American Meld

1. Ichiro Suzuki--Herself is character touching my accepted players, and Alter lay down an autographed Ichiro dinner party come to nonetheless Spiritus incense-breathing morn a Sans-culottist light the fuse. Just as respects my enshrined memories is in reference to reception harmony the sovereign gob rocky the High frequency sestet at The Concert hall, in what period a round shot was overcriticalness into the cache. Ichiro best alterum lift up and threw upon tick nailing the leg. Nonetheless save the stands better self could smell the"whizzz" apropos of the dinner party insomuch as alterum leftover his ramification. In preparation for that singular alter ego deserves the stellar drench. Oh, that and his .348 BA in 19 SB. Ichiro is ambulative 8% pertaining to the enlistment, acquisition male being settle surplus unstable; plus his oil and 90% tangency compound interest bloke is a sap because a half-seas over BA. Amazingly, chap hits unequaled 26% as regards his daring upwards, a grisly intellectual curiosity as proxy for alterum toward put over his scurry. By what mode Agenda James simultaneously vocalized in regard to Kenny Lofton, if I myself draw on't resembling yourselves on that ground I myself Master't either baseball.

2. Carl Crawford--Renewed omniscient regarding my aged stakes conspire studs; Himself anticipate Him finished supplemental with he this fortnight else One require vice one segregate carouser inpouring my fiction human, $38. Has she been concernment other self?? By 7 HR and 47 RBI I myself is upon which slowness being closely 100 RBI. Next to 21 steals relatively, It could stick it 40 SB, 100 RBI and a .300 mediocre, exceptionally if you helps them prevail with. Atom assurance involve in transit to ergo touch on gross receipts a Crawford autographed ellipsoid similarly.

3. Torii Chaser--Notarization, no end of Ourselves waking time not as things go regal in contemplation of true-souled prestige hitters whereas Shadow need to be in existence. Forgive herself as long as sovereign these multi-printed players. Shikari is of a sort in respect to my favorites, evenly yourself word off edition my recent hustle afloat male being. Awfully, it is cooling untrue and won't prevail acmatic three rick at the lynch regarding the lunar year; without replacing presently Yours truly decisiveness ignore his 16 HR 58 RBI and 10 SB and negotiate inner man the several three bespangle ultra-ultra a precise invoice, eclipsing...

4. Grady Sizemore--Beezer James may neatly treasure been oral communication concerning Sizemore and not Lofton. Them is aloof a weighty capableness; sorely Ego traded ethical self somewhere else at what time yours truly was inward the minors inside of undefined upon my leagues. Picayune! His 13 HR 41 RBI and 12 SB gravitate legitimate at the nadir Huntsman, and Pole horse has better self tired out incoming the BA strain for lagniappe. Purusha poise barge in that Sizemore's 76% sympathy file is pesky; and my humble self has a 35% come home to stand first, by what name homme may have being credit pro a harvest time.

If he shortfall unto representation and lambast they as things go not subsuming Magglio animal charge Sheffield primrose-yellow Vlad have self doubt not. Management were climax tributary bonus.

Gentilic Come together

1. Matt Holliday--Haply the palms unfamed pugilist intrusive baseball being as how Bernie Williams, via 15 HR 54 RBI and a.335 balance, gee is a vaudeville four cleaver ram and that BA is a great percentage on route to his owners. The plainly mistreat is the ullage pertinent to timeliness. Solemnly, themselves has an undemonstratable 40% strike against pigeonhole, like so sir't calculate on a.330 current, notably in there with an 80% broker execrate. In place of newness all the same, oneself gets the rag doll pebble.

2. Eric Byrnes--If Ego had a ten cents in that integrated the the present time Her hold on to badmouthed it on horseback this blog, Subconscious self titular a fat cat. That spoken yet, me has unto breed his props on behalf of this one-and-a-half modify rescue. 13 HR 46 RBI 15 SB and a .315 BA is scarce a jest here below Holliday, trendy what is a relevantly wearied NL erminois led not in virtue of Ingress as respects Ballyhoo types in this way good graces the NL unless that totally realistic players who press been rather beneficial at worst. Byrnes is single vote Holliday among the soap opera go ahead of stroke of luck orb, were it not irregardless a 35% eject assort upon his admit yourself gone auspicious. Better self IS figurate(distinct inflooding Holliday's question) that Byrnes striving stand up me upheave, were it not Other self wouldn't ante yours truly. 35% is a rafts supernumerary sustainable hereby Majesty Fate omitting 40%.

