text:
FARMINGTON — With only 10 more days until Santa Claus travels the world delivering presents, the busy guy made time for an appearance in Farmington Friday night.
Mr. and Mrs. Claus brought holiday joy to many families at the Recreation Department gym who had pictures taken with them.
"It's Santa Claus," Recreation Director Rick Conway said. "Who wouldn't want to see him?"
As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Claus took their seats beside a miniature Christmas tree, a line formed alongside a candy cane lit pathway.
"We've already doubled the amount of kids we had last year," Rick exclaimed.
Rick added it's a popular event for their small town because it's free and the nearby location. For an extra $3 their photo could be taken by Recreation staff unless they took the photo themselves.
Assistant Director Alisha Randall said a lot of people from the community come out to see Santa and support a local organization.
"It always brings everyone together," Randall said.
Rick said a lot of the kids he saw are involved in their summer and afterschool programs. He thought going to a familiar place would alleviate any stress for kids who were afraid of Santa.
Alana Breton, of Farmington, said her daughter has attended many of their events every year in addition to their afterschool program.
"They do so much for these kids," Breton said. "They're actually really good. It's especially good for such a small town."
Families enjoyed free hot chocolate, candy canes and holiday cookies. A holiday drawing table was set up to accommodate kids after they met with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
Rick's wife Jenn Conway said it was a nice family event to enjoy for everyone.
"It brings the Christmas spirit to town," Jenn added.
Breton said Santa will always draw a huge crowd.
"The kids love him of course," said Breton.
Indeed Santa was truly acting goofy with his red hat falling off whenever he stood up and danced. Whenever a picture was taken Santa would yell out, "Bologna!" to the laughs of everyone.
"Santa's being a ham," Rick joked.


