It's my husband's birthday today. I was going through our photos on the computer, realizing that while he looks older today than he did when we got married almost nine years ago, his personality has not changed much. He loves God, and he loves his family. To me, he is never more handsome and lovable than when he is playing with the kids or doting on his daughters. There is something about being a great dad that also makes him a wonderful husband and friend.
Happy birthday honey, I love you so much!
My apologies for being such a slacker blogger lately. I have been busy remodeling the house, as well as reorganizing, decluttering, and deep-cleaning every single room, nook, and cranny, as well as the shed. I even scrubbed the van inside and out, it looks like new now. In fact, it is so nice that I just might start tieing the kids down to the roof of the van rather than letting them get inside.
There's fun stuff like canning an abundance of fruit and tomatoes over the summer, when fresh produce is in season. Right now, there are about 20 lbs of tomatoes waiting in my fridge to be canned later today.
Then there's homeschooling. I went to the big annual homeschool convention in downtown Phoenix last Friday and Saturday, and got plenty of inspiration and ideas. We are on summer break right now, but I still have to decide on next year's curriculum and find good deals to buy what I need. Right now, I am thinking along the lines of taking a more relaxed approach next year, and to do unit studies with the three boys and have them all learning the same things except for math and language arts. I also need to list a ton of books I don't need any more for sale on ebay.
I'm finally feeling like I am wrapping things up in all these areas, but by the time I am all done, I will need a break. We are going camping soon - yay! It also means a lot of getting ready, packing, and then laundry and cleaning when we get back home.
Hope you all enjoy this special time with friends and family!
Just a quick update: A hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 5 regarding our attorney's petition to dismiss the charges against my husband. His arguments were very good, logical, and in line with the law. After the judge that had been assigned to the case back in April received the written petition, she recused herself from the case, and it has since been passed to the presiding judge of the court in Wellton, AZ. If the charges are not dismissed after the hearing, the day for the trial has been set for Aug. 25th. Your prayers in this matter are much appreciated.
The kids and I (and my husband when he is home) have been going on many fun outings during the last few weeks, enjoying these wonderful summer days. The libraries in our area offer lots of free programs this time of year. So far, we have seen a puppet theater production, a really cool yo-yo show, a juggler, a reptile show, and a singing cowboy.
The heat in Arizona is really overrated. 108 degrees in the day can feel pretty hot if you are out in the sun, but what might feel like a "cool breeze" in the evening could very well still be in the triple-digits. It really is not bad at all, and feels much cooler.
We have also gone on field trips to various museums and attractions around the state. I apologize for the quality of the photos below. Some were taken with a camcorder, and some with my phone. My camera seems to not be working right any more at all. I'll have to get a new one just as soon as possible.
I was really kicking myself that I forgot to bring my camera and phone down into the missile launching complex. It was pretty amazing, and Solomon and Isaac got to sit in the two seats of the commanding officers, turn the keys at the same time, and pretend to launch the missile. Solomon asked at least a half dozen times if this REALLY was just pretend, and that he was not actually nuking the other side of the world. Our military leaders could use a dose of his apprehension.
More photos to follow. A girl's gotta sleep sometime.
Lakeshore Learning offers various free teaching resources for parents and children to enjoy together on their website every month. I think I will use the sight-word flash cards to make my own version of their sight-word soup games for John.
If you like shopping at this store, now is a great time. With all the new merchandise coming in for the next school year, a lot of stuff is on clearance. Most of the other stuff in the store is 20% discounted. I have already found some great deals there this month. The website also has a coupon you can print and use for a free plan book and a buy one, get one 50% off offer.
Every day, I get many comments on this blog that I reject for various reasons. Contrary what I regularly get accused of, this does not constitute censorship. I am not stopping anyone from saying anything on their own platform. But as the publisher of this blog, I am under no obligation whatsoever to make their voice heard on my blog. Not any more so than a book publisher is obligated to publish every book that is submitted to them. They reject stuff they don't like, and I do the same.
Just for fun, though, I thought I would share a small sampling of the lovely comments I have received this week. For easier reading, I have color-coded the comments and my responses.
Have you ever stepped into a college or university? Have you ever made more than $10.00 an hour in your life? Have you ever worked for a Fortune 500 company? Have you ever traveled beyond the U.S. border? Have you ever spent the night at $2,000 hotel room? Then shut up...you don't know what you are talking about when it comes to anything outside of your house. How can you talk about women who work outside of their home if you NEVER have?
The words in your blog aren't your own? They are your husband's sentiments with your name on it. You, my friend, are being controlled by your husband. You know and I know it.
The world will know it when we read about the murder/suicide of your family, at the hands of your husband, one day in the news. It has happened countless times all over this country. Your husband will be convinced it's for your family's own good...and that God told him to do it. He is the poster child for paranoid, controlling and psychotic. I WISH THIS WEREN'T TRUE....God knows! You are on my prayer list because I fear for you and your family. I pray that God protects you from this monster!
Yes, before I was a Christian I went to college and majored in cultural anthropology, and also studied political science and journalism (in Germany, where I went to college, you pick one major and two minor courses of study). I have worked as a professional translator of medical journals for years, and depending on how long it took me to translate a text, would make $25-50/hour from home. I have not accepted any assignments in almost one year now because it was getting too much to work at night after taking care of the kids all day, and my husband makes very good money with his own company. Why be a worker bee at a Fortune500 company when you can run your own business? I have been to just about every European country and their capitals. I have never spent $2000 on a hotel room, but we have several times sent that much extra to the mortgage company in one month in order to pay our house off faster, which is a much wiser financial decision. Why anyone who does not meet all of your strange and irrelevant criteria should "shut up" is not quite clear to me - do you think that we should be ruled by a small handful of rich, out of touch with reality elite? Do you not believe in freedom of speech? Must personal blogs only contain information approved by snobs like yourself?
A wife being controlled by her husband is only biblical, and if anything, I do not attain to that standard like I should. Most men are controlled by their wives, which is truly sickening.
I think you missed the point of my post, because women in the workforce are the ones who are controlled by others all day long, while I do what I want with my time.
That's awfully judge-y, for a so-called Christian. You give Christians a bad name.
It is a common misconception that Christians are not supposed to judge anything or anyone. Please read this post.
This comes from my heart as an older Christian woman to a younger Christian wife and mother. Your husband has been charged with two "misdemeanors" and the outcome of his trail is yet to be determined. IF he should lose his court battle and IF he should have to serve time, do you really want to be pregnant and/or have a new baby? Would it be wise to wait? Do you have any apprehension about the outcome? Could the videos be damaging to his trial?
From what you post, your husband is rarely, if ever, there to help you now and Solomon is taking on the role of "man of the house" while your husband pours his time and energy into other areas.
Oh my, this comment made me laugh and scratch my head. People never fail to amaze me. I think this lady was actually well intentioned. No, it is extremely unlikely that my husband will have to "serve time" for two traffic-related misdemeanors. The legal case is proceeding very well, although it would be too time-consuming to go into that here. I do not make my childbearing decisions based on insane "what ifs?" If I did, I would never ever become pregnant because what if my husband were to die in an accident? I think I will just continue to leave it in God's hands, since He has blessed me with a family that many wish they had.
