Interbrand-NY designed the brand identity for Humana, a health insurance company. The task was to carry it forward into it's brand applications. Some examples of their existing communications materials such as their brochure, were provided by the client as a reference.
As part of the identity design, a new logo, color palette, photography style and a leaf illustration/ pattern were created. I further extended the identity using these elements to activate the brand expression for a consistent look and feel. These applications were well received by the client and were then sent to production for implementation.


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Tag Archives: scary story
Smile Back :)
October 17, 2020 helterskelliter
The universe is made of mouths. Not circles or loops or any other illusions of organization, of control. Just many hungry, gaping maws demanding flesh and blood, promising peace in exchange for a paltry sum of pain. A clear message. At least, clear for those who can read in between the stars like my Mama.
They believe it's empty out there. Mama would say, dark eyes on the darkening sky. We spent most nights together beneath the stars, awaiting their wishes. Just empty space.
Mama kept her gaze aloft but shook her head. I copied the movement, memorizing her proud posture, making her disbelief my own. Mama sometimes called me her tiny mirror, more often her little echo.
But nothing is empty. Mama would continue, finally looking from the sky to fix her sharp sights on me. She'd slip into a low crouch so our eyes could meet, our fingers find each other and twine together. Nothing, my little echo, is empty. There is only fullness and hunger. The universe and us.
That was when Mama would untwine our hands and slide out the knife she always kept strapped to her side. It gleamed in the starlight, transformed into a tooth, point terribly true. She would press the blade to the palm of her hand till blood kissed the tip and trickled down the edge, crimson ink till shadows swallowed the hue whole. An offering. A message.
Around us, the night seemed to shudder, darkness undulating like a thousand licking tongues, the stars high above burning in their sockets, ecstatic. A sigh escaped the sky. Or, maybe that was Mama.
We must feed each other. Mama placed the knife in one of my hands, positioned it's shiny point on the palm of the other. Made me her tiny mirror. The universe and us. You and I.
You and I. I echoed, blade biting into my flesh, blood dripping down it's face like drool, devoured by the dark. You and I.
Mama lives between the stars now, a message only I can read. A mouth only I can feed. Her knife fills the hollow of my hand, its tip trusty and true. A promise, sharp and clear.
There is no empty space.
Above me, the night splits into a smile.
I smile back.
Just a short & sweet story this week ^.^ Hope you enjoyed! This story was inspired by a prompt titled A message from afar. I think this story came off as more whimsical and a bit bittersweet than spooky but I really had a lot of fun turning my gaze towards the stars for this one~
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The Night Is Hungry
Tonight, wind batters the brittle panes of my hovel's weary windows. Had they been skin instead of glass, they'd no doubt be bruised. This high in the mountains, the winds are wicked. They drag drifts of snow with them, freezing the air till it's very touch is painful. On nights like these, it feels like the dark is trying to rip and tear its way inside. Even the ferociously flickering flame in our lone hearth is not enough to protect against such a relentless, bitter chill.
The holes in the walls don't help.
The gaps may be nothing but pesky slivers between wooden slats during the day, allowing a whisper of wind to wander through, but at night, they became slashes, severing any hopes for a warm home in two. Wind wails though the empty spaces, spits bits of ice in your face.
When I was younger, I remember musing how much the jagged lines in the slats resemble teeth marks. It looked like something was gnawing on our walls, like something had tried to take a bite out of the place.
Baba laughed when I told her that, her own teeth gleaming in her smile. The rows of teeth she wore on several strings around her neck seemed to gleam in tandem in the fire's glow. Baba never liked to wander too far from her cooking pot, seated firmly in the fiery mouth of our home. Unless she was going out to find dinner, of course.
A bite? Baba asked, smile still sharp. From what, my child?
The night. I said, then, like it was obvious. The night must be hungry.
Baba's smile stretched across her face. Too wide, I'd realize too late. Her face, like the walls, should've split in two. Wrinkles cut her face into fleshy shards, deep divots marking her dimples. Even the fire's flickering stretched her shadow into odd points.
Indeed, my child. Baba said at last, raising a veiny hand to finger one of the teeth wound around her throat. Their strings sunk into the loose flesh there, deep into its creases, making the teeth appear almost to grow out of her neck, as if Baba herself were one giant gaping mouth. The night is hungry.
Baba gripped the long handle of her slightly scorched ladle then, swirling the contents of her cooking pot. They clacked against the cast iron, a hollow sound easily muffled by the wind. A splash of broth overtook the lip and dribbled down the side. At my feet, a tooth fell.
And so are we. Baba swirled the ladle, side to side. So very hungry.
Now, I stand before Baba's cooking pot, ladle in hand. The wood has gone from slightly scorched to nearly charred, parts of it chipping off in places, splinters biting into flesh.
But, it still does the job it needs to do.
Around my neck, several strings of teeth hang, a particularly gleaming set hanging on the lowest tier rests just above my heart. When I look down, they smile up at me.
A brutal gust slams into the shack then, rattling the windows and the rickety walls and shrieking unsorry through the empty spaces. Snow catches and clings to the rough edges, dripping like drool from a jagged mouth. Like blood, when it catches the fire's heated glare.
It is a mean night on the mountain.
It reminds me of the night Baba found me. Wading through waist-deep snow drifts and wailing against the wind's screams for anyone at all to help. To help me and my baby sister, swaddled in my arms as I tried to keep both our heads aloft the piling snow, our faces tucked away from the air's frigid assault. It was a fruitless effort. We were going to die. Like mother and father did when our cabin's walls caved in, burying them beneath a life that seemed so meager and empty until it fell on top of them.
Baba slithered out of the darkness just as the snow was starting to swallow us whole. I was trying to raise my baby sister above my head, to keep the snow from encasing her like it had me from the chest down. It was that movement, which finally disturbed her rest and it was her cries, somehow, that summoned Baba. It wouldn't be until much later that I would wonder at how Baba could've possibly heard my sister's whining over the wind. At the time, I didn't know to be wary of the things attracted to the cries of wounded creatures.
What do you need? Baba asked as she neared, her body except for her wrinkly old woman face hidden beneath a thick cloak. The night swallowed most of her finer features save for a slight smile that might've bothered me more had I not been freezing to death.
Help. I begged, teeth starting to chatter. We n-need h-hel-lp.
But, Baba shook her head. Stretched her smile.
No. She leaned in, the lines carving across her face becoming more pronounced, the gleam of her smile more glaring. What do you need?
I started shaking my own head, not sure what she meant and so very, very cold. In my gums, I swear I could feel my teeth shivering, each tooth clacking against its neighbor in my jaw. In my head, I could hear the echo, a soft pounding sound. Or, maybe that was my heart, slowly freezing in my chest. While the wind seemed to quiet and the weather settle at Baba's appearance, I was still buried almost to my neck in snow. From all sides, I could feel the press. It was a soft bite but the pressure would grow. I thought of mother and father, buried—no, eaten by the mountain. Swallowed by the night.
We should've left sooner. We should've let go.
A cruel chill crept over me.
I looked toward my sister then, raised like an offering above my head, and I felt the full weight of her for the first time. Felt the weight our meager home tried to hold. And, I felt the press of something not against me but from within. Something sharp. I heard a crack—possibly a tooth, perhaps another cabin collapsing in the distance, or maybe my frozen heart finally splitting—and then I felt nothing much at all. I should let go.
I looked at Baba, who was all teeth.
I need to let go.
My mouth wouldn't open, wouldn't speak the words, but Baba seemed to know what I had decided without me having to spit it out. She reached for the bundle in my arms, took it from me almost reverently as if she, too, could feel its true weight, its burden. She cradled the bundle with one arm and with the other, she pulled me from the snow in one steady, practiced motion. As if I were not the first child she pried from the mountain's maw.
Baba tsked at my bony wrist in her grip.
My child, Baba said, digging her nails into my icy skin, their points almost biting through. We need some meat on these bones.
Some meat, Baba said, the bundle I gave her tucked out of sight.
I never saw my sister again.
Not whole, at least.
Since then, mean nights on the mountain have always made me hungry. I hear my own screams in the wind, feel each snowflake on my skin like a tooth sinking in, a dug-in nail demanding blood. I no longer sit in the shadow of a shut mouth waiting to be swallowed. I am a mouth. I must fill myself.
Outside, a cry joins the wind. Small, familiar. Wounded and needy.
I run my hand along one of the rows of tiny teeth strung around my neck, finger the smooth edges. Boiled water in a cast iron pot will polish anything if you let it soak long enough. Baba taught me that well.
Baba made sure I could do what I needed to.
The water begins to boil as the cries tear out of the dark and bleed through the walls. Another gust carries a whimper, offering anything to be spared and I smile with all my teeth.
The night is hungry.
Hey~ So… I started up grad school again for the fall and it has been a LOT to manage hence the delayed posting schedule. Honestly, I've hade barely any time to think let alone write a spooky story. That said, this story is inspired by the Russian folklore figure, Baba Yaga. I've always found her to be a more plausible monster than most. Especially when I think of the cycles of starvation that occurred in Eastern Europe during different points of history, I find a Baba Yaga-esque figure to be all the more plausible and, because of that, more chilling. I wanted to explore the becoming of such a being in this work.
Hope you enjoyed~
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Far Too Many Teeth
July 17, 2020 helterskelliter
They come. They always do. The sea brings them to me. Swallows them up and swishes them from cheek to cheek before spitting them just shy of my shore. The only haven in sight for miles. Mama used to say with a smile. Any port in a storm, my little minnow.
I didn't understand, at the time, why she smiled so widely nor why it prickled me so. There was an…edge, to her grin. Something cutting in its curl. Sharp. It wouldn't occur to me why until many years later and many more ships spat ashore. Too much teeth.
I have always called this lonely speck of misbegotten rock in the middle of this surly grey sea home. The only watchful gaze I knew better than Mama's was that of the storm's. Mama hated when those stormy eyes found us. Hated that moment of calm that would fall when an eye settled on us. It's the only time she ever spit back at the sea.
Any port only works if there's a storm, after all.
Even many years after her death, Mama's teeth still gleam in my mind. Too much. Too many. Like those odd fish that sometimes washed up with the ships and sailors, dragged up from the darkest depths, jaws jagged with needle-point teeth. Yes, just like those fish. They were almost always dead by the time their broken bodies caught on our craggy shore, not made to thrive in the unforgiving world above.
Mama died on a stormy night like this one. Wind howling across the isle, rain biting skin, battering this sliver of world we call home. A ship skid on the horizon, sails slanted, desperately trying to prevail and failing.
Sailors are so foolish. Mama chuckled, her smile starting it's upward slice. They always underestimate the storm. Her power. They think they can make her theirs, my dear minnow. They think they can own her.
