little male

This is the last little baby from Voilets litter. Both of the other have found wonderful homes :)

Saturday, July 26, 2008

More free Redwork patterns

This is the cutest little redwork mini quilt :) I was up way to early this morning and I've run across a bunch of redwork patterns that I thought some of you might enjoy.To find these patterns go here :

For some Kewpie day of the week babies go here :

I just love this pattern it can be found over at the patternbee and they also have several more that are really neat. Go here to get the patterns :

Also go here for some really neat redwork patterns :

This pattern and quite a few others can be found here :

Friday, July 25, 2008

More Baby Ducks

Phoenix got 3 new baby ducks yesterday . I had giving him some money for helping out with the dogs. He bought these 3 little babies for 9 $ . They are Mallard/Muscovie mix. Very cute little things though very shy as they won't let me get very close to take any good pictures.Phoenix's Topknot ducks are growing fast , they have all of thier adult feathers in now. Pretty soon I'll be having to work on a new pen for the ducks as I think they will outgrow this one soon as it is only 12'x12'.

1906 Crazy Quilt

I just had to share this quilt with ya'll ! Sadly it's not one that I own but if I had an extra 4,000 $ I sure would be owning it :) I love antique Crazy Quilts with lots of embroidery and this one sure does have a bunch !! Hope ya'll enjoy. I'll be back soon to share some more of my work.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

A mini chinese coin

I put this one together a couple of days ago. It's a repo of a full sized quilt that I saw several years ago at an Antique store but the orignal had a huge price tag on it so I walked away with just some photo's of the quilt. I have put this top up for sale on Ebay as I really need the $$ right now.I have it up to auction for 11.99 or buy it now of 18.00 . Do ya'll think that's to much money? I am working on a couple of more tops to put up and then I can start some to keep.
*** Edit to add - all these fabrics were from my stash , I wonder if it'll count twoards the Stash Challenge ? *****

Monday, July 21, 2008

Free Summer Workshops

Are you looking for a new project <> I know like we all don't have enough on our plates already. But anywho, over at Cotton Spice the are hosting 14 days of free workshops from some simply wonderful designers including Laughing Cat, Plumcute Designs and a bunch more . Go check it out here to read more about it :
I will be adding a button to my side bar at some point today. And also I will be back soon to show ya'll a couple of things that I have manged to put together the last couple of days.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

More Puppy Photo's

This is Alice. I love this baby girl's white face. At birth she was 4.1 ounces. She should mature about 4 to 5 pounds.

This is Kim. She looks alot like her daddy Rookie. She was the only one in this litter coloured like him. Her brindal markings get more progressed with every day. I have offered her to my friend Sandra, if she doesn't want her I may very well end up keeping her. At birth she wieghed in at 3.1 ounces and according to my growth chart should mature at 3 1/2 to 4 pounds.

This is Dotty and she is really my favirote of the whole litter. At birth she was 3.6 ounces and should mature about 4 to 4 1/2 pounds. I love solid merles and I am very tempted to keep her !!

This is Kojack the only male in the litter and he looks so much like Alice that it's hard not to confuse the two of them. At birth he was the largest of the litter at 4.3 ounces.

Puppy Pic's

These babies are so cute. I just work a 24, I'll be back later with more pic's and info for ya'll.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Cheyenne's Progress

It took Cheyenne forever to pick out a pattern that she wanted to do. But in the end she choose a cute basket with flowers in it to applique.

We are using fusible web for this project.

I don't think either one of us realized just how many little pieces there were. Cheyenne didn't think she was ever going to get through tracing and cutting the pieces.

This girl loves to iron fabric :) Even when I am working on my projects Chey does all of the ironing for me . I will post some more of her progress in a couple of days. She wants to get a bit more done on it today as it's me day off and we are having a sewing fest LOL !! If we get a good bit done today I'll post progress pic later on tonight.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Sunbonnet Sue Update

Here is Sunbonnet #1 finished and Sunbonnet #2 is done also I just need to get her pic on here. The blocks are so much fun to do. I think though that I am going to stop at these 2 and put them with some other blocks to make a sampler. I really want to try out my hand at hand quilting. This past summer I got 3 lap quilting hoops at a yard sale for cheaper than dirt and I really want to give them a go :) I have 4 more blocks that I know will match these little sue's. I think I will play around with some graph paper tonight and figure out just how big I am going to go with this. My first thought is 12 blocks + sashing and boders to maybe make a cuddle quilt . We'll have to see.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

More New Puppies :)

Angel had babies this afternoon !! She had 4 of the most adorable itty bitty little babies you ever wanna see. She had 3 blue merle's and 1 little female that looks like it will be a brindle. I will know more about that female in a couple of weeks. I will post some pic's as soon as I get that darn new camera sorted out.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Worst Luck Ever

So I must have the worst luck ever with Ditial Camera's. I have had this one less than a year and tonight when I went to go upload the progress pic's on my Sunbonnet Sue's I realized that the darn thing was broken. Isis is the culprit I believe as the part that you plug into the computer looks as though it has been chewed on. So I'll be off to Walmart to spend only who knows how much on a new camera.Needless to say I am NOT impressed but where she is only 5 there's not much I can do about it other than to give her a stern talking to about touching things that don't belong to her :(

However on a much brighter note Cheyenne has decided to help me reduce my fabric stash. Today she pulled out a ton of fabric and announced that she was making a Wall quilt for her new room. She spent awhile hunting through my quilty mags and found a pattern that she liked ( with some tweeking of course ) . She spent the afternoon fusing, tracing, cutting and ironing ! She has 2 of the 4 needed blocks together but decided that the blocks were lacking something. It took her a wee while to figure out what it was, then she took a look at my Sue's and decided that she wanted Momma to add some buttonhole stitching to her blocks. So I guess I'll put my Sue's on hold for a couple of days to do the buttonhole stitching on her blocks. I will have some photo's of both mine and Cheyenne's progress for ya'll as soon as I get another camera up and going.I feel very lucky to have such a sweet and talented daughter like Cheyenne!!

Meet Memphis

I went out to Robert Graham's last week because I was hunting a new stud. He had several litters to choose from, I knew that I either wanted a blue or a chocolate stud. I looked at a ton of puppy's from just born to 4 months old. I ended up picking out a little male from the oldest litter. What really cinched it for me was that this litter was born on my birthday so I just knew that it was fated to be. Memphis is the smallest male hiding in the back.

He's still a little bit shy but I'm sure he will come out of it soon. At 4 months old he wieghs in at 2 1/2 pounds. I figure that he will mature about 4 to 5 pounds. I am very excited about this little guy :) He has everything that I am looking for in a new stud, size, colour and spunk !! I have been searching a long time for the perfect blue and now I have him :)

Here is a picture of Kelly, Memphis's mother. She is a 8 pound blue/white type A. Also in the picture is Rocky , the sire of Ginger.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Alphabet Friends

Please go on over to Quilt Taffy and see the neat project that is going on :) Here's a link :

Sunbonnet Sue

I put these little Sue's together yesterday at work. I am useing some of the fabric from the stash challenge. These block will become a baby quilt. I am doing a buttonhole stitch around the edges in black DMC. In the last photo you can see a bit of the buttonhole stitch that I did on the purple Sue.I am going to try to finish her up today and then if I get lucky I'll be able to get to the red Sue today. I'll post some more photo's tomorrow of my progress. I'm off to go stitch now :)

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Some free patterns

Sorry long time no post , I have been quite busy working on a few mini quilts and if I get lucky I will have a couple of finishes to show ya'll in the next couple of days.It's been hard to squeeze in any sewing time - the office has me working from 12 to 14 hours a day , man how I'm wishing for a day off :( But anyways, I have new pic's of the baby puppies that I will post later on today - they will be going to new homes very soon , thats always such a sad time for me ! I so enjoy raising a new litter of babies and I get so attached to the little buggers, sometimes I wish that I could keep them all !!

