Interior, Web & Style Design Freebies

Image courtesy of Design ShrineThis is a pretty interesting website that I stumbled upon last night. While most of us run freebies websites and blogs, Design Shrine on the other hand, is sharing web freebie resources via RSS feed style. I find it different but one thing you can be sure of, there's nothing but freebies here.What you can expect to find here are free software, free font, free screensavers, free desktop wallpapers, free web templates, free ebooks, free graphics, free icons, free patterns, etc. Well, you get my drift!I can say that of the many stuff that have been featured here on Design Shrine now, there are quite a few that I myself have not come across yet so there's plenty of free web stuff to look forward to on Design Shrine all the time.

Bradford County 4H Shooting Sports Club FITA Archery Competition

Bradford County 4H Shooting Sports Club will host a FITA Archery Competition on August 30, 2008 at Northside Baptist Church in Starke, FL starting at 9:00AM. Cost is $15.00 per shooter. This tournament is open to all 4H members in good standing. Practice range will open at 8:00AM.EQUIPMENT STANDARD:PERMITTEDNOT PERMITTEDRECURVEOne adjustable sight pin or multiple hunting style sight pins may be used; clicker and kisser buttons permitted; Participants may have as many sight pins as deemed necessary; Torque compensators are permitted.String peeps and mechanical release aids.COMPOUND (freestyle)Release aids, String peeps, optical sights, spirit levels;60 lb. maximum draw weight.Overdraws may not place the arrow rest further than 6 cm from the pivot point of the bow.ARROWSMust meet AMO minimum weight standard; 6 grains arrow weight per pound bow peak draw weight or IBO minimum weight standard; 5 grainsNo arrows larger than 23/64ths in diameter are permitted.Archery Recurve – sight pins – One adjustable sight pin or multiple hunting style sight pins permittable. Participant may have as many sight pins as deemed necessary.COURSE OF FIRESeniors: 3 ends of 6 arrows each from 60 and 50 meters;6 ends of 3 arrows each from 40 and 30 meters;Intermediates: 3 ends of 6 arrows each from 50 and 40 meters;6 ends of 3 arrows each from 30 and 20 meters;Juniors: 3 ends of 6 arrows each from 40 and 30 meters;6 ends of 3 arrows each from 20 and 10 meters;TIME LIMIT4 minutes per 6 arrow end and 2.5 minutes per 3 arrow endSCORING10-1 from the center outward, compound teams will score inner 10’s. Tie breaks will follow the NGB Rules.NGB RULESUSA Archery/FITAINFORMATIONhttp://www.archeryworldcup.org/UserFiles/Document/FITA%20website/05%20Rules/01%20C&R%20Book/2008RulesENG_Book2.pdfAPPLICATION FOR AUGUST 30, 2008 FITA TOURNAMENTName: _____________________________________ DOB: _________________Address: ___________________________ City/State/Zip: ______________________Phone: ___________________________Parent or Guardian Name: ___________________________Division: Senior Intermediate Junior4H Club Name: ________________________________________4H Agent: _____________________ Phone #: ______________Bow: (please circle) Compound – Sighted Recurve - Sighted Longbow - No sight - No sightPlease make check or money order payable to: Bradford County 4H. $15 per shooter.Mail checks with application to:Bradford County Extension Office2266 N. Temple AvenueStarke, FL 32091-1612Deadline for entry is Wednesday, August 20, 2008.The tournament will be held at Northside Baptist Church, which is located on the corner of CR 225 & SR 16 in Starke, Florida. Start time is 9:00AM. Practice range will be open at 8:00AM.Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase.Any questions please call Barbara Martin at (352) 258-2901 or the Bradford County 4H Office at (904) 966-6224. You can also e-mail questions to martigolf@bellsouth.net.

Obama Administration: Repeating Failed History?

