I actually have TWO wedding boxes! The first one (red) holds the various trinkets from the actual wedding day. The second one (blue) is my fashion box, that has things like my jewelry, undergarments, and shoes from the wedding day.


The garter in the picture was my "something blue" and was given to me by my Maid of Honor. It was blue and gold and had "Mountaineers" on it as it was for my alma mater, WVU. The garter was never found again post-wedding night (hehe).


I searched high and low for my shoes. I actually took a risk and ordered them on eBay and they ended up being perfect. I highly recommend the sole inserts that you can purchase from Nordstrom: life savers!  I was a two dress bride. Coincidentally, I also ended up being a two shoe bride as the first pair I bought didn't quite match my gown. Glad I got it out of my system since I won't be a two husband bride! ; )


I had my headpiece made at a wonderful specialty store in Pittsburgh called Clarissa's Bridal. They plucked the vision from my mind and turned it into reality.








I love the wording that wrapped around the Memorial Candle, and I still have my groom's dried boutonniere. We reused the ceremony decorations at the reception, too. For a small fee, our florist carted everything to the reception venue and we used the items to decorate the place card, photo, buffet, and favor tables. It was a great way to save some money and get the full use out of our florals.

Our favors were DIY also. I bought the champagne glasses from IKEA, the foil from an online site, the ribbon from Michaels, the truffles from a Harry and David outlet, and the custom labels from another website. The favors were a big hit and were fun to make, but double check your math as I ended up with twice the number of truffles than I actually needed. Everyone got truffles for the holidays that year!   From our cookie table, which is a MUST HAVE Pittsburgh tradition, I kept my "doggie bags" as well as foil left over from our favors, and the gem strand that was wrapped around our cake.
My little cousin refused to give out high fives to the newest family member!

Thanks for sharing in Mike and Courtney's October 21st, 2006 Baseball/Fall Vineyard wedding in Pittsburgh, PA at PNC Park!

I’m happy to announce that PhotoNaturalist celebrates its first birthday today (February 2, 2010). I launched this site exactly one year ago today, and I must say it’s been an amazingly fun year! In our first year, we went from zero to 1800 subscribers and had more than 40,000 unique visitors. To all of you [...] Related posts:

1. Top 10 PhotoNaturalist posts of 2009
2. Happy Holidays from PhotoNaturalist!
3. Send us your questions and photos for our first podcast!

HappyYaps is looking for a few additional pet lovers to join our small team!

 

We are a small, premier, well established, professional Pet Sitting & Dog Walking organization serving the Northern Virginia area. We are currently seeking to fill permanent part-time positions (15 - 30 hrs per week) for Independent Contractors. This is a great way to earn supplemental income (PET SITTER: $500 - $2,200 per month. DOG WALKER: $800 - $3,000 per month).

 

If you truly have a heartfelt love for animals, are mature, extremely reliable, detail-oriented, self motivated, pleasant to work with, committed to excellent customer service and would like to become part of our close-knit HappyYaps team, this may be your dream job!

 

We have an extensive program to ensure that each person on our team is fully comfortable before being on their own with pets or clients. We ARE NOT a franchise type of pet sitting company that makes our team find their own clients. We maintain a very supportive, honest, friendly and professional work environment. We are licensed, bonded and insured, and are members of The National Association of Pet Sitters.

 

HappyYaps is hiring for the following types of positions:

 

 

1. Dog Walker (McLean, Falls Church, Vienna, Springfield, Bethesda, Cabin John) visit and walk dogs during the day. You must be available between 11:00 am to 3:00 pm EVERY weekday, Monday-Friday and live in the Northern Virginia area. We only provide individual dog walks to our clients; we do not provide group dog walks and a truck is not needed.

 

2. Vacation Pet Sitter (McLean, Falls Church, Vienna, Springfield, Bethesda, Cabin John)Available to stay in clients home from 7pm to 9am to walk, play, feed and be responsible their pets (mainly cats and dogs) and their home.  You must primarily be available at least two weekends a month and most holidays. Only one sitter provides the entire service for each client while they are on vacation.

 

 

 

 

JOB REQUIREMENTS again, unfortunately there are no exceptions. Please do not apply unless you meet ALL the following criteria:  

 

1) Absolutely love pets!!! Previous pet care experience is desired but not required. What IS essential is a commitment to the happiness and well being of animals, as well as a basic understanding of how to interact with dogs and cats.

2) Have a consistent schedule over a long period of time (students do not usually work out as their schedules change every semester)

3) Currently live and plan to remain in the Northern Virginia area.

4) Be physically fit for the job - (i.e. walking dogs for several hours a day in various terrain, bending, climbing stairs, etc.)

6) At least 18 years old (mature adults are strongly encouraged to apply!)

7) Willing to commit to the position for at least 1 year

8) Have an extremely reliable automobile.

9) Have Internet access, computer and working printer in your home, as well as basic user ability

10) Have or be willing to obtain a cell phone

11) Be able to pass a thorough, detailed background check

12) Understand that there is a slow initial ramp up of work as new team members are oriented and assigned new clients

13) Be familiar with (or willing to learn) online mapping tools and local geography

14) Enjoy being outside in all weather (dogs like to be walked even in the rain!)

15) Be mature, professional, and utterly responsible (and fun to work with!)

16) Have loads of common sense and integrity

17) Be organized and work well independently as well as with team members.

18) Understand and be eager to accommodate clients who expect an exacting level of detail in the care of their cherished pets.

19) Have a tidy appearance and habits (leave no trace at clients homes)

20) Have taken the time to review our website (www.happyyaps.com) to learn more about who we are and what we do!

21) As the final stage of the interview process, qualified candidates will be invited to join us on several walks or pet sits in order to better understand the details of the position.

 

If you think this could be for you please don't hesitate to contact us

 

sales@happyyaps.com

301-904-5655 ask for  CONTACT _Con-3906E4711 \c \s \l James Gardner

 

Look forward to having you as part of the team!

Every year on Groundhog Day, my friends--from when I was but a wee BoomTown (well, I am still wee)--call me with holidays greetings. Why? Because freakish child that I was, I actually threw an annual Groundhog Day Fest at school, complete with a cake--I used a rabbit-shaped pan, cut off its ears and added slivered almonds as teeth. So, as I take off to bake another cake with the kids--passing on a noble tradition--here are some videos to enjoy.

Filed under: Relationships, Luv Coach, Marriage, Infidelity

My husband and I have been married for a year and are expecting our first child in March. Before we got married, he broke up with me and started talking to another woman. After a week, he came back and we got married a few weeks later. After two months of marriage I found out that he was speaking to another woman through e-mails and text messages. He told her he regretted marrying me and loved her. He apologized to me and stopped speaking to her, so I forgave him. Since then, he has done the same thing numerous times with a few different women. The last incident was over the holidays when we were out of town visiting his family. I went through his phone and saw that he had been messaging the same woman he was speaking to the week we were broken up. She was in the same area visiting her family and he was telling her that he still dreams of being with her and all sorts of other things. When I confronted him, he again apologized and told me he loved me and that it won't happen again. After this last incident he agreed to go to a marriage counselor, but he has yet to set up an appointment or to even look into where we can go and what our insurance will cover. I can't trust him. I keep thinking about leaving him but I want to make things work, and I want my daughter to have her father in her life. I'm just at a loss of what to do and I don't know how much longer I can go on.

Andrea
It sounds like your husband wasn't ready to be in a committed relationship from the very beginning. His actions before and during the marriage show that he does not want to be in a monogamous relationship, and he is telling you loud and clear. Since he refuses to change and is unwilling to get help, he is letting you know that this is how he is going to operate whether you stay or go. The trust in your relationship is broken, and aside from telling you that it won't happen again, a promise that he has broken more than once, he is doing nothing to rebuild it. The question you have to ask yourself is do you want to raise a child in an unhappy household where they are witness to lying, cheating, anger, hurt, and betrayal? Your daughter will always have her father in her life whether you choose to stay or leave, as long as he is willing to be a father. It's time to get help and weigh your options before you make a move. I would recommend that you see a professional to help you sort through the beliefs that allowed you to ignore all the red flags and led you into a marriage with a man who cannot commit.

I have been married for 43 years and found out recently that my husband was talking to another woman at his job on his cell phone. I went to his work and told her not to call him anymore, and told him the same thing. He said they were just talking. I know that all he can do is talk, because of his sickness, but I can't understand why he would turn to another woman when he can't perform at home?

Daisy

You have answered your own question. He is turning to another woman because she is not aware of his inability to perform at home. In your eyes he is sick and therefore is not a 'whole man', but in the eyes of someone who does not know he is sick he may be perceived as a great man. Men need to feel confident in their abilities, be able to identify with the role of 'man' and feel needed by the ones they love. This is all part of fulfillment in love and in life. This does not excuse his behavior or choice to emotionally cheat. You did well to set boundaries, but if you want to heal the relationship and reconnect, you need to assess what you can do or say to uplift his ego and help him as he struggles to re-establish his identity with this illness.

 

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Happy Groundhog Day! Image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/doleted/Holidays/groundhog_day.jpg

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The featured bracelet is a 7". If you would like a custom size, just Convo me and I can make it to whatever size is your preference!

All StudioJewel purchases are carefully packaged in our cute brown gift boxes, wrapped in pink tissue and shipped within three business day of receiving payment.

Items ship 1st Class Mail or International Global Priority, excluding Sundays and holidays.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by!
lisa

I've been busy. Very busy. This time not because of presents to get and wrap or helping my little one with school stuff or the other holiday stuff that just makes you so busy you can't see straight in general. I've been busy because of normal stuff as well as getting food related articles going for another food site called Made in Kitchen.


You see back in early December I was sent an email asking if I would like to collaborate with them on their English version of Made in Kitchen (originally in Italian). My role would be to write for the English blog and to manage the Social Media portion (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). I did the only thing that felt right and jumped at this opportunity!

You might be wondering why I didn't say anything until now. Well that's for a couple of reasons. First, because I wanted to make sure everything was a go, seeing as we had the holidays in between and I didn't want to say anything unless I was very sure. Second, I really wanted to wait until it was closer for me to start posting over there before I said something about (the first couple of posts are up now if you would like to go check out the site!). Third, I did mention on twitter and my facebook fan page that I was going to be the web English Editor and Community manager a couple weeks ago :D.

As for the busy part, just thinking of ideas can be time consuming and considering I've been a ball of nerves doesn't help with it (if I wasn't a ball of nerves then I would be worried about me. I see nerves as a sign that I care about how well I do :) ). Luckily my brain has stopped stressing me out a little bit, now that I've finally been able to post some stuff as well share with people here about the whole thing and I'm just a bit more calm but still extremely excited!

Also I believe with the holidays out of the way and once I get into the groove of things with this new collaborative work, I'll be able to get back into posting more than once a week!

OK now that I'm done sharing my awesome news, I'll share some food!

I actually made this a few weeks ago, right after the Salmon En Croute challenge. I know I've posted quite a few times since then, but I just wanted to get some other more holiday type things up during December.

I even used the shortcrust pastry (pie dough) and arugula I had left over from the Salmon En Croute in this Pork Pot Pie.


Shortcrust pastry

450 gr (15.8 ounces or 3.2 cups ) of plain all purpose flour
200 gr ( 7 ounce) cold butter
pinch of salt

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. If you have a food processor you can use that as shown in the above video.

Stir in the salt, then add 2-3 tbsp of water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Wrap in cling film and chill while preparing the filling.

For best results make sure the butter is very cold.
(The above recipe is from my Salmon En Croute that I did for the December Daring Cooks Challenge.)

Cut your dough in half, and roll out one half to about 1/8th inch thickness and place on the bottom of a pie tin. put the other half back into the fridge to keep cool. The rolled out crust should hang over the edge of the tin, but don't trim it just yet as you need to get your filling ready first.


Pork and veggie Filling

1lb pork loin, cut in about 1 inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained
1 cup arugula, roughly chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms (canned will work if you don't have fresh)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes 
salt & pepper to taste

In a pan on medium heat add in olive oil, garlic, and onions. Let cook for about 2-3 minutes then add in pork and let it cook about 10 minutes.

While this is cooking add your potato cubes to a pan of boiling water to allow them to soften just enough so a fork will slide in fairly easy. Drain and set aside.

Back to your pan of pork, add in carrots, mushrooms, and arugula and turn off the heat. Add your potatoes to the pan and stir so they mixed together. Pour all of this into your pie tin.

Take out your other half of the pie crust and roll it out to about 1/8th inch and place on top of the meat mixture. The easiest way for me to do this is fold the pie crust in half, place it so the folded portion is in the middle of the pan then unfold it, so it covers the whole thing (this keeps it from tearing, which is what happens when I forget to do this extra little step :) ).

Trim around the outside of your pan with a knife, but make sure you leave a little bit on both crust edges so you can use a fork to crimp it so it will stay together. If for some reason something tears on your crust, use your bit of extra crust to patch it. Also remember to perforate the top of your pie, giving little holes around the pie (a knife works well) so the steam can come out.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F and place your tin on a cookie sheet (this isn't a must but it does work well if you are using a pie tin made of aluminum and not a more hardy version like a casserole dish or a real live sturdy pie tin).  Cook 30-45 minutes, turning half way through, or until crust is golden brown on top.


I actually was amazed at how well the little one ate this, though he wasn't happy with the carrots being cooked or of course the mushrooms. The hubby thought it was great, but would have preferred a different green to arugula. I thought it was great and will make it again, but will probably use fresh spinach instead of arugula as it will make the hubby happier :).

I mentioned this book during a giveaway last week: it’s a light and fun contemporary that’s sexy and poignant at some moments. Amanda Bauer is a pilot for her uncle’s small private aviation firm, and when a client cancels at the last minute, she has a flight of one instead of five from Pittsburgh to Chicago. It’s Halloween, and the client who cancels is one of her favorite people - an older lady who told her she had to dress in costume. So Amanda’s standing on the tarmac in a vintage flight attendant’s costume from the early 70s, complete with boots and hot pants. And her flight of one? A very good looking man named Reese Campbell. When she decides to accept his invitation to a Halloween party he’s attending for a prospective client of his company’s, and decides to try to instigate a one night stand, he’s all for it. The trouble is, there’s more than just hot pants between them. They actually like each other.

The problems were mostly questions of accuracy and infodumpage. I’ve joked that a duke can drive a Porsche to Almack’s and it won’t bother me a bit, but on contemporary romances I’m much more picky. But really, my irritation has mostly to do with dialogue. If characters speak in a way that is utterly unrealistic, I lose patience almost immediately. Dialogue is one of my favorite parts of fiction to read. It’s like eavesdropping for 300 pages. So when a character’s internal monologue is an infodump, I want to leave her head and go visit someone else’s.

