Then

ThenLoser? Suicide? Or Polymath?. 10 Traits of Losers: Are you One? -- If you have no integrity and nothing but your own interests in mind, you, according to me, are a loser. Despite the large bank accounts, luxury sedans, and 5-car garage, you also may be a loser as assets don't define us. 10 Simple Ways To Commit Suicide -- If you've come here with the intention of ending your life you've come to the right place. However, instead of the usual "how to end your life" guides I'm going to list some of the ways in which you’ve already been killing yourself. Polymeme: A Polymath's Guide to News -- Polymeme helps you discover intelligent content that lies beyond the usual echo chambers of tech news, celebrity gossip or American politics. Almost nothing is the way it seems. Stuff to consider. Related Items Happy New Year 2008 Free ebook Peer pressure, vanity and behavior, motivation tricks and hacks, success and pain, and how to excel, Celebrate Your Beauty.

Lisa hears today!!

Hi. Lisa did get her ears turned on today!!This link will take you to the video I posted on youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67cvw9McwIgThis video is boring unless you understand that she's heard nothing since April.Her surgery a few weeks ago to install the Cochlear implant went very well, and we've been anxiously been waiting for this day to see the results.Today is not the whole recovery, of course, just the first step in the process she will go throughfor the next year. We were anxious to see what she would have as a starting point.Todays activation went so well! She understood the audiologist quite well.She even understood me. I've been able to talk to my wife today! That is cool.Anyway, the interesting part of the video for me was the number test.The audiologist hid her face behind a folder, and said numbers randomly between1 and 100. So Lisa was to repeat them as she heard them. She gets about 6 out of the 10 right.This is huge, especially considering the device had only been active about 15 min or so... Yesterday for me she would have gotten 2 out of 10. For her mom or Caleb she would have got 4 out of 10.The second run of the test, after a tweaking of the device's settings she got 10 for 10!! (This second test is not on the video.)Needless to say, we are so excited, and pleased. Lisa is at a great starting point today to recover her hearing. Please do keep praying for her, and praise God for the special care he's shown us through so many of you...Later today I will post the xray they did today, that actually shows the new bionic part that makes it possible for her to hear.Some people have asked today how this changes our plans. Well the recovery is not yet complete, of course. It will take most of the school year to get to a high level of hearing.But we do plan to go back to Mali in June. We'd like to be there at the end of Hilary's school year in Dakar.Tom & Lisa SewardPS. Some of you may get this as an email or see this on facebook as well as reading it on our blog.We just want everyone possible to know how well Lisa is doing...

Cooking With Chicken

Ask anyone what their favorite meat is, and it's more than likely they'll say chicken. Often called the "healthy" meat, chicken is one of the most widely consumed meats in the world and one of the most versatile. You can make pretty much anything with it, from cheap school lunches to fancy meals for formal events. There's also the fact that it's cheap, quick-cooking, and really easy to work with.Of course, there are rules to cooking with chicken, just like any other ingredient. One of the most common problems is the risk of salmonella and other harmful microorganisms. The moist, cool environment of chicken meat makes it highly susceptible to contamination, so it's important to handle it correctly. Make sure to buy only from trusted dealers, and double-check each piece before buying.Getting the right texture can also be difficult, especially for first-time cooks. Good chicken should be tender and juicy, not too tough but not overly soft either. One of the best ways to achieve this is to cook chicken in the crock pot. Slow cooking gradually releases the meat's natural juices, so it doesn't dry out and there's always flavor in every bite. And because it does the work for you, you can just pop in your chicken in the morning and come home to a nice, ready-to-eat dinner at the end of the day.Some people recommend browning the chicken first before cooking in liquid, so that it doesn't lose its natural flavor. This can be useful for slow cooking soups and stews, but you have to make sure the chicken doesn't get overcooked. Brown the sides just enough to seal in the flavor, and let the pot do the rest. You can also remove the skins and blot the pieces to remove the fat before cooking.If you like to experiment with your cooking, chicken is also a great way to learn. It goes with pretty much any ingredient and readily absorbs all flavors. So don't be afraid to try out new spices, vegetables, or even fruits in your chicken recipes—you just might come up with something great!Simon Burke loves to cook delicious and nutritious meals for his family. And luckily for us he also enjoys sharing his cooking experiences and recipes with the rest of us.Get more information regarding cooking with chicken.

Login Scripts

From: Phillip WallReply to list Title: Login Scripts Gday I’ve been using login scripts successfully with Tiger for sometime but with the change to Leopard they have decided to break. The main script I used was Bombich’s shell script ( refresh-default-homedir.sh ) for replacing a student home directory with the template in "/System/Library/User Template/English.lproj" I can’t use the guest account because the keychain needs to be unlocked for printing (long story). I’ve managed to get basic scripts working using LaunchAgent but the above script keeps giving me unexpected end of line. Are there any changes in Leopard that would cause these scripts to stop working. Thanks Phillip Wall Macintosh Support Building 1/1000 Whitehorse Rd, Private Bag 2014, Box Hill, Australia 3128 P 9286 9647 www.boxhillinstitute.edu.au E email@hidden [IMG] RTO No. 4687 CRICOS Provider No. 02411J Confidentiality and Privacy Statement This message is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above and may contain information that is confidential and privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by telephone and destroy the original message. Box Hill Institute of TAFE is committed to protecting your privacy and the confidentiality and security of personal information provided by you to us. For further information visit www.boxhillinstitute.edu.au or email email@hidden

Happy Birthday, Micah!

Happy Birthday, Micah! May you grow older and wiser but never bitter nor jaded. May the world continue to delight and surprise you. May you always see the best in others and help them to see it in themselves.And may you always be able to charm the socks off of everyone and anyone. It's a valuable skill to have. Don't lose it.Six years old. Wow. That's six-tenths of a decade. It's like having your very first birthday again...and again and again and again and again. It's old enough to play Laser Tag. I know this because you've reminded me...again and again and again and again.It amazes me that even as Micah grows older and smarter and more eloquent (using big words like "artificial sweetener" and "inedible"), he never seems to lose that wide-eyed fascination of the world. I pray he never does.Two weeks ago, Micah and I went to the Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival. After spending all Saturday at the festival, we camped overnight in our deluxe-ish Eddie Bauer tent. It was Micah's first time camping. It was a BIG DEAL. He was fascinated by everything: by the informal jam sessions throughout the campground, by the talented players on the stage, by our sleeping bags and inflatable pillows, and by learning to brush his teeth "the camping way" (pouring water from a bottle on the toothbrush, brushing his teeth outside the tent, and spitting on the ground). I got to experience camping all over again through his eyes.And I could never tell just what would get his attention. There he was in the midst of the music festival, Bluegrass all around him, big bag of kettle corn next to his chair, having watched me erect our tent, having watched our neighbors play mandolin, banjo, bass, and dobro right in front of him...you know, the full experience. He climbed into my lap, gave me a big hug, and peeked over my shoulder at the people behind us. "Cool, Cheez-its!" he said as he spotted the crackers the people behind us were snacking on. He said it the same way I might have said, "Cool, a Lamborghini!"Naturally, the people behind us offered him Cheez-its. After all, Micah still can charm the socks off of anyone.

Are You There Springtime? It's Me, Trendinista.

I know you're extremely busy, but I really need a favor. This freezing rain and these 100-mile-an-hour winds are doing strange things to my head. I was wondering if you could bring spring a little early this year. Maybe just a little sun through the clouds, a few chirping birds, a blooming flower here and there. I've really stepped up my eco-responsibility. I'm recycling everything now, bought reusable grocery bags, and even bought a hybrid. Plus, there are all these really fab springtime accessories that I want to buy (but can't bear the thought of hiding under a scarf or jacket).Thanks for listening.TrendinistaSilver Lilies Necklace by birdzNbeez @ etsyBird and Branch Earrings at patinastores.comAlexis Bittar Small Flower Pendant Necklace at nordstrom.comVictorian Birds Egg Necklace by adorapop @ etsyNest of Wings Pendant by NatureAutumn @ etsyBlooms Bouquet Basket Necklace by BeadsInTheBelfry @ etsyStir Studio Tulip Earrings at smashingdarling.comBlack Bird Blossom Necklace by jessicajane @ etsy Thank you Jill Sherman