I got up at 3 AM this morning and started hunting blogland and lookie what I found - for those of you who enjoy redwork here is a free pattern :

Here is another cute redwork freebie that I've found this morning.This is the link :


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Friday, March 18, 2005

And this monster is mysterious at least

Can't sleep, clown will touch me: March 18, 2005 -- MICHAEL Jackson can't catch a break. "The Simpsons" creator, Sam Simon, went on Howard Stern's radio show yesterday and shared a weird memory of when Jacko was a guest star on the animated series, lending his voice to a mental patient with a shaved head. As recalled by Simon, Jackson demanded the script be changed so his character could spend more time with Bart. So Simon gave Jackson a scene where he spends the night alone with Bart in his room. Simon added that during the voice recording, someone gave Jackson a giant Bart Simpson doll — and that when he thought no one was looking, Jackson started to kiss the doll. These things make more and more sense in retrospect. "Stark Raving Dad," the episode in question, was the season premiere episode of 1991. Michael Jackson has been blatantly telegraphing loonball pedophilic behaviour at least that long. How is it even possible that a) parents have been willing to let children out of their sight with this man, and b) no court's been able to convict him, in the last fifteen years?

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Blueberry Banana Coconut Smoothie & Yogurt

Yesterday morning after my super intense weight training class, I came home to make my post-workout smoothie and posted about it on Facebook. Shout out to Brooke on the Raw Girl Facebook page, who wanted the recipe.  So funny thing is, I started out making a smoothie…and I ended up making yogurt which was equally as delish, just a lot thicker. I’m sure you’re wondering how this happened?  Well, I put in the ingredients listed below as usual, but what was different was the coconut. If you pick up a young Thai coconut that is smaller than the others, usually that coconut is more developed. The coconut meat inside is thicker and harder to remove, but it’s totally possible to get out if you put a little extra muscle into it. My coconut yesterday morning had some thick coconut meat going on, so when I blended everything together I got…blueberry banana coconut yogurt. Another way to make this happen, on purpose, is to add an avocado! This works for any fruit smoothie concoction and automatically will give you a creamy yogurt-y consistency if that’s what you’re in the mood for. All that said, recipe below for smoothie. If you want yogurt add an avocado, or get a small young Thai coconut with thick coconut meat inside! Want to up the ante, do like I do and add in some superfood powders.  -XoXo Raw Girl

1 Young Thai Coconut

2 ripe bananas (1 works as well)

1/2 cup to 1 cup of blueberries

Put bananas and blueberries in blender. Hack open Thai coconut while keeping your fingers and extremities in tact! (There are a lot of great videos on how to do that. If your interested and have never done so, go to You Tube and search “How to Open a Young Thai Coconut” and tons of videos will pop up to give you an idea.)  Pour coconut water into blender. Scrape the inside of the coconut and add the coconut meat into the blender. Blend, pour, enjoy!

****REMINDER******* My health radio show Healthy Living in a Toxic World airs tonight online at 7pm via Anyone can tune in and listen. Tonight’s episode is on How to Quit Smoking Naturally, and I will be interviewing Holistic Health Counselor and Naturopath, Dr. Yew.

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Pumping fresh capital to rural banks

With the law allowing the infusion of foreign equity in rural banks now in place as embodied in Republic Act (RA) 10574, it is expected that foreign investors will start fostering partnerships with local industry players to fuel new investments to boost economic growth in the countryside. In the next months, financial strategies shall be planned, discussed and finalized.

The rural banking industry nowadays is comparable to top-rated stocks in the stock market, where share prices will go through the roof due to the rush of excitement among industry players. Anticipation will drive investors into buying shares, at least for the short term.

After the euphoria brought about by the passage of RA 10574, we should put into perspective the status of the rural banking industry in providing for the needs of its clientele, to see the possible effects of foreign investments in the industry.

Before the law was passed, only foreign banks are allowed to acquire equity in rural banks. Foreign individuals or entities are prohibited from doing the same.

The new law amended Section 4 of RA 7353, or the “Rural Bank Act of 1992,” and enables foreign individuals and entities to acquire equity of up to 60 percent in rural banks. To quote, “non-Filipino citizens may own, acquire or purchase up to 60 percent of the voting stocks in a rural bank. The percentage of foreign-owned voting stocks shall be determined by the citizenship of the individual or corporate stockholders of the rural bank.”

It is true that foreign investments will not pour in to the coffers of rural banks overnight. However, the thought of allowing foreign capital infusion in rural banks is just a small step that will pave way for the much-needed push for the industry. In the same way that it will also aid in the overall development of the countryside by creating an environment beneficial to foreign and local investors alike and encourage more borrowing activities from rural bank clients to finance their respective enterprises.

Based on the “2012 Status Report of the Philippine Financial System” of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the rural banking industry continues to report gains from its core lending activities. In March 2012, it has posted a total loan portfolio of P110.70 billion, higher by 4.2 percent (P4.5 billion) in 2011.

The agricultural, hunting and fishery sector is still the main recipient of loans from the rural banks. In compliance with RA 6977, or the Magna Carta for Small Enterprises, as amended by RA 8289 and 9501, a total of P11.70 billion has been set aside by the rural banking industry for micro, small and medium enterprises credit. According to the same BSP report, rural banks exceeded the statutory floors of 8 percent for micro and small enterprises, and 2 percent for medium enterprises at P8.2 billion and P3.5 billion, respectively.

With the potential financial backing provided by foreign investors, these small achievements can be replicated to even likely register a double-digit growth rate in loan portfolio, which in effect places rural banks in a better position to serve rural areas especially amid the prognosis of a robust economic growth this year.

For 2013, financial analysts see the Philippine economy growing by 7 percent, mainly attributed to sound policy developments and economic fundamentals, which provide investors with a solid foundation for confidence in the Philippines.

As economic activities flourish, borrowings will also perk up, helping both the client and more significantly, the entire rural banking industry.

Published in The Manila Times, 6 June 2013


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Woody Allen has made dozens of movies I’ve been happy to watch. Café Society may be the first one I’d be happy to eat.

Despite the film’s silliness and inconsequentiality, the experience of Bad Moms does prompt an almost existential question: If a crummy comedy makes you laugh out loud at least three-dozen times, can it even be considered crummy in the first place?

Lighting, of course, can do a lot for a show, and Genesius Guild’s presentation of Much Ado About Nothing boasts a lovely, understated elegance – particularly in the twilight scenes – that’s much to the credit of designers Maaz Ahmed and Andy Shearouse. But at July 23’s Lincoln Park performance, it wouldn’t have been out of place for the duo’s mention in the program to come with an amendment: “... and special contributions by God Himself.” It turns out that lightning, too, can do a lot for a show.