First, the story opens with a whole lot of Amanda’s inner thoughts, and it can get supremely irritating, the amount of info dumpery that lives in this girl’s cranium. For example:

There was only one member of the Bauer clan who was at all like her: Uncle Frank. His motto was Live til your fuel tank is in the red and then keep on going. You can rest during your long dirt nap when you finally slide off the runway of life.

Live to the extreme, take chances, go places, don’t wait for anything you want, go out and find it or make it happen. And never let anyone tie you down.

You think she has that stitched on a sampler somewhere? On the side of a barn maybe? Because damn. That’s a lot of motto.

(Also, and I could be wrong here, but is it possible that she can fly a private plane but not always have to file a flight plan. She decides spur of the moment to head off in the small jet she flies - and isn’t that a problem without alerting the FAA or something? Isn’t there some required paperwork? It’s not like you can just jump in the jet and go, is it?)

ETA: I stand corrected! Yes, you can hop in the plane and go. This makes me exceedingly antsy to get a pilot’s license, let me tell you.

Amanda’s problem, emotionally speaking, is one I don’t see too often in a romance heroine: she is very unwilling to get close to people or to become emotionally vulnerable to them. She’ll get horny pants but that’s all. Once her pants are back on, she’s outta there. It’s something of a role reversal against the typical emotional hesitance of the hero. But in Amanda’s case, not only has she left a few broken hearts in her past, but she’s had a few too-intense relationships, too, that have ended badly. A few of her exes even started Facebook groups about her and her leave-‘em (sans love-em) ways (ouch). So immediately after getting all this info dumping, the reader has to adjust to a not-flattering portrait of the heroine, and then decide whether Amanda can earn her happy ending from the somewhat-heartless introduction she’s given.

I hope readers keep going with the story. Amanda is a lot of fun. She’s adventurous, funny, silly and sharp, even when she’s trying to resist her attraction to Reese. Their banter is sometimes charming, and sometimes hot - or both. Their relationship takes place over holiday weekends, from minor holidays to major events like New Year’s. Each interlude is a bit of travel - which is no sweat for Amanda since she’s a pilot - and involves role playing, whether she pulls him over dressed as a police officer or ties him up in their hotel room. She’s got massive hornypants for Reese, and he’s got equally tense trousers for her - but he’s also totally charmed by her and wants more than just sex. Bit by bit Reese gets to know Amanda, and he’s aware that he’s treading a delicate route to a real relationship:

“No pressure, no hidden meanings, just food,” he said, coaxing her as carefully as he would a wild bird with a piece of bread. “You can choose where we go. As long as it’s someplace that serves red meat, I’ll take it.”
      She nibbled her bottom lip, than finally said, “Do you consider pepperoni red meat? Because I could really go for some pizza.”
      He almost breathed a sigh of relief. Both that she’d said yes, and that she wasn’t a woman who liked to play bunny and nibble on a few carrots and pieces of lettuce and call it a meal.
      “Perfect.” 
 She managed a weak smile. “You say that a lot.”
      “You are that a lot.”
      He met her stare in the mirror. Amanda didn’t exactly pull away at the gentle push into more personal, intimate territory that fell out of the boundaries of their sexy games. But the muscles beneath the silky skin tensed ever-so-slightly. Enough to warn him to back off.

His ability to be so gentle in his approach, even when their sexual escapades aren’t gentle in the least, wears down Amanda’s defenses. Plus, the two of them have some crazy sex. Role playing, costumes, different locations - these two are seriously hot for each other, and her attempts to deny her feelings and his attempts to camouflage his own make it even hotter between them.

They’re also very similar to one another. Both Reese and Amanda are shaped by their families - Reese because he’s responsible for his and Amanda because she was stifled and rejected by hers - and both have past baggage to overcome, including loss, mourning, and responsibility. His loyalty to his family extends to include her, and she’s not used to having someone take care of her, or even take an interest in her.

The emotional challenges between them are more than enough to battle in the course of the book, which is why I’m not sure why there’s a strange suspense-y element thrown in there because it doesn’t fit much, except to create problems for them and for his family. But the funny moments outweigh the WTF? moments, and by the end of the book, I was rooting for Amanda and for Reese. I enjoyed their scenes together, and the fun and adventure they had in their relationship before they were ready to call it a relationship. Even with the uneven moments, this was a fun, light, and funny book.

---

Play With Me is available on its own from Amazon, Book Depository and Powell’s.

It is also part of The Blaze Collection, available from Amazon, Book Depository and Powell’s.

 

• Restaurants are expecting good business over Valentine's Day and President's Day. [Crain's]

• The London outpost of Bar Boulud is slated to open on May 15. [Bloomberg]

• The owner of Montauk's Deep Hollow Ranch was arrested in Florida for eating a package of raw beef while shopping in a supermarket. [Curbed Hamptons]

• Newly crowned Miss America Caressa Cameron is the spokesperson for IHOP's National Pancake Day. [NRN]

• The Chinese government is conducting a 10-day emergency inspection of dairy products after learning that melamine-tainted foods from 2008 are still on the market. [NYT]

• School lunch advocates are unhappy about the modest $1 billion increase (which must be split with WIC) in funding in Obama's budget,. [Diner's Journal/NYT]

Read more posts by Leila Cohan

Filed Under: mediavore, bar boulud, deep hollow ranch, ihop

Has anyone else noticed the huge diamond ring on Kristen Bell's engagement finger lately? Well everyone on the Grammy Awards red carpet sure did! Kristen and her boyfriend Dax Shepard announced that they have been engaged since the holidays, when everyone started asking Kristen questions about the sparkly ring on her finger! How sneaky, they didn't tell us before! We are so happy for them! (Source: People)

Related articles
Kristen Bell's Premiere Dress - Hit or Miss?
Kristen Bell's Summer Loving!
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard heading for the aisle?!
Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard only have eyes for each other!

For so long, Alaska had to suffer silently as the lower 48 celebrated Groundhog’s day, completely oblivious to Alaska’s dearth of that particular rodent. Fortunately for Alaskans, the score has finally been settled. Before “going rogue,” Sarah Palin signed a bill into law making Feb. 2 Marmot Day. The groundhog’s monopoly on critter themed holidays is broken!

(via AP)

More on Alaska.

Photo credit: Fotolia

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About this job.

We have a job opening for a PHP/JavaScript/HTML lead developer in our downtown Seattle office. We publish the Windows Secrets Newsletter, an e-mail publication with more than 400,000 opt-in subscribers. We also operate a large discussion board, the Windows Secrets Lounge, which contains more than 700,000 posts on technology subjects. Our goal is to make these two resources the best possible place for technology professionals and PC power users to exchange information and learn the latest tricks.

This is a full-time, Monday through Friday position in our downtown Seattle office. Our hours are flexible, however. Some of us like to start at 9 a.m., while others prefer to start at 10. Everyone's different, and that's fine. If you occasionally need an afternoon off for personal stuff or whatever, that's easy for us to accommodate, too.

This position involves leadership of a small team of developers on a public-facing Web site with more than 125,000 pages of content. Please don't apply for this position if your primary career experience is as a lone coder or developer. Please apply only if you have years of previous experience in a collaborative job environment where you personally developed PHP and MySQL code while also supervising a small team using a structured development methodology.

Job benefits:

• A real 40-hour week. This isn't one of those crushing, 60-hour dot-com jobs. We work a maximum of 40 hours per week, because work/life balance is important to us. We actually pay overtime for every minute above 40 hours, but it almost never happens. We all need time to smell the roses.
  
  
• Health insurance. We make sure that everyone who works here has health insurance. To achieve this, we pay a monthly subsidy, and we encourage everyone to open a health savings account (HSA), which we contribute to.
  
  
• Paid holidays. Everyone gets all Federal holidays off with pay. Plus, you also get 10 paid vacation days after the first year, 15 paid vacation days each year after that, and six paid sick days if you're ill during any given year.
  
  
• We match Microsoft's liquidity policy. We pay for all the caffeinated beverages you can drink!
  

Skill requirements:

We consider this to be a great place to work, so we're looking for a great candidate. The requirements of the successful candidate will be:

• Extensive knowledge of JavaScript, CSS, and HTML
  
• At least three years of professional experience with PHP, MySQL, and Web services
  
• Knowledge of SVN and regular expressions would be a plus
  
• Excellent written communication skills and knowledge of English
  
• Familiarity with IP.Board and user-interface skins would be helpful
  

Educational requirements: none.

We couldn't care less whether you graduated from MIT or you learned to code in a cave. If you're a great code jockey, we want to talk with you.

A better-than-competitive pay scale.

We pay the going rates, perhaps even a little more to keep you happy.

We bring investigative journalism to the Web.

WindowsSecrets.com generates more than 1 million page views per month. We're dedicated to investigative journalism on the computer industry. Because we concentrate on quality writing, a large number of our readers pay for the longer, premium version of our newsletter. Their financial contributions enable us to research and publish breaking news.

Among many stories we've covered, we were the first to report that Windows Update was silently installing executable files, even on systems with auto-installs turned off:

Microsoft updates Windows without users' consent (Sept. 13, 2007)
http://WindowsSecrets.com/2007/09/13/01

We also broke the story that Vista SP1 includes a hidden back door that makes clean installs of the upgrade version possible:

It's official: upgrade hack included in Vista SP1 (Apr. 3, 2008)
http://WindowsSecrets.com/2008/04/03/01

Among other things, we've developed in-house not one but two search engines. One is coded in PHP and queries approximately 10,000 articles we've posted in our library over the years. The other is an implementation of the Google API and queries a specific subset of Windows-related sites. Please see:

Windows Secrets search engines:
http://WindowsSecrets.com/search/

We built these capabilities because we found no search engine that was quite right for our needs. You can get high-level, hands-on experience in search technology by working with us.

A little about our staff.

Our editorial director, Brian Livingston, is the co-author of Windows Vista Secrets (Wiley Publishing) and 10 other technical books. He is a former contributing editor of InfoWorld, eWeek, CNET News, Datamation, and other outlets. MarketingSherpa, a research firm for the marketing industry, recently presented him with its Entrepreneur of the Year award in New York City at the 6th annual Internet Content Summit. For information, please see:

Entrepreneur of the Year:
http://bri.li/060508

Our regular columnists include:

• Fred Langa, the former editor of Byte magazine
  
• Woody Leonhard, a co-author of numerous Windows books
  
• Ian "Gizmo" Richards, former editor of the Support Alert Newsletter
  
• Susan Bradley, named by Microsoft an MVP in security
  
• Tracey Capen, former executive editor of reviews for PC World magazine
  

Please visit our Web site and discussion board: http://WindowsSecrets.com

http://Lounge.WindowsSecrets.com

We do a lot with a small core team. Our development and editorial professionals come to work each day to uncover new secrets to reveal to the world. This position involves working collaboratively, five days a week, in our downtown Seattle headquarters. Our office is adjacent to the transit tunnel (Westlake Station), so it's easy to get here without a car. Sorry, but we cannot accept applications from those who live outside the Seattle area or wish to work from home.

How to apply for this job:

• Send us an e-mail message. Keep the body of your message under 250 words. First, tell us your passion: what excites you about development and the Web. Second, describe your preferred development methodology or methodologies. Third, tell us about projects you've coded and managed in which your team delivered discussion software and database-driven Web sites.
  
  
• Tell us your salary requirement. Your salary requirement is the amount per year that would make you happy to work with us indefinitely. Tell us the minimum number of dollars per year you need, assuming 40 hours per week for 52 weeks.
  
  
• Attach a résumé in .pdf or .rtf format. If your résumé is currently in .doc format, simply use your word processor to save the file as .rtf. This removes potentially dangerous macros but retains formatting.
  
  
• Send your e-mail to: Job (at) WindowsSecrets.com
  

If you're selected for an interview, we'll call you to arrange a time. We'll notify all applicants of their status within four to six weeks.

Thanks for your interest!

WindowsSecrets.com

About this job.

We have a job opening for a PHP/JavaScript/HTML lead developer in our downtown Seattle office. We publish the Windows Secrets Newsletter, an e-mail publication with more than 400,000 opt-in subscribers. We also operate a large discussion board, the Windows Secrets Lounge, which contains more than 700,000 posts on technology subjects. Our goal is to make these two resources the best possible place for technology professionals and PC power users to exchange information and learn the latest tricks.

This is a full-time, Monday through Friday position in our downtown Seattle office. Our hours are flexible, however. Some of us like to start at 9 a.m., while others prefer to start at 10. Everyone's different, and that's fine. If you occasionally need an afternoon off for personal stuff or whatever, that's easy for us to accommodate, too.

This position involves leadership of a small team of developers on a public-facing Web site with more than 125,000 pages of content. Please don't apply for this position if your primarily career experience is as a lone coder or developer. Please apply only if have years of previous experience in a collaborative job environment where you personally developed PHP and MySQL code while also supervising a small team using a structured development methodology.

Job benefits:

• A real 40-hour week. This isn't one of those crushing, 60-hour dot-com jobs. We work a maximum of 40 hours per week, because work/life balance is important to us. We actually pay overtime for every minute above 40 hours, but it almost never happens. We all need time to smell the roses.
  
  
• Health insurance. We make sure that everyone who works here has health insurance. To achieve this, we pay a monthly subsidy, and we encourage everyone to open a health savings account (HSA), which we contribute to.
  
  
• Paid holidays. Everyone gets all Federal holidays off with pay. Plus, you also get 10 paid vacation days after the first year, 15 paid vacation days each year after that, and six paid sick days if you're ill during any given year.
  
  
• We match Microsoft's liquidity policy. We pay for all the caffeinated beverages you can drink!
  

Skill requirements:

We consider this to be a great place to work, so we're looking for a great candidate. The requirements of the successful candidate will be:

• Extensive knowledge of JavaScript, CSS, and HTML
  
• At least three years of professional experience with PHP, MySQL, and Web services
  
• Knowledge of SVN and regular expressions would be a plus
  
• Excellent written communication skills and knowledge of English
  
• Familiarity with IP.Board and user-interface skins would be helpful
  

Educational requirements: none.

We couldn't care less whether you graduated from MIT or you learned to code in a cave. If you're a great code jockey, we want to talk with you.

A better-than-competitive pay scale.

We pay the going rates, perhaps even a little more to keep you happy.

We bring investigative journalism to the Web.

