This Mardi Gras and many Mardi Gras past have been a distant celebration for me. I have been gone from Louisiana for a few years now, and I miss it more today than I ever have.
For a long time our little neck of the woods was unknown to many. Mardi Gras was not celebrated in other parts of the country or the world, but today it has spread like wildflowers. I have seen many people posting their own version of what they perceive Mardi Gras to be and it's wonderful to see others celebrating our culture.
I have traveled many places with my Husband, who is Active military, and I have found that there is no place like home. As a young teenager, eager to see the world, I could not wait to get away from Louisiana and see other places. I was so ready to get away from "Bayou Country" and spread my wings.
In my travels I have been to many places and seen many other cultures and I am so grateful for the experience, but there is no place like home! The food, the people, the music, and the traditions, are so far from what's going on in other places in the United States that it's like being in a foreign country in comparison.
[mks_pullquote align="left" width="300″ size="24″ bg_color="#b2b2b2″ txt_color="#ffffff"]"I had to leave home to realize that I come from one of the most amazing places on earth!"[/mks_pullquote]"I had to leave home to realize that I come from one of the most amazing places on earth!" So, I'm sharing this video so that you can have a little taste of what really goes on at Mardi Gras time! I Hope you enjoy it.
Photo and video credit: Nathaniel Mitchell Sr.
I know exactly what you mean about the rich culture we have in our state. See other places trying to imitate our culture, gives me a sense of pride and class to say Yessss……I am from South Louisiana and we celebrate with dignity. But, most of all missing home. There is no place like home. I live in Texas and it's not far from home but, it's not home.
Thanks for the wonderful blog in representing our cultural heritage………Louisiana and Mardi Gras!
I know you feel the same way I do. #southerngirls!


