bat blog-a-ton fiction guilt infidelity Love The Silent Whispers !
It was the beginning of the 1st Sem of M.Tech. Life was not different at College of Engineering, Pune.I continued from where I stopped in B.Tech .I belonged to the league of spoiled brats. Infact, it was disgraceful to be tagged as a scamp amongst a group of 70.It was ironic that despite being called so, some groups of beautiful lasses found me attractive and called me an adorable rogue. Truth is always bitter, but sometimes my heart fails to accept the different smutty adjectives bestowed upon me. Human heart is bound by feelings and emotions. It hurts at times when you are subjected to such things. Owing to this, the beautiful damsels of my class never spoke much to me. People entered my life and left. Few things can't be said, but people failed to identify the storm within me. I had been nursing a broken heart. I never had any intimate friends with whom I could share my sorrows. There were few groups of voracious men whose company I cherished. They eyed my wealth, I eyed their friendship. But it did hurt me when they prioritized my money. Such ravenous men irk me. Solitude snatched the happiness in my life. I often walk alone along the veranda in pursuit of peace and lost happiness, listening to Radio. I sit at the corner section of the library where people never went. Some say that I was turning into a loner. I never cared for what the world said. But for me, it was the place where I found peace, the place where I met my first love. Yes, I fell in love with a beautiful woman. How could I forget her?
Those days I was never the same. Life was full of happiness. I was boisterous young man of 21,a brilliant student studying in 3rd Sem at COE, Pune. The day I turned Twenty One, I decided to throw a big party to all my classmates. I distributed sweets and tried to make everyone happy. I spend all my pocket money to make my birthday grand. My doting parents could never say no to any of my demands. They decided to make my birthday special and I became a proud owner of an Audi A4.The class was festooned with colourful balloons and glitter papers. Everyone sang the birthday song for me and everyone wished and greeted me. That was the day when I saw her for the first time. She looked nervous and muddled as she entered the classroom. She witnessed something unusual and preferred to remain silent. She was tall - about 5'6", wheatish and had a slender body. Her long straight hair was neatly braided with a middle partition. Her angelic and seraphic eyes hid the eternal universes behind. Her arched charcoal dark brows looked like the bow of an archer ready to wound many hearts. Her nose, haughty and long made her look magnificent. She had a perfect lips, blood red in color.Her entire face was alluring. It was her first lecture. Nervousness had muffled her smile. I was damn sure that this pretty girl would be more beautiful if she smiled a bit. I was anticipating a smile from her and of course a wish - a birthday wish. I stifled a smile when few of my friends' cracked funny jokes. I gazed at the new entrant to our class. Everyone was busy engrossed in their other activities, while few of them were gorging on the delicious puff rolls which I gave them. The studious lot of the class were busy writing their daily assignments. She sat at a vacant seat on the first row. I was wondering why she never spoke. A chubby girl, my close friend greeted her. That was the perfect moment when she smiled. I saw her smile and realized that I had got the best birthday gift of my life. She introduced herself as 'Muskan'. I keenly observed her as she uttered her name. I was not surprised when her parents named her. They must have been beguiled by the lovely smile of their daughter.
"Guys, Lets welcome the gorgeous Muskan," The same chubby girl Dimpy introduced her to the class.
"Gorgeous... appropriately described," I murmured.
The entire class gathered at her desk to welcome her. I stood there admiring her smile. I could infact request her to keep smiling like that. The same day I had visited the Library to collect my library card. I saw huge stacks of books neatly arranged and organised in the book shelves. I randomly picked up a book from one of the shelf. "Discrete Structure" I read.
I scanned the entire lobby in search of a vacant seat. I got a glimpse of Muskan once again. She was seated at the corner in complete isolation. She held her hair loose which in turn kissed the table top. I sat in front of her and looked at her as she was completing her notes. I observed that she was wearing a dark red polish on her nails.
"Hi Muskan," I greeted her.
"Hey Birthday boy!" she smiled at me. As she smiled, a new feeling of hope and happiness aroused in me. Her radiant smile gave me the ultimate joy of my life. I smiled back at her.
"So what's the plan for the day birthday boy?" she said as we exchanged smiles.
"Nothing ...Planning to throw parties to my friends,"
"Well, if you don't mind, Could you join me for a coffee?" I asked her. I knew it was inappropriate to ask a girl out for the first time when you meet.
"I will certainly...," she said as I saw her tresses striving hard to reach her eyes. Even they didn't want her to focus on her studies.
"..But not now. Lots of writings to be done and it's not good to go out for a coffee with a guy whom I don't know," she winked.
"Oh ... by the way I am Nikhil," I said.
"So Nikhil. I am sorry. I can't come with you," she blatantly refused.
"But you should be spending your day with your loved ones," she said with an unwarranted placidity to which I exhibited a frown.
I wish I could tell her that she could be that 'loved' one in my life. I wanted to befriend Muskan but I had already messed up. All I did was to be good to her. That night I could not stop thinking about her. Did I fall for her or for her smile? I knew it was affection but I could never stop thinking about her.
The next morning I got up and after completing my daily morning rituals of bathing, shaving and breakfast, I headed for college. I was dressed in a dapper outfit, dashing enough to impress girls. I entered the class ceremoniously at sharp 9 am and all eyes were glued on me .I could understand that they were not used to this, but sometimes things could change drastically. I sat on the 2nd bench and a few more pair of bemused eyes looked at me. Maybe they had never seen me seated at the 2nd row. I wished they would stop embarrassing me. The lecture started and I was waiting to get a glimpse of Muskan.
"May I come in Sir," I heard a soft voice. I looked at the door and saw Muskan. She was wearing a colourful Kurti. I kept staring at her as she walked towards me. She sat beside me. Days passed and I got close to her. We both used to study and hang out together. There was a drastic change in my behaviour as Muskan entered my life. People couldn't digest this change . I soon started loving her company. Her presence made me feel good. During this span of time, I got to know her more - her likes, dislikes and every damn thing. She shared her secrets with me. We became good friends and the good changed to best. I knew that I had fallen for her. We both were at the library completing our OS assignments. I sat next to her.
"Can I ask you something?" I said. I liked her but I never knew if the feelings were mutual. Although we were close, I had a constant fear of losing her. I wanted to embrace her and lock her in my heart.
"I should admit that life is never the same as before. I could divide my life into two parts – before you and after you. Things have totally changed since you entered my life," I said.
"Every time I look at you, I love the way you smile at me. I love the way you do things. I don't know what's wrong with me," I continued.
"Even the birds warbling everyday would like to see us together. If they could speak, they would give you the testimony of my love for you. I am losing myself to you. I am in love Muskan. I love you Muskan. Do you love me?" I asked her with fingers crossed.
There was a deafening silence for 5 minutes. She didn't look at my eyes. Her silence killed me as every seconds passed. I wanted to know what was running in her mind. I was waiting for her reply. She refused to look at me. Over thousand questions ran through my mind.
"Muskan," I said. I looked straight into her eyes. I didn't know how to react. She finally broke her silence with a smile. Yes, she smiled at me. I could feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach as she smiled at me.
"Yes," she replied me. My heart skipped a beat as I heard the yes from her. I couldn't express my feelings. My happiness grew no bounds.
"I am always yours Nikhil and will never leave you," she promised me. We had completely surrendered to the divine master called 'Love'. I looked at her eyes and she looked at mine. Our lips locked, she smiled and I smiled back at her. We started hanging out together. We used to go out for movies and shopping. There was no worldly power that could separate us. We were made for each other, always together. I gave her everything which could make her happy. I was ascertain that I could do anything and everything for her happiness. Our 3rd SEM got over and our vacations started. I left for Delhi to meet my maternal grandparents. Muskan was at Amritsar during those days and we used to communicate through cell phone. Our vacations soon got over and I was back to Pune for my 4th Sem. Weeks passed but there was no news from Muskan. I tried contacting her several times but all my attempts were futile. I was worried for once. I wish I could tell her that she had topped in the 3rd Sem. That would be great news for her. She was brilliant at studies. Her insatiable thirst for excellence was the main reason for her success. I was extremely happy for her. Months passed and she never came back. I started missing her badly.
I wanted to talk to her badly but I didn't know how. I still remember that day. It was the 4th of April. We were strolling at the College campus. I saw a bike racing towards the gate. A rugged faced man sporting a four day old stubble, was riding the bike. He had a perfect build and wore Aviator sunglasses. He was looking smart in his check shirts and Cotton Trousers. He wore the Infosys ID card. I saw that a woman was seated behind him. She wore a Red Kurti, embroidered with different colourful designs. When he stopped the bike, I got the biggest shock of my life. It was Muskan in a totally new avatar. She wore a red sindoor on her head. A red bindi graced her look. She looked matured like a woman although she was 19. I remained stunned for a moment when I saw the 'mangal-sutra' on her neck. I stood there cursing my fate as I saw our eyes met once again. This time she refused to acknowledge my glance. She exhibited a straight face as her husband bid her good bye. She bid him bye and left for the class. I stood there as she walked .I was heartbroken. She looked behind and I witnessed the silent tears rolling down her cheeks. I wish I could wipe her tears for she was once the girl who meant everything to me. I wish I could talk to her but I could not muster enough courage for I had the fear of breaking down in front of her. How could she do that? I was jinxed. My feeling for her was indeed true and my heart was fragile enough to see her with a different man. May be I wasn't lucky enough to cherish the purest form of love .She was never meant for me.
And the world was silent when they saw this. Everyone knew how close we were. But within matter of time, things changed. I left for the Linux lecture. I purposely refrained from any kind of eye contacts with her. I decided to avoid her. I had to do this for her good. She was not mine but sometimes I feel upset when I look back at how life had veered in recent few months. I sat on the last bench, the same bench where I used to sit before Muskan entered my life. She showed me a dream of happiness and my feelings for her was nipped in the bud. We soon turned into known strangers. Every time I looked her, her eyes suggested me that she had something to say. She seemed gloomy and unsociable. Every time I passed by her side, I could see tears in her eyes. I had a strong intuition that she wanted to talk to me. How could I hate her? All that I desired was to see a smile on her face. It was that million dollar smile which made me fall for her. How could I tell her that I was not strong? For someone who showed me dreams of togetherness, how could I forsake her?
That day I decided to talk to her. I hunted her at the classroom but I couldn't find her. I rushed to the library as I knew that it was the same place where she sought happiness. It was the same corner where I sought solace.
"I don't want you to cry," I sat next to her. I saw that she couldn't face me. She was helpless but I wanted to tell her few things.
"I observe intense hurt and pain that resides in your eyes. This isn't pleasing as I am not used to seeing all this," I continued.
"I hate to see tears invading your face. Will you please smile for me?" I paused.
She looked at me. Tears welled in her eyes. I asked her to wipe the tears.
"If not me, at least for the beautiful face that you have. People here are not used to see you like this Muskan".
She gave me an animated smile. "I am sorry Nikhil," she said and cried again.
"You don't have to be sorry," I riposted.
"Destiny didn't want us together. You or me are not responsible for this," I smiled.
She informed me that her father had seen us romancing at a nearby garden. I was shocked when I heard this from her. Her entire family cursed her that day. Poor thing had to suffer because of me. They decided to get her married at their hometown. She got married to a Software Engineer, senior to her by 8 years. I was stunned to know that she had sacrificed me for her family. She had compromised her love for her family. Any girl would do that. Muskan was just traditional girl who belonged to a middle class background.
"How is he?," I asked her, although I didn't want to.
"Why so?" I curiously asked her.
"I am trying to overcome this thing. I can't think of any other man in my life. I have just done this for my family and their happiness," she retorted.
We were completing our submission stuff and lately noticed that it was already 9 pm. It was late for her.
"Come, I will drop you home," I said her. "No. It's okay. I will take an auto," she replied.
"That's sad..I just asked you as a friend," I responded.
"Okay. Let's go," she said and sat on my bike. It was after months that she was riding with me.
As I was riding, I observed that it had started raining heavily. We reached her home in 45 minutes. By then we both were completely drenched.
"Okay I am going," I said and bid her bye.
"You are wet. I don't want you to fall sick..and I care for you ...Okay," She said.
"What will your husband think of me?," I said to her.
"Onsite?" I asked her. "I mean some company assignments and he left for New York today evening," She answered me. She lived at Pimpri Saudagar. Her house was spacious with 3 rooms, tiled in Granite marbles. It had a huge veranda from where you could get a view of the garden.
I stood there at the veranda as the clock struck 10. She gave me Gautam's shorts and t-shirt. I thoroughly dried my hair with the towel that she gave me. We both had dinner together. This time it was a different feeling. I ate Aloo Paratha's and Chole. I praised her culinary skills to which she blushed. She was wearing a blue colour saree.
"You know ...I was afraid of facing you," she said. Her smile was lost.
"I am sorry Nikhil," she apologised.
"Do you still love me?" I asked. It rekindled my old memories which reminded of the day I proposed her. There was deafening silence once again although I never expected a yes.
"Yes," she said. My heart skipped a beat. I went close to her. I held my arms around my shoulder and asked her once again.
"Yes... I do love you," she said with a straight face. This time there were no tears on her eyes. I was so close to her that I could feel her breathe. I jabbed my lips over hers. With slight hesitation, she refused to acknowledge my kiss. I kissed her once again and this time she responded. I could feel her heart beats as our lips touched. We both passionately kissed each other for few minutes. It reminded me of our first kiss. How could I forget it? I undraped her saree and witnessed her blue blouse and her petticoat. She closed her eyes as I unlaced her blouse. For once I had completely undressed her. She lay on the bed completely naked just like a new born baby. I caressed her soft alluring skin as I kissed her again. My fingers stroked her hair as I explored her back. It was then I decided to explore her whole body. I kissed her everywhere, on every part of her body. I ran the tip of my index finger along the length of her body, through her spine and then through her thighs and then through her feet. Her soft breasts, firm and round was full of secret energy ready explode anytime. I enfolded her slender body as I kissed her delicate lips once again. Infact her lips were the best part of her body. They were inviting. It was a perfect moment of bliss when her succulent bare bosom kissed my chest as she humped over me. I could feel the sudden gush of blood on her veins. With a swift movement, we swirled our body. She moaned as our body brushed against each other. I nuzzled her nose and embraced her. I kissed her on her eyes and felt the tears pouring from her eyes.
"Even the Gods won't forgive me for what I have done," she looked sad.
"You have nothing to worry," I said as we lied naked on the bed. It was the night to remember. The next morning when I woke up, she greeted me with a smile. It was the same smile which took my breath away. She returned back my notebook which she had borrowed from me. But somehow I thought that she had faked her smile. I left for my home at morning 6.
I never saw Muskan again for days. One week later, I got the news about Muskan's death. I was shocked at first. I couldn't believe it. That night I cried like anything. I had lost a part of myself. I had lost my love. Disturbed, I sat on the couch staring at the notebook that she gave me. I browsed through the pages and found a letter on it.
"Some say that love stories never exist. But I somehow feel that love stories do exist just that it didn't happen in our case. I always loved you and wanted to live with you. You showed me dreams and I can't tell you how happy I was with you. Sadly our dreams could never materialize. You loved me and I promised you to be together with you in the journey of life. I betrayed you Nikhil. The Almighty won't forgive me for what happened between us the other night. I cheated the man who married me. That feeling of guilt will kill me every day, every single minute and second. I can't forgive myself. But I want to tell you that my feelings for you were true. Please forgive me Nikhil. Will you?" I broke into tears when I read it. How could she think of leaving me all alone?
She was my world – a world full of happiness. And now the world was silent once again -the last time when she got married and this time when she left me.
Some people do enter your life and they completely change your life. Muskan was gone but when I reminisce my past, I cherish every single moment I spend with her. It's been 2 years now and I still remember everything, every damn thing about my Muskan ,especially the smile.
Tum hi tum ho , Tum har kahi ho.
The Radio played the song which brought tears into my eyes.
Images Taken from Google Images!!
I know somethings have to be sad aativas. Life is not about happiness!
I am glad this fiction has touched your heart.Life is an amalgamation of happiness,sorrow and other such feelings. Sometimes you were be euphoric and sometimes full of tears. Thats how life goes on!
Thanks for this. This is the first time I am using 'Nikhil' for my character. Glad you loved it. Keep Coming!
This was the Long post , worth the entire 4000 words, One that leaves you thinks the ONLY IFs, like any other love story on your blog, beautiful.
Thank you Reshmi! :) This was kind.
Ha-Ha I seemed to have mastered the skill of writing sad stories. Thanks Aarti.
Love stories... *sigh* always leaves obvioys emotions in heart.
Maybe some love wasn't meant to be indeed.
what do I say, love is ur toughest foe and ur bestest friend..at the same time.
its difficult to contain stories to fewer words i know . . but then i have no complaints , for this one was truly heart warming . . i love lovestories . there isnt a ' lived happily therafter ' most of the times , such a bitter truth .
I am glad you liked it and I agree with you.
Long but fluent narration and a loving story. Good read.
I couldn't stop reading once I started. very well narrated, why the good love stories have to meet a tragic end!!!
Hmm! i generally avoid writing long stuffs but I couldn't stop once I started this.
not every love is meant to be together.. but wherever we are, whatever we do, love is always there for that special someone. nice story with a bitter ending. enjoyed reading it.. all the best.
Reading a nice, romantic story after long. Sad ending but I enjoyed the ten minutes I spent with you.
Elegant, sensual and a beautiful piece of writing. Though the end makes one feel gloomy.
I agree the ending isn't that amusing but i seriously thought of changing it but couldn't.
Wow! Beautifully written story. This is exactly what happens in real life.