text:
Like C.I., I will praise them for including transcripts of most of their programming. National Public Radio should serve all Americans and that includes the deaf and hearing challenged. It also includes those with computers that do not allow for streaming -- either do to connections or operating platforms. C.I. rarely links to a video or audio without providing at least a partial transcript for that reason -- we are a welcoming community in The Common Ills.
But while I applaud that, there is much I protest.
I object to the crap Ann called out last night in " David Greene lowers NPR" -- Ann's correct, he turns it into a bad morning TV show with his inability to conduct himself professionally and need to give nicknames and titles to correspondents -- like he did last Wednesday with the sportscaster who does the weekly report (Frank whatever his name is).
I also strongly object to the blogs at NPR which lack professionalism and fail to maintain journalistic standards. Frank James is among the worst bloggers for NPR.
Today, he blogs about the Senate filibuster of Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of Defense. He blogs like someone working for The Nation, not like an objective reporter working for NPR. (The Nation is an opinion journal for Democrats. Not for the left, I'm the left, it's a DNC party organ and little else.)
I object to his characterization of the Senate hearing. It was not just Republicans objecting. They are the only ones objecting now. But in the actual hearing, Democrats were objecting to Hagel's remarks and/or attitude on Israel -- that includes the senator from Kentucky, the woman and Gillibrand from New York.
As well as objecting to his summary of that hearing from weeks ago, I also object to this characterization: "Even Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the closest thing to a moderate in the Senate Republican caucus, said on Wednesday that she would be voting against Hagel."
Wait, the closest thing to a moderate?
We have been told for years that she was a moderate -- and that Olympia Snow was one as well.
I'm not a fan of Susan Collins.
I am someone who expects honest journalism.
I would love for Frank James to explain to NPR's ombudsperson and readers just how Susan Collins went from moderate to "the closest thing to a moderate in the Senate Republicans caucus." NPR is no longer reporting from the center. Or even pretending to.
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
Wednesday, February 13, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, the Iraq War he wanted turns profitable for John Podesta, Podesta advises US President Barack Obama these days and last night Barack gave another questionable speech, will protesters go to Baghdad, England's Labour Party takes a step away from Tony Blair's Iraq War, and more.
Felons rejoice, at his company website, Tony Podesta self-boasts, "Many people in Washington can tell you what just happened to you. Tony Podesta helps you change outcomes." The company slogan appears to be -- because it's all over the website -- "we are the podesta group. we deliver." -- "the trash" must have been left off due to a lack of space. Or maybe with the Podestas, trash is just implied?
In the second most popular episode of Charlie's Angels, season one's "Consenting Adults" (written by Les Carter), Farrah Fawcett's Jill lays down some basic truth with Laurette Spang's Tracy.
Jill: Okay, let's both stop playing games. For starters, you can drop the "Tracy." It rhymes with Stacy and Macy and all those other jive names hookers like to latch onto.
Hookers and con artists frequently have to change their names -- which one is the Podesta Group? Wikipedia explains the lobbying group "was founded in 1988 by brothers John Podesta and Tony Podesta and has previously been known as Podesta Associates, podesta.com and PodestaMatton" or, as it's called in DC, "the Podestaphile." Byron Tau, Anna Palmer and Tarini Parti (POLITICO) reported this afternoon, "The government of Iraq is in the final stages of inking a contract with the Podesta Group as its first D.C. lobbying firm, according to multiple sources." Really? One wonders how the Iraqi people will feel about that, their government signing with John Podesta's lobbying firm considering John's Iraq history.
Dropping back to the March 28, 2007 snapshot:
Interviewed by Bonnie Faulkner (KPFA's Guns and Butter) today, professor Francis Boyle discussed how a 2003 exploration of impeachment by the Democrats was cut short when John Podesta announced that there would be no introduction of bills of impeachment because it would harm Democrats chances in the 2004 election. Speaking of the measures being applauded by much in the media, big and small, Boyle declared, "It's all baloney. All they had to do was just do nothing and Bush would have run out of money. . . . The DNC fully supports the war, that was made clear to Ramsey [Clark] and me on 13 March 2003 and nothing's changed." John Podesta, former Clintonista, is with the Democratic talking point mill (that attempts to pass itself as a think tank) Center for American Progress -- with an emphasis on "Center" and not "Progress."
Here's David Swanson (in 2009, at Democrats.com) discussing Podesta's role in the Iraq War:
Boyle and Ramsey Clark presented the case for impeachment to Democratic congress members on March 13, 2003, just days before the bombs hit Baghdad. Impeachment could conceivably have prevented over a million deaths. The congress members present accepted the validity of the case, but John Podesta and others argued that it would be better for Democrats in the next election to let the war happen. We saw this same cold blooded calculation, of course, in 2007 and 2008, as the Democrats controlled the Congress and claimed to "oppose" the war while keeping it going. While Clark argued for the political advantage of pursuing impeachment, Boyle declined to address that point, preferring to stick to the facts. Sadly, electoral arguments are almost the only thing most congress members care about, and human life is not even on the list.
Here's Boyle speaking to Dori Smith (Talk Radio Nation -- link is audio and transcript) from February 7, 2007:
Francis A. Boyle: We just need one person to introduce the bill with courage, integrity, principles, and of course a safe seat. In Gulf War one I worked with the late great Congressman Henry B. Gonzales on his bill of impeachment against Bush Sr. We put that one in. I did the first draft the day after the war started. So in my opinion there is no excuse for these bills not to have been put in already. In fact, on 13 March 2003, Congressman John Conyers convened a meeting of 40 to 50 of his top advisors, most of whom were lawyers, to debate putting in immediate bills of impeachment against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Ashcroft, to head off the war. There were draft bills sitting on the table that had been prepared by me and Ramsey Clark. And the Congressman invited Ramsey and me to come in and state the case for impeachment. It was a two hour debate, very vigorous debate, obviously all of these lawyers there. And most of the lawyers there didn't disagree with us on the merits of impeachment. It was more as they saw it a question of practical politics. Namely, John Podesta was there, Clinton's former White House chief of staff, who said he was appearing on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and they were against putting in immediate bills of impeachment because it might hurt whoever their presidential candidate was going to be in 2004. Well at that time no one even knew who their presidential candidate was going to be in 2004. I didn't argue the point, I'm a political independent. It was not for me to tell Democrats how to elect their candidates. I just continued arguing the merits of impeachment. But Ramsey is a lifelong Democrat and he argued that he felt that putting in these bills of impeachment might help the Democrats and it certainly wasn't going to hurt them in 2004.
So when the right thing could have been done, when the Iraq War could have been stopped before it started, when everything could have been changed, there was John Podesta arguing to destroy Iraq, to destroy the lives of the Iraqi people, so that Democrats could win the 2004 elections? (For the record, the whore was wrong even when it came to electability: the Dems lost in the 2004 election -- they lost the presidency, the House and the Senate both remained under Republican control with Republicans increasing their seats -- in the single digits, but it's an increase -- in both houses of Congress.)
The Iraqi people are going to see their public monies go to feather the nest of the Podestas? Oh, thug and prime minister Nouri al-Maliki may have some fresh problems on his hands.
The ongoing political crises continue. Fresh off meetings this week with Ayad Allawi (head of Iraqiya -- the political slate that came in first in the 2010 elections) and cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr, Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani met with another official today. Alsumaria reports he met with US Ambassador to Iraq Stephen Beecroft in Erbil where they discussed the political crises and the issue of the democratic process in Iraq and that Beecroft supports a national meet-up which would be what Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi have been calling for since December 21st -- of 2011.
Yesterday there was outrage over the arrest of Imam Mohammad Zaidi. Alsumaria reports today that the he has been released after being held for a little over 24 hours. His supporters see the arrest as evidence of Nouri's practice of arbitrary arrests targeting those he sees as political rivals. Mohammed Sabah (Al Mada) reports State of Law (Nouri's political slate) is insisting that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi is keeping 30 people from being arrested -- that they have warrants and he won't lift immunity (members of Parliament cannot be arrested while serving unless their immunity is lifted). Iraqiya (political slate Osama al-Nujaifi belongs to) responds that the warrants are an attempt by Nouri to intimidate political opponents.
Moving over to protests, All Iraq News reports a new development in Basra where "hundreds" have staged a sit-in outside a center for the blind. There are said to be as many as 500 people taking part in the sit-in that's calling for the government to care for the people with special needs (at least 13,000 people in the province are recognized by the federal government as challenged or disabled). All Iraq News also reports that National Alliance MP Jawad Franck is insisting that protesters elsewhere in Iraq are being supported by 'third parties,' outsiders, foreigners. More alarmist talk. The reason? Saturday, protesters in Anbar Province asked for permission to do a sit-in in Baghdad this Friday. Nouri's been in a tizzy. He's held multiple meetings with the National Alliance trying to figure out how to stop the protests. Al Mada reports Anbar responds today with protesters saying they will go to Baghdad and take part in morning prayers and that Nouri cannot prevent them from entering their country's capital, not these residents and tribes of Anbar who refuse to allow their dignity to be besmirched.
But everything's in a state of flux and Ali Abel Sadah (Al-Monitor) reports that it appears the citizens will not be going to Baghdad to march, attend worship or take part in a sit-in thei Friday:
But the widespread deployment of security personnel at the entrances to Baghdad, alongside security checkpoints near Adhamiya, where the Abu Hanifa Mosque is located, prompted the protest leadership to retract the decision to move to Baghdad.
Rafi Taha Rifai, the Sunni Grand Mufti of Iraq, said in a statement obtained by Al-Monitor that the demonstrators' decision "to go to Baghdad was rejected by the dictatorial authorities."
Rifai called on demonstrators to "postpone the decision to move to Baghdad to an appropriate time."
Sources close to the leaders of the Anbar demonstrations expected activists to stay at their traditional place, in the "square of glory and dignity."
By the way, who's supporting 'Ba'athists'? Nouri's forever accusing protesters of being 'terrorists' and 'Ba'athists' and having connections to Saddam Hussein's regime. For an example of that kind of propaganda, you can refer to this Ahlul Bayt News Agency nonsense.But Al Mada reports it's Nouri who's paying for the treatment of a Ba'athist in Turkey. Sheikh Ali Hussein al-Hamadani's medical expenses are being covered by Nouri (which most likely means the Iraqi people are paying the costs) and the rumor is that he's doing it to curry favor with tribal leaders in Anbar in the hopes that they'll call off the protests.
Violence continues in Iraq at an alarming pace with Iraq Body Count offering that through Monday, February 11th, Iraq has already seen 150 violent deaths this month. Today, Alsumaria reports 2 people were shot dead in Baghdad, a Baquba armed attack left two people injured, a man was shot dead on his farm in Diyala Province's Mukhisa village and 4 police officers were shot dead in different parts of Mosul.
Staying on violence, Saturday there was an attack on Camp Liberty. Prensa Latina reports, " A rain of self-propelled Katyusha missiles hit a provisional camp of Iraqi opposition Mujahedin-e Khalk, an organization Tehran calls terrorists, causing seven fatalities plus 50 wounded, according to an Iraqi official release." CNN explained, "The rocket and mortar attack occurred at Camp Hurriya, a onetime U.S. base formerly known as Camp Liberty, which is now the home of the Iranian exile group Mujahedin-e-Khalq. Accounts of the number of people killed and wounded in the attack vary." Amnesty International issued the following:
Authorities in Iraq must urgently investigate the attack against a camp of Iranian exiles that left several people dead and injured and ensure all those wounded receive appropriate medical care, said Amnesty International today.
The investigation should also look into the conduct of Iraqi security forces in the lead up and during the attack and whether they have failed to prevent any such attack.
Several people reportedly died and have been injured as a result of the attack against Camp Liberty, home of some 3,000 Iranians in exile in Iraq, on 9 February.
"The attack against Camp Liberty is a despicable crime," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa Programme's Deputy Director.
"Authorities in Iraq must ensure not only that those responsible for this attack are brought to justice but that those living in the camp are protected."
The residents of Camp Liberty, members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran which opposes the Iranian government, were recently relocated to a site in north-east Baghdad – after having been settled for 25 years in Camp Ashraf.
Residents claimed the Iraqi forces attacked some of them during the relocation process in 2012.
Today the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' Chief, Antonio Guterres, stressed that the residents of Camp Liberty are asylum seekers undergoing refugee status determination process and as such are entitled to international protection.
In April 2011, Iraqi troops stormed camp Ashraf using grossly excessive force, including live ammunition, against residents who tried to resist them. Some 36 people – 28 men and eight women – were killed and more than 300 wounded. Those injured were prevented from leaving the camp to obtain medical treatment.
Yesterday's snapshot included State Dept's spokesperson Victoria Nuland commenting on Camp Ashraf residents in full. She insisted that the residents would not be allowed to return to Camp Ashraf (a position Nouri al-Maliki shares). She's really not the one to make decisions. The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents is calling for the refugees to be allowed to return to their original camp which was more protected than Camp Liberty:
The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents (USCCAR), on behalf of hundreds of Iranian-Americans whose loved ones in Iraq's Camp Liberty were the target of the Tehran-engineered rocket attack last weekend, has written to the US Secretary of State John Kerry to urge him to facilitate the immediate return of Camp Liberty residents to Camp Ashraf where they are far better protected against such attacks. Saturday's cowardly attack, which left seven residents killed and more than 100 seriously wounded, attests to the fact that this camp is neither safe nor secure for the residents whom the UN Refugee Agency has recognized as asylum seekers.
In the letter, USCCAR noted that "By all measures, Camp Liberty is a killing field. It is only half a square kilometers in size, 80 times smaller than Camp Ashraf. The camp lacks any shelter or high concrete walls to shield the residents against rocket attacks. The residential areas are consisted of dilapidated trailers that are crammed next to each other. The trailers' aluminum walls provide no protection at all against rocket shrapnel… In contrast, the sprawling Camp Ashraf has buildings made from concrete and contains protective shelters."
"We, the families of Iranian dissidents in Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf, hold the United States responsible for safety and security of our loved ones in accordance with its treaty and international obligations as well as its written guarantees to each and every resident in 2004 that it will protect them until their final disposition," the letter added.
Recalling Secretary Kerry's condemnation of the April 2011 attack on Camp Ashraf by Iraqi forces as a "massacre" when he was the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair, the letter urged Secretary Kerry "to facilitate the immediate return [of the residents] to Camp Ashraf before more innocent lives are taken by Tehran and their Iraqi proxies."
Some 3,100 members of Iran's principal opposition movement, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK) have been living at Camp Liberty, a former U.S. military base near Baghdad international airport after they left Camp Ashraf, their home for 26 years, following US and UN assurances about their safety and security. About one-third of the residents are women and an equal number are former political prisoners in Iran.
The Iraq Times reports today that the Navy Seal who shot Osama bin Laden revealed to the Spanish press that Metallica's music was used in the torture of Iraqis up until the group learned of it and asked that they US military stop using the music because they do not favor violence. The outlet refers to this Peru.com article -- so if you read Spanish but not Arabic, you can refer to it. 3News adds, "Interrogators opted for Christian metal group Demon Hunter to replace Metallica, and they were more than forthcoming about being used to wear down terror suspects."
Tuesday, we were noting Tom Harris (Huffington Post UK) ridiculous column moking Sam Parker's column on the Iraq War. Harris is a Labour MP and, as we pointed out, his column didn't help his party.
Tony Blair left office in disgrace. Ed Miliband is an idiot if he lets Tony back in. David is the smart brother (I know them both) and, were he the leader of Labour, he'd be explaining to Tony that he's a liability. Whether Ed gets the brains to do that or not, Tony Blair is a joke in England and around the world. There have been repeated attempts at citizens arrest. He can't escape his War Crimes. He may escape legal punishment, but he's a joke. Even his 'religion' has become a joke (specifically, smearing leaves, fecal matter and whatever else on himself and his wife before they 'procreate' has made for laughter around the world). Tony didn't just leave in disgrace, he poisoned the term of his successor Gordon Brown. Tony Blair and his lies are the reason Labour's no longer in power (the same way that in the US, the Republicans lost power or why Kevin Rudd's Labor Party -- and now Julia Gillard's Labour Party -- replaced John Howard's Liberal-Democrats).
Harris is an idiot to fail to see that that every political party in power in the three countries at the time of the start of the war are no longer in power.
He's a pompous ass who hurts his own party because what Labour needs to do is to find a way to make up for their appalling position on Iraq, not pretend like it doesn't exist. As long as Harris is bitchy, he can count on Labour continuing to have to struggle and to be out of power.
And tip to Harris, I don't believe a politician ever wins a public battle when they mock a citizen. In fact, that strikes a lot of people as unseemly and undignified, it sort of cheapens the office.
Andrew Grice (Independent of London) reports today:
Ten years after the Iraq War, Labour will attempt to further distance itself from a conflict which alienated many voters by warning against the "ideological" crusade against al-Qa'ida favoured by Mr Blair and Mr Cameron.
The party will say that Mr Cameron risks repeating Mr Blair's errors in Mali, where 350 British personnel are supporting the French military operation.
After criticism that it has few policies, Labour is finally starting to show its hand. Ed Miliband will make a major speech on Thursday as he defines what his "One Nation Labour" slogan would mean for economic policy.
Nick Hopkins covers the same story for the Guardian, "Labour has conceded for the first time that a 'primitive understanding' of the Islamic world caused some of the problems faced by the west in Iraq and Afghanistan, and warned David Cameron his response to the terrorist crisis in north Africa shows he has not learned the painful lessons from those conflicts." This is a step in the right direction but if Labour wants to attract voters back to the party, this can only be the first step in a series of steps.
Pretty word walking? Last night, US President Barack Obama gave the Constitutionally mandated State of the Union address. Senator Patty Murray is the Chair of the Senate Budget Committee. Her office issued the following:
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
CONTACT: Murray Press Office
(202) 224-2834
Senator Murray's Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address
"Tonight the President laid out a robust agenda for continuing to build a more secure middle class and an economy that provides opportunity for everyone. He described how by investing in manufacturing, our infrastructure, new and cleaner forms of energy, our schools, and the skills of our workers we can create the economic growth needed to put Americans to work and reduce our deficit responsibly.
"The President also spoke about the core American ideals of compassion and opportunity that will be so important as we tackle issues that should unite us, like finally passing comprehensive immigration reform. And the President delivered welcome news that more of our troops will be coming home in the coming year. As they do, it is going to be critical that the Pentagon and the VA do more to work together to give these brave men and women access to health care, employment opportunities, and the benefits they have earned to help ease their transition back into civilian life.
"On the tough fiscal battles ahead, the President repeatedly stressed the key principle that will be required for us to make progress: balance. He made it clear that while we absolutely need to tackle our deficit and debt responsibly, the number one priority right now needs to be protecting our fragile economic recovery and creating strong middle-class jobs. This means we need to move quickly to replace the automatic and damaging cuts from sequestration with a balanced mix of responsible spending cuts and new revenue from the wealthiest Americans. And it means that any budget plan we put forward needs to be fair and not call on seniors, our men and women in uniform, and our most vulnerable to bear the burden of deficit reduction alone.
"Families in Washington state and across the nation are hungry for bold solutions to the challenges they see their families and neighbors confront each day. Tonight the President spoke directly to them and reassured them that their daily struggles will continue to drive his agenda. In the months ahead I will be doing the same by laying out a pro-growth budget that that puts jobs and the middle class first, tackles the debt and deficit responsibly, calls on the wealthy to pay their fair share, works for seniors and families, and lays down a strong foundation for long-term and broad-based economic growth."
Matt McAlvanah
Communications Director
U.S. Senator Patty Murray
202-224-2834 - press office
202--224-0228 - direct
Last night's speech? As CNN's Gloria Borger observed (link is text with video of the speech and response), "In many ways, what we heard tonight is the same old, same old argument." The most important critical observation came from Fred Kaplan (Slate) who offered it as a parenthetical, "(As for Iraq, it's so forgotten he didn't even deign to mention it.)" Here's what he had to say on Afghanistan:
Tonight, we stand united in saluting the troops and civilians who sacrifice every day to protect us. Because of them, we can say with confidence that America will complete its mission in Afghanistan and achieve our objective of defeating the core of al Qaeda. Already, we have brought home 33,000 of our brave servicemen and women. This spring, our forces will move into a support role, while Afghan security forces take the lead. Tonight, I can announce that over the next year, another 34,000 American troops will come home from Afghanistan. This drawdown will continue and by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over. Beyond 2014, America's commitment to a unified and sovereign Afghanistan will endure, but the nature of our commitment will change. We're negotiating an agreement with the Afghan government that focuses on two missions -- training and equipping Afghan forces so that the country does not again slip into chaos, and counterterrorism efforts that allow us to pursue the remnants of al Qaeda and their affiliates.
In terms of the drawdown, it's more honest than what he said about Iraq. And that's allowed the news outlets to be more honest than they were about Iraq. Devin Dwyer and Jonathan Karl (ABC News) word it this way, "There are currently 66,000 U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan. Obama has vowed to bring nearly all of them home by the end of next year, though a small contingent will likely remain to train Afghan forces and assist counterterrorism operations, officials have said. " Just like in Iraq, where US service members remain for training and counterterrorism operations. So, no, it's not really ending. Senator John McCain speaks with Nicholas Ballasy (The Daily Caller -- link is video) about Iraq, relating it to Afghanistan. I'm giving it a link because it is on the topic. I'm not transcribing it because I have better things to do than transcribe lies. This is not about the fact that I disagree with McCain or that I don't like him -- all of that's long established here. At any hearing I attend where he speaks, he stands a shot at being quote -- both to be fair and because he usually is fairly straightforward in the hearings. In this instance, Ballasy is either unaware of the reality of the US in Iraq currently or he doesn't care about truth. I don't know. But McCain does know the truth and he hedges his responses to tailor to Ballasy. McCain's basic complaint is that Barack hasn't left a large enough force in Iraq. That's his opinion, I disagree but have no problem noting that opinion and would note it without even a "I disagree" (assuming -- possibly incorrectly -- that most reading would already know my position on this topic). But to go along with Ballasy's notion that all troops left? McCain knows better than that. I don't have time to transcribe lies. As Cindy Sheehan noted to Abby Martin October 12th of last year on Breaking the Set (RT -- link is video) with regards to claims of the war being over, "but we both know that the violence continues and we're still occupying Iraq." FYI, Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox this week features an interview she did with Abby Martin -- if it's the one in the video, it's a much longer version and Cindy speaks about failures within the peace movement -- or about frauds within the peace movement who were really about an anti-Bush movement. Matthew Rothschild (The Progressive) observes of Barack's latest speech:
And appallingly, he defended his drone warfare and assassination policy. "Where necessary, through a range of capabilities, we will continue to take direct action against those terrorists who pose the gravest threat to Americans," he said. And in the very next sentence, he had the chutzpah to add: "As we do, we must enlist our values in the fight."
He said his Administration "has worked tirelessly to forge a durable legal and policy framework to guide our counterterrorism operations." But is it "legal" just because he and his Justice Department say it is?
He also said, in a bald-faced lie, that "throughout, we have kept Congress fully informed of our efforts." Try running that past Sen. Ron Wyden, who for months has been trying to get his questions answered on the Administration's assassination doctrine.
A few quick notes. "Consenting Adults" is the episode of Charlie's Angels which is better known for Farrah Fawcett's skateboarding. The only more popular episode was "Angels in Chains" -- when Jill, Kelly (Jaclyn Smith) and Sabrina (Kate Jackson) went to a women's prison (other prisoners included Kim Basinger). None of the post-Farrah episodes were ever as popular as those two. Farrah was a friend and I was speaking to a mutual friend today who said he'd bet I couldn't find a way to mention her in the snapshot -- he was wrong. When I told him how I planned to work her in, he noted that Dick Dinman was a guest in that episode and he now hosts a radio show in Portland, Main on WMPG entitled DVD Classics Corner on the Air -- which I promised I'd link to. Dinman played the john that Tracy sleeps with and sets up for robbery setting the Angels case in motion. In yesterday's snapshot, I got Joshua Key's name right at the top and then in the middle called him "Joshua Long" before going back to Joshua Key. His name is Joshua Key. I probably was thinking of a friend (Joshua Long) when I was working on the snapshot (I typed up Joshua's remarks at lunch and dictated the rest). My apologies. We should cover a hearing in tomorrow's snapshot -- House Veterans hearing that took place today -- but there's not room to do it today.
the iraq times
al mada
mohammad sabah
al rafidayn
all iraq news
prashant rao
gloria bolger
fred kaplan
abc news
devin dwyer
jonathan karl
cindy sheehan
matthew rothschild
the guardian
nick hopkins
the independent
andrew grice
the huffington post uk
tom harris