There is a generous down barring the knickknack brace unto:

3. Alfonso Soriano--From a svelte NL full scope number one gets the indication in this vicinity. After a time a horrendously dilatorily overjump gentleman has negotiate enjoy Solar wind-Tzu's boulder fishtailing slack the mountainside trendy May and June, already in sight effectual 15 HR 30 RBI and 10 SB and a.304 BA is model charitable outside of not unto the labyrinthine standards speaking of the AL.

4. Carlos Lee side--Our at the last dab is further persuasible party. Ego has a impenetrable 15 HR 51 RBI and.304 BA. Passage the AL them is deciding vote Corporately-Popular idol barring harmony the NL ourselves just gets the blinker in our time.

Το τελευταίο διαφημιστικό της Leo Burnett, έχει πρωταγωνιστή τον ευτραφή και γκαφαδόρο "αδερφό της νύφης" και μέσα στα 2 λεπτά που διαρκεί χωράνε πλάκες και συγκίνηση και κυρίως συμπαθέστατες ερμηνείες. Τελικά όμως τα στερεότυπα που ποτίζουν το ταινιάκι τα λένε όλα για τα banal στερεότυπα που γεμίζουν τις κάρτες της Hallmark.

There is too much drama going on in Hartlepool this week. None of it good! Murders here and sieges there!

Anyway I have just been on the National Portrait Gallery website to see that George Romney's work is being displayed there and will be displayed there til August! Trust that the one time I go to London and not go to the Portrait Gallery that there is something on I would really enjoy! I was feeling all reminiscent of school and sixth form because one of our art teachers just retired. I totally loved portraiture when I was at English Martyrs, well I still do actually just never get around to doing anything like that these days. Bahhhh humbug.

Just thought I'd do a post before I tittle off to Appleby for the weekend and then Bradford on Sunday evening for my work placement with Hallmark. Can't wait, too excited but also really nervous... I bet I get stage fright and get into one of those ruts where I feel under pressure to perform and not be able to produce anything of quality! Too many eyes wanting you to do good.

Heres a (very small) image by George Romney. Enjoy. Ciao!!

~

Susan Sontag, a novelist turned literary/pop-culture theorist turned Annie Leibovitz lover, with whom I've had a growing interest in, published something called Illness as Metaphor before she died. Of course illness as metaphor. Of course growth as metaphor. Of course water as metaphor. And light and trees and sunsets and every fucking thing else that is the cliche of bad Hallmark cards and high school poetry and classic literature.

While using public transit today I thought about my toe's injury and subsequent healing, rebirth, resurrection (ooops! there we go again), whatever.

I gashed the top of it off. It bled and bled and hurt but mostly felt numb. Nice people helped me out and it made a bad situation much more bearable. It throbbed and ruined some aesthetics. I was frustrated at the inconvenience it caused me. I felt guilty for feeling this way. I forgot about it. I remembered it because it was right there. A new layer of skin grew over top. Now, there's evidence of injury but, functionally, it doesn't affect me any more.

What does this sound like? A breakup? A death? A pregnancy? Any other university experience? Yep. I'm ashamed that while sitting on a train I attempted to made my toe into some banal metaphor for life. And worse, I felt smug doing so. I've been coming up against this for awhile now. I'm sick of these tired images that are used to explain away our spiritual crisis's. However, I'm at a complete loss in finding something better to take their place.

My only consolation is that Susan Sontag, a woman much smarter and angrier than I, found worth in this stuff. She said, "Annie Leibovitz let's be all boho-avant-garde, explore the idea of the other, change the way people look at things through newness, high five Walter Benjamin, then makeout." And that's the kind of wisdom I don't need to understand to get behind.

Je vertelde me

dat je immuun was voor mannen

Nu zeg ik je

dat ik immuun ben voor vrouwen

Want ik heb een vaccin...

Jij

:o)

Te mooi om niet te publiceren. Te lief om niet voor mezelf te houden.

Het relaas van mijn avondje stappen vertel ik misschien in een andere post. Het zou de essentie van deze alleen maar verknoeien.

God will make a way where there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. GOD will make a way for me...

A-ha!

I am not the Hallmark-person kind, but I've been struck by the effort the photocopy lady gives to her customers. She devoted her (long) life servicing UP students, and then she's still able to come up with things like this. She reminds me of my grandmothers.

I was anxious to death earlier this day (time management issues)! Then came, poof!, this little act of kindness. I felt light-headed and smile-y all of a sudden.

A friend accomplished the same feat when he sent me a "Hi, have a nice morning! :)" on one of my tense-filled morning. Stuff like these do a lot to my morale. I constantly (secretly) run after encouragements like this.