text:
David Dreier on War & Peace
Republican Representative (CA-26)
Voted YES on banning armed forces in Libya without Congressional approval.
RESOLUTION Declaring that the President shall not deploy, establish, or maintain the presence of US Armed Forces in Libya, pursuant to the War Powers Resolution.
The House of Representatives makes the following statements of policy:
The US Armed Forces shall be used exclusively to defend and advance the national security interests of the US.
The President has failed to provide Congress with a compelling rationale based upon US national security interests for current US military activities regarding Libya.
The President shall not deploy, establish, or maintain the presence of units and members of the US Armed Forces on the ground in Libya unless the purpose of the presence is to rescue a member of the Armed Forces from imminent danger.
The President shall transmit a report describing in detail US security interests and objectives, and the activities of US Armed Forces, in Libya since March 19, 2011, including a description of the following:
The President's justification for not seeking authorization by Congress for the use of military force in Libya.
US political and military objectives regarding Libya, including the relationship between the intended objectives and the operational means being employed to achieve them.
Changes in US political and military objectives following the assumption of command by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Differences between US political and military objectives regarding Libya and those of other NATO member states engaged in military activities.
The specific commitments by the US to ongoing NATO activities regarding Libya.
The anticipated scope and duration of continued US military involvement in Libya.
The costs of military, political, and humanitarian efforts concerning Libya as of June 3, 2011.
Congress has the constitutional prerogative to withhold funding for any unauthorized use of the US States Armed Forces, including for unauthorized activities regarding Libya. Reference: Resolution on Libya; Bill HRes294 ; vote number 11-HV410 on Jun 3, 2011
Voted NO on removing US armed forces from Afghanistan.
Directs the President, pursuant to the War Powers Resolution, to remove the U.S. Armed Forces from Afghanistan:
by no later than 30 days after this resolution is adopted; or
if the President determines that it is not safe to remove them by such date, by no later than December 31, 2011.
[Rep. Kucinich, D-OH]:The American people oppose this war by a margin of two to one. Nearly 2/3 of Americans say the war isn't worth fighting. We are spending $100 billion per year on this war. There are those who are saying the war could last at least another 10 years. Are we willing to spend another $1 trillion on a war that doesn't have any exit plan, for which there is no timeframe to get out, no endgame, where we haven't defined our mission? The question is not whether we can afford to leave. The question is, can we afford to stay? And I submit we cannot afford to stay. The counterintelligence strategy of General Petraeus is an abysmal failure, and it needs to be called as such.
[Rep. Ros-Lehtinen, R-FL]: This resolution would undermine the efforts of our military and our international partners in Afghanistan and would gravely harm our Nation's security. 3,000 people died on Sep. 11 because we walked away once from Afghanistan, thinking that it didn't matter who controlled that country. We were wrong then. Let us not make the same mistake twice. Completing our mission in Afghanistan is essential to keeping our homeland safe. This is about our vital national security interests. It is about doing what is necessary to ensure that al Qaeda and other extremists cannot reestablish safe havens such as the ones they had in Afghanistan when the 9/11 attacks were planned against our Nation and our people. The enemy, indeed, is on the run. It is demoralized and divided. Let us not give up now. Reference: Resolution on Afghanistan; Bill HConRes28 ; vote number 11-HV193 on Mar 17, 2011
Voted YES on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq.
OnTheIssues.org Explanation: This vote is on referring the impeachment resolution to a Congressional Committee to decide further action (not on impeachment itself).
Congressional Summary: Resolved, That President George W. Bush be impeached for committing the following abuses of power:
Article I--Creating a Secret Propaganda Campaign To Manufacture a False Case for War Against Iraq
Article VI & VIII--Invading Iraq in Violation of H.J. Res. 114, the U.N. Charter and International Criminal Law
Article X--Falsifying Accounts of US Troop Deaths and Injuries for Political Purposes
Article XI--Establishment of Permanent US Military Bases in Iraq
Article XII--Initiating a War Against Iraq for Control of That Nation's Natural Resources
Article XVII--Detaining Indefinitely and Without Charge Persons Both US Citizens and Foreign Captives
Article XXIV--Spying on American Citizens, Without a Court-Ordered Warrant, in Violation of the Fourth Amendment
Article XXVI--Announcing the Intent To Violate Laws With Signing Statements, and Violating Those Laws
Proponents' arguments for voting YEA: Rep. Kucinich: Now is the time for this Congress to examine the actions that led us into this war, just as we must work to bring our troops home. This resolution is a very serious matter and I urge the Committee on Judiciary to investigate and carefully consider this resolution.
Rep. Wasserman-Schultz: Impeachment is a lengthy process which would divide Congress and this nation even more deeply than we are divided right now. Referring this resolution to the House Judiciary Committee is the constitutionally appropriate process that should be pursued.
Rep. Ron Paul: I rise, reluctantly, in favor of referring that resolution to the House Judiciary Committee for full consideration, which essentially directs the committee to examine the issue more closely than it has done to this point. Reference: The Kucinich Privilege Resolution; Bill H.RES.1258 ; vote number 2008-401 on Jun 11, 2008
Voted NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days.
To provide for the redeployment of US Armed Forces and defense contractors from Iraq. Requires within 90 days to commence the redeployment; and to complete such redeployment within 180 days after its commencement. Prohibits the use of DOD funds to increase the number of US forces serving in Iraq in excess of the number serving in Iraq as of January 1, 2007, unless specifically authorized by Congress. Authorizes retaining in Iraq US forces for providing security for diplomatic missions; for targeting al-Qaeda; and for training Iraqi Security Forces. Requires the President to transfer to the government of Iraq all interest held by the US in any military facility in Iraq.
This war is a terrible tragedy, and it is time to bring it to an end. This is a straightforward bill to redeploy our military forces from Iraq and to end the war in Iraq. This bill does not walk away from the Iraqi people. It specifically continues diplomatic, social, economic, and reconstruction aid. Finally, this bill leaves all the decisions on the locations outside of Iraq to which our troops will be redeployed wholly in the hands of our military commanders.
This legislation embraces surrender and defeat. This legislation undermines our troops and the authority of the President as commander in chief. Opponents express concern about the effects of an ill-conceived military withdrawal, and about any legislation that places military decisions in the hands of politicians rather than the military commanders in the field. The enemy we face in Iraq view this bill as a sign of weakness. Now is not the time to signal retreat and surrender. It is absolutely essential that America, the last remaining superpower on earth, continue to be a voice for peace and a beacon for freedom in our shrinking world. Reference: Out of Iraq Caucus bill; Bill H R 2237 ; vote number 2007-330 on May 10, 2007
Voted YES on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date.
Voting YES would support the following resolution (excerpted):
Whereas the United States and its allies are engaged in a Global War on Terror, a long and demanding struggle against an adversary that is driven by hatred of American values and that is committed to imposing, by the use of terror, its repressive ideology throughout the world;
Whereas the terrorists have declared Iraq to be the central front in their war against all who oppose their ideology;
Whereas the United States and its Coalition partners will continue to support Iraq as part of the Global War on Terror:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
Honors all those Americans who have taken an active part in the Global War on Terror;
Declares that it is not in the national security interest of the United States to set an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Iraq;
Declares that the United States is committed to the completion of the mission to create a sovereign, free, secure, and united Iraq;
Declares that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the noble struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.
Reference: Resolution on Prevailing in the Global War on Terror; Bill HRES 861 ; vote number 2006-288 on Jun 12, 2006
Voted YES on approving removal of Saddam & valiant service of US troops.
States that the House of Representatives:
affirms that the United States and the world have been made safer with the removal of Saddam Hussein and his regime from power in Iraq;
commends the Iraqi people for their courage in the face of unspeakable oppression and brutality inflicted on them by Saddam Hussein's regime;
commends the Iraqi people on the adoption of Iraq's interim constitution; and
commends the members of the U.S. Armed Forces and Coalition forces for liberating Iraq and expresses its gratitude for their valiant service.
Reference: War in Iraq Anniversary resolution; Bill H Res 557 ; vote number 2004-64 on Mar 17, 2004
Voted YES on authorizing military force in Iraq.
Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq: Passage of the joint resolution that would authorize President Bush to use the US military as he deems necessary and appropriate to defend U.S. national security against Iraq and enforce UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq. It would be required that the president report to Congress, no later than 48 hours after using force, his determination that diplomatic options or other peaceful means would not guarantee US national security against Iraq or allow enforcement of UN resolutions and that using force is consistent with anti-terrorism efforts. The resolution would also give specific statutory authorization under the War Powers Resolution. Every 60 days the president would also be required to report to Congress on actions related to the resolution. Reference: Bill sponsored by Hastert,R-IL; Bill HJRes114 ; vote number 2002-455 on Oct 10, 2002
Voted NO on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo.
Vote on an amendment to the "Kosovo and Southwest Asia Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act" which would prohibit the use of funds for any invasion of Yugoslavia with U.S. ground forces except in time of war. Reference: Amendment introduced by Istook, R-OK; Bill HR 1664 ; vote number 1999-119 on May 6, 1999
Supports $48 billion in new spending for anti-terrorism.
Dreier adopted the Republican Main Street Partnership issue stance:
The Republican Main Street Partnership (RMSP), the largest group of moderate GOP elected officials in the nation, applauds President Bush's call for $48 Billion in new defense spending to win the war on terrorism, provide for homeland defense and modernize the U.S. military.
Main Street Moderates, also offer support for the President's "Homeland Defense" initiative that strengthens border security ($2.1 Billion Increase), bulks up INS and Customs inspectors and agents (focusing on the northern border), and proposes a 500% increase in "Bio-Terrorism" spending. These were part of the RMSP Anti-Terrorism Policy proposed by key Main Street members Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) and others shortly after Sept. 11th. Sen. Snowe called "the President's proposals to boost funding for the Coast Guard, border security and customs right on target." "By focusing on these issues (Defense and Homeland Security), he's clearly in touch with what's most important to the American people," said fellow Main Street member Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY). Source: Republican Main Street Partnership press release 01-RMSP5 on Jan 30, 2002
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2012 Governor, House and Senate candidates on War & Peace: David Dreier on other issues:
CA Gubernatorial:
Jerry Sanders
CA Senatorial:
Elizabeth Emken
Gail Lightfoot
Retiring to run for other office:
Running for President:
TX-14:Ron Paul(R)
Running for Mayor:
CA-51:Bob Filner(D)
Running for Governor:
IN-6:Mike Pence(R)
WA-1:Jay Inslee(D)
Running for Senate:
AZ-6:Jeff Flake(R)
CT-5:Chris Murphy(R)
FL-14:Connie Mack(R)
HI-2:Mazie Hirono(D)
IN-2:Joe Donnelly(D)
MO-2:Todd Akin(R)
MT-0:Dennis Rehberg(R)
ND-0:Rick Berg(D)
NM-1:Martin Heinrich(D)
NV-1:Shelley Berkley(D)
NY-9:Bob Turner(R)
WI-2:Tammy Baldwin(D) Lost Primary 2012:
IL-16:Donald Manzullo(R)
NJ-9:Steven Rothman(D)
OH-2:Jean Schmidt(R)
OH-9:Dennis Kucinich(D)
PA-4:Jason Altmire(D)
PA-17:Tim Holden(D)
TX-16:Silvestre Reyes(D)
Retiring 2012:
AR-4:Mike Ross(D)
AZ-8:Gabby Giffords(D)
CA-2:Wally Herger(R)
CA-6:Lynn Woolsey(D)
CA-18:Dennis Cardoza(R)
CA-24:Elton Gallegly(D)
CA-26:David Dreier(R)
CA-41:Jerry Lewis(R)
IL-12:Jerry Costello(D)
IL-15:Timothy Johnson(R)
IN-5:Dan Burton(R)
KY-4:Geoff Davis(R)
MA-1:John Olver(D)
MA-4:Barney Frank(D)
MI-5:Dale Kildee(D)
NC-9:Sue Myrick(R)
NC-11:Heath Shuler(D)
NC-13:Brad Miller(D)
NY-5:Gary Ackerman(D)
NY-10:Ed Towns(D)
NY-22:Maurice Hinchey(D)
OH-7:Steve Austria(R)
OK-2:Dan Boren(D)
PA-19:Todd Platts(R)
TX-20:Charles Gonzalez(D)
WA-6:Norm Dicks(D) Abortion
CA politicians