Friday, July 22, 9:55 a.m.-ish: Few things get me more psyched for a quadruple-feature – or, more accurately, get me less dreading one – than knowing my day’s first screening will be over in a scant 80 minutes. So I enter director David F. Sandberg’s Lights Out feeling pretty good. Somewhat incredibly, I exit feeling really good, because this hour-20 horror trifle gives you just what you want from these things and too rarely do: a creepy and clever premise, a snappy pace, a bunch of good scares, a few strong portrayals, and a relative lack of eye-rolling stupidity.

Cory Branan

Tuesday, August 2, 7:30 p.m.

On August 2, Daytrotter hosts a night with alternative-country singer/songwriter Cory Branan, and writing on, Scott Recker stated, “Like all good country music, Cory Branan is hard, if not impossible, to define.” Perhaps Mr. Recker hasn’t read many of the artist’s reviews, because it seems that, over the years, Branan’s signature talents have been defined awfully nicely.

When actor Tommy Bullington walked on-stage for the Timber Lake Playhouse’s opening-night presentation of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, his arrival as narrator Pseudolus was met with a smattering of applause. He acknowledged the greeting and smiled, and the moment the clapping ceased, his smile faded, and Bullington took a perfect micro-pause before saying, “No, I liked it.” Cue the laugh, a bigger ovation, and the star flashing a wide, open-mouthed grin, curtsy-bowing like Maria Callas after performing Tosca at the Met. That, folks, is how you make an entrance.

A true tale that plays like fiction, director Brad Furman’s The Infiltrator concerns a federal agent (Bryan Cranston) who poses as a money launderer to help bust Pablo Escobar’s drug cartel, and it’s based on a memoir written by said agent Robert Mazur, not on a pre-existing movie. Yet it somehow feels like even more of a remake than the new Ghostbusters – principally a remake of Donnie Brasco, The Departed, or any number of similar entertainments involving disguised cops playing long cons, wire-tapping, bloody retribution, and swarthy gangsters in flashy suits conversing while topless women pole-dance in the background. It may boast saltier language and more bare breasts than broadcast-TV allows, but the movie wasn’t even 20 minutes old before I thought, “Hey ... haven’t I already seen this episode of Miami Vice?!”

Haters, as we all know, gonna hate. So there was probably no way the new Ghostbusters was ever going to win over the trolling Internet fanboys convinced that director Paul Feig’s female-led reboot – a nuclear bomb aimed directly at their childhood memories – was the end of civilization as we’ve known it. What consequently saddens me is that the movie spends so much time sucking up to those guys. While watching Feig’s latest, it’s easy to forget about the film’s underwhelming, dare-I-say-dreadful trailers, as the work in full is frequently very funny. But it’s also exhausting, because hardly a minute passes in which you’re not reminded of the Ghostbusters legacy – Ivan Reitman’s 1984 original, sure, but also the tired “controversy” surrounding its new presentation. All told, this might be the most simultaneously apologetic and defensive Hollywood blockbuster I’ve ever seen.

Ten years ago, almost to the day, I left my Rock Island apartment to make my first acquaintance with Genesius Guild’s annual classical-Greek dramas performed largely in mask, reviewing Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes and Sophocles’ Antigone. This past Saturday, leaving the same apartment, I ventured to Rock Island’s Lincoln Park to review Genesius Guild’s masked-drama presentations of ... Seven Against Thebes and Antigone. So nice to see that so much in my life has changed over the past decade.

Enacted by the delightful, gifted quartet of Michelle Blocker-Rosebrough, Melissa Anderson Clark, Sheri Olsen, and Erin Platt, The Marvelous Wonderettes is Countryside Community Theatre’s intentionally minimalist summertime offering after numerous seasons of grandly scaled, extravagantly cast Broadway hits. As it’s better to go small than go bust, I admire the organization’s decision to downsize. Yet if you know nothing about this undemanding musical, I urge you, in the interest of your time, to avoid the synopsis on its Wikipedia page, which details in 1,576 words what can be effectively distilled to 15: "Four young women sing ’50s songs at their prom, then ’60s songs at their reunion."


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Monday, February 27, 2012

Say No To Sweety Foods

Kids really love to eat sweet foods. You cannot say no when they want it, even adults likes to savor processed foods, soda, and other food beverages which found out to contain high fructose corn syrup. A new study from Medical College of Georgia at Georgia health Science University examined the 559 teens between the ages of 14 and 18 and found a link between diets that are high in fructose and increased risk for health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and cardiovascular diseases. The researchers emphasize the importance of a healthy diet and exercise and urge parents to keep an eye on the amount of high fructose corn syrup that is being eaten by kids at home and at school. So the next time your child ask for a soda or junk foods, always consider the effects of the foods that he intake on his body. It’s better to say no them at once than to suffer the effects later.

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Eban, Faith, and Elway Grilling

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A video interview with

Kathleen Krull

Did you know that Beethoven's favorite food was macaroni and cheese? Did you know that John F. Kennedy used to bark like a seal before giving important speeches? Well, if you read Kathleen Krull's biographies for young readers, you'll learn many such facts. Through solid research, lively writing, and juicy "gossip", Krull transforms iconic figures from the past into real human beings. "We're all secretly People magazine readers at heart," she explains, "even though we might not admit it."

You can watch the interview below, view the interview transcript, read a short biography on Kathleen Krull, or see a selected list of her children's books. (This video is also available on YouTube and iTunes.)

Since she was a young girl, Kathleen Krull has always known that she wanted to be a writer. In the second grade she wrote short stories and poems. At age ten, she wrote a book called "Hair-Do's and People I Know". As a teenager, she worked at the public library until she got fired for reading on the job.

Krull studied English at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. After graduation she worked as a children's book editor in the Midwest. While editing for different publishers, she learned about the industry and wrote books as an in-house author. After a decade of editorial work, Krull moved to San Diego and eventually settled into her new career as a children's book author.

Over the years, Kathleen Krull has mastered the art of writing high-interest informational books for children. Through her award-winning "Lives of…" series, Krull humanizes many of history's most important writers, artists, musicians, athletes, and leaders. Krull has also won awards for her compelling, well-researched picture books like Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman and Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. Her most recent series, "Giants of Science", offers middle school readers an in-depth look at famous scientists like Isaac Newton and Leonardo da Vinci.

Krull lives in San Diego and is married to children's book illustrator Paul Brewer. Together they have created two picture books: Clip Clip Clip: Three Stories about Hair and How to Trick or Treat in Outer Space.

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island." — Walt Disney


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Friday, 28 December 2012

Review: Pushing the Limits

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Mira Ink
Released: 31st July
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

'The worst type of crying wasn't the kind that everyone else could see - the wailing on street corners, the tearing at clothes.  No, the worst kind happened when your soul wept and no matter what you did, there was no way to comfort it.  A section withered and became a scar on the part of your soul that still survived.  For people like me and Echo, our souls contained more scar tissue than life.
"Come here, baby."  And with my words, Echo leaned into me: soft, pliant, broken.  "You're not alone," I whispered into her hair as I cradled her in my arms.  "You're not alone, because you have me."  And I love you, more than you could ever know.'