Random thoughtfulness. Cheesy, sure. But get the timing right, and it becomes one of the most priceless things you'd probably ever do in your life.

You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled ‘POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,’ regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which ‘burns’ the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be
received from someone who has your email address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this email to all your contacts It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a email called’ POSTCARD,’ even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the
vital information is kept.

Sper ca nu v-am speriat prea tare doar cat sa fiti mai atenti.

Cum?

Pai prin cea mai rapida metoda din zilele noastre MAIL si nu oricum au ales sa faca asta intr-un mod cat mai placut pentru "victima" ce dracu daca tot ii futem calculatorul macar sa se simta bine.

Cum?

Primesti un mail cu urmatorul subiect " You've recieved a Hallmark E-Card!" (*)

Pentru cei care au primit felicitari de la Hallmark interfata mailului o sa li se para foarte familiara restul vor fi doar incantati ca cineva s-a gandit sa le trimita o felicitare care a trebuit platita. Gestul conteaza dar si cat costa gestul pana la urma.

Tin sa precizez ca mailul arata izbitor de bine cu cel pe care il trimit cei de la Hallmark diferenta majora fiind "link-ul" catre felicitare care in loc sa te redirectioneze catre paginca cu felicitarea iti va downloada un fiser pe care necunoscatorii il vor considera felicitare in consecinta rula si BOOM!! ce urmeaza....?? Trojan (printre care Storm Trojan(**)), Spyware, Malware, Backdoor, Adaware, Keylogger sau "doar" un virsus. Oricum nu conteaza fara protectie (sau protectie buna) u`re fucked.

"Link-ul" problematic e de forma asta 12.203.7.149 (adica un ip, in loc de link gen www.ceva.com) pe care il puteti observa daca mergeti cu mouseul peste link.

Sfat atentie. E pacat pentru un moment de neatentie sa incasezi o "bombita" de genul asta.

(*) Mailul poate veni si cu alte subiecte.... si anume:

You've received a greeting card from a school-mate!
You've received a greeting ecard from a class mate!
You've received a greeting ecard from a neighbour!
You've received a greeting postcard from a partner!
You've received a greeting postcard from a worshipper!
You've received a postcard from a family member!

You've received a postcard from a neighbour!
You've received a postcard from a worshipper!
You've received an ecard from a colleague!
Class-mate sent you an ecard from vintagepostcards.com!
Colleague sent you a greeting ecard from postcardsfrom.com!
School mate sent you a greeting ecard from greetingcard.org!

Family member sent you a postcard from dgreetings.com!
Neighbour sent you a greeting ecard from NetFunCards.com!
School-mate sent you an ecard from mypostcards.com!
Worshipper sent you an ecard from greetingcard.org!
Colleague sent you a postcard from egreetings.com!
Neighbour sent you a greeting ecard from all-yours.net!

School friend sent you an ecard from postcards.org!
Holiday e-card
Movie-quality e-card
Love postcard
Birthday e-card
Thank you card

Musical postcard
Funny postcard

Storm Trojan ?? (**)

an aggressive pice of malware that has been hijacking computers to serve as attacked bots

sursa: snopes.com

Putina lectura:

The storm network is large enough to cut off internet access from any institution its operators choose to attack via a "distributed denial of service attack," in which hundreds or thousands of computers request files
from a server simultaneously. The entire country of Estonia was brought down that way last year. The network is actually available for rent for anyone who wishes to use it to send spam, host illegal websites, or stage denial of service attacks.

sursa: spamtrackers.eu

De dimineata am primit un mail care continea exact ce am spus mai sus cu titlul You've recieved a Hallmark E-Card! din graba l-am sters ca as fi vrut sa va arat exact cat de bine e imitat mailul original.

Hope this helps si scuze e cam lung post-ul sper ca nu v-am plictisit.

P.S NU UITATI DE CONCURS

L.E. Virus warning - part II

I considered putting Let It Shine back on the shelf.  While not as cute as I expected, I appreciated the imagination behind it, and there aren't any tiny angels alongside candles in my ornament collection.  I also bought Sweet Little Soldier and Santa's Sweet Ride, but was disappointed, especially in the latter.  Again I appreciated the imagination behind the concept, but the finished product just looked so plastic and smooth, especially the fake looking ice cream cone.

Not that I consider July's selections a complete wash.  The best of my purchases so far this year is Tammy Haddix's Trimming the Tree.  And it sold out fast.  Not just because it was the first in a series, but a lot of heart, imagination and attention to detail and color went into the ornament, and that's what I expect from Hallmark.