Minority coordinators rise, head coaches lag in college football

Minority football coaches are getting within reach of major-college head coaching jobs at an increasing rate, but their progress in making that final move isn't keeping pace, a USA TODAY study has found.In 2002, the last time USA TODAY examined diversity at the highest ranks of major-college football coaching, about 3.5% of head coaches and 5% of offensive and defensive coordinators were minorities. Those coordinator positions are traditionally steppingstone jobs to head coaching spots.Currently, 7.5% of head coaches (nine of 120) and about 15% of offensive and defensive coordinators (39 of 261) in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision are minorities, the study found.The nine minority head coaches is a record for major-college football, but "not by any stretch of the imagination where it should be," says Floyd Keith, executive director of Black Coaches and Administrators. Nearly 19% of NFL head coaches (six of 32) are minorities.The 39 minority coordinators are one more than the record number found during the 2008 season by the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, which found that 54% of FBS players were minorities.The number of minority head coaches in the college ranks "is not a pipeline issue," says Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion."People at the jumping-off point to being a head coach are there," she says. "We know they're there. ... Athletics directors know they're there. And the news media know they're there; you see them on TV."Keith adds that the pool of minority head coaching candidates extends to NFL staffs and, "We've got to continue to move this forward so that a lot of those who've reached this (college coordinator) level don't get frustrated and move to the NFL because of the pay and the opportunity. I mean, six out of 32 (as NFL head coaches) is a big difference."***Journey complete for New Mexico State's WalkerDeWayne Walker was nearing the time limit he had set for reaching his goal of becoming a college football head coach."It was three years," he says.Not three years after starting in the profession. Three years after finally becoming a coordinator at UCLA in 2006 an achievement that had taken 18 years, nine college or NFL assistant-coaching jobs and two internships following a five-stop college and pro playing career.In late December, Walker, 48, was hired as New Mexico State's head coach. He is one of seven African Americans and nine minority head coaches among the NCAA's 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. During or after the 2008 season, three minority head coaches were fired Ron Prince by Kansas State, Sylvester Croom by Mississippi State and Tyrone Willingham by Washington. Four were hired Walker, Ron English by Eastern Michigan, Michael Haywood by Miami (Ohio) and Mike Locksley by New Mexico. All had been working as an offensive or defensive coordinator at an FBS school.A USA TODAY study shows the net gain in the number of FBS minority head coaches after the 2008 season was accompanied by a net gain in the number of minority offensive or defensive coordinators, to 39 from 38. (Two minority coordinators have been named designated successors to their current head coaches, Joker Phillips at Kentucky and James Franklin at Maryland.)That pleases and concerns Black Coaches and Administrators executive director Floyd Keith, a former college football coach. He believes minority coaches' continuing difficulty in getting college football head coaching jobs is resulting in some coaches going to the NFL, where salaries and opportunities to advance can be better. Six of 32 NFL head coaching positions are occupied by minorities.Having seen both sides, Walker says NFL teams are "more proactive and more open-minded" about minority head coaches and the hiring process is straightforward "if the GM and the owner like you, they hire you." Colleges, he says, have more "political" concerns "it's not just the AD and the president at the BCS schools, there are other factors."Nevertheless, he says, coaches "almost have to be in the game from the college standpoint to get a college head coaching position."That was partly why Walker returned to the college ranks in 2006. From 1988-97, he'd been at Mount San Antonio College (a two-year school in California), Utah State, Brigham Young, Oklahoma State and the University of California. But from 1998-2005, he'd spent all but one season in the NFL, working for the New England Patriots, New York Giants and Washington Redskins with one season at Southern California mixed in.In 2006, he left a position as the Redskins' defensive backs coach to become UCLA's defensive coordinator, thinking "at a big BCS school like UCLA, in the L.A. media market, if I could get that defense turned around, it would give me more credibility" as a head coaching candidate.The career clock in his head kept ticking, though."I'm not saying I would have jumped back" to the NFL, he says. "But in the three- to five-year range, I would have had to go back and re-evaluate."

Hello, Goodbye

We've been thinking a lot about what to do with our car situation. Mine continues to suffer from gremlin-itis, which isn't exactly debilitating (the latest thing to go was a vacuum hose, which slipped off its bracket and got chewed up by the alternator and made the engine sound like a lawnmower for two days) but it is very annoying, and makes me nervous that a Big Break is looming on the horizon. Joel's truck works fine, but is nearing its fourteenth birthday -- not to mention the fact that it's a bitch to find a parking spot big enough for a pickup truck. We've considered selling the truck and making do with the ailing Jetta for as long as we can, since a sedan is far more practical than a pickup... and we've considered selling my car and learning to live with the truck, even though the seatbelt chokes me and it's impossible to park.. because after all, it's a perfectly good vehicle. And then we took the Jetta to York, PA for Joel's race last weekend -- the weekend when it was 90 degrees out -- and were reminded of what it's like to drive a car with no air conditioning in the summer in Maryland. That settled it for me: we need a new car. So we've been looking at cars online, buying car magazines, even test driving a few at Carmax this weekend (a Mazda 3 and a Nissan Sentra, both of which we liked very much). And on Sunday, we implemented Step 1 in our plan to become a one-car family: we added this beauty to our fleet. She's a 2003 Honda Metro scooter, and isn't she adorable? I really think that downsizing to one car is do-able, especially since once Joel finishes coaching in two days' time, neither of us will need to use the car to get to work. But even so, I thought we really should have some way for the person left carless to get around. And so Joel found this little beauty on Craigslist, and we drove to DC on Sunday night to pick her up. I didn't get to ride her to work yesterday because I couldn't remember how to release the kickstand lock, but I DID manage to ride her to yoga and the post office and it was FUN. Oh, how I loved our new little red scooter. Notice I said "loved", past tense? Yeah... that's because someone stole it last night. Just over 48 hours after we bought it. That's got to be some kind of record. Both the built-in locks (the kickstand and the front wheel) were on, and neither can be released without the key, so the thief must have lifted it into a truck and spirited her away. I also had it chained with a cable to a signpost, just to to be extra-sure. If I'd been smarter, I would have put the U-lock directly through the front wheel (instead, I just used it to secure the two ends of the cable, and the cable was looped through the tire and around the post). But... I didn't think of that. I actually thought it was pretty redundant to be locking it up with two built-in locks already in place. But we hoped that a visible lock would deter people from even trying to steal it. I mean, that's why I put The Club on my car. Sigh. It could be worse, that's what I'm telling myself. We still have the two cars, there are bigger issues in the world, yadda yadda. But I'm really sad. Now what? We're out $1150, for starters. We could get a new scooter, but would that just get stolen too? Do we try to be a 1-car household with no auxiliary vehicle? Do we go back to the drawing board? I filed a police report first thing this morning (and I do mean first thing, Joel noticed it was missing at 5am when he left for practice), so maybe the thieves will ditch it when they realize they can't ride it. Maybe. We can hope. IN the meantime, if you see this scooter, tell her to call home immediately. She's in big trouble for breaking curfew.

National Guard Warrior Freebies

Image courtesy of National Guard WarriorA friend alerted me to a free music download at the National Guard Warrior. It is a song by Kid Rock and of course, if you are interested to download it, you would have to submit your particulars in the provided form. I guess the download link will be sent to your email address. Also, by submitting your details, you are actually signing up to their mailing list.National Guard Warrior is a movie that stars Kid Rock and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Frankly, I have no idea what this movie is all about or when it will be released here in Malaysia, if it ever will.However, if you are a fan of the movie, of Kid Rock or even Dale Earnhardt Jr., this is your chance to grab those freebies. Besides this free song by Kid Rock, you will also be able to download free National Guard Warrior desktop wallpapers and view photos and videos on this official website.

Flicker/Dim on one Headlight??

Looking for any advise - I have searched all the Posts I could and no one else seems to have had the same issue. About 2 months ago my passenger side headlight went out, well after reading posts here I swapped the bulbs and bam - "head light burnt" I replaced it. well all of the sudden on Wednesday I realized the drivers side head light was out - well not really it was flickering and very very dim.... So today I woke up swapped bulbs - still flickering then I swapped igniters - still flickering then I took off the bumper and swapped Ballasts - Still flickering then i tried a few different combinations of headlight , igniter and ballast - still flickering Just to add a little more info - Seems that when the LOW beams are on the left side flickers - but when i turn the high beams on the flickering goes away and there in NO high beam on the drivers side / on the passenger side the High beam goes on and the low beam stays on also. Well then I called the local Acura dealer in Salt Lake City - and the Part guy said I have no idea try service, I explained to the service writer everything I had done and she laughed and said i was ambitious, then she told me that just this week they had a 2002 TL come in with the same issue...... she went back into her history and found it. Apparently they changed the "Headlight Control Module" its under the dash they charged $285 for the part and $145 for labor and they fixed it. I have searched High and Low and no one has ever mentioned a Headlight Control Module. If any one out there can help I would be very very grateful. thanks in advance!!!:beerchug:

Audi announces introduction of stop/start technology

Audi stop/start technology - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Audi has just announced that it's rolling out a new stop/start system in Europe beginning in the second-quarter of 2009. The first cars to be equipped with the fuel-saving technology will be the A3 with the 1.4 TFSI engine and the A4 and A5 with Audi's 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, though at first only when equipped with a manual transmission. According to the German automaker, numerous models are scheduled to follow later this year. Current estimates indicate that the addition of Audi's stop/start system will lower fuel consumption by about .2 liters per 100 kilometers driven and reduce carbon emissions by about 5 grams per kilometer.To go along with the new stop/start technology, Audi has also launched an on-board computer system that will feature something called the efficiency program. This computer will monitor the driver's habits and recommend new tactics to reduce fuel consumption. These two new systems join Audi's energy recovery system, which captures energy normally lost to braking and therefore reduces strain on the engine from the alternator. All told, Audi expects to improve overall vehicle efficiency some 20 percent by the year 2012.Gallery: Audi stop/start technology[Source: Audi]Continue reading Audi announces introduction of stop/start technologyFiled under: Emerging Technologies, AudiAudi announces introduction of stop/start technology originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 08 May 2009 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Daddy buy me a pony - fiction by stacy hardy