I sit here now, writing this, not bouncing and giddy with excitement, but quiet, stunned, astounded by the impact of the book that currently sits on the floor next to me.  It looks so innocent with its grey cover and the faces of Noah and Echo.  It pretends to be just a book, nothing more than a few hundred typed-up pages bound together.  Nothing more than paper and ink.  And yet, when you open it up to the first page, only seconds go by before that pretence is shrugged off and you become ensnared in world that, pretty soon, you have no desire to leave.

The story is simple.  Echo has scars on her arms from a night that she can't remember.  Overnight she turned from popular to freak.  Her father is a controlling tyrant and her stepmother's due to have a baby.  Anyone who knows anything refuses to tell her what happened. Noah is in foster care, separated from his brothers.  His parents are dead.  He'll do whatever it takes to get his brothers back.  Both of them want normal.  Both agree to help the other.  What neither of them count on is falling in love.

It sounds straightforward and yet it's anything but.  McGarry brings to life a world centred around two people who are broken beyond belief.  My heart bleeds for them both.  With everything that's happened to them in their lives they're left with almost no-one they can trust; the whole time all I wanted was to be able to cross the barrier between reality and fiction, look them in the eye and say, 'I'm here for you.'  I wanted to be there for them, to be one more person they could count on.  And that right there sums up what makes this author so amazing.  She has the ability to take two fictional characters and their lives, and make it all so real.  This reaction, this sense of wanting to support the characters, is something I've felt with few books, and never so strong.

Echo undergoes a massive transformation in the book, and the unfolding of it is both clear and a joy to see.  She flourishes from being this girl who avoids confrontation into someone who stands up for herself and goes after the life she deserves.  Her pain and frustration cut into me, yet her father remained oblivious.  Honestly, this man made me so angry.  All he did was keep Echo on a leash.  He didn't even try to understand what she must be going through and how she must feel.  Any love or affection was focused on her stepmother and the baby, meaning that Echo always came second place.  When I found out the whole truth of what happened the night Echo got her scars...I couldn't believe it.  Really I thought that the ending was too easy on them.  Echo went through so much and they barely suffered.  Her actual mother, too, was sadly pathetic.  Somehow Echo managed to be more than this despite her family: she still had strength, and this courage contintued to grow the whole way through.  Basically her entire character, everything she felt, everything she went broke my heart.

Noah Hutchins only filled me with more grief, more pain...more love.  I suppose when you look at him on the surface, he appears to be a bad-boy.  But he's really not.  And I'm not going to call him one.  This is a guy who, for most of his life, has only known pain and betrayal.  All he wants out of life is for his family to be back together.  I can't tell you how moving it was to watch him fight for his brothers, to see the relationship he had with them.  And like Echo, he grows tremendously.  He's intelligent, fierce, he has integrity; so many qualities which very few people outside of Echo see.  As for the relationship between them, it was...incredible.  The pacing of it was very well done and the chemistry between them was there in heaps.  They really do seem to complete one another, and help each other in ways no-one else ever could.  Theirs is the most complex, heart-breaking, heart-warming of relationships.

Somehow I've managed to write a coherent review, yet none of these words are adequate enough to describe how much I loved this book; none of them are adequate enough to fully explain what it is that makes this book so incredible.  Pushing the Limits honestly made a toy of my heart: it broke it, ripped it, glued the pieces back together, overfilled it with emotion, broke it again.  A book like that needs to be experienced more than just told about.  You need to fall in love with Echo and Noah for yourself; you need to love Isaiah, smile at Mrs Collins, hate Echo's father.  Only then will you see why this has succeeded in becoming my absolute favourite read of 2012, and one that will never leave either my head or my heart.

  1. Amazing review, Aa'Ishah! I really enjoyed this one as well and was SO surprised by how deep this one way. I just assumed it would be a cheesy romance, but it was beautiful. You wrote a fantastic review for this one and I definitely think you did justice to the novel completely. :)

  2. This is SUCH a beautiful review Aa'Ishah! This book surprised me completely. I couldn't believe the amount of depth and realisticness that Katie McGarry packed into this book. You're totally right, this book looks so innocent and simple, yet it is so much more. Honestly, it's beautiful, and this book so unexpectedly moved me as well. I fell in love with both Echo and Noah, and my heart ached for them both. I loved how they grew so much in the book, and how they managed to beat the odds over and over again.

    This book is among the few books that have changed me as a person, and it is most definitely in my Top 10 of this year, something I'd never thought I'd say about a contemporary, since I'm a firm urban fantasy/paranormal type gal. But Katie McGarry managed to spin a heart-aching and wonderful tale.

    Fantastic review Aa'Ishah! We can only hope that the companion novel will be as good. ;)

  3. YES!!! You've finally read Pushing the Limits! I agree with a lot of what you said. It's so much more than a few hundred pages and the characters really touched my heart too. Everything felt so real. I adored both Echo and Noah. I felt so sorry for Echo, with her selfish father and what with her always coming second. And Noah <333 I LOVE that boy so frickin' much. And their relationship was a joy to read about - a perfect example for teens.

    Thank you for the amazing review, Aa'Ishah <3

  4. I haven't read this book yet but now that I've read your review, I think I'll LOVE this story. Fabulous review!

  5. I'm so excited to read this one! I won a copy and am dying to start it.

  6. Marvelous review, Aa'Ishah dear. :) You described this book so beautifully that I even feel slightly guilty for not loving (or liking, really) this book as much as you and other readers did. "My heart bleeds for them both." *sigh* I love that, and I love the feeling of when a book is so masterfully crafted that it can produce such strong feelings in you.

  7. i read the review very fast because i have not read this one yet. gr8 review

  8. Okay, your review makes me want to slam my head into something. Wow. That sounds bad. It makes me want to slam my head into something because I HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK! D: I mean, I kind of have. I've read, like, the first 200 pages. But your GORGEOUS review makes me want to finish it NOW. I think I know what I'll be doing tonight... Noah and Echo are both so broken, and I love seeing them mend together. But the story was a bit too dark for me at the time. I was in the mood for a light romance, and I wasn't finding that. Obviously! Haha. But now, I'm ready for this book. I hope I love it as much as you do. What a beautiful review, Aa'Ishah! :)

  9. Oh you did a brilliant job with this review Aa'Ishah, I normally dread writing reviews for books that I absolutely adored as I always think that I'll be gushing all the time! But you nailed your passion and enthusiasm for this book! I bet you can't wait for the next book from McGarry! Have you seen the cover!! ;)

    1. Haha, I love the cover! :D But this thing with Ryan...what's that all about??

  10. What a beautiful review, Aa'Ishah!

    I loved this book too but I could never put into words how much it affected me as well as you did. I love the characters in this book. (But I love Noah's brothers the most. Ah, I sound like a pedobear)I love their growth. But most of all, I love the complexity of their story.

    Again, wonderfully written review, Aa'Ishah! :D

  11. I LOVED this book! I'm so glad you enjoyed it as well :)
    Great review!

  12. Excellent review Aa'Ishah! I basically wrote a novella of a comment on your goodreads review, lol, so I won't bore you with anymore here. :)

  13. I think you summed this up perfectly. This is exactly how I felt when reading it and you hit the nail on the head!

    I have to say I think your review was pretty awesome. And you've made me want to re-read this book again and get my own physical copy. Darn it.

    Lovely review!

