I recently moved to the takaka valley a short distnace from the killdevil track. I love that trail just the way it is, fantastic challenging technical singletrack. However my conscience was telling me that my twice weekly rides was probably having the most impact of any user and I owed it to the trail to do my bit, as I said I love it the way it is but there were a couple of areas in the first section where the water runs down the track causing erosion and leaving a rut for mtber's to erode further. So I thought I'd take a shovel up and divert the water and fill in the ruts. So I did that on Sunday and decided to leave the shovel up there for future maintainence, foolishly I left it in plain view of the track naively thinking that someone else might put the tool to good use. So i was gutted to ride up there today to find the shovel gone! 3 days later! I don't want to speculate on what sort of user decided that what I was doing was deprimental to the point of being malicious enough to steal/throw the shovel in the bush, BUT IT REALLY SUCKS! I don't give a rats ass about the shovel but why? Fortunately this event has inspired me to continue making a small effort for the good of all users of the Killdevil hikers and bikers alike so I'll take another tool up there but this time I'll hide it. I've never done any trail building/maintainence before so would appreciate any feedback about what I've done, or what I shouldn't do. Those that have riden KD will know how awesome it is to have this facility open, for those that haven't I fully rate it as some of the best technical riding in the South Island Check it out. To whoever took the shovel I hope karma comes and gets you and fall over on your face on a slippery rut! bikeplay07 wrote: I've never done any trail building/maintainence before so would appreciate any feedback about what I've done, or what I shouldn't do. Good on you for making an effort! Couple of things. 1. It is usually good to get permission from the people who are currently in charge of doing maintenance of the track (DOC I suspect) to assist in maintaining the track. If you talk about making it safer and more enjoyable for users they would hopefully give you permission. It may have been the current caretakers of the track that removed your tool. 2. If you have not had trail building/maintenance experience I would suggest getting some trail building training with people who do a lot of trail building. There might even be some people/clubs around your region who are building. Often if you offer to go help build they will teach you all sorts of techniques and methods while you work. Otherwise get your hands on the trail building bible from IMBA. http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_bui ... tions.html Ground Effect often have copies of this, and I am sure that other copies can be found around New Zealand. Awesome! Another enthusiastic track builder/maintainer in the Top o' the South Twice a week up Kill Devil . Jeez, I did it once and it damn near killed me! Mind you, it was in the middle of Summer and all of my water was gone halfway up If the GB guys haven't nabbed you already, come over & join us @ Kaiteriteri on a Sunday morning. Happy to show you the principles of track-building (per IMBA) and share what we're learning about how to save'n'restore our steep downhill tracks. Now I better nip out there and hide all of the tools I've left scattered along our latest track... Dude, I've had a lot to do with DOC in my life and if I approach them for permission to maintain this trail I bet it will become a paper trail the length of the national downhill course before I get to pick up a shovel...Anyway I doubt DOC has touched KD for a few years, anybody know often? Thanks for the info about the IMBA trail building guide, I'll get myself a copy... I have so little time to ride that I struggle with the concept of dedicating time and energy to a trail i might only ride annually, but I FULLY APPREICATE the efforts that those put it into other trails, but the idea of doing the repairs at KD is because of my impact, and hopefully for others to enjoy. Probably one of those Forest and Bird types who think they own/control every bit of bush in NZ... ... ave you tried looking for shovel. most dickheads will throw them further into the bush. Try to estimate how far the average left wing radical could throw a shovel,(its not far, as they usually only write letters to DoC and Newspaper editors) then walk a circle on that radius. But good on you mate ...your doing a good deed, and some dick has poked nose in. bikeplay07 wrote: Anyway I doubt DOC has touched KD for a few years, anybody know often? DOC have recently put considerable effort into restoring the Waingaro Forks hut - and only a few years back restored Riordans hut. I was on Kil Devil April this year and the grass and over hanging gorse/vegetation was freshly whacked back then. I wonder how many spades the old timers wore out when the track was originally built? Yep waingaro forks hut is primo, its great to see the hut maintain its heritage feel. Since posting I've heard that DOC go up there annually with the scrub bar, but never touch dirt. how eroded does it have to become... if i requested permission i would have to get a concession. Don't get me wrong DOC do a great job with my the meager income they get from my taxes . I'm taking another shovel up there tomorrow... Yep I have done the Kildevil quite regularly over the last few years and have never seen any maintenance on the track itself but then it has been there for over a hundered years.the good thing about the Kildevil is that it is so well built that it never really needs maintenance it is just as good everytime I have done it and long may it last. Everytime i ride it i nail something that i didnt the time before ... Its the challenge and gutbusting nature of the uphill and the bonejarring , visionblurring nature of the descent that makes it such a great track , not to mention the scenery. Long may the Kildevil remain the same edalhed wrote: Yep I have done the Kildevil quite regularly over the last few years and have never seen any maintenance on the track itself but then it has been there for over a hundered years.the good thing about the Kildevil is that it is so well built that it never really needs maintenance it is just as good everytime I have done it and long may it last. Everytime i ride it i nail something that i didnt the time before ... Its the challenge and gutbusting nature of the uphill and the bonejarring , visionblurring nature of the descent that makes it such a great track , not to mention the scenery. Long may the Kildevil remain the same Well said... no doubt about it they don't make tracks like that anymore, amazing to think its hand built. The two short sections I amended have definetly improved, I certainly don't want to change the rugged challenge that the KD is.