by Reverend J. Vance Tyree I was doing some economic research recently and came across a political cartoon, one that merged the swine flu scare with Obamas spending. I wish I would have saved it because I couldnt help but cackle loudly after reading it. The image was Obama in a hospital bed after contracting the flu, and there were two men standing at his bed. One man said to the other, Keep him under, because every time he wakes up he spends a trillion dollars. I wont deny that I was an avid supporter of Obama before the elections, but I was fooled along with the rest of the world. Few presidents actually fulfill their promises during election period, and many of them, once in office, work contrary to what they said they were going to do. Sometimes this is intentional and other times it is basic stupidity. In Obamas case, dealing with the current economic environment, I am going to put faith in the latter: The Obama Administration is just being downright stupid in its efforts to resolve the economic slump were in. Obamas deficit is constantly changing and constantly being rejected. Why? His numbers arent in line and the deficit under his administration will reach an all time high of $17 trillion—thats almost $11 trillion more than the Bush Administrations! Perhaps Im being premature in criticizing the current administrations economic plan, but history and logic tell me their plans are no good, thus the promise to tackle the economic crisis is fueled by decisions that will either keep us on the same path or sink us further. Quote: Originally Posted by CNS News By 2019&a whopping 82 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) will go to pay down the national debt. This means that in future years, the government could owe its creditors more than the goods and services that the entire economy can produce. Although the stock market has recently received good news and is starting to recover, GDP is still in the negatives. Although the GDP report isnt actually verified for a year until seven years later, the numbers released tend to be fairly close to the mark. The fourth quarter of 2008 saw -6 percent in growth. That means production was extremely low and what production existed earned no real money. In the first quarter of 2009 GDP shows -6 percent. If we look at all of 2008, GDP was down -3 percent, which means 2009s GDP will need to reach 6 percent in order for the nations economy to begin growing again. The economy during the Bush Administration wasnt contracting but there was very little growth—so little to be almost irrelevant. The average economic growth in the Bush Administration was 2 percent, a sluggish rate of growth. (This is what Britain saw after the Era of Public Reform starting around 1848, which allowed the U.S. to become the dominant economic power in the world.) The Reagan Administration saw a 4 percent rate of growth, which is basically the status quo the U.S. maintained for so long before WWI. Gross Domestic Product alone doesnt account for the entire scope of the economy, however the figures are important as they display production and trade. During WWII production was up and unemployment down, however there was no actual growth in the economy. Even though the GDP from 1940-1946 shows immense growth, we know that, although production was high, there was no growth because wages were low; rationing was in effect, limiting supplies; and a large majority of the labor population was forced to receive pay in war bonds, which devalued by 50 percent in 1949—basically meaning those workers didnt get paid. We have to take GDP with the stock market and with the value of the U.S. Dollar (not to mention the ratio in wages VS. progressive taxation). Inflation is a reality that will never vanish; but as long as wages are high and taxation is low, particularly when income per annum surpasses the rate of inflation, there will be economic prosperity and growth because money is being invested in the economy. However, inflation climbs when the Federal Reserve prints too much currency—that is, when the Fed prints more money than the economy requires. Inflation devalues currency and people stop investing and move into commodities (part of the reason oil prices climbed recently). Obamas spending requires more dollars than is in current circulation, thus in turn requiring the Fed to print more dollars to meet the demand the government is creating. But this is not a demand that will stimulate the economy; it is a demand for increased spending that will keep the economy in a slump. Stimulus packages are a joke, a fiction, because by nature they create more money to circulate through the economy, further devaluing the currency in question. A stimulus package that requires the printing of more dollars will in turn devalue the dollars, therefore not actually stimulating the economy but keep it stagnant. If more money is printed then we will receive a return to the 1970s paradigm of stagflation—that is, inflation will continue to rise whilst the economy remains stagnant. To make matters worse, Obama aims to let Bushs tax cuts expire, which will cause an increase in taxation by 2011. This is a stupid move to say the least, and many an administration in the recent past made the same mistake followed by economic troughing. There is a key equation that equals economic prosperity, one that has been used successfully a number of times after WWI, and when administrations ignore it there is economic stagnation and even crises. That equation is simple: tighten money (stop printing money), cut taxes, and raise interest rates. Tightening money will halt inflation; cutting taxes will increase revenues which will then be invested into markets; and raising interest rates will encourage people to keep their money in the bank and not withdraw to invest in commodities. Obamas deficits have been so extreme that the United States primary deficit investor, China, has refused to purchase our debt. China would invest in our debt and we repay them through trade. But, as mentioned above, Obamas deficit plans are so outrageous that the U.S. would have to export to China for free for decades to repay the debt! And since China knows that isnt going to happen, they refused to purchase our debt. Whats the solution according to the current administration? Let the Federal Reserve purchase the debt. Are you kidding me!? Thats the first step in causing hyperinflation! And how are we to repay our own debt? Taxes will have to increase substantially and new tariffs raised, which will actually slow down trade. U.S. debt should be purchased by a country with a stable currency—which is why it has been China for a while—because their industrial and economic growth over the last few decades is outstanding, thus stabilizing their currency, making it one of the most stable in the world. Pick up a newspaper and watch other currencies climb compared to the USD; this is an unofficial (and inaccurate) indicator of domestic inflation, but it gets in the ballpark. Quote: Originally Posted by Lawrence H. White, The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics In the United States, the inflation rate is most commonly measured by the percentage rise in the Consumer Price Index, which is reported monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A CPI of 120 in the current period means that it now takes $120 to purchase a representative basket of goods that $100 once purchased. Because the CPI basket is not identical with the specific basket of goods and services that you consume, the percentage rise in the CPI is, at best, only a rough approximation of the percentage rise in your cost of living. The same is true for any alternative measure of inflation, such as the gross domestic product deflator. The GDP deflator is arguably more representative of the economy as a whole, but is less relevant to ordinary consumers because its basket includes the prices of nonconsumer goods (such as new business equipment) that consumers do not buy, and excludes the prices of the many foreign-produced goods that consumers do buy. Quote: Originally Posted by Lawrence H. White, The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics In a nutshell, inflation occurs—that is, the purchasing power of the dollar shrinks—to the extent that the nominal supply of dollars grows faster than the real demand to hold dollars In summation, Obamas current and planned spending will do nothing positive to the current economic environment, and will possibly contribute to even more economic rough patches that could last years. The current plan of attack, like many past ones, is a return to the failed Keynesian economic parody. John Maynard Keynes, an early 20th-century British economist, and father of Keynesian economic theory, denounced his theory almost immediately after proposing the elements of the theory in publishing his 1936 article The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. Unfortunately, he died before publicly denouncing Keynesianism, which is why the U.S. government has seen a number of economic slumps since by employing the theory. Obamas administration is returning to the failed Keynesian model, and that decision will keep the American economy in a slump. Until the administration does a little historical legwork, and realizes Keynesianism is a crock, there is no hope for the future of the United States return to economic prosperity under the current regime. ArmageddonOnline.com

