A saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive. A saw may be worked by hand, or powered by steam, water, electric or other power.
In a modern serrated saw, each tooth is bent to a precise angle called its "set". The set of the teeth is determined by the kind of cut the saw is intended to make. For example a "rip saw" has a tooth set that is similar to the angle used on a chisel. The idea is to have the teeth rip or tear the material apart. Some teeth are usually splayed slightly to each side the blade, so that the cut width (kerf) is wider than the blade itself and the blade does not bind in the cut.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Way to earn
I was looking at several sites which give a sign up bonus to bloggers .But nothing is as equal to the one given by payperpost.The referral program that they have is so cool that newbie bloggers will surely sign up for payperpost as soon as their blog is one month old.Even i have joined Payperpost through a referral from http://digesthis.blogspot.com/,which gives me 7.5 and him 7.5.Nice idea by payperpost and good work by digesthis to put the code in your site which will eventually give you 7.5 dollars now.
Monday, July 21, 2008
youth day
I've just returned from leading a 7 day trip to World Youth Day in Sydney. While it was a really fruitful time, it's been a relief to get home and, amongst other things, get some space to reflect on the experience.
In the midst of the madness, it was fascinating to witness the complicated relationship between something as entrenched as the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic church with the fluid and kaleidoscopic 150,000+ young people gathered in Australia.
While the rallies, restaurants, seminars and shops provided a forum for positive cross-pollination, it was the large-scale liturgies where tensions in the relationship became apparent.
The clear evidence of communication meltdown was nowhere more obvious than in the misguided choice to saturate every gathering with lashings of Latin - pleasing the neo-conservatives, but leaving the remaining 99% voiceless and disconnected from the sanctuary of celebration.
Whilst the scriptural texts and prayers were appropriately read by a wide variety of linguistic groups, almost every other responsorial part of the living liturgy was in a dead language. From Senegal to Sweden, Nova Scotia to Northern Ireland, the young Catholics of the world were united in dumbfounded confusion.
Latin was arguably the main language of international relations during the first 15 centuries of the Christian Era. Now, for late modern young people it is used to describe rare illnesses and plant varieties. We don't even have a common memory of Latin. It has no place in liturgy because it no longer performs the task it once aimed to fulfil (and even then, only for an educated minority). If St Augustine were writing today, he would be a master of English - the language of business, MTV and the worldwide web.
The decision to give preference to ancient sentamentality over relevant and effective immediacy may not be suprising, but it does offer an intriguing glimpse into the stuttering relationship between the Church's young people and hierarchy. Although the air was sonorous with chants of 'Benedetto' and hearty renditions of the pop-idol theme song, I wonder if those on the podiums noticed the frustrated, impotent silence that descended at the truly important moments of intimacy with God and one another found in the summit points of the liturgy. Or maybe they simply mistook it for stunned awe.
In the midst of the madness, it was fascinating to witness the complicated relationship between something as entrenched as the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic church with the fluid and kaleidoscopic 150,000+ young people gathered in Australia.
While the rallies, restaurants, seminars and shops provided a forum for positive cross-pollination, it was the large-scale liturgies where tensions in the relationship became apparent.
The clear evidence of communication meltdown was nowhere more obvious than in the misguided choice to saturate every gathering with lashings of Latin - pleasing the neo-conservatives, but leaving the remaining 99% voiceless and disconnected from the sanctuary of celebration.
Whilst the scriptural texts and prayers were appropriately read by a wide variety of linguistic groups, almost every other responsorial part of the living liturgy was in a dead language. From Senegal to Sweden, Nova Scotia to Northern Ireland, the young Catholics of the world were united in dumbfounded confusion.
Latin was arguably the main language of international relations during the first 15 centuries of the Christian Era. Now, for late modern young people it is used to describe rare illnesses and plant varieties. We don't even have a common memory of Latin. It has no place in liturgy because it no longer performs the task it once aimed to fulfil (and even then, only for an educated minority). If St Augustine were writing today, he would be a master of English - the language of business, MTV and the worldwide web.
The decision to give preference to ancient sentamentality over relevant and effective immediacy may not be suprising, but it does offer an intriguing glimpse into the stuttering relationship between the Church's young people and hierarchy. Although the air was sonorous with chants of 'Benedetto' and hearty renditions of the pop-idol theme song, I wonder if those on the podiums noticed the frustrated, impotent silence that descended at the truly important moments of intimacy with God and one another found in the summit points of the liturgy. Or maybe they simply mistook it for stunned awe.
Indy
My dog name is Indy, he must be very, very tired because he was out for two whole nights! I was quite worried at first because I thought maybe he had gone to see Mr Desh or something but when he came back I realised the truth. You see Hitler cat hasn't been around for two days either so Mister Indy must have been away fighting him in big adventures.
Of course, Mister Indy has taken a vow of silence so I can only go by clues but there was this big ark thing in the back yard in the morning and even Evil Bob (who tried to get in through the bedroom window last night) looked a bit shaken. So I reckon I know what he's been doing and I'm going to laugh at Hitler cat next time I see him. (From a safe distance, especially if the window's closed. Really tight.)
First though some extra sleeping because I had two bonus breakfasts when Mister Indy came back this morning and I'm feeling a bit full.
Of course, Mister Indy has taken a vow of silence so I can only go by clues but there was this big ark thing in the back yard in the morning and even Evil Bob (who tried to get in through the bedroom window last night) looked a bit shaken. So I reckon I know what he's been doing and I'm going to laugh at Hitler cat next time I see him. (From a safe distance, especially if the window's closed. Really tight.)
First though some extra sleeping because I had two bonus breakfasts when Mister Indy came back this morning and I'm feeling a bit full.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Intersting article
Here's an interesting article about Evangelicals in elite academic institutions. It turns out that an increasingly high number of evangelical students are going to top universities.
It sets the scene as follows:
"On campuses across the country, evangelicalism is rebounding. Evangelical students make up larger and larger portions of the incoming classes at Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. They join robust campus-ministry groups that sponsor everything from debates to spring-break "mission" trips. And while they still fall slightly below the national average, the percentage of evangelicals receiving bachelor's degrees has climbed 133 percent from 1976 to 2004, according to the General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Corporation, more than doubling the change within the general population.
Nowhere has this phenomenon been more evident than on America's top campuses. In 2003, Peter Gomes, the Pusey Minister at Harvard's Memorial Church, said, "There are probably more evangelicals [on Harvard[']s campus today] than at any time since the 17th century."
It sets the scene as follows:
"On campuses across the country, evangelicalism is rebounding. Evangelical students make up larger and larger portions of the incoming classes at Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. They join robust campus-ministry groups that sponsor everything from debates to spring-break "mission" trips. And while they still fall slightly below the national average, the percentage of evangelicals receiving bachelor's degrees has climbed 133 percent from 1976 to 2004, according to the General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Corporation, more than doubling the change within the general population.
Nowhere has this phenomenon been more evident than on America's top campuses. In 2003, Peter Gomes, the Pusey Minister at Harvard's Memorial Church, said, "There are probably more evangelicals [on Harvard[']s campus today] than at any time since the 17th century."
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Patrick
It seems like theres a million and one half-formed thoughts swirling through my head.
just madness.
ninety percent of them are giddy happy
cause i've capture the greatest thing i've ever seen.
know whats interesting? fireflies are really one of my favorite things.
