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Note: This is NOT a Sponsored Post. Disney and Star Wars are trademarked and did not sponsor this post.
None of the art supplies or companies/products mentioned in this post paid me. All opinions expressed are my own.
My 6 1/2 year old daughter is currently obsessed with Star Wars.
She loves the robots, the lightsabers, the space ships, and the strong Princess role-model.
On our trip to Disney Land this spring, she purchased a few R2-D2 souvenirs
and can frequently be seen sporting "bear ears" or Princess Leia-style buns on her head.
I saw a few of the movies as a young child so I had vague memories of them,
but really needed a proper "Star Wars" education so we decided to do some research!
First, we checked out several books from the library.
Then we looked at Star Wars themed crafts, parties, and fun ideas on blogs and Pinterest.
Finally, we borrowed a set of DVDs from our neighbor and watched Episode 4 as a family.
The girls have been playing "Star Wars" for the past two weeks.
Their daddy's childhood toys are squirreled away in a closet at his parent's house (out of state),
so until we can get them shipped here we're making do with some homemade toys!
We made a set of lightsabers with some pool noodles from our garage by
wrapping the base of the noodles with black and silver duct tape.
We've also made several paper airplanes as X-Wing Fighters and such.
and "C" begged me to make her some.
So, we raided our supply of wooden peg people from the drawer in the craft room.
We've resolved to only use art supplies that are in the house this summer.
(Not a problem, since I have a small art supply hoarding issue!)
Supplies I used for this project:
Wooden Peg Dolls
(purchased from Michaels and JoAnnes in the wooden craft area)
Washable craft paint
(various brands from my stash: Apple Barrel, Americana, Folk Art, and Delta)
Sharpie and Bic permanent markers
(Regular fine line black and brown and a few Metallic - silver, gold, and copper)
Clear Acrylic Spray Sealer
Note: I think I should have used Mod Podge instead -- see notes below.
Aleene's Turbo Tacky Glue (my favorite)
Scrap of black fabric for Darth Vader's Cape.
Scrap wood bits for Princess Leia's buns, R2-D2, Han Solo in Carbonite, and Yoda's ears.
Gold Spray Paint for C-3P0.
Awkward Family Portrait:
Princess Leia, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker - the "happy" family.
I have a few tips based on my own experience making these.
* First, they will take longer to make than you think.
Mine were a two day project. Your family may starve while you make them.
Dinner was delayed for two different evenings due to me painting these little guys in the late afternoon!
* You have to work in steps and layers of paint.
For example, while you paint the heads you hold the body, then when the head is dry, hold the head while you paint the body.
* Be Patient - this one is hard for me!
You have to allow each layer of paint to dry completely before you get out the sharpies or the sealer.
You also have to make sure the glue is finished drying before you paint it or it will crack.
* You might want to use Mod Podge instead of Clear Acrylic Spray Paint sealer
if you decide to seal them because the permanent marker details will bleed and run
if you spray too closely to the peg dolls -- whoops!
I did seal my peg dolls because I didn't want the layers of paint to chip while the girls play with them.
Luke in his flight suit, C-3P0, R2-D2, and Yoda.
For R2D2, I glued a wooden ball onto a little wooden bucket.
Yoda was a smaller peg. For his ears, I cut a small wooden mustache shape in half and glued
them on (one at a time, with several hours of dry time in between) with Aleene's Turbo Tacky Glue.
Darth Vader and 3 Stormtroopers.
Han Solo trapped in Carbonite.
We used a small block from our wooden blocks and glued on a wooden disk.
He's painted with layers of black and gray
then I added some metallic silver accents with sharpie and paint.
For Jabba the Hutt, I used a big wooden egg.
He looks like a creepy Humpty Dumpty frog to me.
Yoda, Chewbacca, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker.
Han Solo reminds me of Flynn Ryder
(or, as my kids call him "Han Solo Cup"!)
The whole group.
Thinking we need to make a Darth Maul, Obi-Wan, Ewoks, and some creepy Sand People.
I'll share them with you if we do!
Happy Homemade Toy Making!
Pink and Green Mama, MaryLea
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Tyrants make themselves out to be fearless and all-powerful.
But they are really cowards.
For example:
- Virtually all of the neocon warmongers are chickenhawks who dodged service to their country
- When the mother of a dead soldier showed up at Bush's ranch, he was too cowardly to even meet her
- Current Attorney General Mukasey – who is stomping on the rule of law and trying to prop up dictatorship as fast as he can – literally collapsed when a judge called him a "tyrant" at a public event
- Former AG Alberto Gonzales – who did the same as Mukasey – whines that he can't find a job: "for some reason, I am portrayed as the one who is evil in formulating policies that people disagree with. I consider myself a casualty, one of the many casualties of the war on terror."
- Hank Paulson – the financial dictator who unilaterally has decided who who is getting trillions in government bailouts, refuses to disclose the names to anyone (including to the Congressional oversight committee for the bailout or in response to media lawsuits), and who arbitrarily changed laws without the consent of Congress – is crying about not having enough tools to work with
- Mastermind of many nefarious crimes Karl Rove snivels that Bush-haters were responsible for ruining Bush's reputation
- Former Navy Judge Advocate General Admiral John Hutson said of the Bush torture program: "Torture is the technique of choice of the . . . pseudo-tough."
As R. Eddington wrote:
When I was a young boy, I was always taught "scratch a bully, find a coward". And here we have not one but two cowards at the head of the current administration. One of which – when it was his turn to offer his military service to his country – ran and hid in the Texas Air National Guard (complete military records NOT available upon asking!) and another who got at least FIVE deferments so he wouldn't have to bring his sorry behind to Vietnam.
Scratch a tyrant, find a coward.
On the other hand, real men stand up to tyrants.

subset: commoncrawl


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This time has come again. R*N*B*I is a diamond in the rough and this undervalued company is about to make us all very wealthy.
Our peers will look up to us and say "wow he's smart".
That's because if we can buy R*N*B*I for about 20 cents today we will likely get 5x our investment as analysts are predicting it will reach a dollar in the coming weeks.
TThere's also a bit of history behind this.
Just a few weeks ago the company was at 35 cents!
It has taken one step back and is getting ready to make 5 steps forward and we are lucky to be able to buy shares for as cheap as 20 cents right now.
It's not every day that a legal cannabis company can be bought for so cheap.
If we look at the historical chart and analysts' recommendations this looks like the perfect buy right now and I would get as many shares as I can at the current prices.
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011
How Many Times Do You Read a Document?
I find myself in this scenario a lot - I go to a Registry of Deeds or Town Hall to do research. I have a research plan (i.e. a long to-do list) and I want to accomplish everything on my list. Often times the next step I take depends on reading the document in hand, making a quick analysis and then dashing off to find the next document. At the end of the day I pull together all my photocopies, photographs and/or scans along with notes and head off home.
Once I'm back in my office or the next day I start to really mentally process and take in the research I did on-site. Lingering questions and "what ifs" or "did it really say that" start creeping into my head. Before I know it I am pulling out the documents, reading them again, clarifying and hopefully answering the questions in my head.
How exactly was the name written on that will? Which children were named in the guardianship papers? Where is Otter Creek anyway (I bet it's critical to this mystery!)? Did I check the transfer date versus the recording date on the deed?
I find that I typically check relevant documents two or three times before I am completely satisfied that I understand what information they have to offer me. And some documents I revisit months or years later (you know, for those particularly sticky mysteries).
How many times do you read the documents that you collect as you do your research? Do you sit and thoroughly absorb them the first time around? Or do you need to revisit them as I do? I'll be very curious to hear your responses and learn your research habits!
18 comments:
That is an amazing difference. Thanks for the tip.ReplyDelete
I revisit them often. You might have discovered other things elsewhere in the mean time that shed new light on or provide a different context for the information in that document.ReplyDelete
Go back! Go back! Go back!ReplyDelete
I tend to transcribe many of the handwritten documents. It causes me to look at each word and discover nuances I may a have missed...In the will, he calls each female "my daughter" except the eldest whom he calls by name and "wife of...". He never uses the words, "my daughter". Although she carries his surname and was always shown in his household, she was 5 years old at the time of the marriage....the absence of the words, "my daughter" could be very telling. I might have missed it without careful scrutiny. Transcribing helped.
I also missed two children in a household for several months because their surname changed. Had I not gone back, (and transcribed) I might have missed them forever!
Suzie - wonderful examples! That's exactly the kind of nuance re-reading will help find. But it still takes a sharp researcher behind the reading to see it! :)ReplyDelete
I do a quick read on-site in case the record points to something else I need to check while I'm there. I don't really study records until I'm ready to update my database. I find transcribing some documents, especially wills, helps me to break down the information. I've found things during that process that I'd never noticed simply reading. Whenever I find additional info on a person, I usually review everything I already have to see that it all fits together or if new info gives a different perspective to something.ReplyDelete
Before I leave a courthouse, I take 20-30 minutes to review everything I found and to see if there are clues in the copies that might lead me to another document. I've learned it is time well spent and it is easier while the names, etc are still fresh in my mind and while I am where the documents are located. When I get home, I transcribe each document for my files and then abstract it for my "travel notebook." I continue to read and re-read these documents for clues. It is a never ending process.ReplyDelete
It depends on what I am researching and for whom, but most of the time I read through everything carefully at least once while in the repository of the day to make sure I have all the pages and pertinent related documents copied. Once I get them back to my office, I read through them several more times to glean all the information I can. Since many of my associated families and those of my husband are from the same counties, and much of my research for others too, a new addition to the collection may complete a totally unexpected puzzle in addition to the one I was working on at the time.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 22, 2011 at 4:15 PM
I agree with others...revisiting is critical, not just soon after (when the process is still clear) but later on when you may have learned additional background info...or just because you "see" something you missed first time around, including some other route to try. Also find transcription to be worth the time invested. Good series. Brenda, how wise to check before leaving. BTW does anyone else find critical info at the last minute, just before leaving the town where the archives are?ReplyDelete
I do the initial review at site of key points and then do a full transcribe at home. Then do an evaluation of the document, ie why was it created, is there something that should be mentioned that isn't, what further questions does it raise etc?ReplyDelete
I also like to revisit every so often as you do find out other information which make clarify something in the document.
I still have documents that I copied many many years ago, now and then I pull them out and look them over. I even compare the transcribed record to the original just to make sure it is correct. Sometimes as you learn more there are things that at one time meant little to you but now suddenly make sense or give you that AHA! moment.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 22, 2011 at 10:39 PM
I'm a re-reader and a transcriber - really helps to process the info. I also to save both the electronic version of the document with the transcription in a PDF to make it even easier to review later (and searchable online too!).ReplyDelete
Lauren Rogers Mahieu
I am definitely a re-reader. Those darn wills! I have some that are so intricate that I still randomly pull out the will and take excerpts from it to look at the information in a different way. I've had some of these wills for more than 10 years! And sometimes I cry when I find that the only surviving record of a document is an extraction of vital information. I just have to trust that they really got the critical information correct.ReplyDelete
I find it invaluable to re-read all documents found in the archive, as my research progresses. Information that may not have appeared relevant at the beginning can later prove crucial. I recently re-read church charity records here in England and what was previously an anonymous list of benefactors, when coupled with other information I had subsequently unearthed, suddenly became pivotal to the history of the house I was researching.ReplyDelete
I find it valuable to revisit documents. I can miss things in the initial excitement, as I found out when I looked again at a couple of letters I had transcribed. I wrote about it just this weekReplyDelete
I generally scan documents while on site and then hopefully within a few days after I get back home, 'process' all the information and fully read everything. When I understand it all, I file it away. However, I still go back from time to time because as I uncover more information later, it often times adds light to those previously found documents. Also as my genealogy knowledge grows, I want to use that new found knowledge in hopes of uncovering new clues. I've been recently looking into photo dating and that has caused me to rethink who is in a photo that I thought I knew everyone in it. Documents are the same way.ReplyDelete
- Christine BardNovember 23, 2011 at 5:16 PM
I definitely go back hours, days, months or years later and have many time caught something I missed or wasn't really looking for the first time. I have been going over stuff a lot lately. Just last week I went back over some plot info from a cemetery and realized the husband surname was spelling differently but it was easy to miss. There is some question on what it was originally and how much it changed. ChristineReplyDelete
- ChristineNovember 23, 2011 at 5:21 PM
When I first start really getting in to genealogy and looking at census records I thought that my maternal great grandmother worked as a housekeeper for the Privato Family only later as I did more research and then went back did I realize it said Private Family and that is what it usually said for domestic help. No wonder I couldn't find the family.ReplyDelete
I revisit documents when it is necessary.ReplyDelete