Broken, But Not De-Feeted

Youve gotta be #@$#!% kidding me! This was the thought scrolling through my head as I heard the bones in my right foot snap last Thursday. Yes, if youve been in my little blogging family for a while, you already know that in February 08, while running along my favorite trail, I wiped out in some mud, rolled my ankle and fractured a biggish bone in my left foot. Well, its just a little over a year later and, through some freakish convergence of karma, stupidity and nature, Ive now taken out the other foot&same exact bone, on the same trail, at almost the same point, wearing the same shoes. But, this time, its a complete break, two pieces. So rather than walking around with a boot for 6 weeks, Im on crutches, one-footed, for at least a month, before I even get to the walking air-cast stage. Ive been injured before, but never something that took away my mobility in any meaningful way. And, Ive got to tell you, this really sucks. I dont like being on crutches. I dont like that I have to plan my trips to the kitchen. I dont like that I cant drive myself around. I dont like that I had to eat my sandwich standing in the kitchen, because I didnt realize I couldnt carry it with crutches in both hands. I dont like that I have to ask for help for things that Ive done for myself for 43 years. But, mostly, I mortified at how open Ive become to the notion of man-fannypacks! And, I am not loving the potential for imbalances, misalignment, atrophy, weight gain, loss of condition and wellness that this whole experience has the potential to rain down upon my life. Because, I have to be honest, I didnt exactly go into this injury the picture of health. In fact, Im pretty confident that this injury was due, at least in part, to some major postural dysfunctions that resulted from my lack of attention to the changes in my body that occurred during my not-so-complete recovery from last years foot-astrophe. I didnt respond nearly as aggressively as I should have, from both a nutritional, postural and fitness standpoint. And, it left me with a lot of aches, pains, lack of fitness and excess weight. But, this time around&Im not rolling over. Ive spent the better part of the last week researching the stages of repair for bone breaks, along with the activities and nutritional approaches that facilitate healing. Knowing that one part of my body will essentially be an orphan limb for 4-12 weeks, I am drawing upon my fitness and yoga background the create a staged conditioning and dynamic myofascial repatterning program designed to counter the effects of my unbalanced workloads. One of my biggest challenges, though, will be cardiovascular exercise. My ortho says everything weight bearing is out and I cant even swim, unless I strap my legs to a board and only use my upper body. Ill be trying that out this week and reporting back on how it worked. But, Im in the early stages of brainstorming ways to get my heart moving&without using my feet. If anyone has suggestions, Im all ears. And, one more thing. Though its only been a week on crutches, Ive already begun to work in shifting my mindset away from the suck-factor and back onto the learning factor. Already, what Ive experienced has opened my eyes to what people who rely on crutches or other aids for a lifetime are challenged with. I am truly humbled by how many little things have to be done differently when your body doesnt function the way other peoples bodies do. Im awed by those who live with physical challenges far beyond what Im experiencing with such grace. And, Im thankful to have so many people in my life who are here to support, inspire and encourage me. To share in the journey. Normally, Id turn most of my energy inward at a time like this and focus on helping myself. But, I figure weve grown a pretty phenomenal community here, one thats certainly made my life richer. And, one thats collectively waaaaayyyy smarter than me. So, this time around, Im going to try something different and open up to your thoughts, ideas and suggestions. On ideas for effective cardio that doesnt use the legs (tough challenge). For me, and also for anyone else going through a time of physical and, yes, even emotional recovery. So, feel free to share away, gang

East Anglia mend your talk video face.

I be stylin’! (Not. Oh, sooo NOT!)

So it seems that last month I was using my knee walker as a crutch (so to speak), which prompted my meanie doctor to force me to give it up so I’d put more weight on my foot. I was not happy to give up my knee walker because it made living with a broken ankle bearable. I could get around incredibly quickly, use my hands, and carry stuff from place to place in the handy-dandy basket. Once my knee-walker was gone, I was forced to use crutches to get around. While I hated the crutches, I had no choice but to use them. Fortunately my cool storm trooper boot provided my foot comfort and security and I was pretty mobile using both together. I dreaded the day when the powers that be would mandate that I give up the boot, but I assumed it was still a few weeks off. Wrong. I went back to Harborview’s Foot and Ankle Clinic today, expecting to be told that it was time to give up the crutches and walk using just the boot. But nooooooo… Instead, Dr. Benirschke the meanie, insisted that I lose the boot and keep the crutches! Nooooo! Say it isn’t so! But it is. Over the next week or so, I need to phase from wearing the boot all the time, to wearing it less and less and wearing – gasp!! – SHOES more and more. Shoes? But not a single shoe in my closet fits my still-swollen left foot! How on earth will I transition out of my sweet, secure boot? After my medical appointment, Tom and I went to our favorite Mongolian Barbeque, where I got this fortune: Uh – huh. Wonders! You want to see my new look? Well, there’s this corset-looking brace gizmo (very Little House on the Prairie, isn’t it?) that gets laced up and strapped around my foot and goes inside my shoes. Are you wondering where all those straps go? Yeah, me too! They get pulled and wrapped and tightened around my foot, like this: And then… (Now don’t laugh. Really, it’s been a tough year and a tough week, so be nice.) Over that lace-brace (which my insurance company will pay a hundred frikken dollars for!), I put on this: You better believe I need that wide width! Getting the shoe on my foot was excruciating, but I did it. (That wide gap between shoe hemispheres reminds me of my rectus abdominus muscle after my twin pregnancy!) So yeah, this is my new look that, according to my fortune, will “do wonders”: Thank goodness for wide sizes and long, stretchy laces! I’d like to tell you how I feel about all this, but I really don’t know how I feel about it yet. Yes, I know that I need to progressively get back on my feet (so to speak) and that it won’t be comfortable to get there. And yes, I know that the pain, even when it’s in my foot, is actually more in my head. And yes, I know that fear and stress play a big role in how well -- or poorly -- one heals. (Stress? By the time I stopped work in the wee hours of the morning on Wednesday morning, I’d already put in 31 hours!) I know all that. But I still miss my trusty knee walker… and I will miss wearing my secure storm trooper boot. I know what you’re thinking. “Yeah, and in a few months you’ll say how much you miss your old lady sneaker.” No way! That, I will NOT do!

some good info....