Blind Man’s Bluff
When I look in the mirror I wrinkle up my nose and squint my eyes into thin slits. I like how I look that way more than with my eyes wide open — through my slit eyes, my face appears blurry, a ghosted image with wavy dark patches instead of eyes or a mouth. “Expressionistic,” is how my painting teacher would describe the image, “a rejection of refined pictorial naturalism in favour of bold distortions of form and exaggerated imagery.” It’s the kind of face I’d like to have, a Munch Face rather than the round nose and soft chin I was born with.
One day Miles walks into the bathroom while I’m brushing my hair and catches me squinting into the mirror. “What’s wrong?” he asks.
I want to tell him about the Munch me, about the Expressionistic visage that lurks behind my plain features, about the vivid, jarring, violent me. But Miles is staring with a face that I know means he doesn’t approve, so instead I snap the brush through my hair and say, “I don’t know, I can’t see things this close unless I squint.”
The next day Miles takes me to the Eye Doctor. The offices are crisp and white with charts displaying dislocated letters hanging on the walls. I’m to look into the machine, not to blink at the tiny torch shining in my eyes, estimate the distance between two green dots, read the tiny print half way across the room.
The Eye Doctor tells me I have Macular Degeneration, a degenerative condition caused by the deterioration of the central portion of the retina, the inside back layer of the eye that records the images we see and sends them via the optic nerve from the eye to the brain. Symptoms can include: blurry or fuzzy vision, straight lines — such as sentences on a page, telephone poles, and sides of buildings — appearing wavy; an empty dark area that appears in the centre of vision.
The Eye Doctor tells me that there is no current cure for Macular Degeneration but that glasses or out-patient laser therapy may stabilise the condition.
Bobbing for Apples
I order an Iced Coffee and drink it all in one go, sucking up the flecks of cream through my straw and running my finger around the foamy rim. After that I dig around in my bag, light a cigarette and draw doodles on my note pad. I try to look busy, but everyone can see I’ve been stood up.
Hide and Seek
Finally home, I run to our room, shedding my jacket on the floor. I find Miles on our bed, the muscles in his face are still and beautiful. For a moment I think that he’s asleep & or dead? I throw my body down beside him. But he opens his eyes, grins, just joking. Then with a strength that jars my breath, he pulls me to him, nestling my head beneath his chin. It’s our little game — playing dead, pretending to be asleep. The thrill of getting caught in the act.
Spin the Bottle
Miles asks what everyone would like. Jesse and Ramon have popped in for a visit and we’re sitting in the lounge. Jesse says she wants Bourbon and Ramon says he would like some red wine. I say I want a gun because it’s the only thing I can think of that will hit hard enough, that might really blast through my awkwardness. We don’t have a gun, so Miles brings me a knife instead. It’s a big chopping knife with a stainless steel blade and a lifetime guarantee. He carries it in on the drink tray along with the Bourbon and red wine and everyone laughs. I spend the rest of the evening nursing the knife on my lap, wondering if I’d get more attention if I plunged it into my stomach or slit my throat. In the end I don’t need to do either because the way Miles and Jesse spend the evening staring at each other cuts deeper than any knife possibly could.
Kissing Catches
Miles says I have breasts like a fourteen year old, teenage breasts. He licks at each nipple, lapping until they stand hard and erect, then he puts my whole right breast in his mouth, his tongue still fingering the tip, sucking until it aches and I’m wet and dripping and dying to fuck. “Not a handful, a mouthful!” Miles says, “Teenage breasts!” He buys me teenage magazines that he gets from the kilo-shop down the road. He chooses ones with names like Bliss, Just17 and More that carry tips on dating and endless fashion shoots with thin limbed teenagers pouting their half-formed tits at the camera. We’re lying in bed together doing a quiz called “Love Him or Shove Him” that we find in Bliss. It’s meant to determine if you’re seeing the right guy or not.
1. Tick three words that best describe the boy you’re mad about:
Childish
Bossy
Shy
Quiet
Creative
Mature
Loud
Funny
2. Where is he most likely to spend his free time?
With his mates
Watching TV
In a bar
At home reading
3. What’s he most likely to say in the first few moments of a date?
“Sorry I’m late.”
“You look nice.”
“What shall we do?”
“Is it okay if one of my mates comes along?”
4. Tick the topic you and your boy usually find yourselves talking about:
Friends
The future
Your relationship
Problems
5. Tick three words your friends use to describe him:
Sweet
Childish
Funny
Selfish
Bossy
Laddy
According to Bliss my answers mean: “You may have thought everything was fine, but it’s time to question those feelings. It’s crucial that you don’t stay with him just because you want a boyfriend. After all you could be missing out on somebody loads better or having a great time with your mates.” The verdict worries me, but only for a few seconds, because Miles is already licking at my breasts, suckling and teasing until I moan.
Doctor, Doctor
Miles inspects my fingers, rolling each of them over in his hands. He holds them just above the first knuckle, tight, so the tip goes white and twists them to examine every angle. Normally he starts with the pinkie — moves on to the ring, middle, index and then thumb — but today he starts on my thumb. I’ve just made supper and my fingernails are strained with the black of mushrooms, tiny flecks of white cheese and blue ballpoint pen. It’s not the dirt that bothers Miles though; it’s the way I chew my nails.
At age ten, my mother had my habit diagnosed as a form of tension release/reduction. Our family doctor suggested she discourage the behaviour by having me wear cotton mittens or gloves. I liked the gloves, they made everything feel very far away, like there was a thin barrier between the world and me. Everything felt the same: smooth and soft like strong cotton.
Miles holds my thumb in his hands and shakes his head. The nail is chewed down to the quick and the skin around the sides has been bitten into. “I don’t mind the chewing on your nails, but why do you have to do it until you bleed? You’re hurting yourself. I just don’t want you to hurt yourself.” Miles is using his stern but sensitive voice.
While he gets up to look for a plaster I examine the damaged thumb. The nail itself isn’t so bad but I’ve ripped the skin to the right of it leaving the pink of exposed flesh and a smidgen of blood. It burns when I put it in my mouth. We’re out of Jungle Book plasters so Miles brings back the Elastoplast Dressing Strip and a pair of scissors. “I want you to stop doing this to yourself.”
I stare down at my bandaged thumb and then I slide my fingers across his lap, slipping them in the gap at the top of his pants: our making-up ritual. Through the thin strip of Elastoplast Dressing on my thumb his penis feels strange; half erect and smooth like strong cotton.
Pin the Tail on the Donkey
Miles says he wants to take some photographs of me, erotic photographs like Richard Kern’s. “You mean porn pictures?” I’m terrified, Miles sees me naked every night when we fuck, but the thought of posing for him terrifies me.
“Well, yes, but not like that.”
“Well, like what?”
“For starters, you have nice legs.”
The next day I go to the library and look at pictures by Richard Kern. I look at a series entitled “Submit to me, submit to me now” from 1996. In the photographs Kern has asked people to act out their fantasies for him while he acts as audience and provocateur. In one, a woman stands seductively under a shower, but something about her expression belies her total availability. In another a smirking brunette is tied with thongs to a home gym. All the girls in the photographs look tough yet beautiful; self assured and mildly amused. According to the book it is Kern’s personalised treatment of his female subjects that transcends the pornographic.
I’m posed in front of the mirror wearing the white lace panties Miles bought me for my birthday. I stare at my reflection, sliding one hand down the front elastic, my other hand resting against a cocked hip. Sexy yet blasé like the girls in the Kern shoot.
Miles tells me I look great but a little stiff. “Baby, you need to relax, stop thinking about it and just, you know, let it happen. You’re worrying too much about the camera, forget about it, just do something that turns you on, act out a fantasy or something.”
In my fantasies Miles has me tied to the bed. My hands are tied with cords to my right leg, which is folded in under me. My left leg is free, bent at the knee and my eyes are blindfolded. He has a knife in his hand, I can’t see it, but I can feel the cold of the metal against my skin, the blade just nicking the surface. In my fantasies Miles pushes my face down on the bed, his left hand slapping against my raised ass while he forces his right hand up my cunt. The heel of a boot strikes. Now both heels. In my fantasies Miles throws me against the wall, biting at my neck, spitting and chewing on bruised nipples, yanks me by the hair, shoving cheeks and lips up against his glistening cock, making me suck, suck all the while, suck, pounding on my skull with both fists, suck, while he pulls at my hair and slaps my pink, teary face.
“You ready?” says Miles.
“Sure,” I say and I smile and cock my hips, because actually I’m nowhere near to ready.
this shoprt fiction first appeared on litnet

Innovation and Skills

Changing the world with Larry Page, innovation with Brad Bird, intelligence analysis with the CIA, and the 75 skills for every man to master, all without any limits. Larry Page on how to change the world -- Breakthrough ideas are around the corner, says the Google co-founder. But most of us are failing to take a chance on them. Pixar's Brad Bird on fostering innovation -- This week The McKinsey Quarterly asks: what does stimulating the creativity of animators have in common with developing new product ideas or technology breakthroughs? Apparently, a lot. Never have a limit on your income -- If you sell pens for a living and someone orders a million pens, no problem! You just place an order with your manufacturer for a million pens, get them to the customer, and celebrate. Psychology of Intelligence Analysis -- A classic in my library, examining the influence of bias on accurate analysis, among other things. Must read. The 75 Skills Every Man Should Master -- A man can be expert in nothing, but he must be practiced in many things. Skills. You don't have to master them all at once. You simply have to collect and develop a certain number of skills as the years tick by. People count on you to come through. That's why you need these, to start. Have a successful week and make sure to measure your progress. Related Items Integrate Life, The Renaissance Way Free ebook Peer pressure, vanity and behavior, motivation tricks and hacks, success and pain, and how to excel, Celebrate Your Beauty.