I love visiting the midwest Fam so I can catch them.
I think they're beautiful.
I don't know if anything is more beautiful.
its like stars fall in your yard.
if we had them here? oh man. I'd never leave.
"do we gaze at the stars because we're human? or are we human because we gaze at the stars?"
i don't know. either way. all i know is i love doing it and i love doing it with Patrick.
I'm staying the night there tonight.
Driving to BHam tomorrow.
coming home saturday.
and staying the night at Patrick's saturday.
I trust him.
I believe in him.
just madness.
ninety percent of them are giddy happy
cause i've capture the greatest thing i've ever seen.
know whats interesting? fireflies are really one of my favorite things.
I love visiting the midwest Fam so I can catch them.
I think they're beautiful.
I don't know if anything is more beautiful.
its like stars fall in your yard.
if we had them here? oh man. I'd never leave.
"do we gaze at the stars because we're human? or are we human because we gaze at the stars?"
i don't know. either way. all i know is i love doing it and i love doing it with Patrick.
I'm staying the night there tonight.
Driving to BHam tomorrow.
coming home saturday.
and staying the night at Patrick's saturday.
I trust him.
I believe in him.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Summer games-part 2
Step 10: Discover wardrobes are only marginally less tall than bedroom and must be built upright.
Step 11: Soothe husband again. Remember husband is motivated by deadline. Phone friends and book holiday in Devon for coming Sunday.
Step 12: Put on another DVD for children. Feed on biscuits and toast as kitchen out of bounds.
Step 13: Build wardrobes. Remove heaps of clothes from children's beds. Put children to bed as it is now the middle of the night.
Step 14: This takes place the following morning. Husband puts on shirt and tie and flees gladly to work.
Step 15: Erm, not sure what this one is yet. Have to wait and see if husband returns!
To be continued...
Step 11: Soothe husband again. Remember husband is motivated by deadline. Phone friends and book holiday in Devon for coming Sunday.
Step 12: Put on another DVD for children. Feed on biscuits and toast as kitchen out of bounds.
Step 13: Build wardrobes. Remove heaps of clothes from children's beds. Put children to bed as it is now the middle of the night.
Step 14: This takes place the following morning. Husband puts on shirt and tie and flees gladly to work.
Step 15: Erm, not sure what this one is yet. Have to wait and see if husband returns!
To be continued...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Summer game no 1
This one is strictly for the adults.
Step 1: Discover that Ikea kitchens can now be ordered online and that delivery, even to the far flung corners of West Wales, only costs £35.
Step 2: Order kitchen.
Step 3: Order new wardrobes too, for good measure.
Step 4: Inform husband.
Step 5: Resuscitate husband.
Step 6: Discover that the earliest date for delivery is July 21st.
Step 7: Discover that July 21st is first day of school holidays. Kick self.
Step 8: Accept delivery of several hundred anonymous boxes and bags from jolly Ikea delivery man. Ikea delivery man is still jolly despite having mistaken address for Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. He didn't bat an eyelid when told that he needed to be in Pembrokeshire instead.
"I'll be a bit longer than an hour," quoth delivery man on mobile without irony.
Step 8: Remove stagnant old kitchen cupboards; discover hole in floor.
Step 9: Decide to build wardrobes while concrete dries in kitchen hole.
Step 1: Discover that Ikea kitchens can now be ordered online and that delivery, even to the far flung corners of West Wales, only costs £35.
Step 2: Order kitchen.
Step 3: Order new wardrobes too, for good measure.
Step 4: Inform husband.
Step 5: Resuscitate husband.
Step 6: Discover that the earliest date for delivery is July 21st.
Step 7: Discover that July 21st is first day of school holidays. Kick self.
Step 8: Accept delivery of several hundred anonymous boxes and bags from jolly Ikea delivery man. Ikea delivery man is still jolly despite having mistaken address for Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire. He didn't bat an eyelid when told that he needed to be in Pembrokeshire instead.
"I'll be a bit longer than an hour," quoth delivery man on mobile without irony.
Step 8: Remove stagnant old kitchen cupboards; discover hole in floor.
Step 9: Decide to build wardrobes while concrete dries in kitchen hole.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Princess Anastasia!!
Ahhh!! I haven't blogged for a while because of stupid sukan thingy, home work and secretary work. No freedom at all...*sighs*Update: I'm not joining Archery Inter-School anymore! So now I have to join the School's sukan thingy instead! Bummer...:P
The reason why I don't wanna join Inter-school is because....I dare not face my coach...not just after I quit! I feel it very Bu hao yi shi...*sighs* Hopefully I'll be able to join next year...
^^Anyways...I've FINALLY been able to find THE ORIGINAL PRINCESS ANASTASIA DVD!!! Bought it form SPEEDY!! It cost me RM49.90!! So expensive! But at least it's original XD!! YAY!! Here are some Screenies !!
The reason why I don't wanna join Inter-school is because....I dare not face my coach...not just after I quit! I feel it very Bu hao yi shi...*sighs* Hopefully I'll be able to join next year...
^^Anyways...I've FINALLY been able to find THE ORIGINAL PRINCESS ANASTASIA DVD!!! Bought it form SPEEDY!! It cost me RM49.90!! So expensive! But at least it's original XD!! YAY!! Here are some Screenies !!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Andean condors in decline
California condors are not the only condors of the Western Hemisphere that are in trouble. The Andean condors of South America are also in decline. Though they are still common in Chile and Argentina, they are endangered in the northern part of their range – Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. The population in the latter three countries is 150 condors combined.
One aspect of the decline seems to be the expansion of American-style industrial agriculture.
In nature, Andean condors survive off the remains of deer, guanaco — a llama-like mammal — and other animals that predators such as pumas leave behind.
Such food supplies fell sharply throughout the 20th century in countries such as Chile when people settled farther out into wild lands and replaced the native fauna with cattle, sheep and other livestock.
The Andean condors adapted by eating wounded or dead livestock left out in the open, usually by accident. Some condors flew hundreds of miles from their mountain homes to feed on dead seals on the Pacific coast, often making the round trip in a single day.
But that domesticated food source began dwindling as more ranchers raised livestock in feed lots, which cut back on the number of wounded or dead animals left in the open. On top of that, many ranchers have hunted down condors, mistaking them for predators capable of carrying off livestock.
So far the techniques used to regrow the California condor population have not worked for rebuilding the northern population of Andean condors. Captive-bred Andean condors failed to reproduce after being released in Colombia. Further south, where the decline has been less severe, conservationists in Chile and Argentina have been rehabilitating sick and injured condors and releasing them back into the wild.
One aspect of the decline seems to be the expansion of American-style industrial agriculture.
In nature, Andean condors survive off the remains of deer, guanaco — a llama-like mammal — and other animals that predators such as pumas leave behind.
Such food supplies fell sharply throughout the 20th century in countries such as Chile when people settled farther out into wild lands and replaced the native fauna with cattle, sheep and other livestock.
The Andean condors adapted by eating wounded or dead livestock left out in the open, usually by accident. Some condors flew hundreds of miles from their mountain homes to feed on dead seals on the Pacific coast, often making the round trip in a single day.