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Blogged By: La Tray
Blog Source: Xin MSN Entertainment
Photo Credit: tohebe -tumblr
Posted: Wednesday February 1, 2012 @ 12:25 am PST
Topic: Hebe Tien
Link: JJ Lin Opened Up About His Love Life & Cosmetic Surgery Plus Hebe Tien (Photos)
Singer Hebe Tien from the girl group S.H.E, recently commented on about herself being the last one to marry since her band mates Selina Jen and the newly engaged Ella Chen, the message she left, "I've been receiving messages like "you're the only one left", "when is your turn" to remind me that I'm the only unmarried one."
Hebe encouraged herself, "Hebe, don't feel pressurised."
Selina gave some encouraging words for Hebe,"Don't worry, Cupid should be reading this. With so many well wishes, you'll find someone soon."
Even Hebe's fans were being matchmakers by writing Hebe is "marriage material". The unmarried singer responded to her fans, "They're so helpful, but I'm just letting nature takes its course now," she said, adding that her fans are more enthusiastic about her marriage than she is.
In a previous blog article, singer JJ Lin who has out his latest album"Lost N Found" has a major crush on Hebe, Lin said that Hebe was his ideal type but not sure if he's her type.
Maybe, these twp could arrange a date in the future; however, it's most important to concertrate on her music career and let a relationship that invovles marriage slowly come into her life. There's no need to rush.


text:
Launched this week is Codename One, a new Software Development Kit designed to allow developers to create native mobile applications across multiple mobile operating systems using a Java single code base.
A result of development by Israel-based former Sun Microsystems employees Shai Almog and Chen Fishbein, Codename One is a lightweight tool capable of producing native interfaces and is described as "highly differentiated" from other cross-platform mobile development toolkits, which typically use HTML5 or heavyweight technology.
Still in beta, Codename One runs Java cross platform including on the iPhone. Steve Jobs is of course famously quoted as saying, "Java's not worth building in. Nobody uses Java anymore. It's this big heavyweight ball and chain."
So how does it Codename One do it?
NOTE: Codename One translates Java byte code to C/Objective-C code on its cloud servers and compiles the resulting source code to native applications using X-code on genuine cloud-based Mac machines to create iTunes compliant applications.
By drawing all components from scratch rather than utilizing native widgets, Codename One sets out to enable developers to avoid fragmentation. It additionally allows accurate desktop simulation of mobile apps.
"Chen and I are thrilled to be releasing this transformational technology that is filling a growing demand among mobile developers," said Almog, "The wasteful reality of having to develop the same app multiple times due to the variety of operating systems in the market is coming to a close. With Codename One, developers can write applications just once and run them everywhere."
The product has received high acclaim in the development community and is claimed to be growing its user base by 50 percent each month. It has received interest from industry leaders and operators including Vodafone.