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Eggnog. The Fir Tree.
Moominmamma worked all afternoon. A little before dark she had the food cooked for Christmas, and served in small bowls around the fir tree. There was juice and yoghurt and blueberry pie and eggnog and other things the Moomin family liked.
The Fir Tree, Tove Jansson
I have been something of a nomad in the past couple of months. Since my book was released in October, I have been touring around, barely settling down for more than a couple of days before heading off somewhere new. I have become an expert at packing - cramming my suitcase to bursting point with books, woollen cardigans, and a couple of jars of homemade marmalade.
Usually, by three days before Christmas, my kitchen is filled with the chutneys, jams, cordials, and preserves I've made in the preceding months. I would normally have baked row upon row of gingerbread or pepparkakor, stacking them up in jars to give as gifts. There would be piles of crystallised ginger, and boxes of fat, squashy Turkish Delight. It has always been, without question, my favourite time of year. But this year, without my normally consistent base, and unable to take months worth of edible presents with me whenever I moved, my kitchen storecupboard has remained empty.
My Christmas decorations, sent in a box by my mum in my first year here, are in storage. For the first time, I haven't had a tree in London, filling my house its unmistakable scent all December. And so, inevitably, the lead up to Christmas has made me feel more homesick than ever. More than any other year that I have spent in the UK, it is my favourite seasonal books that are sustaining me, in the absence of all the rituals that usually do.
We see in The Fir Tree the strangeness of ritual and of tradition, observed through the eyes of the Moomins. The family, who normally spend winter in hibernation, are woken by the hemulen and told that Christmas is coming. Unaware of what Christmas may be, and flummoxed by a world deep in snow, they prepare as if readying themselves to appease a vengeful God. Their preparations are frantic and anxious, but eventually there is calm, candles are lit, and the decorated tree stands proudly in the wood.
And I'm reminded that my favourite Christmas rituals are still to come. Tomorrow, I travel back to my adopted home, to spend a week with my beloved family. We'll dress the tree with generations of decorations, and I'll find time to bake some biscuits. We'll celebrate with a smörgåsbord on Christmas Eve, and with stockings and Christmas pudding on Christmas Day. As I write, there are dressed trees and lights appearing in windows across the street, and A Charlie Brown Christmas is playing. And beside me sits a glass of eggnog; a festive ritual that is new to me. It has always seemed odd and unappealing, poured out of cartons by characters in American sitcoms. But the homemade version is a different beast entirely: rich, boozy, spiced cream, lightened by the addition of beaten egg whites. Best enjoyed in small portions, it sits between a dessert and a cocktail, which certainly seems entirely seasonally appropriate. I'll be making it yearly from now on.
Makes 4 small glasses
75ml cream
1/4tsp ground mace
1/2tsp ground nutmeg
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
1tbsp caster sugar
100ml bourbon
Grating fresh nutmeg
1. Bring the milk, cream, mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon to a slow simmer over a low heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar for a couple of minutes in a bowl, until very pale, and forming thick ribbons when dropped from the whisk into the bowl.
2. Pour the simmering milk over the yolks, whisking constantly to prevent them scrambling, and then add the bourbon. Cover and transfer to the fridge for 24 hours (or up to three days) to allow the flavours to develop. Don't forget to hold onto the egg whites - you'll need them too.
3. When you're ready to serve, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Carefully fold into the eggnog mixture, then pour into glasses. Top with freshly grated nutmeg, and serve immediately.
In Children's Books, Drinks, 20th Century Fiction Tags Moomins, Finland, Christmas, Drink, Alcohol, Cocktail, Loneliness, Ritual
Ice-Cream Sandwiches. Mallory and the Trouble with Twins.
"Put your bracelets on and follow me into the kitchen."
The girls did so. They sat at the table while I took three ice-cream sandwiches out of the freezer.
Mallory and the Trouble with Twins, Ann M. Martin
I did a lot of babysitting as a teenager. It was something I'd spent most of childhood impatiently waiting to be old enough to do; I spent countless Saturdays reading about the adventures of Kristy, Mary-Anne, Claudia, Stacey, Dawn, Mallory, and Jessi in Stoneybrook, Connecticut, and had grand plans for a setting up a similar babysitting empire in Brisbane.
Eventually, I grew up to be just the sort of responsible, goody-two-shoes, eager-to-please fifteen year old you'd want looking after your children. I loved reading stories aloud, and playing football in the back garden, and building villages out of Lego. And once the kids were asleep, I'd curl up on the sofa, and watch a video. I could never truly believe that I was being paid to watch television; my waitressing job meant hours on my feet, furious customers who'd waited an hour for a curry, and the Friday night rush where I'd barely stop for breath. My babysitting empire never took off, but my years of looking after children had a big impact - I've spent a great deal of my professional life working with young people and children.
I haven't read a Baby-Sitters Club book in years, but the food had always made an impact: 'smores around campfires, sloppy joes, loads of sweets, and ice-cream sandwiches. The Baby-Sitters Club (alongside Goosebumps) was my gateway into suburban America, a place that sounded impossibly brilliant to a bookish nine-year-old in Australia. I loved reading about the girls' trips to the snow, summer camps, and visits to Disneyland, but I was also completely invested in their fiercely loyal friendship, and thought Claudia was perhaps the coolest person I'd ever come across.
I also remember the books showing me families that looked like mine. Having divorced parents was still relatively unusual in our small Catholic community; I was the first girl at my secondary school to request four tickets for my graduation, so that all my parents could come along. In Stoneybrook, it was normal - something the girls supported each other through. These books did what all good stories tend to do: made me feel less alone.
I hadn't really thought about them in years (though I loved them, they haven't stayed with me in the way that The Secret Garden, or Potter a year or two later did), but in my last week as a nanny, back in August, I was making plans for my final day hanging out with the kids. I was feeling nostalgic, and they came rushing back. So we made these. The chocolate biscuits here are adapted from Deb Perelman's, my absolute favourites, and ones my old nannying charges love too.
A little post-script here: if you haven't yet heard, I've written a book. It's been out for a week, and I'd love to know what you think of it. It's full of recipes from my favourite novels, and stories about my life, my family, and my time in England. You can buy a copy here, or in your local bookshop.
Ice-Cream Sandwiches
Makes 6 sandwiches
220g light brown sugar
Pinch table salt
220g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
Generous pinch flaky sea salt
100g milk chocolate
1l vanilla ice-cream
Stand mixer or hand whisk and mixing bowl
Freezer-proof bowl
Baking tray
Cooling rack
Heatproof bowl
1. Beat the butter until soft, then add the sugar. Continue beating until light and creamy. Add the egg, and the vanilla, and beat until combined.
2. Fold the flour, baking powder, and table salt into the butter mix. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
3. The batter will be quite sticky. Split it into twelve pieces, and roll into balls. Place on the freezer-proof plate, ensuring the balls aren't touching each other, and place in the freezer for at least four hours, or overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 180C and transfer the frozen biscuit dough onto lined baking trays, giving them space to spread. Place in the oven for 14 minutes, until puffed and risen. Sprinkle with salt as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool on the tray for ten minutes, and then on a wire rack. The biscuits will collapse and harden as they cool, but remain chewy in the middle.
5. Once the biscuits are cool, melt the milk chocolate in a microwave (giving it short, 15 second blasts), or over a pan of simmering water. Dip six of the biscuits into the chocolate, and allow to cool.
6. Take the ice-cream out of the freezer and allow to soften for a couple of minutes. Spoon some onto the base of a biscuit without chocolate, and set a second chocolate-dipped biscuit on top. Eat immediately.
In 20th Century Fiction, Biscuits, Children's Books Tags Babysitting, Nanny, Chcolate, Biscuit, Cookie, USA, Claudia, Ann M. Martin, Baking, Bake
Rock Cakes. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
'This is Ron,' Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.
'Another Weasley, eh?' said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. 'I spent half me life chasin' your brothers away from the Forest.'
The rock cakes almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J. K. Rowling
26 June 2017 marks twenty years since the first Harry Potter novel was released. Through complete serendipity of timing, I have been revisiting Philosopher's Stone this month: my nannying charges have finally decided to start the series. I've been spending bedtimes reading chapters aloud - giving (truly appalling) voice to Hagrid and Professor McGonagall, and relishing the chance to see the plot twists and turns through their fresh eyes. I know the stories so well at this point, almost by heart; it's been a true joy rediscovering them through someone else.
But I'm also reading with a greater sense of apprehension than I anticipated. I've been surprised to discover just how much it means that this book becomes one that they love too. So much of my childhood - who I was in my early years - is tied up in its pages. I read it under the covers, on the bottom bunk, at midnight, long after my dad thought I was asleep. Aged 11, I wrote to J. K. Rowling, desperate to know whether there was an Australian school for witches and wizards. In secondary school, I carved out time for rereading the books when school exam stress threatened to overwhelm me. I devoured the seventh in a single day as I housesat my granny's apartment just after my 21st birthday. Now 30, and miles away from my family, the series still comforts me when I am homesick, or lonely, or anxious. I know I am not alone in this. It's a story I have heard from many others of my age: these books, and these characters, have grown with us, and become part of us in a way few others have.
And so, while I would like to say that the opinion of a seven and eleven-year-old don't really matter to me, nothing could be further from the truth. I hope, when I see them in years to come, that they talk to me of Sirius and Lupin, of the Weasley twins leaving Hogwarts in a blaze of fireworks, of the horror of Dumbledore's death, of the Deathly Hallows. I have lived under their roof for eighteen months now, a significant portion of their young lives. We have shared so much: time spent with Star Wars, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Doctor Who, and Enchanted, playing Cop It, Bananagrams, and The Game of Life, making cream horns, sponge cakes, and toad-in-the-hole. I hope, very much, that I can add Harry Potter to this list, and leave a beloved piece of my childhood behind on their bookshelves.
Twenty years ago, when I was learning to cook, I made a lot of rock cakes. We whipped up batches of them after school, wrapping them up in cling film for packed lunches the next day. At their best, they're somewhere between a biscuit and a scone - light and buttery, and full of sweet dried fruit. The trick is not to overmix or overbake them. Hagrid's are more rock than cake; you don't want to break your teeth on your batch.
Rock Cakes
75g light brown sugar
75g dried cherries
125g sultanas
Zest of a lemon
3tbsp single cram
1tsp vanilla
1. Preheat the oven to 160C. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Toss the fruit and zest through, until evenly dispersed.
2. Whisk together the egg, cream, and vanilla. Pour this into the dry ingredients, and mix through with a fork, and then your hands, until you have a batter. Don't overmix - as soon as there are no floury bits, stop mixing.
3. Pull the dough from the bowl in eight evenly sized chunks. Keeping them rough, place onto lined baking trays, and sprinkle with caster sugar.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool, and then serve within a day or so - hard, stale rock cakes are (as Harry and Ron discovered) particularly unappetising.
In 20th Century Fiction, Cakes, Afternoon Tea, Children's Books Tags Biscuit, Cake, Dried Fruit, Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling, Hagrid, Childhood, Reading, Baking
Pretzels. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
Lunch cheered her. She suggested that they play in Central Park for a while, and they did. They bought peanuts, chestnuts, and pretzels from the vendor outside the museum.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E. L. Konigsburg
My sister Lucy and I often ran away from home when we were little. We filled backpacks with books and games and boxes of Jatz crackers, and left dramatic notes on the dining room table. We never got far; I think we just liked the drama, the idea of the great search that would surely be organised within minutes. In reality, we faced the inevitably of being discovered under the house, where the washing machine lived, when mum came down to put a load on, or of returning upstairs, bored of hiding, before anyone realised we'd vanished.
We often discussed going further afield - to the Baskin Robbins up the road, perhaps, or to the fish and chip shop, piggy banks heavy with 20c pieces. But we never did. At the end of the day, our beds were comfortable, and we agreed, grudgingly, that not being allowed to watch The Simpsons probably didn't qualify as a reason to leave home. Our stepdad Geoff still has a collection of the best notes we left behind - records of our petty frustrations, that we all laugh about now. But some part of me always wondered what it would have been like to pack a tent, and all our saved pocket money, and head off with Lucy for a few days.
So, when my friend Fiona sent me a copy of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, I read it with an odd kind of vicarious longing. As a child, I could only dream of a city like New York, and a place like the Met, to escape to, with only my dear sister for company. Back then, I romanticised life as an adult: visiting a laundromat (they held a strange appeal until I actually had to use one), finding things to fill the days with, eating what and where we liked. In the end, of course, Claudia and Jamie return home, but their days of independence are the type I dreamed of.
Throughout the book, the intrepid Kincaid siblings enjoy multiple helpings of macaroni cheese - exactly the sort of meal Lucy and I would have ordered multiple helpings of when unsupervised - alongside cheese sandwiches, and these chewy pretzels, that they purchase from a vendor near Central Park. Pretzels are best eaten hot from the oven, dipped in hot mustard, or stored warm in your pocket, to eat when peckish on a long walk. If you have any left over, do toast them, or warm them in the oven, before eating them the next day.
New York Pretzels
2tsp dried active yeast
1tsp dark brown sugar
250ml lukewarm water
1tsp bi-carbonate of soda
1tbsp treacle
Rock salt, for sprinkling
1. Mix the yeast, brown sugar, and water together. Add to the flour and salt in the mixing bowl, and stir with your hand to combine. Knead for ten minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky to begin with, but will become easier to work with as you knead. Wash and grease the mixing bowl, return the dough to it, cover, and leave it to rise in a warm place for an hour.
2. Grease a sheet of greaseproof paper, to ensure the pretzels don't stick. Weigh the risen dough, and divide into twelve even pieces. Roll each piece until it is 30cm long. Form into the shape of a U, cross the ends over twice, and then fold them over, pressing the ends down onto the base of the loop.
3. Set the pretzels aside to rise until the dough springs back when pressed - about 40 minutes. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, and heat the oven to 210C.
4. Bring a pot of water to the boil, and add the bi-card and treacle. Reduce the heat until the pan is bubbling at a confident simmer. Gently lower a couple of pretzels into the pan, giving them room to move. Flip them over after 30 seconds, cooking for the same time on the other side. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water. Shake off, place on the baking tray, and sprinkle with salt.
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the pretzels are a deep, mahogany brown. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before you bite into them.
In 20th Century Fiction, Bread, Children's Books Tags New York, America, USA, Baking, Snack, Bread, Salt
Potted Beef. The Wind in the Willows.
'There's cold chicken inside it,' replied the Rat briefly; 'coldtonguecoldhamcoldbeefpickledgherkinssaladfrenchrollscresssandwichespottedmeatgingerbeerlemonadesodawater——'
'O stop, stop,' cried the Mole in ecstacies: 'This is too much!'
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Last weekend, I found myself walking along a canal in the English countryside. Pastel-hued blossoms covered the trees, the hills smelt of wild garlic, and summer was undeniably on its way. My woollen socks are still coming out at night but, on that walk, with faces turned towards the sun, it was good to feel that winter had retreated.
I have long been a fan of the cooler months. I have written often of my love for the cold, the grey skies, the sartorial options. But, as Virginia Woolf said about spring: "I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now. One does, I think, as one gets older." I feel, this year, as though this may be true. I have welcomed the brighter days and warmer weather with more enthusiasm than before. I realise, of course, that it's early days, but I'm excited about the months to come.
This summer, my book will be spending time in the darkness, in boxes, as it makes its slow way back across the sea to England. Unable to tinker with it any further, I have taken on catering commissions, planned supper clubs, and am going to write new things. I'm also going to picnic, along canals, and in parks. I spent far too much of last summer indoors; this summer, I am going to soak up the sun while I can.
With the Easter holidays still in full swing this week, I've been spending my days supervising maths projects, play dates, gymnastics routines, epic games of Hide & Seek, and mocktail experimentation. It's called for the sort of cooking that can be done with almost no effort at all; a roasting dish placed in a low oven as the breakfast pancakes are being flipped, the contents merely pulled at with forks hours later, before being served in the garden for lunch. This is the way I like to eat in the summer - a collection of things on a board: little jars of pickles, a wedge of cheese, a twisted parcel of rich, salty butter. Perfect partners for rich, full-flavoured beef. It makes me think of long afternoons in the park, of luxuriating over lunch in the dappled light. I'll be making this again, many times, in the months to come.
Potted Beef
Serves 4 on a picnic
450g shin beef, in 2cm chunks
1tbsp mustard seeds
8 anchovy fillets
Generous grinding of black pepper
Good salted butter
Jar of cornichon
Roasting dish that fits your beef in one closely packed layer
Two forks
Jar, for storage
1. Preheat the oven to 150C. Line the tin and lay the beef in a single layer over it. Pull the thyme leaves from the stalks and crush the mustard seeds. Sprinkle them over the beef, then add the whole anchovies and the garlic, and season with pepper.
2. Cut the butter into thin slices, and cover the beef with it. Tightly seal the top of the roasting dish with foil, and place in the oven.
3. Roast for at least four hours, checking occasionally to ensure the beef is not drying out. Add a splash of water, wine, or stock if it is browning on top at any point. Continue cooking until the meat pulls apart with gentle pressure from a fork.
4. Allow the beef to cool a little, then remove the pieces to a bowl, and pull apart. Lubricate the meat with a little of the buttery, anchovy-rich liquid from the roasting tray, and squash the meat into a jar. If you're going to eat on a picnic within the next day, you can store it like this. Alternatively, it will keep for a few days in the fridge, with a layer of clarified butter on top.
In 20th Century Fiction, Children's Books, Lunch Tags Picnic, Summer, England, Canal, Walking, Kenneth Grahame, Beef, Meat