But that domesticated food source began dwindling as more ranchers raised livestock in feed lots, which cut back on the number of wounded or dead animals left in the open. On top of that, many ranchers have hunted down condors, mistaking them for predators capable of carrying off livestock.
So far the techniques used to regrow the California condor population have not worked for rebuilding the northern population of Andean condors. Captive-bred Andean condors failed to reproduce after being released in Colombia. Further south, where the decline has been less severe, conservationists in Chile and Argentina have been rehabilitating sick and injured condors and releasing them back into the wild.
Thorn-2
The skeleton of the burnt out building loomed upwards from the ashes like a specter. The smell of the building was acrid but somehow also appealing; unlike the thick, choking smoke of the night before, the remaining odor was much easier to swllow. Lumps of burnt wheat which had melted into a gelatin like substance still smoldered making walking inside of the barn a treacherous affair. There was still an oppressive heat that lingered inside of the building and though Thorn knew that most of the danger was past he was still on full alert.
He had good reason. The Mayor's wife still had not been found and there was a rumor flying fast that she and a lover had been caught in the blaze. He didn't buy into rumors but there was more than one threading its evil suggestion in the small town before most children were up and break-fasting.
One that cause his mind to be clouded by a rage that could hardly be shaken so that he could see the burnt remains of the building before him and analyze it all for clues. To combat this he focused, his eyes scanning the debris for the slightest thing that was suspicious or out of place.
Kailey had been the subject of the viciousness. That was unacceptable. That anyone could try to blame his Kailey for something like this. Kailey might be slow, as they so snidely put it but he was no a fool. He was a man in the way that counted; he was reliable, sensible and he knew what was right from wrong.
If there was any indication that Kailey would ever be so lawless Thorn would never have trusted him to keep his house in order. And if it was one thing that Kailey did that always impressed him with take sparse provision and fresh produce and turn out a meal that was a real spread. Kailey had a talent for cooking.
He hadn't told Kailey what MayBeth had come to warn him about. He had sent him off to MayBeth's house, not even allowing him to make breakfast much to Kailey's displeasure. The boy loved to fuss over him; thought it was his right and now that he was injured it was worse.
Thorn paused in the middle of the barn and listened. He could hear the wind rustling through the trees, a carraige making it way down the dirt road, a child racing after it and finally though it took a while he could hear the groaning of the weakened beams of the building.
It pained him to remember what this had looked like jus yesterday morning. Teaming full of grain and supplying a dying town with hope. Now everything, their hope included was burnt to a crisp.
He should not be so surprised then that that hope had been replaced with pettiness and cruetly towards one of th emost mis-understood and marginalised members of the town. No, he was too cynnical to surprised, he was pissed.
He wouldn't let anyone hurt Kailey, if they so much as tried. he halted again, pearched on a fallen beam and his hands clenched. Just then his eyes fell on a spot that was blacker than the rest of it. He moved towards it. When he was near, a near stench wound it way into his nose. It was not subtle, it shoved down his throat, invading his body and then his mind with the harsh, putrid smell of burnt flesh and seared bone.
His eyes searched but found no body, but they saw something else. A beam had been moved stirring the ashes. One footstep leading out the back way of the barn, from there on could escape into the forest.
He was about to follow when a glint caught his eye. He reached for it but it was hot, he swore. he wrapped his hand in something and plucked the mis-shapen clump of silver from the ground. It was the pendant of the missing woman he knew then. In some work of God, the J scratched in the middle had not been misfigured by the fire.
'J' for Jenna. He stood there and let the implications of this wash over him like a summer's rain. She was dead, the vibrant, percocious and somewhat annoying wife of the mayor had passed on. leaving this locket and a stomach turnng stench as the only vistages of her once colourful existance.
The cold hand of fury that engulfed him then was backed with desperate despair. She hadn't just expired, her time had not yet been up. Barely twenty-three she had been and filled with more optimism than ten barns this size could hold and she had been taken. Murdered, then burned and finally moved from this spot. The cold effiiency and heartlessness left his mind reeling.
Some sick demented creature walked among then; some gutless, spineless devil. A very dangerous entity.
He walked blindly from the building, clutching the pendant in one hand and holding his other arm gingerly. Suddenly his shoulder was hurting again and indeed it was ten times worse than last night. His face he knew was ashen, his eyes bleak.
His boots hit the gravel in time with the sluggish beat of his heart. For once he didn't know where he was going, who he wanted to see or what he was going to say. He could keep this all to himself. Leave the town with the illusion that she had run off with a gypsy. The thought was banished. No, she deserved justice, her memory would be a hard one for the town to follow but they had to face it and take stock of their situation.
Before long he had reached the town square. There he saw a gathering. Few were looking in his direction, but they fell away as soon as they saw him. That made him walk faster and that urged him to listen.
There was sobbing, the thud of a foot hitting unresistant flesh and a scuffle. He shoved through the crowd ingoring the searing pain in his shoulder. There was Kailey, curled on the ground while the resident town thug just finished kicking him thundered accusation around his head.
and people just watched, horror and wonder etched on their faces; yet none helped and he knew why they too wanted an answer to the man's angry question.
"Why's you set the damn barn on fire Kailey! How could you do that to us?! and how could you do that to Thorn who took you in?! You damn bastard he spent hours stacking that grain. You're-"
"I didn't..I didn't..." Kailey sobbed, his voice etched with pain.
When Jinn say Thorn he fell back suddenly, all of his machoness gone. Everyone suddenly was scare and Thorn didn't bother to run after Jinn and punish him. He only cared for Kailet, whose beautiful eyes were dilated pools of horror, shock and pain.
Thorn lifted him bodily, despite his size, despite the incredible pain in his shoulder. Kailey protested weakly,.
"Thorn..your shoulder,"
"It's never been better Kailey," he lied smoothly though he was unable to keep the thread of strain from in his voice or the anger.
"But Thorn-," Kailey started again and Thorn held his gaze. That silenced him.
Thorn carried Kailey down to the nurse. His mind was ruined. The anger of the morning, the discovery of the horrendous murder and now this. It was too much for him to shrug off, cold, silent rage settled deep with in his spirit and took root.
The morning was in full swing now and it was hot but none of the heat reach Thorn. There were many things wrong in this town. Jinn was the least of them but he would get his day; everyone would get their day. All who stood aside and watched as his Kailey got beat up for something he didn't do, who gaped like mindless useless fowls as a foot found Kailey's chests. Heartless, prejudicial bastards that could watch him cry and wait, wait like judges for him to confess something he knew nothing about.
People like that he realised would rather believe that Jenna ran away than face the fact that she'd been cooked like a cow in the barn. His callousness shocked him and he stilled for a moment. It was a bad decision. Kailey wriggled trying to get down and the pain in his shoulder thundered.
"God-damn hold still Kailey," he snapped, his voice was abrasive and Kailey's eyes filled with fresh tears.
"Do you think I did it too Thorn?" he whispered in a rasping voice. His chest was wracked with pain no doubt. If the bruising on his face was an indication of what had went on before Thorn got there.
"Don't be an ass Kailey," Thorn said. He wouldn't usually speak to Kailey this way but he was no longer quite himself. This had changed him.