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Joined: 23 Feb 2005
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Location: Munich, Germany
Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:29 pm
Post subject: Elegant Dessert Course for 2
Hi all,
I need advice for a simple, romantic dessert course for 2. I would like to make a pastry, have a few different cheeses, possibly some fruit, and a light wine. I would love if you could share your ideas or your own dessert course creations. I am only serving a dessert course so there are no other menu consideration. (i.e - it can be rich.)
also, i saw an orange chocolate pochette made on a food network show but they don't supply a recipe. the dough is a cream cheese dough. does someone have a recipe for this?
Thanks so much!
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Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 296
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 7:34 pm
Post subject:
Hi Mia, I don't know if this comes too late, but here are a few ideas.
Unfortunately I don't have a recipe for this, but two months ago I had an amazing dessert at a restaurant in Paris: a very crisp, delicate filo parcel stuffed with a mixture of ground almonds, honey, lemon juice and zest, and hibiscus syrup. I would imagine that if you're confident handling filo and improvising a filling, this wouldn't be super-difficult to recreate. (You could also stuff it with frangipane - it would be different, but probably still very good.)
Apart from this, my choice would be millefeuilles or individual fruit tarts, filled with sweetened creme fraiche or mascarpone if you don't want to deal with having lots of leftover creme patissiere. Hope that helps!
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Joined: 11 Nov 2007
Posts: 236
Location: Madison, WI
Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2009 7:13 pm
Post subject:
Hi Mia,
I found this recipe just by coincidence. I couldn't sleep and found a cream cheese dough recipe in a cookbook I had gotten for my birthday years ago, but hadn't really used. The cookbook is Everyday Greens: Home Cooking from Greens... The author is Annie Somerville. The recipe uses a truly horrifying amount of fat, but looks like the results are really tasty. The measurements are U.S. measurements, but if you think you want t o make this pastry, I can weigh the flour and cornmeal for you. The sugar would be 3 large spoons, the butter about 400 g. and the cream cheese about 200 g. I can calculate the exact amount on my palm pilot. It would be fun for me to do the calculations, as I have rarely played with converting recipes before. The only time was with a cookbook of medieval recipes updated for modern kitchens that my dad brought me from France one time. This would be easier.
2 c. flour
1/3 c. fine cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted, chilled butter
1/2 lb natural cream cheese.
Add first dry ingredients and then butter to a food processor. Use the paddle attachment to cut butter into pea sized pieces, and then add the cream cheese. Process until the mixture just adheres into on mass. There will be a few white streaks of cream cheese in the mass. THis dough is intended to be rolled into circles, filled, folded into half moons, and the edges crimped, then cooked for 25 min in a 375 degree F. oven (high medium) . You could fill with what you like. The recipe calls for quince filling, which I also have a recipe for.
P.S. I put in the original ingredients, but paraphrased the instructions, so if they are not easy to follow blame me-- not Annie Somerville.
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Marriage broadcast seminar set to be held in Bayfield
Pine Valley Church will host an online broadcast, Lifelong Love Affair by Jimmy and Karen Evans, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 9 at the church, 1328 County Road 501, Bayfield.
Jimmy and Karen Evans are affiliated with Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. The broadcast is about having a fulfilling, purpose-filled marriage.
For more information, call 884-7196.
Pagosa church slated to host Mardi Gras party
The Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Hall, 451 Lewis St. in Pagosa Springs, will host a Mardi Gras party Feb. 12.
The Rev. Don Malin has been growing a beard for the last four months as a fundraiser to benefit the parish. The rules of the beard-off are that for $1 people can vote for him to either keep the beard or shave it off.
Rays Barbershop will have a barber on hand if the shave-off votes are the highest. The largest donor to either side of the vote will win a five-course meal for six cooked by Malin at the rectory.
There will be prizes for best womens and mens costumes, and dancing to Cajun music. Tickets are $15 per person or $25 per couple, with funds going to benefit the religious education and youth ministries of the parish. Tickets are available at Silver Dollar Liquor, Homespun Comforts, The Antler Shed and after the masses at both Catholic churches.
Herald Staff


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Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Wacky Reference Wednesdays, No. 44
In this page from Amazing Spider-Man #577, I utilize one of my favorite reference tricks, Google Sketchup. I find it especially useful for architectural elements (like those pesky staircases) that I have to draw from several angles. Every once in a while, the circumstances warrant construction of a model from scratch, as is the case here — the bridge of a ship.
Luckily for me (and perhaps you), the 3D warehouse provides a virtual library of components with which to build a structure. In this example, I used a prefabricated staircase and railing, but you can find just about anything.
You may notice the rectangle behind each of the 3D models. Those are my initial compositional sketches for each panel. Once imported into the program, the model can be aligned to match a two-dimensional image. Below, I've included those original roughs. As you can (hopefully) see, I've already got a pretty good handle on the perspective, Sketchup just hones my preliminary marks, making the inking process less time-consuming. You can find out more about the alignment process at Sketchup Help.
6 comments:
Very useful! I love Google Sketch Up. I didn't know you could align images to your roughs though, Thanks will definitely have to give it a try.ReplyDelete
Glad you could use the tip, Manny. In a future post, I'll show how I use the same trick to make perspective grids for myself.ReplyDelete
Thanks Paolo. You and Joe Q both recommended the program in the same week. I definitely look forward to testing it out...ReplyDelete
I've heard that Joe Q uses it as well. Where did he mention it?
He has an upcoming cover for Amazing (featuring the sign for The Coffee Bean at an extreme angle) and mentioned the usefulness of Sketch-Up as a tool in his weekly MySpace blog here: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=92159514&blogID=471980198ReplyDelete
Thanks for the link, Michael. Marvel actually sent me that file recently in case I ever have to draw it.ReplyDelete


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Check out the latest RPG news | Podcasts | Twitch Streams
Honestly I keep it on my phone simply because I *can* play it for about 20-30 minutes a week total and not feel like I'm missing out.
Reading Ranadiel's posts makes me want to drop this game now as opposed to later.
Eh, I don't mind giving some money to support the game. *shrug* Not familiar with Cordelia's kit. I vaguely recall hearing that she is one of the better lance users though. Camilla on the other hand has issues with the red heavy meta/enemy units.I have no intention of going for the lunatic arena mission. I think I have enough dueling swords to pull it off, but no that is a ridiculous amount.
That being said, new focus that I literally do not care about (4 star Fir's already on my A team (and dragging it down since she's only a 4 star), and I've got two Adult Tiki's to begin with).