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Being Ukrainian, varenyky (or to my Polish friends pieroghi) has been a comforting dish throughout my life.
We make varenyky fillings of farm cheese, potato, potato and onion, potato and speck, sauerkraut and then topped with lashing or sour cream. But as I'm now my palate is older and wiser and cook in my own right I've always wanted to change the status quo and modernize things.
Smachnoho! (aka Enjoy! Bon Appetit! Dig In!)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
200g fetta, finely crumbled
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup water
dill yoghurt
1/2 cup Greek natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 Preheat oven 180°C or 160°C fan forced. Trim and scrub clean the beetroot, keeping skin on. Wrap each beetroot in foil. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. (you should be able to easily pierce the beetroot with a fork). Set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Wearing gloves peel the beetroots and discard skin (trust me the gloves will be your lifesaver unless you love pink stained hands!). Roughly chop 7 of the beetroot and place in a food processor, process until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Finely chop remaining beetroot and set aside.
2 Heat oil in small frying pan over medium low heat. Add green onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add to beetroot and stir until combined. Add dill, cumin and fetta, stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3 Place flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Combine eggs and water in a jug. Pour into well, stir with a flat bladed knife until just combined. . As flour can vary from season to season if the dough is a little sticky you may need to add a little more flour, if the dough is a little too dry add a little more water.
This is where my grandmother's recipes is a little different. Many recipes suggest you roll the dough into a large round and then cut into smaller rounds with a glass or round cutter but my grandmother never did it this way. Babucia found that Australia the dough dried out too quickly so by the time you've cut all the rounds they dried out to much....so this was something I wasn't going to change!
7 Place the dough circle in one hand and place a level tablespoon beetroot filling in the centre.
Fold dough over in half and pinch dough ends, with lightly floured fingers, to seal. Make sure you pinch them well so that the varenyk is sealed otherwise you'll lose the filling when boiled!
Place onto prepared tray. Cover with tea towel to prevent drying out. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
You can freeze uncooked filled varenyky by placing them in the freezer on the tea towel lined tray and freeze for 2-3 hours or until frozen. Transfer into a freezer safe airtight container or snap-lock bag. Label, date and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook straight from frozen in a large saucepan of salted boiling water. They may take a little longer to cook but will be ready when they float to the top!
This was my post for this month's #LetsLunch, is a monthly Twitter based food blogger's virtual lunch club.
If you'd like to join the LetsLunch group, go to Twitter and post a message with the hashtag #LetsLunch.
Come back soon and you'll eventually find a link below to everyone else's #LetsLunch posts for this month.
Happy New Year!
Lisa's A new dish in my kitchen: Da Bombe Alaska
Nancie's DIY Lemongrass
Linda's Caribbean Style Black-Eyed Peas for Old Year's and New Beginning
Lucy's Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Grace's Homemade Matcha Green Tea Yoghurt
Annabelle's Brown Butter Creamed Greens


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Urban's myth gets official quashing; more Designated Reads
• Just let us have this. And it came to pass that Urban Meyer's recycled turtle story, which brought great joy to all corners of God's green internet, gained such traction that Ohio State's media relations folks were forced to issue the following statement, which we are printing here in full, caps and italics emphasis faithfully reproduced from the original document:
Date: Feb. 12, 2013
To: Media Covering Ohio State Football
What: Joke
This note is in response to the headlines that are running on the internet that don't seem to take into consideration that Coach Meyer told a JOKE to a crowd of high school coaches last week. He was telling a story about toughness and he exaggerated a story about toughness. It is the same story he has told numerous times before, including last year at this same convention; only the coach he talked about last year wasn't Coach Hayes, but Coach Bruce.
So please know: the story about toughness that Coach Meyer shared with a crowd last week and the year before and numerous times before was a joke and only a joke.
Thank you in advance for your clarifications.
Nothing gold can stay, y'all.
• In happier B1G news ... Barry Alvarez says the Big Ten is done scheduling FCS programs. We are pleased. Some other folks are not, and there are valid reasons, but we'd still rather watch New Mexico State than the Citadel. Sorry, the Citadel.
• And back to unhappy news. "Former Arkansas football coach John L. Smith has been accused of using his employment contracts with the Razorbacks to defraud several of his creditors, according to two complaints filed this week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court." Read more from Brent Schrotenboer.
• That's just gonna make next year's hot seat all the hotter, PAAAOWL.Mark Richt gets a raise and a contrat extension through 2017.
• Crootin' tyme! Two important pieces of work for your post-Signing Day cooldown: Andy Staples imagines the deepest, Darth-est recruiting machinations of Mike Slive, and Steven Godfrey compiles a delightful compliance Q&A with Texas A&M's Brad Barnes.
• Schedule matters. The Mountain West has released conference matchups for 2013-16 ... peruse all the Pac-12 spring football schedules in one place ... Army's spring game won't be played at Fort Hood after all.
• Tweet of the day. Mike Vrabel, never un-perky no matter the occasion:


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Dining Services
Our Mission
Coppin Dining services is helping your campus thrive by providing superior measurable outcomes in dining management. We create living and learning environments that foster healthy growth, build loyalty, and create lasting connections on campus.
We employ a world-class team of culinarians and registered dieticians to create innovative menu items that reflect how students eat on campus. We are committed to providing a wide range of healthy choices for students, faculty, and staff that fit their own style. We work closely with suppliers, dietitians, chefs, and you, our clients, to find the most innovative and tasteful selections. To stay connected to the campus community, we meet regularly with food service committees to hear their feedback and ideas.
The Dining Program
Residential Dining
By understanding the specific dining needs of your campus community, we can create and maintain a compelling on-campus residential dining program that reflects the changing tastes and trends of Coppin State University. We supply a variety of options including international fare, comfort food, themed meal events, Coppin State University favorites, and so much more.
Retail Dining
Today's students need wholesome, flexible, and convenient dining options that fit with their diverse lifestyle and preferences. In addition to residential dining, we feature an innovative proprietary brand, Tawes Center Diner, and a reputable national brand, Einstein Bros. Bagels. We've created the ideal mix of culinary choices that delight your entire campus.
From a boxed-lunch gathering for students to a fundraising even with V.I.P.s, our unparalleled Coppin State Catering and operational resources ensures consistent and flawless execution. Our staff of culinary experts consults with clients to craft exquisite creations that exceed expectations while stay within budget.
On behalf of the entire Coppin Dining team, welcome to Coppin State University. We look forward to dining with you.
Roosevelt Langley
Food Service Director


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Jury Acquits Tonya Craft
A Georgia jury has acquitted Tonya Craft of 22 criminal charges relating to child abuse and child molestation. A remarkable outcome given the awful rulings of the judge during the trial. Previous coverage here and here.
When so many charges are leveled, the pressure to enter into a plea bargain intensifies–even if the accused is innocent. The defense attorney will say something like, "Look, some kids are going to say you did something awful. That's going to happen. We might persuade the jury to acquit on most of the charges, but there's still a chance they will convict you on a few counts. That could mean several years in jail. Might be better to plead guilty to one charge, serve six months, and then get on with your life." Some people breezily proclaim that they would never plead guilty to a crime they did not commit, but when your own freedom is really on the line, the decision is not so easy.
More on plea bargaining here (pdf).