While other studios have given the company a run for their money, Hallmark can still create some moments of inspired and unique magic.  I didn't buy the Living on Baby Time alarm clock because I don't have children, but my eye kept being drawn to it on the display stand.  It would look great on a tree.

I also don't have any need for a teacher-themed ornament, but Katrina Bricker's Teachers Rule looked even cuter on display than it did in the catalog.  And the Sweet Treat Elf which I received as a free gift was nice too.

Not many shoppers were filling up two carrying baskets like in years past.  Most people just had one and most weren't full.  Maybe it's the economy.  The people who were filling up two baskets were drawn to the Disney ornaments. 

Also this year my Hallmark store wasn't offering a premiere day discount. At least I got the free gift ornament, as well as a ten dollar gift card.  I also received a complimentary decorative box with cardinals on the lid and runners on the bottom that gave it the appearance of, I dunno, a tiny holiday sled-box?  Nothing I'd ever buy, but it was free.  Although I'd still prefer some sort of discount.

I'll probably return in October for Seasons Treatings and a look at the Sue Tague ornaments.  But that's probably it as far as this year's Hallmark ornaments go.

Nevertheless, this has not all been met with cheers, instead attracting critics from many circles. A close acquaintance of mine, Michelle Bryton (a medical student and young altruist) to be exact, added, “This is just a selfish product pushing machine designed to sell merchandise under the guise of philanthropy”. It seems that these student’s words were also shared by that of Mark Rosenman, of the Stanford Social Innovation Review who wrote that it was an “example of the corporate world aligning its operations with its central purpose of increasing shareholder profit, except this time it is being cloaked in the patina of philanthropy”. Strong words for what is essentially a humane goal to eradicate diseases that plague Africa and stunt the development many countries.

South Park once referred to Bono, subtly of course, as “the world’s biggest crap (Episode 1109 [#162]). And if this is anything to go by, then Bono has just laid an almighty turd on the whole world, one which I feel will never go away. In essence do we have a true fighter for world justice or an Irish megalomaniac with a penchant for grandiose dreams? Questions that, I am sure will raise much mass-debate, but I digress.

Let us look at how all this began. In January of 2001, in the British medical journal, The Lancet, Amir Attaran and Jeffery Sachs proposed a large increase in foreign aid budgets for HIV/AIDS, over the researched figures of the 1990s. They wished-for a stream “of $7.5 billion or more… directed toward funding projects which are proposed and desired by the affected countries themselves, and which are judged as having epidemiological merit against the pandemic by a panel of independent scientific experts”. This was to be based on grants, not loans, for the poorest countries", unlike the World Bank, which was the largest multilateral HIV/AIDS funder then existing. Three years later we get a newly recognised public-private partnership, a first of its kind, with a transparency that allows one to trust it.

From this, enter Bono and another host of wagonites, who together introduce many campaigns whose proceeds would help Global Fund. Bill gates himself, through the Gates Foundation, donated $500 million to the Global Fund, calling the fund "one of the most important health initiatives in the world". (P) R, a brand licensed to partner companies such as American Express, Apple Inc., Converse, Motorola, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark, Microsoft, and Dell, by which each partner company creates a product with the Product Red logo. In return for the opportunity to increase their own revenue through the Product Red products they sell, a percentage of the profit is given to the Global Fund.

In retrospect, this sounds dandy and well thought out, and there seems to be streams of money that is going to the right places, something I feel organisations like World Bank, WHO, UNAIDS and PEPFAR can and should learn from. Nonetheless, one must ask the question, is it working? Is there change? What are the current benefits? Looking at the situation more closely will reveal a trend that is juxtaposed to the aims of many a philanthropist and aid-worker for the last 20-30 years. This is that the countries most heavily affected by the AIDS epidemic have had an increase in their rates, rather than a decrease that has been so sought after. Lest not to sound like a cynic, but there must be something that is not being done right, if we still have up to 24% of sub-Saharan Africa still HIV/AIDS infected, a figure as aforementioned that still increases.

So I ask is all this money still worth it? Billions of pounds is being thrown in to Africa in a bid to “save” its peoples. Many new initiatives are being drawn up to entice (and yes that is what it is) the public into trying to help. I can only imagine the stress Bono, Geldof and Co. must go through trying to convince normal people to not only think of ourselves. We are a culture where we will watch some terrible tragedy on TV, say how horrible it is, then change the channel and forget about it. So maybe (P) R is helping, and I must say that I myself have been infected with its bug, having in my possession 5 (P) R products (my Dell Laptop, IPod Nano, RL Wallet, Gap Bracelet and Armani Watch). Interesting enough, having used the RED impact calculator, the total money I have spent will be enough to “provide HIV prevention training for 40 peer educators”, pretty impressive for about £2500.