On the sea, a strong gale tears through the ship's sails and its bow sinks low, probably taking on water, same as every other ship lured from its course into our waters. Overheard, thunder beats the sky from blue to black. The faintest of screams begins to join the clamor. Those sailors will be screaming on my shore before the candle in my cabin has the chance to burn halfway. They will die before the light does.
In my memory, Mama's eyes burn. More like lightning than any candle, so striking and yet so fleeting. They only burned like that when she reeled in the night's catch. When she gutted bellies, pulled out innards, dyed the sands of our little shore and the long hems of our pilfered muslin dresses a deep, dark red. Anything we couldn't use, she'd toss back into the sea. Like those odd fish. An offering, she called it.
I guess she believed us blessed.
Foolish, she said that night, licking her teeth clean. To think they can own her. Control her. Storms belong to no one, my little minnow. Remember.
She was right.
The wave that swallowed her flopped over the rocky lip of our shore like a large, languid tongue. It slammed her almost casually into the rocks, jagged edges tearing through fabric and flesh, red bleeding in between the points. She screamed, I remember. A piercing sound. My little minnow! But, I wasn't so little anymore. Neither were my teeth. Or, my appetite.
Saliva flooded my mouth and blood thundered in my ears and I remember wondering at the storm brewing inside me.
My little minnow!
I caught the eye of the storm. It was nearly overhead. Mama never liked her gaze. Mama spat in her face and threw her our leftovers. Foolish.
I let the sea have her, the last leftover.
Now, I watch as the ship sinks even lower, draws ever nearer my shore. Once faint screams now overtake the winds' howling. Thunder and blood thump in my ears. A smile with far too many teeth cuts across my face.
Storms belong to no one.
©Kelli Hayes
Inspiration Work ~ En La Lejania by Adriana Madrid
I joined the Writers Circle at my library! This week, the group write stories based upon this picture prompt! I thought is was a very inspiring work and I wrote a story that I am quite happy with! I hope you enjoyed this little taste of horror! Definitely look forward to more!
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The Monster You Know: Why Cujo (1981) is Terrifying
July 4, 2020 helterskelliter
*As always, some spoilers ahead~
Now, I'd like to state for the record that I've never been especially afraid of dogs. I've always maintained a healthy respect for them and the predators they once were for sure. When it comes to large dogs, I've always been cautious of getting too close, of letting them pounce on me. As a little girl, I did have some terrible recurring visions of a large dog knocking me to the ground, scratching or biting my face in the fall. When you're a child, dogs can be so large, their teeth so potentially sharp. Suffice to say, I never grew up in a house with a dog. (We've always been cat people, tbh.) Again, though, I'd like to emphasize that while I may have some anxieties related to man's best friend, I'd never classify myself as phobic. I know dogs are not inherently violent nor do they have any overtly violent intentions. When a large dog jumps on you, it's most likely because they are excited. It's part of how they show affection. If a dog scares you, they probably don't mean to. Unless that dog belongs in a Stephen King novel and their name is Cujo. Then, they might just want to terrify you.
I went into Cujo (1981) not so much afraid of encountering a rabid dog but afraid I couldn't handle the violence that would undoubtedly befall this poor, titular dog. The book was written in 1981 and I greatly feared and anticipated what animal abuse I may encounter in its pages. I should've feared the dog more. Again, I'm not especially afraid of dogs and yet I found this book scary because of how familiar the monster in it's pages is. I feared how probable the monster could be. That kind of horror, that fear of the mundane and how easily it can become menacing, is what struck me most about Cujo (1981). It's horror is not only still prevalent and prescient but so deeply potential. I went into this book prepared to be more sympathetic for its monster and instead I found myself terribly compelled by the potential for what we hold most dear to become that which we fear most. Please, let me tell you why Cujo (1981) is terrifying.
Like most of King's works, this story opens on a seemingly mundane family in a seemingly mundane Maine town. Castle Rock, in this case. In the past, there was a serial killer named Frank Dodd who operated in the area but that human monster is dead and time moves on. Every town needs a boogie man anyway. A monster to hide in children's closets and compel them to be good or else.
At the core of this story, there are two families. The up-and-coming Trenton family who moved to Castle Rock from NYC contrasts with the considerably poorer Chambers family, who are clearly living by the skin of their teeth. Vic Trenton has ensured he is able to bring home the bread and then some to his family through an as-of-yet lucrative advertising business. His wife, Donna, doesn't need to work and their son, Tad, has only one worry: the aforementioned monster in his closet. On the flip side, Joe Chambers is a blue collar, blue blood, mechanic who lives on the outskirts of the outskirts of town. Charity, his wife, has lived an anything but charitable existence unless you count her husband's charity in not beating her every single night. No, instead he just ensures she can never stray too far from his reach, refusing to allow her the freedom to visit her sister Holly in Connecticut. Chambers' son, Brett, spends his days helping his father in seeming preparation to follow in his work-boot steps. The only tangible affection that exists between father and son may just be Cujo, a much-desired gift acquired after an auto repair was traded on a fancy car was traded for a dog's lifetime of discounted food. As Cujo would grow to be a 200-lb St. Bernard, this was a very savvy deal.
Anyway, if you couldn't tell, the Trentons and the Chambers couldn't be more different. Though class conflicts don't really come to the forefront per say, the different opportunities or lack thereof available to each family + the qualities of life of each family do ultimately contribute in different ways to the central conflict. The family"s paths cross when Vic Trenton's fancy jag becomes in need of a repair that could be quite expensive at a town-side mechanic. Vic received a recommendation for Joe Chambers and has his family tag along on the trip out. It is on this initial venture that we meet Cujo. While Tad is entranced and Vic finds the dog harmless, Donna is immediately frightened by Cujo and does not want her son to interact with the large dog. Perhaps she senses the potential for danger, some remnant of women's intuition spurring her strong aversion? In the 1983 movie, Cujo has already been scratched by the rabies-carrying bat, leaving a nasty wound on his nose which could have been a warning sign to Donna of trouble to come. In the book, though, the Trentons meet Cujo prior to him being infected, leaving the reason for Donna's initial fear more speculative. Being that Cujo is a 200 lb. St. Bernard, it could just be a remnant of primordial fear for a beast coming too close to her offspring. Regardless, this first meeting goes without issue, making Donna's reaction seem unnecessary. What is does do though is provide readers the association of fear with the dog. Intangible, illogical fear. We don't know exactly why, but we're afraid. Same as with the monster in Tad's closet. (An association that we will touch on.)
After this meeting, the book walks us through several circumstances that occur between both families that will ultimately culminate in a kind of "perfect storm". Firstly, Cujo goes chasing after a hare and gets scratched on the nose by a rabid bat. Readers are also let to believe that the subterranean cave Cujo gets his head stuck in and has his fateful meeting with the bat may also be the dumping ground for aforementioned serial killer Fred Dodd. The floor of this subterranean cave is littered with the bones of creatures who could not escape its grasp, both associating the ultimate consequences of what occurs within the cave with death as well as foreshadowing the situation Donna and Tad will find themselves in later in the book.
Additionally, during this time, readers discover that Donna was having an affair with a jerk-off "stripper" (I.e antiques refurbisher) named Kemp. (She breaks it off fairly early on though, much to Kemp's displeasure.) Vic suspects the affair which adds to the stress he is experiencing from his job — a recent product (Zingers) from the Sharp Cereals company for which his small business does advertising caused a severe reaction in many young consumers. The red dye used to give the newly released cereal a bright, cherry hue is indigestible and causes several children to experience gastrointestinal issues. When they vomit, it looks like blood. Not great. It's a PR nightmare and the advertising campaign Vic and his business partner Roger created for the product and the company does not help matters. (I.e. A "Nothing wrong here" slogan is a bad one for this situation.) So, Vic is not only (rightly) concerned that his wife is having an affair but he is also worried he will lose a large customer which could tank his business and leave his family in financial turmoil. Tad, meanwhile, is growing increasingly concerned with the monster in his closet, fearing what will happen when it starts creeping further out of the closet, towards his bed. It's glowing red eyes and sulfurous smell linger in his mind. Even Donna can somewhat feel it's presence, again sensing something is "off", catching a whiff of sulfur that shouldn't be in her son's closet, a hint of the monster. To ward off his son's fears, Vic is essentially forced to create a kind of chant/prayer to say with Tad before bed every night, a ritual that seems to keep the monster at bay. These "Monster Words" become something Tad holds onto in times of great fear.
As for the Chambers family, things are also in flux. Charity has won the lottery — $5k and she plans to use this money as leverage to get her possessive husband to let her go visit her sister, Holly. Joe doesn't like Holly and her lawyer-husband and perfect family seemingly because they reflect everything the Chambers' blue collar lifestyle lacks. He finds them shallow. Charity, though, thinks they offer Brett a glimpse into a better life, a better life for himself. After much argument, she managed to strike a bargain, allowing herself and Brett to go see her sister the upcoming weekend in exchange for the money. Meanwhile, Cujo is fully succumbing to rabies and the rabid urges flowing through him. He keeps imagining hurting people, tearing them limb from limb. Killing to kill. In the book, he battles these urges but it seems some unseen or supernatural force is slowly consuming him. Based on how Cujo contracted rabies paired with Tad's recurring red-eyed monster, I believe it's safe to say that we are meant to believe that Cujo is being possessed, in part, by the evil and murderous spirit of Dodd. At the very least, the rabies is meant to be symbolic of the primordial predator, the beast that has stalked our nightmares since ancient times, the creature that kills to kill. Because of their upcoming escape to her sister's, though, Charity convinces her son not to alert Joe that Brett suspects anything is wrong with Cujo till they're safely away. This means that when Brett encounters an almost entirely rabid Cujo on their property the morning they are supposed to leave, he says nothing. So, Cujo is swallowed by the morning fog, free to go fully rabid.
Back at the Trentons' place, things have also begun going downhill. When Vic confronts Donna about the possibility of an affair, she outright confesses to sleeping with Kemp — stressing, though, that she ended it because she loves her family. As Vic needs to leave on an urgent business trip with Roger to do major damage control and hopefully save his livelihood, he doesn't really have time to hash things out with Donna, leaving them and us in limbo, uncertain about the future and wondering at how tenuous our futures can be. This also leaves Donna as an interestingly unlikable character (which contrasts with how likable Cujo was at first). We're placed in this position to almost want something bad to happen to Donna – something I believe makes us feel all the more anxious later on in the story, as though we also contributed to the circumstances that led to Donna's fate.