Matthew Caws of Nada Surf Published on September 18th, 2012 Music lovers the world over will know Nada Surf for their incredible 90?s breakthrough hit 'Popular', but after nearly two decades in the game these legendary New York rockers have proven they're much more than one hit wonders. Now the trio -- along with rock vet Doug Gillard -- have finally returned to Australian shores to celebrate not only the recent release of their seventh full-length record 'The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy', but also their entire back catalogue for the first time ever, and luckily Moshcam will be filming their show at the Annandale Hotel this Thursday . We caught up with frontman Matthew Caws to find out more about the tour, their kick-ass new album and whether Aussie fans can expect to hear 'Popular' during their Down Under tour dates. How is the tour going? It's been good! We are just finishing a little break right now, there has been a lot of touring this year. Everyone [in the band] is spread around -- Daniel [Lorca] is in Spain, Ira [Elliot] is in New York and I'm in England. I've been spending time with my friends, making music and going to see it. It's part of relaxing, It's how I got into this business [laughs]. Nada Surf will be in Australia soon, is the band looking forward to it? Absolutely! It's been a very long time, eight or ten years since we were last there I think.. Yeah, what's with that? I don't know! I guess it's kind of pricey to go there. But I'm not too sure what the reason was, we're just psyched to be coming back! And the fans here are psyched to get to see you perform too. Yeah! There is a difference in playing to fans in places where you hardly ever visit, that would be Australia for us, and Ireland for some reason. So, we feel a different kind of excitement about those places, and maybe part of it is 'we better not mess up because we hardly ever go there' [laughs]. Nada Surf has been going for quite a while now, what do you think is the key to the band's longevity? Well...we're friends, Daniel and I were friends before we were in the band. Also, it comes down to audiences in a way because early on we had some typical record company up-and-down experiences. For one, we had a war of attrition to get our second record back so we could release it ourselves, coupled with having a first single that did really well but didn't really represent the band. But even though that stuff happened early on, it's been fun to play. Honestly. Even during those times it always felt really good and the audience has made it seem like nothing was ever really wrong! There have been a lot of changes in the music industry over the past few years, and a lot of it has to do with technology. Is it more daunting to put out a record nowadays? Well the potential for how it is going to sell has dropped enormously. On the other hand, it's more daunting in the sense that many more people put out records but it's much easier to let your fans know that something has been released. Before, if you didn't get your record into a store, the people following you would never know it had been released. That's certainly not the case anymore. You can be much closer to your audience. So I think for music, all this new technology is great, but when I think about what having all this information at our fingertips is doing to our brains...that's kind of made things a little scary. Watch the video for 'Popular' below How much pressure does the band feel to write another 'Popular'? Well, not really. There is always pressure to have a hit because it does such great things for you. Of course, there was, but that song was such a fluke. I made up most of the words on the spot; I was sort of inspired by a book I was reading from. It was such a weird set up -- I mean, it's a talking song! But I try to write a hit every single time I write a song; it's just not always based on reality [laughs] it's based on 'well, if I lived on another planet and radio was like this, id play this song'. Does the band ever get sick of playing it live? No we're not sick of it at all! We don't play it every night because there are some other songs that we are much more likely to play every night. But I still think it's hilarious and I'm quite proud of it! The new album is called 'The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy', where did the title come from? It's a saying my father used to say to his students to make a point about man's relative insignificance. I think it's an interesting point in these times, there are people trying to deny that climate change exists, and climate change is going to do what it's going to do. Those people don't believe that it's real are not going to be saved by their disbelief. I think we are largely out of touch with nature these days, unfortunately. Nature is clearly important to you, and there is a lot of outdoor imagery on the new album. Is that the reason behind it? Yeah, but there is also a close to home reason for writing about nature. I wanted to try to stop writing about myself as much. One after listening to 'The Weight Is A Gift' and then 'Lucky', a bunch of times I had this moment where I thought 'I only have two songs, I just keep writing them again and again!' [laughs]. So I made an effort this time to take that out of the picture if possible, so that's why nature in particular features heavily on it. But there is lyrics like "this new peace/ I can feel it now" so there is still your own personal touch on this album... Oh yeah! It's only a matter of degrees, its only changed about five per cent. It's what comes naturally. But I think I've opened the windows a little bit! In 'Looking Through' the lyrics read "one more year/ of someone trying to figure it all out".  Is that another personal message, is the band still trying to figure things out? It is personal, but it's more just myself. The band is quite healthy; if we sang about the band it would be the most boring thing ever! [Laughs] Watch the video for 'Waiting For Something' below You made most of your records outside of New York, what made you set up shop in Daniel Lorca's [bassist] loft for this one? We had been going out-of-town for years to avoid distractions, but we found that what we sounded like in band practice didn't sound like we did on or records, and part of it was getting the record ready in one city and going to another to record it kind of... costs you something. You lose some muscle memory. So this time we practiced in his place and then set a drum track to it in the nearest studio. We rolled our amplifiers literally three blocks down the street and tracked it. We didn't have to check in and relearn our arrangements, it came out naturally. We hear the place is referred to as 'The Sitcom'... Yeah! It's called that because I used to live there a while ago, then Ira used to live there with Daniel. And I guess they used to have some pretty legendary parties. Daniel is just a great host and cook, so it starts off with just ten people and then it becomes forty people... yeah he just likes entertaining [laughs]. So can fans in Australia expect a mix of old and new songs when you play here? Yeah, we will probably play slightly more new ones than old ones. But we will make an effort to go back enough to make fans happy. We are a quartet now because we have Doug Gillard now, we were a trio last time we were Down Under. It's a real kick because we sound so much fuller, the band feels so good right now. We're really stoked about getting back there. So will 'Popular' be on the set lists? Probably! We'll see! Nada Surf's brand new album The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy and back catalogue available now through Stop Start/EMI


Projects to reduce carbon emissions and create sustainable communities may seem ambitious for small community organisations. But community groups across the UK are proving that they can make a contribution to sustainable development when they get support. With the transition movement providing inspiration and funds, promoting sustainability and environmental initiatives have become a realistic prospect for small organisations. And a project carried out by the University of St Andrews ffound that local authorities' resources and expertise can help communities deliver their ambitions. The project, led by Rehema White, a lecturer in sustainable development, looked at the barriers preventing communities and councils from working together on sustainability. It also tried to bring both parties together. "Community groups often perceive local authorities as an obstacle to engagement in green activities", says White. "But in reality, community groups and local authorities share many common goals. This project aimed to design a strategy for them to work together more effectively." Participants in the project included North Howe Transition Toun (NHTT) , which at the time was developing plans for a cycle route linking remote communities with nearby transport hubs. Members of the group attended seminars organised by the university which introduced them to Fife council and other local stakeholders. Delegates were encouraged to meet, talk and establish mutually beneficial contacts. White says that staff from the council saw what community groups were doing, including NHTT's plans for the cycle routes, while community members discovered previously unknown council initiatives and areas of expertise. Few people in the community groups realised for example that Fife, with private partners, already collects methane gas from landfill to heat local housing, while the council was not aware that NHTT had received non-council funding to appoint and train local 'energy champions'. Crispin Hayes, director of NHTT, says the seminars were useful in taking the cycle routes project forward. "There were several people at the council who wanted to move forward on these things. There was a fair bit of negotiation with landowners, some of whom were very intransigent. The council's help with that has been very useful." Hayes says that the fact that the council had a maintenance budget was helpful because NHTT only had access to capital funding at the time. "What enabled this project to happen was for the council to take charge of the maintenance in the long term." Another example of a successful partnership between a council and the community is in north London where a tiny organisation in Muswell Hill teamed up with Haringey council on a 250,000 carbon reduction project. The council worked with Muswell Hill sustainability group (MHSG) on the bid to the mayor of London's low carbon zone fund. The bid built upon the vision of local people to make Muswell Hill a sustainable community and the broader ambition of the council to achieve a 40% CO2 reduction across the whole borough by 2020. The low carbon zone project, which covered more than 800 homes, was used by the council as a pilot to test how best to engage communities on this agenda. The project originated from the community, who had approached the council with the idea of bidding for the funding. A steering group was set up once the fund was awarded to oversee the project, coordinated by a council officer and made up of members of the Muswell Hill sustainability group, the social enterprise EN10ergy, resident and community volunteer representatives and traders' associations. By the end of the project, 650 doorstep conversations were held and 450 households went on to have a free home energy audit and installed a number of energy saving measures such as light bulbs and chimney balloons. Another 200 residents went on to install larger measures ranging from draught proofing, loft and cavity wall insulation and replacement boilers. Community owned solar panels were installed on the roof of the local Marks and Spencer store and on a local church. The feed-in tariff money received from the panels and sale of shares to local people provided an on-going source of finance for sustainability initiatives, including low cost loans for carbon reduction measures. Peter Thompson, a member of MHSG, says the council played a key role in working with the business community, providing meeting space and launching the low carbon loans. However, he says that it is important for community organisations to retain control in the areas of publicity and communications, rather than allowing the council to puts its stamp upon promotional material. Thompson says he was impressed with the calibre of the council employees he worked with. "Where we were disappointed is that everything needed, like loan, had to go to legal, finance and it just takes so long." Thompson's frustrations, seemingly common complaints about large public sector organisations, are shared by Crispin Hayes. But he says that these problems can be reduced by finding the right people in the council. NHTT did this through the University of St Andrews seminars and by following their own leads. "The key thing with working with the local authority is identifying a person that will get on and champion your project. They have resources and abilities that complement your group's." Thompson says that the low carbon zone project has taken his organisation from being a little group "making nettle soup" to delivering a big budget project. He advises other groups that it is essential to have a partnership with the council on a project of this scale. "They can do things that you as a little group can't."


Search i not sure what the purple 1 is it`s one of those that you buy on mothers day and just put it in the garden a ptio rose i ththink . the yellow one is called Golden Wedding and the pink one is Joie de Vivre it was rose of the year 2011. Read more.. just thought i would share a few photos of my garden . it was finished in 2008 and is maturing quiet well ,done a few changes here and there over the years . hope you like and thanks for looking .roll on summer http://s1183.photobucket.com/albums/x475\\... Read more.. Hi all this year i have decided to grow a few roses and had great success with then . My question is i am unsure as to what to do with them this winter ie pruning them back and where abouts to prune them any advice would be greatly appreciated ..........many thanks Read more.. i everyone i have some delphiniums in my borders which are in the wrong place ,and i would like to move them to the back of the border . my question is when would be the best time to move them , they have the last remaining flower heads still on them do i wait till they drop or sacrifice the flowers and move them now.......thanks in advance Read more..