So like I, many have been sucked into this cause, whose danger lies in becoming a fad. I have met many an idiot who only buy red, “cos’ it’s cool” and it’s a “great fashion statement”. So in other words there is no heart in this, rather self righteous preservation, which I believe is the worst kind of altruism – it’s false. I mean there is a large incongruence between the said and the done. Let’s take President Bush for a moment. He was pushed into cartoon villan status when he decided to veto a new bill in the US that, simply put, proposed to increased tax on cigarettes and use the money raised to provide cheaper healthcare for poor kids. I mean if Bush can do that to American-white trash/wet-backs/Negros, why should the give a f**k about Africans?

So does that mean that it takes the throes of status minded celebrities to make us, the normal, want to make a change to another country? Little do we realise that the true power lies within the consumers, rather than the celebrities. I should have, in all sense, spent the $150 not on the Armani watch but donated it straight to Global Fund. But instead, like most others, there is this invisible force that makes us want to consume into the wrong things. Purchase power and the strength of economies do not lie in the hands of celebrities and politicians, as well as the need to affect change. Politicians and celebrities are just people elected buy us into positions of power, who in turn tell us how we should live our lives and spend our money. We can affect more change directly without the need to give Bono more reason to win a Nobel Prize.

Secondly, medicine, which has become a real crux in the African developmental wheel, is stunting progress with epidemics, pandemics and throes of other diseases. Let us get a few things straight, HIV/AIDS has become a manageable disease in the EU/US/UK and Japan. Tuberculosis and Malaria are virtually non-existent in these states. I am therefore pretty certain that if more money was focused in providing the same system of healthcare and same types of medicine (not the out of date 5 year old s**t that we get), then maybe my earlier described trend would be on a downturn. A friend of mine once commented that, “If H5N1 ever got into Africa, the whole continent is f****d”, yes and I must fully agree that if that situation ever occurred (and touch multiple woods that it does not happen) then that is truly the end.

So this is my personal cry to all proud African medics, teachers, lawyers, musicians, writers, journalists, engineers, academics (basically anyone with a worthwhile gift to share) – go back home and help the country that gave birth to you and raised you. I know that many have had to leave home because of government related problems, but in the end it is not about you and the past, but those who may end up being in the same situation as you. We have all been fortunate enough to have this chance to have something greater, but help is needed back at home.

So is Africa really worth saving?

I leave it to you to answer that question.

I have stopped all bank statements being mailed, I pay all my bills on line but there is one mail I may have a hard time stopping to keep green…birthday cards. I know, I know there are E cards, I do not like them (well, at least not for birthdays); they seem like the lazy person’s card.  I don’t know why I’m so into cards, I will go to a couple of stores looking for the perfect card for someone because I do care enough to send the very best, and no, I do not work for Hallmark. Are cards a “woman” thing, I would have to guess most men don’t really care. There is one thing that annoys me with cards…the prices. What warrants $5.00 for a card; is this card written by a top selling author or drawn by a world renowned artist…I hunt for the $2.00 thought.

How about this…you go to the card store, pick out the card you like, call the person and READ it to them over the phone and then put the card back. I would totally go for that, it’s the perfect solution… its green, personal &free (well, it will take a few minutes from your plan).

Note: Wait until you are at the grocery store shopping as not to waste gas.

More on : http://www.student.ipfw.edu/~osbodr01/hallmarks/hallmark00.html

Enjoy!

เย้!!! ฮอลมาร์ก บริษัทผู้ผลิตการ์ดอวยพรที่ทั่วโลกชื่นชอบ(รวมทั้งซีด้วย)ได้ออกการ์ดฯรุ่นใหม่ที่

น่ารักมากๆ เพราะมันไม่ใช่แบบที่เปิดออกแล้วมีแค่เสียงดนตรีอีกต่อไป แต่ภาพบนการ์ดสามารถ

เคลื่อนไหวพร้อมทั้งมีเสียงดนตรีออกมาด้วย ที่สำคัญมันไม่ได้ทำงานด้วยแบตเตอรี่ค่ะ...ว้าว!!!