To his surprise Kailey laughed, a hoked laboured sound but his eyes filled with mirth and joy. Thorn was struck then, by how pretty and unfettered Kailey looked then. His heart twisted, he needed to get Kailey somewhere safe while he sorted this all out. He would make someone very uncomfortable and they might use Kailey to get to him... unacceptable.
Thorn was half-way to the nurse, it was slow going and no one who would help seemed to be anywhere around. Others just watched him struggle down the street.
Kailey hugged him and kissed his cheek lightly drawing Thorn's gaze back to his face. Kailey's eyes were closed now though,so Thron didn't have a chance to read the emotion in them.
The nurse had the door wide open and the bed with wheels out on the porch. She had seen them coming and he was more grateful to her then than ever before.
"
He had good reason. The Mayor's wife still had not been found and there was a rumor flying fast that she and a lover had been caught in the blaze. He didn't buy into rumors but there was more than one threading its evil suggestion in the small town before most children were up and break-fasting.
One that cause his mind to be clouded by a rage that could hardly be shaken so that he could see the burnt remains of the building before him and analyze it all for clues. To combat this he focused, his eyes scanning the debris for the slightest thing that was suspicious or out of place.
Kailey had been the subject of the viciousness. That was unacceptable. That anyone could try to blame his Kailey for something like this. Kailey might be slow, as they so snidely put it but he was no a fool. He was a man in the way that counted; he was reliable, sensible and he knew what was right from wrong.
If there was any indication that Kailey would ever be so lawless Thorn would never have trusted him to keep his house in order. And if it was one thing that Kailey did that always impressed him with take sparse provision and fresh produce and turn out a meal that was a real spread. Kailey had a talent for cooking.
He hadn't told Kailey what MayBeth had come to warn him about. He had sent him off to MayBeth's house, not even allowing him to make breakfast much to Kailey's displeasure. The boy loved to fuss over him; thought it was his right and now that he was injured it was worse.
Thorn paused in the middle of the barn and listened. He could hear the wind rustling through the trees, a carraige making it way down the dirt road, a child racing after it and finally though it took a while he could hear the groaning of the weakened beams of the building.
It pained him to remember what this had looked like jus yesterday morning. Teaming full of grain and supplying a dying town with hope. Now everything, their hope included was burnt to a crisp.
He should not be so surprised then that that hope had been replaced with pettiness and cruetly towards one of th emost mis-understood and marginalised members of the town. No, he was too cynnical to surprised, he was pissed.
He wouldn't let anyone hurt Kailey, if they so much as tried. he halted again, pearched on a fallen beam and his hands clenched. Just then his eyes fell on a spot that was blacker than the rest of it. He moved towards it. When he was near, a near stench wound it way into his nose. It was not subtle, it shoved down his throat, invading his body and then his mind with the harsh, putrid smell of burnt flesh and seared bone.
His eyes searched but found no body, but they saw something else. A beam had been moved stirring the ashes. One footstep leading out the back way of the barn, from there on could escape into the forest.
He was about to follow when a glint caught his eye. He reached for it but it was hot, he swore. he wrapped his hand in something and plucked the mis-shapen clump of silver from the ground. It was the pendant of the missing woman he knew then. In some work of God, the J scratched in the middle had not been misfigured by the fire.
'J' for Jenna. He stood there and let the implications of this wash over him like a summer's rain. She was dead, the vibrant, percocious and somewhat annoying wife of the mayor had passed on. leaving this locket and a stomach turnng stench as the only vistages of her once colourful existance.
The cold hand of fury that engulfed him then was backed with desperate despair. She hadn't just expired, her time had not yet been up. Barely twenty-three she had been and filled with more optimism than ten barns this size could hold and she had been taken. Murdered, then burned and finally moved from this spot. The cold effiiency and heartlessness left his mind reeling.
Some sick demented creature walked among then; some gutless, spineless devil. A very dangerous entity.
He walked blindly from the building, clutching the pendant in one hand and holding his other arm gingerly. Suddenly his shoulder was hurting again and indeed it was ten times worse than last night. His face he knew was ashen, his eyes bleak.
His boots hit the gravel in time with the sluggish beat of his heart. For once he didn't know where he was going, who he wanted to see or what he was going to say. He could keep this all to himself. Leave the town with the illusion that she had run off with a gypsy. The thought was banished. No, she deserved justice, her memory would be a hard one for the town to follow but they had to face it and take stock of their situation.
Before long he had reached the town square. There he saw a gathering. Few were looking in his direction, but they fell away as soon as they saw him. That made him walk faster and that urged him to listen.
There was sobbing, the thud of a foot hitting unresistant flesh and a scuffle. He shoved through the crowd ingoring the searing pain in his shoulder. There was Kailey, curled on the ground while the resident town thug just finished kicking him thundered accusation around his head.
and people just watched, horror and wonder etched on their faces; yet none helped and he knew why they too wanted an answer to the man's angry question.
"Why's you set the damn barn on fire Kailey! How could you do that to us?! and how could you do that to Thorn who took you in?! You damn bastard he spent hours stacking that grain. You're-"
"I didn't..I didn't..." Kailey sobbed, his voice etched with pain.
When Jinn say Thorn he fell back suddenly, all of his machoness gone. Everyone suddenly was scare and Thorn didn't bother to run after Jinn and punish him. He only cared for Kailet, whose beautiful eyes were dilated pools of horror, shock and pain.
Thorn lifted him bodily, despite his size, despite the incredible pain in his shoulder. Kailey protested weakly,.
"Thorn..your shoulder,"
"It's never been better Kailey," he lied smoothly though he was unable to keep the thread of strain from in his voice or the anger.
"But Thorn-," Kailey started again and Thorn held his gaze. That silenced him.
Thorn carried Kailey down to the nurse. His mind was ruined. The anger of the morning, the discovery of the horrendous murder and now this. It was too much for him to shrug off, cold, silent rage settled deep with in his spirit and took root.
The morning was in full swing now and it was hot but none of the heat reach Thorn. There were many things wrong in this town. Jinn was the least of them but he would get his day; everyone would get their day. All who stood aside and watched as his Kailey got beat up for something he didn't do, who gaped like mindless useless fowls as a foot found Kailey's chests. Heartless, prejudicial bastards that could watch him cry and wait, wait like judges for him to confess something he knew nothing about.
People like that he realised would rather believe that Jenna ran away than face the fact that she'd been cooked like a cow in the barn. His callousness shocked him and he stilled for a moment. It was a bad decision. Kailey wriggled trying to get down and the pain in his shoulder thundered.
"God-damn hold still Kailey," he snapped, his voice was abrasive and Kailey's eyes filled with fresh tears.
"Do you think I did it too Thorn?" he whispered in a rasping voice. His chest was wracked with pain no doubt. If the bruising on his face was an indication of what had went on before Thorn got there.
"Don't be an ass Kailey," Thorn said. He wouldn't usually speak to Kailey this way but he was no longer quite himself. This had changed him.
To his surprise Kailey laughed, a hoked laboured sound but his eyes filled with mirth and joy. Thorn was struck then, by how pretty and unfettered Kailey looked then. His heart twisted, he needed to get Kailey somewhere safe while he sorted this all out. He would make someone very uncomfortable and they might use Kailey to get to him... unacceptable.