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Gary Hall joined PRASAM in 2002 after serving 5 ½ years as a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee and 24 years of active duty in the Navy. He is a retired Navy Captain, and a Certified Government Financial Manager.
Gary is a recognized expert in Congressional appropriations and authorization processes. He is known for initiating solutions to tough issues that accommodate all concerned.
He develops short and long range plans for company growth. He creates business development and teaming opportunities for clients by applying his experience in the Senate, Pentagon and operational forces. He provides sound budget development advice based on his three years service as liaison to House and Senate appropriations Committees for the Secretary of Defense.
He has the unique ability, through experience at each step of the process, to trace a dollar from the time a requirement is generated until the dollar is expended. He knows the people responsible and authorized to make decisions and the opportunities to influence them.
Gary assist clients in developing legislative initiatives and strategic plans based on his experience in writing laws and Congressional oversight guidance for over 500 Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Army procurement and research programs. He uses the experience of annually auditing those strategic plans and acquisition milestones of those programs to advise clients on structuring effective program plans.
His Navy operational experience includes battle group, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and surface action group. He is a certified mine warfare staff officer and completed his 14th year of at-sea experience as Commanding Officer of USS Cushing, a Spruance class destroyer. He is a 1972 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, and holds a masters degree in financial management from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Among his service awards are the combat action ribbon for service in Vietnam and the Defense Distinguished Service medal for service as appropriations liaison in the Office of the Secretary of Defense Comptroller.