Washington Nationals Team Report

INSIDE PITCH Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman isn't barely extending the longest hitting streak in the majors in two years. He is absolutely crushing the ball and is finally getting recognition around the country for it. With a 4-for-5, two-homer performance Monday night in San Francisco, Zimmerman's streak reached 29 games. It's the longest run in the majors since Moises Alou hit in 30 straight games in 2007, and it's closing in on the longest streak in Washington baseball history (33 games, by Heinie Manush in 1933). Zimmerman, batting .363, continues to shrug off his success and is trying not to buy into the hype. But his Nationals teammates and coaches are growing more and more impressed each day the streak is extended. "It's helping put him on the map and our organization in a positive note," manager Manny Acta said. "Hopefully he can continue to do it. But (it's) most important that he does it while he continues to help us win ballgames." GIANTS 11, NATIONALS 7: A complete meltdown by starter Daniel Cabrera highlighted Washington's second straight loss when scoring at least seven runs. Left fielder Josh Willingham's error on a routine flyball prolonged the fifth inning, but Cabrera added fuel to the fire by following the fielding mistake with four straight walks, two with the bases loaded. Logan Kensing then entered and issued a bases-loaded walk of his own to cap the five-run inning. Ryan Zimmerman went 4-for-5 with two homers and extended his hit streak to 29 games in the losing effort.NOTES, QUOTESOF Lastings Milledge broke his right ring finger trying to bunt a pitch at Class AAA Syracuse and will be placed on the disabled list. Milledge is scheduled to be examined by a hand specialist in Baltimore on Tuesday, with the diagnosis determining how much time he will miss. Either way, this is a tough blow to the 24-year-old outfielder, who was demoted to the minors only one week into the season and has been trying to work his way back. "At the early stage of his career, whenever you miss a chunk of at-bats, it retards your progress a little bit," acting GM Mike Rizzo said. "He had things to work on. He was just starting to come around swinging the bat a little bit."BY THE NUMBERS: 4 Homers hit by Adam Dunn over the weekend in Arizona, the most ever by a Nationals player in a single road series.QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's just one of those feelings like when you're going down really fast in an elevator and you feel your stomach go out from underneath you. It's like that feeling. I had no idea where this ball's going to go." Left-hander Mike Hinckley, on losing his grip on a pitch and throwing it to the backstop on the fly.ROSTER REPORT3B Ryan Zimmerman's hitting streak reached 29 games Monday night when the young third baseman lined a single to center off Giants LHP Randy Johnson in the top of the first inning and then went on a complete tear en route to a 4-for-5, two-homer night. Zimmerman had never faced Johnson before and looked foolish swinging at one of the "Big Unit's" trademark sliders. But he connected on the next pitch for a clean single up the middle to extend a hitting streak that is starting to gain some national attention. It's the longest in the majors since OF Moises Alou hit in 30 straight games in 2007. C Jesus Flores was out of the Nationals' lineup Monday for the second straight day. Flores is still feeling the effects of a foul tip that left him with a deep bruise on his right shoulder. The young catcher is hoping to return to play Tuesday against the Giants, but the club will watch him closely to determine whether he's ready or not. C Wil Nieves has started in his place behind the plate.RHP Daniel Cabrera's place in the Washington rotation could be tenuous. The struggling right-hander melted during a wretched outing Monday night in San Francisco, following up a costly error by OF Josh Willingham by issuing four straight walks (two with the bases loaded). Cabrera, signed to a $2.6 million contract last winter, is 0-4 with a 4.98 ERA, and the Nationals are 0-7 in games he's started. Manager Manny Acta insisted the 27-year-old remains in his rotation, but time could be running out for Cabrera to get back on track.RHP Logan Kensing continues to struggle out of the Washington bullpen. Kensing allowed two more runs Monday night against the Giants and walked the first batter he faced with the bases loaded to force in a run. The right-hander, claimed off waivers from Florida on April 29, has a 13.14 ERA in 12 games this season. MEDICAL WATCH: C Jesus Flores (bruised right shoulder) left the May 9 game, and he did not play May 10. He is day to day. 1B Dmitri Young (strained back and hip) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 1. He was expected to begin a 20-day rehab stint with Class AAA Syracuse in early May. RHP Terrell Young (inflamed right shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 27. He started a throwing program at extended spring training in early April. OF Roger Bernadina (broken right ankle) went on the 15-day disabled list April 19, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 29. He had surgery April 18, and he will miss a minimum of two months before beginning a rehab assignment. LHP Matt Chico (Tommy John elbow surgery in July 2008) went on the 60-day disabled list March 28. He will miss at least the first half of the season. ROTATION: LHP John Lannan LHP Scott Olsen RHP Daniel Cabrera RHP Shairon Martis RHP Jordan Zimmermann BULLPEN: LHP Joe Beimel RHP Julian Tavarez RHP Kip Wells RHP Joel Hanrahan RHP Garrett Mock RHP Logan Kensing LHP Ron Villone CATCHERS: Jesus Flores Wil Nieves INFIELDERS: 1B Nick Johnson 2B Anderson Hernandez SS Cristian Guzman 3B Ryan Zimmerman INF Ronnie Belliard INF Alex Cintron OUTFIELDERS: LF Adam Dunn CF Elijah Dukes RF Austin Kearns OF Josh Willingham OF/2B Willie Harris

Call for day of mourning in Iran

More mass protests are expected in Tehran after the main presidential challenger urged supporters to observe a day of mourning.

everyone knows someone who spent a semester abroad in florence

It's the Kevin Bacon of Italian cities: Florence. I've never spent a semester living there, mind you, but I've been three times, each time even more obsessed with finding a proper hole-in-the-wall "where the locals go" foodie haven. That said, and because I'm going on vacation no time soon, I thought I might escape here, by escaping here on this blog. I figure I'll do a guide for a few cities (In Italy I've visited: Venice, Bologna, Cinque Terra, Florence, Siena, San Gimiano, Rome, Naples, Portofino, Positano, and Capri) so when I'm ready to plan an escape I can check back with these travel posts and see what suggestions people make in the discussion section. My friend Leigha, with whom I just stayed in West Hollywood, lived in Florence and recommends some of these. Others are from me, from my last trip to Florence, where I stayed at The Excelsior with Smelly. I'll need to ask my step-sister Amanda when I have the chance. She too did the whole semester abroad thing--where she learned to cook! But where I think she mostly just shopped at the Prada Outlet (But NEVER on a weekend--oh, the hell). The thing is, you need to know who you're asking. You don't want to ask someone where to eat in Italy who'll actually eat at the Olive Garden, anywhere.Trattoria Quattro Leoni: Across the Arno, this is a must-stop for the pear ravioli. If you have to wait for a table, wait. There's a scratch of a bar/corner store across the street. Have a glass, listen to the locals, and admire how well all their shit always seems to match, even when it doesn't. Via de'Vellutini, 1r - Piazza della Passera La Giostra: Cavernous and candlelit, La Giostra isn't much of a secret anymore, as there's always a wait, despite your much needed reservations. Just start with a glass of spumanti, then move through all the courses, and you'll be over it. This is the one place you'll hear people recommend repeatedly. I'm not saying to go for the hype. Go for the zucchini carpaccio, the brie ravioli, the sea bass and the wine service... as "They do the best tableside wine presentation I've ever seen!"Borgo Pinti 10r, Off Piazza Salvemini, Near Santa CroceAcqua Al 2: It sucks that tourists are brought in by the busload here. There's also now a location in... San Diego! I'd skip it, despite my sister raving about the port chicken. Trattoria Sostanza: This is it my friends. Sizzling thick golden chicken breasts, fried in butter, served in the skillet, as you dine at a long communal table practicing your Italian. Or, as I did, speaking English with an Italian accent. Or, there's always the international language of love: food. As I recall, you actually walk through a doorway strapped with hanging wooden beads. It felt like an Italian episode of Three's Company. Except there were no misunderstandings, no fumbling chefs, and no women that even slightly resembled Chrissy Snow. All the same, it's none the poorer for it. It makes for a toothsome visit, the kind you'll never forget. Closed in August. Via Porcellana 25r: Near Borgo Ognissanti, Santa Maria Novella.Slowly Cafe: Get your drink on. Creative cocktails. Artistic, let's get it on, vibe. Roberto Cavalli's Caffe Giacosa and Cavalli Club. I'm including this just to give people something to throw shit at. A YEAR AGO: No One Likes Fat Girls4 YEARS AGO: Shortcuts5 YEARS AGO: Relax, Just a Sliver, If I Fall

Kuznetsova Defeats Jankovic at Italian Open

Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Jelena Jankovic 6-1, 7-6 (3) at the Italian Open Thursday (May 6). Kuznetsova is just coming off a win at the Porsche GP, which was her first title in almost 2 years. Kuznetsova was able to close the match against Jankovic and overpower Jankovic. Next opponent for Kuznetsova is Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Kaia Kanepi 7-6 (5), 6-3. The match is being called sloppy and not a good one for either player. "It was a pretty bad match from both of us. Im just happy I managed to stay calm in the second set and pull it off," said Azarenka. "Definitely I need to step it up and be tough tomorrow." In other women’s tennis news, Dinara Safina defeated Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 and Venus Williams easily won against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 6-2. Source: AP Image Credit: Newscom Share and Enjoy: Post from: EveryJoe Kuznetsova Defeats Jankovic at Italian Open

Brunswick Stew: Electric Boogaloo

The title is a lie -- this is actually my third time slow cooking a Brunswick stew.First off, it passes the spoon test quite handily (it's thick enough so that a spoon will stay standing up):Passing the spoon test.It's got some heat (due to the chili paste, some cayenne and Sriracha sauce), but it's not too hot -- just enough to overwhelm the taste of the stew, which unfortunately isn't very flavorful. It's also not as sweet or tangy as my last try, since I used less cider vinegar and Sriracha.Ingredients, this time around:* 4 chicken drumsticks* Some olive oil for the skillet* Cooking spray* Handful of garlic cloves, minced* 2 medium sized red potatoes* 2 onions* 1.5 cups frozen lima beans* 1.5 cups frozen sliced okra* 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes* 2 cans of corn (I used 1 can creamed, 1 can kernel. Just because)* 2-3 tablespoons of chili paste (in retrospect, a bit too much)* Couple of squirts of ketchup* Couple of squirts of Sriracha sauce* 2 splashes of cider vinegar* The rest of a mostly empty bottle of Worcestershire sauce* Half-cup or so of chicken stock (leveling out the ingredients)* 2 chicken bouillon cubes (for extra chicken and MSG)* Assorted powdered spices: salt, pepper, onion, cayenne, chili -- whatever's handy. Plus a bay leaf or two. Season to taste.Procedure:* Spray nonstick cooking spray into the crock pot.* Heat oil. Start browning the chicken in a saucepan.* Impatiently start chopping potato, garlic, onion.* Inefficiently dash back and forth between the cutting board and stove until the vegetables are chopped and the chicken is browned.* Add potato, garlic, onion. Place chicken on top.* Add rest of ingredients. Place slow cooker on high. Go to bed.* Wake up 6 hours later, to find that the stew has reduced, by bubbling all over the kitchen counter. On the plus side, the chicken has fallen off the bone, so strip the bones and shred the chicken.* [Optional: Level off with some more lima beans, corn and okra, steamed.]* Cook on high for 2 more hours.* Book it. Done.The taste is... nontraditional, mostly due to the chili sauce. I think I used too much. On the plus side, it's plenty thickTags: brunswick stew, slow cooker, recipe

A kind of feeling,can't say out

Animal News # 467927 - Stay Tuned for Club Animals

Looks like my plans for Thursday night have been worked out...From Nonsense NYC - "The petting zoo is coming to town tonight to all you city folk, so bring a quarter for some feed and reconnect with nature. Wander behind the chicken wire and interact with the critters docile enough to touch and feed. But wait, these are not the sheep and goats you might remember from your childhood because Club Animals are your people friends, thoughtfully dressed in animal mascot heads and clothes to match. Yes, you heard right. (Club Animals is a theater group dressed in animal costumes who perform interactive art prank theater). The bar Home Sweet Home will be transformed into a petting zoo complete with a bear, chicken, dolphin, dog, and a lot of hay. All the critters are cute, cuddly, and underfed, so extend a flat palm of feed and a nice pat on the head and rekindle that important human-animal bond that you may have forgotten long ago."Frankly I don't remember there being Dolphins at the petting zoo, but who am I to argue with genius. See ya there, bring the kids.