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Few of us need a fortune teller to know that in-stream video advertising is hot right now, and getting hotter.
Worldwide, around 200 billion videos are watched online every month, reaching a global audience of 1.2 billion people, according to comScore. In Australia, spend on video advertising grew 31% year in 2011 to $43.7 million, compared to sluggish display advertising growth of only 4%, according to the IAB. Moreover, that growth is expected to more than quadruple to $200 million by 2014.
In Australia, demand for online advertising video inventory so outstrips supply that CPM prices for premium environments can exceed prices charged for broadcast television, which is rare in digital advertising.
Sure, new local media arrivals, like the music streaming site Vevo, will swell premium inventory, which might result in lower prices, but even without additional inventory, many advertisers recognise that in-stream video ads hold great potential for reaching online audiences more effectively than other types of advertising – digital or traditional.
According to MediaMind's benchmarks, the average click-through rate (CTR) for standard banners is 0.009%, while the benchmark CTR for in-stream video is 1.74%, an increase of nearly 2,000%. While clicks are an imperfect measure of advertising effectiveness, they are a proxy for the amount of traffic a campaign generates – suggesting that video can be a phenomenally effective way to increase traffic to your website and eventually sales.
One of the main contributors to the effectiveness of a campaign is the time users spend with an ad. The longer you see the brand in front of you, the more likely you are to remember it. With pre-rolls and mid-rolls (in-stream ads that appear before and in the middle of video content, respectively), users must watch the entire ad before the content resumes. Our analysis of millions of impressions shows that an average of 70% of in-stream impressions play all the way through, and 75% play three quarters of the spot duration, providing plenty of exposure time for the money invested.
Branding is all about telling a story – something video can do better than most mediums (aside from novels). According to research by Dynamic Logic and TubeMogul, video ads have some of the highest impact on brand metrics such as brand awareness and brand favorability, with FMCG and financial services campaigns benefiting most from the format.
Worldwide viewing online video is becoming a popular pastime. While the average Australian internet user spends around 10 hours a month watching videos online, the arrival of widespread broadband will help us catch up to markets like the US. There already 57% of internet users view online video at least once per week, and 21% viewed online video daily, according to a 2011 research study by Frank N. Magid Associates.
But the real spur to the online video watching market will come with increasing convergence of internet and TV, giving us the choice to watch whatever we like on any screen in the home. Currently, only around 1% of Australians have internet connected TV, compared to around 14% in the US. But this number will grow, with younger consumers leading the way, as better, simpler solutions emerge from the current wash of Apple TV, IPTV, Google TV and Telstra's T-Box products.
Massive growth aside, in-stream video is already getting results for advertisers – in terms of clicks and brand metrics. The proof is in the spend on online video advertising, which is growing faster than any other advertising type – in digital or traditional mediums.
As online video gradually commands a more prominent place in our living rooms and a larger share of people's time, online video advertising will likely become a standard component of mainstream campaigns. If it is not at least on your radar, you may be putting yourself behind the competitive curve.


Cascadilla Press will have a book display at the 33rd Boston University Conference on Language Development at Boston University on October 31 to November 2, 2008. We will be exhibiting all of our recent books, software, and teaching aids, including past BUCLD Proceedings. We will also have several items there from our CafePress shop, such as our IPA chart poster and fun bumper stickers. The proceedings of BUCLD 33 will be published in 2009 by Cascadilla Press, and we offer a discount for advance orders.


Brand New and B Grade quality. This was a rejected order because the dishwasher took a minor knock on delivery. In essence, its brand new and has never been installed, making it a fantastic bargain. Brand new these hard working machines are in excess of £4k. We are selling them at £2995.00 + VAT. Designed to reduce your electricity and water consumption, they are built for a very demanding environment such as a function or conference venue. Complete with integrated water softener.


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Scientists Find Evidence that Venus may have Active Volcanoes
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA
New research published today in Science Advances shows that lava flows on Venus may be only a few years old, suggesting that Venus could be volcanically active today — making it the only planet in our solar system, other than Earth, with recent eruptions.
"If Venus is indeed active today, it would make a great place to visit to better understand the interiors of planets," says Dr. Justin Filiberto, the study's lead author and a Universities Space Research Association staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI). "For example, we could study how planets cool and why the Earth and Venus have active volcanism, but Mars does not. Future missions should be able to see these flows and changes in the surface and provide concrete evidence of its activity."
Radar imaging from NASA's Magellan spacecraft in the early 1990s revealed Venus, our neighboring planet, to be a world of volcanoes and extensive lava flows. In the 2000s, the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Venus Express orbiter shed new light on volcanism on Venus by measuring the amount of infrared light emitted from part of Venus' surface (during its nighttime). These new data allowed scientists to identify fresh versus altered lava flows on the surface of Venus. However, until recently, the ages of lava eruptions and volcanoes on Venus were not well known because the alteration rate of fresh lava was not well constrained.
Dr. Filiberto and his colleagues recreated Venus' hot caustic atmosphere in the laboratory to investigate how the observed Venusian minerals react and change over time. Their experimental results showed that once erupted onto the surface, an abundant mineral in basalt — olivine —reacts rapidly with the atmosphere and within weeks becomes coated with the iron oxide minerals — magnetite and hematite. They further found that the Venus Express observations of this change in mineralogy would only take a few years to occur. Thus, the new results by Filiberto and coauthors suggest that these lava flows on Venus are very young, which would imply that Venus does indeed have active volcanoes.
Filiberto, J., Trang, D., Treiman, A.H., Gilmore, M., 2020. Present-day volcanism on Venus as evidenced from weathering rates of olivine. Science Advances, 6: eaax7445.
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Q: Encoding IPIPIP Frames from x264 baseline 420 profile I am new to FFMPEG. I am trying encode a stream in alternate I-Frames and P-Frames for the baseline profile IPIPIPIPIP.
I searched FFMPEG forums but was not able to get the required output
My script file:
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=:./FFMPEGEncLibs
./ffmpegEnc -f rawvideo -r 25 -s 176x144 -vcodec rawvideo -i ./encIn/akiyo_qcif.yuv -c:v libx264 -x264-params cabac=0:8x8dct=0 -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v baseline -level 4.1 -psnr -intra -qp 9 -vframes 10 ./encOut/akiyo_cif.h264

Can someone suggest me changes to my script file, so that i would be able to encode in stream in IPIPIP format
Thanks in advance

A: ffmpeg -i file -x264opts keyint=2:min-keyint=2 outfile

will add a new keyframe every second frame. The other frame will be a P frame.

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How do you move on after the woman you love is murdered? When your family and community shun you–even after police fail to make a case against you? For Joseph Lee, you hide from the world and wallow in misery and solitude. Until the unexpected happens. When a woman who looks remarkably like his dead wife moves in across the street, Lee is befriended by her and her husband. Is this the start of something new for Joseph, or is this couple hiding a sinister secret that will upend his life once more?
House 23 is intriguing because it starts after a traditional murder mystery is left unsolved. It informs us and makes us wonder how the narrative can continue from here. That tone is crucial, since the thriller element really emerges from the reader's mind more than the narrative. As Joseph bonds with his new neighbors, the reader suspects something will go terribly wrong, but you never know when. It's a very clever and effective tool, one employed with style by Yance.
Although the book hinges on a twist, you're already so invested in Joseph's plight that, whether you buy the twist or not, Yance already has you. Color me impressed.


Discussion in 'Video Games' started by Dawn, Feb 12, 2019.
We've had rumours of it flying around - as well as what it'll contain - for about a week now, and today Nintendo have confirmed that a Direct focusing on the Switch will indeed be airing on February 13th!
Check the times for your region here.
What do you want? What do you think we'll get? Any of those rumours starting to seem a little more plausible now?
Gwoomy and RadEmpoleon like this.
Darn. It's a 6AM direct for me. Well, I'd like to see the next Smash DLC character. Maybe an update on Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn? And Yoshi's Crafted World.
Wonder if they're planning a new game. I'll just try to be ready for whatever is coming.
We need three houses news!! All we've gotten is 1 trailer! Just 1! ANY info is wanted! @ChocoChicken While it would be cool, I think its probably a little too early for the next DLC character reveal. We haven't even gotten joker yet. I definitely think there will be some new indie games they introduce, and maybe a new IP or something entirely. I do think this should be a mainly three houses focused direct. They've kinda left us in the dark and with a spring 2019 release date thats worrying.
I hope Game Freak has some information about their new game, it looked pretty good in the November (?) trailer. Also looking forward to Kirby's extra epic yarn and (probably unlikely) information about gen 8 Pokémon games or anything about smash ultimate.
Please tell me if I make any spelling mistakes!
11 PM for me as well, I can watch it with no issues, hoping for some new about that 2019 Pokémon game they said would come.
I should be able to watch it at 5 pm but that is only if I think about it cause I don't usually keep up with that kind of stuff.
"We all have power, the only difference is that I know how to control mine."
It has been confirmed, but I really want Fire Emblem news, above all else. Animal Crossing is something I would like to hear more about, too. Nintendo Directs don't usually have tons of major releases, so I'm keeping my hopes low for this one.
thats my only prediction i got no idea what they're gonna do and im not really hoping for anything in particular to be honest.
So it's 4:00 P.M. for me... That means I won't be able to watch it.
But what I hope is some information on current and soon-to-be-released games. I don't really have expectations, so I can't really say I care all too much. I just hope they give us something.
I read all comments and every message I can when I can. I try to keep up and make sure I can help people where I need to. I may not have any power, but I want to help you all. I intend on doing that to the best of my ability, so don't be afraid to ask questions or point something I miss out.
I may not be your average cuddle-bug, but we can still hug if you need one.
Oh Wow. This Is Gonna Be My First Time Watching Nintendo Direct Live Since I Woke During This Time Weekday. It Gonna Happen On Tomorrow At 6am On My Timezone.
Fire Emblem- Yea. It's Confirmed, But I Want To See The Story Mode Instead. There Is No Information Of The Story At All!
Smash- Too Early For Next DLC. Possible More Information About When Joker Pack Will Be Release And How To Get It.
Pokemon Moonlight Silver--a re-imagining of Johto, without all the filler.
Pokemon Shine Diamond--a retelling of the Shinou arc, without all the filler.
I'm very interested in Bloodstained, Astral Chain and the new FE game looked pretty interesting as well tbh so I might try that one when it gets released.
I kind of missed this threads existence, but I really enjoyed the Direct. I'm really excited for the new Fire Emblem game and Super Mario Maker 2.
The end reveal of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening being remade almost had me in tears. That was my first Zelda game and one of my earliest games in general. I have so many fond memories of playing that game as a kid. It always pains me that the game has faded into relative obscurity compared to the other Zelda games and I always love it when the game gets some actual recognition (I could not have been happier when Marin was added to Hyrule Warriors). Honestly, I'm not sure if anything else could have topped that for me.