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5 Dollar RAWR DVD-R
DVD-R version
Please verify you have a compatible player before purchasing our DVD-R titles. We are not responsible for the compatibility of your player to our DVD-R titles.
Click here to check: (DVD-R Compatibility Chart)
Click here to check: (DVD-R Compatibility Chart)
Host by Colt Cabana & Marty DeRosa
There have been a lot shots in the Monday Night War but now it's 5 Dollar Wrestling's turn to take on Vince. It's not the biggest shot in the war but it's still a shot. Watch and relive the most pathetic attempt to take over Monday night wrestling.
- Jake Manning's Pre-show speech
- Intro with Colt Cabana & Marty DeRosa
- Tuff Enuff Winner, War Dawg vs. The Shiek
- Maria Kanellis wants to be a part of 5 Dollar RAWR
- Raider Rock Interview
- Raider Rock vs. Rolo Samoa
- Maria finds the love of her life
- T Dawg HG vs. Young Boy #2
- Derik Flair Interview
- Derik Flair vs. Sean Van Halen
- Freight Train & Dyn-O-mite Hype Video
- Freight Train vs. Dyn-O-mite
- Who Booked This?
- Closing
- Maria interviews The Shiek
- Maria sings the 5 Dollar Wrestling Theme Song
- Maria goes to the pay window
- War Dawg post match Interview
- Raider Rock Interview Out-takes
- The Full Freight Train Interview (CLASSIC!!!!!!!)
- More Freight Train & Dyn-O-Mite Hype
- Special Surprise Interview
Running Time: Approx. 90 mins
Average Customer Review: 2 Reviews
Write an online review and share your thoughts with others.


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Saturday, 28 January 2017
Special Offer
Posted by Lisa's Blog at 13:29 1 comment:
Winners! :-)
Thank you to everyone who left a comment yesterday. The 3 winners picked at random are;
Elchi - Boating
Sarah - Loved Up
Lily Anuska - The Big Day
Well done ladies - please email me at email@example.com with whether you would like the digi or rubber version
Elchi - Boating
Sarah - Loved Up
Lily Anuska - The Big Day
Well done ladies - please email me at email@example.com with whether you would like the digi or rubber version
Posted by Lisa's Blog at 11:10 2 comments:
Friday, 27 January 2017
Launch Giveaway
Not long to wait now til the launch of our latest gorgeous love and romance stamps - 12 noon tomorrow :-) To celebrate we are having a small giveaway - just leave a comment here before 10pm this evening with your favourite image (if you can choose!). You can find more fabulous insiration on our Pinterest Board. We'll pick 3 winners at random to receive their favourite as a rubber stamp or digi. xx (PS there is also a giveaway on our Facebook page, so if you leave a comment there too you'll have double the chance of winning :-))
|Love Petals by Donna
|Cosy Together by Vicky
|The Big One by Ann
|Cosy Together by Natalie
|Hearts and Flowers by Annette
|Floating by Vicky
|Boating by Annette
|Loved Up by Gaynor
Posted by Lisa's Blog at 10:43 50 comments:
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Next Launch :-)
We have 7 fabulous new "Love and Romance" stamps being launched on Saturday - 4 more super cute mice, some gorgeous bunnies and 2 stunning wedding couples. Here is a taster of some of them :-)
|Loved Up by Lorraine
|Love Petals by Vicky
|Boating by Jen
|Floating by Ruth
Posted by Lisa's Blog at 10:24 4 comments:
Wednesday, 25 January 2017
Simply Print Digi Toppers
We are delighted and excited to bring you our coloured image topper sheets as digital files you can download and simply print! They are PDF files which contain 3 A4 pages - featuring images in 3 sizes - A5, A6 and A7. Although these are not re-sizeable like the digi stamps (due to our artists' copyright agreement), they are so easy to use for quick and easy cardmaking as you just buy, save and print whichever page you like!
They are only £1.99 each - and this enables you to print them off as many times as you like, and make cards for your own personal enjoyment and profit, as well as for your charities too. You can print them out on decent white card and paper and some printers will even take watercolour paper.
We have initially added 32 'Simply Print Image Sheets' - including the new mice, old favourites, and some that have never been seen before! Let us know what you think and if they are popular we have hundreds more we can add!
If you choose up to 10 designs, you will only pay £15.
It has taken several months to get all the agreements in place we needed to be able to bring you your favourite LOTV coloured images in some form, and we are delighted that we have been able to manage it! Do let us know what you think - and share the news! :-)
Find them here - http://www.liliofthevalley.co.uk/…/Simply-Print-Image-Sheet…
|Delightful Daisies by Mary
|Morning Coffee by Donna
Posted by Lisa's Blog at 12:07 1 comment:
Tuesday, 17 January 2017
January Challenge Winners
Thank you so much to everyone who joined in with our January Challenge. It is always lovely to see all your creations and different takes on the how the images can be used.
The 3 winners this month, picked at random are;
£20 - Catrin Goodwin
£15 - Rachel Anderson
£10 - Nancy Taylormade
£15 - Rachel Anderson
£10 - Nancy Taylormade
Well done, ladies. x
Posted by Lisa's Blog at 10:05 3 comments:
Friday, 13 January 2017
Do you want to build a snowman?!
Hello - have you got enough snow to build a snowman or go sledging? I hope you're not having to dig your car out!
|My Snowman Friend by Mindy
|Sledging Fun by Elise
|Snow Shovel by Lorraine
Posted by Lisa's Blog at 11:23 2 comments:
Thursday, 12 January 2017
Hello again! :-)
Wow - sorry to have been away for so long - I got a new laptop and had issues remembering/getting a new password and getting back on!! Anyway, here we are with just enough time to let you know about our January Challenge. It's a nice and easy "Anything Goes" and you have up until Sunday to enter a card if you'd like to. Just post it in the Facebook Event or email it to me at firstname.lastname@example.com uk
Here is some inspiration for you with some of our lovely animal images - find some girly cards on our FB page today and all the inspiration cards on our Pinterest Board
Here is some inspiration for you with some of our lovely animal images - find some girly cards on our FB page today and all the inspiration cards on our Pinterest Board
|Cream Cake by Jen
|Happy Bears by Ruth
|Three Kind Mice by Ann
Posted by Lisa's Blog at 11:56 3 comments:
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text:
For your convenience Care New England has laboratory testing sites throughout the Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. To find a location that is best for you the lab sites are listed by town and location below. You can also download the full list by clicking on the 'View Printable List' link.
For information on specific lab locations please contact the office number listed by location.
If you are looking for a provider, please use our Provider Finder.
Download and print the full list of Care New England affiliated lab locations located in Rhode Island and Southeastern Mass.View Printable List


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Paul Ryan scares the living daylights out of the DeMarxists. With good reason. He was the perfect choice for Mitt Romney, whom many conservatives considered to be too vanilla, too privileged, too rich and out of touch with 'the common man'. More importantly, he was viewed as another inside-the-beltway Republican selection.
Conservatives, deeply mistrustful of what we have come to recognize as the Republicrat establishment who brought us magnificent beltway failures such as Bob Dole and my favorite, John 'You can't do it my friend' McCain, were understandably leery of what they saw as another insider pick. Many still are.
Conservative patriots saw Romney as soft on illegal immigration and, worse, pro government-run healthcare vis à vis his Massachusetts health care plan. Coming at a time when the country had been virtually taken over by a Marxist cabal bent on turning this country into a third-world swamp, to forever bind its citizens to the slavish penury of communism. He was seen as too compromised and too weak to take on the DeMarxists.
Further, his savaging of each of his Republican challengers in turn gained him no friends among the one core block of Americans he had to have to win… the oft misidentified Tea Party Patriots. We saw his campaign as soft and very reluctant to take on Barack Hussein Obama, fearing the constant mantra of racism, which is the DeMarxist stock-in-trade. A brief look at Tea Party victories all over the country since 2010 shows the absolute necessity of having our unqualified support. More to the point, we are not a bit reluctant to take on MaoBama and his thugs.
It wasn't looking good from our perspective. In point of fact, I could see another Republican insider failure looming high on the horizon. Very scary stuff. At the speed which MaoBama's Marxist regime was, and is, moving to destroy our constitutional republic, I couldn't see how we, as a free people, could survive to get another shot at this thing in 2016.
Enter Paul Ryan. I was somewhat shocked, but none-the-less delighted, when Romney announced his selection for a running mate. I had really feared that he would go with one more beltway pick, as the Republicrats kept trolling out one insider after another. Some of the more or less acceptable picks out there on the 'short list' had fatal flaws, such as Marco Rubio, who for all his patriotism is soft on illegal immigration. They even pulled Jeb Bush's name out of their magician's hat. Puh-lease… no more Bushies… not for at least a lifetime or so.
Paul Ryan has been called the intellectual leader of the Congress. It's about damned time someone in Congress showed some intellect. That's the subject for another whole article. Suffice to say, our entire Republican leadership has failed us time after time with their insider timidity and pandering to whichever political wind was blowing (read: 'swamp gas').
Ryan scares the hell out of the establishment, and the DeMarxists as well. Conservatives will remember that in a brief five minutes he destroyed Barack Hussein's entire healthcare scheme, in their only face-to-face encounter thus far. Romney is no fool. He is a consummate businessman who understands how money works and how to generate it. He is a self-made man. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, as the left is trying to portray him. He has certainly faced his share of life's vagaries.
Paul Ryan is going to be the rapier which Mitt Romney will plunge into the heart of the Marxist monster that threatens to destroy our lives and our freedom. There will be a price to be paid for Barack Hussein's lawlessness, come November.
Let's see that Obama pays that price.
Semper Vigilans, Semper Fidelis
© Skip MacLure 2012