Day Eight in Vietnam: 20 May

Viet Tri Hanoi RoadTHANH THUY/HANOIHosted by MCC / Thanh Thuy Women’s Union; Back to Hanoi by bus in p.m. More meeting with local dignitaries, more speeches, and then one of the highlights of the trip so far: a visit to two primary schools in the area. We came prepared, with candy. As we handed each child a piece, they did not eat it, but put it on the desk in front of them (three pupils to a desk for most of them, on tiny chairs). Only after they had invited all to share in the food (a necessary ritual for the Vietnamese) were they given the ok to eat them. So very solemn!Both schools had at the front of the room, in position of honor, is a photo of Ho Chi Minh surrounded by children ("HCM loves the little children, all the children of the Nam...") The teachers proudly put a few star pupils through their paces, singing songs and giving short recitations (none of which I could understand, all of it being in Vietnamese) and we answered by singing a couple of songs. ("The Hoky Poky" was a big hit.) The we drove off, with all of the children waving enthusiastically at us.The next school was even smaller and more remote, and intensely hot. They turned on the fans for us (Evidently they did not need them). More candy, more songs, from them and us, and this time "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" was a winner. Our guide led it in Vietnamese. Here is a group photo of us with the children. The local dignitary is on the extreme right as you view the photo. Lunch was at a local restaurant where the big hit was a pet monkey. Michael and Joel became its BFF. The food was great and very authentic, including what is becoming one of my very favorite dishes, water spinach. The chicken we ate had had a rough life, being tough and lean, but the grilled pork was spicy and tasty. How they manage to turn out such fabulous dishes in the most rudimentary of kitchens is extraordinary. A cat and her kittens wandered the restaurant. Then we dropped off our honored guests and began the long, bumpy ride back to Hanoi. Tonight we will stay at the Van Xuan Hotel in the Old Quarter, where we had previously stashed our main luggage. (We have been living out of a small backpack for four days).

Day Eight in Vietnam: 20 May

Viet Tri Hanoi RoadTHANH THUY/HANOIHosted by MCC / Thanh Thuy Women’s Union; Back to Hanoi by bus in p.m. More meeting with local dignitaries, more speeches, and then one of the highlights of the trip so far: a visit to two primary schools in the area. We came prepared, with candy. As we handed each child a piece, they did not eat it, but put it on the desk in front of them (three pupils to a desk for most of them, on tiny chairs). Only after they had invited all to share in the food (a necessary ritual for the Vietnamese) were they given the ok to eat them. So very solemn!Both schools had at the front of the room, in position of honor, is a photo of Ho Chi Minh surrounded by children ("HCM loves the little children, all the children of the Nam...") The teachers proudly put a few star pupils through their paces, singing songs and giving short recitations (none of which I could understand, all of it being in Vietnamese) and we answered by singing a couple of songs. ("The Hoky Poky" was a big hit.) The we drove off, with all of the children waving enthusiastically at us.The next school was even smaller and more remote, and intensely hot. They turned on the fans for us (Evidently they did not need them). More candy, more songs, from them and us, and this time "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" was a winner. Our guide led it in Vietnamese. Here is a group photo of us with the children. The local dignitary is on the extreme right as you view the photo. Lunch was at a local restaurant where the big hit was a pet monkey. Michael and Joel became its BFF. The food was great and very authentic, including what is becoming one of my very favorite dishes, water spinach. The chicken we ate had had a rough life, being tough and lean, but the grilled pork was spicy and tasty. How they manage to turn out such fabulous dishes in the most rudimentary of kitchens is extraordinary. A cat and her kittens wandered the restaurant. Then we dropped off our honored guests and began the long, bumpy ride back to Hanoi. Tonight we will stay at the Van Xuan Hotel in the Old Quarter, where we had previously stashed our main luggage. (We have been living out of a small backpack for four days).

Lockup -- Eve

Lately I’ve been visiting Creative Writing classes in the L.A. juvenile jails as part of my teacher training. I wrote about my first visit here, and every minute I’ve spent in the jail since, I’ve learned something completely unexpected. Needless to say, this teaching position will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable experiences of my life. When I tell people about this new job, the most frequently asked question is:Aren’t you scared?All I can say is that I am way more afraid of the mountain lion that lurks in the hills behind my house, and the pit bull down the street than I am of these kids. To me, incarcerated kids are not scary. Here is what they are: They are appreciative. Thankful for the few things they have left, like family (if they have any), friends (if they have any), shelter, food, and outsiders who brave the halls of the pokey to mentor and listen to them. They are curious. They want to know what I drive, what kind of kid I was, about the books I write, what music I like, if I want to hear the song they wrote, if I like baseball, if my hair is real, why I dress the way I do, why I like the color pink so much, if I like their tatts, why I have no tatts. They are lovers of reading and writing.The other night, I sat in a cramped room with 12 alleged murderers; it was two of the most fascinating hours of my adult life. We didn’t talk about murder or gangs or “the outs.” We talked about…books! They crave books more than any other luxury item. More than candy or photos or soap or socks. For them, books are an escape, books are entertainment, books are education and wisdom. Even though many of them can hardly read fluently, they want books. Any books, all books, picture books, girly books, Dan Brown books. This surprised me…have to admit that my little closed mind assumed kid-thugs would find books boring. Boy, did they school me on that one! Writing is many things to them: therapeutic, entertaining, exciting, enlightening, hopeful, and anything but boring. Most importantly, they are hungry.Hungry for food. Hungry for shelter. Hungry for money. Hungry for attention. Hungry for respect. Hungry for compassion. Hungry for knowledge. Hungry for a new life. Hungry for guidance. Hungry for hope. They are hungry because their basic needs have never been met. While on “the outs” they lie, cheat, steal, assault and kill in an attempt to acquire these things. The only difference between them and me as a kid is that my basic needs were always met…I had the luxury of loving, nurturing parents, constant roof over my head, plenty of food, money, role models, and opportunities for success in sports, academics, arts, and social activities. Working in the juvenile jail is like watching a sick and twisted real-life version of SURVIVOR, where the contestants’ hunger for basic needs remains unmet, and the worst in them emerges. Ever notice how on Survivor there’s always a “losing” team that acts negative and defeated? They’re always out of food and skinny and sick and cold because their shelter leaks and they have no blankets. Then, as soon as that team wins a reward challenge, their demeanor and behavior completely changes. They become confident and happy and positive and physically stronger. Then, they’re less likely to steal food and fight and attack each other. I believe that you can take the most compassionate and level-headed person and turn him into a monster criminal by stripping his basic needs. And I cannot judge them for the things they’ve done because maybe I would have taken the same route if I’d grown up in their circumstances. I also believe that if we help them gain and sustain these human needs, their behavior will change and hope will prevail. - Eve

If there is a Will...

Hello,This is a wonderful story. It doesn't matter who you are or whether your human or Canine or Feline. We all should be accepted and be treated with respect and well no matter if we have a disability or not. Please read, think you will enjoy. And, below, tell me your reaction. Take care.You know the old adage. You'll find out today in Denise's storythat it took a lot of will to make things happen for Pawlee. But today she's thriving! Nice story!"WHERE THERE'S A WILL..."by Denise Koebel I'm a physical therapist assistant in an acute care hospital. Occasionally, you build up a very quick, but strong connectionwith a patient. I worked with the patient's daughter, a nurse, andhad met his wife of 60 years. During the final treatment, he threw apulmonary embolism and coded. He died within an hour. We were alldevastated. His name was Paul. A week later, my step-mother told me about a litter of Beaglepuppies that had been born next door. One was needing some help. So I came in to check them out, even though I already had threedogs at the time. She was very small, 2.6 pounds at 7-1/2 weeks, hada large domed head, like a Chihuahua, and was about 1/4 the size ofher litter mates. She was the runt of the litter, and when called,she ran smack into the side of the door frame of the doghouse. Shewas blind too. Of course, she came home with me. Her name is Pawlee. Yep,named in honor of Paul. She was taken to my vet in Etown, who diagnosed her withhydrocephaly (the large head) and blindness. The vet gave me plentyof hope, but also a reality check, suggesting the possibility ofseizures, major medical issues and possibly even death. All of which I refused to accept. She had made it this far and deserved every chance possible. At 5 months, she was strong enough and had gained enough weightto be scheduled for spaying, but it had to be postponed due to anewly discovered liver enzyme issue. She was put on Denosyl and milkthistle for almost a year (both help with building up the liver) andthe following July, at 1 year and 3 weeks old, she was finallyspayed. HALLELUJAH! Today she has the run of the house and is house trained to thepuppy pads, but will "go to the door" to go outside. She runs aroundthe fenced backyard with little problem, wrestles fiercely and oftenwith her "sisters," and she sits on command. She didn't make a soundfor the first 5 months, but now only bays when she is wrestling -- and VERY happy doing it! She does run into things occasionally, but her vision appears tobe greatly improved since her adoption. I also supplement her foodwith carrots, both raw and canned, so maybe that has helped. Pawleeis now 15 pounds and full of life. DEFINITELY A BEAGLE -- lots ofdigging, following a scent, baying. Being blind hasn't stopped her from being a dog. Pawlee deserved a chance at a normal life, and has proven she isa fighter. Just because a dog has a disability and is born with multiplechallenges, both medically and physically, doesn't mean they can'timprove and live a full life. And it doesn't mean they are stupidand can't learn. With love, patience, a great vet, special medications and food,and other family canine support, Pawlee is doing extremely well andis thriving. She will be 2 in June. I thank God daily for sending her into my life. She has provenwhere there is a will, there is a way. You just have to be willingto try and have faith. -- Denise Koebel Denise says, "I'm a physical therapist assistant in Elizabethtown,KY. I have three dogs, two guinea pigs, seven birds, an aquariumand feed outdoor cats. I'm also a HUGE promoter of Petfinder.com toall of my family, friends and co-workers. And I thank my vets, Dr.Will Flanagan and Dr. Jessica Ayers, for having faith and greatdetermination to help keep my little Squirt and the rest of myfamily, healthy and happy."