text:
Prince George Cougars' franchise goals leader coming back to North America
Chase Witala spent the last two years playing in Germany
Kyle Balzer
1 / 1 Prince George's Chase Witala celebrates a goal while playing in Germany's third-tier professional hockey league (via Rosenheim Starbulls)
A former Prince George Cougar, who also happens to be the team's best goal-scorer in history, has decided to fly back across the Atlantic to play two steps below the NHL.
Chase Witala has signed a one-year deal to play for the Jacksonville Icemen in the ECHL, the minor 'AA' affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, after suiting up for the Rosenheim Starbulls in Germany's third-tier level of professional hockey.
The Prince George product put up solid numbers overseas, scoring a total of 68 points in 56 games in those two seasons, which included 27 goals.
This won't be the 24-year-old's first appearance in the ECHL, however.
Witala played a full season with the Orlando Solar Bears in 2016-17, Toronto Maple Leafs' farm team at the time, putting up 19 points in 46 games.
He was a scoring machine in the Cougars line-up from 2011 to 2016, lighting the lamp 120 times to currently hold the team's all-time goals record.
Witala accomplished that feat in 302 games, the fourth-most among Prince George players, and also has the second-most points in the team's 25-year history at 239.
He took the Cougars to the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs in his final two years.
🚨The Icemen have agreed to terms with forward Chase Witala! Witala posted 51-points in Germany last season.
Full Details: https://t.co/p5IyaaqL7G pic.twitter.com/1pMApA9HP6
— Jacksonville Icemen (@JaxIcemen) July 29, 2019
Flash freeze warnings issued for Prince George and Stuart-Nechako regions
Airport saw increase in travellers in 2021
The Offspring cancels upcoming Prince George show at CN Centre


The Marvin Gaye Trail corridor is home to a lot of trees and birds but also collects trash that gets swept down the creek during storms. We'll bring lots of trash bags, trash grabbers, gloves and tools!
Please bring a water bottle and wear long pants/closed toed shoes. For more adventurous folks with a sturdy pair of boots, there will be opportunities for scrambling around stream banks. There will also be plenty of trash removal on flatter ground for folks who don't wish to scramble around.


text:
ascension-press | The Dragon via Brian, April 6th
17 Apr The Dragon via Brian, April 6th
This is The Dragon,
Let's tell a small story. A story of two people. It is a metaphor.
There story is in a world where if you die and come back instantly. This story has two characters: The destroyer, and the helper.
The destroyer is miserable. He has built a mechanism, and at first he thought it was grand. That mechanism, however, consumes him. He thinks he is satisfied and does not really try to escape. He just keeps adding to the mechanism, and it satisfies him for a time. It requires more and more effort to maintain and the destroyer becomes ever more miserable. He doesn't know why.
The helper comes and she shows the destroyer a picture of pure beauty. The helper says that she can help the destroyer replace the mechanism with something much better. The "destroyer" says "why? What do you want for it?" The helper says "because of the Love of all-that-is. I just want you to be happy." The destroyer cannot imagine being separated from his mechanism and uses the mechanism to blast the helper to oblivion.
The destroyer laughs. "If the helper came with the Love of all-that-is, why was I able to destroy her so easily?" and continues tending to his machine.
Since it is a world where you return instantly, the Helper returns. The destroyer says, "Oh, you again. I thought I took care of you". The helper says, "I know you love your machine.. How about this? Can you just let me make one small part of your machine beautiful?" The destroyer says, "Oh ok, as long as it means you'll leave me alone". So it begins. The helper transforms part of the machine into something beautiful. It works amazingly better than the rest of the machine however it also makes the problems of the rest of the machine more obvious. The destroyer sees the rest of the machine creaking and groaning. It was always doing that. He thinks it's a new issue. It scares him. He once again blasts the helper and the part of the machine the helper has transformed. He laughs.
The helper returns with friends. She says, "We're going to start building our own machine and show you what yours can become". There's nothing you can do. We'll keep coming back. We are wise, and aware. We Love you too much to let you consume yourself indefinitely, we cannot force you and will not force you to change but we can show you true beauty. The destroyer rolls his eyes and goes on with what he was doing. In front of him, the helper and her friends build a beautiful machine. Finally, the destroyer takes notice. Instead of seeing the beautify, he sees a threat. He blasts them all and their machine into oblivion and laughs. "If they are so wise and aware, why do they so easy to destroy? They are weak! They make themselves so vulnerable!"
Over and over, the helper returns with his friends. Over and over they are destroyed. Eventually, no helper returns. The helper decided the destroyer doesn't want help. No friends of the helper returns. Just silence. The destroyer and his machine to keep him company. His creaking, groaning machine and constant work to maintain it. He is miserable.
The destroyer laughs at victory, not realizing he is hurting himself.
Over time, he wonders what happened to the helper. He feels lonely.
He cries out to the universe to help him from his loneliness…
Suddenly, the helper reappears. The helper says, "I heard your call". The destroyer says, "You can start building your beautiful machine again. I actually miss you and it."
So the helper starts. However, the destroyer's fear overwhelms himself. He begins blasting the new machine, but stops short of complete destruction. He leaves a little bit and leaves the helper in-tact. The helper doesn't bat an eyelid and goes back to rebuilding the beautiful machine. This continues for a long time. The helper rebuilds his beautiful machine, and the destroyer does something to destroy or sabotage it. For millenia. Over time, less and less of it is destroyed and it becomes bigger and bigger. The helper doesn't give up. He's making more progress with the destroyer than before, at least.
The destroyer becomes more and more comfortable with the new, beautiful machine.
The destroyer becomes more enthralled with the new beautiful machine. There are so many things it can do that his can't. It is so beautiful. It is shining with the Love of all-that-is.
The destroyer finally says, "You can change mine". All the helper's friends return to diligently improve the destroyer's machine. They make it new. It is beautiful. The destroyer no longer feels ugly, feels lonely. He feels loved. His machine and he, shines with the Love of all-that-is.
That is the metaphor for your transition. The souls are back to answer a call from a group of souls that have become miserable. They find pleasure sometimes in thwarting the souls that came to help. It makes them feel powerful being able to slow down beings that are supposedly more powerful than them. It gives them momentary pleasure. They forget sometimes that they made the call for help, then attack the very people that came to help them.
Another example is that it's like a feral cat you rescue and that you give Love to, and all it can do is scream and claw and scratch at you. It doesn't know Love. But over time, it lets a little Love in, then more.
Keep pushing. You will bring about change. Just don't get frustrated since you know the limitations of those you came to help.
Perhaps someday, after years of helping others, and the world progressing, you'll be the one that needs help from the young people coming through. Hopefully when that day comes, you'll accept it graciously since you've been on the other side.
Channelled by : Brian, the dragon


This generation of children is growing up immersed in technology, as 'digital natives', which presents fantastic opportunities for children to find out about their interests at a few taps of a screen.
communication, there are also issues which we, as teachers and parents, need to address.
Childnet offers some great advice on how we can help keep our children stay online.