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Well, what a head turner. Walking up to the car a group of teenagers were giving the RCZ a good stare and giving a 'wowee' as they walked past the forecourt. This set the tone for my test drive. I reached it and in the gleaming sunshine the black pearlescent paint really did the car justice, it truly is stunning. Very TT-esque, so don't quite know how Audi feel about the Frenchy's chasing their tail with this number. Undeniably a good looking car.
Driving this 2 litre mini beast is an intensely thrilling event. You are bombing along, shifting though the gears (a handy light on the dash tells you when to slip into 4th or what have you, which I ignored). The power in this thing is super. I had the 2.0 163bhp HDI GT. No sooner taking it off the forecourt, I was greeted by a mile long hill and I thought 'Come on then, show me what you can do' – I was at 70mph with the greatest of ease. Absolutely awesome.
It was comfy, my model had a beautiful leather trim; although this was cheapened somewhat by the shiny plastic radio console. However, the mock-chrome dials do look stylish and coupled with the leather, help advance Peugeot with this car into a more prestige market – the French are pushing all the right buttons to break the boundaries with this motor.
This delight corners well, holding the road firmly in the grip of her tyres. The RCZ's steel frame is held to the road with reassuring control from front wheel drive that powers you around the bends. A gorgeous driving experience all round. I had a motorcyclist actually slow down as he passed me in a traffic jam and gawp at and into the car. That's the reaction this car gives. People will stare.
For a stylish and sharp driver, this car is definitely for you. The Peugeot RCZ handles supremely, looks the business and is to summarise - a head turning beauty.
Under the bonnet: 1997cc 16v 4cyl TD, 163bhp @ 3750rpm, 250lb ft @ 2000-3000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance: 8.5 0-62mph, 135mph, 48mpg, 139g/km
Weight: 1370kg
Price: £22,250
In showrooms: Now
Thank you to Evans Halshaw, 32-34 Hagley Road, Stourbridge - 01384 392 131