Glasses of Champagne are sunk in the well heeled City of London and Westminster than anywhere else The analysis of more than a hundred grape varieties and wine regions found Sauvignon Blanc, made from green grapes, came out on top as the most popular wine in almost every British town, city and county. See the suppliers to a royal supermarket Enjoy the tours and tastings at the family-run Camel Valley Vineyard in Cornwall. Wintringham to the east of Malton in North Yorks may, for example, contain grape juice in its syllables. Seen the excitement of harvest on social media and want to be a part of it? The study of sales data at Laithwaite's Wine also revealed more Champagne bottles are popped in the well heeled City of London and Westminster than anywhere else. It pipped Chardonnay, our second most popular, in the first 'Grape Britain' wine map, based on the tastes of more than 400,000 drinkers.
If you want a good wine the last thing you will do is head off to the supermarket and buy an English brand. Expect some beautiful Chardonnay, exceptional Bacchus as well as more rosé and red wines from 2018. The tour is followed by a wine-tasting. Despite a slow start, by 2005 Wales had 20 vineyards, producing 100,000 bottles a year, primarily white wines, but also a few reds. It is recommended that you phone the owner in advance, if planning a visit.
Combined with its proximity to France and other prominent winegrowing nations, widespread British demand for such wines has arguably contributed more to their historic and present global successes than anything else. London: Time Out Guides, 2011. Winemaking continued at least down to the time of the , with over 40 vineyards in England mentioned in the , although much of what was being produced was for making for the. But this is only part of the story. Find sources: — · · · · November 2018 Other small commercial vineyards in Britain followed in the 1960s with growers such as Joy and Trevor Bates in Kent, Norman Cowderoy in West Sussex, Nigel Godden in Somerset, Gillian Pearkes in Devon and Philip Tyson-Woodcock in East Sussex.
The resulting beverage would contain minute quantities of very old vintages. Still wines are much more dependent on ripe grapes, so there could be some really exciting wines coming along. Otherwise, simply spend an afternoon strolling amongst the vines and sampling the delicious wine on offer. Take an outdoor vineyard train tour or, better still, a sparkling train tour with a glass of specially selected award-winning Sparkling Cuvee. They won the country's first gold medal for an English rosé wine and an international gold for a dessert wine. What do I do next? Take your vows amongst the vines, celebrate in with up 150 people in The Old Winery and say I do in a romantic wooden gazebo. He lent money to local farmers to plant grapes on land that had previously been used for wheat or lemons.
Growing grapes could yield 3 to 4 tonnes per acre at around £950 to £1100 per tonne. At Three Choirs, weddings are not the only events taking place. It will also be of interest to students of viticulture. Not sure which are your favourites? All vineyards are positioned at above 49. Sauvignon Blanc's dominance at the top of that list might soon be challenged.
Photo of Pinot Noir grapes from in Wiltshire. In the 18th century, the of 1703 imposed high duties on French wine. So this past week it was chilling to see what looked like a Viking flaming torch procession at a vineyard in Ditchling, East Sussex, as hundreds of candles were ablaze to ward off frost News, April 20. Their growers are experts in using traditional methods to make a world-class range of sparkling and still wines, as well as spirits, beers and cider. Plus, visitors can enjoy lunches and afternoon teas, prepared in the 19th century milking parlour, the perfect place to grab a bite to eat after a few hours ambling among the vines. In fact, across the counties of Kent, West Sussex, East Sussex, and Hampshire, nearly two thirds of all bottles produced today are sparkling.
What could be more fascinating than sampling wine produced from the very earth on which you stand? These are the remains of baglios, or wineries, from the marsala industry. A bottle of sparkling rosé from Fenny Castle in Somerset The technically of Sussex, Kent and other portions of southern England are suitable for growing the grapes used to produce sparkling wine, and particularly on south-facing slopes, the climate, at least in recent years, is warm enough. This led to the English becoming a main consumer of sweet like sherry, , and from Spain and. How to get there: is near the village of Tenterden in Kent and is around 90 minutes' drive south-east of London, and around 20 minutes' drive from the Eurotunnel terminal at Ashford. Site planning and preparation 7. Producing a smorgasbord of sparkling wine, rose and fruity red, this family run vineyard in the village of Hartest in Suffolk, sits on the clay soil site of an ancient glacial riverbed.
What does Britain's Best Ever Grape Harvest mean for You?
Ingham married a local aristocrat, the Duchess of Rosalina, and spoke Italian with a strong Sicilian accent. However, Müller-Thurgau, which was one of the first to be grown during the 20th century renaissance see below , has recently lost favour, dropping from 134. The Whitakers heirs to Ingham and the Woodhouses both sold out to the giant Cinzano consortium in 1927. Available for next day delivery, this Herefordshire based wine is certainly the answer if you're craving a fabulously British glass of bubbly. Other widely grown varieties of white grape include , , , and.
The diurnal temperature range is high. Share And residents of the seaside resort town of Bournemouth, known for its high number of pensioners, like to paint the town red with a glass or two of Merlot and Malbec. Crafted in small batches using traditional techniques, this winery, owned by two friends, takes full advantage of the English chalk terroir on which it sits — creating bubbles which have been served at Kensington Palace. Please note that advertised activities may incur an additional charge and are provided at the sole discretion of property owners, who assume full responsibility and operate independently from Wyndham Vacation Rental. An English wine, produced from vineyards in The is a major consumer but only a very minor producer of wine, with English and Welsh wine sales combined accounting for just 1% of the domestic market. Sleeps four in two bedrooms with room for a pet.
What implications are there for you, as the consumer and the vineyard visitor? This is thanks largely to a warmer climate that has given less frost and a longer growing season. The vineyard regularly holds events that pair its wines with Yorkshire cheeses so you can get a real taste of the fantastic produce available locally. Covering 22 acres, Chapel Down boasts an impressive array of facilities including The Swan restaurant and a wine academy all set against a backdrop of a designated area of beauty. This being said, I shall have to try Scottish wine. Here are the best vineyards to visit and raise a glass to. Recent warmer summers, perhaps as a result of the effects of , have played a role in increasing investment and sale of wines. Meanwhile, Liverpudlians like to add a bit of sparkle to their lives with the city uncovered as the capital of Prosecco, while Cabernet Sauvignon flies off the shelves in Slough.


Zhang, Lin1; Wu, Pute1; Zhu, Delan2; Zheng, Chao1; Zhang, L (reprint author), Northwest A&F Univ, Inst Soil & Water Conservat, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, Peoples R China.
Abstract Emitter clogging has a direct impact on the performance and service life of a drip irrigation system. A study of labyrinth emitter clogging was conducted to determine the effects of pulsating versus constant pressure on average emitter flow rate (), the Christiansen uniformity coefficient (Cu), and the location of clogged emitters. Under constant pressure, emitters in this study began to be clogged after the 8th irrigation, whereby 15 emitters eventually became clogged; the average emitter flow rate decreased to 75% of the original emitter flow rate () after the 15th irrigation, and Cu decreased rapidly by 68.2%. For pulsating pressure, emitters began to be clogged after the 14th irrigation, only 5 emitters became clogged, and only decreased to 85.3% of , and Cu declined by only 22.6%. These results demonstrate that the anti-clogging performance of emitters with pulsating pressure is better than with constant pressure. Emitter clogging at a constant pressure generally occurred at the inlet and front of labyrinth channels, mainly due to deposition of sediment particles. Emitter clogging with pulsating pressure is due to other impurities (e.g., debris of Teflon tape) besides sediment particles plugging the labyrinth channel. Pulsating pressure is recommended for use in drip irrigation to prevent emitter clogging.
Corresponding Author Zhang, L (reprint author), Northwest A&F Univ, Inst Soil & Water Conservat, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, Peoples R China.
GB/T 7714 Zhang, Lin,Wu, Pute,Zhu, Delan,et al. Effect of pulsating pressure on labyrinth emitter clogging[J]. IRRIGATION SCIENCE,2017,35(4):267-274.
APA Zhang, Lin,Wu, Pute,Zhu, Delan,Zheng, Chao,&Zhang, L .(2017).Effect of pulsating pressure on labyrinth emitter clogging.IRRIGATION SCIENCE,35(4),267-274.
MLA Zhang, Lin,et al."Effect of pulsating pressure on labyrinth emitter clogging".IRRIGATION SCIENCE 35.4(2017):267-274.