The much discussed decision of the English Court of Appeal in Three Rivers District Council v Bank of England [2003] EWCA Civ 474 led to a risk that not all employees of a company or organisation will be considered part of the "client" for the purposes of legal advice privilege. There is however little subsequent guidance in the English case law as to whether, and if so when, such a narrow interpretation of "client" might be applied in other cases. It is therefore noteworthy that the Hong Kong Court of First Instance has applied the decision to restrict the "client", on the facts of the case before it, to the group legal department (comprising two in-house lawyers) and the Board of Directors of the relevant organisation: CITIC Pacific Limited v Secretary for Justice and anor (unrep, 19/12/2011, HCMP767/2010). Background In Three Rivers the court took a restrictive view of who from within a client organisation constitutes the "client" for the purposes of assessing the application of legal advice privilege, which protects from disclosure lawyer/client communications for the purposes of giving or obtaining legal advice. The court held that, on the rather peculiar facts of that case, the "client" did not encompass all employees of the Bank of England but was limited to a particular group of three individuals (the Bingham Inquiry Unit) who were given specific responsibility for coordinating communications with the Bank's external lawyers. So far as we are aware, however, there has been no subsequent case in which the English court has taken such a narrow view of the "client" for the purposes of privilege. Further, the Court of Appeal's decision was given less than an enthusiastic reception by the House of Lords in a later judgment on a different point in the Three Rivers case  (see [2004] UKHL 48 ); although their Lordships declined to express an opinion on the issue, as it did not arise for consideration in the appeal, Lord Carswell stated that he was "not to be taken to have approved of the decision" and reserved his position on its correctness. There had therefore been some speculation that the Court of Appeal's decision on the "client" point might be limited to its own particular facts. Judgment In CITIC , the Hong Kong court took the view that the group legal department was the "client" of the external legal advisers on the basis that it "comprised the persons, or was the entity, delegated, either expressly or by implication, to instruct/communicate with the plaintiff's legal advisers". The remaining employees of CITIC therefore fell to be regarded as "third parties" for the purposes of privilege, so that communications with or by such employees would not be privileged, even if intended for submission to the legal advisers and/or prepared at the request of the plaintiff or the legal advisers. The court accepted, however, that members of the Board of Directors of CITIC were not to be regarded as "third parties" for these purposes, as it was clear that the group legal department acted under the direction of the Board. Appeal pending We understand that the court's decision has been appealed, and that judgment on the appeal is awaited. Although this decision is not binding before the English courts (and nor will any decision of the appeal court),  it will nonetheless be of concern to commercial clients in perpetuating the uncertainty caused by the Three Rivers decision for commercial organisations which can only act through their employees and, potentially, increasing the risk that a restrictive view of the "client" will be applied in future cases. The articles published on this website, current at the dates of publication set out above, are for reference purposes only. They do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Specific legal advice about your specific circumstances should always be sought separately before taking any action. Herbert Smith Freehills LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.


Despite the growing importance of young, entrepreneurial ventures in modern economic systems, many such ventures fail quite early in their lifecycles. While both evolutionary theory and organizational learning theory yield important insights for the literature on young venture survival, questions remain as to why ventures facing similar environments experience differential rates of survival. In response, I propose a theory of entrepreneurial agency – defined as the emergence and/or transformation of firms, markets, industries governed by the evolving interaction of temporally situated, intentional strategic action with a malleable external environment – to complement prevailing viewpoints on the causes of young venture survival. My central thesis in this chapter is that to develop more comprehensive explanations of differential survival rates, a theory of entrepreneurial agency – illuminating the transformative potential of entrepreneurial action – is necessary to complement evolutionary perspectives in the literature on firm survival. With this objective in mind, I construct a theoretical model linking diverse perspectives on the duality of human agency and theories of environmental selection, and offer several theoretical and empirical suggestions to guide future research.


Monday, November 12, 2012 What's on the table... Thanksgiving Edition Okay, so obviously... if you are regular follower of our blog, you shouldn't be surprised that a Turkey won't be a part of our table this or any year. We do do the standard Tofurky roast , but we're not fans of their stuffing or gravy. I do have two standard stuffings/dressings that I usually make. One is a Roasted Chestnut Stuffing (that I love, but isn't a fave of the rest of the family) and an Apple Pecan Stuffing, which I'll be making for this years feast. I adore a good mushroom gravy and that will be a part of our table again this year, as well. A potato dish is usually a given, and something with yams, as that is a favorite of my Mums. This year we are going with an apple pie and pumpkin cookies (instead of the ritual pumpkin pie). 4 comments: I'm still trying to figure that out. A few years ago I made Tacos and haven't lived it down since, but everybody liked them. lol Those pumpkin chocolate chip cookies look really good so I am going to try your recipe. The pictures aren't mine (didn't have any of mine, but I'll take some this year and share), but the recipe's are. LOL! And everyone absolutely raves about the pumpkin cookies, so I definitely recommend them for your table (or any ole' time). :) Hmmm.... taco's for Thanksgiving?! Actually, I may try that next year. Sounds yummy to me! But then, I'm not dead set on "tradition" either. ;)


Autumn / Fall around the house .... and church To be honest, here in Ireland there is now a whole lot of seasonal decorating beyond Christmas . I am probably the exception to the rule, as I have embraced Valentines Decor, Spring/Easter Decor , Beach/summer decor and of course Fall/Autumn decor. Consequently, available and affordable seasonal products (beyond Christmas) are not readily available in local shops, if you are going beyond Halloween fake spiders and cobwebs. This year I wanted to add a new item of autumn home decor, and found this twiggy pumpkin on ebay. So, to date,here it the total sum of my autumn decor so far ....... ta da.......! and another view ..... of it sitting on our hearth. In the coming weeks I will no doubt add a bowl of autumnal crispy leaves, pine cones and conkers. However, our church ( Seymour Street Methodist, Lisburn )  has a traditional Harvest Service and Harvest Supper at this time of the year, and the church is beautifully decorated This post then seems the perfect opportunity to share the creative talents of my friend, Heather, and her talented team. The overall theme of the displays was thankfulness for God's creation and being good stewards of what we have been given. Each window had it's own mini display, with an appropriate verse, and often some thought provoking statistic about how we waste the earth's resources. Join me on a tour of Seymour Street Methodist, Lisburn. This was the dairy themed window The display included a traditional hand-churn, which some of the older ladies told me they used to make butter and cream many years ago. There was one window display which included a knitted tea cosy, and a dainty cake stand. There was a more contemporary display of breads and grain, with "WASTE" spelled out in toast! The combination of the natural beauty and colours, and the old stain glass windows and pews make a beautiful contrast. In case you are wondering - these photos were taken about an hour before the morning service. An hour later the church was packed, with extra seats needed in the aisles. I will leave you with the display at the front of the church, and our Harvest banner In case you are wondering about the what happens to all the fruit, vegetables, flowers and other produce, after the Harvest celebration they are distributed to the elderly, sick and families in need in our local community. Do you decorate your home, or church, at this time of year? I would love to know, so please share in the comments below. 2 comments: I think that pumpkin is sweet - there are some fantastic displays at the farms in our area, I've not even had time to photograph them this year, and as my husband who does not "get it" - he reminds me I've photographed the same scenes every year for the past five to ten... but to me my interest is renewed each year and I find myself wanting to "hold on to it" all the more via photos.


Out On The Road Lyrics I never wanted to be taken But now I'm feeling so left out So I don't care where I go I'm leaving Yeah, I'm leaving Got about a half a tank left That could do but only if I'm lucky But either way I'm leaving Oh, I'm leaving On my way to paradise A little voice says, "Don't think twice And don't look back if you want things to change" Ah, ah Guess I'll have to love you from afar, ah It's okay, 'cause all I need's my car Out on the road, out on the road Out on the road, out on the road I go [ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/n/norah+jones\\... ] Out on the road, out on the road Out on the road, out on the road Takes about a week to get there Maybe two if I stop to sleep it off But I can't sleep So I'm leaving Yeah, I'm leaving Keep on driving through the night I find myself a slice of life To show me that I'm heading the right way And ah, ah Guess you'll have to love me from afar, ah It's okay, 'cause all I need's this car Out on the road, out on the road Out on the road, out on the road I go Out on the road, out on the road Out on the road, out on the road I go