11 Ways to Get Extra Cash by Cameron HuddlestonFriday, May 1, 2009provided by Who couldn’t use a little more moolah these days? If you’ve lost your job, taken a pay cut or are just looking for ways to boost your income, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance can help. Here we offer 11 smart tips for generating extra cash. See if any might put more money in your pocket by clicking the navigation bar to your right. Sell Your Stuff Online Kiplinger’s senior editor Jeffrey Kosnett and his wife recently made $200 selling flatware they no longer used through the popular online auction site eBay. You, too, can unload everything from furniture and furnishings to collectibles and clothing on eBay or Craigslist. Sell your old, unwanted books on Amazon. Kosnett’s wife, Deborah, says the key to selling your wares on the Web is to research similar merchandise that has been sold recently through the site and price competitively. Be a Shopping Spy You can get paid up to $20 if you agree to browse a store and provide feedback on customer service, merchandise quality, and other quality-control metrics. Start by visiting the Mystery Shopping Providers Association’s Web site (www.mysteryshop.org) to see a database of jobs with legitimate companies. Sign up with several companies because it can take a while to be contacted. If you like to shop, can pay close attention to detail and can be dispassionate, this could be a good money-making opportunity. More from Yahoo! Finance: • As Prices Rise, Some See $2 Gas • Celebrity Charity Auctions• More Travelers Redeeming Miles for Merchandise Visit the Family & Home Center One word of warning: Watch out for scams that require you to pay a fee or wire a cashier’s check. Operate a Call Center From Your Home You might consider a job (for up to $14 an hour) with a virtual call center, such as Arise Virtual Solutions (www.willowcsn.com), West Corp. (www.west.com) or Alpine Access (www.alpineaccess.com). As an independent contractor (or, in some cases, an actual employee with benefits), you would provide customer support for companies such as Office Depot, Sears, J.Crew and even the Internal Revenue Service. In general, you must provide your own computer, designated telephone line and high-speed Internet connection -- and, in some cases, pay for your training to become a certified agent. But if you have the time, companies need “operators standing by.” Tutor Students Some parents are willing to pay big bucks to see Junior and Janie succeed. So if you speak a second language, such as Spanish or French, or have great math, science or writing skills, you might be able to earn extra cash imparting your knowledge to kids -- even college students -- for $20 to $30 an hour. Check with local schools and universities to see if you can advertise your services on their bulletin boards. Or post your services on Craigslist. Join a Street Team This is a relatively easy way for young adults who are outgoing and articulate to earn some fast cash. Street teams promote products, films, albums, events and more by handing out samples, interacting with people on the street, or dressing as mascots. To get a job at $17 to $25 an hour, sign up with a company such as Street Team Promotion.com or A.D.D. Marketing. Actually, if you sign up with several companies, you’re more likely to get a steady flow of jobs, says James Aquafredda, managing director of Street Team Promotion.com. Make sure, though, that the company has a contract that specifies when you’ll get paid. Walk the Dogs Why not get a little exercise while you earn anywhere from $15 to $30 an hour? Working folks will pay plenty for you to take Rover or Scruffy on a daily stroll while they’re at the office. If you don’t want to brave the elements, you might consider pet sitting for people while they’re on vacation. Advertise your services in veterinarians’ offices and on Craigslist. Be a Babysitter Just graduated and can’t find a job? Retired and looking for a little extra dough? Like children? From full-time gigs to occasional stints, babysitting can be a fun way to put money in your pocket. In big cities such as New York and Washington, expect to earn up to $20 an hour as a babysitter or nanny. (In small and midsize cities, the going rate is closer to $7 to $10 an hour.) Advertise your services on Craigslist, the bulletin board at your local house of worship, or by word of mouth. Write for the Web Sorry, Kiplinger.com isn’t hiring. But plenty of Web sites are looking for freelancers to write blogs, commentary, and reviews for about $15 to $30 an hour or article. For example, if you know a lot about a particular subject or region, you might be able to be a “guide” and write articles for About.com (http://beaguide.about.com/ ). In all major U.S. cities, Craigslist has ads for writing gigs. Demand Studios (www.demandstudios.com) offers freelance work for writers, copy editors and filmmakers. Make Your Hobbies Pay Off Amateur photographers are in demand to shoot weddings and events, especially in a recession when people are reluctant to hire high-priced pros. If you’re a great cook, you could hold a workshop or prepare meals for a busy family. Tech-savvy? You could teach classes on Web design. See what your services might fetch by checking out ads on Craigslist or in your local paper or community Web site. Then hang out a virtual shingle. Sell Your Unwanted Gold Jewelry Although the price has dropped a bit since the beginning of 2009, the going rate for this precious commodity is still near $900 an ounce. That’s a pretty penny for jewelry you no longer wear or bling that reminds you of a best-forgotten suitor. Gold-buying shops are popping up at malls across America. Adjust Your Tax Withholding This is probably the fastest and easiest way to put more cash in your pocket. If you got a big refund this year, you’re not alone: The average refund so far this year is $2,700. But think about it: You're letting Uncle Sam hold on to your money for a whole year and paying you 0% interest. Why wait until next spring to get the money you really need now? To see how much you could gain by adjusting your withholding, try our easy-to-use withholding calculator. Copyrighted, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. p

Obama refuses to 'meddle' in Iran

US President Barack Obama resists pressure to side with Iran's opposition, as protests over the election continue.

If Only Life Were A Musical

Now that I am all the way across the building, Corey and I can no longer chitchat freely so occasionally we have to use the corporate closed-channel IM, which is moderately creepy because someone somewhere in the building sits and reads all the IMs to be sure we're not being humorous or having any fun. It's the corporate version of domestic wiretapping. Luckily, we're two fairly tame renegades, and neither one of us has much time for instant messaging. But a few days ago we were messaging back and forth about an Excel spreadsheet problem (scintillating!) and that was when I discovered Corey is someone who completely gets my "If life were a musical..." train of thought! I just think life would be better if it were a musical, with ordinary people in ordinary situations suddenly breaking into song and dance: [ imagine a few boring lines about spreadsheets] [ not going to repeat them here] [ too mind-numbingly dull] corey: I think someone should do a skit that is just IM text. It's OK to read, but can you imagine if we talked like this? laurie: OMG great idea laurie: we should make it a musical corey: The musical of lost conversation threads corey: That's a job for Stephen Sondheim laurie: I wish real life were a musical like at the book fair we would have all broken into song and yesterday we would be like the factory scene from Carmen corey: Several folks did start singing at the book fair once the Ella started playing corey: Have you seen that YouTube of the Antwerp train station? So she sent me the video below, which of course was blocked at work but I went home at watched it and about peed my pants with glee. (Glee! The new pee!) It made me so happy I squealed like a little child and must have watched it eleventeen times: Oh, if only life were a musical! Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start!