Anyway, Charity + Brett Chambers exit left while Vic exits right.
Donna may have also tried to make an exit if not for one key detail on which the entirety of the plot hinges — her old Pinto is desperately clinging to life. The auto shop in town charges a small fortune (that the Trenton family, in their tenuous position) cannot exactly afford right now while the car dealership is located in New Paris, way too far for the Pinto to even dream of making. While Vic, from the hotel, urges Donna to call the dealership to pick up the car (he'll find a way to pay for it), Donna doesn't want to cause anymore hardship. She feels so guilty already. So, she decides she's going to go out to the Chambers' property and handle this small thing. They fixed the jag right quick and they can probably do the same for the Pinto. Even though she's afraid of Cujo and uncomfortable around Joe Chambers, she figures she can suffer that much and have one less thing for Vic to worry about when he comes home. She was going to leave Tad with a babysitter but Tad outright refuses to stay at the home with the monster in his closet. More, he refuses to let his mom go without him. He can see the red eyes coming for them, smell how near the monster is. He'd rather they both stay at the house where Vic tacked up the Monster Words but Donna is determined and so, with the Monster Words Tad untacked from the wall in hand and a small boxed lunch Donna prepared to hold them over for the afternoon this errand was supposed to take, they make the unfortunate trip out to the Chambers' property in the middle of nowhere, entirely unprepared for and unsuspecting of the doom that awaits them.
As they go, King makes a point to emphasize how isolated the Chambers property is from civilization. There's nothing but uncultivated land and unpaved roads. Ramshackle dwellings dot the land with miles between them. Unattended children in dirty diapers remind us of how careless these neighbors are, of how careless nature can be. In the movie, overgrown foliage and a small mound of trash obscured the Pervier property from Donna's view as she drives by. The Pervier property is the closest to the Chambers' and is home to uncouth, honorably-discharged-injured-in-the-line-of-duty-and-oh-so-bitter veteran Gary Pervier, seemingly only friend of Joe. Gary had planned to spend the weekend gambling with Joe and Joe's newfound money. Unfortunately for Gary, Cujo found him first and tore out his throat. More unfortunately, when Joe went looking for Gary that morning, Cujo was still in Gary's basement, awaiting his next victim.
This is a particularly chilling scene in the book. Joe is hesitantly creeping through Gary's shadowed house when he notices a dark blob on the floor in the living room, a dark stain spread out beneath it. Initially, he thinks either Gary is still passed out from drinking the other night or it's Cujo, who Joe could not locate last night or this morning. Brett and Charity had not called about their concerns over Cujo yet. When Joe discovers Gary's body and notes the torn throat, he understands instantly that Cujo has gone rabid. He runs for the phone in the kitchen and because it's the 80's, begins rapidly thumbing through the phone book for animal control. So rapid is his search and labored his breathing, that he doesn't hear Cujo nose open the door to the darkened basement behind him until it's too late. All Joe hears is a rumbling growl and all he sees is a brief glimpse of red eyes before he too becomes another victim, throat torn out. Good riddance.
Perhaps if Donna had been able to see the gaping hole torn into Gary's screen door on her way to the Chambers' or any of the blood just beyond the doorway, she may have known something was wrong. But of course she doesn't. So, unbeknownst to Donna, she drives straight into the beast's lair, the Pinto dying just as she reaches the Chambers' property, a smidge away from the garage. She figures Joe can't ignore the car now that it's right outside his front door.
Since no one answered the phone all morning, Donna figures Charity + Brett probably went into town and Joe is in the garage. She makes to get out of the car, noting the eerie silence as she does. It's too quiet. Just as she begins to consider what that could mean, Cujo appears. He's covered in Gary + Joe's blood, foaming at the mouth, and his eyes are a murderous blood red. They latch onto Donna, "The Woman" as Cujo thinks of her, and in that moment, the two become mortal enemies. Perhaps Cujo had a kind of preternatural knowledge that Donna was responsible for the incessant, headache-inducing calls at the house all morning or perhaps the spirit of Dodd possessing him saw a vulnerable woman and went ballistic or maybe it was just cruel fate but all of Cujo's hate and rage are now directed at Donna.
Cujo rushes the car and Donna frantically climbs inside, shutting the door just before Cujo slams into it. He growls, biting and scratching at the door, the scraping sound almost screaming. Or, maybe that's just Donna and Tad screaming. Donna pushes a panicking Tad out of the way to roll up the windows as Cujo ferociously tries to get at them. Cujo slams and slams into the car, banging on it with his paws, growling all the while as Donna and Tad curl up inside. The car rocks but holds. Tad clutches the Monster Words in his pocket that he brought from home, hoping they will work now to banish this beast. But they don't. Donna and Tad are now trapped in a dead car in the middle of nowhere with a 200 lb. rabid dog as their only company and with no way to contact anyone for help. They have little food and, as we learn, this is about to be the hottest summer on record for Maine. Donna hopes the mailman will come soon or that someone will see the quick note she scrawled in the kitchen about going to fix the Pinto but what she doesn't know is that Joe put a hold on the Chambers' mail starting THAT day and that the note she scrawled at the house would be erased by a jaded Kemp, who came by to harass her but ultimately ended up trashing the place when he found it empty. More to the point, this property damage paired with Vic's knowledge of the affair with Kemp would sidetrack the investigation into their disappearance for an additional day once Vic realized something was wrong when no one answered the phone at home after almost 48 hrs. Brett and Charity also drag their feet calling neighbors to check on Cujo, battling their own more domestic demons.
Ultimately, Donna and a quickly deteriorating Tad end up in this mortal conflict with Cujo, a standoff in the sweltering Maine summer in a car that quickly becomes an oven in the heat, for an estimated four fucking days. It's a nightmare scenario, horribly imagined, perfectly crafted. Every piece of both the Trentons' and the Chambers' separately complex lives unified to create this situation. The trepidation and dread builds with each awful revelation that help is being delayed or sidetracked. It's horrifyingly satisfying. Donna and Tad are trapped and like those unfortunate creatures in that subterranean cave where Cujo was infected, they will die if they cannot find an opening. Unfortunately, that opening keeps becoming smaller and smaller.
Again, it all comes together is such a satisfying cruel way.
What I find most compelling overall is the central conflict in this story. Though seemingly simple on paper, it speaks to so many of our most deeply human fears. Though we imagine ourselves to be these apex predators, that position is tenuous at best. Any shift could tip the balance at any moment. We are confronted by this realty and the inherently mercurial nature of the universe in the form of a large, rabid dog. In this scenario, we are Donna and we are finding out in the worst way possible that we are not the predators we imagined ourselves to be. We never were. Survival is not a guarantee. It is and has always been something we must fight for — to the death if necessary. For me, this story taps into that most ancient need and the fear that propels it. Cujo (1981) is a compounding of all our most primal fears, this story a microcosm through which to explore what we do if placed in a life-or-death situation against an overwhelming foe — a foe we've let inside our lives because we foolishly believed we could tame nature.
I am in that car with Donna and I'm terrified. The world beyond is vicious and blood-thirsty. It wants to harm me and my young. As a reader, I'm thrust into this bitter us-or-them situation, wondering what I'd be willing or able to do under such stressful circumstances. Could I kill to kill? Would I?
And, it's SO easy to be in that car. As in King's The Shining (1977), the bare bones of the plot are scary in large part because of their plausibility. In The Shining (1977), it is the very real possibility of isolation turning a man into a monster that leaves us wondering just how much of the threat in the Overlook hotel was supernatural. In Cujo (1981), all of the circumstances that create this "perfect storm" are very real threats today — the obvious being rabid animals, intense heatwaves, car troubles, etc. and the underlying being dysfunctional relationships, abusive partners, bad business breaks, poorly developed infrastructure, wealth inequality, etc. All of these issues appear to some degree in Cujo (1981) and all of them are still present threats that could spiral out of control, becoming our own "red-eyed monster" creeping out of the closet. For me, at least, that is what makes Cujo (1981) so terrifying. Regardless of whether or not there is a supernatural element to the story, the plausible reality of it instills fear.
The hopeless quality of the book's (1981) ending, I think, also captures another level of this fear, perhaps the deepest level of this fear. In the book, Tad dies. Not because of Cujo or any other red-eyed monster. He died from heat exhaustion complicated by fatigue and dehydration. Even though Donna finds her courage and her will to survive and does challenge Cujo to a life or death battle that she comes out of victorious, it doesn't matter. Even though Vic realizes in the midst of the investigation where his wife, son, and the faulty Pinto must be and heads over to the Chambers' property, he is too late. It's an unfortunate reality of survival — not everyone can make it. Also, one can do everything right or everything possible and still lose. It's the horrifying reality and I feel like it is demonstrated very well in this novel.
Donna is motivated to survive largely because she wants to protect her son. Even though she feels guilty about betraying Vic and definitely feels like she's being deservedly punished (she'snot – this is clearly overkill and if you think otherwise, you can fight me), she adamantly refuses to die before she can save Tad. In the movie, her efforts pay off and she is able to revive and save Tad (for some reason this was decided to be the more impactful ending????). The book, I believe, more closely mirrors reality though in that it is cruel and unforgiving. There is no bargaining with the universe, with a rabid dog, with an unrelenting heatwave. No amount of Monster Words can assuage such horrors. It's a brutal realization and I think it hits it's mark in this story.
Cujo (1981) draws a great deal of power from taking everyday horrors and cranking them up to an eleven. It emphasizes how tenuous our safety truly is at any given moment and how easily it can be put in jeopardy. We are all one bad relationship, one bad car day, one rabid dog away from crisis. We take the assurance of our survival for granted, not realizing we could so easily become another animal trapped at the bottom of a subterranean cave or within the confines of a powerless car, as the case may be. We place chairs in front of closet doors and write prayers, hoping they will be enough to hold the monsters back. We make promises to never cheat again, promises to be grateful for the lives we have. We hope that all these actions are not pointless. That survival is not pointless. We try not to be afraid that, in spite of these precautions, it is. That's all we can do and maybe, we believe, maybe it'll be enough. We hope never have to find out either way.
Hey~ I hope you enjoyed that brief walk through my thoughts on Cujo (1981). I recently read this book and it left quite an impression on me. I thought nothing of King's could scare me as much as The Shining (1977) or Pet Sematary (1983) but I was delightfully and horrifyingly wrong. I hope I captured even the slightest bit of the terror I experienced while reading this novel. If you enjoyed this analysis, do look forward to more reviews of King's works in the near future~
book reviewcujocujo 1981Cujo novelcujo stephen kinghorrorhorror reviewHorror Reviewsmovie reviewreviewscary storystudent blog