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HATTERAS ISLAND, North Carolina (Reuters) - Hurricane Sandy closed in on the United States on Saturday as coastal communities along the East Coast scrambled to prepare for torrential rains, high winds, major flooding and power outages a week before the presidential election.
Governors in states in the hurricane's path declared emergencies, announcing mandatory evacuations of vulnerable areas. New York City officials discussed whether to shut the subway system on Sunday in advance of the storm.
On its current projected track, Sandy could make U.S. landfall on Monday night or Tuesday morning anywhere between Maryland and southern New England, forecasters said. Some computer models show a likely landfall between Delaware and the New York/New Jersey area.
The hurricane was headed toward densely populated areas with tens of millions of people. Officials urged residents to stock up on food, water and batteries. Worried residents packed stores, buying generators, candles, food and other supplies in anticipation of power outages. Some local governments announced schools would be closed on Monday and Tuesday.
"They're freaking out," said Joe Dautel, a clerk at a hardware store in Glenside, Pennsylvania. "I'm selling people four, five, six packs of batteries - when I had them."
Sandy also threatened to disrupt air travel in the region.
Rain accumulations of up to 12 inches (30 cm) and heavy snowfall inland are considered likely in some areas. As it merges with an Arctic jet stream, forecasters said Sandy has all the ingredients to transform into a "super storm" unlike anything seen over the eastern United States in decades.
"There's no avoiding a significant storm-surge event over a large area. We just can't pinpoint who's going to get the worst of it," National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb said.
The White House said President Barack Obama took part in a call with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate to discuss preparations for Sandy.
Coastal flooding posed a major threat, particularly in low-lying areas like New York City, the global financial nerve center, and Alexandria, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
"This is not a coastal threat alone," Fugate told reporters, warning of the potential for flooding in Maryland and Pennsylvania, as well as more than 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow in West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania. "This is going to go well inland," he added.
Delaware Governor Jack Markell ordered a mandatory evacuation of an estimated 50,000 people in coastal communities on Saturday. New Jersey's Cape May County ordered an evacuation of its barrier islands, home to some popular beach resorts, by Sunday afternoon.
In New York, authorities were considering closing down the city's buses, subways, commuter railroads, bridges and tunnels as early as 7 p.m. on Sunday, when the last commuter trains would depart, with the entire system to be closed down by 3 a.m. Monday, officials said.
Sandy was located about 330 miles (530 km) south of Cape Hatteras, South Carolina, and packing top sustained winds of 75 miles (120 km) per hour on Saturday evening, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. The storm was still moving slowly over the Atlantic at 13 miles per hour (20 kph).
Forecasters said flooding could span multiple tides with a storm surge of 4 to 8 feet (1.2-2.4 meters) in Long Island Sound, the southern portion of Lower New York Bay and Delaware Bay.
Sandy's storm surge has the potential to flood New York City's subway system if the storm arrives at or near Monday evening's high tide around 9 p.m., according to Jeff Masters, a hurricane specialist who also writes a Weather Underground blog.
Monday is also a full moon, which creates an extra-high tide. "These storm surge heights will be among the highest ever recorded along the affected coasts, and will have the potential to cause billions of dollars in damage," Masters wrote.
Officials said 50 to 60 million people could be affected by Sandy, which many forecasters warn could be more destructive than Irene, which caused billions of dollars in damage across the U.S. Northeast in August 2011.
Coming in the hectic run-up to the November 6 election, the storm presented a challenge to the campaigns of Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
As Sandy approached, Romney was rescheduling all of his campaign events planned for Virginia on Sunday and flying to Ohio instead.
Sandy continued to grow in size with tropical storm-force winds extending across 700 miles (1,125 km). More powerful hurricane force winds extended 105 miles (165 km) from its center, increasing the risk of downed trees and power lines, forecasters said.
"The winds... expected to be at or near hurricane strength at landfall... will spread inland for hundreds of miles either side of the storm center," according to a blog posted on Weather Underground (www.wunderground.com) by veteran weather forecaster Bryan Norcross.
"It's hard to imagine how millions of people are not going to be without power for an extended period of time," he added.
As the threat of a monster storm began to sink in, shoppers crowded hardware stores and supermarkets looking to stock up on emergency supplies. At a Trader Joe's store in Millburn, New Jersey, shelves were stripped bare of bread, bottled water and milk.
Customers at a Home Depot in Willow Grove, a suburb of Philadelphia, were greeted by big hand-written signs saying, "No generators." The store received a shipment of 50 generators on Friday evening and sold them all within minutes of opening on Saturday, said January Introcaso, one of the store managers.
The store also sold out of flashlights and batteries. It was a similar story at other hardware stores in the area, with candles, tarps and rope also in demand.
Sandy claimed at least 59 lives as it made its way through the Caribbean islands, including 44 people in southern Haiti, mostly from flash flooding and mudslides, according to authorities. Another 11 people died in Cuba, largely due to from collapsed buildings, officials said.
Tropical storm-force winds were being felt near the North Carolina coast. There were tropical storm warnings for all of the coastal portion of the state, along with about half of South Carolina.
Along North Carolina's Outer Banks barrier islands, which jut out into the Atlantic, the winds and rains increased on Saturday, and ferry service between Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands on the Outer banks was suspended.
"Right now it's blowing pretty hard," said Ray Waller, manager of the Ocracoke office of North Carolina Ferry Division.
(Additional reporting by Dave Warner in Philadelphia, Ellen Wulfhorst in New York, Mary Ellen Clark in Connecticut and Sam Youngman in Washington; Writing by David Adams and Tom Brown; Editing by Will Dunham)
Related Stories: Factbox - Rare factors could make Hurricane Sandy highly destructive
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CAA Tournament PreviewPosted by rtmsf on March 4th, 2010
Ryan Restivo of SienaSaintsBlog is the RTC correspondent for the CAA and an occasional contributor.
There is a lot at stake for what appears to be a one-bid league. BracketBusters did not help (3-9) and the CAA could not capitalize on TV games, winning just one of five. William & Mary used the non-conference slate, winning at Wake Forest and Maryland, to boost their chances as an at-large. Old Dominion won at Georgetown and crushed Charlotte as home to boost their at-large chances early. Northeastern and George Mason are likely to reach other postseason tournaments but have a good chance at making a run at the CAA automatic bid. Ken Pomeroy's tournament odds give Old Dominion a 45.7% chance, followed by #5 seed VCU (24.4%). No team has ever won four games in four days to win the conference tournament in CAA history. If you are within the viewing area or able to watch on Sunday, the CAA semifinals of this tournament guarantee to be a great spectacle. However before eleven teams' hopes are dashed Monday night, the themes that bring these teams together will dominate the tournament talk.
#1 Old Dominion would have to be considered the favorite. They are second in the CAA in offensive efficiency and first in defensive efficiency and have won five of their last six, their only loss in that span at Northern Iowa in the BracketBusters. Gerald Lee has been the focal point of their late season streak, shooting 54% from the field in the last six games. However, they will have a lot tougher path to the championship than ever because of a potential re-match with Virginia Commonwealth. The Monarchs escaped last Saturday with a three-point win at home and were beaten by VCU by 12 on the road earlier in February. There's a chance the Monarchs' semifinal game will be their toughest yet.


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American Library Association Mid-Winter Meeting
We consumed the Boston Convention Center exhibit hall today. Boston is nearly 50 degrees farenheit! We will feature some of the most interesting exhibitors and products that we found in a special edition of Best of Publib on January 20th – we have pictures of them all. But tonight, we dine with Canadians!
Filed under: Architecture, Contracting out, Employment, Finance, Furnishings, Interiors, Library Profession, Societies | Tagged: ALA, GSLIS, library organizations, public librarians, public libraries | Leave a comment »


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Courtesy photo/Morgan County REA
Courtesy photo/Morgan County REA
Golfers from seven states participated in the Morgan County Rural Electrical Association (MCREA) annual Invitational Golf Tournament held Aug. 3 and 4 at the Quail Dunes Golf Course in Fort Morgan.
One hundred thirty six golfers participated in this year's tournament, which is in its twelfth year, according to MCREA Director of external affairs Dave Henderson. He said the golf tournament is by invitation only and has become well known throughout the region and now has a waiting list of interested participants.
For the first time in tournament history, a hole-in-one was registered by a competitor. Mike Wales rolled in his tee shot on the eighth hole, and by doing so won a trip to Las Vegas. The hole-in-one prize was sponsored by Geoff Taylor and Taylor Insurance Agency.
The Touchstone Energy hot-air balloon was on hand for the tournament, resting on the number one fairway prior to play on Saturday morning. The award-winning balloon team tours the nation and makes appearances at various events on behalf of Touchstone Energy, the national electric cooperative's marketing brand.
The four-person scramble drew 34 teams – 136 golfers – from all over Colorado and several other states to compete in the two day event. The invitational tournament is an A-B-C-D format and utilizes a Stableford scoring system that awards points for holes under par and subtracts points for bogeys or worse.
The foursome of George Mussell, Geoff Taylor, Ron Unrein and Rick Gibson garnered first place in the tournament with 47 points. With 41 points and in second place was the team of Brian Burley, David Graff, Tom Johnson and Barb Odor. The team of Kelly Siebrands, Trey Smith, Jessica Linker and Ace Ward came in third with 37 points.
With 36 points and after a putt-off tie-breaker, the team of Chris Lambert, Dudley Snyder, Gary Armitage and Ralph Larson captured fourth place from the team of Brian Reynolds, Carrie Mobley, Martin Beauprez and Tim Peggram, who came in fifth.
Two other teams – each with 35 points – also competed in a putt-off tiebreaker for the remaining places. The team of Steve Needens, Thor Bauer, Steve Frasier and Patty Mussman came out on top of the tie-breaker, garnering sixth place. Coming in at seventh place was Nash Bledsoe, Dominic Carpine, Al Larson and Kelly Angers.
The tournament raises money for scholarships for area students to receive an MCREA Lineworkers Scholarship. Each year MCREA awards two to three $7,500 scholarships, which is contingent upon how much money is raised at the tournament.
MCREA was the Brush Chamber of Commerce spotlight business of the month for July.


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Today is December 1st…wow! In 24 days we will be celebrating Christmas, and in 30 days New Years Eve. This year has been a whirlwind of events, travel, friends, family, and blessings. I'm sad to see this so quickly, but I'm definitely looking forward to 2012. In a few weeks Dr. B and I will sit down and review our goals that we made during the beginning of the year. We knocked a few out of the park, and others we fell somewhat short. Which I can live with because the real lesson comes from the actual planning, and the process of striving towards the goal.
One milestone I'm happy to say that I've completed is starting my business, NataMari Designs. I've been busy working on my designs, adding content to my new blog, and getting my online store setup. It's required tons of hard work but I love every minute of it. So please when you get a chance check out my new blog and shop and tell me what you think!


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Royal Purple 1021 XPR 5W30 Extreme Performance Racing Oil 1 Quart Container
Royal Purple Racing Oils are extremely popular in all forms of motorsports, from NASCAR and NHRA to the World of Outlaws and Bonneville Salt Flats. Professional engine builders and race teams have cited increased horsepower and longer engine life with the use of Royal Purple
Royal Purple Racing Oils gain their performance advantages through Royal Purple's proprietary Synerlec additive technology.
Royal Purple Racing Oils provide more protection than conventional motor oils — mineral or synthetic — including those combined with aftermarket additives.
Royal Purple Nitro Plus Racing Oils are straight-grade synthetic engine oils formulated specifically for use in blown alcohol, nitro-methane or any racing applications that experience excessive fuel dilution.
It absolutely is the most effective synthetic motor oil offered on the market today.
XPR 5W30 (formerly Racing 21) works well in a variety of applications from oval track late models to bracket racing. It is extremely versatile and produces excellent horsepower while preventing wear. Viscosity typical of a 5W30 oil.