China need this emergency exit

Not Your Grandfather’s Intelligence Analysts

I recently picked up a copy of the new edition of Jerome Clausers An Introduction to Intelligence Research and Analysis, which was first published way back in 1976. As editor Jan Goldman points out in his introduction, the new edition is an abridged version of that book. What was removed? Lots of outdated stuff, thats what. Goldman again: The chapters that were removed dealt with how to collect basic information during the initial phase of research. The chapters describe in detail where to find and how to utilize a card catalogue in the library and how to develop specific punch-card procedures to help extract information from referenced work. Okay, fine, good. But, you see, theres a footnote after that passage, and the note reads: A card catalogue was the location where index cards were kept for each book in the librarys holdings and punch cards were perforated cards that would be turned into data when fed into a very large computer. Do college students and people in the intelligence community these days really not know what card catalogs and punch cards were? Okay, I guess I can understand the punch cards, but card catalogs? Other than the strange generational-gap thing there, so far its an extremely interesting book.

Getting into the housewife mood.

Fumbled across this interesting programme which allows you to upload your personal pics into any templates given in the web. And guess what? The moment I saw this (template below), I can't help but to insert our dearest hh's photo!! (hh is so gonna kill me for this)I mean, it's like how I've been influenced over the past yr from the hougang gang on how gals has been 'swooning' over hh....going heads over heels etc.... And this was indeed a perfect picture for the template!! woooooh....Thought this 2 kitties were really sweet for me and dear's pic....And yes!! I'm going to watch CATS next April at the Esplanade!! Thanks Kel for the super good deal tics! =)Anyway, I'm so into Cold Storage/Market Place lately... going through the shelves and shelves of bottled products...finding names & ingredients so familiar from the cook books. Time to put on my chef hat and whip a meal this wkend!

Samia Smith Announces First Pregnancy

Just days after her father Joseph died of cancer, Coronation Street star, Samia Smith has announced she is pregnant with her first child. Samia plays a downtrodden crimper, Maria Connor, in the Manchester (UK) soap, Coronation Street, and is 13 weeks pregnant. She is due in October and, despite mourning her beloved father who passed away last week, Samia is thrilled that she and her husband, Matt, had time to give her father the good news. Samia said, "I am so pleased that we were able to tell my dad about the baby before he died." Samia's character, Maria, is currently pregnant on the show and is due to give birth in July. Samia adds, "I have been pregnant on screen for the best part of the past two years and as soon as I get rid of the fake baby bump I will have a real one."Congratulations to Samia and Matt!Full Story: THE Sun

Beef noodle

Richard Anthony McTear Jr.

This fine, upstanding example of manliness is 21-year-old Richard Anthony McTear Jr. Richard has a problem with his relationships with the opposite sex. When disagreements pop up, as they always do, Richard isnt satisfied just arguing, or yelling, or even cussing and hurling nasty insults. Richard likes to hit, and punch, and kick. Richard McTear also has problems with the police. McTears criminal history includes dozens of arrests, several of which involved domestic violence, Tampa police spokeswoman Andrea Davis said. His first arrest on domestic violence charges came when he was 14, Davis said. Details on that case are unavailable because he was a juvenile. In 2007, McTear avoided prosecution on felony criminal domestic battery by strangulation charges when the victim waived prosecution. In that incident, police said, he beat his girlfriend up, stole her car with their 3-year-old child in the back seat, gave the child back and burned the car, Jasmine Marie Bedwell, 17, knows first hand how lousy a boyfriend Richard McTear Jr. can be. She started dating him about 10 months ago, when she was pregnant with the child of another man, a man in prison. From the beginning, McTear did not warm up to the boy, said the infants great aunt Roberta Thomas. Bedwell told Thomas she was frightened of McTear and feared for her boys safety. She was always scared of him, Thomas said. He didnt care for the child. Last month, Bedwell sought an restraining order against McTear for domestic violence. She didnt appear in court Monday, and the case was dropped. Bedwell claimed McTear had violent tendencies, was armed and dangerous and had a drug problem. They had broken up earlier that month, but he continued to harass and menace her and her son, 3-month-old Emanuel Wesley Murray. She should have gone to court. According to a Sheriffs report published on Tampa Bay Online: Sometime early this morning, Bedwell, who had been out, returned to her apartment with her baby, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office. There, she found McTear. He had broken in, said HCSO spokeswoman Debbie Carter. When Bedwell closed the door, McTear began to beat her with his fists. He choked her, leaving abrasions on her neck. He bit her on the right arm and shoulder. Then he threatened her and the baby. Im gonna kill the both of yall, he said. Emanuel was in a car seat. McTear picked it up and threw it across the apartment. He picked it up and threw it again. Emanuel fell out, onto the concrete floor. Bedwell then ran out of the apartment, leaving her baby behind, to call for help. Deputies received a call from her shortly after 3 a.m. When she left, McTear grabbed the child, put him in his Chevrolet Impala and drove off, eventually heading southbound on I275, where he tossed the baby out of the drivers side window onto the shoulder. Thats right folks. Richard McTear threw a 3-month-old Emanuel Murray out the window of a moving car doing at least 70 miles per hour. The son of a bitch. According to the Medical Examiners Office, the exact cause of death of the infant was blunt impact with skull fractures and brain lacerations. Investigators are still trying to determine whether Emanuel died in the apartment or later, said HCSO spokeswoman Debbie Carter. Investigators found McTears Impala about 5 a.m. at his home. Four hours later, Tampa police got a tip from a caller who had seen news coverage on the incident and said McTear might be hiding in the nearby apartment complex. Officers immediately rushed to the scene. McTear ran out a door, and the short chase began, Carter said. Police found McTear hiding in a backyard. McTear didnt resist when he was caught, Carter said, but he didnt say anything to them. As he was led from a patrol car at the sheriffs District 2 headquarters, a reporter asked the handcuffed Richard McTear why he threw a three-month-old baby out his car window. Its a dirty game, McTear said after cursing the media. Its a dirty game. Richard Anthony McTear Jr. was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, kidnapping, felony battery and burglary with battery. One last thing - As he was being led into a van that would take him to jail, McTear spoke again to the media. He said he loves Bedwell. And he swore he was innocent. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Brought to you by People Youll See In Hell. The best reason to get a background check that just about anyone can think of.

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120,000 PIX

Karton Chair from German Designer Florian Kallus

Furniture Fashion recently heard from Florian Kallus, a German Designer living in Münster, Germany. He wrote to share his latest work called "Karton". The design is inspired by the coziness of a carton, a creation that all of us in the world are familiar with. There is a lot of symbolism in a cardboard box in how we compartmentalize our lives and store away good and bad memories. This adoption into furniture is constructed of multiplex plate coated in white oil oak edge with Viskoseschaum black cowhide. More information: here. Post from Karton Chair from German Designer Florian Kallus

Booking Through Thursday, 10.July

"DOOMSDAY"One of my favorite bookstores burned down last weekend, and while I only got to visit there while I was on vacation, it made me stop and think."What would you do if, all of a sudden, your favorite source of books was unavailable?"Whether it’s a local book shop, your town library, or an internet shop … what would you do if, suddenly, they were out of business? Devastatingly, and with no warning? Where would you go for books instead? What would you do? If it was a local business you would try to help out the owners? Would you just calmly start buying from some other store? Visit the library in the next town instead? Would it be devastating? Or just a blip in your reading habit?"A fire destroyed a bookshop in the city where I lived in the early 1990s. Newspaper coverage documented the grief and mourning of the shop's regular customers. But that was in the days when newspapers were a societal stronghold, and before the advent of bookshops-cum-public livingrooms. Nowadays, I think most people suddenly bereft of their favorite spots would, by and large, have no trouble switching to any of the online booksellers. The Internet has supplanted Place with twenty-four hour availability and ease, among other things.I lost my favorite bookshops over the years when I moved to other parts of the country. My last such place provided an experience, not just a place to buy then dash. It had all the things one thinks of when shopping in a small place: personal attention, atmosphere, character and moment. I miss it. Local options here are the chain bookstores - - offering the chance to sit on chairs only 5,000 other people sat in before you! - - where I would pay full retail prices, and a secondhand-book store that will order new books on request. On a friend's recommendation I visited the latter...once. The dust was thick and the books greasy and grimy. I changed my reading habits to include the occasional visit to the (noisy!) local library for books I request ahead of time by phone.

SharePoint Server 2010 Preliminary System Requirements – x64 all the way!

News from TechEd 2009 this morning on the requirements for the next release of SharePoint – which will be called SharePoint Server 2010. As Project Server 2010 will be built on the same platform then expect similar requirements. In brief these are: SharePoint Server 2010 will be 64-bit only – this was announced during the SP2 webcasts for Project Server, so isn’t totally new news. SharePoint Server 2010 will require 64-bit Windows Server 2008 or 64-bit Windows Server 2008 R2 SharePoint Server 2010 will require 64-bit SQL Server 2008 or 64-bit SQL Server 2005 SharePoint Server 2010 will require a standards based browser to author content (XHTML 1.0 compliant) so will not support IE 6. The 64-bit SQL requirement is new news, and I feel this makes a lot of sense. We have seen customer’s adopting 64-bit for SQL at a fast pace, and have seen great benefits for Project Server 2007 – so to only release 64-bit Office Servers and to support 32-bit database back-end would not have made much sense. Likewise dropping support for IE 6 (which end it’s support lifecycle anyway in July 2010) should not cause too many concerns. If my blog readers are any indication the IE 8 users have already overtaken IE 6 – which accounts for less than 1 in 5 browsers to my blog. This only applies to authoring content – and it will still be possibly to target a SharePoint published site to IE 6 for viewing. I do appreciate though that some corporations still have IE 6 as the norm – so time to start planning that move! Remember that in 2007 Project Server had a tighter requirement on browsers than SharePoint – and blocked non-IE browsers from the PWA sites (but not workspaces). I haven’t seen any announcement on any changes here. Technorati Tags: SharePoint Server 2010,Project Server

When will they realize....