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The 26" spin and win game is the perfect motivational tool to play at a corporate meeting or tradeshow. Boost employee morale with the replica wheel of fortune. Have guests at an exhibit play the counter top spin and win game to generate interest in your products or services. The clicker attracts attention with the casino like sound. Each spin and win wheel of fortune game has 12 slots for printouts. The prize options easily slide into the game board under the clear plastic panel. The back of the wheel is designed with a built in tri-pod which easily collapses for traveling between locations.
26.0" x 32.0" x 17.0"


While visiting the Ferry Building last Saturday with our friend Laurie, we stopped in Recchiuti Confections to get a few pieces of amazing chocolates and candies. I ended up getting a vanilla bean marshmallow, to which Laurie asked how they were made. Anyone who knows me knows this is all the incentive I need. Yup, we came home and made marshmallows.


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Tag: The Norman Gunston Show
Classic TV Guides: The Sammys
In 1976, the Variety Club of Australia, TV Times and the Seven Network launched The Australian TV And Film Awards, nicknamed "The Sammys". The name was derived from the trophy's design in the shape of a seal — Sammy the Seal! The awards were a rival to the long-running TV Week Logie Awards, which were …
Brides Of Christ, Cut That Out, Number 96, Sammy Awards, Something Stupid, TelevisionAU, The Comedy Company, The Norman Gunston Show, TV Week Logie Awards
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2020/10/classic-tv-guides-the-sammys.html
Remembering Listener In, TV Scene
It is 30 years ago this week that Melbourne's TV Scene ceased publication after 62 years. It began as a radio magazine, Listener In, in 1925. By 1937 it had converted to a newspaper format. With television arriving in 1956, the Listener In showed it was adapting with the times… by adding "TV" to the …
Cop Shop, In Melbourne Tonight, Neighbours, Number 96, Prisoner, Tattslotto, The Ernie Sigley Show, The Graham Kennedy Show, The Norman Gunston Show, The Penthouse Club, Today, TV Scene
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2017/06/remembering-listener-in-tv-scene.html
1996: March 9-15
Cover: Nicky Buckley (Sale Of The Century) and Catriona Rowntree (Getaway) Long lost Friends The battle between the Seven and Nine networks over the rights to the top ratings US sitcom Friends has been won by Seven… and Nine. Seven has secured the rights to the first season but Nine will have any subsequent series …
1996, 40 Years Of Television, 60 Minutes, A Current Affair, After The Beep, Autumn Affair, Better Homes And Gardens, Beyond 2000, Blue Heelers, Burke's Backyard, Fire, Frontline, Future Active, Getaway, GP, Great Aussie Bloopers, Heat, Home And Away, Midday, Mother And Son, Naked, Neighbours, Nine News, Our House, Prisoner, Sale Of The Century, Shark Bay, Sports Sunday, State Coroner, Sylvania Waters, The Aunty Jack Show, The Footy Show, The Great Outdoors, The Man From Snowy River, The Norman Gunston Show, Water Rats, Weddings
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2016/03/1996-march-9-15.html
1995: November 11-17
Ay, caramba! Simpsons poll shock! The votes are in. TV Week readers have responded to the magazine's poll inviting them to nominate their top ten programs of all time. Only one Australian program (Home And Away) made the final top ten, with seven titles being American and two British. Vintage sitcom The Brady Bunch made tenth …
1995, 60 Minutes, A Country Practice, A Current Affair, Australia's Funniest Home Video Show, Better Homes And Gardens, Blue Heelers, Bordertown, Brides Of Christ, Countdown, Denton, Echo Point, Fast Forward, Four Corners, Full Frontal, Getaway, Gladiators, GP, Heartbreak High, Hey Hey It's Saturday, Home And Away, Just Kidding, Looking Good, Media Watch, Money, Mother And Son, Neighbours, Nine News, Our House, Prisoner, RPA, Sweat, The D Generation, The Great Outdoors, The Investigators, The Man From Snowy River, The Mavis Bramston Show, The Norman Gunston Show, The Sullivans, This Is Your Life, Today Tonight, What's Up Doc?, Wonder World, Young Talent Time
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2015/11/1995-november-11-17.html
1994: September 10-16
Cover: Heather Locklear (Melrose Place) 'It's time to jump off the cliff again!' A guest role in this week's episode of GP has given actor Garry McDonald a chance to stretch his boundaries. "I felt a while ago that I was always working with the same people, that I needed certain people for a safety net," …
1994, A Country Practice, A Current Affair, Australia's Funniest Home Video Show, Australian Biography, Blue Heelers, Burke's Backyard, Fast Forward, Full Frontal, GP, Halifax fp, Healthy Wealthy And Wise, Home And Away, Janus, Jeopardy, Just Kidding, Looking Good, Money, Neighbours, Nine News, Our House, Sale Of The Century, Seven News, Snowy, Ten News, The Great Outdoors, The Movie Show, The Norman Gunston Show, The World's Funniest Commercials, Wedlocked
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2014/09/1994-september-10-16.html
1994: February 5-11
Cover: Christina Applegate (Married With Children) Much ado about nothing The Seven Network has scheduled the Fast Forward comedy special, The Making Of Nothing, to go to air later in the month. The one-hour special is described by executive producer Andrew Knight as "a documentary voyage that will prove a stimulating, incisive expose of the …
1994, 60 Minutes, A Current Affair, Australia's Funniest Home Video Show, Beyond 2000, Blind Date, Blue Heelers, Business Sunday, Division 4, Ernie And Denise, Fast Forward, Graham Kennedy, Home And Away, In Melbourne Tonight, Meet The Press, Midday, Mother And Son, Neighbours, Newlyweds, Order In The House, Real Life, Sale Of The Century, Sunday, The Great Outdoors, The Norman Gunston Show, What's Cooking
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2014/02/1994-february-5-11.html
Morning Show tribute to 57 years of Seven
Today marks the 57th anniversary of the official launch of HSV7, Melbourne, the first station in what we now know as the Seven Network. The channel, operated by the Herald and Weekly Times newspaper group, was officially opened at 7.00pm on Sunday 4 November 1956 by the Victorian Premier Henry Bolte and Melbourne Lord Mayor …
A Country Practice, Autumn Affair, Eleven AM, Home And Away, Homicide, I've Got A Secret, Olympic Games, Pick-A-Box, Seven Network, Seven News, Sons And Daughters, Studio A, Sunday Night, Sunrise, Temptation, The Johnny O'Keefe Show, The Mavis Bramston Show, The Morning Show, The Norman Gunston Show, The Paul Hogan Show, Today Tonight
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2013/11/morning-show-tribute-to-57-years-of-seven.html
1993: July 4-10
Summer Bay's hot teen lovers Despite their on screen bickering Home And Away's Angel and Shane (Melissa George and Dieter Brummer, pictured) are headed for romance. But the thought of kissing on camera doesn't look like upsetting the young stars. Brummer, 17, just shrugs it off as part of the job. "You muck around and there's …
1993, A Country Practice, All Together Now, At Home, Bay City, Beyond 2000, Bingles, Full Frontal, Getaway, Graham Kennedy's News Show, Hey Hey It's Saturday, Home And Away, Midday, Mother And Son, Ocean Girl, Our House, Paradise Beach, Police Rescue, Sons And Daughters, Ten News, The Great Outdoors, The Norman Gunston Show, Tonight Live, Wheel Of Fortune
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2013/07/1993-july-4-10.html
1993: June 6-12
Cover: Jo Beth Taylor (Australia's Funniest Home Video Show), David Faustino (Married With Children), Lisa Hensley (Law Of The Land) The division of Labor A new five-part documentary is set to unveil the bitterness and antagonism between former Prime Minister Bob Hawke and his successor Paul Keating. ABC series Labor In Power features interviews with …
1993, 60 Minutes, A Country Practice, A Current Affair, Australia's Funniest Home Video Show, Baseclimb, Beyond 2000, Burke's Backyard, E Street, Everybody, Hey Dad, Hinch At Seven, Labor In Power, Law Of The Land, Midday, Mother And Son, Police Rescue, Ray Martin Presents, Real Life, Sale Of The Century, The 7.30 Report, The Great Outdoors, The Norman Gunston Show, This Sporting Life, TVTV
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2013/06/1993-june-6-12.html
Obituary: Johnny Lockwood
Johnny Lockwood, the actor best known for his role of Hungarian shop owner Aldo Godolfus in '70s soap opera Number 96, has died peacefully at the age of 92. Growing up in London, and orphaned at the age of 11, he was a child performer, joining the dancing troupe Twelve Dancing Kiddies at age 14. …
A Country Practice, Bellamy, E Street, Neighbours, Number 96, Obituary, Sale Of The Century, Spyforce, The Mavis Bramston Show, The Norman Gunston Show, The Potato Factory, The Saturday Show, Tickled Pink
Permanent link to this article: https://televisionau.com/2013/04/obituary-johnny-lockwood.html


Yesterday at lunch I was rambling on about my love for fashion and this blog – the usual – and my friend mentioned that she would love to see more of my fave items for the season! She is in the process of cleaning out her closet and buying new staple pieces so I thought why not share some closet staples that I am crushing on right now!
To be honest, I own similar versions of many of these items, but just looking at these makes me want to head to the mall! Saying I'm obsessed with this faux leather moto jacket is an understatement. It comes in three other colors and I may or may not be equally as obsessed with it in the cognac color. Another staple every girl should have in her wardrobe is a chambray top! I have a similar one and wear it with black pants, dresses, unbuttoned over a tee shirt…the list goes on and on.
Lets talk about the booties! I actually own these exact ones in black and grey. I've had them for a few years and they are still in amazing condition. Pair them with a great black pair of jeans, cute oversized sweater, and a floppy hat and you have the perfect Fall look!