Hello! Please feel free to leave a comment, I love hearing from you all! I read every one and do my best to visit your blog in return. I look forward to hearing your thoughts! :)

Please note that this blog is now an award-free zone. I appreciate the thought, but unfortunately I just don't have the time anymore.


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Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Adrienne Vittadini Bids Cobb Road Adieu

SELLER: Adrienne Vittadini
LOCATION: Cobb Road West, Water Mill, NY
PRICE: $7,600,000
SIZE: 4,500 square feet (approx.), 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: Designed by Adrienne Vittadini, this elegant souther Mediterranean-style home has 5 bedrooms, 5 en-suite bathrooms, a heated gunite pool, pool house, media room, office/den, country kitchen, and central a/c. 1.9 private acres with a beautiful back yard terrace and pergola overlooking a pond setting, creating a bucolic entertaining space. A separate limestone patio surrounds an over sized heated gunite pool with pool house and dining area. The interior space is light-filled and airy with high tray ceilings in all rooms and sliding French doors to the outside. Upstairs master has two decks and an over sized Jacuzzi with pond views. This is a unique and special property.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Unless you're over 50 or a Home Shopping Network fanatic, you may not recognize the name Adrienne Vittadini. But she's a fashion designer. Or was, at least before she sold her eponymous company. However, before cashing out, the Hungarian immigrant had tremendous success in the 1970s and 80s, even winning herself a prestigious Coty Award for her "sporty elegant" and "Euro-American" designs. Since selling her company, she has shifted gears, and like so many moneyed people with an eye for detail, she now buys, overhauls and sells properties through her company AV Casa.

Before we get to discussing Miz Vittadini's Hamptons house, which is currently on the market of $7,600,000, let Your Mama share with y'all a little bit of our family history. Once upon a time we had a grandmother, who on top of being very, very rich and excessively educated, was a diplomat for the International Red Cross. Peggy, who would not allow us to call her grandma, also had a penchant for smuggling drugs inside the diplomatic bag provided her by the Red Cross. Hunnies, that is no lie. Not only did Peggy have a chalet in Switzerland and a huge powder blue Mercedes, she also had a closet full of colorful Adrienne Vittadini suits to go with her Aigner handbags and Salvatore Ferragamo shoes. Oh, the memories.

Anyhoo, Miz Vittadini and her husband Gigi purchased this house in May of 1997 for just $1,470,000. Located near the exclusive, gated enclave of Fordune and just a few minutes ride in the Jaguar to Flying Point Beach, the property covers 1.9 acres that backs up the to head of a small pond. Your Mama can only hope that pond is treated for the skeeters, because if you've ever been to the Hamptons in August, you know the mosquitoes can ruin your day and cause you to spend half the night itching your arms and legs bloody.

Although the Southampton town assessor says the Vittidini house is 3,688 square feet, the listing for the property has it measuring approximately 4,500 square feet. We're not sure why the discrepancy, but it may be that the larger number includes the square footage of the pool house.

Possibly because the house is surrounded on two sides by pond water, the heated swimming pool for this property sits in what is technically the front yard. Guests to this property had better be in excellent health because the somewhat unusual pool placement requires guests to walk a huge and looong arc around the pool in order to get to the front door. If you're meant to be to cocktails at 5pm, you better be parked in the Vittadini's driveway and stepping out of your convertible Rolls Royce by 4:30 or your going to miss the first round of Cube Libres altogether.

Inside we find classic old school Hamptons decor. We love the white sofas and the sisal rug–we always like white sofas and sisal rugs–But the overall scheme here is a bit staid and conservative for our personal taste. We do however appreciate that Adrienne and Gigi have provided a good number of books and magazines throughout the living room. There is nothing worse than guesting in the Hamptons and not being able to pick up something to read when sitting around the living room and everyone has run out of things to say to each other. Now, ya'll know Your Mama is seldom at a loss for words, but it does happen children. And when it does, we thank our lucky stars when we are able to avoid an awkward silence by picking up People Magazine or a big coffee table picture book on Gustov Klimt.

Even though Your Mama is quite certain those high end appliances are not that old, the kitchen feels a little dated. There's nothing really wrong with this kitchen, but beyond the high tray ceiling, we find it all a little ordinary looking.

The second floor has been entirely given over to a Master bedroom, which means all the guest rooms are on the main level of the house. Apparently Miz Vittadini has given each guest suite a different color scheme. Which Your Mama thinks is a great idea. This sort of color scheming makes it easy for the hostess to tell guests in which room they'll be staying–darling, you're in the yellow room. Color coding the guest suites is also a fantastic idea because it makes it much, much simpler for guests to locate their suite after a long afternoon of gin and tonics on the patio. Nobody, and we mean nobody, likes to return from a rousing game of croquet, ready for a cat nap in their designated room, only to find Muffy passed out on the bed having drunkenly mistook their room for her room.

While the Vittadini's have long been regulars in the Hamptons, they also have a long history of residing in Sarasota, Florida. Over the years the couple have bought and sold many properties in Sarasota including the 6,618 square foot house located 1255 Westway Drive that the couple bought in April of 1999 for $1,223,000 and sold in November 2004 for $8,900,000, netting them many millions of dollars of profit even after the significant renovation costs. Additionally, like all good people who are "social," the couple maintain a New York apartment on swanky 5th Avenue.

Clearly, given what they paid for the house, when the Vittadini's get their Hampton's house sold they'll add many more millions to their pile of money. How many times has Your Mama told the children that one of the ways rich people get richer is by flipping high end real estate?

Sources: The Herald Tribune,

Anonymous said...

I love, love, LOVE the house. I am all about the old-school Hampton style. I think it's gorgeous. However, one of my biggest pet peeves is building certain styles of homes in areas they don't belong in. For example, adobe style homes in New England, or Tudor mansions at the beach. I don't think the Mediterranean style is appropriate for the Hamptons. It is gorgeous though.

Anonymous said...

Mama, I think it's more Provencal than Mediterranean ... 'Hamptons' & 'Mediterranean' don't go together ... 'Mediterranean' only works in California me thinks ; )

Phoenix said...

This house is wonderfully pleasant to behold. I love the relaxed, fresh crispness that comes across, very nice. How I miss the luxuriant look of green NY grasses. I hail from Syosset, L.I. originally, and something about NY always says 'this is what life is supposed to be' to me.

Scott said...

I guess you don't have to be somebody to afford $7.6M anymore. lol

Phoenix said...

Oh and Mama, very interesting and funny story about your grandmother. It can be a shock to the system, what you find out about family when you poke around and pry a bit. I grew up thinking I was the product of a traditional conservative Catholic family, only to find out later in life that my grandparents on my father's side of the family operated several illegal speakeasy establishments during Prohibition, lol.

Anonymous said...

Kitchen looks like something that Home Depot would stock.

Anonymous said...

I, too, love this house. The interior is casually elegant without being over the top. It just looks so comfortable, yet classy. Can't figure out why the chair is in front of the stove, however.

I am a little concerned about the pool placement. That seems a little odd.

Oh yes, and Mama's family history. I think that was the highlight of my week. I am sure all of us have similar skeletons in our closet. Props to Mama for being honest!

Anonymous said...

I much would prefer a gramble style home in the Hamptons.. that said I love the way it looks and agree with phoenix "this is what it's all about" hanging with family type of summer house.shg

Anonymous said...