WindowsSecrets.com generates more than 1 million page views per month. We're dedicated to investigative journalism on the computer industry. Because we concentrate on quality writing, a large number of our readers pay for the longer, premium version of our newsletter. Their financial contributions enable us to research and publish breaking news.

Among many stories we've covered, we were the first to report that Windows Update was silently installing executable files, even on systems with auto-installs turned off:

Microsoft updates Windows without users' consent (Sept. 13, 2007)
http://WindowsSecrets.com/2007/09/13/01

We also broke the story that Vista SP1 includes a hidden back door that makes clean installs of the upgrade version possible:

It's official: upgrade hack included in Vista SP1 (Apr. 3, 2008)
http://WindowsSecrets.com/2008/04/03/01

Among other things, we've developed in-house not one but two search engines. One is coded in PHP and queries approximately 10,000 articles we've posted in our library over the years. The other is an implementation of the Google API and queries a specific subset of Windows-related sites. Please see:

Windows Secrets search engines:
http://WindowsSecrets.com/search/

We built these capabilities because we found no search engine that was quite right for our needs. You can get high-level, hands-on experience in search technology by working with us.

A little about our staff.

Our editorial director, Brian Livingston, is the co-author of Windows Vista Secrets (Wiley Publishing) and 10 other technical books. He is a former contributing editor of InfoWorld, eWeek, CNET News, Datamation and other outlets. MarketingSherpa, a research firm for the marketing industry, recently presented him with its Entrepreneur of the Year award in New York City at the 6th annual Internet Content Summit. For information, please see:

Entrepreneur of the Year:
http://bri.li/060508

Our regular columnists include:

• Fred Langa, the former editor of Byte magazine
  
• Woody Leonhard, a co-author of numerous Windows books
  
• Ian "Gizmo" Richards, former editor of the Support Alert Newsletter
  
• Susan Bradley, named by Microsoft an MVP in security
  
• Tracey Capen, former executive editor of reviews for PC World magazine
  

Please visit our Web site and discussion board: http://WindowsSecrets.com

http://Lounge.WindowsSecrets.com

We do a lot with a small core team. Our development and editorial professionals come to work each day to uncover new secrets to reveal to the world. This position involves working collaboratively, five days a week, in our downtown Seattle headquarters. Our office is adjacent to the transit tunnel (Westlake Station), so it's easy to get here without a car. Sorry, but we cannot accept applications from those who live outside the Seattle area or wish to work from home.

How to apply for this job:

• Send us an e-mail message. Keep the body of your message under 250 words. First, tell us your passion: what excites you about development and the Web. Second, describe your preferred development methodology or methodologies. Third, tell us about projects you've coded and managed in which your team delivered discussion software and database-driven Web sites.
  
  
• Tell us your salary requirement. Your salary requirement is the amount per year that would make you happy to work with us indefinitely. Whether you're looking for a time-limited project or a permanent position, tell us the minimum number of dollars per year you need, assuming you worked 40 hours per week for 52 weeks.
  
  
• Attach a résumé in .pdf or .rtf format. If your résumé is currently in .doc format, simply use your word processor to save the file as .rtf. This removes potentially dangerous macros but retains formatting.
  
  
• Send your e-mail to: Job (at) WindowsSecrets.com
  

If you're selected for an interview, we'll call you to arrange a time. We'll notify all applicants of their status within four to six weeks.

Thanks for your interest!

WindowsSecrets.com

Kyle Design is a 28-year-old design studio in Livermore looking to fill a long-term full time position. We make contemporary decorative gifts and small home accessories for sale on our web site www.kyledesigns.com. Are you a quick, highly organized person with a positive attitude? Looking for an alternative to corporate America? Do you enjoy a fast-paced, friendly and creative environment? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

Duties include:
*Order processing and packing
*Invoicing
*Purchasing and receiving
*Answering two-line phone
*Helping customers who call in with questions and/or problems
*Answering emails
*Filing and general office help

Required skills:
*College degree.
*EXCELLENT FOLLOW-UP and CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS
*Comfortable and pleasant on the phone
*Enjoy helping customers
*Must have computer experience including Outlook, Excel and the Internet
*Good verbal and written communication skills.
*Efficient and accurate data entry – 10 Key preferred
*Ability to multi-task and work independently
*Willingness to learn
*Problem-solving and organizational skills
*Careful attention to detail
*Self-motivated with strong work ethic
*Positive attitude, reliable and honest
*Ability to lift 50 lbs.
*Prior office experience
*History of sustained employment with one firm or organization for at least 3 years (means no job hoppers please)

Benefits:
*Medical, paid holidays and vacation
*Some flexibility in work hours
*Casual dress
*Meaningful alternative to corporate America
*Working for woman artist in a happy, creative environment
*Stable, well-established 8-person company

Kyle Design is a thriving company where everyone pitches in to help wherever needed. M-F, 9-5:30. Full time position is 40 hours per week, but more hours are possible during our busy holiday season or as the company continues to grow. Salary range is based on experience and skill level.

Important: Please send resume AND cover letter explaining why this job appeals to you and why you would be an excellent fit.
Ad will be pulled as soon as position is filled.

 Name: Sunkiss Of Boon Breed: AQHA Color: Chestnut Height: 14-14.1 Age: 4/9/03 Price: 2000.00 payments are available. Discounted to 1500.00 thru 12/31/09 if paid for by the 31st. You may have seen the previous ads on Sunny. What you have not seen is Sunny herself. You can view her pedigree at this link: http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/sunkissofboon, she is Doc Bar bred top and bottom with Doc Bar on her papers. She is cow bred as well as racing lines. This mare is bred to be an athlete. She was used as a broodmare starting at the age of 3 y/o up through this summer when she had a filly. I have her 08 colt for viewing so you can see what type of foals she puts on the ground. She was sent out for professional training to TMCPerformanceHorses in Cuba NY (special thanks to Tonya for all of her hard work.) Sunny was absolutely clueless on day one. On her second week I went over to see and videotape her progress which the videos are available on our website. Sunny completed 30 days of training on 12/15/09. She has moved onto her next 30 days of training which she will complete on 1/15/10 and has made tremendous progress. She is an awesome little mare. She's short but she's built like a tank. She doesn't look like she's ever foaled. She's toning very well. She's UTD on everything. She will W/T/L, back, sidepass is being worked on, working on spins, deep stops, neckreining. She's built and bred for speed events. She wants and loves to work. Not suitable for anyone looking for a pleasure horse. She is bred for speed events and needs a confident rider. There are new videos of her taken on 12/22/09 showing her progress since 11/24/09. Check them out and check her out. She's available for viewing with appointment. Email or call 814-203-0966. Thank you and Happy Holidays. Check out the more information link below for her videos and more pictures.

Filed under: Celebrity, News, Celebrity Style

It wasn't only Katy Perry's new engagement ring that people were fixating on at last night's Grammys.

Adorable actress Kristen Bell surprised viewers with a little ring finger hardware of her own.

Indeed, Bell's rep confirmed, the actress' boyfriend of two years, comedian Dax Shepard, 35, popped the question over the holidays and Bell, 29, accepted.

Her glittering prize? According to Platinum Guild International, a gorgeous Neil Lane Platinum ring comprised of one emerald cut diamond, weighing in at over 3 carats, accented by smaller white diamonds.

Bell's fancy-colored sparkler perfectly complemented the dark Etro dress that she donned as one of the evening's presenters alongside Fergie's husband Josh Duhamel (Kristen's "When in Rome" co-star).

"Platinum holds diamonds more securely, which is especially important since you wear your engagement ring every day so you don't need to worry about the stone falling out," explains a spokesperson for Platinum Guild International of the popularity of platinum rings among celebrity couples. Platinum engagement rings and wedding bands will last forever since you don't lose any metal, making it heirloom jewelry.

It seems that the happy couple has been in a wedding state of mind of late; Shepard also stars in the just released romantic comedy alongside Bell and Duhamel.

Other celebrities also sporting Neil Lane engagement rings include Jennifer Hudson, Portia de Rossi and Bethenny Frankel, while fellow fans of the emerald cut include Beyoncé, Eva Longoria-Parker, Jessica Alba and Melania Trump.

Just how does Bell's rock stack up in the celebrity diamond ring arena? Take a look at our engagement ring gallery to find out.

Kristen Bell Flashes Her Engagement Ring at the Grammys originally appeared on StyleList on Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's now a week since Phil Daoust saw another human being, but he's not lonely – and he wouldn't have it any other way

You don't get many casual visitors where I live. Home is down a dirt track, three kilometres from the ­nearest village. The ­neighbours are five ­minutes' walk away, and when the woods are in leaf you can't see another building. By day you may hear a chainsaw in the distance; by night only the deer barking. I'm on my own here, if you don't count the cat, and right now it's a week since I saw another human.

But it's a beautiful spot, in a lovely bit of France, and every now and again a rambler will find his way to it. If I'm outside, and don't have time to hide, his first remark will usually be: "This is a little bit of heaven."

I'll feel a little bashful, as if I somehow shaped this world with my own talented hands, and then he'll say: "Mind you, I could never live here."

After seven years of this, I no longer ask why. Most people, it is clear, are happy to spend a few hours far from the crowds, but the thought of days or weeks like this fills them with dread. They'd be afraid, they say. They wouldn't be able to sleep. Most of all, they'd be lonely.

Now, I'm not an anchorite. I do have a car, a landline, an internet connection. Neighbours come for dinner, my daughter visits for long weekends, and in school holidays friends arrive with their kids. But when I explain this, it doesn't cut any ice. Poor sod, I see ­people thinking. He lives on his own. In this emptiness!

You know what, though? It can be marvellous. For some of us, as Anneli Rufus puts it, solitude is "just what we need, the way tuna need the sea. Here we are, not sad, not lonely, having the time of our lives."

You haven't heard of Rufus? She's the American author of Party of One: A Loners' Manifesto, a fierce defence of all us misunderstood and misrepresented independent spirits. Being alone, she says, "feels calming to me, and invigorating, and most of all ­normal. The rest of the world can get by without us".

What's so great about the life less shared? Let's start with a trivial ­example. I'm writing this article in my pyjamas, though it's late afternoon. I've brushed my teeth, and ­shuffled into some slippers, but I haven't washed or broken out the deodorant. If I shared my home with someone, I'd be dressed by now – not because I wanted to, but because it would be expected. If a stranger were to knock at the door, I'd probably feel obliged to make up some lie about being ill. That may seem like a petty hardship – it is a petty hardship – but so long as no one else suffers there's a lot to be said for doing precisely what you want, when you want, how you want.

Richard Byrd would back me up on that. In 1934 the great explorer spent five months alone in a hut in Antarctica, manning the southernmost outpost of an American expedition. His wife and four children were in the United States; the nearest human was 200km away. "I wanted something more than just ­privacy in the ­geographical sense," he explained in his bestselling book Alone. "I should be able to live exactly as I chose, ­obedient to no necessities but those imposed by wind and night and cold, and to no man's laws but my own."

After a few months of splendid ­isolation, Byrd felt able to draw some conclusions. "Solitude is an excellent laboratory in which to observe the ­extent to which manners and habits are conditioned by others," he wrote. "My table manners are atrocious – in this respect I've slipped back hundreds of years; in fact, I have no manners whatsoever. If I feel like it, I eat with my fingers, or out of a can, or standing up – in other words, whichever is ­easiest. What's left over, I just heave into the slop pail, close to my feet."

Is there anyone who lives on their own, with a sink full of dirty crockery, who can't relate to that?

Then there's the quiet. I moved from Britain to France to be nearer my daughter, who was growing up here with my ex. But if I ended up in such seclusion, it wasn't because I was a stupid foreigner leaping on the first shack the estate agent suggested. We loners are driven to escape the empty chatter that fills most lives. We may occasionally catch ourselves talking to our pets, or muttering when we can't do the crossword, but we don't want endless conversations about the price of Friskies, or how we thought it was going to be nice but actually it turned out a bit cloudy. We may not get round to thinking deep thoughts, plumbing the depths of our souls, getting in touch with our muses, but that will be down to indolence or insensitivity, not to the white noise that fills more ­sociable heads.

And every now and again, one of us does get round to producing that Great Work, like Sara Maitland with her Book of Silence. Divorced, her two children long since grown up and gone, she lives on a Scottish moor with a ­little dog called Zoe. Her neighbours are barn owls. She has no TV, radio, hi-fi or ­mobile phone, and tries to limit all social activities to six days a month. I attempted to have a chat with her, but – unsurprisingly – she never replied to my emails.

Maitland's book, however, ­explains how she, a deeply committed ­Christian, spends three hours a day praying. She has fallen in love with silence. It "can be calm or frightening, lonely or joyful, deep or thin. There is religious silence; a self-emptying silence, and romantic silence – what Wordsworth called the 'bliss of solitude'."

Socialising – as exhausting as giving blood

The bliss of solitude! When the man from Scotland on Sunday forced his presence on Maitland in 2008, he reported that she was hoping to spend the third Christmas in a row on her own. "Her life is, by modern standards, one of extraordinary isolation and ­self-denial," he wrote. "Maitland lives more like an early Christian monk or biblical hermit than a 21st-century woman."

If it wasn't for the fact that neither of them enjoys heart-to-hearts, she'd have plenty to chew over with Anneli Rufus. Rufus says she finds socialising as exhausting as giving blood: "After three hours I'm drained, even if I love the person I'm with. People assume we loners are misanthropes, just ­sitting thinking, 'Oh, people are such a bunch of assholes,' but it's really not like that. We just have a smaller tolerance for what it takes to be with others. It means having to perform. I get so tired of communicating."

Remarkably, Rufus a) is married, and b) lives with her husband. People call her a hypocrite, she says, but her husband's a loner too, and their lives are as separate as cohabiters' can be. "We don't have people over, or do things in groups, and when we're at home ­together we'll often be at different ends of the house. We're not here sitting talking all day and playing games."

Once you've finished with that ­vision of domestic bliss, meet another great introspector – the Canadian Bob Kull, who chronicled his own retreat from society in Solitude: Seeking ­Wisdom in Extremes. In 2001, Kull's desire to ­understand himself and the world took him to an uninhabited ­island off the coast of Chile, 150km from the nearest settlement. He spent just one year here, building a home, fishing, collecting firewood, pulling his own rotten teeth, getting in touch with nature. He had just one visit, from a group of officials checking that the "lunatic gringo" would ­survive the winter. It was hard and ­dangerous, especially for a middle-aged man with a prosthetic leg. As well as the ­elements and assorted injuries, he had to contend with mood swings. "We all carry some pretty dark shadow material in us, and it starts to bubble up," he says. But he got through it, though one call on the satellite phone would have brought a boat to whisk him away.