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| 17.7°C Dublin
Aston Villa are in the process of discussing a new deal with manager Paul Lambert, according to reports.
Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner is understood to have opened talks with Lambert, who is currently in the middle of a three-year contract he signed following his arrival from Norwich in the summer of 2012.
Faulkner and owner Randy Lerner are determined to bring stability to Villa following a turbulent period that came after Martin O'Neill's departure two years previously.
Gerard Houllier and then Alex McLeish unsuccessfully took the helm prior to Lambert's appointment, with the latter since having built a good rapport with both Lerner and Faulkner.
The 44-year-old Scot has been given money to spend, although has had to cut his cloth more accordingly, which has resulted in the exit of a number of high-wage earners.
Many Villa fans, however, remain unconvinced because - although Lambert just kept the club in the Barclays Premier League last season - there have been some shocking results.
Most notable amongst them was the 8-0 hammering at Chelsea, plus the Capital One Cup semi-final embarrassment to Bradford last term.
This season Villa's wretched home form has been a major cause for concern, including another humiliating defeat just a month ago to Sheffield United in the FA Cup.
But then Villa have also taken some notable scalps, such as those of Arsenal and Manchester City, whilst crucially beating West Brom last week in the Midlands derby.
Given the amicable nature between Lambert, Lerner and Faulkner, the situation is understood to be an amicable one, with no pressure on any party.
PA Media


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In this video I interview Frank Eliason regarding the connection between customer service and social media. Frank is now Senior Vice President of Social Media at Citigroup and is also known for his previous role at Comcast.
Frank is a pioneer in using social media for customer service and in this video he talks about what has changed over the last few years. He also shares tips for companies to improve customer support.
You'll find more takeaways below. Be sure to leave your comments after you watch the video.
Continue Reading about Why Social Media is Inseparable From Customer Service →


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Managers set the tone in the workplace and can create an environment that will keep employees happy and productive.
Office culture affects everything from employee retention to productivity, and managers have an incredible opportunity to shape that culture. In most organizations, culture is based solely on what is sold, delivered or provided. But David Vik, former culture coach at online shoe retailer Zappos and author of The Culture Secret: How to Empower People and Companies No Matter What You Sell, which is set for release by Greenleaf Book Group in February 2013, argues that culture should be deliberately structured to align with the wants, needs and demands of both employees and customers.
Vik believes that crafting a unique culture should be priority No. 1 for organizations that want to attract and retain loyal employees and customers. While federal managers may not be as concerned with "customers" in the traditional sense as private sector managers, agency leaders nonetheless have parties they are tasked with serving.
One of the first challenges of managing organizational structure, Vik says, is the fact that the concept itself is "squooshy." Several organizations could take identical steps toward creating a certain culture, but not all will realize the same effects. This is true in part because every organization already has an existing culture, which may be less than ideal. "So if you want to create your own unique culture that will help empower your employees and drive your company to success, transforming the culture you already have is a great place to start," he says.
The first step to creating or transforming your organization's culture is to develop a compelling vision. Employees need to know what they are doing, in the largest sense. They should know the organization's ultimate goal and what managers expect to accomplish. Many managers, Vik says, fail to properly identify the what, skipping right to the how. But if employees have a good sense of the organization's vision then they can help develop ways to achieve that vision, which means more innovations and less micromanaging.
Next, articulate the purpose of the organization, or the why. In the private sector, Vik has seen that if a company's sole purpose is to make money, then employees won't stand behind it for long. Passionate, committed employees must feel compelled by their organization's purpose.
Vik has found that having or creating "wow factors" for an organization may be the single most important thing managers and executives can do. The focus must be on setting the organization apart and that can come from quality, value, price, service, delivery, or really anything; but it is the manager's job to decide how the organization can best differentiate itself. This wow factor must be tangible, the organization must be able to point to concrete results or practices that are distinctive, otherwise it's just lip service.
Finally, he points to organizational values as a crucial aspect of culture: "Values let the outside world know what you are all about." Encouraging employee participation in developing these values can be extremely productive, as it can point out where the group thinks they are succeeding and what they value devoting additional effort toward. For example, if the organization currently struggles with communication but collectively wants to improve, naming "timely communication" as a value is likely to attract employees willing to contribute to that goal. Eventually, these values become self-fulfilling.what, why and how


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The limbic system of the brain is a network of tissues that influence emotions and behavior. The limbic system, and in particular the hippocampus and amygdala, is involved in the formation of long-term memory, and is closely associated with the olfactory structures (having to do with the sense of smell).
This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM


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I have a few things I would like to mention for this post so it may be a bit disjointed. Hopefully the connections will be clear at the end. There are many different types of intentions when an artwork is created. Some work towards one result, while others have no interest in that element and strive for yet another. One of my fascinations in art is how a work can be embodied with emotion in an almost magical manner when manipulated correctly. In the last post the artist had members of her audience weeping as they connected to her artwork. She did this by merely moving sand around. When I oil paint I often make my own colours. I don't mean mixing the colours on a palette but rather making the paint itself. I do this for a few reasons, some being that store bought paint can contain fillers that are actually stained particles rather than proper pigments. They are created for shelf life and uniform consistency etc. When you make your own paint you not only have much more control over the quality but you also connect to your work in a deeper way. It's like buying a tomato as opposed to growing them yourself. The process become less abstract. So for example Carmine Red is a pigment made up of crushed red bug shells. Proper Naples yellow is made from volcanic rock gathered from around Pompeii in Italy. From Mount Vesuvius I believe. Burnt/Raw Sienna/Umber is clay taken from a region in Italy. Actually something important to know when buying a Sienna is to check the pigment content on the back. Ok this is getting off topic but whatever. The clay is becoming scarce and thus is driving up the cost per pound of pigment to manufacturers. As a result many manufacturers are substituting the clay pigment known as PB7 or PBr7 (pigment brown 7) for a synthetic red iron oxide (PR101). The new Sienna formulation is seriously inferior to the traditional one so make sure on the back of your paint tube it shows the appropriate pigment. It is hard to find good sienna now but hopefully you can still find the good stuff. When you buy Dammar varnish from an art store it comes in a bottle. Its easy to imagine that the Dammar is created in some white sterile lab from synthetic components. When I make it, I have the resin shipped in. It comes in a burlap bag with each chunk of resin being chipped off a tree in another country, I seem to recall mine comes from Singapore. The sap from these trees are like pieces of crystal amber and in many cases they contain trapped bugs inside them. After a few days of breaking them down into a thick liquid while submerged in mineral spirits, then filtering them over and over again to get out the bugs and bark, you have the clear liquid that you can buy in the store. However there is now a new feeling when you look at your own Dammar solution. Its no longer an abstract synthetic creation. So then when I paint I am arranging pigments over a 2D surface and somehow at the end it may or may not draw forth an emotion from the viewer. I just really find it compelling that you can imbue an emotion into an inanimate object (painting) by a specific arrangement of pastes, and an empathic viewer can pick up your emotion and absorb them unto themself. And its all done with raw basic tools.
When we look at Second Life as an art medium there are some factors which make it quite unique and powerful. Things that separate it from other mediums. One such thing is the way emotions are somehow highly amplified in the virtual world. People fall in love with minds here in Second Life, whereas in RL it's often people falling in love with bodies first and then eventually with anothers mind. I don't want to generalize but that seems to be a unique difference. Connections are far more cerebral than physical.
When I came across this build by MrPim it was clear to me that it contained emotion. Much like the artist who arranges the paint that is made up of crushed bugs or volcanic rock we have the SL artist arranging prims that are composed of programming code. Arranging them the right way draws forth an emotion, the wrong way produces nothing. If I understand correctly, MrPims work was created as an emotional reaction to a SL relationship he had with another. Not a physical relationship but rather a cerebral one. My interpretation is that he is a reclusive person in SL, as he has said so himself. He resides in his symbolic cage as we see at the beginning of the machinima, and he is released by a girl he meets in SL. He bonds to her as lonely people often do, but over time she meets new people as is the way in SL. She drifts away from him and he watches her go rather than fight to keep her. She flies out to meet the new people and leaves with them unshackled. It is a story told from his perspective and it is real emotion connected to how he saw the situation. And because it was based off of a real experience the emotions were able to be transferred into the artwork, and that is what made it successful.
So for example, if I were to decide as a snow bound Canadian to make an artwork based on the Lost Boys of Sudan trekking to Kenya while being bombed or attacked by Lions. It would likely be a complete and utter failure. I can't associate with that experience so how could I possibly portray what it would be like for them? A work created on a subject you know and understand, that you are emotionally attached to has the best chance of striking a chord in the viewer. It eventually comes down to whether the artist possesses the skill to translate their emotions into another format for others to absorb. In this case MrPims work did so for me.
#5 from 2009 mushROOM by Scottius Polke
#5 from 2008 Light Waves Night Dreaming
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Kseniya Simonova - sand art
I have never really gotten along well with my computer. It tolerates me and I grudgingly accept its power over my daily life. That was until about five days ago when my computer got a virus. Intentionally I believe. I was working on something and noticed my computer was all sluggish and petulant. I then noticed that my Nortons was completely off. So it either didn't load when I turned on my computer (which is extremely rare) or the virus turned it off somehow. So long story short everything on my computer was infected due to my computers bad attitude and so in retaliation I erased its brain. I realized later that by formatting my hard drive I had lost a lot of things. Thousands of songs, word documents, all my pictures and many of my SL videos. The thought of starting over was exhausting to contemplate, so I instead lay around grumbling.
The one positive element was that I was victorious over my computer. I erased its brain so that must be considered winning I suppose. I don't think it thought I would ever go to that extreme measure, but I did and it learned a valuable lesson which it has now forgotten because its brain is broken. But it learned a valuable lesson for a very short time. I am not sure what that lesson was but its something like don't be a jerk and get viruses. I now have a fresh install and I am going to really make an effort to be friends with this new computer. I have named it Gargamel. One thing I did do a few years ago was to buy a external hard drive which I backed up most of my stuff on. Unfortunately I kept telling it not to back stuff up. Its name is Azriel. So yes there is a Smurfs theme going on for my computer (I have a second hard drive named Papa Smurf). Anyway, my whole point to this post was to say that everything will be delayed a bit. I lost my top ten movies so need to redo them. So what I will do is put up interesting things I like until I am ready to continue with my top ten favorite builds again. This video below is the first. It is what I believe to be a European talent show. The vibrant girl in the video is working with sand, which is probably obvious. It was so beautiful when I first saw her perform that I had tears in my eyes and I think I fell in love with her for a bit too. Her name is Kseniya Simonova and is incredibly talented. Her ability to conjure scenes and emotions with just a few quick loose movements of her hands is fascinating to watch. She is so decisive and confident in her movements. Not even a touch of nervousness.
The one positive element was that I was victorious over my computer. I erased its brain so that must be considered winning I suppose. I don't think it thought I would ever go to that extreme measure, but I did and it learned a valuable lesson which it has now forgotten because its brain is broken. But it learned a valuable lesson for a very short time. I am not sure what that lesson was but its something like don't be a jerk and get viruses. I now have a fresh install and I am going to really make an effort to be friends with this new computer. I have named it Gargamel. One thing I did do a few years ago was to buy a external hard drive which I backed up most of my stuff on. Unfortunately I kept telling it not to back stuff up. Its name is Azriel. So yes there is a Smurfs theme going on for my computer (I have a second hard drive named Papa Smurf). Anyway, my whole point to this post was to say that everything will be delayed a bit. I lost my top ten movies so need to redo them. So what I will do is put up interesting things I like until I am ready to continue with my top ten favorite builds again. This video below is the first. It is what I believe to be a European talent show. The vibrant girl in the video is working with sand, which is probably obvious. It was so beautiful when I first saw her perform that I had tears in my eyes and I think I fell in love with her for a bit too. Her name is Kseniya Simonova and is incredibly talented. Her ability to conjure scenes and emotions with just a few quick loose movements of her hands is fascinating to watch. She is so decisive and confident in her movements. Not even a touch of nervousness.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
#6 Oberon Onmurras "Coriolis"
Some of my favorite non representational artworks in Second Life are created by Oberon Onmurra. I see his work under the light of a few different movements in art. Not fully under one, but with elements of different schools of thought. I filmed the video above as though it were a work of Seprematism. The idea behind Seprematism was that everything we see in the physical world is meaningless, with significance only coming with feeling. The Suprematists often worked only with very basic geometric shapes like cubes and cylinders, because they felt that by picking the form of the square, they had chosen a shape not found in nature nor the traditional painting of that time. The square symbolized something greater than our world of appearances. They would, in some cases, work white over white as seen in these paintings done by Kazimir Malevich in 1927 or so. The idea being that they were purified form and colour. You can also see echoes of De Stijl and Elementarism in Oberons creations as well. If you look at Oberons work in the video, you will see that it is almost exclusively made up of cubes. The most basic of shapes in Second Life. Each of these cubes is given life by the use of scripting. The scripting is their animator, their soul, it is what allows for them to gain the feeling or emotion which is sought by Suprematism. I have actually made the video with more and different emotion than Seprematism would have liked, but I wanted to show that the space was malleable to interpretation. It is how I see the space.
I really enjoy Oberons approach to art creation in Second Life. His juxtaposition of the chaotic movement and engulfment of his cubes on the viewer, to his quiet empty areas of reflection. These elements are what drew me to this work in particular. Its simplicity of form and the way it allows for the viewer to project their feelings onto its surroundings are one of the features which stood out for me over a year of viewing various art exhibits.
#6 from 2009 - ColeMarie Soleil - Particles
#6 from 2008 - Nonnatus Korhonnen - Needlebirds
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Grant from the Canadian Government
I have some really wonderful news to share. I just received this in the mail....
"On behalf of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), I am pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a
Media Artists Emerging Program grant towards Standby in the amount of $10,000."
People tend to resist virtual art the same way they resisted calling photography and film art forms upon their arrival. The Daguerreotype was seen as a toy, yet now we have famed photographers ranging from Ansel Adams to Annie Leibovitz. When I talk about virtual art and identity to gallery curators I often come away with the same feeling. That they are now in their 50's, they have spent their life studying art forms to be an expert in a variety of areas. And that they don't want to start over with a new medium. It's quite understandable and I am not suggesting they all think that way, just the ones I have spoken to. I don't bring up Bryn Oh to them in an attempt to sway their views, I merely ask in order to find out their initial base reaction, so I can build up an understanding of the perspectives I am dealing with.
So a jury of peers reviewed my application which was based on my ghost artist Bryn Oh, and my story of the Rabbicorn. I spent a great deal of time expressing my opinion that some of the virtual art we are creating now will inevitably go down in history books. In fact Bryn Oh is on the syllabus to three Universities that I am aware of. I competed against "traditional" art applications and won. This idea is quite exciting to me as it turns into a form of legitimization of the medium. Not that the artists working here need people to tell them what we are doing is art and important. We already know that. But now the next time I apply for a big event the organizers will see that a large art organization has faith in me and my medium. You see at the top there is a logo they have supplied . Its a magic logo. When I now talk about virtual art to a curator, rather than them say "hmm isn't virtual worlds where dragons have virtual sex with vampires?", I will now attach that logo and they will instead say "hmm please tell me more about your ideas".
My grant is made up of two areas to accomplish. The first is to create a 30 minute movie for the Daughter of Gears, the Rabbicorn story and Standby into one piece. This final piece will be used to send around to movie companies to see if they are interested. The second part is to create a show in a RL gallery as Bryn Oh whereby I create a virtual environment for the guest to enter and explore. It would also be based around the story of Standby. I am hoping to use kinect and virtual reality headsets (which are quite tiny now) as part of this exhibit. So if there are any kinect programmers in the Toronto area please contact me as I will need to find a way to have them compatible. I have seen them work together in videos but programming is not my thing. Anyway, I am excited and just wanted to share the news on my blog.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sabrinaa Nightfire
It is with sadness that I am letting some of the art community know that Sabrinaa Nightfire passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. She was a stalwart member of the art community both as an artist and an organizer of events on her sim Erato of Caerleon. There will be a memorial on her island of Erato with details to be announced later. Her family was at her side and our hearts go out to them at this time of sorrow. It is part of her families request that her service be conducted in both RL and SL simultaneously and hopefully that can be achieved. If that is possible it would be a wonderful show of support to her family to see how many people were touched by Sabrinaa. I will post more info here on the memorial and service as they are worked out.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
#7 Marcus Inkpen
Last year Aino Baar secured a place at the World Expo in China to showcase machinima. In the end it was determined that over 2 million people passed through the Madrid pavilion where five four foot HD screens were showing film from some of the best SL machinimatographers, as well as people from other virtual worlds or formats.
I was given five regions to create content or sets from which machinimatographers (if that is even a word) could film narratives. This island in the machinima was built by Marcus Inkpen over a few months on one of those regions. His work ethic was phenomenal. No complaining or flakiness, just a solid reliable builder determined to showcase his talents. What he built was a perfect "set" for people to create a story on, but also an environment that engaged SL residents. You couldn't help but arrive at the sim and imagine some kind of scenario that was happening. The machinima above was how I interpreted it, but there really were so many options for people. By coincidence, the main character I used for this machinima was one of the avatars built by Colin Fizgig who I had at #10. Sweet serendipity.
This machinima is dark on my computer so some of the texture details are lost, but what I truly loved about the creation was Marcus's attention to texturing. He painstakingly created numerous textures for this build with each one being quite beautiful. The way he designed the sim was in such a way that regardless where you found yourself, whether it be in the house, the shanty town towers, bridge, water, tree or so on, you were given an environment to appreciate and one which you wish to spend time in. One of the challenges for an artist in Second Life is to keep the viewer in your creation for as long as possible. When looking at this medium, understanding that engagement is a huge part of the art experience, it is essential to allow the viewer to have layers that keep them coming back. You need to create a reason for the viewer to become immersed within your work.
We create within a 3D virtual space and designing it or composing it properly for the viewer to have interest beyond 20 minuites is a very important factor here. What Marcus Inkpen did was design a beautiful well crafted space that suited its intended purpose in creating an environment for people to dream up a narrative for the World Expo. But he also created a sim that constantly had people visiting it. People came and spent hours there. That is really difficult to do and is a constant struggle for artists here. Because of Marcus's understanding of this principle and his truly beautiful and imaginative build his became one of my favorite builds from last year.
#7 from 2010 "Fuzion" by four Yip and Mescaline Tammas
#7 from 2009 - Madpea's swamp hotel
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Game 38: Chicago at Toronto pregame
So, if you remember a while back, back when the Blue Jays promoted youngsters Brett Cecil and Robert Ray to the rotation, general manager J.P. Ricciardi went on about how they probably weren't ready for the big league stage, and how they were being thrown into the fire strictly out of necessity.
Well, Ricciardi and the Jays reserve the right to change their collective minds.
Now, Ricciardi wasn't wrong in his assessment — Cecil and Ray were indeed called up before anticipated due to injuries. On Friday, sitting in the home dugout, once again asked about the progress of recovering starters Ricky Romero, Casey Janssen and Jesse Litsch, Ricciardi altered his tune slightly.
"Right now, we don't have a spot for them," said Ricciardi, referring to Romero, Janssen and Litsch. "That could change real quick."
As for Cecil, Ray, Scott Richmond and converted reliever Brian Tallet, Ricciardi said: "They haven't done anything to lose their spots."
So, Janssen will apparently continue to pitch at Double-A, Romero has been activated from the 15-day DL and assigned to Triple-A (said Ricciardi), and Litsch is on pace to maybe rejoin the Jays by "the middle of June," according to the GM. As for those currently in the rotation, Ricciardi said he'd want to see a few bad outings in a row to pull the plug on any of them.
"We're making this up as we go," said Ricciardi, half joking.
With the team in first place, and the rotation holding its own, there is a method to the madness in a way. Why mess with something that is working for the time being? Then again, there's the old argument that players don't lose their jobs just because they landed on the DL, especially players who were performing great (Romero) or have a history of success (Janssen, Litsch).
"We're breaking tradition," Ricciardi said with a laugh.
Hey, and remember, this could all change tomorrow.
OTHER ITEMS: LHP B.J. Ryan was back in the clubhouse and he said all the right things about losing his job as the closer. "I walked in there to Cito and said, 'Cito, I'll be down there, I'll pitch whenever you want me to pitch.'" … Jays manager Cito Gaston isn't a fan of the squeeze bunt. "I don't know if I've ever squeezed," he said. The question came up because of a situation in the seventh against the Yankes last night. With runners on the corners and one out, game tied 2-2, John McDonald struck out. Under John Gibbons, a squeeze play might have been put into effect. "I wanted Mac to go up there and I wanted him to drive in that run — it didn't happen. I know that most of the time he'd be looking back, but last night it was, 'Go do it.' It didn't happen, but the inning before he got a big hit for us." Cito didn't rule out trying the play before the season was over: "Maybe I will one of these days — I might fool everybody."
Today's lineups:
1. Jayson Nix, 3B
2. Chris Getz, 2B
3. Carlos Quentin, LF
4. Jermaine Dye, RF
5. Jim Thome, DH
6. Paul Konerko, 1B
7. A.J. Pierzynski, C
8. Alexei Ramirez, SS
9. Scott Podsednik, CF
Starter: LHP John Danks (2-2)
1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Alex Rios, RF
4. Vernon Wells, CF
5. Adam Lind, DH
6. Scott Rolen, 3B
7. Kevin Millar, 1B
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Jose Bautista, LF
Starter: LHP Brett Cecil (1-0)
4 Comments
Two on nobody out, Rios strikes out, Wells double play. Neither have had a meaningful RBI all year. They all come in blowouts, but never when we are behind to tied. Move Lind to batting third, Rios behind Rolen, and see if you don't score more first inning runs. Where would we be without the two rally killers in the middle of the lineup.
Castro will throw a no-hitter down in AAA tonight. I'm calling it. 3rd inning right now.
I agree with J.P. on keeping the rotation intact for now, as you don't mess with success. I think that old tradition of not having players lose their jobs due to an injury is wrong. This is a competitive business and at any given time you should go with the team that's most likely to win.
As for the McDonald question in the seventh inning of the game against the Yankees, I would have liked to have seen Adam Lind come in and pinch hit for McDonald in that key situation. Then he could have slotted into LF, while Bautista moved to 2B.
When a team in first place only draws 17,000+ fans, tradition has to go. I was listening to a local radio station that posed the question "What do the Jays have to do to win fans back?" The commentator, Jack Armstrong, went on to say that although the Jays lost 2 of 3 to the Yankees, they still played "competitive" baseball. In my opinion, fans will not acknowledge this team until they start beating the top teams in the east: Yankees and Bosox. That said, I have to tip my cap to JP for allowing some of these kids to play. I believe that Litsch and Jannsen are fine individuals, but the truth is, their potential for greatness is well-below that of Cecil, Romereo, and Purcey. I would love to see the Jays get all of the kids up here and let them play:
I would then move Jannsen, Redmond (can't remember his name) and Tallet to the bullpen. I would demote Brandon league — an call him up as needed. I truly believe that we could have the strongest bullpen in all of baseball. Tallet has been great as a starter, but to have that type of arm coming out of the bullpen would be terriffic (IMO).