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Q: Java: Pass a class that extends X and implements X I can do this:
private void doSomething(Class<? extends OtherClass> clazz) {
    doSomethingEpicWithClass(clazz);
}

But I can't do this:
private void doSomethingAsWell(Class<? extends OtherClass implements OtherInterface> clazz) {
    doSomethingEpicWithClass(clazz);
    doSomethingEpicWithInterface(clazz);
}

Makes sense to you? Great. So how would I check if a passed class extends something and implements something? There isn't even an "implement" keyword for this case.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This post content has been moved to my blog about life in Cork City, Ireland.
FOR MORE THINGS LIFE IN CORK, IRELAND, VISIT MY OTHER BLOG: 40 Shades of Life.
Special thanks to Voxless for letting me take the following photo of her while she was knitting.
You are welcome to link to this blog or any of the posts but do not take any of the text or images to repost or publish elsewhere. Do not post or publish my tutorials or patterns on your site/blog or elsewhere. Do not translate tutorials from this blog into other languages and distribute, post or publish. The ideas and instructions in the tutorials/patterns are free but please use them to only make stuff for personal use and not to sell.


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The strange case of Videocon's insolvency
Venugopal Dhoot, the defaulting promoter of the Videocon group.
The twists and turns in the Videocon bankruptcy proceedings have called into question the integrity of the IBC, which was touted as a game-changing mechanism to resolve the problem of bad debt.
The multiple encounters of the now-bankrupt Videocon Industries, the durables-to-energy corporate group, with government agencies and the courts on charges of violations of one kind or another get curiouser by the day. Having put behind media attention on allegations such as corruption and fraud in its credit dealings with ICICI Bank and its high-profile chief executive Chanda Kochhar, and the illegal diversion of funds meant for overseas oil investments (for which its offices were raided as recently as July 17), the group is again in the news. This time it is because of the twists and turns in the bankruptcy proceedings that followed its default on a pile of debt.
These proceedings in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) have called into questioned the vigour and integrity of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), which has been touted as a game-changing mechanism to resolve the problem of accumulated bad debt in the books of India's banks.
To understand the implications of the Videocon saga, a brief foray into its history is in order.
A history of insolvency
At different points of time in 2018, creditors filed applications to initiate resolution proceedings against different Videocon group companies, given their failure to meet their debt service commitments. The defaulting promoter, Venugopal Dhoot, and a principal creditor, the State Bank of India, approached the Mumbai bench of the NCLT. Following this, in August 2019, and in what was a first instance, the NCLT ordered the consolidation of 13 of these separate proceedings into one case covering the group to be heard by a single adjudicating authority. The consolidation was presented as a new initiative "to be utilised as a mechanism to maximise the value of a financially stressed group of companies."
Once initiated, the insolvency proceedings took much longer than mandated by the IBC. In mid June 2019, the NCLT approved a resolution plan for the recovery of proceeds to partly cover the non-performing debt of Videocon Industries. The plan was based on an offer made by Twin Star Technologies, a company belonging to the mining conglomerate Vedanta, and accepted by a committee representing the creditors exposed to Videocon. This was the first group-based resolution award since the IBC process was put in place.
That award has, however, not brought the Videocon saga to its end. While granting approval, the NCLT noted that the scheme involved Vedanta paying almost nothing, with its offer amounting to 4.15 per cent of the outstanding admitted claims of more than Rs.64,000 crore and the creditors settling for a "haircut" of 95.85 per cent. Moreover, the NCLT felt it necessary to request the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) to examine whether confidentiality requirements had been met in the resolution process, since the bid was so close to the liquidation value at which assets could probably have been sold as scrap. Twin Star's successful bid offered creditors Rs.2962.03 crore, whereas the valuers had estimated the liquidation value at Rs.2568.13 crore. By flagging the small difference between the two, the NCLT was implicitly casting doubts on the integrity of the resolution process which requires that the liquidation value be kept confidential until all offers were made.
The resolution plan appears suspect also because of the control that Vedanta would obtain over the Ravva oilfield in the Krishna-Godavari basin with the takeover of Videocon. Videocon holds a 25 per cent stake in the oilfield, which is higher than the stake of 22.5 per cent that Vedanta holds through Cairn. If Vedanta gets control over Videocon Industries for "almost nothing", as the NCLT opined, its stake in the Ravva oilfields would rise to 47.5 per cent.
Videocon's oil assets
In 2018, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had sent Videocon a controversial claim (rejected by an international arbitration tribunal) demanding the dollar equivalent of Rs.2,245 crore, which was the unpaid profit petroleum due to the government as part of a "production sharing contract" between the government and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Videocon Industries, Vedanta and Ravva Oil (Singapore). ONGC held a 40 per cent stake in the oilfield. The resolution professional overseeing IBC proceeding relating to Videocon took the matter to the NCLT, which ruled that once insolvency proceedings are initiated as per the IBC, a moratorium comes into force and no dues can be recovered from the corporate debtor outside of the resolution plan.
Whatever the merits of the government's claim, there can be little doubt that Videocon's oil assets that Vedanta would acquire are quite attractive to the latter, strengthening the suspicion that the final settlement was far too low. Remarkably, the government's demand in terms of profit share alone was almost equal to the estimated liquidation value of the assets of Videocon Industries.
The fact that despite such evidence and its own apprehensions, the NCLT found it necessary to approve the resolution plan suggests that the IBC resolution process is neither "efficient" and "time-bound" as claimed, nor capable of extracting a fair value out of the assets available to compensate creditors. That the resolution plan appeared suspect was what triggered other actions that have stalled the process.
On July 19, the NCLAT stayed the NCLT's approval of the resolution plan, which was challenged by the Bank of Maharashtra and the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI). The principal grounds of the challenge were that while the corporate debtors in the group had cash balances of Rs.200 crore, the successful resolution applicant was bringing in only Rs.262 crore in cash, the rest being in non-convertible debentures payable in six years, and that even the first payment of upfront cash of Rs.200 crore would be made after a significant time interval.
Meanwhile, in keeping with his brazen and quirky behaviour, Venugopal Dhoot requested the NCLAT to quash the NCLT approval of the resolution plan, and require the NCLT to consider a Rs.31,789 crore offer he had made to the creditors to take back the assets. He has reportedly held that the resolution professional was in error for not having flagged the foreign oil and gas assets of Videocon in the information provided to potential bidders. Given the opposition to the defaulting corporates' recovery of their own assets by settling debt at a discount, Dhoot's bid is unlikely to go through.
The mess caused by this much-delayed, first-of-a-kind effort at consolidated group-wise resolution of bad debt has given rise to questions that erode the legitimacy of the IBC process. It raises questions about the decisions taken by the resolution professional and the dominant voices in the committee of creditors, and about the integrity of the valuation process. Why was the liquidation value of assets that included oil and gas assets set so low? Why was the Vedanta bid so close to the liquidation value? Why was the committee of creditors willing to accept such a low bid? Why is Venugopal Dhoot willing to pay such a large sum to win back assets that he let slip from his hands?
Among the things the IBC was designed to ensure, ostensibly to speed up resolution and improve recovery rates, was to empower the committee of creditors and the resolution professional. Within the frame of the process the IBC laid out, the decisions of these players were binding. If the NCLT could not establish that the prescribed process had been deviated from, it could not turn down these decisions, in the absence of opposition from an adequate number of creditors. Of the two powerful sets of players, the members of the committee of creditors at least have a stake in the game, benefiting from higher recovery. That is not true of resolution professionals who are paid to manage the company and its assets until the process is complete, during which time they exercise immense power.
As Arush Khanna of Numen Law Offices notes (Indian Express July 31, 2021), Section 25 of the IBC, that defines the "Duties of resolution professional", does not even require the resolution professional to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information that could affect the valuation of the corporate debtor. Given their powers and access to information, some resolution professionals may engage in acts that subvert the integrity of the process. Recognising this possibility, the IBBI has decided to monitor and institute strict disciplinary proceedings for insolvency professionals, with penalties for violations of the code of conduct, including that of terminating their licence to practice.
But even if this late course correction proves to be a deterrent, it is likely to hurt the resolution process by increasing litigation and worsening the problems of long-delayed resolution and low recovery rates. The best solution is to keep down the volume of non-performing assets. That should be possible if banks do not have large joint exposures to a single corporate group, which is plied with credit even as the evidence suggests that it has not been acting in good faith or been responsible in meeting commitments. That raises the most important question: why did Videocon's creditors act the way they did?
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While it's not good to dwell on the past, occasionally I need to take stock of where I am and where I've been in order to see where I'm going. This has been a difficult year in many ways, but good things have happened too. Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad. At least, I choose to believe that.
I lost a good friend, a cat, and a beloved niece this year. Losing Rachel, my friend, was hard, but she was elderly and had told me that she had prepared her mind and soul to face death. She looked forward to being with her husband Jim again. The cat Bailey's demise was unexpected. She was not fond of people and would let no one but me pet her, and then only seldom. Perhaps she is now happier frolicking with other pets over the Rainbow Bridge.
Even though my niece, Joyce Lifquist, was older than me by a number of years, her loss to rapid cancer was unexpected and a shock. I still can't quite make myself believe she is gone. Her memorial service is January 4th in her hometown of Bakersfield, California. She was a wonderful person, and the eldest of my nieces and nephews. Her parents and siblings made the Cleavers, Father Knows Best, and the Brady bunch look like grumpy slackers. My half-sister and her husband and their two daughters and one son were absolutely the perfect family, an opinion shared by most people who knew them. They helped so many people--not only in our family, but friends as well. Anyone who needed a place to stay while looking for work or looking for a place to live went to their home. As far as I know, they never turned anyone away. When I was small and loved to draw and color, all the girls I drew looked and dressed as much like Joyce and her sister as I could make them. The two were always my ideals and I have looked up to and admired them all my life. I still do!
Hero and I way downsized this year. That sounds so much easier than it has proved to be. We moved to the perfect size house for us, but we are still having trouble fitting what we want to save inside our new-to-us house. The home was built in 1965 and is somewhat dated. We like it, but have a few changes we'd like to make when we get to them. We absolutely love living here and know we will eventually get everything arranged to suit us.