text:
Star Trek series magazines, Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine
The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine
Starlog Press
December 1987 - November 1994
No. of issues:
Editor(s):
David McDonnel, Carr D'Angelo
The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine was an authorized magazine published by Starlog Press between December 1987 and November 1994, focused on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The publishers of Starlog, Kerry O'Quinn and Norman Jacobs, launched the spin-off magazine in December 1987, shortly after the premiere of The Next Generation, partly in order to reduce the amount of Star Trek material being featured in Starlog, which was referenced on the magazine's cover.
The magazine provided summaries of episodes, as well as interviews with production staff. Like the other Starlog Press publications, the magazine is notable for the reproduction of numerous behind-the-scenes photographs and production art work, rarely seen in other publications. However, unlike Starlog itself, it suffered from an erratic publication schedule.
Issue #
1 December 1987 Episode summary: "Encounter at Farpoint".
Interviews: Gene Roddenberry, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Andrew Probert, Paul Lynch, David Gerrold.
Features: Touring the Enterprise, The World of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
2 January 1988 Episode summaries: "The Naked Now", "Code of Honor".
Interviews: John de Lancie, D.C. Fontana, Majel Barrett, Tracy Tormé, Michael Westmore, Katharyn Powers, Michael Baron.
Features: Creating Special Effects, Creating Makeup Effects.
3 March 1988 Episode summaries: "The Last Outpost", "Where No One Has Gone Before", "Lonely Among Us", "Haven"
Interviews: Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, Richard Krzemien, John de Lancie, James G. Becker.
Features: Why Q returned.
4 April 1988 Episode summaries: "Justice", "The Battle", "Hide and Q", "Too Short a Season", "The Big Goodbye".
Interviews: Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Denise Crosby, Jonathan Frakes, Wil Wheaton, Gates McFadden, Andrew Probert, Rick Sternbach.
Features: Designing the Enterprise.
5 March 1989 Episode summaries: "The Child", "Angel One", "11001001", "Home Soil", "Coming of Age", "Heart of Glory", "Skin of Evil", "Conspiracy".
Interviews: Jonathan Frakes, Guy Vardaman.
6 April 1989 Episode summaries: "Where Silence Has Lease", "The Outrageous Okona", "Elementary, Dear Data", "Datalore", "When The Bough Breaks", "The Arsenal of Freedom", "Symbiosis", "We'll Always Have Paris", "The Neutral Zone".
Feature: From the Bridge: The New Sets
7 May 1989 Episode summaries: "Loud As A Whisper", "The Schizoid Man", "Unnatural Selection", "A Matter Of Honor".
Interviews: Diana Muldaur, Marina Sirtis, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn.
Features: The Weapons & Technology; The Uniforms & Civilian Outfits
8 June 1989 Episode summaries: "The Measure Of A Man", "The Dauphin", "Contagion", "The Royale", "Time Squared".
Interviews: Diana Muldaur, Howard Weinstein.
Features: Engineering (USS Yamato okudagram, Straleb security vessel sketches, El-Baz design sketches).
9 December 1989 Episode summaries: "The Icarus Factor", "Pen Pals", "Q Who", "Samaritan Snare", "Up The Long Ladder", "Manhunt", "The Emissary", "Peak Performance", "Shades of Gray".
Interviews: Jaime Hubbard, Michael Jan Friedman.
10 January 1990 Episode summaries: "Evolution", "The Ensigns of Command", "The Survivors", "Who Watches The Watchers".
Interviews: Rob Bowman, Corey Allen.
Features: The Borg; The Art of "The Next Generation".
11 March 1990 Episode summaries: "The Bonding", "Booby Trap", "The Enemy", "The Price", "The Vengeance Factor".
Interviews: Marina Sirtis, Wil Wheaton, Gene Roddenberry, Jonathan Frakes.
12 May 1990 Episode summaries: "The Defector", "The Hunted", "The High Ground", "Deja Q".
Interviews: Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Colm Meaney, Denise Crosby, Gates McFadden, Keith Sharee, Steve Price, Peter Moyer, Stan Kellam.
Features: The Special Effects; The Romulans.
13 February 1991 Episode summaries: "A Matter of Perspective", "Yesterday's Enterprise", "The Offspring", "Sins of the Father", "Allegiance", "Captain's Holiday", "Tin Man".
Interviews: LeVar Burton, Ronald D. Moore, A.C. Crispin, Howard Weinstein.
14 April 1991 Episode summaries: "Hollow Pursuits", "The Most Toys", "Sarek", "Ménage à Troi", "Transfigurations", "The Best of Both Worlds", "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II".
Interviews: Dennis McCarthy, Ron Jones, Mark Lenard, Patrick Stewart, Colm Meaney, Joanna Miles.
15 June 1991 Episode summaries: "Family", "Brothers", "Suddenly Human", "Remember Me", "Legacy", "Reunion", "Future Imperfect", "Final Mission", "The Loss", "Data's Day".
Interviews: Rick Sternbach, Michael Okuda, Michael Dorn.
16 September 1991 Episode summaries: "The Wounded", "Devil's Due", "Clues", "First Contact", "Galaxy's Child", "Night Terrors", "Identity Crisis", "The Nth Degree".
Interviews: Sarah Higley, Robert Blackman, Keith Birdsong.
17 February 1992 Episode summaries: "Qpid", "The Drumhead", "Half a Life", "The Host", "The Mind's Eye", "In Theory", "Redemption".
Interviews: Leonard Nimoy, Cliff Bole, Marina Sirtis.
18 April 1992 Episode summaries: "Redemption II", "Darmok", "Ensign Ro", "Silicon Avatar", "Disaster", "The Game", "Unification I", "Unification II", "A Matter of Time".
Interviews: Jay Chattaway, Leonard Nimoy.
19 June 1992 Interviews: Tom Benko, Robert Wiemer, David Livingston, Robert Iscove, Win Phelps, David Carson, Michael Rhodes, Rob Legato, James L. Conway, Marvin V. Rush, Patrick Stewart.
Features: Director Checklist.
20 September 1992 Episode summaries: "New Ground", "Hero Worship", "Violations", "The Masterpiece Society", "Conundrum", "Power Play", "Ethics", "The Outcast".
Interviews: Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Scheerer.
Features: Next Generation Trivia.
21 February 1993 Episode summaries: "Cause and Effect", "The First Duty", "Cost of Living", "The Perfect Mate", "Imaginary Friend", "I Borg", "The Next Phase", "The Inner Light".
Interviews: Rick Kolbe, Les Landau, Peter Allan Fields, Naren Shankar, Ralph Phillips.
22 April 1993 Interviews: Brannon Braga, Hannah Louise Shearer, Pamela Gray, Thomas and Jo Perry, Alan J. Adler, Vanessa Greene, Michel Horvat, and Patrick Barry.
23 June 1993 Interviews: Robert Lederman, Timothy Bond, Ron Jarvis, Phil Scorza
24 August 1993 Interviews: Chip Chalmers, Russ Mayberry, Robert Becker, David Kemper, Kacey Arnold-Ince, Jacqueline Zambrano
25 November 1993 100-page special.
Interviews: LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner.
26 February 1994 Interviews: Gabrielle Beaumont, Alex Singer, Peter Lauritson, Brent Spiner, Leonard Crofoot, Allison Hock, Randee Russell, David Bischoff, Philip LaZebnik.
Features: Directors' Index
27 April 1994 Episode summaries: "Descent, Part II", "Liaisons", "Interface", "Gambit, Part I", "Gambit, Part II", "Phantasms".
Interviews: Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Carolyn Seymour, Corey Allen, Jeri Taylor, Edithe Swensen.
28 June 1994 Episode summaries: "Dark Page", "Attached", "Force of Nature", "Inheritance", "Parallels".
Interviews: Gates McFadden, Dennis Bailey, Hallie Todd, Adam Nimoy, James Kahn, Steve Gerber, Beth Woods.
29 August 1994 Episode summaries: "The Pegasus", "Homeward", "Sub Rosa", "Lower Decks", "Thine Own Self".
Interviews: Lance Dickson, Jean Louise Matthias, Ronald Wilkerson, Dan Koeppel, Nick Sagan.
Features: Q Quips.
First magazine in series Starlog Press Official Star Trek Magazine Series Next magazine collection:
The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine
Retrieved from "https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/The_Official_Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation_Magazine?oldid=2427860"
Star Trek series magazines
Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine


There was something whimsical about that word. Comfortable. Tried and True. Trusted.
That's the Open Roaster, in a word.
You probably already knew that it's traditional and even comfortable to serve a roasted ham for an Easter gathering.
This undated recipe from Charlotte County, Virginia, is believed to be used by the Jefferson family at Monticello.
Select a nicely cured Ham. Soak overnight in cold water. Wipe off and put on in enough water to cover. Simmer for three hours. Let cool in the water it was cooked in. Take out and trim. Put into baking-pan, stick with cloves and cover with brown sugar. Bake in moderate oven for two hours. Baste with white wine. Serve with a savoury salad.
Mark Kurlansky, M. (2003) Salt. Penquin Books.
Recipes like this are timeless. And so is your Enamelware from Farm House Collection.
Thinking about a nice BBQ brisket or an Easter Meatloaf for your holiday gathering? It's ok to think outside the Basket and start a few new traditions!
This roaster will compliment any main dish plus it goes from grill or oven, right to table!
So many color options, vintage or splatterware - there is one for you.