Rufus, Byrd, Maitland, Kull, all those round-the-world sailors, all those buckskinned mavericks who trapped and traded their way across the New World: they show that solitude can be not just survived but embraced. It helps, of course, that this was something they chose. It must be immeasurably harder if you find yourself alone because of bereavement, old age, or the end of a love affair.

Last Christmas, half a million ­elderly Britons reportedly had no one to celebrate with. "I've had some very good friends in my time," one 89-year-old told Radio 4. "They're all bloody dead." That's not a life anyone would envy. Nor would you want to cut yourself off from the world when your health begins to fail. Yet most people find it hard to contemplate even the kind of watered-down, voluntary ­solitude that my life consists of. ­"People who are not this way really don't get it," Rufus suggests. "And when you don't understand something you fear it."

According to the anthropologist Robert Sussman, humans evolved not as hunters – as we like to imagine – but as prey, easy meat for wild dogs, ­crocodiles and hyenas. We became "social animals", as biologists describe us, not to catch dinner, but to avoid ­becoming it – out of fear, in other words. Perhaps that fear still marks us, and perhaps that's why we still feel uneasy when there's no one around to watch our backs.

I asked a few friends when they had last spent 24 hours without human company. "That's a tough one," one 40-year-old woman said. "A whole day, you mean?" No, a whole day, evening and night. "I simply couldn't!" She has a young son, which would make things difficult right now, but what about before he came along? "Twenty-four hours, without seeing anyone at all? It's never happened to me." Elsewhere, a few people suggested that, they guessed, it might possibly, perhaps have occurred a decade or two ago, when they were living on their own, or sharing with friends who had pushed off for the weekend. They were definitely ill, or they'd have invited someone over, or gone a-visiting.

Are people uncomfortable with solitude because they so rarely experience it, or do they so rarely experience it ­because they are uncomfortable with it? What is clear is that most of us persist in equating aloneness with loneliness, and company with companionship, despite a lifetime of evidence to the contrary. "We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers," is how Henry David Thoreau put it after two years as the sole inhabitant of a house he had built in the Massachusetts woods. You're never more alone than when you're in a crowd. A cliche, perhaps, but most of us recognise the truth in it.

Before moving to the back of beyond, I spent almost 40 years ­surrounded by people, first as one of five children, then in shared houses, and finally in a succession of London flats. I had girlfriends, a daughter, flatmates, people to the left of me, people to the right of me, people in front, behind and, in the more pleasant moments, under or on top of me. I sometimes feel unloved now, but I sometimes felt unloved then. Doesn't everyone?

Do explorers and hermits miss those they leave behind? Of course they do. "I can't take my loneliness ­casually," Byrd wrote. "It is too big. But I must not dwell on it. Otherwise I am undone." Maitland admits: "There are times when you need somebody's hand to hold."

'You're not responsible to anyone but yourself'

But the reality of solitude is often less daunting than the perception. During his year on the desert island, Kull, a likable man, was buffeted by loneliness. It didn't help that he had begun a "pretty intense" love affair in the time between planning his ­retreat and embarking upon it. But he came to regard his longings as a storm that would sweep in, turn everything ­upside down, then sweep out again. The best thing was simply to enjoy the spectacle: "Instead of running from that feeling of loneliness, whenever I allow myself to settle into it, and really, fully experience it, it opens out into a sense of wonder and peace." After three or four months, he recalls, "I became more engaged with the world around me – the trees, the ocean, the sky. My whole orientation changed. We are social beings – there's no doubt of that. But even when we're alone, we're engaging with the world."

In the 1980s and 90s a British man called Les Powles sailed three times round the world – always single-handedly, once non-stop. He couldn't afford a radio transmitter, and on his greatest adventure he didn't speak to anyone for 329 days. At 84, his ­circumnavigating days are now behind him, but he still lives on his boat, the Solitaire. What's the ­appeal of sailing, I asked him. "It's the solitude. When you're out at sea on your own, there's no government or bankers to worry about. You're not ­responsible to anyone but yourself."

Powles has been married twice, and has friends in many countries. Doesn't he miss people? "I get lonely at ­airports, or saying goodbye to somebody, but not when I'm at sea. There's no comparisons, you see. I'm not ­seeing people with their families. I'm so isolated out there."

There was one moment on that non-stop trip when Powles ended up in tears – on Christmas Day, just off ­Australia, with his transistor radio picking up some seasonal nonsense. Friends in Britain had given him a ­special meal to open on the day, ­complete with greetings card. "I was lonely then, I must ­admit. I just wanted to say 'Merry Christmas' to someone." But he'd recovered by the time he reached dry land. "When I got back," he says, "I would have happily set off again."

And that's after almost a year of proper hardcore solitude, the sort so few of us will ever experience. The worst we have to fear is a kind of ­solitude lite, where even if we don't see anyone for a few days, we still have the phone, email, Facebook, instant ­messaging, Twitter.

It's a great life if you don't weaken. Every now and again, the need to scratch out a living forces me out of my lair. "A week in London," I tell myself. "I can do that standing on my head." And, to tell the truth, I can. I enjoy the chance to catch up with people. Like many loners, I don't have that many friends, but the ones I do have, I value. I talk with them, eat with them, drink with them – all those things normal people do. Still, whenever I return home, it's with relief that I shut the door on the world. It's a fantastic place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm ­going to put on my warmest coat, grab a beer and go outside to watch the sun go down. We loners love our rituals, and this is something I try to do come rain, shine or biting cold. I'll be on my own, of course, but channelling ­Richard Byrd.

On April 14 1934, with the temperature far below zero, Byrd enjoyed a magical sunset, the ice like platinum, Venus an "unblinking diamond" in the sky. "I paused to listen to the silence," Byrd wrote. "My breath, crystallised as it passed my cheeks, drifted on a breeze gentler than a whisper . . . The day was dying, the night being born – but with great peace . . . In that instant I could feel no doubt of man's oneness with the universe."

There was, you will note, no one standing beside him complaining about the weather.

I’ve been a bit quiet on the blog since the holidays (thanks Ben for giving me the push I needed ;)) – so apologies if I haven’t answered your questions.  I did have a bit of a catch up today, so there may be some new answers.  I’ve also seen a few direct e-mails from the blog and have answered some – but will re-set expectations here – I don’t always have a chance to respond to these.

I will be making a couple of posts in the next day or two with details of two new local language blogs for Spanish and French – with a German one following soon!

Other news this week:

• From the Project Programmability blog – new 2010 impersonation article and availability of a Project Server 2010 VM
• Webcast this Wednesday – overview of Project Server 2010
• • Microsoft Project 2010 Webcast: Project Server 2010 Overview
    Pradeep GanapathyRaj, Senior Program Manager Lead, Microsoft
  • Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Time: 7:00am – 8:00am PST
  • Register now for this session!
• The Project blog has a new look and continues the excellent 2010 series with an article on the new grid
• The Project Admin blog continues with 2010 topics – and also has an article on the new partner community work for the new release.
• Christophe has been really busy on the blog, between his various world-wide 2010 training deliveries – and my favorite was the complete list of great RSS feeds for project complete with opml file!

As we approach the home straight on Project 2010 I will be making more frequent posts, as well as some guest appearances on the Admin blog.  This release is going to be great!

Cleaner/Server/Floater
Christian Daycare needs assistant that will set up lunches and snacks, clean up; clean & sanitize 2-3 classrooms and bathrooms daily, mop floors daily. Must also fill in for teachers, change diapers and assist teachers in caring for children in a loving, Christian manner.

Must be detail oriented for cleaning. Must be energetic and able to lift 40 pounds. We are looking for a team player with a happy and positive attitude.
Non-smoker, clean, neat, punctual and organized.
Need food handler's permit, first aid/CPR for children, blood borne pathogens, and pass a background check (can all be acquired after employment).

Essential Functions:
•Prepare and serve children’s lunches and snacks, clean up
•Clean and sanitize lunchroom, nap room, 2-3 classrooms, hallways and bathrooms
•Float teacher, closing shift
•Assess the needs of the children and plan accordingly
•Provide information to parents about their child’s day
•Attend staff meetings
•Be familiar with and follow staff handbook

Qualifications
• At least 2 years experience working with children is a plus
• Must have current cpr/first aid, food handlers permit, proof of negative t.b. test and completion of blood borne pathogens training, can be acquired after starting
• Successfully complete a criminal history check with fingerprinting
• Successfully pass TB test

Personal Attributes:
1. Ability to work with children in a positive, caring and loving manner, model Christian virtues
2. Ability to meet social/emotional/academic needs of children
3. Ability to develop partnerships with parents and peers
4. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
5. Good organizational and problem solving skills
6. Punctual and clean in appearance
7. Attention to detail is a must!

Compensation
• Salary Range: $ 9.00 - $ 10.00 hour/DOE
• Forty hour work week, M-F 9:30-6:00
• One week paid vacation after one year
• Six paid holidays/yr (after first three months employment)
• Medical/Dental Insurance available after three months employment
• Tuition reimbursement for STARS Training

Check out our website: www.treeoflifedaycare.org
Contact Michelle McClusky, Director
E-mail resume

Because It's Never Too Soon To Look Back

I learned my lesson last year, boy, and I am never letting the holidays sneak up on me again.

It seemed like I had just packed away the last of the Arbor Day acorn launchers and flying-squirrel suits when - BAM! - there was Mr. Turkey knocking on my door. (A deeply disturbing incident, by the way, and by far my least favorite memory of Thanksgiving.)

Nope, this year I am getting the jump on the holiday season. When it's time to review the year's triumphs and tragedies...its challenges and lessons learned...man, I'll be ready. So here goes:




The Good Times

• Sweet parking all four times I went to the grocery store last Tuesday.

• That weird purple spot on my toenail finally grew all the way out. (Not the pinkie toe, the one next to it. What's that toe called, anyway? The ring toe? Pinkie-adjacent? Mr. Stubbs?)

• My favorite t-shirt - the one with Abe Vigoda wearing a Napoleon hat - finally turned up. How it got crammed into the bottom of that golf bag in the garage is anybody's guess.

• My bangs pointed the right way an average of 34% of 2010. (A significant improvement over last year's 26%!)

The Bad Times

• I ordered a book on Amazon.com and, although I paid extra for overnight delivery, the book did NOT, in fact, arrive until two days later. (Thanks to everyone for their support during this trying time.)

• The houseplant death toll continued to climb as we said farewell to Jerry "The Predicament" Ficus III. It seemed we'd just brought him home from Albertson's when his leaves began to turn brown and curl, leading us to scratch our heads and wonder yet again what it is that we're supposed to be giving these plants to keep them alive...?

• On January 17, an unexpected cloudburst resulted in almost 1/16 of an inch of rain, throwing the LA Metropolitan area into chaos and resulting in the Southland domestic threat level being elevated from sea foam green to a warm saffron.

• The Curried Bratwurst Incident - 5:57 p.m. Friday, January 22 through 9:18 p.m. Saturday, January 23.

This Just In!

I am honored and excited to announce that BlogHer has invited me to speak at BlogHer '10 - their annual conference - this summer in New York City!

I'll be part of the Humor-Writing panel on the conference's Writing Lab Track and will be talking about the craft of writing things that (please, God) make people laugh.

I'm happy to say that the very funny Jessica Bern of BernThis.com will be joining me on the panel. I don't yet know who the other two panelists will be, but when I do, I'll plug them. (That didn't come out right at all.)

I had a blast in Chicago last year as a BlogHer Room of Your Own speaker and I'm thrilled to be going to the 2010 conference. If you're wondering whether to make the trek to meet fellow bloggers in real life, I can tell you it's worth it. It was amazing last year to spend time with so many people I admire whose writing makes me laugh (and cry) again and again.

Want to know more? Click here...


Hope to see you there and thank you, BlogHer!

$8.50
New in the shop!

Featuring my original design "SNOW ON SNOW" "LITTLE VISITOR" & "HAVE JOY"
(cards and prints available in the shop)

Mix of all three designs: about 8 of each

Christmas adhesive gift tags for all your gifting needs. These labels have a full sticky backing, and are great on top of presents, gift bags, and envelopes.

Tags measure 2 x 3.5 inches.

Quantity: 25

Happy Holidays!

[Ed. note: This post is authored by Evan Jowers and Robert Kinney of Kinney Recruiting, sponsor of the Asia Chronicles. Kinney has made more placements of U.S. associates and partners in Asia than any other firm in the past two years. You can reach them by email: asia at kinneyrecruiting dot com.]

Evan here. Here's hoping that all our readers had a wonderful holiday season, now that we are back to work, at least until the upcoming Chinese New Year.

We are seeing continued improvement in interviews and hiring in Asia, mainly in HK / China. Of course the holidays put a stop to most interviews over the past few weeks, but interview activity should be higher this month and then after Chinese New Year than at any time in '09. This week, for example, my candidates overall are having about 5 interviews per day, either in-person, by phone or video conference. Some of these interviews have been with firms which were on solid hiring freeze all of '09 (firms that are just coming off hiring freeze are typically focusing mostly on cap markets hiring, due to the booming IPO market in HK / China). In fact we just made two HK placements at one wall street firm that was on hiring freeze from mid-'08 through November '09.

The most impressive junior to mid-level US associate candidates, with top 10 law firm and impressive top 10 law school grades, as well as language skills and personality fit, are almost assured of solid offers within 6 weeks of entering the market now, whereas last year things could drag out for 9 months or more. The very impressive associate candidates who are just slightly below the aforementioned on paper can also feel confident they can land in HK / China in this market, but hard to say whether it will be a few weeks or up to 4 months, as there are still many more solid US associate candidates on the market than there are positions available (your personal connections and / or the connections of your agent / recruiter in the market can make all the difference in timing and quality of offers).

As for meeting one of our Asia team, I will be in NYC next Monday through Wednesday and have some openings in my schedule. I will be back in NYC again Jan. 24 and 25 and Robert and I will be back in HK / China on Jan. 29. Yuliya is in Moscow and St. Petersburg for the next 9 months and Alexis is of course based permanently in HK.

If you are considering a move to Asia, it is important that you have an organized and well-thought out approach to your Asia job search. Of course, a big part of such an approach is to approach the right recruiter / agent for your representation in the market.