Also on the plus side, this year brought prizes and awards for my writing. BRAZOS BRIDE won first place as well as Best Overall Book in the Winter Rose Contest. HIGH STAKES BRIDE won second place. WattPad gave me an award as one of the authors with the most followers. Smashwords founder Mark Coker included BRAZOS BRIDE on the jump drive he gave to every person who attended the Romance Writers of America's National Convention in July. (I wonder if anyone who received it actually read it?) I published BLUEBONNET BRIDE, TABITHA'S JOURNEY, THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP, and included THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE in the boxed set NINE WAYS TO FALL IN LOVE with eight of my friends. I also boxed the first three MEN OF STONE MOUNTAIN books into one discounted set.
A new venture for me is audio books. BRAZOS BRIDE is available at Audible.com, Amazon, and iTunes. Very soon, HIGH STAKES BRIDE will also be available at those sites.
We have a new cat, Max. He's a Manx cat. If you read my blog earlier this month, you know he is also full of mischief. He is a joy and likes to sit beside my keyboard and watch the cursor on the screen. He especially loves Facebook. ☺ He's made friends with our 7-year-old tuxedo cat Sebastian and with our little black Shih Tzu Webster. Sebastian is a bit jealous but is coming around. Of course, Hero and I adore Max. Even Darling Daughter 1, who is convinced dogs rule, fell under Max's spell at Christmas.
My critique partners are the best. They encourage me as well as catch my goofs. They make me a better writer and keep me sane. Well, mostly sane. These three women and I meet at a restaurant about every two weeks to critique, eat, laugh, and share what amounts to group therapy. Laughter is a very good medicine!
My younger brother and his wife visited from North Carolina. We hope they can move near us in the next year so we can all be together at Christmas 2014. Their widowed daughter lives with them, and will make the move with them when/if they can manage it.
My family encourages and sustains me. Hero is exactly that, my hero. He does everything he can to facilitate my writing and enjoying life. Both our daughters do their part to encourage me and help me as well. I am very blessed!
I hope that as you look back on this year, you count blessing after blessing. Hold the good things close and let the bad slide away. 2014 approaches. Who knows what wonderful things lie in store?
To each of you who purchased my books this year, thank you. I hope reading them gave you as much joy as writing them brought me.
To each of you who purchased one of my audio books, thank you.
This special season, may you find peace in your heart, joy in your life, and fellowship with those you love.
May good memories of those lost this and previous years comfort you.
From our house to yours, we wish you the Merriest of Christmases.
Graphics courtesy of Dover Publications.
Tomás raised his eyebrows and gave her a smile.
"It was just for a little while," she said playfully.
Prescott will be awarding an eBook copy of "First Position" to 5 randomly drawn commenters during the tour.
Holidays are always fun. They always make you feel good. They are always something to look forward to.
There are so many reasons why some people dread upcoming holidays, it would be impossible to list them all here. And Christmas is no different. Many of these reasons stem from bad experiences and, or bad memories. Add in the increasing commercialism of the slightest connection to a holiday, then Christmas often tops the list of those who hate the way a sacred holiday has been hi-jacked.
In NAME THE DAY, Samantha Brown's dislike of Christmas combines all three. Childhood experiences, a multitude of other memories and a loathing of commercialism, even though she works flat out to complete commissions for her clients in time for the holiday.
Chuck an arrogant hero into the mix and sparks are going to fly, and Samantha's temper, already on a short fuse, it doesn't take much to light the touch paper this year.
Successful Rafael Santini believes in family and will do anything to ensure members of his family are always provided for, supported in times of grief, stress and betrayal, so when he meets Samantha Brown all his protective instincts go into overdrive.
For many people there is no happy ever after when the holidays are over. For most the ghosts of their past haunts them until the memories die away for another year and life settles down again. While for other those memories become props, companions to hold on to because it seems there is no other way to survive. And sometimes life simply throws an ugly curve ball which appears to have no solution.
Samantha Brown appeared out of the blue when I sat down to write NAME THE DAY, and we went many rounds together as her story unfolded. Her bottom line?
While for most holidays are a time for joy, families and celebration, there are those who grin and bear it because they don't want to spoil the fun for others. This generosity of spirit is a lonely place. And in Samantha's case it took courage to step out of her familiar attitude toward Christmas and move on. To grow, and find happiness.
Thanks to Sherry for sharing with us today, and thanks to readers for stopping by!
Don't saw "Awwww"yet. This is a photo of our new kitten, Max. He is half Manx and half Siamese and all mischief. Okay, so he's sweet and cuddly most of the time. But let me tell you what he did to me a few days ago.
Max asleep in my favorite family room chair.
We live in a home with a sliding glass door from the family room to the patio. The previous owners had left a cut off broomstick they used in the runner for the door, and also a standard pin at the top to prevent the door being opened by a burglar. Sort of like a belt and suspenders. ☺ Plus they had a burglar alarm.
Hero had gone fishing for a much needed break. That meant that I was relegated to taking our dog for a walk in the backyard. Hero usually does this as I have that wonky ankle that causes me to sometimes fall on uneven ground. We have no fence on two sides, so little Webster has to be walked on a leash.
Now I don't want to alarm readers, but writers sometimes work in jammies or clothes that should have long ago hit the rag bag. On this day I happen to be planning to clean the showers, so I was wearing my comfy Liz Claiborne knit pants that have bleach and other mysterious stains on them. They are old, but unbelievably comfortable and warm. That Liz knows her clothing business.
I also have horrid, fine hair with a cowlick. Until I shampoo and dry my hair, I wake up looking like Lyle Lovett on a bad hair day. By the way, I love Lyle, so don't think I'm slamming him! But picture Lyle with highlighted hair, chubby cheeks and glasses. Scary, right? That's how I looked this fateful day.
Just for good measure, I grabbed my husband's sweatshirt before I went out with Webster. We took a quick tour of the back yard and came back. Uh oh! The door was locked. Inside, looking sweet as can be through the glass, stood Max. From this point forward, Max will be referred to as Max the Menace.
Yes, even without opposable thumbs, Max the Menace had rolled the broomstick into the groove, blocking the door from openig.
There I stood with no phone, no keys, and no way to get inside my house. I sat down in a patio rocker, but decided it was simply too long to wait for Hero's return. I went next door to one of the few neighbors I'd met since we moved here. She wasn't home. Her yard man had just finished, so I borrowed his phone. Darling Daughter 2 wasn't home and I couldn't remember her cell phone number or Hero's. I have them in my cell phone and depend on that to contact them. Wrong, so wrong and did I ever feel stupid.
I trudged across the street to a neighbor who had phoned me to introduce herself. Oh, man, she turned out to be a very, very formal person. She invited me in, but I explained I had Webster. She told me to bring him. As I sat down to use her phone, she mentioned that her family visitors over Thanksgiving had to use crates for their dogs because she simply couldn't have dogs wandering through the house. Webster's a good dog, but I shortened his leash so he couldn't move more than two feet from me. Our daughter still wasn't home, so I left another couple of messages.
This woman looked as if she were from a magazine ad for the perfectly groomed grandmother. Jeans, yes, but starched and pressed with a knife-sharp crease down the front. After a few minutes, with a sniff toward my personal hairstyle (or lack of one), she mentioned that she had a hairdresser's appointment. Her hair looked perfect to me. I really wanted to disappear into the floor, but I thanked her and trudged back home to wait on my patio until help arrived in the form of Hero or our daughter.
By this time, the sun had come out so I was not uncomfortable. Max came to the door several times to check on us. Or maybe he was laughing at us. I may have mentioned that I love our back yard. Lots of large trees, birds, squirrels, and butterflies entertained me in a park-like setting. Plus, writers always have their characters with them and can use down time plotting a book. In fact, we immerse ourselves in our stories and lose touch with the real world around us. I enjoyed the day so much that I didn't hear the sound of Hero and Darling Daughter 2 driving up out front.
Max the Menace snoozing in Hero's lap.
Eventually, DD2 looked out the door and said, "Dad, here she is," as she opened the door. Webster and I went inside.
Hero was frantic. "Where were you?" he asked, which I thought a somewhat odd question considering my plight.
"We've been looking everywhere for you."
Turns out they had arrived at the same time and DD2 went to the neighbors while Hero checked the house. He had looked through the house twice, apparently forgetting I. Was. Locked. Out!
"Didn't you notice Webster wasn't in the house?" I asked.
When Hero is worried about me or our daughters, he is like a steam roller. No, in this instance he's not like James Taylor's version of a steam roller. More like a speeding locomotive heading onto the downed bridge and dropping into the gorge below. Hero was convinced I had fallen or some other mishap had kept me from home. As if being locked out wasn't mishap enough.
He also insisted I was irresponsible for leaving the house without my keys and cell phone. I'll give him that one.
But one week later, guess what happened? Yep, Max the Menace struck again. Hero was locked out, but by this time the weather was frigid and he hadn't taken the precaution of a sweatshirt. Fortunately, I was home and let him in.
Did I say "I told you so"? I might have mentioned the words "irresponsible," "car keys," and "cell phone." I most certainly gave him "The Look." You know the power "The Look" carries, right?
Max the Menace wondering what all the fuss was about.
After all, he was fine.
Broomstick is visible on floor right.
The authors will be awarding a $25 GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour!
Damn. I use it too often, to be honest, whenever any little thing goes wrong. My son is starting to say it. We'll probably both need to go on the quarter system soon.
What are 5 things within touching distance?
My mug of Crystal Light. My audiobook player (A big clunky thing with big buttons for the blind and physically handicapped. I'm legally blind and listen to most of the books I read for pleasure.) My to-do list. An mp3 player. Some random wires.
If Victor was the last person I had expected to see in the diner that morning, then my former father was the last person I wanted to see. Even now, with Victor explaining my part in his unusual scheme for revenge, I didn't want my former father nearby. I didn't want his help. I only hoped Nicolas and Juliana hadn't broken their promise and told him about the life debt, or I would never hear the end of it.
The air crackled with visible tension. Sparks of shimmering red fire danced around my father's head. Behind the counter, Mrs. Meyers twisted her hands together anxiously, as if afraid her diner might burn down. Her fears were not unjustified.
"I don't care what you think you know. Stay away from my daughter." With that, he grabbed my arm with a hand hot enough to leave a reddened imprint on my skin, and dragged me through the kitchen to the employee room at the back. Only then did he release my injured forearm.
FORBIDDEN FUTURE is on sale through Saturday, December 7, 2013 for only 99 cents!
Terra is author of the eco-fantasy novels in the Akasha Series, 'Water', 'Air', 'Fire' and 'Earth', as well as the Painted Maidens Trilogy. Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina, and Virginia. Terra has served a 5½ year enlistment in the Marine Corp, has earned her bachelor's and master's degree and presently runs the language services division of a small business. Terra currently lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her husband of 14 years and three children.
Kade Anderson is a writer from Atlanta, Georgia specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and occasionally finance. "The Mountains Haven't" is her first published short story, but she has also written two novels and co-written several screenplays, including the upcoming web series Life Online. You can read the less interesting bits of Kade's writing on her blog or follow her on Twitter. Both feature frequent references to her habit of buying more books than she can read, and pictures of her pet rabbit, Epinephrine.