1998 Ford SVT Cobra Mustang IMMACULATE, NEGOT. PRICE (Richboro/Bucks County) $12499

I have for sale a 1998 Ford SVT Cobra Mustang. This car has been babied since day 1 I’ve had it. Very clean, immaculate condition. Garaged. Never raced or beat on. Non-smoker. Have carfax in hand. This cobra is the last year of SN95 body style. Is a definite must see and drive. Always put in 93 octane and so has the owner before me. This is a straight sale, please no trade offers. Contact Chris or Lou at 215-364-0140. Feel free to call/email for best offer or any questions. Serious inquires only. Price is $12,499, however it is Negotiable. It has recently just been inspected; added new front brakes with brake flush. Has a brand new Duralast Gold battery. New sparkplugs and fuel filter put in 4k miles ago. Oil has been changed every 3 months with synthetic oil. Have service records. Has original paint, 79k original miles. It has extras but it's still relatively stock. Engine: Hand-built by SVT 4.6L 4v DOHC 305 hp at 5800 rpm, 300 ft/lb at 4800 rpm Redline: 6800 rpm Transmission: 5-speed manual VIN: 1FAFP47V9WF209117 Tags: cobra svt mustang black clean muscle fast sn95 dohc v8 rare clean 1998 98 ford gt hand-built tan manual exhaust corvette gto trans am pontiac mach 1 gt500 acura rsx vette g35 g37 infiniti chevy civic honda jetta gli gti m3

Wedding post

Obama Bans the Commonfolk from Normandy

Obama Bans the Commonfolk from Normandy Breitbart Big Hollywood A lot of the difference, the change if you will, between Obama and Bush has much to do with the word humility. George Bush is and was a humble man. Obama thinks the world counts on him and him alone to lead us. Bush went to church and prayed often. Obama puts out press releases about his supposed piety. The left sold a great bill of goods to the American people claiming that Bush, et al. were arrogant while insisting that Obama was a “man of the people.” The 65th Anniversary of D-Day is fast approaching. Barack Obama will attend the events on June 6th as George Bush did in 2004 for the sixtieth memorial service. Here is the rub, as of now Obama’s State Department has asked (read demanded) the French government not allow tour guide services to operate that day. It is a big day for Normandy tourism. Yet, the king will not allow those not connected with government to enjoy the day. Obama is very important you know. This is an unprecedented request. I hope the French come to their senses and deny it. Compare that with 2004. Security was tight as President Bush and other world leaders were in attendance, but the event was still open to all. A friend relayed the story of waiting in line to use a port-a-potty (a French port-a-potty no doubt, yuck, believe me.) She looks to her left and who he is in the next line waiting patiently? President Bush. Sure he had Secret Service nearby, but he waited like everyone else. Contrast that with Team Obama not even allowing regular people near Colleville-Sur-Mer that day. A shame indeed. Especially as the last of our WW II vets are expiring. As the Bamsters unemployment rate pushes 10% (double the Bush average) and his 3.5 trillion dollar budget breaks the USA (the press of course focuses on his 17 billion in “savings.” Way to go 4th Estate.), Obama has more to worry about then denying people the right to attend a memorial service on June 6th. It’s as if Obama has to let it be known that he is more important than honoring the events and the 9,387 mostly young Americans who died invading Normandy 65 years ago. Will Obama apologize for American actions during WW II at the event? I think the following quote from Obama himself sums it all up: “a light will shine down from somewhere…. You will experience an epiphany. And you will say to yourself, ‘I have to vote for Barack.’” Watch for yourself: The guy can’t even bring himself to say “shine down from heaven.” Do you really expect him to line up to use the can with the commoners at a Normandy celebration? Americans may start to miss the guy with the humility. Universal Healthcare, unchecked unions, government run banks, government run autos, cap and trade, turning the 20 million undocumented Democrats into voters: That isn’t America and it surely isn’t what those young boys died at Normandy for. We elected a fairy tale. We can start the road back to reality in 2010 with the mid-term elections. . . Wild Thing's comment......... This will be the 65th anniversary of D-Day. For Obama to go to Normandy is ABSOLUTE sacrilege!!!!!! Obama hates our history, he doesn't even have enough interest in it to read and know that more then one bomb was dropped at Pearl Harbor. Rev. Wright and his preaching constantly lied and re-wrote history their way packed with propaganda.Obama never has shown respect for our military, our troops today or for our Veterans. He went to a gym instead of visiting the wounded in Germany. He walks past our troops on stage only shaking the hands of officers because he has to. Not even a glance in the troops in the stands watching him. His trip in June to Normandy is nothing more then a photo op and of the worst kind. Those men died to stop fascism. Now our country has a fascist going there as president. One of my Uncles was at Normandy D-Day and I'm glad he's not around to see this. It was bad enough when Slick Willie walked on the Normandy beach and played with those little stones in the sand while a battle ship floated in the distance behind him and a tear rolled down his fat, red cheek for that phony, staged photo. When President Bush went there : Security was tight as President Bush and other world leaders were in attendance, but the event was still open to all. A friend relayed the story of waiting in line to use a port-a-potty. She looks to her left and who he is in the next line waiting patiently? President Bush. Sure he had Secret Service nearby, but he waited like everyone else. Contrast that with Obama not even allowing regular people near Colleville-Sur-Mer that day. A shame indeed. Especially as the last of our WW II vets are expiring. For him to walk among all these brave heroes .. I could just cry. God rest their souls. Here is the story about Bill Clinton's visit there from someone that was there. " It was the fiftieth anniversary of the Normandy landings. We were standing with a group of veterans and their wives on the bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, where they had come ashore on that historic morning at what cost only they could really know. All of them had visited the military cemetery where so many of their buddies lay, and all of them were deeply moved by the day and by the memories it brought to the surface. As we stood there some of the Clinton advance crew, the public relations arm of the administration, came along and asked the veterans to move off. These were the men, some walking with canes, a couple in wheelchairs piloted by wives or children, many feeble, in whose honor we were supposed to be there. But there was another agenda for the White House staff. The veterans never understood why they’d been moved away, but as accredited correspondents we were allowed—no, encouraged—to stay there, along with press photographers and reporters. And what we witnessed was a couple of White House aides surveying the beach, looking around to find something, then picking up some stones, studying them and finally choosing one which they placed with care at a strategic spot near the shoreline. Moments later President Clinton arrived, was escorted to the spot, and as the entourage stepped back out of camera view, he looked around at the scene and then down at his feet where he seemed to spy something—yes, a stone—which he picked up, looked at and then held in his grasp as he bit his lip and let a tear dampen his cheek. Deeply moved, you see. There was some grumbling among the more assertive of the veterans who had been shunted away from the important action, but the pictures in the French press of Bill Clinton spontaneously picking up a stone on Omaha Beach and then staring out at the sea as he teared up and bit his lip were very effective. The New York Times never described the scene or the staging by the keepers of the Clinton image."