Once I began reading about the Uco valley (Internet trip planning) I knew I had to visit. [ed. one of many spectacular views in the valley, this from Bodega Salentien] It just sounded too incredible: the region where the big money was taking up roost; bodegas spread even more few and far between than Maipu or Lujan du Cuyo, highest altitude vineyards in Mendoza province, and proximity to the second largest peak, Tupungato at over19,000 feet, in the Andes. Knowing there would be a major peak that I could actually see with the naked eye while touring vineyards was important because it meant I could easily torpedo any move to take a day-long bus ride (10 hours) to Aconcagua, the tallest Andean peak that can only be seen after a long bus ride up the mountain and which is a popular tourist activity when at a loss for what to do next in Mendoza. When my team was at a loss for what to do next in Mendoza we asked Posada de Rosas hostess Ellen and she suggested we have lunch in the Parque San Martin where tourists seldom ventured. As usual she was perfectly correct.
Before we review the day in Valle de Uco, I want to finish the second half of the previous day in Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo. After touring Bodegas Tempus Alba and Achaval Ferrer we were driven to the Carlos Pulenta compound in Lujan de Cuyo where we were set to have lunch at the Mendoza's finest restaurant La Bourgogne followed by a bodega tour. One can be easily fooled by a first look at the Pulenta facility. It presents as a familiar Latino rectangular compound centered around an open courtyard. There is a posada with a few rooms above the entrance and the restaurant is at the other end of the central pathway. the bodega? All underground. And it is huge.
The bodega tour was efficient. We saw the fermentation tanks and long open storage rooms. Unlike any other winery I have seen, the bottles are stored for aging individually in piles along the walls. This requires multiple opportunities to break them form the excessive handling, from the bottling line, to the storage area, back to the bottling line for labeling, and then into the shipping cases. The most interesting part of the tour was the tasting room (pictured here). I was not interested in tasting any Pulenta wines but I was very interested in examining the wall of Lujan dirt that comprised the room's longest wall.
The lunch is worth mentioning. The food was very good but the service, as noted by tasting team member PeeWee, was "indifferent". We ordered the 2004 Vistalba Corte B from the wine list ($31 US) which was anything but indifferent. Vistalba is one of many Pulenta's lines. Corte is the Argentine word for a blend.
There is also a Corte A and C. Corte B blends 57% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 13% Bonnarda. Blueberry flavors. Feel was luscious. Liked it mucho [ed. even with all the cab?] Made a note to buy it in LA. Price is $25. Corte A blends Malbec and Cab in more equal amounts, but the Corte C is the one I have to try. It is 85% Malbec and 15% Merlot which, in my view, is the better blend.
Salentein is the Pulenta compound in spades. It is a posada, an art gallery and a bodega in three separate buildings each occupying its own acre in a triangle arrangement. The photo above shows the walk form the gallery to the winery. I wanted to stay here but could not arrange it. The bodega, like Pulenta, is underground, however, you could fit about six Pulenta facilities into this one. If you have ever visited the Medici Tombs you have an idea of the scale and spectacle. I had to ask the guide who was buried here. The place is stupefyingly stupendous.
The place is almost overwhelming with its multiple underground levels. Art is not just in the gallery but everywhere…inside and outside This piece is adjacent to the elevator door between hose storage and the "temple" storage room. Eventually – and we were in no rush – we arrived at the tasting room. Here is what they poured us.
Salentein's premium line is Primus, not tasted. I have found that Salentein wines are not easy to locate, at least in LA. This is a shame because they are very good value and decent wines. They offer a wide range of varietals, as well.
Bodega Andeluna is the creation of Ward Lay, of Frito-Lay. That is correct. The same man who brought the world cheet-ohs owns a world class winery in Valle de Uco. We had a fabulous experience here. This was our lunch stop and, unlike the other "premium" dining spot, this was the top stop for the entire trip.
We never did the bodega tour because lunching with Chef Pablo cooking and serving us was too much to hurry through. Because we took the premium tasting meal we did taste some really nice wines…and ate some truly special food…and had some excellent chatting with Chef Pablo. Here are the wines…Michel Rolland gets consulting credit. San Francisco Wine Exchange imports.
2005 Andeluna Chardonnay Reserve: Faint hint of sulfur and minerals on the nose, green olives. Nice mineral flavors. Oak is way in the back. Lemon cream. Meringue. This is a chard I can drink! Grown at 4,000 feet with 12 months in French oak. 13.1%. Bravo!
2006 Andeluna Malbec $8: Buttered popcorn. White pepper. Younger, spicy. Lean middleweight. Excellent. Rich. Chef Pablo loves this wine. At this U10 price it is a total bargain. 14.2%.
The Missus says it tastes a lot like a wine Jim Moore, or Bob Mueller, a couple of those under-the-radar Napa winemakers covered by tBoW, who have just been making great wines for a slew of folks over numerous decades. Jim's label is l'Uvaggio di Giacomoand he used to make a wine named Parador. Bob is the winemaker at McKenzie-Mueller, profiled on this blog several times.
Now if we can just figure out where to buy some!!


If you are on income support, you may be entitled to Free School Meals. Please ask at reception for further details.
Dinner money is paid weekly/monthly in advance.
Payments must be made via the app, the app allows you to make card payments.
Changing to School Dinners or Packed Lunch?
School dinners are ordered in advance. If you have opted for your child to have a school dinner or a packed lunch, any change in the arrangements can only be made at a half term (Please notify reception of changes).
Your child will be encouraged by our Meal Supervisors to eat a balanced meal. Please do not send your child to school with glass containers in their packed lunch or fizzy drinks/sweets.
Download our school dinner menu here.