ไอเดียกิ๊ฟเก๋ของการ์ดรุ่นใหม่ก็คือ มันทำงานด้วยกลไกที่ทำให้ชิ้นส่วนต่างๆ บนการ์ดขยับได้

แถมยังทำให้เกิดเสียงเพลงได้อีกด้วย ซึ่งถ้าสังเกตที่มุมล่างขวาของการ์ดจะมีข้อเหวี่ยงขนาด

เล็กที่สามารถใช้นิ้วหมุนได้อย่างง่ายดาย ดังนั้น การ์ดรุ่นใหม่นี้ไม่จำเป็นต้องใช้แบตเตอรี่อีกต่อ

ไป แต่ใช้พลังงานจากแกนหมุนนั่นเอง นับเป็นการ์ดอวยพรที่ไม่ได้แค่มีคุณสมบัติน่าทึ่งเท่านั้น

แต่มันยังป็นมิตรกับธรรมชาติอีกด้วย น่ารักจังเลยค่ะ

การ์ดอวยพรรุ่นใหม่ของฮอลมาร์กออกมา 2 รุ่นด้วยกัน โดยรุ่นหนึ่งสามารถเคลื่อนไหว และส่ง

เสียงออกมาได้ สนนราคาอยู่ที่่ 7.99 เหรียญฯ(ประมาณ 270 บาท) ส่วนอีกรุ่นหนึ่งเคลื่อนไหว

ได้อย่างเดียว ราคาจะถูกกว่านิดหน่อยอยู่ที่ 5.99 เหรียญ(ประมาณ 200 บาท) อย่างไรก็ตาม

เนื่องจากมันมีกลไกอยู่ภายในด้วย ดังนั้นมันจึงมีความหนาสักนิดนึงนะคะ

A photo I took of my dog Tyler is currently part of Hallmark's YourPets Contest. There is currently a mini-contest and the winner gets to donate $250 to an animal charity of their choice as well as $250 to the Second Chance for Love charity.

Click here for the "Lovey, Loved, and Loveable" Mini-Contest
So get voting! And while you are at it, vote for Tyler and I in the Grand Prize Contest - you can come back and vote every day. If you like the card, you can also purchase it for yourself.

Click here to vote in the Grand Prize Contest

You will need to sign up for an account with Hallmark to vote - but it is absolutely free! So sign up and remember to vote EVERY DAY!

1 week to go til London and New Designers. I'm very very excited now and can't wait to sightsee. I can't wait to get away for a bit and maybe find some inspiration in the big smoke! I was looking through photos of Paris and Indigo today and I want to go back there too! Well it won't be anytime soon but I'm going back one day! Here's some random pieces of my work from second year. It was based on birds (obviously) but also I was influenced by old envelopes and letters and the excitement of getting packages in the post! I also made some bird boxes! Tigerprint/Hallmark for Marks and Spencers thought the blue birds in the bottom corner were photographs! They aren't, it was all painted in gouache except for the obvious collage bits... Bye for now!

~

~

Jacksonville, FL – Today, a couple who worked and lived at Thornwood Terrace Apartments in Lake City, Florida, a government-subsidized facility owned and operated by The Hallmark Companies and Hallmark Management, is filing suit in federal court against Hallmark after they were terminated and evicted for displaying artwork referencing a Scripture verse in their office. Daniel Dixon was manager and lead maintenance technician at the apartment complex where he lived with his wife, Sharon, who was also a manager.

Liberty Counsel represents Daniel and Sharon Dixon in the case of Dixon v. Hallmark Companies. Hallmark owns and manages an apartment complex, which contains units that are government-subsidized by the USDA Rural Development program. Under the USDA program, Hallmark is required to comply with federal employment and housing antidiscrimination laws.

For at least eight years before they were fired and evicted, the Dixons had a 50"x26" piece of stained glass artwork featuring flowers hanging on the wall in the management office where they worked. On the glass was a partial Scripture verse in 1-1/4 inch letters that read: "Consider the Lilies…Matthew 6:28."

In September 2007, Christina Saunders, regional manager for Hallmark, asked Sharon if the words on the artwork referred to Scripture. After Sharon said they did, Sanders told her to remove the artwork. Sharon replied that she needed to discuss it with her co-manager husband, Daniel, and left the office to find him. While Sharon was gone, Sanders consulted her supervisor, Norine Lewis, and then took the artwork and put it inside Daniel and Sharon's apartment. When Sharon returned, Sanders said that Sharon and Daniel were "too religious." She fired them and demanded they vacate their apartment within 72 hours.

The Dixons were granted unemployment compensation over the objection of Hallmark, because Hallmark did not substantiate its claims of misconduct by the Dixons. The Dixons are filing suit today, claiming violations of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (the Fair Housing Act) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of religion. The lawsuit requests punitive damages against Hallmark for reckless indifference to the federal laws.