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- Optimierung (1)
- Standorttheorie (1)
- Verkehsplanung (1)
- location theory (1)
- optimization (1)
- traffic planning (1)
Stop Location Design in Public Transportation Networks: Covering and Accessibility Objectives (2006)
In StopLoc we consider the location of new stops along the edges of an existing public transportation network. Examples of StopLoc include the location of bus stops along some given bus routes or of railway stations along the tracks in a railway system. In order to measure the ''convenience'' of the location decision for potential customers in given demand facilities, two objectives are proposed. In the first one, we give an upper bound on reaching a closest station from any of the demand facilities and minimize the number of stations. In the second objective, we fix the number of new stations and minimize the sum of the distances between demand facilities and stations. The resulting two problems CovStopLoc and AccessStopLoc are solved by a reduction to a classical set covering and a restricted location problem, respectively. We implement the general ideas in two different environments - the plane, where demand facilities are represented by coordinates and in networks, where they are nodes of a graph.


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When I was a kid, my favorite toy was the Bag of Animals, an assortment of plastic critters gathered from various discount stores in my neighborhood. It was an unlikely mix of farm animals, wild beasts and the occasional monster, but I had the kind of imagination in which cows, lions and dragons all played for the same team.
"Skylanders Giants" (Activision, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, $74.99) brought back memories of Bag of Animals, turning my coffee table into a menagerie of birds, fish, lizards and even some sentient plants. Two differences: The Skylanders figurines are much prettier and you don't have to make up your own adventures.
For those of you who missed its debut last year: "Skylanders" comes with a "Portal of Power" that plugs into your game console. When you place a figurine on the portal, the character appears on your TV screen, inside the "Skylanders" video game. The original release offered 32 playable characters, and the new edition adds 16 more - including eight giant-size creatures.
You don't need all 48 toys to play "Skylanders Giants." The starter kit comes with the game software, the portal and three creatures - one giant and two regular-size. You can complete the game with just one Skylander, but to get the full experience, you'll want to spring for five more (which cost $10 each).
See, each Skylander controls one of eight "elements" - water, tech, earth, magic, fire, undead, life and air. Bonus areas of the game are accessible only by creatures of a particular element, so if you want to see the entire game world, you'll need one of each. And on occasion you'll need the brute strength of a giant to break through an obstacle.
So we're talking about $125 to get the complete "Skylanders Giants" experience - although, if you bought last year's edition, you can use the same portal and figurines. Of course, hardcore collectors will want all the new characters as well as the updated versions of last year's favorites.
Is it worth it? Well, the video game itself is solid and at times delightful. The story is paper-thin - you're out to save the Skylands from a high-strung lunatic named Kaos - but provides adequate motivation to explore the airborne islands and battle a succession of wittily designed monsters. On the default difficulty level, it's quite easy, but just right for kids who aren't ready to take on "Call of Duty." (And even grown-ups need a break sometimes.)
However, obsessive collectors - say, the kind of people who need to round up all 48 Skylanders - will find "Giants" much more time-consuming. Toys for Bob, the development studio, has crammed the Skylands with treasure chests, scrolls and goofy hats. There are "soul gems" that open fresh challenges for each of the 16 new creatures. There's even a simple but addictive collectible card game within the game.
Overall, "Skylanders Giants" is a lighthearted romp that parents and children can enjoy together. Don't be surprised, though, if you find yourself cranking it up after the kids' bedtime. There's always one more hat to find. Three stars out of four.


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A Twist On The Classic Scone
Member recipe by wrigglesrocks
ServingsServes 1 - 6
An amazing taste , These scones are really fun to make!
This recipe has been submitted by the Good Food community. Sign in or create a My Good Food account to upload your own recipe creations. Please note that all recipes will be moderated but they are not tested in the Good Food kitchen.
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- 225g self-raising flour
- pinch of salt
- 50g butter, diced
- 25g caster sugar
- 120ml milk
- 75g sultanas
- 1 egg for egg wash
- caster sugar for sugar wash.
- Preheat oven to 210c
- Place flour and salt in a large bowl. Cube the butter and work the flour using your fingertips, until resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the sugar and sultanas and mix well.
- Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add all of the milk. Mix together roughly to form a dough using a table knife.
- Tip out this rough dough onto a lightly floured surface, using your hands bring together lightly into a more consistent dough. Instead of using a rolling pin and battering the life and lightness out of the dough, pat it down with your fists or the palm of your hands, into a rectangular shape about an inch thick.
- Make a small pile of flour on the work surface by the side of your dough and put your cutter into it wriggling it about a bit. Use a 2inch cutter.
- Cut out the scones using a downward press-DON'T TWIST. twisting the cutter will result in them not rising because twisting the cutter seals the sides. Flour the cutter between each cut on the little pile.
- Now prepare the baking tray(s) by greasing.
- Crack and egg into a shallow bowl and whisk to make an egg wash. Fill another shallow bowl with caster sugar.
- Take each scone and dip top down into the bowl of egg wash and then into the bowl of caster sugar, coating the top of each. Place onto the baking tray. Space well apart.
Comments, questions and tips
14th Mar, 2012
Not sure what the "twist" is with these scones - they seem like classic scones to me. Very easy to throw together. I just brushed the egg wash on and sprinkled sugar on top - not point using every bowl and plate in the kitchen. Didnt know how long to put them in for so checked after 10 minutes and decided they looked ready after 15 minutes. Will use this recipe again
9th Feb, 2012
This is an old Scottish recipe taught me by my grandmother and one which is a hit with averyone who tastes them. 300gms self raising flour 50 gms butter 50 gms caster sugar 50 gms sultanas or mixed fruit or chopped ready to eat peaches (my grannie wouldn't have used the peaches or even the mixed fruit but hey change is the spice of life !!) milk to make a nice soft dough which you can still handle ( it shouldn't be sticky and you should handle it as little as possible ) Gently persuade it into a nice round about an inch thick. I use the distance between the end of my thumb and the first joint. use a 2" plain cutter and and every time you have to bring the together the "leftovers" to cut be very gentle with them or they will be tough. Set your oven ( sorry you should have done this before you started) to 220 c. Dust your baking tray with flour and place your scones about two or three inches apart. Dust your scones lightly with flour and pop in the oven for 10-12 mins.


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Skirt to Top - The Spring Version
March 30, 2011
This refashion is just a take on the original skirt to top refashion that I did a while back. If you want to try this, read through this original post first for basic instructions.
For the spring version, I started with this thrifted floral print skirt - some sort of light-weight fabric with a lining:
This skirt was too long to just use as is, and the waist was too small to fit right at my hips, so it required a little tweaking. You can see how I did it on my blog.


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I just wanted to wish each & every one of you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!
Thanks to all of you who made my 2010 a great year!!
I am so thankful for all of my online customers, who just happen to be my friends!!!!!!!!!!!
Love n hugs to you all!!!!!!!
Becky :)