***More after the jump.

Yes, you should approach a recruiter / agent, rather than just go with whatever nice fellow or lady happens to call you with great news of Asia jobs in abundance (not quite true) or with a particular job at a stellar firm that they say is more suited for you than any other person (in many cases, the particular opening does not exist, but the "pitch" is a way to get your attention), based simply on your firm bio and Asian name. Who you should approach for potential representation should be based on a referral from a trusted source and not based on an ad (including this one) or a recruiter's self promotion. And once you meet by phone or in person a prospective recruiter / agent, don't feel pressured to choose that one based on a nice short chat and taking up a small amount of that person's time. Make that person prove to you that they actually have expertise and numerous relevant contacts in the Asia market(s) you are interested in. Ask for references of persons they have actually placed in Asia (we are not suggesting you should use us, but we can easily provide 50+ such references on a moment's notice), especially considering many so-called Asia focused US based recruiters have just entered that market and many of the Asia based recruiters have just started to recruit US attorneys (mainly focused on locally qualified attorneys).

Personality fit is very important, as is your belief that this person will work hard and diligently on your behalf, but without expertise and a lot of actual experience in your preferred market, all the charm in the world won't help much.

Try out my "3 hour test" strategy. Basically, if in your first chat with a potential recruiter / agent, you do not believe that person can talk informatively, enthusiastically and non-stop for 3+ hours about the market and particular firms and partners (their practice, goals, and personalities) you would potentially be working for, just move on to another prospect. Of course, you don't need to talk for 3+ hours! It is whether or not you believe the recruiter could have such a conversation if you wanted one (I have been on such 3+ hour calls before, so it can happen believe it or not). This industry is filled with good 10 to 20 minute introductions and claims (some otherwise uninformed recruiters are very talented at this sales pitch, which is no surprise considering your resume is typically worth more than US$50,000 to them if a placement is made), but for an overseas move you will need much more than someone who is only capable of emailing your resume around (you could do that yourself).

Also, you should feel comfortable in asking your chosen potential agent / recruiter to have discussions with you about your preferred Asia market for months (or even more than a year) before you begin any job applications. This is a major move after all and arguably the biggest move of your professional career and you should not feel pressured to rush into things. It is logical to start seriously thinking about such a move a year or so before actually starting a formal job search. Your recruiter will ultimately do very well by placing you in the future in Asia, so he / she should be more than happy to enthusiastically discuss the market and such a big move in detail for many months, if that is your preference, before you start your job search.

I strongly suggest that you use only one recruiter or recruiting firm to assist you in such a move, if possible. Sure, there unfortunately are situations that develop in a job search where you may lose faith in your first choice recruiter and need to turn to other help. The biglaw recruiting industry is filled with shady characters and, especially with regards to US to Asia biglaw recruiting, it is unfortunately common for US associates to be duped into thinking their chosen recruiter can get the job done for them. However, keep in mind that you are seriously hurting your job search efforts when you have multiple recruiters racing around to contact firms and competing with one another. It also makes you look desperate and unorganized. Our Asia team won't even consider to take part is such resume emailing races (we prefer to contact firms when not only we have permission from candidates of course, but when the timing is best at the particular firm, based on face to fact meetings we have with partners scheduled and also based on when a firm is truly ramping up efforts to consider new candidates), regardless of revenue we could lose.

Just today, one of my long-term candidates let me know that a recruiter called him yesterday with fantastic news about two very specific HK mid-level M&A; US associate openings perfect for him at two specific firms in HK. This was utter nonsense though because I am in close contact with both firms and coincidentally had been on the phone with partners at both within the past two days. One has no US associate needs in HK, while the other is only interested in cap markets juniors at this time.

Another of my long-term candidates let me know that a recruiter contacted him earlier this week with news of a mid-level PE / M&A; opening at a top US firm in BJ. When the candidate explained to the recruiter that he was already being represented by me and that he was aware of that potential opening (it is not active yet, but may be soon, as that firm's partners in BJ are trying to get clearance from firm management for such a hire) and has applied there, the recruiter then explained that in fact he is the exclusive recruiter on the search and that the candidate would have to send him his resume if he wanted to be considered for the opening.

The above two examples are just two of many examples of BS you will encounter on cold calls. I could go on and on with 100s of examples of more nonsense from some (certainly not all) cold caller recruiters trying to break into the Asia markets. Do yourself a big favor and stick with one recruiter that you trust and work with on a daily or weekly basis for the long-term (including well before you start your job search), rather than suddenly have another recruiter sending your resume around to firms, compromising the work that you and your primary recruiter have done for months. In a worse case scenario you might have an offer in limbo because of two recruiters claiming representation and partners wondering why and how you allowed this to happen. So the warning is simply use one recruiter if at all possible (an exception being in-house openings that usually are exclusive searches and not known by all top recruiters in the market).

The importance of using one recruiter is just one more reason why you should choose carefully and not simply respond to salesman Joe that calls you today with some great 10 to 20 minute pitch about how hot the HK / China market is and how they are close with a particular top US firm that is sure to be an interesting destination for you.

We are not saying that you should only consider Kinney, but that you should take your time and choose wisely and not allow yourself to be instead the chosen, at random, depending on who cold calls you at the right time. I am happy to recommend other very good recruiters (outside of Kinney) for the Asia markets if you would like such unbiased advice. At the end of the day you want to be able to make the most informed decision possible about which firm to join in Asia (or whether you should transfer within your own firm) and this ability all starts with making the most informed decision about who is representing you as your agent in the market. If you use a resume e-mailer or even worse multiple resume e-mailers, you may very well still get a solid offer, but your job / career options and confidence in your new position will be of course much more limited. There is no need to play a guessing game of chance, when a very well informed decision is quite possible.

Business - Employment - Recruitment and Staffing - Recruiter - Asia Chronicles

Imbolc is one of my favorite holy days. It is one of the four cross-quarter holidays, taking place halfway between a solstice and an equinox.

I love it because it’s when the plants start to return above ground. And boy, it hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday, how much I miss my green friends. And I am grateful for any reason to celebrate their return!

Really looking forward to the plants here. Everyday joys. First you get the little shoots, the crocuses around the middle of February. Then the dead nettle, the chickweed. Botanical names in Latin rolling through my head…

Soon, oh! the daffodils. Then the Bradford Pears… I would love to love all plants, but I have not learned to love Bradford pears yet. Meh. But the Redbuds! Cannot wait to see them bloom again.

Then the tulips, the mayapples, the elder. Starting the vegetable garden. Harvesting nettles, dandelion, mint, dividing and sharing raspberries and other lovelies. I do so love the warm months.

I can’t wait. Imbolc through summer Solstice is my favorite time of year, hands down. The feast of Brigid. I hope Brigid likes snow!

Mayapple, mid April

Lettuce, mid April. Delicious salads, oh boy!

Mustard greens & zucchini babe, late April

Peas, late May

Poppy, early June

Monarda, mid June

Raspberry, mid June

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go plan my garden! Blessed Imbolc.

This is the holiday schedule for China:

Holiday starts from: February 13
ends at: February 19

February 20 (Saturday), and 21 (Sunday) are working days!

P.S. Started to exercise in the gym downstairs. My food IS recovered.

Related Entries: Chinese Holidays

• Spring Festival 2009 January 31, 2010
• Nice Weather this Holiday October 9, 2009
• 2009 National Holiday Schedule September 29, 2009
• Happy Dragon Boat Festival May 28, 2009
• Fireworks and Yifan February 9, 2009
• End of Long Spring Festival Holiday January 31, 2009
• Chinese Zodiac January 25, 2009
• Happy Niu Year January 25, 2009
• Lantern (Yuanxiao) Festival February 21, 2008

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$150 of $1,025 raised.

Started raising funds on Jan 31, 2010

At 70 years of age, Elva María Ramos de Cueto is an active woman who lives in the neighborhood of Buenos Aires. She enjoys Carnival season, the time of year when a picturesque atmosphere sets the background for the most important cultural festival in the city. The Carnival of Barranquilla is also one of the happiest occasions in Colombia. Its popular and carefree style reflects the youthful spirit and creativity of the people of Barranquilla, making it an essential part of the Caribbean.

Once the Christmas holidays are over, Elva María and her daughter begin organizing her home business with all the decorations pertaining to Carnival, a mixture of the modern with the more traditional type that reflects the event’s origins. The tradition of Carnival was brought to the Americas from Spain and continues to promote the spirit of renewal and change that inspired this holiday season in Europe.

In addition to being known for her cheerful personality, Elva María is an enterprising woman who prepares snacks such as fried foods made of flour, arepas (flatbread served with various fillings or toppings), and caribañolas (dumplings made of cassava and potato dough, stuffed with meat and vegetables). She sells these snacks to stores and individually to neighbors in her area. Elva María also has a retail shop in her home that is stocked with stationery and various seasonal accessories worn by women and girls.

Her snack business was a tradition passed on to her by her mother, who also prepared these same products for sale. Elva María has added the most delicious desserts to her offerings, as she loves the art of cooking. She also sells sancocho (a traditional soup), but she noticed that many people in the neighborhood started prospering, so she suspended selling food temporarily so that she could open and organize the retail shop in her home. When this business started, her husband Joaquin Cueto traveled frequently for work since he was employed by a shipping company. Running a home business helped to make her feel that she was not alone. Today, her husband is retired and enjoys a peaceful and happy life.

Elva María has received three previous loans from Fundación Mario Santo Domingo and has repaid them all on time. She used the proceeds to purchase miscellaneous goods and supplies for preparing food at different times of the year: Christmas, Carnival season, Easter, etc. With the profits generated by her business, she has managed to make repairs and modifications to her home because her husband’s pension was used to pay for the completion of the work. This freed up her income to devote on other expenses such as food and services. Their joint incomes have also contributed to the success of her business. Her next loan in the amount of 2,000,000 COP will be used to stock her store with school supplies. She also plans to sell drinks, such as delicious and healthy juices, and popsicles made with milk and fruit and packed in plastic bags. Her customers will soon be able to taste these delightful treats in order to cool down from the high temperatures experienced on the Coast.

Elva María’s goal for her family in the midterm is to acquire a place at a commercial site so that she can use her home for storing the display cases that hold the merchandise displayed before customers. Her short-term goal is to buy a hot dog cart with a canopy; a bread and sausage steamer; inserts with lids for keeping onions, cheese, and potatoes; stainless steel containers for holding sauces; and an interior cupboard for storing bread. These items will be installed at the entrance of her business, which is already known for selling food and hosting the most anticipated costume party for the residents of the neighborhood, the famous “Lunes de Carnaval” that occurs on the third day of Carnival season. The party starts with the appearance of a large pick-up truck equipped with a sound box, six loudspeakers, two columns, three machines, eight transistors, an equalizer, and a three CD disk changer. The group “El Millo” begins the festivities with traditional Caribbean folk music. In this district of Barranquilla, this annual neighborhood tradition is now known as “the Party with the Cuetos”, named after Elva María’s family. The attendees of this great rumba festival only pay for the food and beverages offered by Elva María, so she is able to enjoy the party and still earn a little money.

Translated from Spanish by Ronan Reodica, Kiva Volunteer

Orson Welles's daughter gives touching insights on her father, says Caroline Boucher

It can be tough being the child of a star, and being the eldest of Orson Welles's three daughters was no exception. She got off to a pretty poor start when he elected to call her Christopher. "Wait and see, darling girl," he said. "The day will come when you'll love your name and thank your old father for having christened you while you were still in your mother's womb." As she chose to write the book under the name of Chris Welles Feder, it's safe to assume Welles Sr was wrong on that one.

It should have been a wonderful childhood, and much of the early part was. Born in 1938, Chris grew up in the golden years of Hollywood. Her adoring and fun father was around, even after he divorced her mother, actress Virginia Nicolson, in 1940. Next up was Rita Hayworth, whom he married in 1943, and weekends at her house were memorably happy for Chris. "Rita was everything a child could wish for in a stepmother: sweet-natured, affectionate, fun-loving and, in many ways, a child herself." Chris was freed from her Scottish nanny and strict mother for those magical weekends.

By 1947, Welles had left Hayworth and moved in with actress Geraldine Fitzgerald in the next-door Santa Monica house to Chris, her mother and stepfather. The two households got along fine. Welles was often in the garden writing – although he would soon leave for Europe and never return permanently. Chris would spend happy days playing with Geraldine's son, Michael Lindsay-Hogg (now a TV and theatre director). Years later when she met up with Geraldine in New York at an Orson Welles seminar, she was to speculate: "'Why should Michael want to be here?' I wanted to ask her. Did that mean the persistent rumours were true and Michael was my father's natural son?"

Shortly after this comparatively settled period, her father left for Italy and Chris was sent to Orson's old school in Illinois. From this point on her childhood effectively ended. Her morose mother married an uptight Englishman and settled in South Africa, readily adopting the attitudes of white South Africans in the 1950s. Chris could do no right in her new stepfather's eyes and, after an unhappy time at boarding school there, she was sent to a finishing school in Switzerland. She rarely saw her father, who was now married to his third wife, Paola Mori, with another daughter on the way. "The trouble is that Orson has no idea how to be your father," Chris's mother told her.

It was only as she got older that Chris began to realise the significance of her father's work and the regard in which it was held. The fans and autograph hunters exasperated her, although Orson treated them with the utmost courtesy. Often in restaurants – once at a picnic in a remote spot – people would strike up the theme from The Third Man.

But this is far from a bitter tale. There were woeful times when Orson would fail to show up and Chris would stand by the front door all day, waiting for the sound of his car, but he was a doting father when they were together and they had some wonderful holidays looking at art in Italy, and having lunch with the Oliviers at their English country house.

"Your father's death will liberate you in the long run," her brother-in-law told her, and he was right. But it had been a long time before she could step out of his shadow.

$400 of $450 raised.

Started raising funds on Jan 30, 2010

Monsieur Demba Gaye is a tailor, age 36, who lives on the outskirts of Guediawaye, more precisely in the Baye Laye 447 neighborhood. He has been a member of U-IMCEC since September 2007 and has already received three loans. He is married and the father of two children, 4 and 6 years old.

In 1985 he began to learn his trade. In 1990 he got his own tailor shop. Despite his performance in this trade, he never learned French, only the Koran. This is a choice he made freely and it is a great pleasure for him to sew beautiful boubous (traditional robes). But he is also very happy to earn a lot of money during the feast days at 'Tabaski', 'Korite' (Moslem holy days), and the New Year's holidays.

He is requesting a loan of 200,000 frs to use to buy a sixth sewing machine so that he can improve his equipment. In future, he foresees that he will need to enlarge his workshop since his business is beginning to grow.

Translated from French by Teresa Kramer, Kiva Volunteer

Before the holidays I mentioned that we received an ominous email from our venue indicating that they had "made some rearrangements" and "would no longer be able to comfortably fit some of the larger parties".