Thorn was half-way to the nurse, it was slow going and no one who would help seemed to be anywhere around. Others just watched him struggle down the street.
Kailey hugged him and kissed his cheek lightly drawing Thorn's gaze back to his face. Kailey's eyes were closed now though,so Thron didn't have a chance to read the emotion in them.
The nurse had the door wide open and the bed with wheels out on the porch. She had seen them coming and he was more grateful to her then than ever before.
"
Empty Museum
Usually, going to a museum in NYC, especially during the weekend, is a crazy event. Packed with people. Lots of bumping and craning to see stuff. I was amazed to see that The Jewish Museum was not like that. Amazed and a little saddened. While I enjoyed that I didn't have to elbow my way to the paintings and sculptures, I thought that the museum needed more people.
Z had told me that he loves going to museums. He likes doing things he hasn't done before. So I asked him to come with me to see the Action/Abstraction exhibit that featured Pollack and deKooning. He was all for it. He met me at my place and we hopped the train and then two subways to the Upper East Side. I remembered 1, 2, 3, Little Pigs Make 5 and turned left to go over to 5th Ave from our stop. We found the museum blocks away without a problem and without much sweating as we found as much shade as possible. He had a snack before we went in. Of course.
We had to go through a metal detector. He had to check his bag. I asked the woman at the desk for one student and one adult and she barely looked at my ID from my undergrad days. Seeing that she wasn't checking, I quickly asked Z if he remembered to bring his ID and he said he forgot it. The woman charged us for one adult and one student. Fine. Next time I'll say two students first and then if they ask for ID, we'll try to finagle it then. I paid and Z was like, why are you paying? I was like, deal with it. She asked if it was our first time there and we said yes. She welcomed us and asked for my zip code. I opted out of the audio tour.
We handed our tickets to the guard and he was like, let me show you, as he took our brochure. He flipped it over and did a lot of pointing. Then he said, free on Saturdays, come back, tell everyone you know. Thanks. Information that would have been helpful the day before. We went in and then I went to the bathroom. When I came back, Z had the audio tour in hand. He did his audio thing and I walked around and read everything instead.
I liked the exhibit. There were three Pollock pieces and some deKooning. Mostly, it was their contemporaries. I liked how it was set up. It focused on two critics of the time who developed a sort of rivalry.
Z set off a chiming alarm when he leaned in towards a sculpture. Heeheee. I think that the alarm had a hair trigger because when we walked away, I heard it going off several more times and no one was really near the sculpture. Everything was copyrighted so we couldn't take pictures. Leave it up to Z to yank out his phone covertly and take a few pics. I knew he would do that.
The last part of the Action/Abstraction exhibit was interactive. We wrote on chalk boards. We wrote on dry erase boards. We wrote notes on yellow stickys and hung them up. We moved around huge magnets that had words on them and made up new sayings. It was awesome!!! Z called me into the little room with the stickys after I was done with it to show me the post-it he wrote. You probably know what it said. Z Hearts Christina. Say it with me: Awwwwwww.
We went into the Warhol's Jews exhibit and looked at the portraits. Then Z hung up his audio tour thing. I was like, you didn't have to give them your license or anything to ensure that they got the radio back? He was like, yeah I gave them four dollars. Heehee. Four bucks for the audio tour? He said it was worth it so he didn't have to sift through all the reading stuff. He reads books but I guess he doesn't want to read at a museum.
We went into the third exhibit which was works influence by Warhol. There was a piece that was a lot of spools of thread hanging. A tiny glass ball on top of a pole was at eye level (my eye level so "low") in front of it. I looked through it at all the walls. Everything was upside down. But then when I looked through it at the spools, I saw Warhol's campbells soup can. I was like, there's a picture in it somehow. Z was like, no it's the spools. He stood in front of the spools and I saw him upside down. Then the guard came over. He was like, Am I too close. She smiled, nodded, and then asked, do you know what you're seeing? I was like, is it the spools? She said yes and then told us to walk to the other end of the room. Sure enough, it looked like the campbell's soup can, upside down. When we looked through the ball, it was right side up. We walked back and forth a few hundred times because it was so dang cool.
The rest of the museum was their permanent exhibit, which I really wasn't interested in. Lots of menorahs, a wall-sized explanation of the Talmud, and a lot of information about the Holocaust. There was a children's room--Z tried to put together a puzzle but the magnets weren't working and it kept falling off the wall. So then we left.
I asked if he wanted to walk across the park so we had to take only one subway downtown instead of taking one across and having to switch. He was up for that so we entered the park where the runner's track is around the reservoir. Then we found the subway. Which was not running downtown. What the? There was a sign telling us to go up to 112 and then turn around on such and such a line. I was like, no. So we walked a few blocks down. Still no downtown service. Then we wound up walking farther West so we could find the 1/2/3 and finally we hopped the subway back to Penn. So much for my short cut through the park.
It was a great day ending at home with sushi from Trader Joe's. So now that you know all about the Jewish Museum, go on Saturday. It's free.
Z had told me that he loves going to museums. He likes doing things he hasn't done before. So I asked him to come with me to see the Action/Abstraction exhibit that featured Pollack and deKooning. He was all for it. He met me at my place and we hopped the train and then two subways to the Upper East Side. I remembered 1, 2, 3, Little Pigs Make 5 and turned left to go over to 5th Ave from our stop. We found the museum blocks away without a problem and without much sweating as we found as much shade as possible. He had a snack before we went in. Of course.
We had to go through a metal detector. He had to check his bag. I asked the woman at the desk for one student and one adult and she barely looked at my ID from my undergrad days. Seeing that she wasn't checking, I quickly asked Z if he remembered to bring his ID and he said he forgot it. The woman charged us for one adult and one student. Fine. Next time I'll say two students first and then if they ask for ID, we'll try to finagle it then. I paid and Z was like, why are you paying? I was like, deal with it. She asked if it was our first time there and we said yes. She welcomed us and asked for my zip code. I opted out of the audio tour.
We handed our tickets to the guard and he was like, let me show you, as he took our brochure. He flipped it over and did a lot of pointing. Then he said, free on Saturdays, come back, tell everyone you know. Thanks. Information that would have been helpful the day before. We went in and then I went to the bathroom. When I came back, Z had the audio tour in hand. He did his audio thing and I walked around and read everything instead.
I liked the exhibit. There were three Pollock pieces and some deKooning. Mostly, it was their contemporaries. I liked how it was set up. It focused on two critics of the time who developed a sort of rivalry.
Z set off a chiming alarm when he leaned in towards a sculpture. Heeheee. I think that the alarm had a hair trigger because when we walked away, I heard it going off several more times and no one was really near the sculpture. Everything was copyrighted so we couldn't take pictures. Leave it up to Z to yank out his phone covertly and take a few pics. I knew he would do that.
The last part of the Action/Abstraction exhibit was interactive. We wrote on chalk boards. We wrote on dry erase boards. We wrote notes on yellow stickys and hung them up. We moved around huge magnets that had words on them and made up new sayings. It was awesome!!! Z called me into the little room with the stickys after I was done with it to show me the post-it he wrote. You probably know what it said. Z Hearts Christina. Say it with me: Awwwwwww.