A backyard full of pigeon cages outside Fengyuan. You know the news is all bad when your main joy in life is saying I-told-you-so. In 2007 I opined at the end of a long discussion of AmCham and foreign businessmen, and KMT and DPP policies:One of the major problems with Taiwan's economy, from outsider's perspective, is that it is often a game outsiders are not allowed to play. The Chambers of Commerce appear to be of the opinion that this will change if Ma is elected. Lotsa luck, guys. Because after Ma "opens" the economy, AmCham editorials are going to read like this:"While in principle we welcome the new openness shown by Taiwan during the first two years of President Ma's administration, AmCham wishes to express its growing concern over the preferential treatment given firms from China....."Today the Taipei Times pointed out in its editorial that the island is already lurching that direction: How bittersweet it is to recall pronouncements — on and off the record — by Taiwan-based foreign chambers of commerce and individual businesses that the election of a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government would improve Taiwan’s economy. How amusing it is, then, to see the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) and the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei (ECCT) complaining about a KMT legislative amendment that will lower the cap on credit card interest rates and probably damage Taiwan’s attractiveness as an investment destination.The latter-day KMT is not the technocrat-friendly organization it once was, and in recent times individual legislators have used their authority within the party to advance spurious — sometimes almost anarchic — reforms at the expense of good governance and against all expert advice.AmCham and the ECCT are absolutely justified in their concerns. But they cannot complain too loudly: They got what they asked for, and there is likely more of this to come. When they lament a “sudden and arbitrary shift in regulatory policy” resulting from political considerations, the real question that arises is why they didn’t heed this tendency when the KMT was in opposition.Whether in opposition or government, the cultivation and protection of democracy has never been the guiding principle of the KMT machine. This is why it is so willing to cut hasty, unaccountable deals with the Chinese Communist Party. But with this latest display of financial ineptitude, there is a real concern that any economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China might carry a potentially crippling payload.The evidence for this has amassed to the extent that it is shocking just how consistently think tanks in the US and other countries are ignoring it.AmChan's institutionally pro-KMT stance, which I have long criticized (see here, for example), is bad, but not as bad as the Europeans. Unfortunately despite the fact that many of the things AmCham criticizes in their annual White Paper are hand-me-downs from the martial law era, and the fact that many of its members are long-term residents (Don Shapiro, the current head, was an active supporter of the democracy movement in the bad old days), AmCham consistently fails to make the connection between the past behavior of the KMT and its probable future policies.The AmCham editorial that drew the Taipei Times' attention was in a recent issue of their superb Topics magazine, which some of island's top reporting talent has written for. It says:A case in point is a bill, currently before the Legislative Yuan, which would lower the annual statutory interest-rate ceiling of 20% that banks may charge credit-card customers for revolving credit. The proposed new cap would be defined as 9% above the Central Bank’s rate for unsecured short-term lending – which at current levels would come to 12.5%......The major flaw in that reasoning is that the same severe economic downturn prompting the Central Bank to cut interest rates will inevitably lead to a higher incidence of credit-card delinquency, raising the banks’ cost of credit. Further, the cost of funds is only one part of the total operating cost for the banks’ credit-card departments. Looking only at the interest rate neglects the burden of processing huge quantities of small-volume transactions and of maintaining 24-hour customer service.What would happen if banks had to slash the maximum interest charged on rollover balances? The immediate result would be to force banks to protect themselves against heavy losses by tightening up on their credit policies. According to one industry calculation, that would cause at least 3.5 million credit cards with a total credit facility of NT$690 billion to be withdrawn from the market. The estimated annualized impact on retail sales would be NT$274 billion – just at a time when the deepening recession calls for efforts to increase private consumption, among other forms of economic stimulus.AmCham goes on to point out that poorer consumers would have to source credit from informal or illegal providers who charge even higher interest. The clincher was that the reduced profitability of credit cards, and therefore, of banks, would make the island a less attractive investment destination, as the Taipei Times pointed out.It's only the beginning, folks

Etihad Airways

Plane food has a bad reputation. There isn't a need to explain why. You know it and I know it. We also understand the challenge that comes with presenting edibles that not only look good but taste good while you're in mid-air. That is why when it comes to plane food, expectations dip to an all-time low. So low that it might not be surprising if someone says that he will choose greasy fast-food over a serving of plane food. This unfortunate judgement has its truths most of the time. There are indeed limitations of serving food that's cooked a-la-minute and especially when it is a fact that food tastes different in a high-altitude environment. With so many factors going against the hardworking chefs who create airplane meals fit for consumption, you wonder how they eventually decide what goes into your meal.Airplane brochures never fail to print glossy photos of delectable airplane meals. In these photos, the juicy-looking meat glistens, the fish looks fresh and everything looks picture perfect. However, the skeptic in us starts to doubt and assume that it only looks good because it's a photo. This is how it has always been. Perhaps that is the case but not anymore. Not for Etihad, to say the very least. Not when they have a food and beverage manager on board - a capable stewart who ensures that these pretty photographs are not just a fantasy or a figment of each passengers imagination but rather, a great-tasting reality:Since I have yet to fly on Etihad Airways, I cannot confirm that what you see in those photos is what you get when you're thousands of miles up in the air. But I do know that the food beats most airplane food. I learnt about this because Eithad invited me to a press conference and media lunch in celebration of their first year in Singapore. As the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad is known for its quality service and well-trained staff. They also announced the launch of their new Inspired Service for premium passengers (Diamond First and Pearl Business Class) arriving into and departing from Singapore.An important part of the Inspired Service involves food. Not only will the food be of top quality, the crockery, linen and glassware will be more tasteful - think normal dining size classic white porcelain. The menu will also boast a wide variety. You will be able to choose from the a la carte or the kitchen menu. The a la carte menu needs no explanation. However, I do think that the kitchen menu is a smart idea. This menu offers an array of invidual snack-sized dishes that can be eaten at any time during the flight. That means if you skip the a la carte meal because you were not hungry during the time set aside for dinner, then you can request for an item on the kitchen menu whenever you feel the rumbles in your stomach. Some items on their present kitchen menu includes Arabic baklava, warm truffle popcorn with porcini salt, warm bella olives, orange, garlic and rosemary, Providore natural ice cream, selection of cheeses etc. Etihad's menu changes every few months so passengers (especially frequent flyers of Etihad Airways) will not be bored.Before lunch began, we were provided with a demonstration of how the dishes are usually assembled on the flights. It was rather interesting. The food and beverage manager explained how they take pride in good food presentation as well. Here's a snapshot at the long table of airplane food:After hearing about all that goes into making each passenger feel comfortable not just with palatable food but good service, I was starting to feel that the food on Etihad Airways might just have one of the best plane food around.For lunch, we could choose our appetisers, main course and dessert. I chose smoked salmon terrine, baby herbs, parsley oil, Spanakopita with ratatouille and baked rhubarb and strawberry pie with double cream.The food was not bad, considering that it was made just the way it would have been made on the plane - pre-cooked and assembled on board. I think what I do understand that day, was that since it is impossible to cook food on the plane, everything has to be pre-cooked. The food will then have to be warmed up and assembled before serving. What sets Etihad apart is the way their system functions. Preparation for each dish is precise. The flight staff are given a 'manual' of sorts that provides clear instructions on method of heating & placement of each ingredient.I did not bring my camera with me that day so that's why you don't see shots of each individual dish. However, I managed to get from them a shot of their three-way bread. Three-way because it's actually three types of bread together in one loaf:One's normal white bread, the other's a slightly spicy one, and if I remember correctly, the last one is the multigrain one. Served with quality french butter, this is Etihad's signature bread. It's pretty impressive I'd say. It is served on all of their flights.So with this, I suppose I have less reasons to be judgemental about plane food. Sometimes all you need is an ambitious vision to re-align and correct prior judgements of plane food. For Etihad, their answer is a food and beverage manager. As mentioned, this manager is the point of contact with passengers, in charge of talking to them about their food preferences and making recommendations. Now don't you think you have one more reason to give plane food a second chance?______________________________________________Etihad currently offers flights to 48 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia.To find out more, please visit www.etihadairways.com/inspiration

Healthy Habbits Produce Coop

This week I attended a conference in Washington, DC and learned SO much. One of the speakers spoke about The Double Bottom Line Double bottom line is a business term used in socially responsible enterprise and investment. While all businesses have a conventional bottom line to measure their fiscal performance—financial profit or loss—enterprises which seek a second bottom line look to measure their performance in terms of positive social impact.Wikipedia A fellow blogger, actually shes more than a fellow blogger- she played a central role in an important moment of clarity online that LITERALLY changed my life for the BETTER! *FLASHBACK* &[T]he entire presidential election inspired me to do something that Ive been wanting to do for a while which is open my own organic produce coop. So I begin a little hoping to get 20 families to participate and we got 40 and had to turn away 12. Be sure to stop by and pick up a recipe or two. Healthy Habbits Produce Coop. Now she didnt ask me to do this, but with all this green money floating around, she ought to be able to expand so she can accommodate as many families as are demanding her services. Shes learned a valuable lesson, that the barriers to entry for online businesses are LOW I would argue that they are none existent. However, like any other business, the barriers to expansion are much higher. So if you know about some foundations, green venture capitalists, or some stimulus money that is available to our cyber Sister, speak up. You dont have to leave a comment, send an email or use the contact form above. To all of you who are worried about the economy, whether youve lost your job, are worried about losing your job, or not worried at all, one really easy way to regain some control and take the edge off is to start a side hustle. Just because it starts small, doesnt mean it has to stay small. Not only that, but there is 700 BILLION dollars of stimulus money coming out of the pipeline and I want at least 100 Black women who read this blog to go out for your share of your taxpayer money. Just do it! PS. Kim, when you make your first BILLION and acquire Whole Foods, cant I get a gift card or a lifetime discount on unrefined shea butter?

12inch wide crab

Dr. Maureen Reed to run for DFL endorsement in CD 6

A few of us had been hearing these rumors for a few weeks now.Our good friend Political Muse broke the story on this!Dr. Reed was the IP Lt Governor candidate in 2006, a University of Minnesota Board of Regents Chair, and has a rather impressive resume.A few quick thoughts.1. She will need to begin raising a boatload of money immediately. She needs to show that she has this ability, otherwise, she may just be another Bob Olson.2. Run a values based campaign. No one has been effective on hitting Bachmann on issues. Reed needs to articulate how her values are more congruent with the district than Bachmann.3. Every moment not fundraising at this point, is spent at meet and greets throughout the 6th. We cannot afford to have a candidate introducing themselves to voters in the waning weeks again.4. All the koom-by-ya crap is nice...you know...the stuff about bringing moderate Republicans, Democrats, and Independents together to win a race. Build your base, but ultimately, Reed is going to have to show enough backbone to take a shot at Bachmann when it's warranted. Nice is fine and dandy, but I want to see some pitbull in her too.Honestly, I'm skeptical about party leadership in the district and their ability to bring about the necessary party and base building to pull this off.Maybe Dr. Reed is the fresh breath we've needed for years? Or will she fall prey to the status quo and the lackadaisical district leadership?