This week is a naughty little scene from our one and only book with a "Vampire" hero, London for the Holidays.

Contest is still the same: Read it, comment on what song you think is playing in the background and a winner will be chosen on Sunday at 5pm.

So? ready?

LONDON FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Stella and Audra Price
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance/Menage
Length: Novel
Races: Vampire, Fallen Angel, Conglacio(ice demon), werewolves
BUY NOW IN PRINT /BUY NOW IN E BOOK /BUY NOW IN KINDLE



Malcolm raised his eyebrow. “Tell us, pet... what would you like us to do?”

She knew she would have to bluff. She shrugged. “I think I’m going to take a stroll around the place, you know, take the tour.”

“More the pity,” Sam sighed heavily. “For a moment or two there I thought she wanted us both to fuck her. Now that would have been a wild night.” He shook his head.

Thisbe stood up and unbuttoned the shirt, her breasts now fully uncovered, and she stretched, shaking out her hair. She winked at Sam and turned. “I’m going to explore a bit, I think.” She strode across the room and then turned slightly. “I might get lost, sure I can’t get the tour?”

“Never let it be said that I’m one to turn down the offer of escorting a beautiful lady, especially while she’s in such a wicked state of undress.” Sam grinned, shooting up to his feet and offering her his arm. “Looks like you got yourself a stubborn one there, vamp. Although, it only proves my earlier point,” he told Mal smugly.

She looked at Sam. “Your point?”

“That you’re hurt and struggling for control of your life? That you’re trying to break through years of conditioning? That you need to be treated as more than just a plaything? That this is going to be a wild night?” He shrugged, his eyes glinting. “Take your pick, they’re all true. What you need are baby steps. Start with mutual fun... then move up to love and all that relationship stuff.”

“Who the hell says I want a relationship again?” She frowned and looked at Mal. “So, does Sam know his way around this place?”

“Hey, I didn’t tell you how long those baby steps had to take.”

Mal stood up, his scotch still in hand. “He seems to, though I don’t remember him ever being here before.”

“Umm, then he should know where the master bedroom is, shouldn’t he?”

Sam laughed next to her. “Kinking it up in the demon’s bed. Now that sounds like a plan.”

Thisbe giggled and looked at Mal, hoping. Truth was, she could have a worse night being alone with the fallen, but she wanted Mal in a way she couldn’t figure completely. She knew he could be hers, body and soul, whereas Sam was a ‘one night only’ kind of fun. Mal could be forever, and she wouldn’t chance that not coming to pass. “You going to steer me in the right direction? Or do I have to remind you that we have some unfinished business?”

Mal grinned up at her, banishing all fears of him not following. “Sure, pet. Just up the stairs.” He moved beside her to the side the fallen wasn’t currently occupying. “Then up another flight of stairs and the third room on the right. You really should see the view from the balcony,” he told her, his hand on the small of her back as he guided them towards the stairs.

She smirked. Right, like she gave a fig about the view, unless it was the two of them naked and sweaty with her. “Oh? And just how often have you spent time in the master bedroom? Dare I think I wouldn’t be your first there?” she asked with gusto, hoping to hide the growing disappointment if she wasn’t.

Mal chuckled. “I never take women home, pet. Least of all here. I think it’ll be my first time in the mansion, let alone in Taylor’s room.”

His quiet admission warmed her, and she turned to him and kissed him. The three of them went through the mansion into the main hall again, and she looked at the large horse made out of ice that was perpetually frozen on its pedestal to the left of the stairway. She regarded it carefully and reached out to touch it, feeling the pulse of Conglacio power that ran through it and kept it frozen. “Casha is quite talented,” she murmured.

The infusion of power made her nipples peak and she shivered, the energy coursing through her. They climbed the stairs, and as they took each step Malcolm got more comfortable, as did Sam, and both of them were stroking her skin with their thumbs. Mal stayed closer, though, and she reacted to him stronger than to Sam.

As they made it to the second landing, Mal unzipped her skirt from behind, and as she stepped again the skirt fell down. She stepped out of it and stood in her heels, happy to be naked again. She pulled away from them and bent down, picking up her skirt and giving them both a full show. She straightened, mounted the step, and turned to them, her hair wild around her head. “You two are way too relaxed, you know that?”

Sam grinned at her, his gaze moving lustfully over her body. “What do you expect?”

Mal pulled her against him, his hands slipping up to cup her breasts. “Love, we’re far from prudes here. It won’t have been the first time I’ve seen his ass. Though, granted, it’s never been in such delectable circumstance.” He nipped her neck between his teeth. “Besides, Sammy’s already drunk, the chance of him holding any memory of tonight come morning is slim.”

“I’m perfectly capable, you know... And my kind can’t overindulge. Oblivion isn’t granted to us,” he told them sullenly from across his glass.

“Mmmm, very true,” Mal grunted his direction. “Although, when mixed with severe blood letting and whatever else he’s been up to…” Mal whispered in her ear.

Thisbe giggled and rolled her hips, closing her eyes. “You of all people shouldn’t knock the bloodletting... I know I won’t.” She opened her eyes and smirked at Sam. “And I should hope I’m memorable... this is a one time deal, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Mal answered, his arms curling protectively around her.

“I’m not one to offer twice.” The fallen smiled, finishing his glass.

Malcolm’s arm was a most welcome weight. It was telling, in both how he felt about her and how he felt about a future. If there was one. Mal could be a longtime relationship, but the fact that he was Casha’s right hand man was a black mark on his record. Work and Cassiel would always come first, and Thisbe couldn’t deal with that anymore. But all of that was for later.

Sam was smirking at her from behind his glass and Mal was stroking her side, his hands rough and thrilling. She wasn’t sure if she was getting aroused from Sam’s looks or Mal’s actions, but she realized it didn’t really matter. She was going to have both of them and she wouldn’t have to choose.

She turned her head and bit Mal’s ear sweetly, then stepped away from him and walked up a few stairs, her hips swaying. “Good thing you don’t have to offer again then, isn’t it?”

“I’d say so.” The fallen stepped towards her, his lips mere inches from her own.

Thisbe leaned into him, then away slightly. feeling Malcolm come up behind her once more. She might be getting in over her head, but when in her life would she ever have a chance like this again? A vampire and a fallen both wanted her and had no qualms about it. Well, she wouldn’t either. Let tomorrow take care of itself.

Sam pressed his lips against hers in a kiss. Sam’s kiss was startling, his lips unyielding as he moved his body closer. She could feel exactly how she was affecting him and kissed him back, unashamed.

Thisbe moaned, and rolled her naked hips into them both—Sam in the front, her vampire lover from behind. She felt Mal’s hands on her breasts, his thumb and forefinger plucking and rolling her nipples. They were close to the room and she wasn’t sure they would make it, but she found she really didn’t care.

She could feel Mal’s lips kissing the nape of her neck, his teeth grazing her skin as he rasped his tongue slowly down her spine. It really was his touch that set her body to thrumming in a way her old lover never did. She relaxed between them and simultaneously reached back and palmed Malcolm’s groin, then moved her other hand forward to Sam’s zipper, lovingly stroking them both through the fabric. Where Malcolm was wearing rough jeans, Sam wore soft dress pants. Both of them were quite ready for her and her body clenched in delicious ways. “Hope you boys can take a little cold…” she murmured into Sam’s mouth.

“Oh, I think we’ll both manage.” Sam chuckled briefly into her before kissing her again.

Somehow they made it to the bedroom, though Thisbe had no clue as to how either of them managed it, what with the continuous touching and the fevered kisses from the front and behind. She had closed her eyes to revel in the sensations and opened them to a whole other scene, one of frigid beauty and stark familiarity. It vaguely reminded her of Levi’s bedroom, though where Levi had a room of blue and white, Cassiel’s master bedroom in the mansion was white and silver silks and satins. The bed, clearly meant to be used as a playground, dominated the space.

A seriously old four-poster, it had silver and organza material draped around the dark cherry wood. Thisbe knew Casha had taste, but this was way beyond that. She smirked, thinking it fitting that she would experience this in this perfect room, with two perfect men.

She giggled, feeling Malcolm’s fangs softly tickle the skin of her inner elbow, and broke her kiss with Sam, turning towards her vampire lover. “You are a tease, Mal, you know that. You are the only man so far to make me shiver.” She winked and set to work getting his pants open, Sam now behind her with his hands weighing her breasts. Malcolm had moved back to her neck and nipped and licked playfully as she worked his pants open and lifted his shirt.

Mal growled at her, grinning smugly as Sam rolled her nipples around with his fingers. “So far,” the fallen whispered into her neck.

She gasped and leaned into Mal, her breasts jutting out towards Sam’s caressing hands and she pulsed her power. Her nipples peaked to icy hardness. “Umm, Sam, you are close, but I think shudder is more the word for you.” She turned her head and kissed Malcolm, slipping her tongue into his mouth, purposefully nicking it on his sharp fang.

“In a good way, I hope,” Sam purred against her as Mal moaned, his whole body turning ridged with the first taste of her blood.

She kept kissing Mal, and reached back to Sam and grasped him through his pants, squeezing to let him know he was indeed much appreciated.

When she broke the kiss she licked her lip, the scant blood coating it ever so slightly.

“Mmm...” Sam smiled, leaving her to lay himself down on the bed. “Blood doesn’t just excite the vampire, you know...” He patted the space on the huge bed next to him. “Come lie down, love. It’ll make things so much easier. Although, the balcony is still an option. We could take you over that if you wish?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Both of you? That is a feat, I’m sure. I’m the meat of this sandwich, you decide.” She bit her bottom lip and stroked Mal, his pants open and his shirt now going over his head. She then turned to the bed and crawled on, kissing Sam with reckless abandon.

“I’m sure you’ll find more comfort in the bed.” the fallen told her, pulling off his own shirt.

Thisbe turned to lie on her back and watched as Sam’s almost golden skin came into view. Mal stood there, watching her and shucking his pants as well. She licked her lips at the thought of all that sexy flesh—the fallen’s dark and her vampire’s pale—for her to play with. She rested on her elbows, her nipples puckered and jutting up to a still standing Malcolm. Sam was against her then, lying on his side, his fingers drawing circles on her flat stomach and his lips traveling her collarbone and shoulder.

Perfection. Both of them with their broad shoulders, tight abs, and just the right amount of hair peppering their bodies. Her body ached anew for them, for the wickedness she saw glinting in Malcolm’s eyes, and felt in Sam’s kisses and gasp-worthy nips. She seriously could be in over her head.

She closed her eyes, reveling in the moment. She felt hands on her right ankle, holding her lovingly, fingers stroking her instep, then higher, past the hand holding her leg, and traveling softly up her shin to caress behind her knee. Her leg lifted, and she opened her eyes to see Malcolm dipping his head and kissing her ankle, then trailing his lips further, stopping at her knee. He gave her a heart-stopping, sexy grin.

“You feel like silk, This, you know that?” The vampire’s voice rumbled through her. His eyes darkened even more as he flicked his tongue on her skin as he resumed its journey upwards.
She whimpered as his lips ghosted on her skin, tickling ever so sweetly. “I do now. You’re a tease, Mal.” She threw her head back, then looked at Sam, who was intently watching her body’s reactions to all the attention. She felt sexy and wicked.

The fallen smiled innocently at his fingers dancing over her hot flesh. “So tell me, pet, just how would you like me to take you first?” He dipped his head down, sucking a puckered nipple into his mouth.

That was the question, wasn’t it? She moaned and hissed a breath, arching as she felt Malcolm’s lips nibble higher. The inside of her right thigh tingled with sensation. Sam’s wonderful mouth tightened her body even more. “Would it be wrong to say however you want? Gods, that’s nice.”

“Nothing wrong with that, Thissy,” he murmured around her breast. “Nothing wrong at all.”

“Good. Ummm, having the undivided attention of two beautiful men. I’m getting my Sleeping present early.”

“Indeed,” Sam growled, lifting her up to him. Mal nipped her thigh, bringing her attention back to him.

She gasped and looked down at Malcolm with a smile and licked her lips. “Careful, lover, or you’ll draw blood.” She winked and nibbled on Sam’s throat.

“Oh I’m not gonna draw blood just yet, pet...” He licked his lips, moving to her center, and laid a kiss upon her already wet and slick flesh.

Thisbe shuddered with the contact. She looked down, biting her bottom lip. Nothing in the world was as sexy or erotic as Malcolm looking up at her from between her thighs. Most girls wouldn’t let a vampire even consider going down on them, but Thisbe never really played it safe. Malcolm wouldn’t hurt her, the look in his eyes promised so much, but pain wasn’t part of it.

He sucked her into his mouth, circling her clit with his tongue. His cool fingers traveled up her legs, parting her thighs further as he set himself between them.

She moaned into Sam’s mouth as he kissed her, his tongue unconsciously mirroring what Malcolm’s was doing to her pussy. It was erotic, being teased by these two men, both her highly erogenous zones being pleasured at once. Sam could kiss, that was for damn sure, and she felt like she would die from the pleasure Malcolm was giving her.

Sam growled, rolling her nipples around in his fingertips as Mal teased her open with his tongue, delving deep inside of her.

It was all too much. She broke away and panted. “Mal, gods, baby...”

Mal moaned into her, his gaze locking onto hers as he brushed his rough thumb over her clit.
Thisbe cried out, lifting off the bed with the force of her orgasm. She shuddered, whimpering as Sam pinched her nipples tighter, and her body frosted with the action. “Mal!” she gasped in a breathy whisper and arched as he kept up his assault. Gods, but he was generous.

Sam watched her, his eyes taking in every movement of her body. “My, if you aren’t responsive. Nothing more erotic than a woman truly letting go.”

“Why do you think the king kept me?” She bit his bottom lip and reached down, running her hands through Malcolm’s hair and pulled his face away from her pussy, which still pulsed with the tremors of orgasmic aftershock. “You keep that up I’m going to be a boneless mess, not good for much of anything. That mouth of yours is lethal.”

Sam chuckled. “You have no idea of the truth of that... and we can still use a boneless mess, pet.”
She laughed and pulled Malcolm up to her, locking her lips to his to taste herself on him. She then went to her knees, mirroring him as Sam went behind her, cupping her breasts and teasing her flesh.

Mal pulled her against him, straddling her legs over him. “Silk everywhere, love.”

She smiled, the heat in his eyes making her blush. She felt Sam chuckle behind her and nibble on her neck. “I’m glad you think so...”