Oh mama I remember Aigner my mama had several right beside her Halston dresses.... those were the days.

luke220 said...

Speaking of the Hamptons, I definitely prefer Ina Garten's kitchen. Actually, I think that I prefer everything about Ina Garten's house.

Anonymous said...

Ina Garten's house is awesome! I would love, love, love to have her kitchen (preferably with all the ingredients for my perfect dinner already cut and in little bowls for me).

I do wonder about her dining room. Is it really only that round table that barely seats 4-6 near a window right off the living room? It just seems so out of proportion with everything else in the house.

The shingles. The herb garden. The yard. The trees. Sigh. Someday.

Anonymous said...

The exterior design of the house does not fit the hamptons at all.

I also agree, ina garten's house is beautiful. Very classic east hampton. Classy, understated, and comfortable. That is what a home in the hamptons should be. Why people build homes that are meant for florida or california amazes me.

Anonymous said...

there's actually a small desk to the left of the oven, so the chair isn't in front of the oven. no no no...

and the long arc in the front yard is for show. there's a convenient walkway from the driveway to the front door along the side of the house. you just can't see it from that angle.

aaand mosquitoes are not a problem there. oh and the pool placement? not such a big deal. it's perfectly laid out with great landscaping surrounding it.


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Friday, November 28, 2014

Toke Radio 66: DC Moves Toward Taxing, Regulating Weed! House Bill Would Overturn VA Pot Ban! Georgia Senator Proposes Full Legalization!

Find out what you need to know about the week in cannabis/marijuana news, in just 18 minutes!

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Toke TV channel on YouTube.

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D.C.: Nation's Capital Takes Major Step Toward Taxing and Regulating Marijuana

D.C. lawmakers on Tuesday voted in favor of legislation that would legally regulate and license the production, distribution and sale of marijuana in the District of Columbia during a meeting of the Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, which is chaired by D.C. Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large).

House Bill Introduced To Overturn Ban On VA Physicians Recommending Medical Marijuana

(Hemp News)

Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), along with 10 bipartisan Congressional cosponsors on Thursday introduced the "Veterans Equal Access Act" (VEAA), marking a concerted federal effort to allow our country's veterans to become medical marijuana patients in states where it's legal. The VEAA would simply allow Veterans Affairs (VA) physicians to discuss and recommend medical marijuana to their patients, a right enjoyed by physicians outside of the VA system.

Maine: Two Marijuana Legalization Measures Could Be On 2016 Ballot

(Hemp News)

Maine voters could be looking at not one but two marijuana legalization measures on the 2016 ballot, if two competing groups are both successful at qualifying for the ballot.

Georgia State Senator Proposes Full Marijuana Legalization

(Hemp News)

A Democratic state senator from Gwinnett County not only pre-filed a broader version of medical marijuana than has previously been considered by the Georgia Legislature -- he also pre-filed a constitutional amendment to legalize and regulate sales of cannabis, using the tax proceeds to fund education and transportation.

California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris Says Legal Marijuana Is Inevitable

(Hemp News)

Legalized marijuana is inevitable, California Attorney General Kamala Harris admitted this week, and she has no "moral opposition" to that happening and is "not opposed" it, she said.

New Study Shows Gordon Right, Bermuda Government Wrong On Medical Marijuana

(Hemp News)

Just weeks after Attorney General Trevor Moniz announced that Marinol (synthetic pure THC pills), and not herbal cannabis, would be allowed for medicinal use in Bermuda, a new Harvard study has confirmed the complaints of activist Alan Gordon -- Marinol simply does not work as well as real inhaled cannabis for pain management, because the former takes 60-90 minutes to reach peak effect, whereas real cannabis effects are achieved much more quickly.

California: 2014 Emerald Cup Presented By Locals, For Locals

(Hemp News)

The Emerald Cup will make its highly anticipated return to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, California, on December 13 and 14. For more than a decade, The Emerald Cup has become synonymous with setting the highest standards for sustainable, sun-grown, outdoor cannabis and is the largest, most respected, organic, outdoor, medicinal cannabis competition in the world, making it “The Definitive Cup for the Fall Harvest.”

Toke TV/Toke Radio = a joint production
of Toke Signals and Indie Media Weekly

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March 27, 2017

Build Your Real Estate Portfolio

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Build Your Real Estate Portfolio

“Soon after I started my real estate career in 1976, I attended a sales seminar given by Tom Hopkins,” recalls Ken Zablotny, owner of Metro Brokers Zablotny & Co., Littleton, Colo. “He said, ‘You’ll never get rich selling real estate; you’ll get rich owning real estate.’ I’ve been an investor ever since.”

Whether they’re saving for retirement, their children’s education, or a rainy day, real estate professionals are also real estate investors. According to the 2001 NAR Member Profile, 39 percent of respondents owned rental property as part of their investment plans. After all, says Bill Watson, head of the 38-office Watson Realty Corp., headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., “who are better equipped to buy real estate than those in the business?”

Today Watson owns 150-plus single-family homes, along with three apartment buildings and many offices. The company’s guaranteed sales program is a major source of investment for Watson. He personally buys properties at 85 percent of market value when no offer is received for a listing or when the buyers fail to qualify for a loan. Because Watson holds properties for the long term, he prefers newer, masonry properties whose maintenance and replacement costs will be minimal. “And I won’t buy a house with a pool,” he says, “because the liability and the maintenance costs are too high.”

Keeping an eye on the market is by far the most frequent way real estate professionals find the properties they buy. “After 18 years, the deals come to me,” says Tom Christensen, broker of the one-person Christensen Co., Madison, Wis.

Christensen looks for “underrented, underdeveloped properties” where he can use his experience as a general contractor to estimate the added value of renovations or additions. On one recent investment, he spent $800 to convert a property’s second living room to a third bedroom, adding $15,000 to the rental property’s value. “I also look for properties with bad roofs,” he says. “It’s a sign the owner has lost interest or is short of money and might be interested in selling.”

Zablotny, another one-person office, also looks for below-market rents as a good indicator of investment potential in the small multifamily properties he favors. “Often individual owners are reluctant to raise rents, so they may be 25 percent below market for the neighborhood,” he says. “If I can roll the rents in six months to a year, the investment has strong potential for double-digit cash flows.” Zablotny does a lot of due diligence on his investments, with multiple inspectors evaluating roofs, boilers, and electrical equipment. “It’s particularly important with an absentee landlord, who may not even know about some of the property’s problems,” he says.

“You can’t let pride of ownership blind you; sometimes the best-looking properties aren’t the best investments,” says J.T. Purvis, owner of three Arizona real estate companies, including ERA National Realty of Arizona in Prescott. “People aren’t creative in looking at a property; they should look for flexibility and adaptability.” Before closing a sale, Purvis uses off-the-shelf lease analysis software to evaluate the net present value of future rents and does such standard due diligence procedures as environmental inspections, competitive market analyses, and appraisals.

Like most broker-investors, Purvis got his start buying single-family homes or duplexes, but he switched to commercial buildings because “I didn’t get plumbing calls at 2 a.m.” He likes the longer leases and less intensive management of commercial space, but he still believes buying homes is the best way to get started as an investor. “The risks are less because homes are less expensive, it’s easier to find a replacement tenant, and people will always need a place to live.” Today he’s helping his daughter and son-in-law buy their first rental property.