Our impressions of Warhammer's Land of the Dead

So we've been over the cold, unfeeling facts about Land of the Dead. It's big, it's a throwback zone to action RPGs, it has RvR and PvE, and it's filled with mummies. But you don't want the facts, right? You want to know how it plays and you want to know if it's worth your time to pick up Warhammer or resubscribe to the game.During my time at Games Day, I got the chance to participate in a bunch of the PQs in the new zone and try out a few areas of the Tomb of the Vulture Lord, the capstone dungeon of the whole experience. I got to be shanked by swinging blades, pierced by surprise dart traps, and I even got to wear the Sovereign armor set, the pinnacle armor of the game. (Yes, it looks completely badass.)

Wow! An Integrated Virtual Tape Library at the Max

Today, Sun made available the most significant set of enhancements to the mainframe virtual tape market since this market began in 1998 by StorageTek and IBM. In 1998, StorageTek made available its first Virtual Storage Manager (VSM) system that leveraged the well structured Hierarchical Storage Manager and Tape Management System software that customers already had in place. At that time VSM was a system that would accelerate tape processing by having a disk buffer virtualize a physical tape drive. StorageTek also provided virtual tape management software that allowed for migrations of one or more of the virtual tape volumes from the disk buffer onto physical tape – the most cost effective data storage even today. Fast forward 11 years. What has changed? The basic principles of tape virtualization are the same but what has evolved is from a business perspective. Primarily driven by ever changing customer requirements, changes in regulatory requirements, and the ever increasing amount of data that must be stored and protected for very long periods of time. VSM has evolved to meet these ever changing requirements. Today's availability of the new VSM5 enhancements and Enterprise Library Software (ELS) keeps VSM in the technological lead by providing a broader range of solutions that solve real problems. The following are some of the enhancements that are now available: DR has been enhanced in two very important areas. Sun’s clustering capability has been improved by 100%. Now up to 4 VSM subsystems can exist within the same clustered environment. These are all under one central point of control and provide tremendously more flexibility when configuring for high availability when a disaster occurs. In addition, data can now be electronically exported and imported to other VSM controlled tapeplexes. These improvements compliment the VSM disaster recovery choices that have been industry leading in the mainframe virtual tape market for many years. Configuration flexibility has been improved. No other vendor provides the option to have or not have physical tape automation attached to the same virtual tape environment. This implementation provides the ability to selectively use physical tape automation. For example you could keep your data in a local VSM buffer and selectively migrate data to a remote VSM environment that does have tape automation attached. This is all managed by VSM which can dramatically reduce the complexity of tape operations and drive down the overall cost of storage. Larger disk buffers allow for more data to be kept on disk longer prior to being migrated to tape. As the amount of data grows and data access frequency patterns change more data needs to remain on disk. VSM already provided from 1.25TB to 28TBs of effective disk storage within each VSM5 subsystem. Today, VSM5 buffer sizes can now be over three times larger going up to 90TBs. You should be able to find the size that fits your requirements to optimize the data migration and recall activity within your integrated virtual tape library environment. Now adding ESCON channels to VSM5. If the ESCON channel protocol is still critical to your mainframe environment Sun is now providing you ESCON channels to be attached to its latest and greatest VSM5 solution. Sun is the only vendor to provide ESCON for their virtual tape library offering and also provides the choice of having a mixture of ESCON/FICON channels. If you have not fully implemented FICON across your mainframe environment this option allows you to do so within stages and leverages the latest set of VSM5 functions and features. New native IP connectivity option. Sun is even providing you with the option to utilize your intranet backbone network between your sites in addition to the specialized ESCON or FICON extended channel protocols. So if your TCP/IP network has additional bandwidth, why not exploit that bandwidth with your mainframe VSM solution? What does all of this mean? Sun understands what you need in your mainframe virtual tape environment and now provides you with additional choices that can leverage your existing infrastructure. Now you can scale from smaller to larger environments. At the same time providing you with ways to minimize the risks to your data and lower your costs by providing more channel interface flexibility, larger disk buffers, and enhanced DR capabilities. If you wish to receive more information on what was made available today let me know and I would be pleased to discuss this with you further.

Hooray for Me

In my personal history - and I hope in everyone's - the Birthday Celebration has always been a favorite "holiday" - its your own personal day...Over the years, I've regaled you with tales of the The Jam, Dickies and Eyes gig at the Starwood on my birthdate in 1978 - here and here and all these entries here.... its a birthday story worth repeating...In the 70s, I've spent my birthdate with concerts by Iggy Pop - and the oft-referenced car breakdown on California's Highway 5 to San Francisco... that same year, the birthday week shows included Iggy AGAIN in Santa Monica with Blondie opening and a Blondie/Runaways gig a few days later.Somewhere in there, there was the Los Angeles debut of Television.In 1980, my birthday concert was the Pretenders.This year, I celebrate my birthday with a show by The Shazam, who in fact have in their vast repertoire a song called "Hooray for Me," which hopefully ties all this up so that I can call it a night....If you're in Nashville or its environs, come to 12th & Porter tomorrow night (April 15) and buy me a drink... that's where The Shazam will be playing. That drink would be Stoli/soda/lime.

The rich dinner

Happy Valentimes to Me

I had a happy Valentimes Day.We had no money. I didn't get paid, again, due to some major corporate screw-up that meant a whole big pile of money did not end up in my bank account, where it was supposed to. Yet again. For like, the sixth week in a row.So, on Valentimes Day.We went to St. Jame's Gate and danced all night.And when I say St. Jame's Gate, I really mean: "Our living room".We listened to excellent live music at St. Jame's Gate.And when I say live music, I really mean "John Prine, and all the Blues we can find on CD's. With a little Elton John and Annie Lennox in there as well. Also AC/DC. In our living room."Come approximately 3 a.m., we went to The Canton for Chinese Food.And when I say The Canton, I really mean, "Our Kitchen". Where good steaks were had by all. . . .After the Canton, well, we all know what happens after that. . .So a good Valentimes Day was had by all.And although I don't like to quote people, I will quote John Prine (a fabulous folk singer): In spite of ourselves Well end up asittin on a rainbow Against all odds Honey, were the big door prize Were gonna spite our noses Right off of our faces There wont be nothin but big old hearts Dancin in our eyes.She dont like her eggs all runnyShe thinks crossin her legs is funnyShe looks down her nose at moneyShe gets it on like the easter bunnyShes my baby Im her honeyIm never gonna let her goHe aint got laid in a month of sundaysI caught him once and he was sniffin my undiesHe aint too sharp but he gets things doneDrinks his beer like its oxygenHes my babyAnd Im his honeyNever gonna let him goIn spite of ourselvesWell end up asittin on a rainbowAgainst all oddsHoney, were the big door prizeWere gonna spite our nosesRight off of our facesThere wont be nothin but big old heartsDancin in our eyes.She thinks all my jokes are cornyConvict movies make her hornyShe likes ketchup on her scrambled eggsSwears like a sailor when shaves her legsShe takes a lickinAnd keeps on tickinIm never gonna let her go.Hes got more balls than a big brass monkeyHes a wacked out werido and a lovebug junkieSly as a fox and crazy as a loonPayday comes and hes howlin at the moonHes my baby I dont mean maybeNever gonna let him goIn spite of ourselvesWell end up asittin on a rainbowAgainst all oddsHoney, were the big door prizeWere gonna spite our nosesRight off of our facesThere wont be nothin but big old heartsDancin in our eyes.There wont be nothin but big old heartsDancin in our eyes.The best thing about this particular Valentimes Day to me, is this:I was home, in bed, listening to my favorite dude on a Saturday Morning: (Stan, the man, on CBC Radio One).My husband was gone to work.It was Valentines Day and all about requests. Some husband phoned in a request. He had a funny story about him and his crazy wife. And he wanted to hear that stupid song.I knew that song. And I have always loved that song.As I listened, and laughed, I thought: "I wonder if my husband is listening to this, in the car, on the way to work. He would get this. It is so us."I forgot about it.Eight hours later, after my husband got home, he said: "'oney, I heard the greatest song on Stan's show this morning. It was so funny, and it reminded me of you. Of us! We've gotta get that song."Well, what song do you think it was?It's our new song. In spite of ourselves Well end up asittin on a rainbow Against all odds Honey, were the big door prize Were gonna spite our noses Right off of our faces There wont be nothin but big old hearts Dancin in our eyes. She dont like her eggs all runny She thinks crossin her legs is funny She looks down her nose at money She gets it on like the easter bunny Shes my baby Im her honey Im never gonna let her go He aint got laid in a month of sundays I caught him once and he was sniffin my undies He aint too sharp but he gets things done Drinks his beer like its oxygen Hes my baby And Im his honey Never gonna let him go In spite of ourselves Well end up asittin on a rainbow Against all odds Honey, were the big door prize Were gonna spite our noses Right off of our faces There wont be nothin but big old hearts Dancin in our eyes. She thinks all my jokes are corny Convict movies make her horny She likes ketchup on her scrambled eggs Swears like a sailor when shaves her legs She takes a lickin And keeps on tickin Im never gonna let her go. Hes got more balls than a big brass monkey Hes a wacked out werido and a lovebug junkie Sly as a fox and crazy as a loon Payday comes and hes howlin at the moon Hes my baby I dont mean maybe Never gonna let him go In spite of ourselves Well end up asittin on a rainbow Against all odds Honey, were the big door prize Were gonna spite our noses Right off of our faces There wont be nothin but big old hearts Dancin in our eyes. There wont be nothin but big old hearts Dancin in our eyes.