Malcolm’s considerable length was nestled between her thighs, hot and hard, twitching as she moved slowly. Sam had reared up, and she felt his cock, thick and wanting, in the small of her back. Sam’s head was bent over her shoulder, nipping at her skin, licking off the remnants of her frost outburst. She trembled between them, eager to enjoy and be enjoyed.

Tomorrow is Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish "New Year for Trees", and it's a great celebration not only for the trees, but also for tree lovers (not to say treehuggers..) everywhere.

Tu B'Shevat is a transliteration of 'the fifteenth of Shevat', the Hebrew date specified as the new year for trees. It is the date used to calculate the age of trees for tithing/taxing. Fruit from trees may not be eaten during the first three years of its life according to the Thora. The fourth year's fruit was to be tithed to the Temple (for god), and after that, anyone can eat its fruit.

The fifteenth of the Hebrew month Shevat was the cutoff date for determining when the fruit of the tree was to be tithed. If the tree was planted prior to Tu B'Shevat, it would be considered to have aged one year. If it was planted afterward, it would become one year old at the following year's Tu B'Shevat. Thus, 'Tu' (the alpha-numeric for the number 15) denotes that the holiday is on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat.

Tu B'Shevat gradually gained religious significance, with a Kabalistic fruit-eating ceremony (like the Passover Seder) being introduced during the 1600s.

Customs associated with Tu B'Shevat include planting trees and eating dried fruits and nuts, especially figs, dates, raisins, and almonds. Over the years Tu B’Shevat has taken on the theme of planting trees in Israel, but because this is a shmita year (the seventh year of the agricultural cycle during which time the Torah prohibits Jews from planting the land), there won't be any plantings celebrations this year in Israel.

Here's another greeting for Tu B'Shevat:



For more information on Tu B'Shevat please check these websites:

http://www.shalomctr.org/taxonomy/term/118

http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/tubshvat/

I love Tu B'Shevat very much. It's one of my favorite holidays and as a kid in Israel I planted trees every year to celebrate Tu B'Shevat. Today I'm happy to be part of Eco-Libris, where with your support, every day is a Tu B'Shevat.

Happy Tu B'Shevat,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

Emma is 2 1/2 today. Here are some facts and figures about Emma:

Physically:

• measures about 94cm but wears clothes for 3-4 year olds as she is wide around the shoulders and hips
  
• shoes size 26
• still not a vast amount of hair but we have it trimmed every 2 months or so - it looks neater and it might just help it thicken
  
• cute as a button - but hey, I'm her Mum, what do you expect?!
  

Speech:

• Qu'est-ce c'est?/c'est quoi? or What's this? when she sees something she cannot identify or wants to know what the word for it is in another language
  
• Qu'est-ce que tu fais? (what are you doing?) when she enters a room and finds you actually doing something or wants to know the word to whatever action you are carrying out
  
• Je peux voir?/Emma voir (can I see?) most often when we tell her she has had enough of something (three servings of soup/pasta/apfel mus is surely enough!) she wants to see if there is any left. I actually now stress using "ça suffit" (that's enough) or "c'est le dernier/la dernière" (it's the last one) as opposed to "il n'y a plus de..." (there is/are no more ...) because Emma almost always asks to see the pot or pan or packet of biscuits.
• Tu veux lequel? (which one do you want?) when presenting us with a choice of toys or colors or books (mimic us).
• T'as fini? (are you finished?) at the dinner table
  

• Currently, her favorite question in German is "ist es lustig?" (is it funny?) which she asks after jumping, falling down on purpose or whenever she thinks she's done something funny.
  
• She still mainly speaks of herself and others using the third person singular (as in Emma tired) except in specifically learned expressions like "t'as fini?" (are you/have you finished?) or "on y va" (let's go!)
• Emma doesn't currently distinguish "who" from "what" (or "qui" from "quoi") but I figure that's in line with talking to inanimate objects such as teddies and toys...
• She is starting to make more complex sentences and state things like "this is little Emma" (ça c'est petite Emma) when pointing a pic of herself as a baby, or "ça c'est a Maman/Papa" (this is Mummy's/Daddy's) or "ça c'est pour Emma" (this is for Emma) c'est pas pour toi (it's not for you).

• She definitely plays a lot more independently sometimes telling us she is going to her room with teddy or to play lego and loves reading and being read to (you can read the same book to her a zillion times - it's no problem at all for her!).
• She often mimics us with her teddy and "nounours" (there are two!) telling them she will be back when we leave them in the car or wishing them "goodnight" when putting them to sleep.
• LOVES reading! enjoys playing with Lego and doing the occasional puzzle and is still totally smitten by Peppa Pig and her family and friends. In the car she loves listening to her music and sometimes dancing at home but her favorite things of all are BOOKS!
  
• She's not so much a "rough and tumble" girl - although she loves it when we tickle her in our bed or on the couch - and tends to need to be close to someone to accept physical exchange such as playful chasing/pulling/pushing/catching etc. (at kindergarden it took her a long time to cuddle up to a teacher)
• She hated our attempt at skating but like sleighing and making snowmen
  

Terrific twos and threes....

• She's definitely testing us; banging her feet against her chair at dinner time although we have told her not to a zillion times, deciding she wants to eat with her fingers instead of using a fork, saying "no" to whatever needs doing (getting out of bed, dressing/undressing, brushing teeth, dinner-time, clearing up toys, etc.), refusing to put her boots on alone although she is perfectly capable of doing so, grunting at us, putting herself in the corner in a joking fashion (a place we ask her to go for 2 minutes to calm down when she is getting a out of hand), walking in the opposite direction to the place we are going to, running away...
• "No" is unfortunately still a favorite word...
  

Other than all the above, she's just a little bundle of joy despite the occasional "revolver eyes" (as they say in French) when she disagrees or is "grumpy".

We are Specialty's Cafe and Bakery, a growing establishment that has been offering made-from-scratch products and great service to our guests for over 20 years. We start each day preparing fresh baked cookies, bread, pastries and soups! With walk-in customers, online orders and catering we strive to exceed our customer's expectations. We are growing vigorously with expansion plans in California and the Pacific Northwest and recognize every team member’s contributions and efforts in making us a successful brand. Thus we pride ourselves on fostering a work environment that is motivating, fast-paced, and fun. We believe happy team members are the best team members and we strongly encourage a work-life balance.

We have a new position in our location on N. Wacker: Online Order Ambassador

Position Objective:
To efficiently package and deliver customer orders, so that orders arrive complete and on time. To maintain customer satisfaction and increase positive company exposure through in store marketing and client contact.

Essential Functions:
1. Prepare and label retail/corporate orders
• Accurately and neatly wrap catering platters, bakery, and kitchen items.
• Understand difference between priority pickup, catering, and retail orders.
2. Strategically load orders into carts.
• Note time/direction of orders to combine multiple orders in one cart
3. Drive carts to deliver orders
4. Uphold our image on the street and be comfortable with “elevator selling”
• Present yourself well and dress in proper attire
5. Unload cart and arrange food/drink in appropriate layout
• Present food in buffet order or discuss presentation with customer
6. Monitor existing standards of service and assist in coordinating catering activities to ensure that a high
quality of production and service is consistently maintained.
7. Possesses knowledge and educates others on our menu and in-store/online ordering processes.
8. Conduct in-store sampling on a consistent basis.

Skills/Requirements:
1. Safely lift ten (10) to fifty (50) pounds
2. Maintain composed sense of urgency during catering hours
3. Excellent customer service skills
4. Show sharp attention to detail

Benefits:
1. Excellent starting wages, plus tips
2. Medical and Dental benefits after 90-days of employment
3. This location will be open Monday through Friday - that means weekends are off!
4. Our stores close by 7pm - you don't have to work any late nights!
5. We are closed on holidays - you get the holidays off, too!
6. 401k after a year of employment
7. Optional Flexible Spending Account for medical expenses
8. Fantastic growth opportunity, we promote from within
9. Most importantly, you will work in a family-like environment where your contribution is truly value

Interested? Please apply at:
http://tbe.taleo.net/NA9/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=SPECIALTYS&cws;=1&rid;=205

Learn more about us at:
www.Specialtys.com

Specialty’s Café and Bakery is an equal opportunity employer and offers an environment which treats all of our employees with mutual trust and respect. We encourage open and honest communication and recognize creativity

Elephants, sleeping in treehouses, henna-painted hands ... the hills and beaches of the northern Kerala have plenty to keep children happy

We were sleeping 40ft off the ground, atop red flame trees, in a magical treehouse reached by a gangway. It had stupendous views over coffee plantations and a tree growing through our bedroom. At night, fireflies sparkled like fairy dust and we nodded off to the sound of cicadas. "Beware! With the coffee ripening, monkeys are on the prowl," read a bedside notice. "Don't be alarmed if you hear strange noises on your roof."

Next morning, 25 monkeys played on our arboreal terrace, swinging off its gnarled coffee-branch balustrade. They switched our outside lights on and off, peered greedily through the windows at our possessions, and one licked our window before wiping it with his paw. I'd happily be reincarnated as a monkey if it meant living here.

My two daughters (aged 11 and 13) and I were being driven around northern Kerala, India – a place only now opening itself to tourists. Instead of flying direct to Kerala, we started in Bengalooru (previously Bangalore) and drove south slowly, the better to savour the contrasts. India is a difficult place to travel. I'd been 10 times before, and wanted to do it very differently this time. Travelling alone with children, I didn't want a holiday of missed train connections and pitching up in places that, despite research, turned out to be horrible. Pre-booking a trip with an excellent driver meant everything ran as smoothly as ghee, and allowed us to see things we'd have missed from trains.

Kerala's scenery is the lush, verdant stuff of Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, with plentiful food (paddy fields, spice plantations, coconut groves) and rain. It's also relatively wealthy, with many Keralans working in the Persian Gulf. I hadn't been here for 30 years – and then not to the north, which "feels like a region apart" according to the Rough Guide.

The north is dominated by the Western Ghats (and boasts mostly tea and coffee plantations), and is much hillier than the south (where they grow spices, rubber and bananas). It's also less densely populated and developed, primarily due to lack of infrastructure. There are no trains through the hills, just long journeys on winding roads. For 20 years, the south has been swamped by tourist groups heading to the backwaters (just one hour from Kochi, formerly Cochin) and then to Kovalam's beachside properties. By contrast, there are no group tours to north Kerala, which offers untouched beaches, better wildlife parks, more authentic accommodation – and is now developing nature, wilderness, eco, spice, jungle and beach tourism.

On our first day in Kerala, we broke for lunch in nondescript Kannur, waiting gormlessly to be seated among throngs of lunghi-clad men eating with their right hands in sauna-heat underneath clacking fans. People spoke only Malayalam, the palindrome language of Kerala. Eventually we twigged the system. Would-be diners bought meal tickets then crowded around anyone close to finishing, pouncing on the seats in a version of musical chairs. Soon we were eating delicious coconut curries from stainless steel thalis, 45 rupees (around 60p) for three of us.

After passing turmeric-, indigo- and lime-coloured villages, piles of finger-sized bananas, geriatric Ambassador cars and sickle-and-scythe posters of the still-influential communist party (north Kerala is the India of yesteryear), we reached the Kasaragod district: a land new to tourism. We arrived at the fishermen's-style thatched cottages of the Ayurvedic hotel and retreat, Neeleshwar Hermitage, to the thunderous applause of a tropical storm. "You bring us luck," said a local, welcoming us with kumkum-powder bhindis and jasmine garlands. "The gods and the monsoon have come with you."

Built following the architectural principles of Keralan vastu, a kind of Hindu feng shui, it's a place of palm-fringed peace set on miles of "undiscovered" beach. This is a location for sublime Ayurvedic treatments (whose efficacy is allegedly enhanced during monsoon season), even the names of which soothe the spirits: sajooya, sandwana, swastha, sradha.

We were asked to be sensitive to traditional customs by wearing tops and long sarongs on the beach. "Your good name, madam? Which grade are your children?" six boys independently enquired of us on the beach, before whipping out mobile phones. "Your photo, please." Neeleshwar's sand is pristine, thanks to two full-time beachcombers, though venture further afield and you'll face the plastic detritus that the tide brings in.

With few nearby attractions, we spent the next two days relaxing, practising yoga and eating fresh fish in the beachside restaurant, and lying in hammocks or swimming in the infinity pool, the nearby waves lapping gently.

Our next stop was Tellicherry, a former colonial trading port. The three-hour drive took us past waterways of kettuvallam (traditional rowing barges), and extraordinary trees seemingly sprouting loofahs and cotton-wool buds, on to dusty roads where stallholders touted palm-sugar juice while myna birds, vultures, kites and bee-eaters circled. Six khaki-clad officers stood by a rickshaw driver, pouring his brandy on to the road. "The first day of every month is dry," explained our driver, Pramod. "You can be put in jail for selling alcohol."

We were staying in Ayesha Manzil homestay with its owners: Mr CP Moosa (he likes to be called "Moosa") and his wife, Faiza. Author and Indophile William Dalrymple maintains that Faiza, a cookery teacher, makes the best food in Kerala. Moosa, a descendant of gold traders, is a Moppila Muslim – one of India's oldest Muslim communities – and theirs is a cuisine of the Malabar coast fused with that of their Arab forefathers.

The Moosas' 1862 colonial home, built by one Murdoch Brown of the East India company, has six somewhat tired bedrooms, family antiques and four-poster beds, plus nutmeg, jackfruit and papaya in the garden. As we sat on the verandah, overlooking the ocean and the coastal road below, we were served subtle, delicate dishes: seafood simmered in coconut, bitter gourd with alchemical mixtures of spices, yam, chickpeas. "Cricket was first played in Tellicherry and so, too, the first teacake baked," explained Moosa, proudly. "We also made the first tapioca crisps here."

That afternoon by its pool, something suddenly thudded on to my head. A coconut? My daughters cracked up giggling. It turned out to be a dive-bombing eagle, possibly having spied its reflection in the sunglasses perched on my head, and swooped for the "prey". Its attack happened too quickly to be scary and, afterwards, its claw marks hurt less than our laughter. "That's very rare," smiled Faiza later, standing breaking cinnamon bark, squeezing tamarinds and giving my children jaggery (lumps of unrefined sugar). A gentle woman with a PhD in English literature, she was cooking tantalising combinations of seafood and spices in a wok-like kadai pan. Sandalwood incense burned, a lizard crawled up the wall.