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Events Calendar
|Preceding Day
|Monday 28 October 2019
|Following Day
All queries should be channelled through the call centre, Joburg Connect, which can be contacted 24 hours, seven days a week, on 0860 56 28 74 or 011 375 5555 For each query, you will get a reference number. Make sure you keep this number so that you can follow up your query. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
|Preceding Day
|Monday 28 October 2019
|Following Day
Zoo Lake: Even though Zoo Lake is generally busy with joggers, skateboarders, children and amblers, you can still find a number of quiet spots to enjoy a secluded, undisturbed picnic.
Read more
Thokoza Park: Incorporating Moroka Dam, this park has reclaimed its pristine status of being a prime attraction of Rockville in Soweto. The park covers 4,5 hectares.
Rhodes Park: This modestly sized park is truly great in creative stature. A marvellous mix of stepping stones and railway sleepers leads you through the park - along the lanes, over the waterfalls, through thickets and past beautiful ponds.
Read more
Florida Lake: There are masses of waterfowl on the lake and the adjacent bird sanctuary ensures excellent bird watching.
Read more
The Wilds: Meandering footpaths and walkways lead you through this beautiful area with its abundance of indigenous shrubs, plants and trees.
Read more
Kloofendal Nature Reserve: Kloofendal is a cultural heritage and ecotourism facility. In the Roodepoort suburb of Kloofendal, the 150 hectare reserve was one of the first nature reserves in Joburg and offers urbanites a retreat from city life.
Read more
Rietfontein Nature Reserve is about 24km north of the city in the small suburb of Paulshof. This 25 hectare indigenous green space with its quartzite koppie evokes in all visitors a feeling of being in the country.
Melville Koppies: Follow a footpath through nature leading to a hilltop with panoramic views, see a variety of plants, birds, small mammals and snakes, be exposed to historical sites - all while staying in Joburg.
Read more
Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve, 11km south of Joburg city centre, is a 680 hectare nature reserve, known as "Stone River Mountain".
Read more
Joubert Park is the city's oldest park, granted by the Volksraad in 1887, and named after the town's first mining commissioner sent to investigate the claims of gold rush fortune seekers.
Read more
Unlike Rome, a beautiful community park can be built in a day - and yet last a lifetime. Johannesburg City Parks' Xtreme Park Makeover project turns dusty, derelict land into a green haven in just 24 hours.
Find out more
Publishers may use material from this website. Please see our conditions of use.
A City of Johannesburg Media Statement
Friday, 3 July 2020
Release: Immediate
Surge in the illegal removal of street trees during lockdown
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo(JCPZ), the custodians responsible for greening, conservation and preservation of public open spaces in Joburg is appealing to residents to refrain from the illegal removal of trees.
City Parks and Zoo has been inundated with requests to remove trees during the seasonal phenomenon of falling leaves during this time of year. However, it is with grave concern to the city as we witness an upward surge of the unwarranted removal of trees by residents. Due to weather conditions, leaves fall into properties, gutters and swimming pools; residents are encouraged to cover their pools as opposed to removing trees.
Street trees are the property of the City of Johannesburg and are protected by the strict Open Space Bylaws which prohibits the removal or disturbance of trees or planting of any vegetation without approval, of which permission must be obtained from JCPZ. These bylaws state that 'no person may damage any tree on any public road within the municipal area of the Council without the prior written permission from the Council, only JCPZ is authorised to remove, maintain and prune street trees.
Joburg is one of the most densely populated cities, with an influx of job seekers, a spike in student accommodation, high rise residential areas and infrastructural development. The abundance of indigenous trees plays a vital role in combating and reducing the effects of climate change as they not only absorb air pollutants, provide clean oxygen but also promotes a sense of tranquility and beauty in residential areas and metropolitans.
Leaves retain the earth's moisture through mulching and can be used to make compost in gardens. The removal of healthy trees has an adverse effect on our birdlife, plants, biodiversity as well as the city's economy. Green lungs play a critical role in improving the wellbeing and health of people living in cities.
We urge residents and communities to refrain from illegally removing and felling trees. Failing to comply will result in legal action and fines being imposed.
Illegal tree removals and requests to prune or fell trees, should be reported to email@example.com or contact Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo on 011 712 6600 or Joburg Connect on 011 375 5555.
Issued on behalf of Councillor Margaret Arnolds, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development in the City of Johannesburg
Media enquiries can be directed to: Noeleen Mattera: Stakeholder & Media Relations, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo T: 011 712-6722 / 07999 46345; E: firstname.lastname@example.com ; W: www.jhbcityparks.com. Follow us on Twitter @JoburgParksZoo or on Facebook.
Media Advisory
City of Johannesburg Press Statement by Cllr Margaret Arnolds
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development
Monday, 22 June 2020
Release: Immediate
Joburg Zoo family keeps growing
The Johannesburg Zoo is excited to announce a few new additions the family. During the national lockdown, the care and well-being of all animals at the Joburg Zoo has been of paramount importance.
The staff at the zoo work tirelessly and under strict Covid regulations and are committed to the conservation of approximately 2000 animals, providing them with world class care and peace of mind.
Since April 2020, we were pleasantly surprised with a few newbies. A wild dog pup debuted in early April bringing much fuss in the enclosure. The wild dogs were moved to the Joburg Zoo in January 2014 from the Hoedspruit Endangered Wildlife Centre in Hoedspruit. Our latest member is loving its new environment while being bombarded with attention from the adult dogs. Wild dogs are an endangered species and hunted in the wild, with the new pup in town, the Zoo prides itself in increasing their numbers.
Other new members include 2 Springboks, a chimpanzee, an adorable little Llama, 2 Nyala, a Wattled Crane chick and 2 Auodad. The endangered Wattled Crane is one of the rarest of crane species in the world. This elegant yet curious bird, with its hasash-grey wings and famed red beak, is the largest of the crane species. Since 2019, City Parks and Zoo has hand-reared approximately 15 chicks through its breeding programmes in a bid to increase and preserve these rare species.
Issued on behalf of Councillor Margaret Arnolds, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development in the City of Joburg
Media Enquiries Media enquiries
Noeleen Mattera: Stakeholder & Media Relations, Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo T: 011 712-6722; E: firstname.lastname@example.com ; W: www.jhbcityparks.com
Follow us on Twitter @JoburgParksZoo or on Facebook
Media Statement
Tuesday, 23 June 2020
Makokou, the Joburg Zoo's Silverback making a speedy recovery, after surgery.
Makokou, the 35-year old, male, Western Lowland Gorilla who successfully underwent surgery at the Joburg Zoo on Saturday, 20 June 2020 is recuperating after a three-hour marathon operation that involved months of planning. CT scans, multiple blood tests, radiography, ultrasound, ophthalmic and dental examinations were conducted as part of the build-up to the surgery to remove polyps in his congested nasal passages.
Dr Kresen Pillay, one of the Joburg Zoo's three veterinarians, confirmed that this was only the second documented operation of its kind in the world and that Makokou was doing great. "On Sunday he was a little sore, and pain relief medication was administered. He started eating and drinking and was more active by the afternoon. This morning he is bright, alert and active and we are extremely satisfied with his progress."
The surgery was led by Dr Kobus Venter an ENT surgeon for human ear, nose and throat ailments with the assistance of Dr Gerhard Steenkamp and Dr Jose Carlo Almansa Ruiz. Drs. Steenkamp and Ruiz are vet specialists in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery, affiliated to the veterinary faculty of the University of Pretoria (UP). They were assisted by anesthesiologists from the same faculty.
The procedure for removing polyps is similar to that of humans, said Dr Pillay. "We are not certain of the underlying cause of the growth-tissue." Numerous samples were collected and further tests will be conducted.
On Saturday the Zoo theatre was buzzing with the team, consisting of surgeons; anesthesiologists; technical support; vet nurses and a safety officer as well as the team from the Joburg Zoo's Veterinary Hospital. A huge media contingent was in attendance as Makokou was being wheeled into theatre. He was swiftly attached to monitors and multiple medical apparatus as the medics maneuvered around the 210Kg gorilla in the centre of the room.
"He went under smoothly," said Dr Pillay. "His blood pressure went up, but we brought it down again with medication, and he remained stable during the surgery."
The team drew on the expertise from a similar case in Seattle in the United States, where in 2014 a gorilla underwent the same procedure. Because gorillas are so closely related to humans, the procedure for removing the polyps is similar.
Two monitors above Makokou's head – one the CT scan of his head, the other an endoscopic nasal and sinus probe into his nasal passages – guided the surgery. "It was important that we had scans of other gorillas too," added Dr Pillay.
The surgery came about after Makokou was found to be suffering from a chronic nasal discharge towards the latter part of 2019. He was airlifted to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH) in May 2020 and then again on 6 June where he had a CT scan. The scanning apparatus at OVAH is large enough to handle a massive animal, the size of Makokou. A biopsy was performed, and it revealed that he had chronic rhinitis with inflammatory polyps developing in his nasal passages which is an uncommon occurrence in gorillas. There was some concern at first that he could have nasal cancer which has since been ruled out as the growths were found to be benign.
Makokou joined the Zoo, after Max, the famous crime-busting gorilla, died in 2004 of natural causes. In 1997 Max had made international headlines after he had rushed to defend his partner, Lisa, when a burglar jumped into the gorilla enclosure. Max was shot in the jaw and arm, and was taken to the Milpark Hospital, where the bullet only in his jaw was removed.
Makokou who is part of the international, Zoological Information Management Stud Book (ZIMS), was born at the Stuttgart Zoo in 1985. To manage genetic diversity of gorilla populations, he arrived at the Joburg Zoo at age 19, in 2004.
The Mayoral Committee Member for Community Development, Margaret Arnolds was on hand during the surgery, and expressed concern for his health and recovery. She said: "This ground-breaking surgery is a learning and teaching experience for the veterinarian fraternity across South Africa. I want to commend the medics and veterinarians from the various institutions and Makokou's curator and keepers who anxiously waited on the sidelines throughout the procedure. "
World renowned narrator and award-winning producer of BBC Natural History, Sir David Attenborough, affirmed the importance of gorillas as an indicator species for human survival when he stated that, "There is more meaning and mutual understanding in exchanging a glance with a gorilla than any other animal I know. Their sight, their hearing, their sense of smell are so similar to ours that they see the world in much the same way we do."
Makokou will continue to be closely monitored and if his recovery continues as planned, residents in Joburg and his fans across the globe can expect a virtual birthday party for the 35-year young primate, on 9 July 2020.
Issued on behalf of
Councillor Margaret Arnolds
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development
City of Joburg
For media enquiries:
Jenny Moodley
GM: Stakeholder and Media Relations
Tel: 082 8030 748
Email: email@example.com
Website: www.jhbcityparks.com
Media Statement
Monday, 8 June 2020
No embargo
City parks, nature reserves and the Joburg Zoo remain closed in Level 3
Joburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) appeals to residents to comply with the emergency mitigation measures adopted in Level 3 against Covid-19 which came into effect on 1 June 2020.
The Joburg Zoo, nature reserves, all public parks and corridors along water bodies in the city remain temporarily closed. This includes facilities that are unfenced or that do not have signposts alerting residents to the closure. All JCPZs facilities may not be accessed for gatherings or for individual exercising or for the installation of tombstones in cemeteries. Residents are however allowed to jog or walk in their respective neighbourhoods between 6am and 6pm. These protocols are in place to protect the wellbeing of residents and safeguard families.
Emergency and critical services including general operations at the Joburg Zoo; funerals in cemeteries and the crematoriums; and the removal of uprooted trees and fallen branches, have continued uninterrupted. A core team, that are compliant with safety protocols have also been focusing on horticultural services to ensure that flagship parks, key developed parks and main arterial entrances are cut and cleaned. Zoo staff remain committed to the welfare of animals in their care and a 24-hour team is on standby as well, to swiftly remove fallen trees obstructing main arterials.
The Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development in the City of Joburg (CoJ), Councillor Margaret Arnolds appealed to avid-park users to comply with the temporary lockdown measures in Level 3 as Joburg remains a hotspot due to the surge in the number of Covid-19 infections.
Arnolds stated that, "The concern for the city is the increased trajectory of infections in developed suburbs and the potential of a resurgence in both formal and informal areas. Unfortunately some residents are refusing to comply with safety protocols and are compromising the health of others by gathering in public spaces or visiting parks and nature reserves. The implications of an increase in the number of infections will place undue pressure on the city's health services and its cemeteries and crematoria," she added.
Arnolds appealed to residents to comply by staying at home where possible; keeping spaces clean; adopting safe distancing; wearing a mask and washing our hands regularly.
Residents requiring a City Parks or Zoo service may contact the entity on JCPZs digital platforms on jhbcityparks.com or on Twitter on @JoburgParksZoo or on Facebook on JoburgParks or JoburgZoo.
Issued by the Member of Community Development in the City of Joburg
Councillor Margaret Arnolds
Jenny Moodley
Spokesperson: Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
Tel: 082 8030 748 or on 082 906 1515
Email: email@example.com
Website: www.jhbcityparks.com
Twitter: JoburgParksZoo/ Facebook: JoburgParks
Media Statement
Thursday, 4 June 2020
Hope in a time of despair…
Makokou, the 35year-old male gorilla from the Joburg Zoo, is set to fly to Onderstepoort in Pretoria for a pre-op CT scan, on Saturday, 6 June at 8am
In May 2020 a decision was taken to immobilise the Joburg Zoo's male Western Lowland Gorilla Makokou, who is 35 years-old, for a complete health examination. He has previously been suffering from a chronic nasal discharge which had not been responding positively to routine medical treatments.
A team of specialists were consulted to assist with further expertise and specialised equipment, to help in diagnosing the ailment. They included:
This team together with the Veterinary Services and Animal Collection team at Joburg Zoo conducted the health examination on Makokou, after considerable planning. The initial examination consisted of a detailed physical exam, extensive blood work, radiography, electrocardiogram, cardiac ultrasound, ophthalmic exam, dental exam, rhinoscopy, blood pressure analysis and various other sample collections.
During this procedure it was discovered that Makokou had a nasal growth which had been causing his symptoms. A biopsy of this was taken and sent for histopathology. The results revealed that he has chronic Rhinitis with inflammatory polyps developing in his nasal passages.
This brings us to our plan for Saturday. The only way to accurately see the extent of these lesions affecting Makokou is to perform a diagnostic CT (Computed-tomography) scan. Unfortunately due to his size (around 210kg) the only machine available to us that is large enough to provide a proper scan him and take his weight, is located at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH)
Prof Gerhard Steenkamp has kindly arranged for this procedure to be done at the OVAH, he has also arranged for a non-vet ENT surgeon who will be there to assess the scans and further evaluate Makokou's ailment. Great apes are our closest living relatives and a qualified surgeon is required to remove his nasal polyps. This surgery will likely be done at a later date once the CT scan has been completed and fully assessed. Prof Steenkamp has also generously secured the services of pilot who was prepared to fly Makokou via a helicopter to OVAH for the scan. Mr Mike Barnes CEO from MCC Aviation will pilot the helicopter and together with Mr Mike Goodwin his GM, they have been kind enough to undertake this procedure pro-bono.
At 8am on 6 June 2020 we will be immobilizing Makokou for transportation to OVAH for a diagnostic CT scan.
Our veterinary team will meet at the zoo at 7:00 to prepare for the procedure. Makokou will receive an oral sedative at 8am and be closed in his night-room. The helicopter will land at 9:00 in the designated area, to transport Makokou. Dr Justine Grace and Dr Kresen Pillay from the Joburg Zoo will accompany Makokou on the helicopter. At OVAH he will have the CT scan performed and once this is complete he will be returned to Joburg Zoo via the helicopter.
Indepth preparations have gone on behind the scenes to ensure that all team members strictly abide by the extensive protocol measures in place. The wellbeing and care of Makokou who will celebrate his 35th birthday on 9 July, remains of paramount importance for all staff at the Joburg Zoo.
Issued on behalf of
Mr Lombard Shirindzi
Executive Manager of the Joburg Zoo
A City of Johannesburg Media Advisory
Thursday, 5 June 2020
Release: Immediate
The time for nature is now, let us save our biodiversity.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) the entity responsible for designated open spaces, public parks, street trees, nature reserves and the Johannesburg Zoo, is calling on all citizens of Joburg to do their part as the world marks World Environment Day (WED) on Friday, 5 June 2020.
The MMC for Community Development in the City of Joburg, Cllr Margaret Arnolds together with Cllr Mpho Moerane, MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services in the City of Joburg, will lead a symbolic tree planting ceremony in Riverlea on Jukskei Drive and Gamka Street in Region B, from 11h00 – 12h00. Approximately 20 trees will be planted during the month of June with continued clean-ups, litter picking and the removal of unsightly illegal dumping in the city and clearing of litter in the nature reserves in Cosmo City.
This year's theme" Biodiversity, time for nature", is a desperate call on nations to act now to save our already dwindling biodiversity. WED aims to inspire more people than ever before to take action in preventing the growing strain on the environment and its ecosystems. All species play a critical role in keeping a natural balance and for all to live in harmony with one another.
World Environment Day gives us all an opportunity to create awareness and commit ourselves to consciously care for the environment in our daily lives.
The City of Joburg adheres to the strict Covid 19 regulations, health and safety measures of its employees and communities, while providing the residents of Joburg with timeous service delivery.
Issued on behalf of
Councillor Margaret Arnolds, Member of the Mayoral Committee for
Community Development
City of Johannesburg
Media Enquiries
Noeleen Mattera
Stakeholder, PR & Media Relations
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
Follow us on Twitter @JoburgParksZoo or on Facebook
Get involved and help City Parks turn the City of Gold green.Find out more


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The Graduate Student Teaching Association (GSTA) provides psychology graduate student teachers with an array of services to hone their skills in the classroom. GSTA is an organization within APA Division 2: The Society for the Teaching of Psychology (STP). Therefore, psychology graduate student teachers who are interested in becoming a member of GSTA must first join STP, and then indicate their interest in GSTA.
A good teacher is courteous, passionate, knowledgeable, and dedicated. A good teacher also has the ability to exert influence beyond the classroom, capable of helping others to change the way in which they think about specific issues in psychology, as well as broader philosophical dilemmas that we encounter on a daily basis.
GSTA recognizes the power of employing basic psychological principles to positively change the lives of those around us, and that teaching can serve as an effective vehicle toward this end. Contributing to the body of teaching-related research, both as a producer and consumer, is another way to positively influence others.
GSTA is an avenue for graduate student teachers in psychology to integrate information relevant to their career development as future contributing members of the professoriate. Ultimately, GSTA can be a powerful tool for psychology graduate student teachers to dedicate themselves to a lifetime of improving the learning process and improving the lives of others.
The Graduate Student Teaching Association (GSTA) of APA Division 2: The Society for the Teaching of Psychology was organized in 2002. The GSTA works tirelessly to provide graduate student teachers with services designed to enhance their teaching effectiveness. Graduate student training programs across the country seem consistently dedicated to training graduate students to conduct high quality research and to develop effective clinical skills. However, training designed to support and enhance the classroom experiences of graduate student teachers is often lacking. Membership in the GSTA is beneficial for graduate student teachers by providing them with a variety of useful services designed to help them with both their classroom efficacy and post-graduation goals.
Graduate students who are members of APA Division 2 are automatically members of the GSTA as well. Graduate student members receive a reduced membership fee and a yearly subscription to Teaching of Psychology, the world's foremost academic journal on teaching-related issues. Graduate student members also have access to many additional services. For instance, the GSTA listserv allows graduate students to pose questions and discuss issues pertaining to the teaching of psychology. In addition, this Web site has been established that will contain helpful resources for graduate student teachers across the country. The GSTA is in the process of establishing a more formal infrastructure, which will consist of the chair, a communications editor, a secretary, a treasurer, and a network of regional representatives. Finally, the GSTA has annual programming hours at the APA convention, and this time will be used to address topics relevant to graduate student teachers.