Day Seven in Vietnam: 19 May

19 May, Hanoi Viet Tri Road HANOI/THANH THUYHosted by MCC Vietnam.Go to Thanh Thuy District to visit MCC rural development projected.Hosted by Thanh Thuy Women’s UnionToday is my and Liam's tenth year anniversary. That he has agreed to let me go off to Vietnam and spend our anniversary apart is a testament to his respect and love for me. Liam, I miss you and love you very much.After returning to Hanoi and cleaning up as best as possible in a truly dive hotel next to the train station, we were off again; this time in a bus headed for Than Thuy. Than Thuy is a district in Phu Tho Province (for more info, see the wiki article.), one of the places where the Mennonite Central Committee is engaged in aid that "includes working with partners in projects in agriculture, income generation, women’s reproductive health, children’s nutritional needs and HIV/AIDS prevention."We were pleasantly surprised to be housed in a very nice complex where retired government officials from Hanoi come for R and R. We met with the local province dignitaries who gave speeches about the great things the Communist Party is doing in their province. That night we had a "cultural exchange" which consisted of three hours of karaoke-style singing by the local Vietnamese (dressed in their finest), with three songs thrown in by our students (Including "Do Re Mi" from the sound of music)(I must finish this post later as we have just enough time to catch some dinner before our busleaves forthe train station.)

Another JAWS update

Greetings. For those JAWS purists that love having the "latest and greatest," FS released another update earlier this week. Take a lookat the extensive range of fixes (or, perhaps not so much):The Yahoo Instant Messenger.jss script file has been updated and included in JAWS 10 to provide support for the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger 9. Make sure to download the latest Yahoo! Messenger for full compatibility with JAWS 10. The message history in AOL Instant Messenger and the e-mail messages in the Gmail Inbox are now visible to JAWS. Previously, the virtual buffer would appear to be blank if you tried to read message history or Inbox messages. When navigating through the Gmail Inbox, you can once again select and open an e-mail message by pressing ENTER when focus is on the text in the Subject column. In a previous release, it was necessary to turn off the Virtual Cursor or use the JAWS cursor to open the e-mail message. Resolved an issue related to certain Web pages with frames, which, when updated, created a situation where JAWS would not read the text present in the updated frame. This problem was reported for both Gmail and the Webinar software used by the Freedom Scientific Training department for the new Webinars, both free and paid, now being offered. The default JAWS dictionary file (default.jdf) has been updated to include the correct pronunciation of two Russian symbols. In the JAWS help file, the Using the JAWS Cursor topic now describes the Real Window and the Focus Window restriction options that are available for the JAWS Cursor. Previously, this topic only mentioned the Application Window, Current Window, Unrestricted, and Frame restrictions.Regarding the Gmail fixes, there's no indication of whether these fixes apply to the Standard or the Basic HTML views. As always you can download the update from the FS site or perform a "check for updates" from the JAWS Help menu/submenu, depending if you have JAWS in its own window or in the system tray. Since it has only been 2 weeks since the last update, I'm thinking that something was broken 2 weeks ago and fixed now. Ah well, so goes tech and assistive tech. Enjoy.