Current laws that allow single homeowners to avoid taxes on up to $250,000 and married couples up to $500,000 of capital gains on a property they’ve lived in for two years are a big factor in Eric Goosen’s real estate investment strategy. “When I buy a two- to four-unit rental property, I can put down 10 percent and borrow up to 90 percent as an owner-occupant. And I don’t mind moving every two years.” As broker of the seven-person Goosen Realty Services in St. Clair Shores, Mich., he finds his investments by “being out in the market, looking at the MLS every day, and actively pursuing FSBOs.” Having the opportunity to see properties when they first come on the market has helped him build his holdings to $855,000 in the nine years he’s been investing.

Having the confidence to make a quick decision has also been critical for investing in a tight market, says Goosen. “I’ve bought properties I’ve never been inside.” He relies on his knowledge of the market and a quick outside inspection. “If you see cracks in the foundation or crumbling brickwork, you can guess that the inside is in similar shape,” he says. When Goosen calculates his costs, he assumes that the properties will “need everything--paint, carpeting, plumbing, and electrical equipment.” He also factors in a 10 percent margin of error “in case something happens.”

Although most investors favor properties that require limited renovation, a few gravitate toward higher reward--and potentially higher risk--investments. Buying foreclosed and preforeclosed properties has become a lucrative investment niche for Ray “Bear” Thomas, an associate broker with John Hall and Associates Inc., Phoenix. Thomas has tried direct mail solicitations and working through bankruptcy attorneys to locate properties, but he finds that scanning the newspaper for upcoming trustee sales and then immediately contacting the troubled owners is his most successful tactic. “The market is so competitive it’s a speed game,” he says.

When Thomas reaches potential sellers, he offers several options: showing them how to reinstate their mortgages (which in Arizona can often be done for a few thousand dollars), listing and selling the property before foreclosure, or buying the property from them before the trustee sale. “If owners sell their property before the sale, they avoid the stigma of a foreclosure on their credit and often walk away with some cash,” he says. Thomas uses his skills as a certified home inspector and former redeveloper of affordable housing to determine whether the combined costs of acquisition and renovation will produce his 20 percent profit goal. “Only about half the houses I look at qualify,” he says. “If someone has owned the house for only a few years and has a 125 percent mortgage, there isn’t enough equity to give us the spread we need. If you can buy the property for only 10 percent below market, that’s not an investment house.”

Another risky business development is fueling the 15-year retirement plan of Billy and GiGi Burk of Burk Brokerage, New Orleans. “Our original plan to buy and renovate houses took an unexpected turn when the New Orleans market went flat. We felt we could use the downturn to build new properties that would be ready when the market came back,” says Burk, a civil engineer and former owners’ representative for private investors in Atlanta. The couple rely heavily on word of mouth to find properties where strong demand and reasonable land values justify new construction.

To determine the most profitable project size, Burk uses an analysis program he developed to add the cost of the land, construction, and interest charges, then applies the maximum allowable sales price per square foot and the list price ceiling for the area. But penciling out the project is only half the battle.

“Executing development can be more difficult than renovation,” says Burk. “While you may be spending months getting permits for a project, you’re paying interest and worrying that you might have to resort to a less profitable plan.”

In the final analysis, it’s the combination of hard work and hard-won market knowledge that makes real estate professionals and real estate investment such an ideal fit. “I’ve considered other investments, but single-family homes are what I know,” says Watson. “It gives you a feeling of owning a part of America.”

Balancing investment and brokerage

Successful investing is about being the first to see and seize the opportunity. Successful real estate sales is about putting the interests of the client first. Can real estate pros do both?

“You don’t want to get the reputation of selling only the ones you don’t want to buy,” cautions Tom Christensen of The Christensen Co., Madison, Wis. “For the sake of your business, you want the community to see you as a straight shooter.”

For J.T. Purvis of ERA National Realty of Arizona, Prescott, the solution is to let properties stay on the market for at least 30 days before he makes an offer: “That lets the owners see whether they can sell it at their price.” He admits to losing a few choice properties that way but says that “there are always other properties; I can’t buy them all.”

Marianne McDonough of Marianne McDonough and Associates, Williamstown, Mass., is even more cautious. Most of the older homes she buys and renovates have been on the market for a year or more. “I don’t want to create the impression that I’m taking advantage of the situation,” she says. “I’ve even helped people buy some of the homes I was interested in.” McDonough also specializes in partially finished homes or homes needing significant renovation, which would probably be too much work for the average investor.

“Another investment always comes along,” says Ken Zablotny, Metro Brokers Zablotny & Co., Littleton, Colo. “I’d rather lose the building and keep the customer.”

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Don’t be Alarmed When Considering a Home Alarm System

If you’ve already looked into home alarm systems you’ve come to realize there are as many brands and models as car manufacturers offer. It’s a complicated and sometimes overwhelming choice to make. Finding the right system that won’t turn into a financial headache but still provide you with the peace of mind you seek is comparable to finding a needle in a haystack.

Should you go with the simple no frills DIY home alarm system from the big box store or brave the occasional high pressure sales tactics and contracts of a security service provider?  Before you leap into one decision or another, here are a few things to consider.

© Black Jack -

© Black Jack –

Do You Need an Alarm System

The first question to ask yourself is this. Do you even need an alarm system? While you can take a number of preventive measures that will rival the security of any home alarm system. Your ultimate goal is to provide for the safety of your home and deter any would be burglars.

Here’s the truth. Burglars typically aren’t nearly as sophisticated as you might think. They look for the easy way in. Often times they enter the house through unlocked doors or windows.

You can easily thwart most burglaries with a few cheap and effective deterrents. Here are a few items you should have installed in your house:

  • quality deadbolts on your doors
  • strong window locks
  • motion sensor lights

However, none of these things will work if you don’t use them. Get in the habit of locking your doors when you leave the house. A Consumer Reports survey revealed that many of us don’t do this. Nineteen percent of those responding said they occasionally leave their doors unlocked when they go out. Another 26 percent said they sometimes leave windows unlocked when they’re away.

What is Your Budget

How much are you willing to spend on an alarm system? Be as specific as you can and consider the costs of an installed system with a monitoring service. If you only want to spend a few hundred dollars, consider the wide selection of DIY systems available. If you are leaning towards a company installed system, ensure they give you a complete list of what the system includes in addition to a detailed estimate of the system’s cost.

For an extra cost, many systems can be set up to monitor for smoke and carbon monoxide levels as well.

Do You Need the Monitoring Service

Most alarm systems, especially those installed by an alarm company, come with the option of purchasing a 24 hour a day monitoring service. When an alarm is triggered, the central monitoring system automatically alerts the monitoring service when there’s a problem. This is done by sending a signal over a wireless connection or landline. Prices for this service vary widely and are usually paid for each month with a contract that typically runs for at least a year.

Keep in mind that a system will run without the monitoring service. If someone is usually at home or you have close neighbors that will notify police when the alarm sounds, then the monitoring service may not be necessary.

Looking into the purchase of a home alarm system can be an overwhelming undertaking. But by applying the points laid out above, your task is made much more manageable.

About the Author: Lukas Nicholson is a home security specialist and reviewer. He works hard looking at different types of home security systems and inform others about what they can do to better protect themselves, their family, and their homes.