Age of Reason, Part First, Section 1 IT has been my intention, for several years past, to publish my thoughts upon religion. I am well aware of the difficulties that attend the subject, and from that consideration, had reserved it to a more advanced period of life. I intended it to be the last offering I should make to my fellow-citizens of all nations, and that at a time when the purity of the motive that induced me to it, could not admit of a question, even by those who might disapprove the work. The circumstance that has now taken place in France of the total abolition of the whole national order of priesthood, and of everything appertaining to compulsive systems of religion, and compulsive articles of faith, has not only precipitated my intention, but rendered a work of this kind exceedingly necessary, lest in the general wreck of superstition, of false systems of government, and false theology, we lose sight of morality, of humanity, and of the theology that is true. As several of my colleagues and others of my fellow-citizens of France have given me the example of making their voluntary and individual profession of faith, I also will make mine; and I do this with all that sincerity and frankness with which the mind of man communicates with itself. I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy. But, lest it should be supposed that I believe in many other things in addition to these, I shall, in the progress of this work, declare the things I do not believe, and my reasons for not believing them. I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church. All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit. I do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as I have to mine. But it is necessary to the happiness of man, that he be mentally faithful to himself. Infidelity does not consist in believing, or in disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe. It is impossible to calculate the moral mischief, if I may so express it, that mental lying has produced in society. When a man has so far corrupted and prostituted the chastity of his mind, as to subscribe his professional belief to things he does not believe, he has prepared himself for the commission of every other crime. He takes up the trade of a priest for the sake of gain, and in order to qualify himself for that trade, he begins with a perjury. Can we conceive any thing more destructive to morality than this? Soon after I had published the pamphlet Common Sense, in America, I saw the exceeding probability that a revolution in the system of government would be followed by a revolution in the system of religion. The adulterous connection of church and state, wherever it had taken place, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, had so effectually prohibited by pains and penalties, every discussion upon established creeds, and upon first principles of religion, that until the system of government should be changed, those subjects could not be brought fairly and openly before the world; but that whenever this should be done, a revolution in the system of religion would follow. Human inventions and priestcraft would be detected; and man would return to the pure, unmixed and unadulterated belief of one God, and no more. Every national church or religion has established itself by pretending some special mission from God, communicated to certain individuals. The Jews have their Moses; the Christians their Jesus Christ, their apostles and saints; and the Turks their Mahomet, as if the way to God was not open to every man alike. Each of those churches show certain books, which they call revelation, or the word of God. The Jews say, that their word of God was given by God to Moses, face to face; the Christians say, that their word of God came by divine inspiration: and the Turks say, that their word of God (the Koran) was brought by an angel from Heaven. Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all. As it is necessary to affix right ideas to words, I will, before I proceed further into the subject, offer some other observations on the word revelation. Revelation, when applied to religion, means something communicated immediately from God to man. No one will deny or dispute the power of the Almighty to make such a communication, if he pleases. But admitting, for the sake of a case, that something has been revealed to a certain person, and not revealed to any other person, it is revelation to that person only. When he tells it to a second person, a second to a third, a third to a fourth, and so on, it ceases to be a revelation to all those persons. It is revelation to the first person only, and hearsay to every other, and consequently they are not obliged to believe it. It is a contradiction in terms and ideas, to call anything a revelation that comes to us at second-hand, either verbally or in writing. Revelation is necessarily limited to the first communication ? after this, it is only an account of something which that person says was a revelation made to him; and though he may find himself obliged to believe it, it cannot be incumbent on me to believe it in the same manner; for it was not a revelation made to me, and I have only his word for it that it was made to him. When Moses told the children of Israel that he received the two tables of the commandments from the hands of God, they were not obliged to believe him, because they had no other authority for it than his telling them so; and I have no other authority for it than some historian telling me so. The commandments carry no internal evidence of divinity with them; they contain some good moral precepts, such as any man qualified to be a lawgiver, or a legislator, could produce himself, without having recourse to supernatural intervention. [FOOTNOTE 1]


Saturday, November 03, 2012 Every time I check my blog, I am shocked that so much time has passed since my last post.  I spend so much time Pinning, Instagramming and Tweeting that I forget the reason I started all of those social media accounts: this silly old blog!  And even beyond that, I forget the whole reason I started this blog: I love writing, I love to capture memories in words and pictures, and I love feeling like I have a place that is purely my voice. So, what do I feel like saying? I got accepted into Chico State, and I will finally be attending there in January.  I am so excited, and truthfully, very nervous.  I'm ready and excited to be taking upper division art classes, but I am also anxious about having to produce so much art. I have been painting and drawing a lot more than I did over the summer, and I'm trying to get back in the groove and keep my skills sharp. I'm taking my last math class ever (statistics), two art history classes and step aerobics, and because it is the middle of the semester, I'm feeling overwhelmed.  That's just the way it goes as a college student.  There are times where you have little to do and it feels so easy, and then suddenly everything is due or there are a million tests to study for.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to go to school (like really, really thankful) but I will be so ready to be done in two years or so. Sometimes I feel crazy for doing this to myself and my family.  And sometimes I feel like it would be crazy not to.  I think of the picture I'll have of me, in my cap and gown, with Mark, and Maggie and Liam surrounding me, and all it symbolizes, and dammit, I want that picture.  I want my kids to remember how hard I worked, and that I expect them to work just as hard.  I know it will be worth it.  And I just keep saying that to myself, over and over. Friday, October 12, 2012 Halloween is coming up quickly, and I have had a lot of fun celebrating the season in different ways. One way? Making over one of our family portraits into a Monster family portrait! Let's just say that I absolutely love it!  I plan to print it out, frame it and bring it out every October! This year, I am going to add some text and use it as a digital greeting card on Facebook and such. I started with the original photograph, taken by Amy Brown of Amy Brown Photography , at my thirtieth birthday party in June.  Then, I went to my favorite free photo editing site, Pic Monkey .  I use Photoshop and Lightroom occasionally, but, to be honest, I have moved to using Pic Monkey for most of my photo editing.  I also use Pic Monkey to make all of my banners and buttons for my blog, as well as making signs or subway art. Right now, Pic Monkey has a completely new, and absolutely beautiful, set of editing tools geared towards Halloween.  They have options for vampires, ghosts, zombies, etc., as well as textures and images to add.  I spent about an hour and a half messing around and trying out everything and in the end, I ended up with this! How did the kids feel when they saw this picture?  Well...there were mixed reviews.  Liam absolutely loved all of it, but Maggie was disturbed by Mark's zombie-ness and she said," I'm a....goat."  I had to correct her and say," No, you're an awesome monster girl with horns and super powers!" and then she was on board. So, try it!  If you any questions, or maybe even want me to monsterize a  photo of yours, let me know. Have fun! Wednesday, October 10, 2012 I recently came up with this simple recipe when I was craving peanut butter and chocolate. These peanut butter brownies are incredibly easy and are pretty enough to serve at any party.  Here's how to make these yummy, easy treats! Well, my version is the busy version and I started with a boxed brownie mix.  I made the brownies according to the directions and put them in an 11 x 7 inch pan, which made them thin, but not too thin. Next, I placed about 1/2 a cup of peanut in a microwave safe bowl and softened it by heating it on high for approximately 15 seconds.  I have also skipped the microwave part, and it still worked fine, but the peanut butter was harder to squeeze out of the bag.  Which brings me to the next step: Put the peanut butter in a ziploc and cut off a small portion of one of the lower corners.  Work the peanut down into the that corner.  Now you are ready to introduce peanut butter to brownie. Squeeze out four to five horizontal lines of peanut butter. If you have extra leftover, like I did, just go back and add it to the lines. Now, comes the trick to make these brownies pretty. Drag a butter knife from top to bottom, going through all the lines. Move across the pan, dragging your knife vertically through the lines and (this is important!) alternating whether you start at the bottom or top of the pan.  I keep a paper towel handy to wipe my knife after every pass, it makes it easier to do and is a little cleaner looking. When you're all finished, the brownies will look like this.  They are a little messier than after they have cooked, as the peanut butter flattens out.  The good thing is that you don't lose the pattern as they cook, as the peanut butter doesn't spread very much.  Bake them according to your normal brownie recipe, mine took about 30 minutes to cook. Here's the beautiful finished product.  And trust me, they are even yummier than they look. This is such an easy way to upgrade boxed brownies, and everyone who has tried them loved them! Tuesday, October 09, 2012 Last weekend, I went to Ashland, Oregon with my husband and my brother for a night.  my brother is also in college right now, and his class was going to visit the Shakespeare Festival. We saw a Shakespearean play, Henry V, in an outdoor theater that is designed to look a bit like the Globe Theater and it was a wonderful getaway. I wore this outfit that night- out to dinner,the play,and then drinks. Sorry about the picture quality, I always rush through pictures taken in public! My cardigan, suede booties and grey tights are from Target.  My dress is Forever 21 Plus, and I bought the mustard infinity scarf on Ebay. I wore this next outfit grocery shopping with the kids.  Everything is from Target, except for the skinny jeans (Forever 21 Plus) and my hat, which I also bought off of Ebay! Thanks for checking out what I wore.  I am LOVING the cooler weather in my neck of the woods and I can't wait to share more fall outfits with you all!