As far as my husband not being "there to help now", I am not sure what you think changed recently that he would be here less than before? In fact, he has been home more because he travels less than he used to. You would be amazed how much time men have for their families when they do not watch any TV, don't follow professional sports, and don't have other silly pastimes. You would be surprised how much time parents have with their children when they don't ship them off all day to school to babysit them. The wonderful thing about running your own company is that you can take your kids to work with you. You can come home if your wife just got back from shopping and needs help unloading the van. You can be home during the day and work at the office when the kids are in bed. On and on. My husband spends more time with the kids than any other Dad I know, and I am not talking about "family movie night". We go on outings and special trips more than any other family I know.
As far as Solomon taking on the role of "man of the house" I am not quite sure how you think you know our family so well from a blog? Last I checked, Solomon wasn't bringing home a paycheck, taking out any of the trash, doing any of the yard work, fixing things around the house, and any other "manly" activities you may have had in mind, while my husband does all of the above. Solomon plays with his baby sister, which I think is normal for a brother to do. In fact, he often asks me to hold the baby when I am taking care of her because he loves her and thinks she is the cutest thing.
I installed the flooring myself because I wanted to. My husband would have gladly paid to hire a professional to do it (which would have been cheaper than for him to take time from his business to do it himself). But I thought it would be a fun project to do with the kids, and it was. If I told you I scrapbooked every day for the last two weeks, you wouldn't think there was anything wrong with that. The Bible says "in all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury."
"God intended for the mother to stay at home an raise the children and did not really leave it up to her personal preferences"
You make a lot of these really strong pronouncements about God's will and his intentions. But isn't it remarkably hubristic to think you *know* these things about God, when, I assure you, many people (Christians and otherwise) believe much different things about God.
What makes your view better than opposing views? Is it a feeling you have? A direct pipeline to God? The Bible? An empirical view of human nature? The first and second I find highly suspect, since at least some of the people who hold opposing views probably claim the same. The third and fourth might give you better grounds, but I suspect you still are not a very good authority, in comparison to all the theologians and people who've spent their whole lives carefully studying such issues--most of whom would disagree with you assured pronouncements.
Why do you think you're qualified to tell the rest of us what God intends and desires?
It is called "The Holy Bible", and you will find definite answers to all of life's questions and issues in it.
You obviously have no medical education, or any education at all for that matter.
Reading your blog is really a jaw dropping experience, especially for European readers. I really don't understand your nerve to judge and "preach" to people your twisted ideas about family planning, homosexuality and life in general. Get of your high horse sister!
You are a perfect example of what we (Europeans) consider a typical ignorant, uneducated, cruwel, religious nutjob American.
By the way, English is not my first language.
This comment actually came in a month or so ago, but I had to add it here because it seriously cracked me up. I guess European readers find reading blogs by European authors "jawdropping." Again, I am striving to base all views expressed on my blog on the Bible, which is just so not en vogue in Europe these days. That may explain why they are the whining, socialist, psychotic, drunk mess that they are.
I guess you are what Americans consider a prejudiced European who hates the American way of life, even if it is lived by a fellow European. Hey, I actually had TWO European citizenships.
And yes, I can tell that English is not your first language when I look at how you spelled "cruel." In case you were wondering, English isn't my first language either, it is my third. May I remind you though that the only reason why you learned English was because it is impossible to succeed in today's world without a working knowledge of it? Whereas your mother tongue has no international significance whatsoever, because your country is not important in spite of the "short man syndrome" that all European countries suffer from?
You do know that wikipedia is not a reliable source of information. The information on the site should not be considered cast in stone.
You seem to have a very distorted view of IVF and need to do some more research.
As far as I am concerned you are a naive, hypocrytical, woman with very little understanding of the real world.
There is no sign of God's light in you.
Wow, but your comment is a real beacon of God's light! Wait, are you displaying the hypocrisy you were accusing me of?
Do you know what? You're an idiot. You're a typical American that is blinded by your religious and cultural beliefs. Have you ever stepped out of your little town?! You will never ever understand the African way of living. You can not compare your lovely 3rd world life to the suffering that people go through in Africa. This is more than just a baby things. You are too ignorant to understand. Perhaps it was your blinded upbringing or your jaded brain, but open your eyes, lady. People die here every day from diseases you didn't think existed anymore.
Every other person there is overly Christian. A Christianity that believes things, which is fine, but you don't need to push your beliefs onto other people.
You don't let other people post here because they don't believe what you do?You're as right wing as Hitler. Get out of your bubble.
Are you angry yet? Maybe now you'll start feeling something other than your "g-d".
Here we go again. I get called a stupid American probably once every week. I think people just hate old-fashioned values, which in the past was somewhat synonymous with America (and I wish it still were). True, I become an American citizen about a year ago, but that was hardly what determined my belief system. I was born in East Germany, raised in Hungary until I was eight, and lived in West Germany until I was 21 years old. In between, I also lived in the UK for about 10 months.
I didn't know 3rd world life was lovely, and I didn't know I lived in it. Not sure what "a baby things" is. And I am the one being called ignorant?
Why the fact that "[p]eople die here every day from diseases you didn't think existed anymore" has anything to do with the question of whether or not IVF is right or wrong I am not quite sure, unless they mean that a few dead bodies more or less don't count in the big picture any more.
I like how I am being called Hitler for not allowing others to post on my blog. I wonder if this person would allow me to guest post on their blog for a change. I am all for having and exercising free speech, while they want me to stop talking about the subjects that I take an interest in.
And no, stupid comments never anger me, they only make me laugh, and glad that I am not blinded like most people are.
it's women like you who make women who have c-sections feel as if they have somehow failed in their role as a woman.
having a c-section is nothing to be ashamed of. shame on you.
Ouch, somebody is a little touchy. Maybe her C-sections weren't as fabulous as the rest of the lenghty comment said they were. So let's use logic: because I warn against ****unnecessary**** c-sections, I am making women feel like they failed in their role? Is it part of a woman's role to have a C-section??
Unlike this commenter, I never shamed any women. I told them to get educated about childbirth, which seems only normal enough for any woman to take an interest in . If I told you to watch your kids and keep them safe, would I be shaming everyone whose child has had a tragic accident?
If you have had a breech birth, or are currently experiencing a breech pregnancy, please consider participating in this survey.
Last Friday, I finished installing the new flooring in our bedroom. The room is about 250 sq feet, so it was a lot of work. The baseboards were not fun at all, but it's done and looks great. Saturday afternoon I hung curtains and rearranged all the closets, since we are switching up who sleeps in which room. I'll put up before and after pictures here soon (hopefully).
Yesterday, I took a break from the backbreaking work of fixing up the house. Today, I completely emptied one of the boys' bedrooms, tore up the carpet and nail boards, put down padding, and got about half-way done installing the new hard floors. This room is about 150 sq feet. I am getting a lot faster. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to finish installing the flooring (dreading doing the closet floor) and the baseboards. Then Isaac and John will move back in, and I will move on to Solomon's bedroom at last. That one is only about 100 sq feet, but also has a closet. It's really tricky and time-consuming to work around the doors.
Solomon has been a huge help with these projects, as he takes care of Becky and plays with her. Isaac is great at bringing me tools, water, and the flooring planks. They are all excited about their "new" bedrooms and happy to help.
I am very tired and sore, but really loving the new look of the floors and the sense of accomplishment. It's like having a baby - a lot of work, sometimes overwhelming, but worth it. Seeing the piles of dust under the carpets was proof enough that replacing carpets with hard floors was the right choice. Wall-to-wall carpeting has never seemed as unappealing to me as it did today.