'Housewives of New Jersey' adding bite to the brand

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J. - Last summer, America met a pit bull with lipstick from Wasilla, Alaska. This summer, the country will be introduced to a pit bull with a pixie cut from this northern New Jersey town who growls a tagline far more intimidating than "You betcha!""Let me tell you something about my family," snarls Caroline Manzo in a preview episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, Bravo's fourth and, some are saying, fiercest installment of the so-catty-it's-almost-camp franchise. "We are as thick as thieves, and we protect each other to the end."Manzo is the matriarch of the five newest members of Bravo's Housewives family, who make their debut Tuesday night (11 ET/PT), three years after cliques of affluent, socially ambitious, amply coiffed chicks from Orange County, Calif. and then New York and Atlanta began extending their claws on national TV.Although the audiences are relatively small the recent fourth season of Orange County averaged 2.2 million viewers, and Season 2 of New York Cityhas averaged 1.7 million they're building every season. The latest edition of Orange County was up 45% from Season 3, and while New York City has shot up 62% over last year. Three seasons of Housewives, one each from Orange County, New York City and Atlanta, stand among Bravo's current top five shows. And there's impact far beyond the Housewives' corner of cable. The franchise has spawned swag (Ramona Singer of New York City and her Tru Renewal skin-care line), books (New York City's LuAnn de Lesseps, an aristocrat by marriage, and her new etiquette guide, Class With the Countess) and, of course, scandal (the aforementioned countess' split from her count husband, largely over e-mail)."People like seeing inside other people's lives when they're fun and dramatic and relatable and sometimes shocking," says Bravo general manager Frances Berwick. "There's pure voyeurism that makes it utterly compelling."Each series constitutes "the perfectly made reality show," says Richard Lawson, who has wryly recapped the New York City episodes on gossip blog Gawker and plans to do the same with New Jersey. Thanks to the editing, the characters are "treated half kindly and half, really, mocked." The result is that "you don't hate these people, but you don't like them. They're fun to laugh at and maybe you're laughing with them."'Take a gander' through the gates Their cluelessness is part of the charm, watchers say. Living on a gilded, sometimes gated, cloud, "they think their life is so glamorous, but sometimes it doesn't really look that glamorous," says Annie Scudder, editor of TrsSugar, a sex and culture site that blogs regularly about the Housewives. "These people think they have everything," but take a gander through those gates, "and would you want that?"Some say the show hit critical sass or crass when it moved to New York and the new crew continued those shamelessly big-spending ways, scooping up a $16,000 handbag, for instance, despite the deepening recession.But if anyone fears that real-world slump plus reality-TV sumptuousness equals unbridled backlash (and reduced ratings), fear not. The response has been quite the contrary, Berwick says."It's escapist TV, which is more important now than ever," says New York City's Alex McCord, a mother of two whose published topless photos caused a castmate tiff on a recent episode.But if New York City has been a town-car wreck junior-high style fights between grown women; lace-up red leather pants worn by a grown man New Jersey is shaping up to be a Range Rover wreck, from talk of Colombian cartels and kidnapping to enough combined cleavage to fill a K cup to, most memorably, a fully set table silverware, white linen that gets overturned in a fit of apparent rage."There were a lot of crumbs on the table," deadpans New Jersey housewife Jacqueline Laurita, 39, Manzo's sister-in-law and the apparent comedian of the group. Longtime friend and castmate Teresa Giudice was "trying to get them off. She was very upset about that. She's a very clean person.""Of course they had to put that in," says Giudice, 36, who is understandably coy about revealing what led her to go primal on a piece of furniture. "Nobody wants to watch a boring show."New Jersey is the first family-centric version of the franchise aside from Manzo and Laurita, there's Dina Manzo, who is married to her sister's husband's brother. Even before the cameras descended last summer, "there was always drama and laughing," Laurita says. "Everybody's pretty open and honest. We used to joke around, 'Can you imagine if we were on a reality show?' "When putting together a season of Housewives, via casting calls and word of mouth, producers typically look for one or two women and build the cast around their inner circles. With obvious nods to Desperate Housewives and The OC, the original, Orange County, emerged thanks to a tip from one of the residents of a gated community there, Coto de Caza.Producers were "intrigued enough to shoot tape of some of the women," says Bravo programming and production chief Andy Cohen. A phenomenon was born."We interview a ton of people and sort of whittle them down," Berwick says. (For New Jersey, 15 to 20 were under consideration.) "We want women who we feel are reflective of our audience, so we look for an educated, articulate, smart" and, yes, affluent mix.The new, New Jersey family dynamic "could either make it boring, because they could hold back," says McCord, who has met all of the Jersey girls. "Or it could make it bloody."'Sopranos'-like in New Jersey Speaking of bloody, consider the setting: The imposing beige-brick houses, the North Jersey locale, the Italian last names, the aspirations of strip-club ownership (as relayed by Caroline Manzo's middle child, the appropriately named Christopher) it's all so seemingly Sopranos."Oh, bring it on!" says cast member Danielle Staub, 46, the relative outsider of the clan, whose tastes range from tanning beds to phone sex to bikini-and-high-heel outfits. The comparison is "so funny," she says. "I mean, we do cook, we do live in New Jersey and we do fight with our families and we're loud." But "we're not whacking people, although we might give them a good thrashing verbally."The Sopranos was "unbelievable," says Caroline Manzo, 48, relaxing in the nearly 30-foot-high great room of her 6,000-square-foot house. "Did I relate to a lot that was going on? Absolutely not. Did I relate to the family aspect of it? Totally." Take Carmela Soprano. "She brought the cannolis to school. Guess what? That's what Mommy does."She may lash out once in a while with take-no-prisoners tawk "If there's an issue, I don't back away, and when I bite, I bite with teeth" but behind the tough accent, "there's a total opposite side to me that's a marshmallow."Manzo brandishes a tray brimming with doughnuts for visitors and keeps their coffee mugs filled. When oldest son Albie was an undergrad at Fordham University in the Bronx, she'd drive the 30 minutes to deliver homemade eggplant parmigiana. She'd do his laundry, tucking notes among the clean clothes: "Mommy loves you. Study hard."So Dina Manzo, 37, is almost believable when, sitting next to her sister, she innocently responds to a query with "What drama? What are you talking about?" Her tagline? "If you think I'm a bitch, bring it on."The Manzos have become increasingly infamous in their leafy suburb. Patrons at the gourmet food shop snub Dina Manzo. "It's hard to shop at the Market Basket these days, but that's OK," she says.Some residents, however, are eagerly awaiting the peek into their neighbors' windows. Walking to her silver BMW SUV in the parking lot in front of the Market Basket, town newcomer Melissa Elliott says she plans on gathering weekly to watch at the house of friends who happen to live on the same street as one of the cast members."They say (the show) looks accurate," says Elliott, 45, who is neither a housewife nor a wife (she works in retail management). And she can see why: "Oh, my God there's drama here without being on TV."One might think that by now, the pool of women willing to broadcast their cringe-worthy gaffes and subject themselves to oh-no-she-didn't guffaws would have shrunk. But Atlanta Season 2 is in production, Orange County Season 5 has been announced, and Berwick assures that the franchise's momentum hasn't crested.The ever-growing interest is indicative of our increasingly over-shared, over-documented culture, Berwick says. Housewives is "the ultimate Facebook, and you're friending everybody" or, perhaps, frenemy-ing them

Cold? Snow? Revisited

Thanks, Karen, for these lovely photos of Winnipeg's November 7th snowfall. It looks to me like these pictures were taken along the street in front of their house; is that right, Karen? And...Thanks, Maureen, for all the Winnipeg weather updates you include in your letters and postcards.Thanks, Christy, ccap, Bev, Brenda and Gina for your comments on Manitoba weather and local news-type happenings.Thanks to friends who include stuff like that in their blogs...It's amazing, I know.I didn't think I'd ever say it.But when it comes to talking to people from "home" I actually like to talk about the weather. I guess I feel a little "far from home" sometimes.

Goonch Catfish

A happy family is but an earlier heaven.