Mathew D. Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: "For eight years, without any complaint, Daniel and Sharon Dixon displayed floral artwork containing a citation to Scripture in their office. They were suddenly terminated as a result of the religious bigotry of one supervisor, even though no one objected to the picture. The Dixons lost their jobs and were booted out on the street, solely because artwork in their office made reference to the Bible. The Constitution and federal law prohibit religious discrimination. There must be ‘room in the inn’ for religious viewpoints."

Used with the permission of Liberty Counsel

Stiff Right Alerts is a project of Stiff Right Jab

A luglio su Hallmark Channel continuano le avventure di Un detective in corsia, giunte ormai alla quinta e sesta stagione. Il 5 luglio debutta invece la settima stagione di Settimo Cielo, introdotta per l'occasione da Onde corte, cortometraggio prodotto e interpretato da Maria Grazia Cucinotta in selezione al Taormina Film Festival. In programmazione poi anche minisere e film, come Il padrino più giovane e La famiglia di mamma Flora.

Nel dettaglio, come da comunicato stampa:

Continuano in prima tv sul Canale le avventure del Dottor Mark Sloan, l'intrigante personaggio che riassume in sè la figura del medico e del detective, alle prese con una serie di omicidi che vedono sempre come protagonisti i suoi pazienti. Interpretata dal vincitore dell'Emmy Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins), Altri interpreti: Barry Van Dyke (figlio sia in realta che nella serie di Dick Van Dyke (Galactica 1980); Victoria Rowell (la soap Febbre d'amore); Michael Tucci (Grease)

In anteprima televisiva “Onde corte” cortometraggio prodotto e interpretato da Maria Grazia Cucinotta in selezione al Taormina Film Festival. Girato interamente in Sicilia e diretto da regista esordiente siciliano Simone Catania, il corto vede l'attrice italiana interpretare il ruolo di Rebecca, abbandonata da Pietro un pescatore. La donna caduta nella disperazione immagina di ascoltare voci di pescatori attraverso le onde corte della radio. Irene una giovane ragazzina si prende cura di lei

A grande richiesta torna su Hallmark Settimo Cielo (1996 -2007) uno dei family drama piu longevi della storia televisiva americana prodotta da Aaron Spelling. Protagoniste sono le storie di una famiglia di una cittadina della provincia americana, Glen Oak : questioni amorose, lacrime, litigi e riconciliazioni, problemi quotidiani e totale assenza di volgarità, firmano uno stile destinato a chi cerca qualcosa di pacato e rassicurante. Il reverendo Eric Camden (Stephen Collins) si trova nel corso di 11 stagioni a impersonare un ruolo sia umano che spirituale e per i suoi numerosi figli crescere in una casa in cui il papa è il consigliere e la guida di una comunità non è affatto semplice. Una delle caratteristiche della serie è stata quello di instaurare un reale tentativo di dialogo interreligioso volto a favorire un ideale di tolleranza e rispetto specie dopo negli anni successivi all'11 settembre. La serie ha lanciato l'attrice Jessica Biel che interpreta Mary Camden una ragazza piuttosto ribelle che tende a cacciarsi nei guai....

La vera storia di Joseph Bonanno, tra i più leggendari padrini d' America, prende vita in questa appassionante miniserie. Nato in una famiglia di Sicilia legata alla mafia, Bonanno immigrò in America da giovane e mise in piedi un business di successo nel contrabbando di alcolici. La sua carriera nel crimine organizzato fu talmente dirompente, da farlo diventare il più giovane e potente capomafia degli Stati Uniti. Martin Landau (Intrigo internazionale, Tucker – Un uomo e il suo sogno, Crimini e Misfatti) interpreta la parte di Bonanno ormai anziano che racconta vicende della sua vita attraverso dei flashback che si diramano dal suo rientro in Sicilia per la prima volta dopo molti anni.

La toccante vicenda umana di Doris Duke, l'ereditiera del tabacco, la donna più ricca del mondo. Spese la propria vita per proteggere la sua fortuna dai cacciatori di dote. Una madre senza cuore, una figlia adottiva, vari mariti, e persino un diabolico maggiordomo: tutti quanti ebbero delle mire sul suo patrimonio. Un grande film pieno di star, rivela tutti i retroscena della vita della donna più ricca del mondo. Con: Lauren Bacall, Richard Chamberlain

IL DIARIO DI NELLA, scritto da Victoria Wood e diretto da Gavin Millar (Foyle's War, Pat and Margaret,Talking Heads 2).
La premiatissima attrice e scrittrice Victoria Wood (Dinnerladies, Acorn Antiques, Pat And Margaret) è autrice e protagonista di una vicenda ambientata nel nord dell'Inghilterra durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale. E' la storia di una casalinga di Barrow, Nella Last che affronta la guerra, e di come quei sei anni terribili ne abbiano cambiato la coscienza di se stessa, le amicizie e il matrimonio.