text:
Voice: Globalization Has Created a Chinese Wall Globalization Has Created a Chinese Wall...
Globalization Has Created a Chinese Wall
Xi Jinping's dictatorship isn't what the end of history was supposed to look like.
By Emile Simpson
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the opening session of the 19th Communist Party Congress in Beijing on Oct. 18, 2017. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
On Sunday, the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee recommended ending the two-term limit on the presidency, paving the way for President Xi Jinping to stay in office indefinitely. This surely marks the end of an era — and not just for China, but also for the West.
For the West, the era in question started with the end of the Cold War, as old enemies became "emerging markets." China had already started opening its markets to foreign investment since 1978 under Deng Xiaoping's reforms. But only in the 1990s did the private sector take off there, and Western firms promptly rushed in to profit from the breakneck speed of Chinese economic growth.
The beauty of the post-Cold War emerging market story was that it was apolitical. Recall the famous identification of the leading emerging markets by Jim O'Neill in 2001 as the "BRICs" (Brazil, Russia, India, China) — four states from different groupings during the Cold War now viewed together as the leading protagonists in a new era of peaceful globalization under the Pax Americana. Some called it the end of history.
But this apolitical approach was premised on the assumption, inherited from the Cold War, that democracy and capitalism go hand in hand, and that the extension of free markets would bring global convergence to the Western economic model, as the Washington Consensus predicted.
Confidence in globalization saw massive amounts of Western capital and intellectual property flow to emerging markets, above all to China. But few in the West registered the geopolitical significance of this at the time. Instead, they praised the economic growth story. And not without good reason: the integration of China into global markets lifted a billion people out of poverty. It remains a testament to the material benefits of removing geopolitical obstructions from the development of global business.
But this story of global cosmopolitan peace has been on the rocks for some time. Russian privatization in the 1990s ultimately produced a mafia state controlled by an oligarchy. More broadly — with a few exceptions, mainly in Eastern Europe, where democracy did take hold (current problems notwithstanding) — capitalism has expanded since the end of the Cold War in spite of democracy, not alongside it.
And nowhere is this more evident than in China. It's now abundantly clear that despite the pious neoliberal belief in the transformative power of free markets to encourage "reform," China is headed toward more, not less autocracy. Indeed, it might not be an exaggeration to say that China has broken a path toward a new form of totalitarianism in which one man will sit atop a police state with access to ubiquitous data gathered about citizens by social media and online shopping platforms and a vast human and electronic surveillance apparatus to track their every move. Look no further than the ghastly "social credit score" system that Beijing wants to roll out by 2020 to get a sense of how wrong the idea has proven to be that free markets will bring about democratic change, or even minor liberalizing reform in China. A billion people may have been lifted out of poverty, but only to find themselves living under cyber-totalitarianism.
The geopolitical consequences of this realization could be very profound indeed. In the Cold War, the West faced totalitarian communist regimes whose economic model and political system were both alien to what the "free world" claimed to stand for. Of course, the link between capitalism and democracy was always tenuous, not least given the reality that many of the West's allies were not democratic. But now, if it was ever in doubt, we know for sure that capitalism and democracy don't have to go together: Capitalism is up for grabs, and you don't even need to support the Pax Americana to plug into it.
How does this end? We don't yet know, but the question may well come to be the defining feature of a new geopolitical phase the world seems to have entered. Note how far removed from the happy story of liberal globalization is the language of the Trump administration's December 2017 National Security Strategy: "China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity."
Admittedly, this comes in the context of a presidency that bizarrely refuses to carry out U.S. congressional sanctions on Russia for interference in the U.S. 2016 elections. But the more important point is that Western states and their citizens are becoming increasingly alert to the need fundamentally to reappraise the value of the integrated global capitalism they have more or less promoted since the early 1990s. I am not talking about a reappraisal in light of the inequality that economic growth has produced, or the massive outsourcing of manufacturing jobs that created rust belts on both sides of the Atlantic, which is a separate discussion. Rather, this reappraisal concerns the inconvenient truth, which surely now is undeniable, that the West's own economic policy has encouraged, if unwittingly, the rise of deeply illiberal regimes in much of the former communist world.
What practical effect this produces in the foreign and economic policies of the West depends, on the one hand, on the extent to which the West is prepared to sacrifice material wealth in support of its public values; and, on the other hand, on the extent to which authoritarian states, above all Russia and China, attempt to export their values abroad. One could list any number of areas where this dilemma will play out, but the most important near-term litmus test will be whether the West responds to China's Belt and Road Initiative as a benign economic project, or as a geopolitical threat.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The apolitical image of the emerging market that underpinned an era of rapid globalization since the end of the Cold War certainly had its attractions, not least the potential to alleviate poverty at a large scale. But today it looks ugly, as it turns out that many of them were not emerging toward anything like the democratic values of most developed markets.
The dogmatic claim that economic freedom leads to political freedom, which underpinned much of the laissez-faire approach behind post-Cold War economic policy between the West and authoritarian regimes, now looks naive. China has proven there is no necessary relationship between them. Only true believers can still hang on to the idea that capitalism will eventually nudge China to a more liberal place, just not yet.
Emile Simpson is a former British Army officer and the author of War From the Ground Up: Twenty-First Century Combat as Politics.
Tags: Asia, Authoritarianism, China, Cold War, Communism, Donald Trump, Economics, Great Power Politics, Science and Technology, United States
NEW FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Want to read more on this topic or region? Click + to receive email alerts when new stories are published on Economics, Science and Technology, United States, China
In U.S.-China Standoff, Is America a Reliable Ally?
Sowing doubts about Washington is a potent weapon for Beijing. But even after Afghanistan, U.S. strategy in Asia remains intact.
Bilahari Kausikan


The parent company of Cambridge Analytica helped put Philippines' leader Rodrigo Duterte into office after already influencing voters in dozens of campaigns across the globe, according to media reports and information pulled from the firm's website.
Strategic Communications Laboratories, or SCL Group, which owns the political consultancy at the centre of a Facebook data harvesting scandal linked to the 2016 US presidential race, boasted on its website that it helped get Duterte elected in 2016 by rebranding him as a tough crime fighter.
The company removed the website content about the 2016 Philippine election, however, archived versions are still visible on the internet. Though SCL did not identify its Philippine client by name, the brief pointed clearly to former Davao City mayor Duterte, who was one of the six candidates in the 2016 race.
SCL still lists the Philippines as an area of operations, but no longer describes what it does there.
But a year before the 2016 Philippine election, a key SCL senior executive gave a rather revealing talk at the National Press Club (NPC) of the Philippines. He was Alexander Nix, who last month was suspended as chief executive at SCL affiliate Cambridge Analytica, the firm accused of siphoning 50 million Facebook users' data to aid Donald Trump's US presidential campaign.
NPC president at the time Joel Egco, now undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), covered Nix's visit to Manila in May, 2015.
He told the South China Morning Post that at the time, he did not know SCL was operating in the Philippines, nor did he have any "inkling" that Duterte would become a client of the firm.
"I was still a member of the press," Egco said, insisting he was not linked to Duterte's presidential bid at the time.
In Egco's story, published in the The Manila Times in May 2015 and titled "Text, emails to decide future polls – expert", Nix provides a rare glimpse into SCL's clandestine activities in the Philippines and potentially dozens of other countries.
"Election campaigning will never be the same again due to the advent of cutting-edge technology," the SCL executive at the time was quoted.
Cambridge Analytica in Asia: modern-day colonialism, or empathy in the digital age?
Nix boasted that SCL had seen a "100 per cent success rate" in more than 100 election campaigns in Asia, Africa, India and western Europe, and said the firm's methods could get a "fundamentally flawed" candidate elected by maximising their "likeable traits".
He also said in 2015 that SCL was "helping the Republican Party in the United States in regaining the White House from the Democrats".
Although Nix did not mention Facebook in the story, he did say the company was able to reach voters through social media and gadgets such as mobile phones and personal computers. And unlike traditional polling methods, Nix said SCL used "psychographics" to change opinions.
Regarding its Thai operations, SCL explained that via "the world's largest electoral campaign OpCentre" it was able to "determine Thai voter behaviour down to the constituency level".
Leekpai is now being eyed as a possible contender for prime minister.


Wallace the buzzard flies through the windshield of Slim's pickup. Wounded and knocked silly, he goes to town with Slim, Hank, Drover and Little Alfred to watch a Santa Claus parade. Is Wallace christmas dinner for Buster and Muggs? Will Hank defend his cowdog honor against a sniveling Poodle?
Junior sings "My daddy had a wreck today" and Wallace sings "A pox, a pox on emily post."
The Wounded Buzzard on Christmas Eve (Hank the Cowdog Series #13) 4.9 out of 5 based on 0 ratings. 11 reviews.
Do want me to fullfil your sexual needs?
i haven't read this book in a log time but when i was little I loved this book. I love the way the little buzzerd studdered.
I like Hank the Cow Dog because it was outstanding and it was funny!
Have'nt read it sounds funny!