Tonight, I am taking a break from working on the room more because there is laundry to be put away, the school/dining room needs cleaning, and there is some produce I need to wash, chop, and freeze. I wish I could go to bed but I don't sleep well unless I straighten the house up first. I really want to finish doing the rooms as quickly as possible because we will soon have to focus more on school work again, and then eventually I will probably get pregnant again in the not too distant future, Lord willing. Right now, I can't even get pregnant yet, so don't start hyperventilating. Just trying to plan ahead.
And so ends this incoherent and meaningless post. Just wanted to say I'm still around, just busy and very tired.
There were two fireworks that looked like they were going to burn me up.John screamed,too.
(at this point,we could see the fireworks being lit)Finally,I stopped screaming.I toughened up a little.(by now Dad is by us)Then,I toughened up rapidly.Later,those same fireworks came,and I did'nt scream!
At the end,they let the fire works run WILD!They let 'em flash,pop,boom,whatever they wanted!
As promised, I wanted to answer some of the canning-related questions that came from this post.
Do you use a pressure canner or just a big stock pot for processing? I saw a pressure canner at Wal-Mart yesterday for about $70, but don't know if that's a good price or not.
There are two ways to can: pressure canning, and hot water canning. Pressure canning is used for low-acid foods such as vegetables (corn, beans), meats, etc. Some people do use pressure cookers as a pressure canner, but canning experts advise against that. I think what Wal-Mart sells is a pressure cooker that is also supposed to work as a pressure canner, but again, I guess there is a difference and it's technically not as safe to use. Because pressure canners are expensive, and I prefer frozen vegetables and meats to canned ones, I only ever do hot water canning (which is only suitable for high-acid foods such as fruits and tomatoes). Fruit jams, jellies, applesauce, canned tomatoes, fruit syrups, canned fruits etc. can all be made in a hot water bath. A pressure cooker could be used for hot water canning, but it is impractical (smaller batches) and unnecessary, so there really is no need to spend $70.
Oh and do you use white sugar, or can you use raw sugar? (Trying to think of health here haha).
This year, I only used white sugar for canning. In the past, I have used honey, as well as fruit juice concentrate for sweetening. There is a different kind of pectin available at the store that is made to be used with fruit juice concentrate (usually white grape or apple juice) or sugar substitute (like Splenda - don't even get me started on that). The package contains all the necessary explanations. It's really pretty much the same, except that you dump in the frozen concentrate instead of sugar. The jelly will not be nearly as sweet, but it does taste very nice. I like apricot jelly and berry jams very sweet, though, so I used regular sugar. I have never used raw sugar in place of the white, but I'm sure that would be perfectly fine.
As with everything in life, you catch more flies with honey. But what on earth are you doing on my blog? And how did you like the apricot jelly?
Below are some questions on other topics that I have been asked recently. If I missed yours, I am sorry, it was not intentional. If you have any other questions for me, please feel free to leave it in the comments section, and I will answer it soon.
For starters, I don't know the name of the person who asked this, since they chose to leave an anonymous comment. Secondly, yes, there are obviously many things that I know nothing about, and probably many other things that I THINK I know but actually am wrong on. But no, I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that a C-section rate of over 30% is extremely out of whack.
I think infertility is a terrible problem for women to have to suffer, and I honestly feel very bad for those affected by it. However, I also believe that God is the one who opens and closes the womb and gives women conception, as the Bible says so over and over again. If a couple is childless, it is because that is God's will at that time. I am quite certain that God does not need our artificial means of trying to speed along conception. Interestingly enough, the Bible mentions many women that were barren, but after they prayed and asked God (in the case of Isaac, for two decades), every single one of them went on to have children.
Since I have already explained my position on IVF, I will give you my thoughts on IUI and fertility drugs (such as the one you mentioned, Clomid). I don't think it would be sinful per se to use fertility drugs at a normal dosage, but I also would strongly advise against it. Just because something isn't wrong doesn't mean it is good for us. If women have ovulatory problems, the underlying cause should be rectified rather than supplying the body with artificial hormones that are nothing more than a crutch, and will only lead to the woman's body becoming more out of balance hormonally. There are many herbs and other natural approaches to regulate a woman's cycle and restore her health to where she can then conceive naturally. People have commented on here that they tried drugs and IUI unsuccessfully, then tried herbal remedies, and became pregnant shortly thereafter.
As for IUI, I really do not know much about the process, and don't want to speculate. To me it seems that God intended the creation of a new eternal soul to be between a husband and wife, not a doctor in a clinic. God doesn't need the doctor's help.
Many times, people who use artificial means of conception take the fact that they were successfully able to have a child as proof that God condoned of their actions, and even used modern medicine to carry out His will. But there are many instances where people sin (fornication, adultery), and a child is conceived. It doesn't make the actions of the adults involved any less sinful, but the child of course had no part in it and is just as loved by God as any other. God has created the laws of the universe, and among them is that when two people come together, they are likely to conceive. God doesn't just suspend that law every time somebody decides to mess around outside of marriage, but it doesn't mean that He condones their actions.
Do you use two diaper bags and just split the stuff up, or do you use a diaper bag for each kid? Or, did you never have this problem? Lol. Trying to figure out what would work the best.
I don't really use a diaper bag. There are always a couple of diapers and a pack of wipes in my purse, as well as in the stroller, and also in the van. Chances are, wherever I am at, there is always a diaper and wipes within my reach. If the kids need a snack while we are out, I either toss that in the purse, too, or just pack a bag with water bottles, fruit, and a dry snack (like pretzels or goldfish) for everyone. But that's rare because I try to run errands between mealtimes, and avoid feeding the kids in the car.
Have you ever read any of the children's books by Kate Seredy? She was a Hungarian author and several of her books are set in Hungary.
No, but thank you for the tip, I want to check into that. We are currently reading the Little House series for read aloud time with the kids.
Years ago, when my babies were nursing, I, like you, enjoyed feeding them during the night while they lay next to me in bed. It was very comfortable for both of us, and less sleep-disturbing than getting up to sit in a rocking chair. However, the SIDS campaign has made this a big issue, so my daughter, who has recently had a baby (my first grandbaby!) is terrified of keeping the baby in bed with her to nurse at night. The medical community has created such a scare about this, and I am undecided about how much to be worried about it. What are your thoughts on this?
SIDS is such a hot topic, and I certainly am no authority on it. I know that SIDS occurrences are much, much lower in countries where moms naturally take their babies to bed with them. And, as another reader already pointed out, if a baby dies from becoming entrapped or smothered it was not due to SIDS, but another (preventable) cause. I for one certainly think that having baby beside mom is safest for baby and easiest for mom, but there are many who would disagree. I never lose any sleep when I have a newborn, no matter how many times they wake up at night. Our babies never "sleep through the night" uninterrupted until they are fully weaned, but it never bothers me one bit because I can feed them while I sleep. The older kids have all grown up to be great sleepers.
There is also a lot of very interesting information on a relationship between SIDS and the flame-retardant chemicals used in producing mattresses. You can read more about that here. It seems that this could very well be the true cause behind the baby suddenly not breathing, and subsequently dying. It would also explain why having mom close by could be lifesaving, as she acts as the baby's "breathing pacemaker". Mom may also wake up if she subconsciously notices that something is not right with her baby. Please click here to read what I have written about SIDS in the past.
My wife and I have decided to switch traditional roles. Nobody forced us to and we didn't force each other. She works all day and I stay home with the kids and do the housework and cooking and such. I also do have a job which I do from home. Do you gave any thoughts on that?
Yes, I do. But I am only telling you my thoughts because you asked. Regardless of whether or not I think that something is a right choice, it's really none of my business to personally make sure that everybody does the right things in life. While I do blog about a lot of issues in general, I do so to inform people and maybe get them to look at their decisions in a different light. I almost never "rip" on a person specifically or point out the flaws I perceive in them. Not unless they are freaks like this woman.