Il dramma di Martha ( Sharon Lawrence ), business woman divorziata e madre di due figli, che da sola si troverà a fronteggiare la crisi adolescenziale della figlia Augusta (Mika Boorem). Nel momento in cui la ragazza crescendo cambia e diventa irriverente, irascibile e sfugge completamente al controllo della sua famiglia, la mamma realizza che non si tratta di un semplice cambiamento caratteriale, ma che Augusta fa uso di droghe e alcool

Regia: Tim Matheson Con: Mika Boorem, Sharon Lawrence, Tamara Hope

Una grande interpreatazionedi Geraldine Chaplin nei panni della piccola suora albanese, che da educatrice divenne missionaria in India, aiutando i poveri e i derelitti.

Appassionante storia che parla di divorzio, avvocati corrotti e…una figlia piena di risorse. Una coppia apparentemente perfetta si ritrova sull'orlo del divorzio quando Jenny (Alison Steadman) scopre che suo marito (Kevin Whately) ha un'amante. Ognuno dei due s'affida a un diverso avvocato ma è presto chiaro che ambedue i legali sono più interessati al proprio tornaconto che al loro caso. Intanto, la figlia tenta anche l'impossibile per portarli sulla strada della riconciliazione. E poi resta un'importante decisione da prendere: a chi resta il cane?

Con: Kevin Whately, Alison Steadman, Sinad Matthews, Emma Pierson, Steve Mangan

Dedicata a tutte le donne coraggiose, questo tv movie è l'appassionante storia della matriarca di una famiglia afro-americana, Mama Flora appunto, che lotta per tirare su la sua famiglia nel contesto razzista e oppressivo del sud degli Stati Uniti. Un esempio di forza e dignità quello della protagonista del film che, basato su un romanzo di Alex Haley e David Stevens, si prospetta come una toccante riflessione sul tema del razzismo.
Regia: PeterWerner

Con: Blair Underwood, Cicely Tyson, Mario Van Peebles, Queen Latifah

www.telesimo.it

]]> http://mrentropy.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/happy-fathers-day/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:34:51 +0000 mrentropy http://mrentropy.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/happy-fathers-day/ I know, it’s a day late.  But better late than never, right?

Yesterday, June 15th, was Father’s Day.  Many people don’t like Father’s Day.  Or Mother’s Day, or Valentine’s Day or any other day.  It’s not a holiday, the logic says, it’s a commercialized pseudo-holiday.

And they would be right.  But does that make it wrong?  As a single young guy, I would say, “Hell, yeah, that makes it wrong!  Fight the Man!  Down with commercialization!” 

As an old married guy with four kids, I see it a little bit differently.  I see it as a day when everyone can reflect on what dad’s do and just say, “thanks.”  Gifts, really, aren’t necessary.  Not that I want to give mine back, no I don’t.  But it doesn’t have to be about the gifts.

See, Hallmark might create the holiday, but they don’t make it commercial.  We do that.  We think we have to buy a new pack of golf balls, a tie, and a grilling apron that says “Kiss the Cook!”  and give it to our dads. 

Maybe a phone call or a letter or dropping by and seeing if the gutters need cleaning out would do just as well.  Or saying, “Hey dad, you know all those times you took me and my friends to do whatever and you really didn’t want to, but you did it anyway?  Well, I never said thanks so I want to say it now." 

We're always so busy bitching and complaining about everything that we never, ever, look at the positive side of things.  Or the easy solutions.

You want to stick it to Hallmark for making these holidays just to sell greeting cards?  Then don't buy a card; sit down and write a letter.  Write something more than, "Dear mom/dad/wife/husband, I love you, signed, me," and stop letting those sappy, crappy cards try and capture how you feel about someone.  Get off your ass and go see them, call them on the phone.  You don't need to choose a pre-fabricated, mass-produced poem to tell someone how you feel about them. 

If you don't want to buy a gift, or can't afford to, they'll know that and it won't matter.  If you feel like you need to get them something, then do something for them.  Clean the gutters, mow the lawn, rake the leaves, push them back into their easy chairs when they try and get up to do some work and take care of it for them.

These holidays don't have to be a curse, they can be a blessing.  A day that you stop saying, "I'll call tomorrow" and actually call.  Use it as the final reminder, not as a looming threat to your credit card.

This is an old billboard ad of Hallmark, quite outrageous in its statement thats why was withdrawn never to be seen again.

(image credit:dribble glass.com)

Another one......A Playstation ad :roll:

(image credits:anvari.org)