Browse the list of frequently asked questions below, to quickly jump to the answer click on the question.
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If I make a reservation on-line through your website, are my credit card details secure?
How will I know my booking was successful?
How much will I be charged when I make my reservation?
Do infants count towards the maximum occupancy?
Can I have more people than the maximum allowed listed in the home to visit?
Can I have a special event or wedding in the home or on the property?
Do you offer monthly rates for your homes?
What are your standard home amenities?
What starter supplies can I expect to find in the home?
Do your homes have internet access? Cable TV?
How to I obtain the keys?
Do I have to check out by a certain time?
What cleaning am I expected to do upon check out?
While OTA's (On-line Travel Agencies) are a trusted source to secure reservations, they charge additional service or booking fees. To avoid these fees, receive the guaranteed lowest available rates, and receive direct and personalized service booking direct with Beach-N-Bay is the recommended way to go.
Absolutely. The website uses Digicert to ensure secure transactions.
Within 20-30 minutes of reserving, you will receive an email with your reservation number and our contract to review. Additionally, within 48 hours you'll receive a phone call from a Reservations Agent to further review details.
If your scheduled arrival date is more than 60 days from today you will be charged $549 ($500 as a reservation deposit plus a $49 booking fee). If your arrival date is 60 days or less from today the balance must be paid in full to secure the reservation, and is non refundable.
Final payment is due 60 days prior to the reservation arrival date. Your contact will list the exact date the balance is due. Final payments are made automatically on the credit card used at time of booking unless we are contacted prior to the due date.
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Yes, visitors are allowed at the home but must leave at a reasonable time and are not allowed to spend the night. Each home does have its' own maximum occupancy limits for additional visitors. Please refer to, and adhere to, each homes specific policy regarding this. Disregarding the occupancy rules is grounds for eviction.
No. We enforce a strict no party, wedding or special event policy in all our homes. We do not allow large gatherings at our homes.
Some of our homes do accept dogs. You can search for pet friendly homes by checking the "Pet Friendly" box, or by selecting "Pet Friendly Home" under the properties tab. Each pet friendly home has a limit to the number and size of dogs allowed listed in the home description. Please notify a Reservations Agent at the time of reservation if you plan to bring your dog in one of the approved homes. Once approved by our office, an approved pet rider will be sent to you and the pet policy must be strictly adhered to by the pet owner.
To read our full pet policy please click here.
In lieu of a security deposit we offer a damage waiver policy providing protection against accidental damage expense. This waiver provides up to $1,900.00 in coverage for any accidental damage that might occur to the property during your stay. If you do not choose to purchase the damage waiver, a cash security deposit will be required. As stated in our Terms and Conditions, you are responsible for the total cost of repairs for any damage done to the property during your stay. We also hold your credit card information and reserve the right to charge the credit card for any damage repair amount exceeding the damage waiver or cash security deposit. We also reserve the right to charge your credit card for any excessive cleaning required.
We do offer longer stays for some of our homes. Each request is handled on a case-by-case basis and depends on what the homeowner wants and what the rental opportunity is for the specific home.
Amenities you can expect to find in all our homes include starter supplies, wireless internet, cable TV, a gas barbeque grill, coffee maker, small kitchen appliances such as mixers, sufficient cooking and kitchen supplies (pots, pans, baking sheets, kitchen utensils, dishes, & silverware), hair dyers in each bathroom, flashlights, and a first aid kit. Most of our homes offer many more amenities in addition to these, please see the description of the home for a complete list of home specific amenities.
We provide all our homes with a few items to get you started, including: toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, dishwasher soap, laundry soap and dish scrubbers. The amount provided is generous, but probably will not be enough to meet your needs for your whole stay, it is your responsibility to purchase additional supplies for your group as needed.
We also try to keep the home stocked with plastic baggies, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, basic cleaning supplies, spices and basic cooking supplies, etc. These items are not guaranteed but we do our very best to ensure they are available at the home upon arrival.
Yes. All the homes are equipped with high speed wireless internet and cable TV. Each home has individual instructions located in the home's welcome binder.
All the beds are made with fresh linens prior to your arrival. Adequate bath towels, hand towels, washcloths and dish towels are provided based on the allowed occupancy in each home. All our homes have a washer and dryer for your use. NOTE: Please bring your own beach towels. The bath towels and linens should not be removed from the home.
Each of our homes has either an electronic keyless entry or a lock box on the property containing keys. You will receive an email from us 3 days prior to arrival with the home access information specific to the home you have rented. On the day of arrival you do not need to check in with our office, instead just go straight to your rental.
If we can accommodate an early check in, we will. Please contact our office no more than 3 days prior to your scheduled check-in date to inquire. If approved, you will receive an email from us stating so with the approved time. Without this email, please do not arrive to the home any earlier than the standard check-in time.
Yes, in order to service the home for the next arriving guests we ask that you adhere to the check-out time specific to the home you have rented. On occasion a late check out can be granted, generally this is only available in the off season (Late check outs are not granted during the Summer months). You may contact our office to inquire about a late check out during you stay.
Any items left in the home are collected and documented, brought to our main office and stored for 2 weeks. The return shipment of any left items to a guest is processed through a local business called Perry's Parcel & Gift.


text:
Better parking and access facilities at the NEC in time for Crufts 2013
The Kennel Club has been informed that, as part of a major programme of improvement works, the NEC has upgraded its parking facilities which will improve the visitor and exhibitor experience for Crufts 2013.
New coaches and signage have been introduced, improving journeys from the car parks and around the site. An enhanced choice of parking services will be available to visitors and as a result, from September 2012, parking will cost £10. The £10 charge will also apply to disabled parking, which is located close to the halls, and which has been extensively upgraded.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Communications Director said: "The Kennel Club does not have control of parking or charges at the NEC for Crufts, but obviously works closely with venues to feedback on services provided. While these changes do mean a small increase in basic parking costs at a time when budgets are limited, we hope that the improvements and new services the NEC have introduced will be welcomed by exhibitors and visitors to Crufts 2013."
Sophie Lilly, Account Director of Venue Sales at the NEC, said: "We acknowledge that it is difficult for visitors to accept price rises, especially under challenging economic times, but the changes are needed in order to make these investments to ensure our venue offers our valued Crufts customers a great experience that will set the NEC apart from the rest."
[324.12]
For journalists who would like further press information, images or interview requests click here.
www.thekennelclub.org.uk
http://www.facebook.com/Kclovesdogs
http://twitter.com/kclovesdogs
A number of improvements have been made to the NEC's parking facilities. New coaches and signage have been introduced, improving journeys from the car parks and around the site. An enhanced choice of parking services will be available to visitors and 'contactless payment' which will ensure quicker and more secure transactions. Disabled parking, which is located close to the halls, has been extensively upgraded.
For a fee of £20 visitors can pre-book a time-slot for guaranteed designated parking close to the hall where their event is taking place and this will be easily located with the new NEC Express signage. Visitors will also be able to choose the 'Exhibitor Advantage' service, allowing them to arrive at any time and park in exclusive pre-booked spaces conveniently located for the halls they are exhibiting. The cost for this service is £50 a day.
The Kennel Club is the largest organisation in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare and training. Its objective is to ensure that dogs live healthy, happy lives with responsible owners.
It runs the country's largest registration database for both pedigree and crossbreed dogs and the Petlog database, which is the UK's largest reunification service for microchipped animals. The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme is the only scheme in the UK that monitors and sets standards for breeders, in order to protect the welfare of puppies and breeding bitches. It also runs the UK's largest dog training programme, the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme and licenses shows and clubs across a wide range of activities, which help dog owners to bond and enjoy life with their dogs. The Kennel Club runs the world's greatest dog show, Crufts, and the Discover Dogs event at Earls Court, London, which is a fun family day out that educates people about how to buy responsibly and care for their dog.
The Kennel Club invests in welfare campaigns, dog training and education programmes and the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, which supports research into dog diseases and dog welfare charities, including Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations that re-home dogs throughout the UK. The Kennel Club jointly runs health screening schemes with the British Veterinary Association and through the Charitable Trust, funds the Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust, which is at the forefront of pioneering research into dog health.


indianaquariumhobbyist.com Forums » Post 120180 » Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
http://indianaquariumhobbyist.com/community/ :: View topic - Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 3:53 pm Post subject: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:13 pm Post subject: Re: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:18 pm Post subject: Re: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
This is gruesome...why would they do that, is the meat sold later or is this for sheer fun.....???
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:23 pm Post subject: Re: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject: Re: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
I wish the terrorists would have struck there instead of Mumbai. Even the bystanders don't deserve the mercy for standing mute to the carnage.
Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 4:54 pm Post subject: Re: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 10:27 am Post subject: Re: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
Well said, Suraj. The pictures appear very much true; definitely not Photoshopped. I wish to go there with a sledge hammer.
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 1:16 pm Post subject: Re: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:17 pm Post subject: Re: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.
i hope they are.. ..
the colorations look very artificial to me..
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: Something opposite to Vimal's post today.


text:
Centre de Cryptozoologie
Founded by zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans for the study of animals whose existence is conjectural (i.e., on a borderline between fact and myth). Heuvelmans has coined the term crypto-zoology to characterize the study of such creatures as sea monsters, dragons, hairy dwarfs, and yetis or abominable snowmen.
Heuvelmans was born in Le Havre, France, in 1916, and earned his doctoral degree in zoological sciences at Brussels. His books include On the Track of Unknown Animals (1955) and In the Wake of the Sea-Serpents (1968), both translated from the French. Several of his later books have not been translated. In 1982 he became one of the founders of the International Society of Cryptozoology.
The center has a library of some two thousand volumes and a large collection of magazine articles and illustrations, fully indexed by a card catalog. Address: Verlhiac, St. Chamassy, 24260 Le Bugue, France.
Clark, Jerome. Encyclopedia of Strange and Unexplained Physical Phenomena. Detroit: Gale Research, 1993.
Heuvelmans, Bernard. "The Birth and Early History of Cryptozoology." Cryptozoology 3 (1984): 1-30.
——. In the Wake of the Sea-Serpents. New York: Hill and Wang, 1968.
——. On the Track of Unknown Animals. New York: Hill and Wang, 1958.
Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology
"Centre de Cryptozoologie ." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. . Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jan. 2022 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Centre de Cryptozoologie ." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 1, 2022). https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/centre-de-cryptozoologie
"Centre de Cryptozoologie ." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. . Retrieved January 01, 2022 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/centre-de-cryptozoologie
Sea , sea / sē/ • n. (often the sea) the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses: a ban on dumping radio… sea pen , sea pen See ANTHOZOA; and PENNATULACEA. Leviathan , Nationality/Culture Pronunciation luh-VYE-uh-thuhn Alternate Names Appears In Lineage Character Overview The sea serpent Leviathan is mentioned sever… Sea breeze , sea breeze See LAND AND SEA BREEZES. sea breeze See land and sea breezes. Sea Of Azov , Sea of Azov Sea of Azov, Gr. Maiotis, Lat. Palus Maeotis, ancient Rus. Surozhskoye, northern arm of the Black Sea, c.14,000 sq mi (36,300 sq km), sha… Cryptozoology , Term coined by zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans to characterize the study of "hidden animals." It includes the study of the existence of known animals in…
zoophyte
Sea Lions
Sea Daisies: Concentricycloidea
carey encebollabo
sea truffle
Riders to the Sea
I Conquer the Sea
Centre de Consultations et de Traitements psychanalytiques Jean-Favreau
Centre College: Tabular Data
Centre College: Narrative Description
Centre Alfred-Binet
CentraState Healthcare Foundation
Centrarchidae
Centranthus
centralized structure store
centralized plan
centralize
centralist
Centralia Mine Disaster
Centralia College: Tabular Data
Centralia College: Narrative Description
Centralia Case: A Chronological Digest
Central-Verein Deutscher Staatsbuerger Juedischen Glaubens
Central Yup'ik Eskimos
Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimimlubavitch: Tabular Data
Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimimlubavitch: Narrative Description
Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim-Lubavitch: Tabular Data
Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim-Lubavitch: Narrative Description
Central Wyoming College: Tabular Data
Central Wyoming College: Narrative Description
Centre de Documentation Juive Contem-Poraine (CDJC)
Centre de Recherches, d'Études, de Documentation et d'Information sur la Femme (CREDIF)
Centre for Crop Circles Studies (CCCS)
Centre House
centre of curvature
centre of diversity
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Centre Psychopédagogique Claude-Bernard
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Centrello, Gina
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Only members of the New Hampshire School Nurses' Association receive the discounted price.
There will be no penalty for cancellations received at least 7 days before the start of the conference. Cancellation requests may be emailed to: nhsna@comcast.net.
New Hampshire School Nurses' Association annual spring conference and membership meeting.
How to triage and document dental emergencies, and terminology basics.
Talk to company representatives and collect some freebies! Raffles!