Back to your question, my thoughts (in no particular order) are: your kids are better off at home than in anyone else's care; God intended for the mother to stay at home an raise the children and did not really leave it up to her personal preferences; I don't think there is anything wrong with men doing housework and cooking if that's what they want to do; glad you have a job you can do from home with your kids there; it's nice that you have such a close relationship with the kids; I would never do what you do but again, it infinitely better than putting the kids in daycare and both of you working outside the home.


Another trip, another travel nightmare story! No matter how much I plan and organize before I travel, some things just do not go as planned. This past weekend, my fiancé and I visited Puerto Rico. We are getting married in Puerto Rico next March so we planned this visit to get some onsite planning out of the way.
I want to prelude this story by saying this: We loved Puerto Rico and will definitely be going back (for our wedding and afterward). Unfortunately, we did not have the best experience on our first day of our two-day trip. This was our plan for the first day: land in San Juan, pick up our rental car, drive from San Juan to Rincon (a 90 mile drive), tour our wedding venue in Rincon, meet the caterer for the tasting in Rincon, drive back to San Juan, check into the Airbnb, go to dinner, and finally return the rental car.
As soon as we arrived in Puerto Rico, I started sneezing and my eyes started watering unbearably (I am allergic to most flowers/pollen). I decided to ignore my allergies because we needed to quickly pick up our rental car and get on the road. I figured we would pick up some Benadryl on the way.
When we arrived at the rental car office, we were told that our rental car for the day would cost double what we were originally quoted! There were a ton of random fees listed on the receipt but I much as I wanted to argue, I was in a rush and just hopped into the car and got on the road.
The drive to Rincon is 90 miles from San Juan. Usually, the drive should take 1.5 to 2 hours. Unfortunately, because of rush hour traffic, the GPS was estimating the trip would take us three whole hours! As soon as we got on the road, we realized driving in Puerto Rico was very different from driving in Florida. There are no dividing lines on the highway, lanes merge without any warning, and most importantly, the road signs are in Spanish (which neither of us speaks). Once out of San Juan, we drove into the more mountainous, hilly regions of Puerto Rico. The roads were narrower, rougher, and twistier making the drive very dangerous and slow. Finally, we made it to Rincon!
When we finally arrived at the wedding venue, we were an hour and a half late. We met with the venue's tour guide and quickly made our way to the rooftop ceremony/reception area. As soon as we stepped foot on the roof, the skies above opened up! It had been cloudy all day but there was no sign of rain until that moment. We waited half an hour but the rain was not letting up and the tour guide's shift was ending. So we took a few pictures and left. We got to see our venue space for exactly three minutes.
From the venue, we went to meet with the caterer who was luckily only five minutes away from the venue. This was actually the best part of the day. The caterer served us lunch and delicious rum punch on a beautiful garden patio. This was the most relaxing part of a hectic day.
After meeting with the caterer, we headed back to San Juan. At this point, my allergies were actually killing me. I was struggling to breathe and my eyes were nearly swollen shut. We stopped at a Walgreens and scooped up some allergy meds which cost $8 for five whole pills! Then we got back on the road. The drive back was actually much easier and smoother.
We Arrive in San Juan!
When we arrive in Rincon, we headed straight to the Airbnb. As soon as we pulled up, we knew that we would not be staying there! The listing showed a modern one bedroom condo with a gorgeous waterfront view. What the listing did not show was the outside of the building. The building looked like it was abandoned and ready for demolition - several windows were shattered and/or boarded up. They say you should not judge a book by its cover but you can definitely judge an Airbnb by its cover. I immediately called my parents panicking (I am not a real adult, don't judge me). They found a nearby hotel that they had stayed at before and booked us a room (thanks, Mom)! We canceled our Airbnb and headed to the rental car office.
After returning the rental car, we called an Uber to take us to the hotel. When the Uber driver pulled up, he hurriedly ashed a blunt (yes, you read that right)! He hopped out of the car looking very paranoid and helped us put our bags in the trunk. Although the drive to the hotel was less than ten minutes, I seriously thought I was going to die! The driver was texting while driving, swerving in and out of lanes, and he even hit a curb.
Finally, we arrived at the hotel, somehow still in one piece. We checked in, got settled, and knocked out for the night!
Despite having possibly the craziest, most unorganized day, we truly enjoyed the remainder of our time in Puerto Rico and will be returning very soon. We stayed at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel and Casino which is an amazing hotel!
What travel nightmares have you experienced? How did you change your trip for the better afterward?


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Erasmus+ is the European Union programme for education, training, youth and sport. It runs for seven years, from 2014 to 2020, with organisations invited to apply for funding each year to undertake creative and worthwhile activities.
Erasmus+ aims to modernise education, training and youth work across Europe. It is open to education, training, youth and sport organisations across all sectors of lifelong learning, including school education, further and higher education, adult education and the youth sector. It offers exciting opportunities for UK participants to then study, work, volunteer, teach and train abroad in Europe.
Imperial College participates in Erasmus+.
In order to participate in Erasmus+ the College applied for and was awarded an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education. The application required the College to be clear as to its support for the objectives of Erasmus+ (which is closely tied to the EU Commission's modernisation agenda for higher education) as an integral part of it's strategy through the composition of an Erasmus Policy Statement.
Erasmus+ is divided into 3 Key Actions:
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Key Action 2: Cooperation for Innovation and Exchange of Good Practices.
Key Action 3: Support for Policy Reform.
For Imperial College this means the following activities:
Key Action 1: Traditional Student Exchanges; Work/Industrial Placements for Students; Teaching Exchanges for Staff; Training Visits for Staff. Administered by Registry.
Key Action 2: Knowledge Alliances and Strategic Partnerships. Administered by the International Relations Office.

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Autosport Awards Honor Top Achievers
The prestigious Autosport Awards are held annually in December at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Autosport readers vote for the winners, and the gala event is attended by prominent celebrities in the auto racing world. The 2011 event took place on Sunday 4 December, with Sebastian Vettel being awarded the title of International Racing Driver of the year for the second time in a row, making history for setting a new record of fifteen pole-positions during the season, as well as for being the youngest double Formula 1 champion.
At 24-years of age, Sebastian Vettel has shown remarkable talent and endurance on the racetrack. He flew in from Germany for the Autosport Awards, expressing his appreciation for the acknowledgement of his achievements. Following his 2010 victory, Vettel began the 2011 season as a favorite to win. After winning the opening Australian Grand Prix from pole position, fans were assured of an exciting season ahead – and were not disappointed, as Vettel finished the season with 392 points, being a full 122 points ahead of second-place winner, Jenson Button. Other award winners of the season included Alex Lynn as British Club Driver of the Year; Matt Neal as National Driver of the Year; Paul di Resta as Rookie of the Year; Sebastien Loeb as Rally Driver of the Year; and Jenson Button as British Competition Driver of the Year.
Because they are in the public eye, auto racing drivers garner plenty of attention, but there is a whole lot going on behind the scenes, and the Autosport Awards gives due recognition to these vital elements of the sport. Founder of Dallara Automobili, engineer Gian Paolo Dallara, was chosen to receive the John Bolster Award in recognition of his achievements in the sport. Dallara has a long history in the auto racing industry, having been a designer at Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini before founding his own design company and becoming one of the top designers in this field.