1.	Watch the video. Listen to the way the speaker says the time. Match the two ways of saying the same time.
Wilkins Holiday Centre has a programme of activities for its visitors.
Drag the times from the box to match the clocks.


text:
Preparation and characterization of biodegradable PLA polymeric blends
Chien-Chung Chen, Ju Yu Chueh, How Tseng, Haw-Ming Huang, Sheng-Yang Lee
Graduate Institute of Biomedical Materials and Tissue Engineering
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology
Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences
Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital
Ph.D Program in Biotechnology Research and Development
TMU Research Center for Biomedical Devices and Prototyping Production
Center for Cell Therapy and Regeneration Medicine
The purpose of this study was to fine-tune the mechanical properties of high molecular-weight poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), especially to increase its toughness without sacrificing too much of its original strength. Besides of its long degradation time, PLLA is usually hard and brittle, which hinders its usage in medical applications, i.e., orthopedic and dental surgery. Some modifications, such as the addition of plasticizers or surfactants/compatibilizers, are usually required to improve its original properties. PDLLA can degrade quickly due to its amorphous structure, thus shortening the degradation time of PLLA/PDLLA blends. Blends of biodegradable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly-DL-lactic acid (PDLLA) or polycaprolactone (PCL), in addition to a third component, the surfactant - a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, were prepared by blending these three polymers at various ratios using dichloromethane as a solvent. The weight percentages of PLLA/PDLLA (or PCL) blends were 100%/0%, 80%/20%, 60%/40%, 50%/50%, 40%/60%, 20%/80% and 0%/100%, respectively. Physical properties such as the crystalline melting point, glass transition point (Tg), phase behavior, degradation behavior, and other mechanical properties were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). DSC data indicate that PLLA/PDLLA blends without the surfactant had two Tg's. With the addition of the surfactant, there was a linear shift of the single Tg as a function of composition, with lower percentages of PLLA producing lower glass transition temperatures indicating that better miscibility had been achieved. DMA data show that the 40/60 PLLA/PDLLA blends without the surfactant had high elastic modulus and elongation, and similar results were observed after adding 2% surfactant into the blends. The 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA/2% surfactant blend had the highest elastic modulus, yield strength, and break strength compared with other ratios of PLLA/PDLLA/2% surfactant blends. The elongation at break of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA was similar to that of PLLA. Again, the elongation at break of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA/2% surfactant was almost 1.2-1.9 times higher than that of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA and PLLA. Elongation of PLLA increased with the addition of PCL, but the strength decreased at the same time. In conclusions, adding PDLLA and surfactant to PLLA via solution-blending may be an effective way to make PLLA tougher and more suitable to use in orthopedic or dental applications.
poly(lactic acid)
UCON 50-HB-5100
Dynamic mechanical analysis
Differential scanning calorimetry
Elastic moduli
Elastic Modulus
Compatibilizers
Gel permeation chromatography
Bioabsorbable
Poly-DL-lactic acid
Poly-L-lactic acid
Chen, C-C., Chueh, J. Y., Tseng, H., Huang, H-M., & Lee, S-Y. (2003). Preparation and characterization of biodegradable PLA polymeric blends. Biomaterials, 24(7), 1167-1173. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0142-9612(02)00466-0
Preparation and characterization of biodegradable PLA polymeric blends. / Chen, Chien-Chung; Chueh, Ju Yu; Tseng, How; Huang, Haw-Ming; Lee, Sheng-Yang.
In: Biomaterials, Vol. 24, No. 7, 03.2003, p. 1167-1173.
Chen, C-C, Chueh, JY, Tseng, H, Huang, H-M & Lee, S-Y 2003, 'Preparation and characterization of biodegradable PLA polymeric blends', Biomaterials, vol. 24, no. 7, pp. 1167-1173. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0142-9612(02)00466-0
Chen C-C, Chueh JY, Tseng H, Huang H-M, Lee S-Y. Preparation and characterization of biodegradable PLA polymeric blends. Biomaterials. 2003 Mar;24(7):1167-1173. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0142-9612(02)00466-0
Chen, Chien-Chung ; Chueh, Ju Yu ; Tseng, How ; Huang, Haw-Ming ; Lee, Sheng-Yang. / Preparation and characterization of biodegradable PLA polymeric blends. In: Biomaterials. 2003 ; Vol. 24, No. 7. pp. 1167-1173.
@article{91043ab9ec4a4559953d3d6d09e5e7e4,
title = "Preparation and characterization of biodegradable PLA polymeric blends",
abstract = "The purpose of this study was to fine-tune the mechanical properties of high molecular-weight poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), especially to increase its toughness without sacrificing too much of its original strength. Besides of its long degradation time, PLLA is usually hard and brittle, which hinders its usage in medical applications, i.e., orthopedic and dental surgery. Some modifications, such as the addition of plasticizers or surfactants/compatibilizers, are usually required to improve its original properties. PDLLA can degrade quickly due to its amorphous structure, thus shortening the degradation time of PLLA/PDLLA blends. Blends of biodegradable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly-DL-lactic acid (PDLLA) or polycaprolactone (PCL), in addition to a third component, the surfactant - a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, were prepared by blending these three polymers at various ratios using dichloromethane as a solvent. The weight percentages of PLLA/PDLLA (or PCL) blends were 100{\%}/0{\%}, 80{\%}/20{\%}, 60{\%}/40{\%}, 50{\%}/50{\%}, 40{\%}/60{\%}, 20{\%}/80{\%} and 0{\%}/100{\%}, respectively. Physical properties such as the crystalline melting point, glass transition point (Tg), phase behavior, degradation behavior, and other mechanical properties were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). DSC data indicate that PLLA/PDLLA blends without the surfactant had two Tg's. With the addition of the surfactant, there was a linear shift of the single Tg as a function of composition, with lower percentages of PLLA producing lower glass transition temperatures indicating that better miscibility had been achieved. DMA data show that the 40/60 PLLA/PDLLA blends without the surfactant had high elastic modulus and elongation, and similar results were observed after adding 2{\%} surfactant into the blends. The 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA/2{\%} surfactant blend had the highest elastic modulus, yield strength, and break strength compared with other ratios of PLLA/PDLLA/2{\%} surfactant blends. The elongation at break of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA was similar to that of PLLA. Again, the elongation at break of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA/2{\%} surfactant was almost 1.2-1.9 times higher than that of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA and PLLA. Elongation of PLLA increased with the addition of PCL, but the strength decreased at the same time. In conclusions, adding PDLLA and surfactant to PLLA via solution-blending may be an effective way to make PLLA tougher and more suitable to use in orthopedic or dental applications.",
keywords = "Bioabsorbable, Blend, Poly-DL-lactic acid, Poly-L-lactic acid, Surfactant",
author = "Chien-Chung Chen and Chueh, {Ju Yu} and How Tseng and Haw-Ming Huang and Sheng-Yang Lee",
journal = "Biomaterials",
publisher = "Elsevier Science Ltd",
T1 - Preparation and characterization of biodegradable PLA polymeric blends
AU - Chen, Chien-Chung
AU - Chueh, Ju Yu
AU - Tseng, How
AU - Huang, Haw-Ming
AU - Lee, Sheng-Yang
N2 - The purpose of this study was to fine-tune the mechanical properties of high molecular-weight poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), especially to increase its toughness without sacrificing too much of its original strength. Besides of its long degradation time, PLLA is usually hard and brittle, which hinders its usage in medical applications, i.e., orthopedic and dental surgery. Some modifications, such as the addition of plasticizers or surfactants/compatibilizers, are usually required to improve its original properties. PDLLA can degrade quickly due to its amorphous structure, thus shortening the degradation time of PLLA/PDLLA blends. Blends of biodegradable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly-DL-lactic acid (PDLLA) or polycaprolactone (PCL), in addition to a third component, the surfactant - a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, were prepared by blending these three polymers at various ratios using dichloromethane as a solvent. The weight percentages of PLLA/PDLLA (or PCL) blends were 100%/0%, 80%/20%, 60%/40%, 50%/50%, 40%/60%, 20%/80% and 0%/100%, respectively. Physical properties such as the crystalline melting point, glass transition point (Tg), phase behavior, degradation behavior, and other mechanical properties were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). DSC data indicate that PLLA/PDLLA blends without the surfactant had two Tg's. With the addition of the surfactant, there was a linear shift of the single Tg as a function of composition, with lower percentages of PLLA producing lower glass transition temperatures indicating that better miscibility had been achieved. DMA data show that the 40/60 PLLA/PDLLA blends without the surfactant had high elastic modulus and elongation, and similar results were observed after adding 2% surfactant into the blends. The 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA/2% surfactant blend had the highest elastic modulus, yield strength, and break strength compared with other ratios of PLLA/PDLLA/2% surfactant blends. The elongation at break of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA was similar to that of PLLA. Again, the elongation at break of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA/2% surfactant was almost 1.2-1.9 times higher than that of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA and PLLA. Elongation of PLLA increased with the addition of PCL, but the strength decreased at the same time. In conclusions, adding PDLLA and surfactant to PLLA via solution-blending may be an effective way to make PLLA tougher and more suitable to use in orthopedic or dental applications.
AB - The purpose of this study was to fine-tune the mechanical properties of high molecular-weight poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), especially to increase its toughness without sacrificing too much of its original strength. Besides of its long degradation time, PLLA is usually hard and brittle, which hinders its usage in medical applications, i.e., orthopedic and dental surgery. Some modifications, such as the addition of plasticizers or surfactants/compatibilizers, are usually required to improve its original properties. PDLLA can degrade quickly due to its amorphous structure, thus shortening the degradation time of PLLA/PDLLA blends. Blends of biodegradable poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly-DL-lactic acid (PDLLA) or polycaprolactone (PCL), in addition to a third component, the surfactant - a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, were prepared by blending these three polymers at various ratios using dichloromethane as a solvent. The weight percentages of PLLA/PDLLA (or PCL) blends were 100%/0%, 80%/20%, 60%/40%, 50%/50%, 40%/60%, 20%/80% and 0%/100%, respectively. Physical properties such as the crystalline melting point, glass transition point (Tg), phase behavior, degradation behavior, and other mechanical properties were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). DSC data indicate that PLLA/PDLLA blends without the surfactant had two Tg's. With the addition of the surfactant, there was a linear shift of the single Tg as a function of composition, with lower percentages of PLLA producing lower glass transition temperatures indicating that better miscibility had been achieved. DMA data show that the 40/60 PLLA/PDLLA blends without the surfactant had high elastic modulus and elongation, and similar results were observed after adding 2% surfactant into the blends. The 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA/2% surfactant blend had the highest elastic modulus, yield strength, and break strength compared with other ratios of PLLA/PDLLA/2% surfactant blends. The elongation at break of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA was similar to that of PLLA. Again, the elongation at break of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA/2% surfactant was almost 1.2-1.9 times higher than that of 50/50 PLLA/PDLLA and PLLA. Elongation of PLLA increased with the addition of PCL, but the strength decreased at the same time. In conclusions, adding PDLLA and surfactant to PLLA via solution-blending may be an effective way to make PLLA tougher and more suitable to use in orthopedic or dental applications.
KW - Bioabsorbable
KW - Blend
KW - Poly-DL-lactic acid
KW - Poly-L-lactic acid
KW - Surfactant
JO - Biomaterials
JF - Biomaterials