We went into the Warhol's Jews exhibit and looked at the portraits. Then Z hung up his audio tour thing. I was like, you didn't have to give them your license or anything to ensure that they got the radio back? He was like, yeah I gave them four dollars. Heehee. Four bucks for the audio tour? He said it was worth it so he didn't have to sift through all the reading stuff. He reads books but I guess he doesn't want to read at a museum.
We went into the third exhibit which was works influence by Warhol. There was a piece that was a lot of spools of thread hanging. A tiny glass ball on top of a pole was at eye level (my eye level so "low") in front of it. I looked through it at all the walls. Everything was upside down. But then when I looked through it at the spools, I saw Warhol's campbells soup can. I was like, there's a picture in it somehow. Z was like, no it's the spools. He stood in front of the spools and I saw him upside down. Then the guard came over. He was like, Am I too close. She smiled, nodded, and then asked, do you know what you're seeing? I was like, is it the spools? She said yes and then told us to walk to the other end of the room. Sure enough, it looked like the campbell's soup can, upside down. When we looked through the ball, it was right side up. We walked back and forth a few hundred times because it was so dang cool.
The rest of the museum was their permanent exhibit, which I really wasn't interested in. Lots of menorahs, a wall-sized explanation of the Talmud, and a lot of information about the Holocaust. There was a children's room--Z tried to put together a puzzle but the magnets weren't working and it kept falling off the wall. So then we left.
I asked if he wanted to walk across the park so we had to take only one subway downtown instead of taking one across and having to switch. He was up for that so we entered the park where the runner's track is around the reservoir. Then we found the subway. Which was not running downtown. What the? There was a sign telling us to go up to 112 and then turn around on such and such a line. I was like, no. So we walked a few blocks down. Still no downtown service. Then we wound up walking farther West so we could find the 1/2/3 and finally we hopped the subway back to Penn. So much for my short cut through the park.
It was a great day ending at home with sushi from Trader Joe's. So now that you know all about the Jewish Museum, go on Saturday. It's free.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
My flower
Hi and good afternoon. We haven't yet established the exact name for my flower art but there have been a couple of suggestions. However, so that I would know where to find them again, I've just kept the Poppy theme. :)
The last two of the six have been done slightly differently but still with the same criteria. One background stamp, one main image stamp, Adirondack inks (terracotta and currant this time) and my Stampendous Inspirational verses set.
The terracotta one is stamped onto a 'lettuce' brayered panel and coloured with the contrast colour. I ran the brayer over some elastic bands to create a random pattern before I stamped the image with Versafine ink. The strip across the card has been embossed with the Swiss Dots CB folder.
On the currant card I embossed two lines about 1.5cm apart and masked off the remainder of the card before brayering a solid currant line between the embossed ones.The flower, partially cut out this time is mounted onto brayered panels of currant and lettuce. I left the lettuce layer a bit longer so that I could stamp the sentiment directly onto it. The bottom panel of the card I embossed on the Scor It with diagonal lines.
I have been asked how I did the colouring. I selectively inked the stamp - lettuce or pesto for the leaves and the contrast colour on the flower. I dragged the colour over the petals using a water brush and added more colour by pressing the lid of the inkpad into the ink and picking it up from there with the water brush.
The majority of the mats are brayered panels so that I wouldn't have any trouble trying to find matching cardstocks.
I've just the box to make for this set but I'll do that another time as I am running out of space to keep them! :)
I hope you have a great day planned with plenty of crafting to do.
Thank you for taking the time to visit, I appreciate it so much. :)
The last two of the six have been done slightly differently but still with the same criteria. One background stamp, one main image stamp, Adirondack inks (terracotta and currant this time) and my Stampendous Inspirational verses set.
The terracotta one is stamped onto a 'lettuce' brayered panel and coloured with the contrast colour. I ran the brayer over some elastic bands to create a random pattern before I stamped the image with Versafine ink. The strip across the card has been embossed with the Swiss Dots CB folder.
On the currant card I embossed two lines about 1.5cm apart and masked off the remainder of the card before brayering a solid currant line between the embossed ones.The flower, partially cut out this time is mounted onto brayered panels of currant and lettuce. I left the lettuce layer a bit longer so that I could stamp the sentiment directly onto it. The bottom panel of the card I embossed on the Scor It with diagonal lines.
I have been asked how I did the colouring. I selectively inked the stamp - lettuce or pesto for the leaves and the contrast colour on the flower. I dragged the colour over the petals using a water brush and added more colour by pressing the lid of the inkpad into the ink and picking it up from there with the water brush.
The majority of the mats are brayered panels so that I wouldn't have any trouble trying to find matching cardstocks.
I've just the box to make for this set but I'll do that another time as I am running out of space to keep them! :)
I hope you have a great day planned with plenty of crafting to do.
Thank you for taking the time to visit, I appreciate it so much. :)
I love pizzas
My craving for pizza made me run out to buy a pizza crust to make my own pizza. Although the crust wasn't anything to rave about, I do enjoy putting my favorite ingredients on the crust.
With 2 crusts in a packet, I made 2 pizzas of different styles -- Japanese Style & Western Style Black Pepper Chicken pizzas. Both pizzas have the same base ingredients but they have different sauces for coating the crusts.
With 2 crusts in a packet, I made 2 pizzas of different styles -- Japanese Style & Western Style Black Pepper Chicken pizzas. Both pizzas have the same base ingredients but they have different sauces for coating the crusts.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Smooth night
Tonight went smoothly again with no real bugs to report. A typo was noticed in one of the journal entries, which I have now corrected in my own current build, but it was not enough to warrant a public update yet. There was one other issue, which could be more of a problem, but I suspect it unlikely to happen for most people and even then, only likely in a multi-player game: Having the refugee gate guard accidentally lock himself out! I could write some code to ensure this does not happen, but I suspect that it was a one-off and I will wait to here if anybody else encounters the problem before I do anything more about it. In theory, there is still a work around, but again, I won't divulge that unless I really have to, as it is a bit involved.
I have also decided that I will no longer be doing detailed synopses after Soul Shaker has finished. It takes me quite some time to do that could be better spent either writing new material or elsewhere in general. Instead, for the new era, I will write brief synopses, but include instead, more information that the PC's might find during the gaming session that can be read online instead of during the gaming session. E.g. If the heroes find a book, I will upload the book information as part of a session write up. This way, a player can still be reminded of what happened, but also have more hot points as reminders of what they are trying to achieve.
I am pleased to report that I have been more constructive this week than I have for a long time. I have also had one or two more ideas that I want to script regarding new era Combination Chests. I liked the way these worked in Soul Shaker, along with the various skills and spells, and I have come up with some similar ideas for the new era, but in a way that fits better with the new mechanics. I have not even started to script this yet, but I am hoping to use some of the scripts I have already written (with some minor adjustments), and that it all works out as planned. I will go into more details about these in a future post.
I have also decided that I will no longer be doing detailed synopses after Soul Shaker has finished. It takes me quite some time to do that could be better spent either writing new material or elsewhere in general. Instead, for the new era, I will write brief synopses, but include instead, more information that the PC's might find during the gaming session that can be read online instead of during the gaming session. E.g. If the heroes find a book, I will upload the book information as part of a session write up. This way, a player can still be reminded of what happened, but also have more hot points as reminders of what they are trying to achieve.