The Autosport Pioneering and Innovation Award was presented to Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Weeks for their movie tribute to Brazilian driver, Ayrton Senna. Entitled Senna the film has received critical acclaim as having revealed the human element behind the sport through the life story of the three-time F1 Champion who was killed at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.
As the 2011 racing season has drawn to a close, plans for 2012 are already underway, with the strong possibility of many changes in Formula 1 racing venues and the assurance of plenty of action in the New Year.
autosport awards ayrton senna formula one jenson button sebastian vettel
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Overlooked Songs 3: 2010s Edition - Round 1 Week 5
BleuPanda
Post by BleuPanda » Sat Oct 19, 2019 3:29 pm
Bracket:
http://www.bracketmaker.com/tmenu.cfm?tid=472469
Deadline to vote is Saturday, October 26 at 12 pm noon CST
Anyone can vote as long as they have listened to both songs in a match
Ought - Today More Than Any Other Day
Royksopp and Robyn - Monument
Sharon Van Etten - Every Time the Sun Comes Up
First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
SBTRKT ft. Ezra Koenig - NEW DORP. NEW YORK
Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers
Preoccupations - Continental Shelf
Carly Rae Jepsen - All That
blur - Ong Ong
The Internet ft. KAYTRANADA - Girl
Ezra Furman - Restless Year
Foals - Mountain At My Gates
Destroyer - Times Square
FKA twigs - In Time
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown
https://foolfantastic.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/foolfantastic
Re: Overlooked Songs 3: 2010s Edition - Round 1 Week 5
SBTRKT ft. Ezra Koenig - NEW DORP. NEW YORK (9.5)
Preoccupations - Continental Shelf (9.1)
FKA twigs - In Time (8.8)
Foals - Mountain At My Gates (8.8)
Sharon Van Etten - Every Time the Sun Comes Up (8.5)
Royksopp and Robyn - Monument (8.3)
Ought - Today More Than Any Other Day (8.2)
Ezra Furman - Restless Year (8.0)
Destroyer - Times Square (7.5)
First Aid Kit - Stay Gold (7.5)
Carly Rae Jepsen - All That (7.25)
Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers (7.25)
The Internet ft. KAYTRANADA - Girl (7.0)
blur - Ong Ong (7.0)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown (6.0)
Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass (3.0)
Too bad it couldn't have been "Habit" for Ought, that would have been my #2 for the week instead of a very narrow loss to a song that is only now clicking with me. A really strong upper half and then what will likely be the worst song in this tourney by quite a bit. "All About That Bass," while fitting my definition for eligibility, is obviously far from overlooked - I think most of us looked it over far more than we ever wanted and resoundingly rejected it.
Post by Myself » Sat Oct 19, 2019 4:39 pm
Bang Jan
Location: Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Post by Bang Jan » Sat Oct 19, 2019 5:58 pm
"The first word in this song is discorporate. It means to leave your body."
Post by bonnielaurel » Sat Oct 19, 2019 8:54 pm
Location: New York State
Post by Nick » Sat Oct 19, 2019 10:09 pm
madzong
Unquestionable Presence
Post by madzong » Sun Oct 20, 2019 12:48 am
FrankLotion
Post by FrankLotion » Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:32 pm
1. Royksopp and Robyn - Monument
2. Sharon Van Etten - Every Time the Sun Comes Up
3. SBTRKT ft. Ezra Koenig - NEW DORP. NEW YORK
4. Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers
5. Blur - Ong Ong
6. The Internet ft. KAYTRANADA - Girl
7. Destroyer - Times Square
8. FKA twigs - In Time
StevieFan13
Leader of the Pack
Location: New York, New York
Contact StevieFan13
Post by StevieFan13 » Sun Oct 20, 2019 10:16 pm
Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand - Sir Duke (1976)
Location: Near Blois, France
Post by spiritualized » Mon Oct 21, 2019 7:17 am
Post by Romain » Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:00 am
Ought - Today More Than Any Other Day I like Royksopp and Robyn but Ought is the best discovery for me for the moment.
Thanks to the forumer who nominate Ought.
Post by DaveC » Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:01 am
Ought - Today More Than Any Other Day vs. Royksopp and Robyn - Monument
Sharon Van Etten - Every Time the Sun Comes Up vs. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass vs. SBTRKT ft. Ezra Koenig - NEW DORP. NEW YORK
Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers vs. Preoccupations - Continental Shelf
Carly Rae Jepsen - All That vs. blur - Ong Ong
The Internet ft. KAYTRANADA - Girl vs. Ezra Furman - Restless Year
Foals - Mountain At My Gates vs. Destroyer - Times Square
FKA twigs - In Time vs. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown
Post by Akhenaten » Mon Oct 21, 2019 12:06 pm
Instead of governing with thoughtful sensitivity
Let's shock and awe the world with idiotic bigotry
And give stupidity a chance - pet shop boys 2019
andyd1010
Post by andyd1010 » Mon Oct 21, 2019 1:55 pm
rumpdoll
Post by rumpdoll » Mon Oct 21, 2019 2:24 pm
this one has my favorite 4 songs in duel 1 and 4, sadly two of them have to go.
Rdwdbob
Location: Healdsburg, CA
Contact Rdwdbob
Post by Rdwdbob » Mon Oct 21, 2019 4:24 pm
SBTRKT feat. Ezra Koenig - New York. New Dorp
Carly Rae Jepson - All That
The Internet feat. Kaytranada - Girl
Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown
Post by prosecutorgodot » Mon Oct 21, 2019 10:06 pm
First of all, this was a great week, probably the best so far. I didn't have any major issues with any song, and there was a lot of diversity. So props to people's tastes I guess. *wink wink*
I am also surprised that I didn't know a lot of songs featured. This was about the time of the decade (2014-ish) that I got into music hardcore, but I got humbled a lot this week, realizing how much great music there is that I haven't heard.
It has been an ongoing coincidence, that my favorite new song is the first one featured. That remains the same this week. (this coincidence is unrelated to listening order because I use a random number generator to listen to these songs). This Ought song is so great, and makes me really interested in listening to more from the band. I recommend people who like the style of rambly-yelly-vocals-over-steady-instrumentation to listen to the new Hobo Johnson record. The R & R song was good, but I felt the tempo was too slow, and the outro was way too flabby.
This was a tough choice. I eventually voted based on production. "Stay Gold" reaches for the stars (even if I feel it only makes it to the top of Mt. Everest), with its grand presentation of strings and reverb.
I actually like "All About That Bass." It's the first song of Trainor's disastrous career, and probably the best. The moment at the bridge when she sings "...bringing booty baaaaack" in kaleidoscopic harmony is truly great. But unfortunately the lyrics are garbage. I don't believe for a second that her mother said anything of the sort. The other song is interesting enough to win, though I wish the beats were higher in the mix.
"Faith in Strangers" is a bit too quiet/not well mixed for me. "Continental Shelf" pulls from the best stuff in the Cure playbook.
"All That" was already in my top 50 of 2015, and "Ong Ong" was probably my least favorite of the week with nothing of note about it, so this was pretty easy.
"Girl" pretty much checks all of the boxes for me, my only nitpick being that I wish the vocals were more interesting. "Restless Year" is a bit corny with the "ooh-la-ooh," but it is cancelled out by the great vocal performance.
Foals put out a solid rock song, but maybe the vocals are too bro-y, reminding me of Alt-J or Imagine Dragons. I've been pretty hard on nostalgia, but I am just as guilty; if I was given a whole album of "Times Square"s, I'd be happy as a cucumber.