In a statement, the Palace wrote, "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very grateful for the goodwill they have received from people throughout the United Kingdom and world as they prepare to welcome their baby. Their Royal Highnesses have taken a personal decision to keep plans around the arrival of their baby private. The Duke and Duchess look forward to sharing the exciting news with everyone once they have had an opportunity to celebrate privately as a new family."
The Palace announced Meghan's pregnancy in October and gave vague details on the due date then: It was just spring 2019. But Meghan herself told well-wishers in January that she was due in late April or early May.
Meghan and Harry have chosen not to reveal their baby's gender ahead of his or her birth, following royal tradition. ELLE.com was previously told by sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that they did know the baby's gender though and had elected to keep it a surprise from the public.


Flamenco practice skirt or special skirts for flamenco dancing schools. These skirts have a silk stitch fabric which gives it the perfect hang for every type of flamenco dance. It is made of a durable and very high-quality silk stitch which makes it also a flare skirt. These flamenco practice skirts are the most demanded skirts by our customers who are professional, semi-professional or beginner dancers.
Flamenco practice skirt or special skirts for flamenco dancing schools. These skirts have a silk stitch fabric which gives it the perfect hang for every type of flamenco dance. This skirt is made of a durable and very high-quality silk stitch which makes it a very flare skirt.
These practice skirts are the most demanded skirts by our customers who are professional, semi-professional or beginner flamenco dancers. The main characteristic of this flamenco skirt is its spectacular movement and its fabric which makes it very light and comfortable. They are made in plain silk stitch. It also has a ruffle which makes it a very gliding skirt.
In this section you will find a wide range of Dance flamenco dresses or dancing clothes for women, all flamenco items at very low prices, with special offers in flamenco dresses for women which you can combine with our broad range of body maillots and flamenco shoes. Choose among all these types of flamenco skirts and select your size. As flamenco wear company our goal is to offer customers quality and price in spanish dresses dance, shoes and all kinds of Spanish accessories.
In our flamenco fashion shop online, we offer a selection of products also available in our stores located in Malaga and Granada. If you cannot find what you want, send email requests or suggestions and we will try to improve our Spanish and flamenco dresses.


text:
Credit: Rafael Cardenas
Over the Weekend: Beat Swap Meet and DJ Battle in Chinatown
Liz Gonzalez April 12, 2010
Flocks of vinyl junkies filled the Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown on Sunday and transformed the indoor/outdoor space into the Beat Swap Meet, a treasure-trove for record collectors.
Sunday marked two years since the start of the 12-inch and 7-inch record celebration and featured its first DJ battle as the premier attraction. After a slow process to narrow down the nine competitors to three finalists, DJs Yuji, Image and Etronik battled each other in 90-second rounds for the title. Judges Mr. Choc of the Beat Junkies, Pryvet Peepsho and Charlie Rock named DJ Etronik the winner of the $500 prize.
While the DJ battle took place in the upstairs area, crate diggers crowded the room below and the outside alley as they sorted through the vinyl collections and tested the merchandise on their portable turntables.
DJs outside spun a variety of music that included reggae, hip-hop, salsa and cumbia. Representing local underground hip-hop, East LA's Huskey Radio had a booth that inspired freestyle lyrics from MCs and dancing from the b-boys.
DJ E-Tronik; Credit: Rafael Cardenas
Utmos, event coordinator, explained the entirely-vinyl motive, "Simply because anywhere else in LA you are not going to find something that is only vinyl. Even if you are using Serato now, it's our time to be like 'let's remember records for a second!'"
The Beat Swap Meet is free with a donation of canned goods, which are hand-delivered to the Los Angeles Rescue Mission. The all-ages, event takes place every three months and welcomes every music enthusiast looking to share in the love for records.


Serious contexts enable ironic content: The "schematic" as a three-story billboard.
and magazine-illustrations of the 1950s and 1960s were precisely described.
Step 2: The first rough idea sketch was developed into a positionally precise preparatory drawing.
For this purpose, geometrically regular objects were modelled in 3d and rendered in suitable perspective.
The 3d models help simulate a design step which, in the 1950s, was done using photos. The style's signature lighting — streaks of light and highlights from artificial light sources — is introduced during the artistic translation.
Step 3: All things organic — humans and their body parts — are freehandedly illustrated.
Given the right design, even a stomach crank can be assigned to a particular era.
Step 4: The actual production process of the 1950s shapes the final look: painting on rough cardboard, the lack of definition and irradiation in the photographic prepress repro, the halftone screen, and the structures of the printed image carrier.
Step 5: For an adaption to portrait format, three new perspectives with different vanishing points were constructed and all the image elements fitted accordingly.


text:
Q: How to use if else statement ajax I have 4 radiobutton r1,r2,r3,r4. And a date input "tanggal".
in my table i have data in row tanggal 11/15/2018, 11/15/2018, 11/15/2018 11/15/2018
row waktu09.00, 09.20, 09.40, and 10.00
with this query I just can disable one radio button r1 when I choose a date 11/15/2018 with value in my database
<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function(){
 $('#tanggal').change(function(){
  var tanggalfromfield = $('#tanggal').val();
  $.ajax({        // Memulai ajax
    method: "POST",
    url: "ajaxtanggal.php",
    data: {tanggal: tanggalfromfield}
  })
  .done(function(hasilajax) {
        $('#nama').val(hasilajax);
        var tam=hasilajax;
        if(tam=='09.00WIB'){
            document.getElementById("r1").disabled = true;
        }
    });

 })
});
</script>

when i try to use if else statement nothing change and it's not work.
<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function(){
 $('#tanggal').change(function(){
  var tanggalfromfield = $('#tanggal').val();  // AMBIL isi dari fiel NPM masukkan variabel 'npmfromfield'
  $.ajax({        // Memulai ajax
    method: "POST",
    url: "ajaxtanggal.php",    // file PHP yang akan merespon ajax
    data: {tanggal: tanggalfromfield}   // data POST yang akan dikirim
  })
  .done(function(hasilajax) {
        $('#nama').val(hasilajax);
        var tam=hasilajax;
        if(tam=='09.00WIB'){
            document.getElementById("r1").disabled = true;
        }else if(tam=='09.20WIB'){
            document.getElementById("r2").disabled = true;
        }else if(tam=='09.40WIB'){
            document.getElementById("r3").disabled = true;
        }
    });

 })
});
</script>

How to disable r2,r3,r4 when I choose date 11/15/2018?

A: You need to make standart debugging actions:
1) check tam=='09.00WIB - is this still works? According to code - must be.
2) use
$('#nama').val(hasilajax);
var tam=hasilajax;
console.log('tam:'); console.log(tam);

to see real value of tam. It can be surprisingly not what you expect.
3) add message in various statement to check if it is goes here:
    if(tam=='09.00WIB'){
        document.getElementById("r1").disabled = true;
        console.log('r1 - worked');
    }else if(tam=='09.20WIB'){
        document.getElementById("r2").disabled = true;
        console.log('r2 - worked');
    }else if(tam=='09.40WIB'){
        document.getElementById("r3").disabled = true;
        console.log('r3 - worked');
    } else {
        console.log('nothing of this');
    }

Only then you can understand where is error. Probably not in "if else if"


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text:
Q: xiaomi rejected mono shared runtime installation request (xamarin.android) I have developed a mobile application for a certain business. We are now trying to test it through different mobile. But suddenly, the problem is in the mobile itself. I don't know why the Xiaomi Note 3 declines installation request.
I already enabled the developers option and the usb debugging. I am missing something in here?
I already disabled and enabled the fast deployment.
EDIT
I forgot to include that I already tried to disable the use shared runtime

A: Go to Settings -> additional settings -> Developer Options -> Debugging options -> Check Install via USB and check USB debugging
You are good to go :)


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