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How to Catch Mulloway

Other names

Argyrosomus japonicas, jewfish, jewies, butterfish, river kingfish and silver kingfish.

In southern waters mulloway are unlikely to be mistaken for other species but in the north they resemble the black jewfish. The main distinguishing features are that mulloway have a black spot in front of their pectoral (side) fins, have a thicker tail wrist and a flatter caudal fin (tail). Mulloway can vary in colour from silver to bronze. While mulloway can reach sizes of 1.8m and 60kg, most are caught at between 3 and 15kgs. Individuals of 3-8kg ‘Schoolies’ usually form schools while larger individuals take on a more solitary lifestyle.

WA distribution

Found from the Exmouth Gulf in the north to the South Australian border in the south. Mulloway inhabit tidal rivers, estuaries and surf beaches, reefs and rocky headlands of inshore waters although they can be found offshore at depths in excess of 100m.

Rigs and Techniques

Depending on where you plan on fishing- estuaries and rivers or beaches the tactics differ slightly. You won’t need a very heavy rod for mulloway despite their size as they aren’t particularly hard fighters and an overhead or spin reel with about a 10kg line and a 25kg mono leader.
Live baits are the best for catching mulloway, otherwise fresh mullet, tailor or yellowtail will work well, and even mulies will do the trick. Mulloway are often difficult to catch because they can run a long way before swallowing the bait, which makes it difficult to set the hook. This means that when beach fishing a running sinker is recommended.

When fishing with bait in tidal rivers and estuaries a dropper rig and three-way swivel are recommended for those tidal flows. Traditionally the most popular fishing method for mulloway has been fishing with baits, but more recently fishers are using minnow lures and soft plastics trolled or cast form boats to catch mulloway.

The best fishing times are at dusk and dawn especially with a rising tide. Mulloway, once caught, will typically make two runs and it is best to let them run on their first and bring them in on their second run. Be careful when gaffing and handling this fish, taking care to always support the body.


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Calories in Paradise Cherry halves red

Rating: 5 of 5 (2 reviews)
How many calories should you eat?

Nutrition Facts Paradise Cherry halves red

Amount Per 1 piece, 5 g
Calories 15 Kcal (63 kJ)
Calories from fat 0 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Total Carbs 4g 1%
Sugars 2g 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Find out how many calories should you eat.

Ingredients And Nutrition Overview

  • WeightWatchers Points: 0.3, PointsPlus: 0, SmartPoints: 1
    WeightWatchers Points are estimated by carbohydrates, fats, protein and fiber in product. They are not an affirmation of better quality or nutritional value of the product or its manufacturer. Only way to count for dieters. Less points are better.
    Read more at Weight watchers diet review
  • Great! Contains less than 1.5 tsp of sugar.
    Great! Contains less than 1.5 tsp of sugar per serving!
  • Product contains sulfites
    Sulfites (sulphites) are inorganic salts that are used as antioxidant of food preservative or enhancer.
    They may appear on food labels in various forms, such as: sulfur dioxide, potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite or sodium sulfite
    Although sulphites do not cause a true allergic reaction, people with sensitivity to sulfites may experience similar reactions as those with food allergies.
    Those who have asthma are most at risk to sulphite sensitivity.
    BTW sulfites are included in the ten priority food allergens in Canada.

Corn Allergy, Sulfites Allergy

How to burn 15 calories

Let's Burn 15 Calories!

Cherry halves red Ingredients

Cherries, Corn Syrup, High Fructose, Corn Syrup, Water, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavor, FD&C Red 40, Preserved with: 1/10 of 1% Potassium Sorbate, Benzoate of Soda, Sulfur Dioxide.

% RDI of Main Nutrition Facts

of RDI* (15 calories) 5 g
  • Cal: 0.8 %
  • Fat: 0 %
  • Carb: 1.3 %
  • Prot: 0 %
  • 0%
    RDI norm*

Calories Breakdown

  • Carbs (100%)
Paradise Cherry halves red Good and Bad Points
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Add review
User Reviews of cherry halves red
By Aussie on Apr 21, 2016

perfect for fruitcake.

By Magnusse on Apr 21, 2016

good fruit

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Total rating: 5 of 5
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A taste fault in the coffee beans producing a highly displeasing sour sensation on the tongue. The result of enzyme activity in the green coffee beans changing the sugars to acids in the drying process during harvesting.

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Current Direction

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ocean currents‘Current’ (or flow) plays a large, fundamental role in shaping the environment in which aquatic organisms live, feed and move. Surface currents are largely driven by winds and tides, while deeper currents are driven by differences in densities and temperatures. Current is usually reported with a compass bearing in the direction the current is moving and a velocity (speed). This differs from the convention when describing wind direction, which describes the direction where wind is originating. Current velocities are measured in meters per second, which converts to 1.94 knots (nautical miles per hour). Globally, currents are responsible for redistributing heat  from the equatorial to temperate and polar regions and have been used by mariners for centuries as ‘routes of opportunity’ for commerce, especially prior to the introduction of powered vessels.

Currents also help shape the particle size of bottom sediments with faster currents in general increasing the size of particles by carrying away the more easily resuspended, smaller particles. Currents deliver and remove nutrients and food to organisms fixed in place (e.g., barnacles, oysters), and are a direct physical force that organisms must face whether they are actively moving in the water column, subject to flows that they cannot swim against, or fixed in place. Currents play a large role in determining the distribution of species (where on shoreline they can live), their morphological adaptations (feeding, attachment method), and behavior of most or all marine and estuarine organisms (e.g., Vogel 1994). Current directly and indirectly affects most aquatic organisms. The velocity of water affects sediment substrate (grain) size composition, as well as the delivery and removal of food, nutrients, and waste products.

For example, barnacles use a sieve-like structure, the cirral net, to filter small particles from the surrounding fluid. When the water is still, the cirral net can be waved about to create the animal's own feeding current. However, when sufficient water motion is present barnacles merely extend the cirral net into flow, allowing the ambient water motion to bring food to them. If waves or very rapid water flow (e.g., surf zone) barnacles keep their cirral net furled inside the shell, then extend the net during less stressful flows. For many small organisms living in a fluid is in many ways like living in a viscous semi-solid material producing significant drag (see work by Prof. M.A.R. Koehl, U.C. Berkley).

Body shapes and specialized structures offer clues to specific adaptations that allow organisms to cope with flows and currents. Attachment adaptations such as byssal threads, glues and other materials can serve to anchor invertebrates to the substrate. Body shapes that are dorso-ventrally flattened or streamlined in some other way allow organisms to minimize the force current exerts on them and maneuver with less energy expenditure. Mussels living on exposed, wave-swept shores have thicker byssal threads to better survive the impacts of constantly breaking waves.

The distributions of diatoms (microscopic plants), algae, and rooted macrophytes are influenced by current. Diatoms can be sorted into species by those that are adapted to slower versus faster moving water. Attached macroalgae appear to increase their abundance at sites with faster currents and hard substrates, while rooted macrophytes thrive in slower moving waters with finer (softer) sediments. The presence of rooted submerged aquatic vegetation (or SAV) baffles currents and slows down flow, decreasing erosion and enhancing the settlement of fine, suspended particles. Diatom presence and associated morphology are strongly correlated with local current conditions, in part as a result of mixing and nutrient availability (e.g., Karp-Boss and Jumars, 1998).