This choice feels the weirdest to me, picking a hated pop-rapper over an indie darling that I generally like. "In Time" is one of the weirdest songs I'll probably ever hear. It is a love song, with truly loving lyrics, but the presentation, with the off-kilter production and weird vocals, is just plain creepy. For me, it doesn't work, but I get it if someone else loves it. "Downtown" tries to copy "Uptown Funk" with mostly good results.
Favorite Discovery: "Today More Than Any Other Day"
Safetycat
Post by Safetycat » Tue Oct 22, 2019 2:30 am
Ought - Today More Than Any Other Day > Royksopp and Robyn - Monument
Wasn't sure about Ought at first but they turned into a grower. Monument is interesting but doesn't hook me in.
Sharon Van Etten - Every Time the Sun Comes Up < First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
I liked both but Stay Gold just has a better energy for me
Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass < SBTRKT ft. Ezra Koenig - NEW DORP. NEW YORK
Trainor would go on to do far worse musical crimes than All About That Bass, so it seems fairly mild now. It's fine. The SBTRKT track is super interesting though - I don't know if it quite lives up to what I'd hope from the sound, but it's still really good.
Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers < Preoccupations - Continental Shelf
First track never quite goes anywhere, second was pretty good if not super interesting.
Carly Rae Jepsen - All That > blur - Ong Ong
Both good, but Carly is just fantastic across all of EMOTION and so any song from it is going to do well with me.
The Internet ft. KAYTRANADA - Girl < Ezra Furman - Restless Year
Girl never really goes anywhere while Ezra delivers in spades.
Foals - Mountain At My Gates > Destroyer - Times Square
Destroyer was interesting, but overall some aspects kind of annoyed me - not huge on his vocals. On the other side of the matchup, Mountain at My Gates is 100% my thing and maybe my favourite Foals song.
FKA twigs - In Time > Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown
I considered voting for Downtown, but in the end I just couldn't go with such annoying production. A lot of Ryan Lewis's tracks feel like ransom notes - bits and pieces just thrown in from wherever. Dance Off is another one with a similar issue (which I like better because it's fun). FKA Twigs wins mainly on the sins of the other song - In Time is fine, but doesn't do much for me.
Don't you know there ain't no devil? That's just God when he's drunk.
Post by Jackson » Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:29 pm
Today More Than Any Other Day vs. Monument
I prefer Habit and Do It Again as standalone tracks from these albums, but I like both of these songs.
Every Time the Sun Comes Up vs. Stay Gold
All About That Bass vs. NEW DORP. NEW YORK
I would have voted for any other song that was nominated over All About that Bass, which is just a grating listen for me and one of my least favorite #1 singles of the decade.
Faith in Strangers vs. Continental Shelf
Faith in Strangers was my nomination. It was my favorite of my three nominations, my favorite from the 128 songs in this bracket, and on my shortlist for the best of the decade. I don't know how Stott came up with this one; it sounds nothing like any other song in his discography, almost like he was trying to make a post-punk song. The bass line and drum beat are individually incredible, but it's the eerie synths and ethereal vocals that take this song to another level.
All That vs. Ong Ong
I'm not a huge fan of All That (it may be the only song from the album that I would skip), but I don't like the main hook of the Blur song, and it repeats it endlessly.
Girl vs. Restless Year
Both of these tracks were new to me, and I liked them both, but I'll give Girl the edge as my favorite new discovery this week.
Mountain At My Gates vs. Times Square
In Time vs. Downtown
Post by acroamor » Wed Oct 23, 2019 3:15 am
Also, because it's relevant this week, I'd like to include this hysterical video:
I think about the line "what you got against the sun Sharone?" at least once a week.
Post by Rob » Fri Oct 25, 2019 10:30 am
7. Ought - Today More Than Any Other Day
2. Röyksopp and Robyn - Monument
Two great songs that score a lot of points on pure atmosphere. Today More Than Any Other Day starts slowly, with sparse music and even when it picks up pace it remains something of a minimalistic, yet raw song, that slowly gets under the skin.
Monument was a surprise for me, though, as Robyn doesn't do much for me in general. I don't know any Röyskopp, but I guess it is them that are mostly responsible for the musical part of the song, with the great echo chamber sound and unexpected instrumentation. Not to knock on Robyn, who matches them vocally. Yes, this song deserved to be a monument.
4. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
Two other songs that go toe to toe with each other. I'm a sucker for the sweet folk sound of First Aid Kit and they never really disappoint. Listening to Stay Gold is just a pleasure. Their voices flow so smoothly and the music is such a breeze of fresh air. Lovely.
Sharon Van Etten's Are We There was of course part of Moderately Acclaimed Albums poll here on AM and made it to round three, so I've been listening to it quite a bit these months. And to me this is the best song. Here she developed a more clear feel for melody and even a certain hesitant catchiness, which combine greatly to the mixed-feeling lyrics, something that would point the way to the sound of this year's equally great Remind Me Tomorrow. This song will probably always remain a career highlight for Van Etten.
14. Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass
10. SBTRKT ft. Ezra Koenig - NEW DORP. NEW YORK
These two are no match to what came before, but still the terribly named SBTRKT has an easy win. I don't even mind All About That Bass that much. In it's chorus it is a nice, empowering song about owning up to your natural body. It's the verses that keep it from lifting off. Not a great song by any stretch, but Trainor would only become bad afterwards and it is a better pop hit than previous entries (looking at you Rather Be).
New Dorp. New York is very off-kilter and that is were it's appeal lies. There is a stark sound that gives it a dark, yet not ominous feeling. Even better is the use of voices, both in interplay and in texture. I like the song, even if I feel it doesn't quite develop into something truly spectacular.
11. Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers
8. Preoccupations - Continental Shelf
Two very good tracks that do not stand out in this poll all that much. Bot are just simply fine executions of familiar sounds. So Faith in Strangers has a nice calming effect, whereas Continental Shelf does the opposite and pumps up the blood. I like both, but I feel Continental Shelf finds more of it's own angle in what it sets out to do, with it's memorable groove.
16. Carly Rae Jepsen - All That
12. blur - Ong Ong
So this is 2014, Carly Rae Jepsen? All That is a song that sounds indistinguishable from a lot of R&B-light ballads of the nineties. Extreme copying of sounds of the eighties and the nineties is all the rage this decade and when it's at it's most shameless I just fail to see the point. Then again, the world is obsessed with nostalgia, so good on Jepsen to see that, I guess? Although not bad per se, I find it hard to care about All That. If it at least sounded like one of the best nineties songs I would have forgiven it, but now it sounds too much like a middle of the road one.
Ong Ong, is a catchy Blur song I guess. It's no secret I'm not that big on Blur, but this one is fine, but not a poll highlight or anything. It's just Blur happy to get back to a sound they explored in the past, but at least they do it well.
13. The Internet ft. KAYTRANADA - Girl
1. Ezra Furman - Restless Year
In contrast to All That, Girl is far more of an update of nineties R&B. You hear the influence, especially in the way KAYTRANADA vocalizes, but production-wise it sounds unmistakably like the 2010. It's not the type of song that sets my soul on fire, but I can appreciate it for sure.
What does set my soul on fire is Restless Year, a powerful rocker, with amazing hooks and vocals that wants me to shout along. I find it hard to remain seated when it plays and earlier this week I was very much tempted to start a spontaneous dance-off at work when it came on. I resisted, but it is another confirmation that Ezra Furman is one of t he best kept secrets of the decade.