What I did not include in yesterdays thread actually out of sheer embarrassment was the fact that the jerk that I was seeing for a month and then he just suddenly stopped talking to me is a recovering alcoholic, lost his license for I dont know how long, is on unemployment, and is losing his house! I realize that in my profile it states that I am a social worker and am not looking for another CLIENT, I felt that since he was trying to correct the situation (he goes to AA meetings at least 3 times a week though I know they are mandated) he deserved some consideration in that he is human and at least is trying to make good on past mistakes. The more I read this however the more I see that he just did me a favor. Wow, I think the guy gave you a red flag. Once I stumbled upon an AA meeting during Christmas time on year looking for a alonon meeting, and I tell you I never wanted to go out and have a drink so badly. Tell him your a social worker and that you don't need a client. No job, no income, losing his house - a boozer, boozer loser! Yeah he's too much of a (social) - worker, maybe he did something to a client and that's why he's jobless? Tell me about it...beauty n brains isnt so smart in the LOVE department! That why she sometimes has to come check herself in here! Thanks folks! 9/3/2012 6:17:53 AM In addition to "can you help me understand this?" 2muchfreetime Rochester, MN 53, joined Aug. 2012 Being inclined to help and understand and enable is a risk that comes from two things: you believe the world should be a compassionate place where people deserve chances, and, for some reason you need to trade for acceptance with people worse than yourself.