I am pleased to report that I have been more constructive this week than I have for a long time. I have also had one or two more ideas that I want to script regarding new era Combination Chests. I liked the way these worked in Soul Shaker, along with the various skills and spells, and I have come up with some similar ideas for the new era, but in a way that fits better with the new mechanics. I have not even started to script this yet, but I am hoping to use some of the scripts I have already written (with some minor adjustments), and that it all works out as planned. I will go into more details about these in a future post.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Help me
Do you:
Arrange liqour bottles so that the amounts remaining are in descending order?
Make sure your daily showers take the same time by using a stopwatch?
Improvise according to a well-developed plan?
Alphabetize your kitchen spices, with only one spice for each letter?
Navigate to your house using a map, in case you get lost?
Arrange the M&Ms in separate plates for each colour?
Label everything to never forget their names, including children?
Reorder clothes in colour-coded fashion, by length, and for the seasons?
Ensure clothes are folded before you put them in the dirty linen hamper?
Take garbage out in labelled bags to make for easier disposal?
Eat your food by chewing a precise number of times?
Nit pick about the exact time that something happens?
Take coffee breaks at the same time each day, even on weekends?
Invite people to meals only if you have checked astrological charts?
Verify that you eat packaged food according to their sell-by dates?
Ensure boxes in cupboards face the same way, arranged by size?
Then you can help me.My life is a mess.
Arrange liqour bottles so that the amounts remaining are in descending order?
Make sure your daily showers take the same time by using a stopwatch?
Improvise according to a well-developed plan?
Alphabetize your kitchen spices, with only one spice for each letter?
Navigate to your house using a map, in case you get lost?
Arrange the M&Ms in separate plates for each colour?
Label everything to never forget their names, including children?
Reorder clothes in colour-coded fashion, by length, and for the seasons?
Ensure clothes are folded before you put them in the dirty linen hamper?
Take garbage out in labelled bags to make for easier disposal?
Eat your food by chewing a precise number of times?
Nit pick about the exact time that something happens?
Take coffee breaks at the same time each day, even on weekends?
Invite people to meals only if you have checked astrological charts?
Verify that you eat packaged food according to their sell-by dates?
Ensure boxes in cupboards face the same way, arranged by size?
Then you can help me.My life is a mess.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Sienna miller
Reports from the set of Sienna Miller's latest movie are suggesting that the actress has had her pubic hair enhanced by computer graphics! Hippie Hippie Shake is set in the 1960s, and it was thought that Sienna's Brazilian wax wasn't fitting with the era, thus a fake bush has been created for Sienna's nude scenes.
An on-set source said: "The film is set in the swinging '60s when fashion was wild and body hair even wilder. Unfortunately, Brazilians weren't common in the '60s and Sienna's part involved one or two nude scenes - meaning that her grooming habits were on full display. Sienna's private parts were digitally enhanced, giving her a rather unruly, loud and proud bush. All the cast had a good giggle about it and stoical Sienna happily played along."
An on-set source said: "The film is set in the swinging '60s when fashion was wild and body hair even wilder. Unfortunately, Brazilians weren't common in the '60s and Sienna's part involved one or two nude scenes - meaning that her grooming habits were on full display. Sienna's private parts were digitally enhanced, giving her a rather unruly, loud and proud bush. All the cast had a good giggle about it and stoical Sienna happily played along."
Saturday, June 14, 2008
My dad's diary
I would love to write something from my dad's diary..The following are from his diary
The craft of creating pottery on a "potter’s wheel" had always fascinated me. In 1989, I began working at Glen Echo Pottery; I was hooked from the start. I knew that I wanted to create functional pottery and combine it with my love of color. Through trial and error, and much practice, the wonderfully colorful pieces you see here are the results. I have been very fortunate to be able to sell what I make. Making pottery is great fun for me and I never want it to become a job.
I work every day and try to add new pieces to my collection every year. I will return every December to the Washington area to participate in the annual Glen Echo Potters holiday sale. Please browse through the collection and let me know what you think. I greatly value your opinion as many new pieces have resulted from my client’s input.
In March, Mariane Pearl, the widow of the murdered Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, received a phone call from Alberto Gonzales, the Attorney General. At the time, Gonzales’s role in the controversial dismissal of eight United States Attorneys had just been exposed, and the story was becoming a scandal in Washington. Gonzales informed Pearl that the Justice Department was about to announce some good news: a terrorist in U.S. custody—Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Al Qaeda leader who was the primary architect of the September 11th attacks—had confessed to killing her husband. (Pearl was abducted and beheaded five and a half years ago in Pakistan, by unidentified Islamic militants.) The Administration planned to release a transcript in which Mohammed boasted, “I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew Daniel Pearl in the city of Karachi, Pakistan. For those who would like to confirm, there are pictures of me on the Internet holding his head.”Pearl was taken aback. In 2003, she had received a call from Condoleezza Rice, who was then President Bush’s national-security adviser, informing her of the same news. But Rice’s revelation had been secret. Gonzales’s announcement seemed like a publicity stunt. Pearl asked him if he had proof that Mohammed’s confession was truthful; Gonzales claimed to have corroborating evidence but wouldn’t share it. “It’s not enough for officials to call me and say they believe it,” Pearl said. “You need evidence.” (Gonzales did not respond to requests for comment.)
Nice writing na??
The craft of creating pottery on a "potter’s wheel" had always fascinated me. In 1989, I began working at Glen Echo Pottery; I was hooked from the start. I knew that I wanted to create functional pottery and combine it with my love of color. Through trial and error, and much practice, the wonderfully colorful pieces you see here are the results. I have been very fortunate to be able to sell what I make. Making pottery is great fun for me and I never want it to become a job.
I work every day and try to add new pieces to my collection every year. I will return every December to the Washington area to participate in the annual Glen Echo Potters holiday sale. Please browse through the collection and let me know what you think. I greatly value your opinion as many new pieces have resulted from my client’s input.
In March, Mariane Pearl, the widow of the murdered Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, received a phone call from Alberto Gonzales, the Attorney General. At the time, Gonzales’s role in the controversial dismissal of eight United States Attorneys had just been exposed, and the story was becoming a scandal in Washington. Gonzales informed Pearl that the Justice Department was about to announce some good news: a terrorist in U.S. custody—Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Al Qaeda leader who was the primary architect of the September 11th attacks—had confessed to killing her husband. (Pearl was abducted and beheaded five and a half years ago in Pakistan, by unidentified Islamic militants.) The Administration planned to release a transcript in which Mohammed boasted, “I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew Daniel Pearl in the city of Karachi, Pakistan. For those who would like to confirm, there are pictures of me on the Internet holding his head.”Pearl was taken aback. In 2003, she had received a call from Condoleezza Rice, who was then President Bush’s national-security adviser, informing her of the same news. But Rice’s revelation had been secret. Gonzales’s announcement seemed like a publicity stunt. Pearl asked him if he had proof that Mohammed’s confession was truthful; Gonzales claimed to have corroborating evidence but wouldn’t share it. “It’s not enough for officials to call me and say they believe it,” Pearl said. “You need evidence.” (Gonzales did not respond to requests for comment.)
Nice writing na??