9. Foals - Mountain At My Gates
In Mountain At My Gates Foals reach for a more punchy and harder sound than I know them for. At the same time they don't sacrifice their signature sound. I don't know their discography well enough to say if it paved a new way or not, but at itself Mountain At My Gates is a nice addition to their works.
It took a while, but it looks that Destroyer and me are becoming friends after all. We got of to a rough start, because of case of miscommunication (I once put on his Kaputt because I wanted to listen to a metal album; can I really be blamed for assuming that an album with that title with an artist naming himself Destroyer is death metal?). By now he has revealed himself as a strong writer of frequently sardonic tales. "You can fall in love with Time Square" is the type of line every writer hopes to write one day.
15. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown
FKA twigs has become on of my favorite artists in R&B, a genre I don't have a natural attraction too. There is something in the way her songs are produced, with very brooding sound, but in a sexy way. It's always exciting to listen too.
Downtown is very busy. The chorus is actually appealing and fun, but the verses (if we can call them that?) are obnoxious as hell. Horribly produced chaos. And Macklemore's rapping is embarrassing. It indeed sounds a bit like an attempt to Uptown Funk, but as good as the chorus is, there is too much happening here that pulls me out.
Sweepstakes Ron
Location: Here, There, and Everywhere
Post by Sweepstakes Ron » Fri Oct 25, 2019 2:58 pm
"Music is powerful, man. It speaks to a primal pit in our brains. It makes anyone want to get up and get their knees going!"
— Jake the Dog
Post by BleuPanda » Fri Oct 25, 2019 4:02 pm
A day and an hour left to vote
Post by Nassim » Fri Oct 25, 2019 8:34 pm
2 songs from my top 60 of the decade, I don't think there coupe have been any better match up in this game for me even if you tried to !
If First Aid Kit could do harmonies as well as spiritualized's daughter, they might have won
I didn't hear Megan Trainor much so I don't have the "sick of it" effect, don't like either much so close call
I looooove that Andy Stott album but still a close one
Post by mileswide » Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:16 am
Just the same as in Moderately Acclaimed, Sharon Van Etten makes me re-consider my top pick! Any of FKA twigs' EP M3L155X could have been nom'd, thoroughly worth a listen (and a watch), right side of pretentious:
13. Ought - Today More Than Any Other Day v. 9. Röyksopp & Robyn - Monument
2. Sharon Van Etten - Every Time the Sun Comes Up v. 1. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
16. Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass v. 8. SBTRKT feat. Ezra Koenig - NEW DORP. NEW YORK
3. Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers v. 12. Viet Cong/Preoccupations - Continental Shelf
14. Carly Rae Jepsen - All That v. 6. Blur - Ong Ong
11. The Internet feat. KAYTRANADA - Girl v. 7. Ezra Furman - Restless Year
5. Foals - Mountain at My Gates v. 10. Destroyer - Times Square
4. FKA twigs - In Time v. 15. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz - Downtown
CupOfDreams
Post by CupOfDreams » Sat Oct 26, 2019 2:16 pm
Location: Ribeirão Preto - Brazil
Post by Toni » Sat Oct 26, 2019 4:21 pm
11. Ezra Furman - Restless Year
15. Foals - Mountain At My Gates
14. FKA twigs - In Time
7. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown
Last edited by Toni on Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Post by Rob » Mon Oct 28, 2019 7:43 am
Toni wrote: ↑
Which is correct, the bolding or the numbering?
Post by Toni » Mon Oct 28, 2019 9:26 pm
Sorry, I bolded the wrong track! Corrected it now.
Post by BleuPanda » Wed Oct 30, 2019 3:32 pm
Sorry for the delay, here are the results:
Ought - Today More Than Any Other Day: 6
Royksopp and Robyn - Monument: 17
Sharon Van Etten - Every Time the Sun Comes Up: 14
First Aid Kit - Stay Gold: 10
Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass: 6
SBTRKT ft. Ezra Koenig - NEW DORP. NEW YORK: 17
Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers: 10
Preoccupations - Continental Shelf: 13
Carly Rae Jepsen - All That: 11
blur - Ong Ong: 14
The Internet - Girl: 10
Ezra Furman - Restless Year: 12
Foals - Mountain at My Gates: 10
Destroyer - Times Square: 14
FKA twigs - In Time: 17
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Downtown: 6


text:
Home » Celebrities » Chris Noth's character 'removed' from And Just Like That finale after sexual abuse claims
Chris Noth's character 'removed' from And Just Like That finale after sexual abuse claims
Chris Noth has been removed from the season finale of Sex and the City's new series And Just Like That, it has been reported.
The 67 year actor, who plays iconic character Mr. Big, was set to appear briefly in the last episode in front of his wife Carrie, in which she allegedly scatters his ashes in to the Seine river in Paris.
Carrie is stood on the Point des Arts bridge at the time, when Mr. Big, who died in the first episode of the reboot, appears before her.
An insider told TV Line that the finale wasn't set in stone when news of the allegations broke.
Chris' character is believed to have only shot a small amount of footage for the final scene, and it wasn't essential to remain in as a result.
The reports come after sexual assault claims were made against the Sex and the City actor.
In December, two women released statements which the actor has denied and branded a 'complete fabrication' in a statement.
Lisa Gentile, 54, has alleged that she was 'sexually abused' by the actor in 2002 when Chris went up to her apartment because he allegedly wanted to see where she lived after she claims she agreed for him to give her a lift home, she said in a statement during a press conference with attorney Gloria Allred.
The singer met Noth at Da Marino's restaurant, in Manhattan, New York City, in 1998, and the two allegedly became acquaintances.
In a statement, Lisa alleged: "He started kissing me almost right away then he leaned against the kitchen counter top and forcibly pulled me against him. He was slobbering all over me – I quickly became uncomfortable."
She continued: "Then he became more aggressive and put both hands on my breasts and began squeezing them very hard over my shirt."
The cast of Sex and the City then and now as new series is confirmed but without Samantha
Lisa added: "Then he pushed my bra up with both of his hands. I grabbed his hands with my hands and tried to stop him. I kept pushing his hands down while he was pushing mine up.
"I was trying to get him to stop. Then he pulled my hands to pull up his shirt exposing his belly and then even harder he pushed my hands down towards his penis."
Lisa described how she 'finally managed' to 'push' Chris away before he allegedly became 'extremely angry' before calling her a 'tease' and a 'b***h'.
The account follows claims by three other women who have claimed that they have been sexually assaulted by the actor between 2004 and 2015.
In a statement, Chris called the accusations "categorically false".
Chris said: "The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false.
"These stories could've been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross. The encounters were consensual. It's difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out."
He added: "I don't know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women."
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01/06/2022 Celebrities Comments Off on Chris Noth's character 'removed' from And Just Like That finale after sexual abuse claims


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A Northamptonshire village church has been targeted by thieves days ahead of a fundraiser organised to raise money for its repairs.
Between 6pm on June 15 and 9.45am on June 16, lead roof panels were stolen from the chancel roof of St Peter and St Paul's Church in Watford.
It has been two years since an attempted theft in May 2016 when thieves stripped the lead from the nave roof.
However, on that occasion, they were disturbed by neighbours before they could remove it from the churchyard.
Both of the rooves now have an emergency temporary covering until the building work gets underway.
A fundraising attempt is already underway in the village to help with the cost of repairs and restoration to the Grade I listed building in the shape of Watford's Classics on the Green.
The classic car festival has been organised by the community and takes place on June 30.
A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: "We would appeal for witnesses or anyone with information to contact us on 101 or via Crimestoppers."