Share Article You can't get rid of this beauty problem but Zoe can help you hide it. Zoe, how do I get rid of my big pores? No matter what I do, they seem to look huge after a few hours after applying my makeup! Karen Karen, first, let me reveal a terrible truth: you cannot get rid of your big pores, or change their size. What you CAN do, though, is ride bikes and eat ice cream, so it all evens out. Sorry, that was a truly pore response. I can do better. (Zzzzing!) Karen, while you can't change your pore size (it's genetic) or stop them producing more oil than necessary, or creating pimples or blackheads, you can certainly minimise their appearance and sheen, by using a skilful artillery of pore-minimising products, designed by clever people who understand that while bigger, oilier pores generally mean your skin will age slower and wrinkle less (WIN!), it's frustrating having them glaring out from your skin every day (um, lose...) Skin care: -       Cleanse. Properly. The key to keeping pores in check is making sure they're clean. The dirtier they are, the more visible they are. Use something gentle, so as to thoroughly clean but not to overstimulate -       Exfoliate at least 2-3 times a week. Too much can aggravate the pores and make them produce more oil. Cute ! Something with light amounts of AHAs or salicylic acid is good, (although can be drying -- see what suits your skin best), or a gentle cleanser/scrub combo might be the way to go. Olay's Deep Cleansing Pore Minimising Cle anser and Scrub at night is a good option. -       After cleansing, TONE. Definitely tone. So important. This "closes" the pore and tightens it without drying it out (and if it is drying it out, switch products). Lancme Pure Focus is popular, as is Biore's Triple Action Toner. -       Use a serum that is tailored to the business of pores (remember: always choose a serum that targets whatever your biggest and most pressing skin concern is... or you can layer a couple) -- Clinique does a great one in their Pore Refining range -       Masks that draw out impurities (things like sunscreen, makeup and grime can clog pores and make them more visible) should be a weekly routine -- something like the St Ives Mineral Clay Mask or the much lauded SkinCeuticals Clarifying Clay Mask is perfect. Clay is the way, in other words . Clay is the way. -       Use a foundation that is mattifying (or even pore-minimising, as some are touted.) Something that will adequately conceal the appearance of larger pores and keep oil under control is best. Revlon Colorstay and Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse are great, and the bareminerals matte powder is ideal to finish/set with. -       Keep blotting papers on hand (or a powder compact of mineral powder, something lightweight like) to touch up throughout the day. I know that sounds like a lot of work, Karen, but that's only because it is. If it's too daunting, then at least do the exfoliating, the toning and use the primer. ....I now open the floor to anyone with similar skin who has some great solutions! Comments Comment Guidelines : Imagine you're at a dinner party. Different opinions are welcome but keep it respectful or the host will show you the door. We have zero tolerance for any abuse of our writers, our editorial team or other commenters. So if you're rude, mean-spirited, snarky, aggressive, defamatory or bitchy, your comment will be deleted (so will any replies to the original comment -- so don't bother arguing with rude people, instead just hit the 'alert moderator' button). And if you're offensive, you'll be blacklisted and all your comments will go directly to spam. Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're going to be -- cool. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation... Save your money for things that actually work! Best thing to reduce the size and minimize the appearance of large pores is retinol! It's the only thing that works really. Either strong ones on prescription or over the counter creams like Eau Thermal Avene's Ystheal + that actually have enough active ingredient to work. Ok, had those vertical lines between the brows done 48hrs ago for the first time. Result = gone! Ah-mazing!! Still enough mobility to look natural, but lines disappeared. I'm sold. FYI -- I'm 40 with pretty good skin and lines that were treated where light -- moderate in severity. I had massive horrible pimples around my chin when I went for an eyebrow wax on Wednesday. I bought two Ella Bache products -- an exfoliant and a deep cleanser -- and the next day my pimples were way way less angry and red and very reduced and much more able to be covered up with make up. It was really noticeably better, and knowing my pimple timeline they weren't ready to reduce without assistance. Also love Ella Bache Great Tan, got a number of compliments yesterday with my tan. I am a big fan of Ella Bache! I also suffer from dark under eye circles, and after reading this article I use both of these products -- amazing. my last YSL Touche Eclat pen last 18 months, so while it may seem a big investment, it is well worth it! I was flicking thru The new issue of Cosmetic Surgery Australia and there is a new laser treatment called Spectra. It had before and after pictures of a nose full of blackheads and large pores ,the after picture after 3 treatments flawless. This is not an advertisement just an observation. I was amazed I have had horrendous enlarged pores for the past five years...I have had two sessions of Variable Pulsed Light treatment from my beauty therapist for sun damage/broken veins on my face and the huuuuuuge additional benefit has been that it is eliminating the massive open pores-result!!! My skin also feels a little bit more toned and less saggy in the areas that I've had done. I'd definitely recommend this for anyone with large 'open' pores...now I can apply foundation without it all gathering in my pores and I love it. If you had large pores you would notice because they are noticeable when large. For me it was an age thing. I never noticed my pores until recently (I'm 35) and they are definitely larger in some places than others. Hope that helps I had big pores ever since the onset of puberty! Nothing seemed to reduce them. Now I am 47 and heading towards menopause and they've disappeared. I now have blemish free, poreless skin for the first time ever! Alas I also have the wrinkles that come with age and skin that is less elastic than it was in the days of large pores. Oh well, guess you can't have it all! My pores are heaps smaller by doing the following: clean my face with water in the shower, rubbing 4 drops of Rosehip oil into my skin after shower, then finishing with a liberal dose of moisturiser. I was adding a wipe with toner inbetween wash and rosehip, but it made me break out, so I've dropped that step altogether. I have oily/combination skin and was under the assumption that the rosehip oil and moisturiser combo would exacerbate the problem, but it's been amazing. I've seen a massive improvement in my enlarged pores, but I'm guessing from reading all the posts that what works for one person doesn't necessarily for the rest. My pores fall on the larger side, and I have found the number one, cheapest and most effective way to minimize them is to be hydrated from the inside out. If I've had too many coffees and not enough water it is dotted all over my face There's a reason all those famous beautiful people swear by 8 glasses of water a day, it can't make me look like them but it can help me look my best. I find oil cleansing the best thing for enlarged pores. It cleans them out more effectively, making them appear less visible. Some sort of chemical exfoliant is good too. I tend to avoid scrubs because I'm so prone to redness and rosacea. I actually find the rosacea treatment I use (Finacea from the chemist) is good for pores because of the Azelaic acid in it. That or Glycolic acid is great for clearing the pores. It won't change the size but it makes them look less like moon craters. Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer is excellent under foundation for a smooth base but I find it breaks me out a little with regular use. I save it for special occasions. A good powder can actually hide pores a bit. I notice my Kanebo Sensai Loose Translucent powder is excellent for diffusing minor flaws. I have a question completely off topic. I have pretty bad fore head lines. I have tried all different products to help. I am not really comfortable with botox and have heard of some kind of laser you can get. Does this work? Don't be scared of the Botox, it's honestly the best thing for forehead lines. I would advise you to have a couple of peels and maybe some IPL for collagen boosting before having a few Botox injections. Problem solved. I have oily skin and enlarged pores and my ENTIRE WORLD changed a few weeks ago when my sister introducted me to Benefit's POREfessional. It's like spack filler for your face....yet light as a feather, soft as silk and doesn't clog the aforementioned crater sized pores. Beyond amazing. Get out amongst it people! I use the Napoleon Pore Minimiser & Mattifyer. (sp???). I bought it the first time for my wedding in 2006, and have used it ever since for when I know I'll be out all day and dont want to look like I've fallen in the deep-fat fryer. Not cheap, but works well for my oily skin. Ha! Love the deep-fat-fryer call! I recently went on a long haul flight to NYC and holy hell, you should have seen me by the time I arrived. Like an oil slick had morphed into the place my head should have been. NIGHTMARE. I read online a few years ago about using 'milk of magnesia' as a primer....after some quicking searching on the ol' googly-web i discovered that the ausiie equivalent is Mylanta. Yep....that white stuff that people use to stop the burpies and burnies in their chests. Being the scpetic that i am i had a friend who works at the World Health Organisation run the ingredients to see if any were dangerous and it all checked out fine so i gave it a whurl.....used it as a primer for 2 weeks. HOLY MOLY i was amazed. pores? refined. oil? controlled. make up? STAYED IN PLACE ALL DAY. It's a little drying for my skin so i only use it for special occassion or 'all day' make up required days. it's $5, it's available everywhere and it will change your world.....or at least...your pores. I tell anyone and everyone who will listen to me. I was wondering if anyone could help me out. I'm 26 and always tend to have an oily sheen on my forehead but a dry chin. I had a facial a while back and the beauty therapist said the oil was there because my skin is dehydrated. Anyway I was just wondering if anyone could recommend a good moisturiser/sunscreen combo? When your skin is dehydrated you want something with high amounts of hyaluronic acid in it -- as your skin needs more water, not oil. I highly recommend something like the Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Serum (Skinceuticals do a similar one) which you can purchase from online stores such as adorebeauty.com.au . I have a similar skin type to you -- and find that a serum like that, followed up with a good oil free sunscreen -- my personal fave is the Kit 30+ Face Sunscreen (also has hyaluronic acid in it) -- works really well under makeup (oil free foundation). Hope this helps! I have changed to Jurlique sensitive products -- *no more redness * no more oily oily oily t zone * no more shine during the day * no more blackheads * my skin is so so smooth and make up looks great. Sometimes you just have to be gentle. Like kanga123 I don't exfoliate anymore, I do have the Jurlique daily exfoliating cream but I rarely use it anymore -used to use it one it twice a week when I first switched but now, only when I feel extra dirty, and it's really just a soft mushy oatmeal type cream. I don't use anything harsh anymore -- best thing I ever did was change to Jurlique and go sensitive and gentle. I am almost finished with my laser hair removal (full legs, buttocks -which was fine and blonde but the legs did part of my buttocks so I wanted it even, full Brazilian, peri-anal, full arm, underarm, face -- gets rid of the blonde hair too) -- I sooooo love not shaving ( I now was my hair once a week-all it needs and with no epilation required I get an extra 20 mins sleep in!!), and once that's done I will be investing in a series of gentle laser treatments. The laser tightens, tones, and removes deep and surface pigmentation ( its shown that its pigmentation that's ages us not wrinkles). I think it depends on what problem you are trying to fix -- although I agree with your overall sentiment. I used to use harsh OTC products and my skin was often a bit red, sensitive etc. I switched to Jurlique and whilst it certainly calmed things down, it didnt really fix any problems either. Now I use a basic QV or cetaphil moisturiser/sunscreen in the morning and a retinal/vitamin C combo at night and my skin glows. I'm also having a series of peels done (professionally) to treat me last remaining issue, pigmentation. Once its all done, I think I'll be able to get away with just a tinted moisturiser rather than foundation, because my skin tone will be naturally even! =) Oh and laser hair removal is awesome. I havent shaved my legs in almost a year! Can't speak for anyone else but I'm having my bikini lasered and it is $99 per treatment, and is meant to take between 5-8 treatments to get rid of most of the hair. I'm up to treatment 4 I think and the results are pretty good. There are various specials if you do more than one area/pay up front, etc. airfree which has various salons around has a great special on atm till 4th sept, I just booked 6 brazilian +underarms for $59 each, or you can just try one @ $69 to see if you can handle it and then get the rest at the package price. I apologise in advance since this question is completely off-topic! But does anyone have any recommendations for a mascara for sensitive eyes, preferably from a brand that doesn't test on animals, and won't flake off (it's for a long wedding day). I've heard that 'tubing' mascara is supposed to be good? Thanks in advance, from your hopeless-at-all-things-make-up-anxious-a\\... Have you considered, if it is specifically for a long wedding day, having eyelash extensions or false eyelashes? I'm guessing from your request about sensitive that this may be a no go zone but I get eyelash extensions and I LOVE them. $80 for a full set, $40 for refills every 3 weeks. But no mascara purchase, no eye makeup remover purchase and it looks amaze even when I roll out of bed looking like holy hell. Tubey mascara is wonderful! I have a sample of Clinique's bottom lash mascara (hehe bottom lashes...) and the staying power is wonderful, and it doesn't flake at all. I'm not sure about sensitivity or their animal testing policies though. Tubing mascara is all this dame will use. Normal mascara is such a pain in the arse to remove; I can't go back now. I oscillate between Clinique Lash Power, Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined and MAC Opulash (for more volume.) I use a BB cream as my foundation most days. Do you still recommend a primer underneath? Or will a primer make the BB cream slip off? I have a lovely Becca primer (pore minimizing and mattifying), which I use under foundation when I go out at night. Also, I've managed to get my adult acne well and truly under control with a topical (prescription only) cream, but I still have blackheads (especially on my nose) clogging up my pores. Any suggestions on how I can control/get rid of them. When I squeeze them, I just create a flaky mess on my face, as my skin is so delicate. would a primer not defeat the purpose of the BB cream? BB cream is like a treatment moisturiser + foundation -- the moisturiser/treatment side would need to penetrate the skin, whilst a primer provides a barrier to stop that, and allow the foundation sit evenly on the skin? ersonally, I'd drop the primer, when you're wanting the treatment aspect of the BB cream to work -- maybe use it only when you're specifically applying the BB as a foundation instead? Avon's Mattifying Skin Perfector -- is great if your going with full makeup. For everyday I use Estee Lauder Skin Refining Pore Minimiser under my moisturiser and then just a dusting of powder. (Although I have it on good Authority that the Clinque version is the same and cheaper -- so I'm going with that next time) I have a question. The beauty therapist that did my eye lashes recently said that there is no point using any skin care products sold mainstream because they only have 2% active ingredients, and are bad for your skin. She said that it's only the products that beauty therapists prescribe (which have over 2% active ingredients) that will do anything for your skin. I'm pretty sure she's just trying to sell me expensive products, but does any one know if this is true? She said that the reason you get redness on your face is because your skin gets 'stripped' from bad products, and only oil based cleansers (that are prescribed) will help... I've been told something similar regarding skin care products and I was advised that I should be using stuff like Dermalogica, MD Formulations etc and not the mainstream stuff. I know Zoe is a super busy lady, but if she has time it would be great to know if this info is correct or if the mainstream products are just as good? I think her statement is far too generalised -- but there is some basis of truth in there. Certain ingredients (especially vitamin a and vitamin c) do require certain strengths to actually cause effect on the skin. The easiest way to see whether you're getting your money's worth is to look at the ingredients list -- the top 5 ingredients are what you want to look at and what you want to include the ingredients that you want, if that makes sense? Those 2 ingredients also need to be in a stable enough formula (particularly vit c) or else they don't have an effect on the skin as well. This doesn't necessarily mean that mainstream products are useless -- it's just that the brands with a scientific basis to their formulas generally create more effective products. My advice? Do your research -- google reviews of products, read beauty blogs, look out for what products a beauty editor would actually spend money on herself -- we all know they get sent hundreds of products ALL the time to trial and test -- so knowing what they actually would spend their own money on is oh so valuable! I would also suggest that if you can only splurge on one skincare item -- make it a serum. They're the strongest/most effective skincare products (designed to go deepest into the skin for maximum effect) to deal with pretty much any issue -- so in my humble opinion, they're well worth spending a bit more on. Plus you only need a drop or two -- so they do last you a good few months or more! At nearly 30 and with still very oily skin and t zone breakouts, I made a switch from my supermarket brand stuff to MD Formulations as the suggestion of a beauty therapist. I have since bought more from strawberrynet at a much better price, and will keep doing it. Some places may try to con you into spending more money for the sake of it, but most should happily offer you an alternative in your price range. I now have much clearer skin, only hormonal chin breakouts and am properly hydrating my skin for probably the first time in my life! there's also something to be said for weaker solutions over stronger solutions if you have sensitive skin also -- stronger is NOT always better! and beauty therapists can be known to spout codswallop in the name of a sale / further booking. I had one tell me I must have had a reaction to a product that was cheap, and 'her' product, because it was so 'quality', wouldn't cause a reaction....umm no lady, my skin was sensitive/allergic to a particular ingredient, cheaper or more expensive/quality wouldn't make a difference. Just because they deal with creams and lotions, doesn't make them a scientist I'm a beauty therapist and I can say that, by and large, this is true. The professional brands that I work with contain the highest proportions of active ingredients that have been proven to cause change within the skin. Good skincare should have scientific evidence to back this up (we keep studies on file if clients are interested). Whereas when you look at a cheaper skincare, you can clearly see just by looking at the ingredients list that the active ingredients do not form a high percentage of the product. Unfortunately, the obvious side effect of this is that prescriptive skincare is more expensive than generic. It's just a reality, given the research & development that goes into the ranges. Not to mention the ingredients! Peptides, for example, are INCREDIBLY expensive to engineer and manufacture -- hence why there is hardly any cheaper skincare containing peptides (and if it does, I would bet that they are in such miniscule amounts that they can't create any change). Prescriptive skincare tends to have more sophisticated delivery systems also. Cheaper skincare is usually molecularly too large to penetrate the upper epidermis, let alone to the dermal layer. This doesn't mean that cheaper skincare is "bad" for the skin, it just means that it lacks the activity which is required to change or correct particular skin conditions. Prescriptive skincare is just far more active -- that's impossible to dispute. And I have to say that I do take offence to the suggestion that beauty therapists are just trying to spruik expensive products. We will always make suggestions for products that you can work with to achieve your skincare aims -- that is our responsibility. Would you go to a gym where the personal trainer didn't suggest exercises for you to do at home in between gym visits? Thanks for the advice! What you have said makes sense. I like the point that there are only a few ingredients that have been proven effective. Sorry if I have offended you -- I don't think her whole motivation is to sell me stuff but I think it would be a bit naive of me to assume that me handing over hundreds of dollars for those products isn't in her best interest as well. I think the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, I think I am going to take the advice of researching it for myself so I understand it all properly. I agree with 'Large-pore Sarz.' Benefit's POREfessional is magnificent. I don't use it every day as often I just go with a bit of tinted moisturizer and bronzer, but when I use foundation, I will always pop a smidge of POREfessional on and it mattifies and smooths everything out nicely for a really good base. I recently returned from traveling Europe and whilst in Italy I found heaven in the form of foundation! KIKO Milano have a foundation which is sebum balancing anti shine and it is bloody fantastic! The coverage is amazing and it lasts all day and minimises pores awesomly (along with their Primer) plus it was the equivalent to about $20 AU unbelievable! Sadly I cannot purchase it here, so if anyone out there is traveling around Europe (particularly Italy) look out for this product it is amazing! I went to a presentation by dermatologists and they said that exfoliators CREATE skin irritation and open pores making them larger. They likened it to a mortar and pestle. So they said it's the biggest gimmick in the beauty industry and highest selling product. So they urged everyone in the room to throw them out. And I did. And it's been 3 months and my "big pores" on my nose are no longer! Don't worry, I questioned my own skin as well. I even googled images of 'large pores' to see what they meant. From what I can tell, the pores on my nose are somewhat 'big', but they never bothered me before so I'm not going to let them bother me now.