text:
Rose Byrne, Hugh Dancy, Peter Gallagher
Adam was one of the first films snapped up by a distributor at this year's Sundance Film Festival, which is less a tribute to its aesthetic worth or creative daring than to its commercial sheen. Adam's protagonist has Asperger syndrome, but the film is afflicted with a fatal case of the cutes: It's never an encouraging sign when The Little Prince, that eternal touchstone of precious perma-children, emerges as a major motif for a romantic drama.
In a perfectly acceptable lead performance, Rose Byrne stars as a sensitive elementary-school teacher who strikes up an unlikely friendship with sweet, smart, but odd and disconnected neighbor Hugh Dancy. A technological whiz cast adrift after his father's death, Dancy exists inside his own world—a highly logical, predictable realm of computers, astronomy, and comforting routine—until Byrne drags him reluctantly out of his comfort zone and into a disconcerting world of relationships, emotions, and other terrifying variables that can't be reduced to mathematical formulae.
At the heart of Adam lies a thorny, intriguing question: What does it mean to love someone whose capacity to express and reciprocate affection is inherently limited by the way his mind operates? Yet Max Mayer's writing and direction take this potentially fascinating subject matter in the most conventional direction possible, while Christopher Lennertz's maudlin score telegraphs every sweeping emotion. Rather than maintaining a surgical focus on Byrne and Dancy's tender, troubled central relationship, Mayer wastes screen time with a wildly extraneous, cutting-room-floor-ready subplot involving the legal travails and marital woes of Byrne's disapproving father (Peter Gallagher, in full Peter Gallagher mode). Adam romanticizes Asperger syndrome, depicting Dancy as a saintly, emotionally transparent truth-teller too pure for a corrupt world. Dancy's character has difficulty processing information and dealing with emotion, but even he could probably see through this schmaltz.


Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) is a venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California with affiliate offices in more than 30 cities around the world and over $7 billion in capital commitments. The firm has funded well-known technology companies including Baidu, Hotmail (acquired by Microsoft), Overture(acquired by Yahoo), Skype (acquired by Microsoft) and Glam Media. Other notable investments include Tesla Motors, SugarCRM, Box.net, Interwoven, BrightSource Energy, SpaceX, Meebo, Cafemom, Pebble (watch) andSolarCity among others. DFJ was founded in 1985 by Timothy C. Draper as Draper Associates. Draper and John H.N. Fisher left Alex. Brown & Sons, where they were officemates. The firm's current name is attributed to Draper and Fisher as well as co-founder and managing director Steve Jurvetson.
Mayfield Fund is one of the oldest venture capital firms in the US, focusing on early-stage to growth-stage investments in consumer, enterprise, energy tech, semiconductors and components, and communication service providers. The firm was founded in 1969 by Thomas J. Davis, Jr. Since inception, the firm has raised over $2.8 billion of investor commitments across 13 private equity funds. The firm is headquartered on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, Californiaand was one of the earliest venture capital firms to locate in Silicon Valley. The firm's most notable investments include Compaq, Silicon Graphics, 3COM, Amgen, Genentech, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Sandisk, Legato Software, Citrix, PlayFirst, Advent Software, Vantive, Pure Software, Nuance,Tibco, webMethods, Peribit, Redback Networks, Concur Technologies, 3Par, Snapfish, Fab.com, and Akimbi Systems.
Matrix Partners is a US-based private equity investment firm focusing on venture capital investments. The firm invests in seed and early stage companies in the United States and India, particularly in the software, communications, semiconductors, data storage, Internet or wireless sectors. The firm has offices in Waltham, Massachusetts, Palo Alto, California, Mumbai, India and Beijing, China. Matrix Partners is not connected with Matrix Private Equity Partners LLP or Matrix Securities, which are part of Matrix Group, a UK financial services business based in London.
Bain Capital Ventures LLC is the venture capital division within Bain Capital, which has approximately $60 billion ofassets under management worldwide. The firm's early-stage investments have included Staples, LinkedIn, Kiva, andShopping.com. Bain Capital Ventures manages approximately $2 billion of committed capital, has over 70 active portfolio companies, and has offices in Boston, New York, and Palo Alto. Bain Capital Ventures has raised slightly over $2 billion of investor capital since 2001 across five investment funds. The firm is currently investing its fifth fund, Bain Capital Venture Fund 2012, which raised $600 million from investors. The following is a summary of Bain's private equity funds raised from its inception through the beginning of 2012.
Canaan Partners (or Canaan) is a multi-billion dollar global venture capital firm focusing on investments in early stage companies in the technology and healthcare sectors. The firm's technology group focuses on digital media, communications & mobility, enterprise and cleantech. The healthcare group focuses on biopharmaceuticals, devices, and diagnostics. Founded in 1987, the firm has offices in Menlo Park, California, USA; Westport, Connecticut, USA; New York, New York, USA; Gurgaon, Haryana, India; and Herzliya, Israel. Since inception, Canaan has raised nine funds to date, completed more than 82 acquisitions and 52 IPOs, and currently manages $3.5 billion in capital.
SV Angel is a San Francisco-based angel investment firm, which helps startup companies with business development, financing, M&A and other strategic advice. It provides capital investments to early stage companies focused on the Internet, e-commerce, and information technology markets. In 2011 the company added more than 80 new companies to its portfolio, which then included 290 active investments. In early 2011 the company launched the Start Fund, a joint venture with DST, to direct investments to companies participating in Y Combinator.
General Catalyst Partners is a venture capital firm focused on Early Stage and XIR/Growth investments. The firm was founded in 2000 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also has offices in Palo Alto, California, and New York City. It has invested in companies such as Snapchat, Stripe, Airbnb, HubSpot, Datalogix and Warby Parker. General Catalyst also helps to incubate companies, examples including KAYAK, Naturebox, Altiscale and Highfive.
Lightspeed Venture Partners is a venture capital firm focusing on early and expansion stage investments in the consumer, enterprise technology and cleantech markets. Lightspeed Venture Partners has backed more than 200 companies, including Brocade (BRCD), DoubleClick (acquired by Google after going public), Nicira (acquired by VMware), Playdom (acquired, DIS), Pliant Technology (acquired, SanDisk), XtremeIO (acquired, EMC), Blue Nile (NILE), Fusion-io (FIO), Phone.com (OPWV), Informatica (INFA), and Solazyme (SZYM). Lightspeed Venture Partners invests in the U.S. and internationally, with investment professionals and advisors in Silicon Valley, India, Israel, and China with Lightspeed China Partners. The team is currently investing out of Lightspeed IX, a $675 million fund.
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) is a venture capital firm located on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park in Silicon Valley. The Wall Street Journal and other media have called it one of the "largest and most established" venture capital firms and by Dealbook as "one of Silicon Valley's top venture capital providers."KPCB specializes in investments in incubation and early stage companies. Since its founding in 1972, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has backed entrepreneurs in more than 500 ventures including AOL, Amazon.com,Navigenics, Citrix, Compaq, Electronic Arts, Genentech, Genomic Health, Geron Corporation, Google, Intuit, Juniper Networks, Nebula, Netscape, Sun Microsystems, Symantec, Verisign, WebMD and Zynga. KPCB focuses its global investments in three practice areas – digital, green tech and life sciences.


HOW TO FIX 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY : WHERE IS THE BLOCK HEATER CORD ON A 2008 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY LIMITED?
Having problems with your 2008 Chrysler Town & Country ?
Where is the block heater cord on a 2008 Chrysler Town & Country Limited?
It should be in front near the grill, was there a block heater installed on this van? if you look at the engine were the freeze plugs go ,if a heater was installed you should see the element in one of the freeze plug holes instead of a freeze plug, if there is one then follow the cord, hope this is helpful, good luck.


With the completion of the final round of the Pool stage of the European Rugby Champions Cup the last eight teams have been decided.
Saracens finished the stage in first place, Leicester are second, Racing third and Wasps finished fourth.
Exeter Chiefs finished in fifth place, Toulon in sixth, Stade Francais in 8th place.
The quarter finals are therefore as follows.
The draw means that the winner of the Saracens vs Northampton Saints will play the winner of the Wasps v Exeter Chiefs match so at least one Semi-finalist will be English.
In the second Semi-final the winner of the Racing 92 v Toulon will play the winner of the Leicester Tigers v Stade Francais.
There are five out of eight teams English and three French teams which means no representation in the last eight from Ireland, Wales and Italian teams which makes this the first time in European Rugby history that there are no Pro 12 teams.