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By Rebecca Berman, Janet Segall and Jean-Claude Bystryn, M.D. from The National Pemphigus Foundation and The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY. February 17, 1999
As many of you know, we recently conducted a survey of persons with pemphigus to find out 1) which treatments were most commonly used, 2) which appeared to be the most effective, and 3) which were most often associated with side effects. The survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire enclosed in the Fall 1998 issue of the National Pemphigus Foundation newsletter, the Quarterly. The questionnaire was also sent to all individuals who responded to a notice on the NPF website.A total of 110 responses were received. This number is impressive, taking into account the rarity of pemphigus. We thank all participants for their collaboration.


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Hi Everyone! My name is Karen from the blog Sew Many Ways...I want to thank Chris for having me here today. Not only do I love to sew, but I also love to organize and repurpose things for different uses. We all have a favorite craft, but if we don't know where all our things are, we could be wasting valuable sewing or crafting time!!
Below are a few (well, not a few...36 to be exact LOL) pictures to help you get a little organized in the area where you sew. Whether you have a big space or the dining room table, maybe a few of these ideas might help!
Use golf tees to keep the matching bobbin on top of the spool of thread. Just hot glue a little silk flower on top to make it pretty.
To help keep that crazy bobbin thread from unraveling, just use a tiny hair scrunchy to wrap around the bobbin. If I can find one to match the color of thread...that's even better.
Traveling to a sewing class or a friends house to sew...keep your thread and bobbin in a recycled cupcake plastic container from the bakery. The cover keeps things all organized and clean.
Keep your thread in different containers. This old tool box not only keeps my thread all in one place...I love the way it looks.
Need a little sewing kit for hand sewing when traveling...plastic soap dish to the rescue!
or how about an eye glass case for a kit too.
What do you get when you cross a pill box with a bobbin...
organizational heaven!
This is a jumbo one.
Do you do a lot of hand sewing or quilting? Does the spool of thread keep disappearing? Well, why not buy an eye bolt from the hardware store and add a necklace to it. You'll never loose your thread again.
Tiny eye bolt for a bobbin of thread.
This is a mason jar pin cushion...they make great gifts for sewing friends.
Handy dandy finger pincushion ring made out of a bottle cap and elastic for the ring.
I used the plastic vial that comes on the end of flowers from the florist to hold pin or needles when I needed to carry them with me for hand sewing or a class.
I bought this tooth brush holder, but the tooth brushes kept slipping out. Now I use it to hold my small scissors next to my machine.
Repurposed mug tree for all my scissors and rotary cutters.
Why not keep all your sewing essentials right where you can find them...ON YOU!! I bought this apron at Home Depot for 79 cents and added the cute fabric to make it my own!
For this idea, I used a cup holder for the car and a fruit can.
I made a little insert to hold all my sewing things when I'm traveling in the car.
Back to the hardware store...big bucket and a tool organizer. Great for sewing, gift wrapping and other craft supplies.
You can also buy an insert for inside too.
You can keep all your fabric underneath inside the bucket and then place the tray on top of it.
I use 2 wooden plate racks on my cutting table to hold all my quilting rulers.
I attached 2 curtain hooks and a curtain rod to the side of my cutting table. This side holds my freezer paper and my Heat and Bond paper.
Add "S" hooks to hold scissor and rulers.
This was a recent Tool Time Tuesday. Tool Time is a feature I have every week to show different ways to use things and think "outside the box". This is a magnetic frame that I made and then used Solo plastic cups with lids to store all my small craft times. I hot glued magnets to the bottom of all the cups. The bookcase holds all my larger craft things.
I keep all the larger items in labeled plastic boxes.
I keep all my patterns in plastic file folders from the office supply store and then store them in a 3 ring binder.
This is an old CD case. I keep all my small plastic and paper templates in here.
These are plastic name badge holders on a key ring. This is great for holding swatches of fabric for a project. Wonderful to take with you to the fabric store to match more fabric.
Here's a great tip when sewing at your machine. Lower your ironing board to your chair level and you won't have to get up for all the quick presses.
Here's a quick tip to fold your fabric. Wrap it around a piece of cardboard that is the depth of the shelf that you store it on.
All the fabric is stored the same way...nice and neat and easy to find.
and last, but not the least. I use a wooden drying rack to keep all the pieces of fabric in order of how I have to sew them...especially important in quilting.
I hope you have enjoyed all the helpful hints to make your sewing life easier. If you want to read more of my organizing tips, you can click here. If you want to see some of my Tool Time Tuesday ideas, you can click here. There are also individual links to all of the above ideas under the "Labels" section of my side bar. Come on over for a visit.
Thank you, Karen for some fantastic and frugal ways to round up all of our sewing supplies. I am so excited to try some of these out! Be sure to visit Karen's blog. For those of you also new to blogging, she's had a wonderful series called Blog Buddy sharing all kinds of tips and tricks to make blogging understandable and fun.


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Few observations...
1. Not near the bark I wanted. I think I pulled it too soon at 175 and rested for 3 hours. I crutched it in beer/worsch sauce mixture and it really made it too juicy on the outside.
2. Good smoke ring, but not good enough. I need thicker smoke, but when I was smoking at 225 for hours, the viewable smoke was not there. I know there is clear smoke and that is the majority of the impact, but when I was at 260-270 the smoke was billowing.
3. My rub- i used the same rub I do for pork and I really think the overwhelming flavor from the rub dominated the meat flavor. I want a meat flavor plain and simple.
I need help
Your cooking time and temp?
Do you crutch?
What simple rub do you use to achieve great bark?
Which wood chips do you prefer for brisket?
Go hotter, say 270/285 for good measure.
Switch to Dizzy Pig "Raising the Steaks" rub, creates a nice black bark.
Foil after 4 hours, pull off Egg when you get around 200 internal and tender.
We use Oak lump with 2 chunks of hickory in the cooker.
Never been a fan of burnt drippings in the pan below, we cook with moisture in the pan throughout the cook. Try beef broth and water.
from SANTA CLARA, CA
I like the beef broth idea.
Do you guys inject?
Also, when you wrap in foil, do you put liquid in the foil?
I think the biggest issue is the temp you pulled - 175. Real key is the toothpick test. You can really tell when its done - sometimes the difference between 190 and 195 is very noticable.
For me, I keep the temp lower - I think a brisket wants to cook at 250 or lower. A pork butt can go higher with no probs. The only time I foil is if I need to speed up a cook that is running late. And when I do, I know I am compromising the bark.
Once I put the meat on, I do not open the lid until the internal meat temp ( on the maverick probe ) is 195 - then I open up and start probing with a thermopen. When that probe is sliding in easily - and I have a consistent 195 + temp throughout the piece - its done. Sometimes thats when I open - most often I cook a few minutes longer. Might be 200+ plus by the time its tender. You can really tell once it is done.
Travis has a good point about the smoke ring - its formed early - and putting on right out of the fridge will help.
I have quit using a water pan underneath - felt the steam and higher humidity hurt the bark. I put a foil pan ( empty ) - sitting on a few 3/8 inch nuts - to catch the drippings and keep the platesetter relatively clean.
OK, I am pretty sure from a brisket "purest" standpoint, this method would be quite taboo, BUT, being only my second brisket (first was quickly turned into chili), I saw a dramatic improvement. I followed Myron Mixon's method (almost):
I rubbed with coffee/brown sugar rub i got of Steven Raichlen's website and let rest overnight. I then injected with Myron's beef injection - mostly beef broth and water.
Then into an aluminium pan indirect at 350 degrees (yes 350) for 3.5 hours uncovered, then 1.5 hours covered with foil. Take it off and rest wrapped in a blanket for 3 hours. That was it. The texture and bark were tremendous. I think the injection and rub combo was a bit too salty, which I will work on. But overall - for a relatively fast brisket with great bark and nice smoke ring, I was pretty happy as was the family.
I used hickory and the brisket was a 7.2# Costco special.
Is stike back?Hillbilly-Hightech said:Here's some things I've learned in my "Egg-sperience":
1.) I believe "bark" comes from a combination of the chemical reactions of the proteins in the meat w/ the cooking process, and the smoke (although, I think you can get a type of bark from cooking the meat in your oven as well, though not nearly as good). It also results from the caramelizing of the sugars in the rub/sauce, etc. Something which has a lot of sugar in it will help develop a more pronounced bark than something with no sugar in it. It's basically the starting process of "burning" the meat (there's a fine line between a good bark & overly cooked, dried out, scorched meat).
With that being said, I'm not a fan of foiling, as this defeats the purpose of trying to create the bark. Foiling will "re-moisturize" the meat (i.e., basically "steaming" it) and will soften the bark. If you must foil, do it after several hours into the cook. That way the rub, smoke, etc have had time to "set up" and do its thing, which is to create the chemical reactions, and to caramelize the sugars.
2.) The smoke "ring" has been deliberated & debated as not really adding any "flavor" and just being a cosmetic thing, because it's been said that smoke doesn't penetrate the meat, it just gets applied to the surface.
I'm not gonna debate whether the smoke ring is or is not anything more than a cosmetic "bragging rights" type of thing, but if you want a more pronounced or "thicker" smoke ring, you need to keep the internal temp of the meat to less than 140 for as long as you can. Probably the best way to do this is to keep the meat in the fridge till you're ready to put it on the Egg, then to keep the dome temp of the Egg to a "low & slow" temp (~250-300).
You also need "smoke" and the only way to get that is to add things that smoke (ie, chips or chunks). Add in your chips or chunks all mixed in throughout your lump (up & down, side to side, etc). Don't put them all at the top or all in one grouping. That way you maximize the chances of the pieces of burning lump contacting the wood.
So, between the temp, the rub, and the smoke, that way, the meat starts out colder, and gets to 140 a lot longer than cooking it at a higher dome temp, and more smoke gets applied for a longer time.
3.) Rubs & such are sooooo subjective - that's like asking someone's opinion as to whether they like Rembrandt or Picasso & basing your artistic tastes on what someone else likes. With that being said, for a brisket, find a rub made specifically for beef (as opposed to pork), & just try it, then adjust & experiment till you find one that you like.
Comment started with 'I believe' - that doesn't sound like Stike. He'd be sure.Is stike back?
Comment started with 'I believe' - that doesn't sound like Stike. He'd be sure.Is stike back?
hahahahaha... that's true. Correct, I said "I believe" because I didn't wanna spend the time & effort to research & verify every single minute point such as whether or not it was actually the "proteins" or something else which caused the bark. I figured the "spirit" of the questions the OP asked were not necessary to get all technical & factually correct down to the last detail.Tjcoley said:Comment started with 'I believe' - that doesn't sound like Stike. He'd be sure.Is stike back?
"Right meow"? Sounds like the bet from Super Troopers. Gotta love auto complete on iPhone. I'm going to follow your brisket method that is sort of a braise this weekend while watching the first weekend of college football.No foil unless you want to keep the bark from getting darker. No injecting for me. Hopefully one of these guys will post a link to my attempt at brisket instruction. Im on a iPhone right meow. If you wait until this weekend, I'm doing another brisket with full post write up. Lots of pics.
Johnson, Navin R... Sounds like a typical bastard.
Belmont, NC
Great response by your girlfriend. I quit reading the long, long posts as soon as I get my answer. I just want to drive the car, I don't care how the piston works!!! B-)Hillbilly-Hightech said:hahahahaha... that's true. Correct, I said "I believe" because I didn't wanna spend the time & effort to research & verify every single minute point such as whether or not it was actually the "proteins" or something else which caused the bark. I figured the "spirit" of the questions the OP asked were not necessary to get all technical & factually correct down to the last detail.Tjcoley said:Comment started with 'I believe' - that doesn't sound like Stike. He'd be sure.Is stike back?As far as "sounding" like Stike - he's an architect, I'm an engineer - so we both can be very wordy & detail-oriented at times. I think the difference w/ me though is that I was born & bred a simple country-boy, so that comes out a lot in my posts as well...Although, my GF often gets frustrated when I'm trying to 'splain something & will say things like "don't need the details, just need the answer"