*sigh*Those words by are so true. I am feeling very blessed and quite content today. Easter at my cottage was beyond wonderful. Having all of my family home, with the two newest family members are all this girl could ever ask for. (and I have over 400 pictures to prove it...but I promise not to turn this blog into a complete Gramma brag log!)Speaking of baby pictures, indulge me with just a couple more of them...The little man wore the Easter outfit that his uncle wore 25 years ago. His uncle was also a December baby, so they were the same age at the time of these photos. (I do believe that Mr. Carter is a bigger baby than his uncle was at this age!) And, look at little Miss Isabelle up at the top. Doesn't she look a lot like her Daddy's baby picture? We wrapped up the weekend with brunch together on Sunday and there were tearful goodbyes. (as always) After everyone was gone and the house was quiet, took a long bubble bath and thanked God for all of the wonderful gifts he has given me. I am rich beyond measure. I hope you all had a blessed Easter too!

Hettich Prisma dishwasher slides

[KBIS 2009 Review] Hettich Prisma does first-class job in dishwashers. The upper basket Prisma slide is ergonomically tailored to the dishwasher workflow, ensuring unfailing performance under extreme conditions, constantly meeting the toughest demands on operating smoothness when wet and at high temperatures. With Prisma, Hettich makes one of the most convenient appliances even easier to use, proving that the little details can deliver the biggest impact. When the dishwasher is full of dishes, the extra weight on the upper basket can make unloading the dishwasher sticky and difficult to maneuver. With the unique technology of Prisma, the added weight of heavy dishes does not affect the smooth movement, and the upper basket is extended just as easily as if it were empty. Prisma also includes an optional height adjustment feature, which accommodates oversized dishes. Simply adjust the basket downwards for tall glasses or those with long stems. Adjust the basket upwards when bulky items, such as pots and pans need to be washed in the lower basket. The adjustment components, located on the four corners of the basket, substantially increase the lateral stability of the upper basket. Prisma has two variations - the Hybrid and the LV. The Hybrid allows for full or over extension of the upper basket, while the LV allows for partial extension. Both versions are extremely durable, having been tested to withstand up to 150 N and 100,000 cycles. Adding Prisma to a dishwasher is easy and convenient because the upper basket runner can be assembled in the cabinet after the welding process or can be welded to the tub during the process. Completely safe to use in dishwashers, both versions conform to RoHS. The combination of stainless-steel profiles and plastic rollers allows the system to operate without the need for greasing and also provides good running properties throughout its long life. The open, self-cleaning profile geometry makes it almost impossible for dirt particles to become trapped as they are simply flushed out during the dishwashing cycle. Hettich America.

2009-2010 Science Curriculum (Ages 7 & 9)

I confess, I love a traditional text book. I know it is not a popular thing in the homeschool world but the Harcourt Science texts are just some of my favorites. I never did well in science as a child. There didn't seem to be continuity from grade to grade. Consequently I had some gaping knowledge holes and nobody ever wanted to go back and fill them in. So I just struggled. When I married my science guru of a husband, he tried to get me to watch technical shows with him so that I could understand different engineering feats that he appreciated. I tried to explain to him that I just didn't get it and that I need to be brought back to basics and taught from the ground up. Well that is exactly what Harcourt does.They teach science in a spiral so that each year the students are exposed to the same topic with just deeper layers of knowledge added onto the instruction. I love that! I also appreciate that every single lesson in the book has an experiment. The experiment is presented with pictures of children doing the activities followed by simple instructions. Basically it is so spelled out that even I can get it. (Prior to using this series my husband had to do all of the science experiments because things weren't broken down enough for me to be able to explain to my kids why we were doing what we were doing and what we were suppose to conclude from our activities. There are 3-4 lessons with 3-4 experiments in each chapter. Each chapter then concludes with additional related cross-curricular activities; there might be a graphing project, a literature suggestion or an art project explained. In addition to the activities contained in the text, I also have a Science Scope and Sequence from a school that uses this text. It provides book tie-in suggestions, list objectives and vocabulary words for each lesson, and provides links to online videos and websites for further exploration of each topic. Additionally Harcourt has its own website with links and activity extensions broken down by specific chapter. And one of my favorite things about the text is that I got it free from PaperBack Swap. For next year I requested only the text as I found we didn't really use the workbooks but the user who sent me the text was so sweet. She also sent me the workbook, the assessment book, the videos for every chapter and audio tapes of every chapter! I was thrilled with this surprise! So, needless to say, next year we will be doing Harcourt Science during group time for our science lessons. I am not going to try to tie it into our history lessons as I found that becomes a whole lot of extra work.Instead our science lessons will be held during group time on Wednesdays. Our routine will be:Use a literature selection or video to introduce the science topic. Read the corresponding lesson from the text.Have girls answer "Think About It" questions at the end of the passage.Complete investigative experiment from the text. All notes from the experiments will be kept in a spiral "lab book".

The dance continuesFelix Salmon

Back in January, Google's Eric Schmidt was dismissive when asked about whether he had any interest in buying the New York Times, although he did say he was interested in doing a peculiar thing where he would “merge without merging”, whatever that meant. In any event, it seems to have meant that when a real opportunity arose, he spent a good deal of time looking at it: Scott Galloway, a Web entrepreneur and New York University Business School professor who is one of two Harbinger appointees on the Times board, made an overture to Google co-founder Larry Page about Google buying the Times Co. Even though Google CEO Eric Schmidt has publicly lamented the state of the newspaper industry and dismissed the notion of Google investing in it, people involved said the company looked seriously at the opportunity before deciding to pass. My feeling is that there's no point in Google talking to Harbinger: unless and until the Sulzberger family has serious interest in talking, it makes essentially no difference who owns the B shares. But at that point, there are all manner of interesting structures which might be created, some of which might well involve Google's charitable arm, Google.org. Schmidt's claim that he didn't want to mix philanthropy with business was always the least convincing part of his claim not to be interested in the NYT.

Can you recognize the caracter on it?

Cloud,seen at this height