text:
Saul Bass: The Evolution of an Artist
by Simon Arms
The film titles, the American graphic designer, Saul Bass designed between 1954 and 1995 not only helped bring graphic design to the attention of Hollywood, and to the forefront of the sixties art movements, but revolutionized the way we watch films. From being regarded as an annoying legality – the only way to give credit to the hundreds of people that worked on the set – his minimalistic, conceptual sequences helped film titles become an integral part of the story and ultimately the whole cinematic experience.
Yet this was only one part of his legacy. As this essay shows, it was his ability to evolve as an artist, adapting his unique vision to a huge range of material, that made him arguably the most influential American graphic designer of his generation.
A Cinematic Revolution
With a smile the projectionist slowly read the handwritten note sellotaped to the canister: "PROJECTIONIST: PULL CURTAIN BEFORE TITLES"
What a strange request! It was the opening night of the latest Frank Sinatra vehicle- the Man with the Golden Arm. The opening night of a film so graphic in its depiction of heroin addiction the MPAA had refused it a certificate. What, he thought, could a two minute title sequence have to do with all that?
Shrugging his shoulders the projectionist discarded the note, wound the film, turned down the lights and pulled the curtains.
The audience's stunned silence on that opening night may have shocked the projectionist, but for Saul Bass their reaction was very close to what he was aiming for. Very close. What he didn't quite reach was that level of perfection, that extra yard, only an artist of his caliber could comprehend. From his foundation in the European school of graphic design to his collaboration with some of Hollywood's most legendary directors, that would take him a whole life time.
Learning His Trade
From the prominent baseball player striking a ball so hard it explodes into the words "The Breakfast of Champions" to the bright-faced housewife thrusting her Coca Cola bottle through the words the "Hit That Saves the Day." The brash images and taglines on the streets and magazines of 20s and 30s America dazzled Saul Bass as a child, but it was the roots of this culture – the old world sensibilities of the Europeans – that lured him into graphic design.
Brought up in New York, he saw the country's first exhibits of the European modernists at the Metropolitan Art Museum– not only the paintings of pioneers such as Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, but the compositions of contemporary designers such as Josef Albers and Herbert Bayer. Their success gave Bass the hope that the art he admired from American counter culture – pulp fiction, the lost generation, bohemianism, jazz – could, one day, become part of the mainstream.
The New Swiss Style his teachers taught him on his graphic design course at Brooklyn College both embraced and tempered his ideals. Under Gyorgy Kepes, one of the many Central and Eastern European teachers that immigrated to American in the 30s and 40s, Bass learned an effective design did not have to conform to societal values. While the social realist designs of the American posters, for example, sold a product through a collective view point- such as society's idea of female beauty – the more measured, constructionist approach of the New Swiss Style tried to sell it through the company's or an individual's.
The following two Coca Cola posters, the first from an American graphic designer in 1947 and the second from a Swiss graphic designer in 1953, highlight the difference in styles.
As you can see the differences are marked. The American designer has created a realistic, yet idealistic scene of a couple on a ski slope waving to a friend who is offering them a bottle of Coke. By drawing from the perspective of the friend, the designer can place the bottle of Coke in the center of the picture so it looks like it is the Coke and not the friend that is the focus of the couple's attention. The tagline only reinforces the message: Coke is a welcome and sociable addition to any wholesome activity.
The European poster is no less idealistic, but the careful placement of its images gives the impression that it is offering rather than spelling out the message. What is not in the poster is as important as what is. While one can see a trumpet, a music stand and a chair, for example, there is no musician. But where is the musician? Juxtaposed against the hand drawn outlines of musician's tools, the realistically drawn Coke and sign signifies that a sip of Coke has jolted him or her back into reality. The designers leave it up to the consumer to imagine how that time away from work should be spent.
The European teachers weren't rejecting the American approach, but promoting their theories in a society looking to oppose the political propaganda of Soviet realism. It was up to Saul Bass and his contempories, to mold them into something more American.
In the following poster for the Champion (1949), Bass attempted to combine the New Swiss style with the realist art of American pulp fiction.
Putting It Into Practice
Despite that Hollywood was struggling, Saul Bass's migration to Los Angeles in 1947 was a clever career move. It was true that television was stealing a huge portion of Hollywood's audience. It was true that the government was suing the Hollywood majors for violation of the anti-trust laws – their victory in the 1948 Paramount Case would all but end the studio system that had dominated since the 1920s. Yet it was equally true that these same factors were forcing the majors to turn to people who could create something different.
For the first time since the introduction of the Hays Code in 1930, the creatives and not the executives were calling the shots. When the filmmaker Otto Preminger first hired him to design the film titles for the 1954 film Carmen Jones, Bass not only knew that he hired him out of respect for his talent, but that he would give him the freedom to express it.
While in retrospect his flaming rose didn't quite do justice to the film's core themes of racism and miscegenation, the idea of expressing a film's concept through one simple image, was for those times, highly innovative. Up to that point Hollywood had mostly listed the main players over a pretty but basic background. And even then audiences rarely saw them – most projectionists didn't open the curtains until after they had finished.
By introducing ideas from the New Swiss Style, Bass made the film title an integral part of the cinema experience. As he stated in the documentary Bass on Titles (2006) he approached each film title with the same three point approach he would use with any other design project.
He saturated himself with knowledge of the company.
He made sure he understood the vision of the company.
He didn't try to symbolize a point of view.
His approach was far more successful in his next film for Otto Preminger, the Man With the Golden Arm. Preminger's vision was to represent the reality of drug addiction without judging the morals of the main character. Used to Hollywood representing addicts as drug fiends, it was a vision that Bass knew would challenge the sensibilities of the audience so he sandwiched the credits between a series of straight and off-kilter lines. By the time they came together to form the foreboding jagged arm, the audience knew they were about to witness a film that would step over the lines of traditional values.
The Experimental Phase
It is a shame that many people regard the Man with the Golden Arm as the peak of Bass's career when it was only the first of a series of film titles in the 50s and 60s that would increasingly stretch the boundaries of both technology and his art.
A year later he contributed a 7 minute end credit for Around the World in Eighty Days(1956). Its extravagance reflected a film that with its three hour running time and huge cast of A-list stars was one of the most expensive of its day.
For Vertigo (1958), the first of three titles he designed for Alfred Hitchcock, he took the audience through a woman's eye and into the hypnotic swirl of colors that represented her mind. Though based on a simple image, the sequence had a story like structure – a beginning (entering through the eye), a middle (traveling through the swirl of colors) and an end (coming back out of the eye)
The Big Country (1958), a live action piece, further developed the idea of the film title as a mini story. Depicting a family's journey to the Wild West, the sequence acted as a prologue to the rest of the action.
For his next two films for Hitchcock -North By Northwest(1959) and Psycho (1960) – Bass combined the techniques of kinetic typography with the constructionist approach of the New Swiss Style. In North by Northwest he used a building as a grid for his typography.
Interestingly, for West Side Story (1961) Bass and the director Robert Wise decided to show the title credit sequence as an epilogue. This they thought would lessen the impact of the film's tragic ending.
Its striking symbolism, its story like structure and its use as both the prologue and an epilogue of the film – Bass's film titles for Preminger's Walk on the Wild Side (1962) almost condenses all of his trademark ideas into one sequence. The only thing that is missing is the creative use of typography.
Four years later Bass would bring all these elements together in what would prove to be one of his last film title sequences for 20 years – the audacious opening to John Frankenheimer's Grand Prix (1966).
Yet despite its technical and filmic brilliance Grand Prix was an example of film titles around that time becoming, as Bass stated, a "tap dance" of their own. "Fancy titles became fashionable rather than useful," he told the Sight and Sound Magazine, "and that's when I got out."
Finding His Voice
Saul Bass moved into filmmaking, directing among others the Oscar winning short the Man Who Creates (1968) and the science fiction feature Phase IV (1974). Both excellent examples of his now trademark ability to combine striking images with literate and tight storytelling (please see below for links to his films). For the opening sequence of Phase IV, for example, he cut together real footage of an ant colony to show their evolution from harmless insects to an intelligent and dangerous force.
If such inventive works had continued we would be talking about a great filmmaker. Unfortunately Phase IV flopped. From being one of the darlings of the film industry, Saul Bass found himself having to reassess his career.
In retrospect it helped rather than hindered him. Seeing how far away his later work had gone from his original aim of understanding the vision of a company, he decided to return to his roots as a graphic designer. Between 1967 to 1991, Saul Bass designed a series of logos that, seemingly effortlessly, fulfilled each criteria of the 3 point approach without ever having to compromise his distinct style and voice.
The Finished Product
With Hollywood facing strong competition from the independents, they again turned to artists such as Saul Bass for inspiration. From 1990 to his death in 1996, Martin Scorcese – a great admirer of Saul Bass's work – hired him to design the film titles for Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Age of Innocence – and for what proved to be his epitaph – Robert de Niro's descent into the neon lit hell of Casino.
As one can see this is no tap dance. Instead of harking back to what many would perhaps, unfairly, regard as his signature – his cutouts and hand drawn animations – he used modern technology to create a sequence that fit perfectly with the film's themes of greed and corruption.
His Legacy
The sequences Bass designed for Scorcese exposed his back catalogue to a whole new generation of movie-goers. On You Tube for example you can find a array of homemade film titles paying homage to his distinct hand drawn style. Picking up on their interest famous Hollywood filmmakers have hired designers to create titles very similar to his early animations and cutouts. The film title for Steven Spielberg's Catch Me as You Can (2002), for example, is similiar in both tone and style to Bass's title for Around the World in Eighty Days.
Unfortunately one feels such work is only cashing in on the popularity of his earlier work. As this essay shows Bass experimented with a range of different styles; unless it suited the material, he would never have thought about about repeating himself. In this respect the designers most profoundly influenced by him are those who have looked to find their own style and perspective.
The contemporary graphic designer Kyle Cooper is more influenced by Bass' literate approach to film title design than by his designs. As he states "story based film titles are something that have always been more comfortable to me. And by story I mean specific backstory, but also a metaphor – a poster like pun that has to do specifically with what the film is about."
His film titles for Seven are, even for Saul Bass, a perfect example of how to prepare an audience for what is at times a horrific film.
There are many other examples of modern film and even TV titles influenced by Saul Bass' work. Some are listed above, but can you think of any others that share aspects of and even pay homage to his vision? Of course, as shown, Bass was continuously looking to push the boundaries of his art, using a variety of techniques.
From this perspective do you think that the graphic designers who have paid homage to him have truly captured the essence of what made him one of the greats? What aspects of his work do you think are the most important for modern graphic designers to take on board? Finally, how have modern designers evolved film title design since Bass's heyday in the 1960s? What film titles influenced Saul Bass when he made his comeback in the 1990s? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section.
Links to Other Work by Saul Bass
Title Champ
Saul Bass – Documentary
Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
Ocean's Eleven
A Personal Journey
Not With My Wife You Don't
Such Good Friends
Bunny Lake is Missing
The Cardinal
Facts of Life
The Big Knife
This article is originally published on Jul 02, 2012, and updated on Jul 22, 2020.
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Simon travels through Asia, his camera always ready. From time to time he shares exotic experiences.
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Former Aide Alleges Gillibrand's Office Mishandled Sexual Harassment Complaint
Claire Lampen
Modified Mar 11, 2019
J Scott Applewhite/AP/Shutterstock
An ex-aide to New York Senator and 2020 candidate Kirsten Gillibrand has accused her former employer of hypocrisy, arguing that the Congresswoman positioned herself as a staunch advocate of the #MeToo movement, even as her office minimized and mishandled sexual harassment complaints.
Speaking to Politico, the anonymous aide catalogued inappropriate remarks allegedly made by a staffer with a close relationship to Gillibrand. After she reported him, the woman said, that staffer—Abbas Malik—began retaliating against her at work, prompting the woman to quit while Malik kept his job. The office's in-house sexual harassment investigation left her feeling "defeated," "devalued," "belittled, insulted, and intimidated," the woman wrote in a resignation letter addressed to Gillibrand, her chief of staff, and her general counsel.
"I trusted and leaned on this statement that you made: 'You need to draw a line in the sand and say none of it is O.K. None of it is acceptable,'" she wrote. "Your office chose to go against your public belief that women shouldn't accept sexual harassment in any form and portrayed my experience as a misinterpretation."
The woman says Malik began harassing her after he received a promotion on July 10th. Allegedly, he sent flirty texts; made comments like, "If we had met in a bar, would it have happened for us?" and, "Why do I love you! I should hate you!"; and froze her out when she tried to distance herself from him. The woman alerted deputy chief of staff Anne Bradley, who alerted chief of staff Jess Fassler: they set the formal complaint process in motion. However, the former staffer says that they didn't enlist a third party to investigate the claims, which Gillibrand has repeatedly advocated in other contexts, nor did they contact former staffers the woman said could corroborate Malik's behavior.
The Senator's office told Politico that an outside investigator was "not a realistic or viable option."
The woman made her initial complaint on July 25th; by July 30th, the office had "disciplined" Malik by way of a demotion. While she wasn't entirely satisfied, the staffer told Politico she felt the office did what they could—until Fassler apparently told her that, while he had plenty of reasons to fire Malik, he could also come up with reasons to fire any member of the staff, including her. And when she complained that Malik appeared to be leaving her out of the loop deliberately, she found herself accidentally CC'd on an email suggesting that Fassler and Bradley were attempting to side-line her, too.
Gillibrand has been dubbed the "#MeToo Senator" because she has championed survivors of sexual violence, and has come out as a vocal critic of men accused of sexual misconduct: In 2017, for example, she classified Bill Clinton's relationship with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky as a transgression worth resigning over. The woman told Politico that she felt Gillibrand's reaction to sexual harassment allegations within her own office defied the Senator's believe-survivors political stance, and in August, she resigned.
In a statement to Politico, Gillibrand said: "These are challenges that affect all of our nation's workplaces, including mine, and the question is whether or not they are taken seriously. As I have long said, when allegations are made in the workplace, we must believe women so that serious investigations can actually take place, we can learn the facts, and there can be appropriate accountability. That's exactly what happened at every step of this case last year."