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Rule #1 - Be Patient - Rule #2 - Don't ask when, if you don't contribute - Rule #3 - You have coding skills - LinuxMCE's small brother is available: http://www.agocontrol.com
(EE) Failed to load module "vesa" (module does not exist, 0)(EE) Failed to load module "mouse" (module does not exist, 0)
Hi,The modules don't exist. There is no .so files in the expected directory that match those names. Is this important, ie: is that a Fatal error and the reason for X Windows not starting?
chroot /home/diskless/<MD_Device_ID> dpkg -l | egrep -v '^ii|^un|^rc'
I have never heard of this AvWizard thing. I assume that it is either part of Pluto (new to .40?) or part of XOrg setup.
Should I attempt to find and install these missing modules? How do I do that?
What about the line 'Couldn't open RGB_DB '/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb' 'Is this important. That directory mentioned does not exist, so I RGB_DB would create itself, but no luck.
Is there a setup that I can re-run or set some DB flag so it reruns?
I am not sure that remote assistance will work, last time I tried it, it got nowhere. It will definately need to be on a different port as all port 80 access is blocked by my ISP, due to some 'no servers' rule.
Please advise me what the next step should be. I will learn a little bit more about XOrg but my time is quite limited at the moment.regardsDarren
try this:Code: [Select]chroot /home/diskless/<MD_Device_ID> dpkg -l | egrep -v '^ii|^un|^rc'and see how many broken packages do you have
You can try to chroot into the MDs filesystem and run "apt-get -f install" and similar and see what errors do you get.
In the media directors web page, there's a button called "Rebuild image" for each Media Director. If the chroot and everything else fails, you can use this button to rebuild the Media Director filesystem from scratch and re-install the MD.
Please also run the "dpkg -l | egrep '^ii|^rc|^un' " command on your Core and see if you have any broken packages there.
Quote from: "radu.c"In the media directors web page, there's a button called "Rebuild image" for each Media Director. If the chroot and everything else fails, you can use this button to rebuild the Media Director filesystem from scratch and re-install the MD.Will this mean that I have to build the drivers for the webcam again? The reason I ask is that this was quite a time consuming problem. It looks like I don't have much option though.
I will have a bit more of a play around and also see if I can get remote assistance to work.


text: I wrote already about nm which is a great tool to analyze the binaries. This can be used to quickly check whether a binary supports BitCode or not. Just open a terminal where your binary stored and use this command: [crayon-5f01f3df3902e863314297/] Quickly check BitCode support of a library7 Jun, 2016 in Computers / Dev / Mac / Uncategorized / Useful Tools / XCode tagged BitCode by Andras Palfi


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Gina Moscato Makes Skyline Honor Roll
Oct 24, 2005
Junior outside hitter Gina Moscato (Hicksville, NY/Hicksville) was named to the Skyline Women's Volleyball Player of the Week Honor Roll for her play during the week ending October 23. Moscato averaged 3.91 kills, 2.18 digs and 0.36 service aces in three matches for the Rams.
The Player and Rookie of the Week for all fall sports are announced by the Skyline Conference on Monday nights. Reports are available to view on the Skyline website at www.skylineconference.org.


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A day after two men were charged in a "revenge porn" conspiracy, one of the alleged victims recalled how she was crushed when a topless photo of her circulated around the Internet.
Kayla Laws is one of eight alleged victims of two California men who were arrested Thursday for allegedly hacking into email accounts to steal nude photos that were then posted on a "revenge porn" website.
Read: Vigil Planned for Woman Who Died After Beating Outside Nightclub
"You think that it can't happen to you, but it can," Laws said in an interview with NBC4 from her Studio City home. "I was just so damaged by it. I just wanted to stay in my room. It just all hit me like a ton of bricks."
It took nine days to get the photo removed from the now defunct isanyoneup.com website, which was taken over by an anti-bullying site. She realized the damage had been done when someone saved the photo and mass-texted it out to everyone.
"They would message me saying, 'Hey, you look good, baby.'"
Read: Passengers Fight for Control of Greyhound Bus After Attack on Driver
One of the revenge porn website suspects, identified as Hunter Moore, is believed to be the mastermind behind the website. Charlie Evens is charged with hacking into emails to steal the private photos, federal prosecutors said.
Evens' mother said Thursday that he was a good son, volunteered for the Special Olympics, and tutored autistic kids.
Laws' "selfie" was saved in a folder in her gmail account.
"I was in my underwear and only one boob was showing," she said.
Law's mother helped push a bill through the state legislature that got Governor Jerry Brown's signature in October that makes revenge porn a crime in California.
"When Hunter Moore goes to trial and to see what the outcome of that is, I think will determine whether or not justice has been served," Laws said.


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The story line is familiar. Government officials with less financial expertise than their private-sector counterparts cut a bad deal and taxpayers are left holding the bag. Just such a deal left the Massachusetts Turnpike teetering on the verge of bankruptcy before a 2009 reform law placed it under the same governance structure as the rest of the Bay State's transportation assets.
That's why it was refreshing to read that a private consortium that operates the Illinois Lottery has been assessed a fine for failing to collect as much money as it promised -- even though the lottery pulled in more revenue than ever before.
This column appears in our monthly Better, Faster, Cheaper email newsletter. Click to subscribe.
Northstar Lottery Group's deal with the state of Illinois includes a provision holding the company accountable if it didn't bring in $822.8 million last year. The state claims Northstar collected $757 million, while the company says it took in $780.8 million. Either way, Northstar faces a $20 million fine despite the Illinois Lottery having its best year ever.
Some say Illinois Lottery Superintendent Michael Jones has a grudge against Northstar. Prior to joining the lottery, he teamed up with a group that narrowly lost out to Northstar in bidding for the Illinois Lottery contract. After a previous claim by Jones that the company was underperforming, stories leaked that the lottery director had taken taxpayer-funded European trips and directed state research work to his former company.
Jones responded that taxpayers paid for only one of his trips and the quality of lottery research was substandard when he took over the agency. But intrigue aside, the Illinois contract is a good example of how public-private partnerships are supposed to work.
Governments seek to contract with private firms for reasons that include access to private-sector technology that is often more advanced, employee performance incentive programs that usually aren't permissible under public-sector collective bargaining agreements, and shifting risk from taxpayers to private contractors. Collecting $20 million from a contractor that failed to meet its target -- even as the company turned in a record-setting year -- is about as good an example of shifting risk as you're likely to find.
Last month I wrote about Cincinnati's plan to contract out its parking meters and garages, a deal that would provide the city with upfront money to plug a short-term budget deficit but that might worsen the city's longer-term finances. Despite accusations of personal vendettas, the Illinois Lottery seems to have cut a deal that accesses the benefits of public-private partnerships without trading on the future or reinforcing the stereotype of government officials being outfoxed by private counterparts with far more financial savvy.