At the End of the Day Lyrics [THE POOR] At the end of the day you're another day older And that's all you can say for the life of the poor It's a struggle, it's a war And there's nothing that anyone's giving One more day standing about, what is it for? One day less to be living. At the end of the day you're another day colder And the shirt on your back doesn't keep out the chill And the righteous hurry past They don't hear the little ones crying And the winter is coming on fast, ready to kill One day nearer to dying! At the end of the day there's another day dawning And the sun in the morning is waiting to rise Like the waves crash on the sand Like a storm that'll break any second There's a hunger in the land There's a reckoning still to be reckoned and There's gonna be hell to pay At the end of the day! [The foreman and workers, including Fantine, emerge from the factory] [FOREMAN] At the end of the day you get nothing for nothing Sitting flat on your butt doesn't buy any bread [WORKER ONE] There are children back at home [WORKERS ONE AND TWO] And the children have got to be fed [WORKER TWO] And you're lucky to be in a job [WOMAN] And in a bed! [WORKERS] And we're counting our blessings! [WOMAN TWO] Have you seen how the foreman is fuming today? With his terrible breath and his wandering hands? [WOMAN THREE] It's because little Fantine won't give him his way [WOMAN ONE] Take a look at his trousers, you'll see where he stands! [WOMAN FOUR] And the boss, he never knows That the foreman is always in heat [WOMAN THREE] If Fantine doesn't look out Watch how she goes She'll be out on the street! [WORKERS] At the end of the day it's another day over With enough in your pocket to last for a week Pay the landlord, pay the shop Keep on grafting as long as you're able Keep on grafting till you drop Or it's back to the crumbs off the table You've got to pay your way At the end of the day! [GIRL (Grabbing a letter from Fantine)] And what have we here, little innocent sister? Come on Fantine, let's have all the news! [Reading the letter] Ooh..."Dear Fantine you must send us more money... Your child needs a doctor... There's no time to lose..." [FANTINE] Give that letter to me It is none of your business With a husband at home And a bit on the side! Is there anyone here Who can swear before God She has nothing to fear? She has nothing to hide? [They fight over the letter. Valjean (M. Madeleine) rushes on to break up the squabble.] [VALJEAN] Will someone tear these two apart What is this fighting all about? This is a factory, not a circus! Now, come on ladies, settle down I run a business of repute I am the Mayor of this town [To the foreman] I look to you to sort this out And be as patient as you can- [He goes back into the factory] [FOREMAN] Now someone say how this began! [GIRL] At the end of the day She's the one who began it! There's a kid that she's hiding In some little town There's a man she has to pay You can guess how she picks up the extra You can bet she's earning her keep Sleeping around And the boss wouldn't like it! [FANTINE] Yes it's true there's a child And the child is my daughter And her father abandoned us Leaving us flat Now she lives with an innkeeper man And his wife And I pay for the child What's the matter with that? [WOMEN] At the end of the day She'll be nothing but trouble And there's trouble for all When there's trouble for one! While we're earning our daily bread She's the one with her hands in the butter You must send the slut away Or we're all gonna end in the gutter And it's us who'll have to pay At the end of the day! [FOREMAN] I might have known the bitch could bite I might have known the cat had claws I might have guessed your little secret Ah yes, the virtuous Fantine Who keeps herself so pure and clean You'd be the cause I had no doubt Of any trouble hereabout You play a virgin in the light But need no urgin' in the night. [GIRL] She's been laughing at you While she's having her men [WOMEN] She'll be nothing but trouble again and again [WOMAN] You must sack her today [WORKERS] Sack the girl today! [FOREMAN] Right my girl. On your way! Related for Les Miserables Cast: Les Miserables Cast - At the End of the Day song lyrics from soundtrack cd "Les Miserables" are property & copyright of their owners & provided for educational purposes. Visit Les Miserables page to find more, or use search.