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Community > Education > Derby Book Festival launches Children's Picture Book Award
Derby Book Festival launches Children's Picture Book Award
Derby Children's Picture Book Award has been launched for the second year by Derby Book Festival to celebrate picture books that children can relate to, and in which the diversity and challenges of modern life are represented.
The festival, which will be held for the sixth time in 2020 from 29th May to 6th June, has invited children's publishers to submit up to three books published in 2019 which meet these criteria.
For the first award last year over 20 books were submitted with four books subsequently shortlisted. The winning entry was The Girls written by Lauren Ace, illustrated by Jenny Løvlie.
A shortlist for this year will be drawn up by Derby school teachers. Schools are invited to apply to take part and the participating teachers are briefed about the books.
Children in year groups two and three from six Derby city schools will then read the shortlisted books and vote for their favourite – due to be announced on 1st May 2020.
The winning author and illustrator will be invited to visit the six schools in the summer term to meet the children and receive their award.
The Derby Children's Picture Book Award is sponsored by local businesswoman Deborah Fern.
Deborah said: "I'm delighted to continue my support for this important award.
"Imagine being a child, opening the page of a book and finding yourself within the pages.
"I was privileged to visit the schools when the authors visited – it was clearly a highlight of the children's year to meet the author of their favourite book.
"I can't wait to see which book they choose next."
Derby Book Festival is chaired by Liz Fothergill, who is also chairman of Pennine Healthcare.
Liz commented: "The festival aims to celebrate the joy of books and reading.
"We want children in Derby to be inspired by books, to discover different worlds and better understand their own.
"It is important that they can relate to the characters in the books they read. The Derby Children's Picture Book Award aims to do just that."
A recent report from the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education has revealed that only 1% of children's books have black and minority-ethnic (BAME) main characters.
Derby is a diverse city with a significantly higher number of BAME residents than the national average (19.7% compared to 14.6%).
DerbyDerby Book FestivalDerby Children's Picture Book AwardDerby City Council
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"What is 20 years compared to 3000 BC when natural asphalt was used for the first time in the construction of roads in Mesopotamia? Since then, this material, which is the oldest construction product has changed and is upgraded and enforced to this day", has addressed the participants of celebratory event marking the 20th anniversary of the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association (ZAS) at Jable Castle the President of the Association Slovenko Henigman.
Twenty years, 120 different events with more than 12,000 participants from Slovenia as well as abroad, 468 papers, 50 publications, bulletins and professional materials, three books on asphalt, more than 700 international participants who prepared and presented 143 papers - these are numbers, which marked 20 years of professional and non-profit association of road-building experts and firms operating in the field of asphalt pavement. "The figures prove that with our activities we have shown all key actions associated with asphalt industry, upgraded the importance of quality road construction and pointed out to the need to invest in the development and maintenance of Slovenian roads. Our activities have lifted the asphalt industry to a higher level, so that today we can justifiably speak of the asphalt industry in Slovenia," emphasized Henigman.
Minister for Infrastructure, Dr. Peter Gašperšič has described ZAS as a generator of development activities and, inter alia, said: "At the ministry, we have prepared a medium-term plan for the development of transport infrastructure by 2030, in the final stage there is a six-year operational program, which takes into account the golden infrastructural rule." According to him, the petrol cent is not in sight at this moment, regardless for this year and next year there is plan to ensure 100 or 115 million euros for capital road maintenance. After this period, funds will be increased to 150 million euros and more, in order to begin to reduce the deterioration of the road network.
Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Prof. Dr. Matjaž Mikoš has stressed that the asphalt industry needs excellent professionals across the entire spectrum in addition to the knowledge gained in school industry also requires specific knowledge that can be provided only by them. This is the role provided by ZAS, who was invited to further integration with the universities. He suggested that we should enroll in faculties in ZAS.
According to the Secretary General of the European Asphalt Paving Association (EAPA) Egbert Beuving Slovenian asphalt industrywill have to seize the opportunity and open the way to environmental and sustainable technologies that are used by the developed world more and more. "Technologies such as the re-use of asphalt, warm asphalt mixses and less noisy asphalt, have been already tested in the experimental fields and simulated tests in the laboratory. For general use, we propose the preparation of the program, the realization of which will enable you to begin the full usage, "said Henigman. That the future lies in new technologies and their application, has also agreed a representative of the largest producer of asphalt in Slovenia and CEO Pomgrad d.d. Igor Banič who stressed: "The future lies in cooperation, integration and synergies."
After the boom in construction and asphalt industry up to 2008 difficult years for the industry followed, when the top five producers of asphalt - of the eight largest - went out of business. "We can be proud that the situation in the industry has not transferred to ZAS, which in this period has proved its robustness, even strengthened and enabled companies a platform where they could cooperate and integrate," said Henigman.
To stabilize the situation, the introduction of the Golden infrastructure investment rules, advocated by ZAS is the key. "The golden rule means a stable budget, at least a five-year sliding plan and steady investment in roads and railways. It is the key to development of the industry, not only asphalt, but also all other, and it is a condition that ensures that such a bad situation will not happen again," said Slovenko Henigman.
During a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of establihement a new book Asphalt 3 has been presented and awards have been given, the cultural program was followed by socializing. The event was hosted by Tilen Artač.


I just realized that infiStar is somehow preventing admin from placing family markers on the map. I can place and delete them before infiStar loads, but as soon as it loads I can't set OR remove them. POlayers in-game are not affected.


Our coffee workshops with artisan roasters Corban Coffee offers an introduction to coffee, from the journey of the bean from origin to cup and looking at how all the variables along the way influence the end cup of coffee. We will gather around the cupping table to taste and fully appreciate these differences, as well as try a few coffees from around the world.
The workshop will also look at how to best brew coffee at home and look at some of the different elements such as using an Aeropress or dripper can affect the important taste.


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City Shows its Support for Small Business
The City of Kwinana is giving a total of $50,000 towards local businesses in Medina, Parmelia, Calista and Orelia to assist with improvements to their business as part of the City's Local Commercial Activity Centre Improvement Grant Funding.
The applications for funding open on Monday, 15 October 2018 and runs until Friday, 23 November 2018. The aim of the grant funding is to support local business, particularly in the City's older commercial centers who over the past few years haven't received as much investment as some of the City's newer areas.
Mayor Carol Adams said the City recognised that newer buildings, facilities and amenities have been invested in, so the Local Commercial Activity Centre Improvement Grants aim to ensure that the City's more established areas aren't forgotten and the City is able to invest back into these commercial centers as well.
"The City will provide up to $3,000 per business, to enable business owners in more established areas to invest back into commercial centers through the Local Commercial Activity Centre Improvement Grants. We hope the Local Businesses in these areas will make the most of this opportunity," she said.
"The grants are now in their second year and the City provided over $38,000 in support last year to a number of worthy recipients who used the grant money to undertake a range of activities that aimed to improve the aesthetics of the areas or support employment opportunities."
"Local businesses can apply for support to go towards a range of initiatives, with the City previously having supported such projects as removing security screens and installing roller shutters, improving signage and new walkway or alfresco areas," Mayor Adams said.
The City, along with member for Kwinana, Roger Cook MLA, are also supporting local businesses by hosting a lunch with Minister for Small Business, Paul Papalia at 12.30pm on Friday, 9 November 2018.
For more information and to apply for the Local Commercial Activity Centre Improvement Grant Funding visit www.kwinana.wa.gov.au. To rsvp to attend the ministers lunch email kwinana@mp.wa.gov.au.
Page reviewed: 12 Oct 2018 4:26pm