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First Posted: 9/1/2010
The Lima News sent questionnaires to representatives for every issue on the ballot in Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Putnam and Van Wert counties for this election section. Representatives had the opportunity to discuss the major issues with their issue. Only basic information from the board of elections identifies organizations that did not return a questionnaire yet. We continue to receive more questionnaires every day, so check back here soon to see the latest submitted answers.
Levy sought: 2 mill renewal tax levy for five years
Purpose: Fire protection


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2 cool 4 kindergarten
Minecraft Addict
Guess who it is! Well, I just logged onto the Vanilla Server for the first time in about two years. I can only apologise for leaving another project unfinished, it's becoming quite the occurrence! Ya'll are doing great.
I am now 21, weird right? I was 12 when I joined and I'm still lurking around the forums every so often. I've just completed my bachelors degree in Linguistics and I am going on to do my masters degree in Diplomacy and Global Ethics in September, sounds more interesting
Hey All!
Long time no see, just thought i'd stop in for a quick update.
Well, I'm 17 now (18 in July) and am preparing for my exams in June for English Language, these exams determine whether i'll be off to university or not in September. I have no way of playing minecraft at the moment, but the future is looking light now i'm earning more money than I did before.
I drive now, yeah, I passed my driving test first time, so I have full access to a huge chunk
Long time no see! Well, now its Summer in the UK (Despite all the rain), and well that means 6 weeks to do whatever the hell I want.
I've lost interest in Minecraft now, but ARK and a few other games are catching my attention. So you may see me around the servers, and perhaps lurking on the forums. I've been saving for a computer, but I still have a while left before I can afford a decent one, so hold in there.
Little update in my life, turned 17 on
I have one thing to say. Don't give me hydrochloric acid. Well, I was in science, doing my normal experiment. With hydrochloric acid, and someone knocked me, I split HYDROCHLORIC acid all over my hand. Jesus, it burnt. Now Most of my skin looks like it's cut. If I type slowly you now know why


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Laser Eyes Pose Price Hurdle for Driverless Cars – Wall Street Journal
Posted: Monday, July 21, 2014
Google Inc., BMW AG and other car makers are running demonstrations of their driverless technologies. But before such vehicles are commonly found on the road, experts say the size and cost of the laser-powered sensors that acts as the cars' eyes will have to shrink.
Today, an advanced lidar (for light detection and ranging) system for self-driving cars costs between $30,000 and $85,000 apiece, manufacturers said, and some prototypes…


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Wednesday, May 13, 2009
22 Secret Agent
GENRE: Historical fantasy
To be a priestess, the walk had to be flawless -- the smooth heel-to-toe motion beneath the woolen robe that would soon be spattered with blood. Iphi had practiced this walk for two years, knew it was perfect, knew the ceremonial dagger at her waist was not bouncing from the motion. Sheathed at my navel, the center of life. Her slippered feet continued their smooth whisper on the stone floor of the temple, taking her through the darkness to the sunlight that shone through the linteled doorway, where the victims waited outside.
At the doorway itself she paused, heavy stonework on either side, the scents of life and fresh air greeting her. She had no need to blink -- though the veil that hung in front of her eyes was thin and gauze-like, its deep-set purple shielded those same eyes from the sudden change in lighting. Iphi made the pause purposeful, foreboding. Her arms were outstretched, as if to receive the sacrifices lying on the altar before her. She knew the whiteness of her face would sharply contrast against the darkness of her eyes, dimly glimpsed through the veil. If any worshiper had been standing directly in front of her, that supplicant would have seen her framed by darkness. And further on, in the interior of the temple, hints of the image of Artemis herself showed -- a pale statue in the same posture, lit by hungry flames.
16 comments:
- SaltierMay 13, 2009 at 11:23 AM
I'd probably read this because I like Greek mythology. In fact, I liked the whole setup and the talk of sacrafices ahead - it feels like foreshadowing.ReplyDelete
Watch the POV change in the first paragraph (you go from 3rd person to 1st person), or denote it somehow as her thought.
I loved your first line. Very nice writing and also the foreshadowing of something to come that hooked me.ReplyDelete
I did find it took a little bit long to get to the action, though. As much as I enjoyed the writing, I felt there was too much focus on how she would appear to everyone. As a reader, I'm happy to just have a couple details and fill in the scene myself.
I don't know...I might read more but I'm not sure. It's well written but there's nothing there that really, really grabs me but there's nothing there that makes me want to shut the book either. I'd probably give it a little more before I made a concrete decision about it.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 13, 2009 at 1:43 PM
I'm torn. I feel like there is something good coming, but this is all set-up and description (it's solid set-up & description though, so there is that). It's interesting, but I just don't feel hooked. I want something to happen, not just feel like it might happen sometime.ReplyDelete
I agree with John Zeleznik and selestial-owg. It's good, but it's not... attention-grabbing. It doesn't shake me by the shoulders and demand that I read more.ReplyDelete
And I have a problem with the sudden shift in perspective, with the 'sheathed at my navel' when the rest of it's about 'her'and 'she'.
I really liked the first sentence. This sentence "Sheathed at my navel, the center of life" confused me and you switched to first person and then went back to third. The second paragraph has nice imagery but felt heavy and could probably be cut down a little bit. I thought this sentence "If any worshiper had been standing directly in front of her, that supplicant would have seen her framed by darkness." was redundant since you just talked about a dark and light contrast with her face. I am intrigued and interested in what's going to happen, but not hooked. I might read a few more pages.ReplyDelete
Ditto all of the above. You have some nice description, but I think I might feel more of a connection with the MC if it didn't start off with sacrifices. Maybe we could see her getting prepared for her role, get a feel for her character first. I know we're supposed to have action/drama right off, so maybe it's just me, but the sacrifice/victim stuff right away didn't make me want to read on since I had no context to put it in.ReplyDelete
The POV shift has already been address, but I agree for the most part with other comments.ReplyDelete
I'm interested, but its a little slow. A little too much - like her describing how she knows her own face looks in such a dramatic description. With a little trim, I think it could be better.
Nice. Nothing really happening here, a lot of description - but you draw your character and setting out. I like<ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 13, 2009 at 9:24 PM
From the author: Please, before anyone else mentions it, I submitted this snippet with the first person sentenced underlined, to make it clear she was thinking it to herself. The underline didn't come through.ReplyDelete
Now I'll sit back and let more comments come in.
- Cheryl SMay 14, 2009 at 7:05 AM
I liked the premise and the focus on getting the walk right at the start, but I found the second paragraph distancing, as it laboured the impact of her appearance on the people seeing her.ReplyDelete
Perhaps it could have focused on her feelings during the walk more
- JoannaMay 14, 2009 at 1:16 PM
Beautifully written, though maybe too creepy for me to stick with. The visual images are arresting. The one thing that jarred me was "Sheathed at my navel" when the rest is in 3rd person; maybe you had italics there that got lost in translation?ReplyDelete
- BarbaraMay 15, 2009 at 12:26 AM
Not hooked. I agree with everyone. Great writing. But everything is a description of her. There's no action, no dialogue. I could probably even live with a description of the victims' actual reactions to her, rather than her opinion of how they'd react.ReplyDelete
I didn't have a sense of where she was. (Yes. I know she's in a temple, but I can't see it) I didn't get a sense of mood. I think what's lacking is that there isn't any emotion or feeling in it.
The writing painted a clear picture. But I'm wondering who the main character is. If it's this priestess who is about to lunge a dagger into some innocent victims, I'm not sure I'd want to read about her. If this is a set up or prologue to give us some backstory, I would read on.ReplyDelete
It's so hard to tell with some of these! The writing is strong and clear.
I was hooked. I'd want something apart from her walking through the temple to happen pretty soon though.ReplyDelete
- Secret AgentMay 17, 2009 at 1:55 AM
I like this one, although the title automatically turned me off. There aren't a lot of historical romances set in what appears to be ancient Greece, so I'd probably keep reading for that reason alone. I'm not sure how that would affect the marketability of the novel though.ReplyDelete
Your writing is good and human sacrifice is always fun--so I'm tentatively hooked. Watch the third sentence in the first paragraph though.


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2003 Bentley Arnage T
Stapleford Park, England - There's a new lord and master among Bentley's Arnage mega-sedans. Not only is the Arnage T more expensive and more powerful than the Arnage Green Label and Red Label models, but it also claims the title of world's fastest sedan, as it needs all but the last two spots on its 170-mph speedometer.
The Arnage T is powered by yet another version of ye olde 6.75-liter pushrod V-8, whose roots go back to 1959. Treated to what Bentley describes as "the most thorough reengineering of its life," it produces 450 horsepower and a stupendous 645 pound-feet of torque (as compared with 400 horsepower and 619 pound-feet in the Arnage Red Label). This prodigious output, besides enabling the English-manor-house-on-wheels to reach 168 mph, also will send it from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and to 100 mph a mere eight seconds later.
The engine's most significant change is the switch from a single turbocharger to one for each bank of cylinders. This makes the engine more responsive in most situations, because the smaller turbos spool up faster. Other changes include the adoption of a "drive-by-wire" throttle, which goes hand-in-glove with Bosch's Electronic Stability Program, in place of the Red Label's traction control.
A subtle rear spoiler at the trunk lid's trailing edge also enhances high-speed stability, but what really gives this nearly three-ton automobile its immense poise is a revised suspension that features 57 percent more roll stiffness than the Red Label. The car's basic structure also is 10 percent stiffer, which means there are no creaks and squeaks of the sort that distinguished previous generations of Bentleys.
Our only real quibble--this despite the twin turbos--is the slight but irritating delay that's experienced when the powertrain gets the message to go from trickle to charge. The Bentley pauses, as if considering how best to respond to the spur . . . and then you're away. After that, tapping the mighty V-8's vast reservoir of midrange torque requires little more than telepathy.