Thursday, October 25, 2012 The written word A lot of my time lately is spent with The Princess. Not that I mind.  That little chick is hilarious and we like to get our nails done and do girly stuff together.  Having her as my constant companion is a gift in many ways. But the truth is, I miss my guy.  He spends oodles of time with his Dad.  They go to football games, baseball practice, basketball practice . . . everywhere together.  I know that E loves having him as a constant companion, too.  It works. And I also know that the older he gets the less I will see of him. The sad little glimpse into the future, however, is not working for me so much.  With school, work, sports and life I only see my guy for a few hours every week. I know that is more than I can expect even a few years from now but I am missing that sweet face and warm heart of his.  We're going on a date tomorrow night.  I can hardly wait.  And if I didn't think he'd get all weirded out I'd say every single thing on this page to him, but he is a ten year old boy.  I am pretty sure that he would be uncomfortable with my sharing how madly in love with him that I am.  So, as a keepsake, I will use the written word.  I truly hope one day he'll read all of it and know how much he was loved. Every single day. For my son, You have ALWAYS been too good to be true.  You were the happiest, easiest baby in the history of the world.  That is an absolute fact.  Every day of my life since February 19, 2002 I have said Thank you to God for the gift that you are. I have talked before about how it terrifies me that life with you is so good, but of late I have just decided to take everything one day at a time and be genuinely grateful for every day that we have. Life is going really, really fast for us right now.  Daddy and I are awfully busy raising you and your sister and being us, and you are so very busy being ten and living life to the fullest.  I love that part more than you will ever know.  It delights me to see you running off to practice and putting on your belt as you go or holding your sister's backpack while she climbs out of the car just before you turn away and walk into school. The spoiled selfish girl in me wants to tell you to stop and come hug ME and spend time with ME, but I love you too much to ever hold you back.  I love to watch you go and find your way, but I miss you so much. You are SUCH a boy with your smelly socks and your wrinkled shirts that you cram into drawers when I ask you to put them away, but I am told by someone at least once a week how kind and polite you are. Wow .  A few weeks ago the umpire at your baseball game, Mark, came to the fence and said "who's kid is that?"  That's sort of a weird question, but I claimed you unconditionally.  He said, "He has really great manners.  He is so polite every time he's at bat.  I've never met a kid that's more polite." I can forgive the toothpaste on the mirror every time because there are a million reminders in the world that you are doing much better things than cleaning up behind yourself. Sometimes when I am watching you from a distance and catching snippets of your conversations with friends I can imagine you much older and even further out in the world.  I visualize you trekking across a college campus chatting with your buddy on the way to class and just being a slightly larger version of your wonderful self.  I wonder what profession you'll choose.  Your sense of humanity is larger than life and you have a genuine heart for service.  You are super squeamish so I'm not thinking that being a surgeon is in your future, but think maybe physical therapy is or even a career as a high school teacher and coach.  Oh Punky, you would be such a fantastic teacher.  I selfishly want you to make more money than that, but that's just plain shallow.  You would really make a wonderful teacher. You have so many amazing qualities that I could write a giant novel just about you and your goodness.  You're a great student, a talented athlete, a gentle soul and a wonderful Christian.  You do everything well and there are some things you are exceptional at.  Sometimes I get so focused on the doing of all that we do that I forget to stop and enjoy what we do.  I really enjoy being your Mom.  I enjoy talking with you about the Pendragon books and how that call at second base could be different.  I enjoy hearing how much other people appreciate the young man you are becoming.  I enjoy watching you play with your cousins and hearing you talk to your family.  I enjoy you.  I cherish you.  I adore you. Thank you for all of the terrific things you are and the hope of the things that are to come.  It is such an honor to have you for a son. What a beautiful wonderful letter to your son. And yes, it would be so easy to forgive a lot of those little things at home- as when he is out he is doing so much good and being so good. And what an awesome compliment to get from the umpire! Thank you so much for linking up- sorry I was so slow getting to this. My parents have been in town- so been spending time with them. LinkWithin Mr & Mrs Montoya We are each other's second half ~ sometimes better, sometimes not so much. We're always honest and we're always a team. We are just trying to put one foot in front of the other without stepping on anyone's toes.


We like nice things. DIY Corkboard I've been working on a project. Since Pam and i began blogging just over a year ago, i find myself spending more time than i'd care to admit in my den. It was, in the literal sense, a den..you know the type that animals crawl into to hibernate for the winter? A real cave...dark chocolate walls, a desk that was one of the first furniture purchases i ever made, an IKEA bookcase that had fallen apart before we even moved into our home 11 years ago. Why, you ask, did you move a broken bookcase to a new home? Good question!!  It was also the room that became home for anything that didn't have another resting place. Anyways, i could go on, but i'll save that for my home reno post... Suffice it to say that is was hard to feel the creative juices flow in my workspace. So, my project has to been to create a room where i can work and feel inspired.. Where i'm surrounded by colour, by "happy" trinkets and by things i love. An obvious place to hang your thoughts and ideas on is a cork board. I also knew i wanted it to fit with the vibe of my room. So, when i spied a damaged mirror frame in Homesense, i got pretty excited!! This is such an easy DIY project..all you need is a frame, a can of spray paint and a roll of cork!


Marginal note: Recovery by deduction or set-off 290. If a person is indebted to Her Majesty under this Act, the Minister may require the retention by way of deduction or set-off of any amount that the Minister may specify out of any amount that may be or become payable to that person by Her Majesty. Marginal note: Acquisition of debtor's property 291. For the purpose of collecting debts owed by a person to Her Majesty under this Act, the Minister may purchase or otherwise acquire any interest in the person's property that the Minister is given a right to acquire in legal proceedings or under a court order or that is offered for sale or redemption, and may dispose of any interest so acquired in any manner that the Minister considers reasonable. Marginal note: Money seized from debtor 292. (1) If the Minister has knowledge or suspects that a person is holding money that was seized by a police officer in the course of administering or enforcing the criminal law of Canada from another person who is liable to pay any duty, interest or other amount under this Act (in this section referred to as the "debtor") and that is restorable to the debtor, the Minister may in writing require the person to turn over the money otherwise restorable to the debtor, in whole or in part, to the Receiver General on account of the debtor's liability under this Act. Marginal note: Receipt of Minister (2) A receipt issued by the Minister for money turned over is a good and sufficient discharge of the requirement to restore the money to the debtor to the extent of the amount so turned over. Marginal note: Seizure -- failure to pay duty, etc. 293. (1) If a person fails to pay duty, interest or other amount as required under this Act, the Minister may in writing give 30 days notice to the person, addressed to their last known address, of the Minister's intention to direct that the person's things be seized and disposed of. If the person fails to make the payment before the expiry of the 30 days, the Minister may issue a certificate of the failure and direct that the person's things be seized. Marginal note: Disposition (2) Things that have been seized under subsection (1) shall be kept for 10 days at the expense and risk of the owner. If the owner does not pay the amount due together with all expenses within the 10 days, the Minister may dispose of the things in a manner the Minister considers appropriate in the circumstances. Marginal note: Proceeds of disposition (3) Any surplus resulting from a disposition, after deduction of the amount owing and all expenses, shall be paid or returned to the owner of the things seized. Marginal note: Exemptions from seizure (4) Anything of any person in default that would be exempt from seizure under a writ of execution issued by a superior court of the province in which the seizure is made is exempt from seizure under this section. Marginal note: Person leaving Canada or defaulting 294. (1) If the Minister suspects that a person has left or is about to leave Canada, the Minister may, before the day otherwise fixed for payment, by notice to the person served personally or sent by registered or certified mail addressed to their last known address, demand payment of any amount for which the person is liable under this Act or would be so liable if the time for payment had arrived, and the amount shall be paid without delay despite any other provision of this Act. Marginal note: Seizure (2) If a person fails to pay an amount required under subsection (1), the Minister may direct that things of the person be seized, and subsections 293(2) to (4) apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require.