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Belgium adventure-Day 2
My favorite, and the one I came here to see was H. Bosch’s Last Judgment. It’s a bit odd because most of it is surreal, with over sized knives and shoes attacking people. I had always thought that it must have been really before its time, but apparently each object he used had some deeper symbol for the people of the time.
I wandered to a church with one of the 3 Michaelangelo statues not in Italy. After that I wandered down the smalled street in Bruges and what used to be the red light district.
I then had about 40 minutes to kill before my tour of the Halve Mann Brewery. There were already people at the bar with beers, but it wasn’t noon yet and I thought it was a bit two early. Instead I grabbed a tea.
The Halve Mann Brewery opened in 1856 and is the last one left in Bruges. The tour was pretty good and the guide was funny. In addition to the malt, hops, water and barley other things are often added to beer. Coriander cuts down on hangovers. Corn flakes adds color and sugars to lagers. I guess I could have had that morning beer after all.
Every beer in Belgium has its own glass and it is always served in that. Trappist beers are served in chalaces because it is like communion. The glasses are shaped for the beer to breathe, just like wine. There are often ridges on the bottom to help keep the beer cold.
The day before I went on this tour American Budweiser was bought by a Belgian company that also owns Stella and Leffe. One would hope that Bud was about to get drinkable. I don’t think this will happen, but perhaps we will get more good beer imported through their extensive channels.
After the beer tour I went and took a picture of a cannon buried in the cement. No one knows why it is there.
Another place that my map suggested was a candy store that was opened in the 50’s and is still run by the same little old lady. When I walked in I could see that it was really more of a small grocery store. The elderly proprietress got up from her chair in her attached house and came to ask me what I wanted. I really didn’t want anything, but I felt bad for making her get up. I got a water. I still feel bad for making her get up for fifty cents.
I then attempted to stop at the oldest bar in town for a late lunch but it was closed. Things have really odd opening days here. Instead I picked up lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Back at the hostel I spent some time with the blog and some credit card confusion. I was really just waiting for the free walking tour to begin.
I decided to give myself the evening off and didn’t take any notes. Although some buildings in Bruges do date back to the middle ages most are 19th century recreations. Several years ago they had a big problem with rats in the canals, so they let an alligator loose and over several weeks he ate them all. Now the alligator is in the zoo and they don’t have any more rats. I don’t know if that is really true or not.
I spent a little bit of time hanging with some people back at this hostel bar, but I was tired and soon I headed up to sleep.
I wandered to a church with one of the 3 Michaelangelo statues not in Italy. After that I wandered down the smalled street in Bruges and what used to be the red light district.
I then had about 40 minutes to kill before my tour of the Halve Mann Brewery. There were already people at the bar with beers, but it wasn’t noon yet and I thought it was a bit two early. Instead I grabbed a tea.
The Halve Mann Brewery opened in 1856 and is the last one left in Bruges. The tour was pretty good and the guide was funny. In addition to the malt, hops, water and barley other things are often added to beer. Coriander cuts down on hangovers. Corn flakes adds color and sugars to lagers. I guess I could have had that morning beer after all.
Every beer in Belgium has its own glass and it is always served in that. Trappist beers are served in chalaces because it is like communion. The glasses are shaped for the beer to breathe, just like wine. There are often ridges on the bottom to help keep the beer cold.
The day before I went on this tour American Budweiser was bought by a Belgian company that also owns Stella and Leffe. One would hope that Bud was about to get drinkable. I don’t think this will happen, but perhaps we will get more good beer imported through their extensive channels.
After the beer tour I went and took a picture of a cannon buried in the cement. No one knows why it is there.
Another place that my map suggested was a candy store that was opened in the 50’s and is still run by the same little old lady. When I walked in I could see that it was really more of a small grocery store. The elderly proprietress got up from her chair in her attached house and came to ask me what I wanted. I really didn’t want anything, but I felt bad for making her get up. I got a water. I still feel bad for making her get up for fifty cents.
I then attempted to stop at the oldest bar in town for a late lunch but it was closed. Things have really odd opening days here. Instead I picked up lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Back at the hostel I spent some time with the blog and some credit card confusion. I was really just waiting for the free walking tour to begin.
I decided to give myself the evening off and didn’t take any notes. Although some buildings in Bruges do date back to the middle ages most are 19th century recreations. Several years ago they had a big problem with rats in the canals, so they let an alligator loose and over several weeks he ate them all. Now the alligator is in the zoo and they don’t have any more rats. I don’t know if that is really true or not.
I spent a little bit of time hanging with some people back at this hostel bar, but I was tired and soon I headed up to sleep.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Trip in Belgium-Day 1
The people here In Belgium are just amazing. They will actually ask which language I would prefer to speak in then then give me half a dozen options. I feel a bit stupid for only being able to pick one of those.
I got up early because, well, I had things to do, old things to see, and beer to drink.
My first stop of the day was the Groeninge Museum. This holds mostly Flemish masters. They also gave me a free audio guide and that always makes me happy. Most of what I saw are referred to as Flemish Primitives. They are considered primitive because of the inaccurate way that the human body is portrayed. The fabrics, furniture and plants would be in perfect detail. However, human anatomy wasn’t really understood and artists were expected to used classical ideas of how the body looked. This didn’t really change until di Vinci came along, and then took some time to filter up to Flanders. A perfect example of this was Gerard David’s 1498 Justice of Cambyses. Cambyses was a corrupt judge who was skinned alive, this is what the painting depicts. The pain on his face looks quite real, but the exposed mussels and veins are not quite right.
There was also a good collection of Jan van Eych’s here. There should be though, he was from here. It is claimed that he invented oil painting but this isn’t quite true. He just mastered it with a skill no one had had before.
I got up early because, well, I had things to do, old things to see, and beer to drink.
My first stop of the day was the Groeninge Museum. This holds mostly Flemish masters. They also gave me a free audio guide and that always makes me happy. Most of what I saw are referred to as Flemish Primitives. They are considered primitive because of the inaccurate way that the human body is portrayed. The fabrics, furniture and plants would be in perfect detail. However, human anatomy wasn’t really understood and artists were expected to used classical ideas of how the body looked. This didn’t really change until di Vinci came along, and then took some time to filter up to Flanders. A perfect example of this was Gerard David’s 1498 Justice of Cambyses. Cambyses was a corrupt judge who was skinned alive, this is what the painting depicts. The pain on his face looks quite real, but the exposed mussels and veins are not quite right.
There was also a good collection of Jan van Eych’s here. There should be though, he was from here. It is claimed that he invented oil painting but this isn’t quite true. He just mastered it with a skill no one had had before.
Monday, June 2, 2008
No topic for my first post
Do you ever have any of those times that no matter how tired you are or how much you want to go home you just can't seem to make it there. Had one of those nights last night where I just couldn't get to bed. Now I was pretty beat, mowed two yards and I'm not as young as I once was when I could do that with ease, so I was just waiting for bedtime. It comes and you'd think I'd crawl into bed and not be heard from until morning but noooooo, I had to pull out the guitar and start messing around with it for the second or third night in a row for way longer than I should have. It was fun don't get me wrong and I've learned a few things but I also could have been stacking up some zzzzz's. I find it funny that when I was younger sleep wasn't that important but as I get older I cherish those moments and times when I get to sleep. Mental note to self, when tired don't start anything just GO TO BED.
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