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Ana Marina / News
Australian Alpaca National Show and Sale
Ana Marina will be performing a number of songs from her album HAUNTED at the Gala Dinner
On Saturday, August 6th.
More information: nationalshow.com.au
The HAUNTED album launches at the Spring Hill Reservoir on May 19 and May 26 were smashing successes. The crowd and the critics couldn't have been any happier, and the energy in the room was fantastic as all ten songs from the album were performed. The reviews were great, and AussieTheatre.com expressed hope that the HAUNTED success didn't mean the end of Ana in musical theatre. In the end, the performances were a wonderful celebration of a long and fulfilling journey.
Radio Play: HAUNTED made the ABC612 Album of the Week, with Steve Austin.
First Radio Play
The very first RADIO PLAY!
Ana Marina's original song 'Runaway Kingdom' from HAUNTED was broadcast, along with an interview on the radio show 'Tuesday Drive' with Jonathan Taylor on 'Radio Today' in Johannesburg, South Africa www.1485.org.za
Click link here to listen
http://anamarina.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Ana-Marina-Interview-With-Jonathan-Taylor.mp3
'Haunted' Album Launch Concerts
The official album launch of HAUNTED will be on May 19 at the Spring Hill Reservoir in Brisbane. The evening promises to be a fantastic night out. All 10 songs will be performed, and there will be a CD signing alongside a great wine bar! The concert on the 26th will also include performances of other favourite songs in addition to the entire album. Don't miss these two shows.
Tickets available now on Ticketmaster:
Underground Opera: 'West End to Broadway'
Ana Marina will be performing in the Underground Opera Company's concert season, "West End to Broadway" at the Spring Hill Reservoir in Brisbane, Feb 12-29. The show will feature a number of songs from some of the most famous musicals to ever open in London and New York, including West Side Story, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera and many more. Come along to this unique venue for some intimate entertainment.
'Haunted' Photo Shoot
As the album release creeps up, it was time for the photo shoot with Lix North at Lix Creative. We took a million pictures, including a few with the fabulous Lulu. The session was great, and we started to create the vibe for HAUNTED.
The long journey of recording the debut album begins in earnest in the studio of James North Productions. There will be 10 songs recorded on the CD, including 5 originals. The process is so exhilarating and to be in the creative mindset is very energising. Keep an eye out for information about 'HAUNTED'.
Can You Hear The People Sing?
Ana Marina will be joining other music theatre greats like Amanda Harris, Jennifer Paz, Michael Ball and David Harris in Enda Markey's production of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" In Taipei's International Convention Centre. Conducted by Gerard Salonga, the concert will feature the great works of Boublil and Schonberg, including the most wonderful songs from the world-famous Les Miserables.
Pictured: Michael Ball and Ana Marina
© 2016 Ana Marina | Website by Lix Creative


We grow many varieties of non-invasive clumping bamboo. The difference between clumping and running (invasive bamboo) is clumping bamboo forms a round clump that expands slowly whereas running bamboo sends undergound runners that pop up 10 feet or more away from the main clump. There are many uses for bamboo including : Construction, edible bamboo shoots, privacy screens and hedges, ornamental, windbreaks and furniture, flute making.
Bamboo comes in one gallon, two gallon as well as seven and ten gallon size.


How Many Calories Are There in a Vada Pav & Does It Have Any Health Benefits?
Vada Pav, also known as poor man's burger is a vegetarian Indian street food. It has been Mumbai's favorite snack since decades. Basically, Vada Pav is a fried Potato patty which is stuffed between bread and garnished with Coriander sauce, Garlic sauce and spices. Being simple, tasty and inexpensive makes Vada Pav extremely popular and preferable street food.
Vada Pav is one of the most popular Indian street food which is also known as the Indian vegetarian version of the American Burger. Deep fried and stuffed with boiled potatoes, it is usually served with garlic sauce and chilies. It contains boiled potatoes, ginger-garlic paste, finely chopped onion and coriander leaves, lemon juice, curry leaves, green chilly paste, salt, oil, Cumin and mustard seeds.
When you bite into a Vada Pav, you experience the flavor of boiled and seasoned potatoes, Garlic paste, tempering of mustard and curry leaves. Then there's some gram flour, mint sauce with white bread. The oil or fat content of a Vada Pav is higher than idli which is a healthy substitute. Potatoes give you a healthy dose of carbohydrates while gram flour has high protein content. However, the nutritive value goes down when you fry the Vada, irrespective of the oil used. The healthier option would be to make the Vada Pav at home. Use whole wheat bread and bake the Vada instead of deep frying.
By modifying the cooking process it is possible to prepare healthy version of Vada Pav at home which has less fat and fewer calories than the street version. Avoid deep-frying and replace the refined flour bread with a wholesome whole wheat bread.
Next articleHow Many Calories Are There in Biryani & Does It Have Any Health Benefits?


Sydney Shop Girl: The Confessions of An Ageing Mag Hag.
I read magazines in one of two ways.
Immediately - upon receiving the latest issue in the post or giving in to temptation at the supermarket check out and placing a copy in with my shopping.
Eventually - when I see it in a waiting room, at a cafe or at the hair dressers.
Magazine preference, like many other things in life, changes with a person's age and life situation. Lately, I've been finding myself drawn to magazines whose pages offer comfort, warmth and human connection as opposed to cache, wild celebrity exploits and famous humans in conflict.
I suppose it's because my life has changed. I got a job and moved out of home and got a mortgage. Then I got married and got older. And it's not necessarily because I got married and got older and it's not that the two are cause and effect but somehow, after experiencing life in a non celebrity manner, I finally decided to value my own life and nurture everything in it rather than covetting the lives of other people.
Which brings me to why I've suddenly decided that I need to get myself a subscription to The Australian Womens' Weekly.
This month's AWW with the Country Classics mini recipe book attached. And look, my favourite twins are on the cover too!!
I've been dabbling in the Christmas issues for a few years now. Then it was the issues with free skincare products attached to the cover and now it's the Royal Families issues with mini cookbooks on their covers. That's almost every kind of issue in my book so a subscription will probably be the most economic approach to make my newfound affinity with the AWW official.
A Farmer's Wife gave me the heads up on this month's AWW, actually. She told me about the Royal Wedding recipe feature including a version of Coronation Chicken. I suspect she wasn't as thrilled about the collection of 'country classics' recipes as I because as a woman of the farming community, they are all probably already in her repertoire.
I like reading the AWW. I also like to think that this is because the editors have made efforts to cater to a more youthful market of the over 30s rather than my shifting into a much older magazine demographic. I'm being naive, I suspect. The fashion focuses on making the most of what you've got and remembering that most people have daytime lives that require most of their bodies to be covered and their feet to be shod in shoes that allow them to walk beyond the taxi rank. There's a fair mix of beauty products that cater to trends and people who are time poor. The articles themselves tend to focus on the triumph of the human spirit whether the subjects be celebrities or ordinary people with extraordinary stories. It goes without saying that the recipe section is always strong. I'm looking forward to trying a Julie Goodwin recipe this weekend, actually. I like her no nonsense approach of delivering a good meal with simple ingredients.
The AWW is also a reliable source of all the latest on The Royal Wedding. All sorts of Channel 9 personalities will be covering the day for us back home in Australia.
I couldn't live without my Donna Hay subscription, so I renewed it last night. This month's issue has donuts on the cover and this American Diner inspired menu featuring fried chicken and corn bread! With my recent foray into Panko crumb coated chicken and my ongoing yearning for a KFC Double Burger, I am obviously in the chicken zeitgeist as dictated by Donna Hay.
All that magazine reading needed some kind of fuel. I had toaster muffins for dinner last night. The irony of eating them whislt reading some great recipes was not lost on me. Thursday was a very long day at work, then a very long wait in the queue at Aldi where I bought only 2 boxes of cereal and 3 boxes of muesli bars. It was all I could do to turn on the toaster and find the butter.
But I haven't entirely let go of my glossy magazines.
I still read Australian InStyle. There is an excellent guide to blow drying in this month's magazine which I may have to stick to the bathroom mirror.
Park Street is a bit mild to be honest, but that doesn't mean I can't be inspired by the editors's office desk styling tips.
My version with 3 ageing MAC lipsticks.
Take care and have a lovely evening, everyone. Sigh. I have to work all weekend - again.
I'm the same with reading mags.
I don't think I've ever bought AWW, yet like you I love the recipes in it. Sigh. Now that I've read this post I'll probably go and buy it toot sweet.
Glad you enjoyed the AWW. Am making Coronation Chicken soon for a ladies lunch (feeling retro). Will let you know how it goes.
I steal my mum's AWW and Woman's Day magazines. I also enjoy Ladies Home Journal, although Allure and In Style US still feature heavily on my magazine radar.
AWW is a good read. I like Marie Claire and InStyle too, although their fashion and beauty is always beyond me.
Hope the working weekend goes quickly for you.
Magazines are quite interesting reading material. i prefer reading magazine that touches more about family life like reader's digest.


The digitization of assets (aka tokenization) is the process of representing physical assets with unique characters. This process allows the ownership rights to be transmitted and traded on a digital ledger like Xtense. Tokenization opens up the asset world to people who cannot commit a substantial amount of money to buy a single asset or financial instrument. It allows them to build a portfolio of paintings, real-estate, gold or any other commoditized asset where they have purchased shares. This process will transform our old idea of buying an entire piece of a physical asset as it will turn liquid or group of assets into a digitally tradable asset. Xtense provides an end-to-end platform for people who are more interested in assets because of their investment potential.
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The current situation gives a rare possibility for combining the development efforts in different areas of technology for real-time settlement infrastructure with major efficiency gains. Our simplified structure will only include four types of institutions as direct participants in the core infrastructure: A simplified institutional accounting structure consisting basically of registrars and custodians. A settlement and trading infrastructure based on a common open network structure. Legal and regulatory harmonisation supporting the simplified institutional structure. A network-based infrastructure for a transparent audit trail. Our solution deliberately questions and challenges some the current beliefs and standpoints on which the current securities process is based. The impact on the market will be huge, but the benefits can be obtained earlier and the result will be a clear overall structural reform.
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While we challenge capital market participants to invest in the innovation to bring about a better ecosystem to benefit all, Initial solutions are likely to be imperfect. We understand no substitute for the deep collective knowledge held by the major participants in capital markets.
We invite whole heartily both our valuable community members and challengers to participate in one of the real use case of DLT technology and disseminate knowledge.
We are looking for volunteers from Capital market, Insurance, Art and Real estate to help test our next version of testnet and platform, available in October, 2018. If you are interested, please submit your resume to hello@xtense.io with your brief contributions to existing projects (e.g., github commits) or reference.
We at Xtense are open to embrace nascent technology and refine our solution every day.
Please don't send money and ETH to any unverified website in our name. We have no ICO plan till now until our product is ready for market. Updates will be available on this website, Twitter, and our Telegram announcements channel. Please subscribe or join our Telegram bellow.
Let's together shake up the value chain !