What Is the Very First Step in Living a Holy Life?
What is the very first step in living a holy life? Hi, welcome to today's little lesson. We're working our way through Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, and we're getting into the heart of the matter here.
The heart of the sermon and the heart of the matter is heart holiness, and that becomes so very clear as we consider Jesus's three statements regarding doing things for the right motives. He actually, in this section, in Matthew Chapter 6, that we just started looking at, talks about making sure your motives are right when you give, making sure your motives are right when you pray, and making sure your motives are right when you fast. And in every case, he says the way to check your motive is to do what you do secretly, to assure yourself and to assure the Lord that we're not doing it because of the desire to be seen by people, because that is what marks the difference between a religious person and a truly righteous person.
Religion is just a show and anyone who is honest and faces up to the facts of the matter, religion is just a put on, it's a charade, it's an act. And it's all for the purpose of building up one's image in the eyes of other people who see ones religiosity. And God's not into religion, he wants a relationship, a father with his children. And he loves it when his children obey him because they love him, because that's why he wants them to obey him, because he loves them.
A lot of times we think that God is angry at us because of sin when, in reality, Jesus … God is sad and saddened because of our sin because he loves us and he knows that we're going to suffer the consequences of our disobedience. And isn't that how it is with any father or mother with their children? Yeah. There's that element of anger when our children disobey us because it is disrespectful. But, on the other hand, we have their own person at heart. We're thinking, "This is best for you if you do what I tell you because things will go better for you." And that's how it is with God.
And, again, sometimes we think God is angry when really he's sad. Remember, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, and he was angered at times. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple. Yes, he was angered. But we see this other component of his feelings towards people that disobey and who reject him. He weeps for them because he loves them and he wants what's best for them.
The antidote to all this and the test is to test yourselves and see what's really in our hearts. This is very thought provoking, this particular passage we're in in Matthew now.
Now, does this mean that all giving has to be done anonymously and totally secretive? Now that's … people that think that show that the common air of exulting one verse at the expense of all the rest of the verses in the Bible because surely, the New Testament church, the followers of Jesus Christ knew that he said when you give, give secretly and when you pray, go into your inner room and praise so people don't see you. Don't go out in the street corners and do it. But yet, we still find examples of public giving, sure, and we find examples of public prayer, for example, in the New Testament.
And I'm right on the verge of a thunderstorm here, so try not to be alarmed over the next two minutes of this little lesson before we try another time on another day.
Let's stay balanced. You can test yourself once or twice, giving anonymously, to see how your heart reacts to that. And then, take a look and see how your heart does in that situation. And then if you find that you're able to do that and do it with joy, then maybe you could consider then it's okay from then on to not be so secretive in your giving and in your praying.
If all you're doing is praying publicly all the time and you never pray secretly, if all you're doing is giving and certain people know about it and that's all you ever do, then that's not balanced. Let's take all the scripture on the subject and not just one little verse and make a religion out of that one verse. When you give to the poor, Jesus said, "Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing," so you're giving will be in secret. Your father who sees what is done in secret, he will reward you, praise God, and he is a rewarded of those who diligently seek him. Nothing wrong with seeking the reward from God, everything right about that. That's what Jesus is promising us here, right?
If you give secretly, God will reward you. Nothing wrong at all with seeking reward. God allows that bit of self-interest. And I do think, probably, there is a difference that could be delineated between self-interest and selfishness. Selfishness is always at the expense of someone else, whereas self-interest doesn't necessarily have to harm someone else in the process naturally. We are taking care of ourselves, right? You probably ate today, you're looking out for yourself. And there's nothing wrong with that.
But when you're eating at the expense of others and you're greedy and stuffing your face while someone else across the table is starving, well, now, you've turned self-interest into selfishness. And we're all on the road of progressive sanctification, hopefully, if you're a follower of Jesus Christ. And who began the good work in you, will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Okay. Well, we're out of time for today's lesson. Thank you for joining me for this special outdoor edition and we haven't been hit by lightening, so that's a good sign. God bless you.


Beautiful and well maintained home in West Pemberton with grand curb appeal. Fully fenced yard and feels like a single family. Previously leased for $5,500 a month. Unfinished spacious 3rd floor would be great for another bedroom and bath so don't forget to look! Elevator, large master suite with walk in closet/dressing area, outdoor kitchen area and large balcony upstairs.
A timeless home in Pemberton Heights, on a huge corner lot, with a beautiful pool & substantial tax benefits associated with its historical designation. Feeds to renowned Casis Elementary & is located in one of the most coveted neighborhoods in the city, has 5 bed 3 bath and was substantially updated in 2003. Granite counters, stainless appliances, hardwood floors throughout.
Fabulous New Orleans style home on a .20 acre lot. This meticulously designed and decorated Tarrytown home has a coveted view of Tarrytown Park which is across the street. 12 foot ceilings, solid wood doors, marble counters, custom built-ins & designer lighting are just some of the notable features. You will not find a house of this quality, size and design at this price in Tarrytown.
Luxury contemporary condo located in the heart of Austin! This condominium offers a low maintenance lifestyle with the latest amenities and close to all downtown conveniences. Open floor plan, gourmet kitchen, large bed and bathroom suites, separately controlled AC/Heating units for each bedroom, Floor to ceiling windows for great natural lighting, contemporary light and water fixtures.
Have it all in the coveted Tarrytown just off mopac that's a mile radius of Lake Austin, Town Lake & DT! This 3-bedroom,2.5-bathroom home with a study features a beautiful Outdoor Kitchen, Pool& Jacuzzi with a swim up bar and grotto that is perfect for a relaxing day at home& entertaining.
Meticulous, Elegant, Exceptional. Fully modernized, urban retreat located on cul-de-sac in coveted Old Enfield. GUEST HOUSE provides endless opportunities, previously grossing $800-$3000/month. Main house with 3bd/2bth.
Fantastic opportunity in Tarrytown. Live in as is or at this price, on a street of million dollar plus homes, redo and make it spectacular! Amazing curb appeal with the natural stone and gorgeous trees. Fabulous outdoor kitchen and patio. Spacious single story home with 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths, hardwood floors and just an 8 lot walk to Tarrytown Park.
Price adjusted! Cared for one story Pemberton Heights home with a spacious floor plan, updated kitchen and master bath. You'll find a formal living area up front and a large den in the rear of the home with a private back yard.


After a lovely week with family in California, I'm pulling a solo couple of weeks again, while Tony and the kids spend some more laid-back grandparent time. Fortunately, it's not summer this time around, so the lawn looks to be in a fairly dormant state (which for Florida means bright green still, but not shooting up like a jungle). So I don't think I'll have to mow it, which is good, because I hate mowing the lawn, it takes me forever, and I'm terrible at it. I may trim the bushes, which I actually enjoy, and which by itself goes a long way toward preventing our house from turning into The Haunted Mansion.
I stuck the unused breakfast in the fridge when I got home, and then enterprisingly took it to work the next day, realizing only belatedly that I should have smelled it first. When I opened it to take a swig, I was assaulted by the heady aroma of highly fermented milk. And not fermented in a trendy, health-food way either. More like a milk-left-out-on-the-counter-for-ten-hours-even-if-it's-amond-milk-spoils kind of way. I know, I know. Cue food safety lecture.
Today I actually made it out the door with my (freshly made) breakfast smoothie. Precariously balancing my lunch bento, my green lunch smoothie (OK, I'm into smoothies), and my breakfast smoothie, I turned to responsibly lock the door, recalling that there would be nobody in the house all day. The lock is a little sticky, so turning the key requires some force. Unfortunately, the force required sent my breakfast smoothie tumbling to the ground, where the plastic blender bullet bottle shattered, spilling breakfast smoothie all over my front porch, my welcome mat, my shoes, and my feet.
As you can see, my first thought was that I should take a foot selfie so I could at least get something out of the situation by blogging about it. Since I was now balancing only my lunch smoothie and lunch bento, I was able to easily re-open the front door. I removed my shoes and cleaned off the worst of the smoothie with a rag, but eventually determined it would be best to reserve the shoes for a more thorough cleaning at my leisure. Fortunately, seven wet wipes later, I was able to salvage my tights, which was good, since I knew that all my other black tights and leggings were dirty, so changing would have required me to change my entire outfit. (Maybe it's time to do some laundry?) I put on another pair of shoes, and headed back out the door. I really need to stop doing this, because it resulted in my third straight day eating kit-kats out of the office candy jar for breakfast. Don't tell my kids.
With only a slight twinge of guilt, I left the puddle of slowly congealing smoothie on the porch. Nobody is likely to visit me and see it while I'm gone today anyway. By the time I pulled out of the driveway on my way to work, I was, of course, running rather late. So when I glanced behind me and saw that my garbage can (which I had forgotten to put out Monday morning) had been knocked over in the night, probably by a black bear, a gang of rabid raccoons, or a conglomeration of tortoises, armadillos, and opossums (thank you, Florida!), I just left it.
Tony, I love and appreciate you for many things, among which two of the more minor, but very present in my mind today, are that you always remember to put out the garbage, and that you spoil me by making me breakfast.
But not everything is bleak. The breakfast smoothie disaster is now completely cleaned up, and the garbage can is upright with its contents replaced, hopefully to be put out and emptied (by waste management, not the local wildlife) this coming Monday. And this is me, ringing in the new year with seared scallops in white wine sauce (with a little more white wine on the side for good measure), quinoa, green bean salad, bruschetta with Trader Joe's artichoke tapenade, and Battlestar Galactica.
I'm actually rocking this whole living alone thing. Happy New Year to all, and to all a good night!