In the morning, Moosa walked us through the fish market minutes from his home, near groups of itinerant building labourers waiting for work, past stalls selling banana blossom, drumsticks and tapioca root, and down a busy lane with baskets of stingray, shark and catfish, where men sat on their haunches cleaning gleaming iridescent green-lipped mussels. Crabs were escaping, scuttling across the road. Lunghi-wearing men stood in groups on the beach, haggling and auctioning fish, as old boats brought in their catches.

Moosa directed us later to the local weavers' co-operative where, in a sweltering, corrugated hangar, sari-clad women sat for nine-hour shifts on thin wooden benches, making five metres of cotton for 120 rupees a day; and, afterwards, to a bidi factory, where women wearing gold "marriage" necklaces were hand-cutting leaves, filling them with tobacco before stitching them.

I was keen to catch a theyyam, the sacred Hindhu ritual in which the dancer transmogrifies into a god and invokes magical powers. It's practised throughout the night in the furthest northern reaches of Kerala.

In Neeleshwar, the girls had emailed their father "Mum's nuts, she's making us get up at 4am to see spirits.") We had arrived at a clearing in a small village to find that the god incarnation – wild-eyed and possessed, wearing a gigantic peacock-style headdress and contorting in a trance – was just finishing. This time we reached a private shrine, 10 minutes from Moosa's at midnight, in time for firecrackers and frenzied drum playing. The theyyam, with calf-length hair, a painted face and fire torch in his hand, was dancing like a whirling dervish. Perhaps 90 people, mostly extended family, sat watching. "Beans and plantain for you," said someone, handing us banana-leaf plates. "They've been blessed." The theyyam stopped to drink coconut alcohol.

Next day we retreated to the cool of the hills and Tranquil homestay in Sultan's Battery. As the car climbed to 2,800 feet, we wound past verdant rubber plantations. An elephant was being transported on a yellow open-topped truck, ears flapping in the wind. Our hosts, former planters Victor and Jini Dey, live in a renovated 30s planter's bungalow with their four dogs and family, aged four to 84. Jini didn't join us at the communal table for lunch. "She is fasting at the suggestion of our local poojari [head priest]," said Victor, who is Jesuit-educated and has 1940s BBC enunciation. "He says this will speed up construction works on our new homestay."

They grow coffee and a few bananas, pepper, cardamom and beetle nut on this remote 400-acre estate, and it offers plantation walks: a spice odyssey through lush vegetation, past families of monkeys eating jackfruit. It's at Tranquil that we sleep in the treehouse with its stylish, flattened bamboo walls and woven ceilings – along with television and air-conditioning. It was difficult to leave, but one day I climbed a zillion steps and rocks to see the local (disappointing) prehistoric rock carvings at the Edakkal Cave.

Staying at Tranquil was like being at a particularly interesting planters' house party, with Victor treating us like close friends. Over yet another meal of excellent old family recipes, he enthused about the world's best coffee. "It's made from beans from monkey poo," he explains. "The bean combines deliciously with their enzymes." Their friend Sundar talked about his tea plantation: how global warming is scorching his plants, about different hybrids of tea and the need for drought-resistant ones. "Would you like to come for a tasting?" he asked. "We're only three hours away."

My daughters awarded the holiday 10 out of 10. Said the bright colours made them feel happy. Adored sleeping up a tree and being sprayed by an elephant. Loved being told they should eat with their fingers. Marvelled at the sight of entire (helmet-free) families riding one motorcycle and, nearby, monkeys playing. Delighted in synchronised massages, henna-painted hands, silver anklets, poppadoms and prawn curries. And, on the driving, there was no dissension between them, despite barely managing their short school run without a fight. Usually hard to please, they're already begging to go back.

Getting there
A seven night trip to Kerala with Scott Dunn (+44 (0) 20-8682 5075) starts at £1,695 per person, including full-board accommodation (except Neeleshwar which is on a B&B; basis) international flights with Kingfisher Airlines and a driver and car. Direct flights from London with Kingfisher Airlines (0800 047 0810) cost from £389.60 rtn inc tax to Bengalooru, £471.90 to Kochi or £461 to Calicut (with an overnight stopover in Bengalooru).

You don't need a car to see America. And if you want to meet the people and enjoy the ride, train is the way to get from New York to Los Angeles

It was just before noon, 10 miles outside Birmingham, Alabama, that the bomb threat was called in. I was in the bar car, sipping a Coke, when the train screeched to a halt and a stewardess rushed in. "A small emergency, sir. Please exit the train."

"What's up?"

"Nothing," she said. "Just a call that there may be a bomb on board."

I looked outside. The southern sun beat down on a dusty railroad town called Irondale. I was struck with a horrific thought: this is it, I'm going to go up in a giant fireball out here in Nowheresville, Alabama. Then a second thought came to me and calmed me down: I've never been to Alabama. This was as good a time as any to see it. I gathered my bags and joined 200 fellow passengers in the Irondale dust, awaiting a bomb squad.

It was a scorching Saturday in mid-August, the second day of my week-long rail journey from New York to Los Angeles. When most of us think of travelling across the US we think of taking a car, and indeed just such a road trip had long been a dream of mine. But at home in New York I had a young daughter and a seven-months' pregnant wife. The chances of me travelling across the US at all in the next 18 years were fading fast. Then I remembered Amtrak. America's federally run rail service has more than two dozen routes around the country, and I discovered that you can travel from New York to LA in four days, having to change trains only once.

I pleaded with my wife to let me do it. "You've got a week," she relented. "Keep your phone on in case this kid comes early."

There were two possible ways to go: north, via Chicago, and across the midwest plains; or south, taking Amtrak's Crescent service from New York's Penn Station to New Orleans (27 hours), and connecting to the Sunset Limited, the oldest continually operating train in the US, a 44-hour journey from New Orleans to LA through the deserts of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. I chose the south. Not only because I could stop over in New Orleans, but one look at the route evoked old blues songs, country music, and classic westerns: Tuscaloosa, El Paso, Tucson, Yuma. I booked a first-class sleeper cabin on each train and, settling on El Paso as my second stopover – is there a more quintessential wild west town? – set off to see America.

Amtrak has its detractors. The national rail service was cobbled together in 1971 from the fading passenger operations of the major freight railroads. In 38 years it has never run at a profit and is derided by many Americans as slow and over-priced, with poor customer service. I love trains, though, and I was happy to reserve judgment.

We pulled out of Penn at 2.15pm. My sleeper was small but comfortable. It had a bunk, two facing seats that can become a second bed, and a sink that flipped down over a poky toilet. A steward came through to ask what time I wanted dinner. I dozed off as New York's skyscrapers gave way to New Jersey smokestacks and Pennsylvanian forest. It must have been very comfortable, for I awoke at dusk, somewhere in Virginia, having slept through Philly, Baltimore, and DC. It was time for dinner and a cocktail.

And here, I admit, the romance faded a little. In my enthusiasm I had imagined the Crescent to be a faded American version of the Orient Express, or at least as stylish as the Eurostar. Ultimately, though, it's a no-frills commuter train. The bar car needed reupholstering, the dining car smelled of fried fish, and the middle-aged woman in charge bossed me around like a canteen matron scolding a school kid. Plus it was overbooked.

"Is this the first-class dining car?" I protested as she shoved me into a booth.

"Only one dining car on the train, darlin'," she snapped, tossing me a menu.

I ordered the short ribs (pretty good) and a mini bottle of merlot (not so good), and dreamed up a new marketing strategy for Amtrak: tuxedoed bartenders serving martinis; plush lounge cars with poker tables and burlesque dancers. Heck, maybe even a cinema car.

"It's good but it ain't like grandma's," mumbled a voice opposite me. I woke from my reverie. An elderly African-American gentleman was tucking into his fried chicken. His name was Turner King and he was on his way to see his sister in Atlanta, Georgia, the train's next major stop, where we were due in at 8am. I asked him why he hadn't flown: a plane would have taken one hour, maybe two; Atlanta was 16 hours away.

"Planes fallin' out the sky like stones these days. We safer on the ground."

Around midnight I went back to my cabin. North Carolina rolled past, its moonlit fields haunted with the ghosts of civil war soldiers. I felt the train strain as it eased through the Blue Ridge foothills. Ten hours later I awoke, annoyed to discover that I had missed the last breakfast call because the public address system was broken.

Then came the bomb scare.

Irondale (pop 9,000), however, turned out to be something of a treat. Just back from the tracks was a line of shops that included a secondhand bookstore and a restaurant named the Irondale Cafe. I walked in to find a packed lunchtime crowd, Muddy Waters playing on a crackling blues station, and plates of fried food misting up the windows.

"What's your speciality?" I asked the server, a young kid, possibly on his first day.

"We don't have one," he muttered.

The diners around me erupted.

"Yeah we do," they shouted. "Fried green tomatoes!"

I looked at the walls. They were covered with posters for the eponymous movie and signed photographs of its stars Jessica Tandy and Kathy Bates. It turned out the Irondale Cafe was formerly the Whistle Stop Café, made famous by a local writer, Fannie Flagg, in her novel and the later hit film, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. I ordered a plate of the delicacy – delicious salty-sweet green slithers wrapped in a crisp batter – and called Grace, my wife. She told me New York was hot. I thought nothing of it, and bought a copy of the Whistle Stop Cookbook. She would like that.

Outside, sniffer dogs and soldiers inspected the train, and a local TV crew arrived. Before I knew it I was being interviewed about the bomb scare and my reason for taking a train across the US. By 2pm the train was declared safe, the call a hoax, and we were on our way.

The landscape got flatter, greener. A hot air balloon floated over a cane field outside Tuscaloosa. We eased into Mississippi. Tumbledown shacks – trucks in the yard, generations of motor parts piled high out back – rolled by. It looked pretty poor. I was keen to see to the "shimmering bayou country" mentioned in the route guide, but by the time we got to Louisiana it was dark and we arrived in New Orleans three hours late.

I didn't mind. I'm happy arriving in New Orleans any time. I checked into the Soniat House, a gorgeous French Quarter hotel, and went out for a bourbon. I was surprised to find that, as with sailing, one gets motion sickness from being on a train for a long time. I felt wobbly, unsteady on my feet, and not even the famous brandy punch at Brennan's Restaurant or the turtle soup at the legendary Commander's Palace in the Garden District was able to steady me.

Up until the 1940s, wealthy east coast Americans heading west would catch steamers from New York to New Orleans, from where they would get the Sunset Limited to Los Angeles. Now, Amtrak trains rattle into New Orleans from the east coast and Chicago. The Sunset, however, remains the flagship train of the south.

Established by California's Southern Pacific in 1893, and originally connecting San Francisco to New Orleans, it now runs three times a week between Los Angeles and Orlando, Florida; New Orleans is the mid-way stop. I checked in at 11am Monday, jazz drifting out of the station speakers, a faint hint of carnival in the air. The passengers – young couples, families with kids, European tourists, a couple of dusty young troubadours with guitars and harmonicas – gave it a holiday feel. Then I saw the train: two-decks, streamlined as a bullet. This was more like it.

Ahead of us lay 1,995 miles, 21 stops and five states, and there can be few more dramatic scenic train routes in the world. We cruised out of New Orleans, crossing the muddy Mississippi on the 4.4-mile-long Huey Long Bridge. We headed west, through Bayou country and the Cajun coast, the historic towns of New Iberia and Lafayette. After a while, the land levelled out and we travelled parallel to a highway for several hours, giant billboards for porn shops and casinos competing with churches and exhortations to join Jesus.

The food and the service improved too. For lunch I dined on barbecued beef brisket with a lovely Napa Valley cabernet served by a graceful six-foot-tall attendant and part-time actress named Deborah Reese. She told me she had bit roles in Paradise Cove and some reality shows. "I was just on the Crescent line," I told her. "This is much better."

She winked at me. "Baby, we from Hollywood. We do things in style."

The announcer, named Jose, was part of the new mood, too, joking as we arrived in Houston, that the train would leave the station at 9.50pm – according to his watch, no one else's. "Not to worry if we've gone when you get back," he said, "because, there are some good blues clubs in Houston and we'll be back in two days to pick you up."

I woke to a spectacular view of the west Texas desert beyond San Antonio, and made my way to the observation car, a sleek, 70-seat, top-level deck glassed in like a gallery. We sat back and watched the great canvas of the Texas desert unfold before us.

Around Del Rio, a border town on the Rio Grande, two park rangers boarded the train, part of Amtrak's Tracks & Rails programme, and for the next three hours pointed out cactus, exotic wild flowers, names of lakes and rivers. We were soon in the Chihuahuan desert, watching turkey buzzards circle the heavens, tumbleweed blown rail-road towns ghosting by.

By now the train had turned into the great democracy, passengers excitedly talking to each other, telling their stories. I met Opal Davis, 56, from Chicago, on her way to LA because she had just discovered that her biological mother, whom she'd never met, was alive and well and living in an old people's home. There was Guadalupe and Angie Sanchez, a mother and daughter from a blue blood Tex-Mex family: Angie, tough as nails, was returning home from a spell running armed convoys in Iraq. Now she was off to flying school. And there was Louisa So, a beautiful Hong Kong tourist on a four-week train journey across America. I say tourist. She gave me her website address and I looked her up. Turns out she's a very famous Chinese actress.

By the time we barrelled through Marfa – the artsy west Texas town that has been the backdrop for the Coen brothers' No Country For Old Men, Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood and George Stevens' Giant, James Dean's last movie – the entire carriage had broken out in song, Opal Davis leading the way with Smokey Robinson and Otis Redding tunes, with even the dining car stewards joining in. Indeed, when we reached El Paso at around 5pm, my second stopover, I felt rather attached to my new friends and sad to be leaving them. I would catch the train again in two days' time.

El Paso is hot, dusty, sprawling. I'd half expected a film-set wild-west town, wide streets lined with swing-door saloons; it looked more like a war zone. In fact, just across the Rio Grande, fenced off and seething, lies its Mexican sister, Ciudad Juárez, currently the most dangerous city on earth. More than 3,400 people have been murdered in drug-related violence in Juárez in the past 20 months. El Paso is Geneva by comparison.

A friend had recommended a downtown hotel, the Camino Real, a 14-story tower block close to the station. I walked there in blazing sunshine, cursing myself for not choosing Tucson as my second stop. I arrived at the back entrance. It looked like an airport hotel. Who would recommend this? I opened the door. And there, spread out before me was the most glorious sight: a plush, cool, carpeted lounge bar with a circular marble counter centrepiece, all set below a giant glass ceiling dome. It looked like a church. "Welcome," smiled a bartender. "Margarita?" I felt I was in paradise.

My mobile rang. It hadn't been working right through the desert. It was my wife. She didn't sound well. My heart raced. "Listen, I don't want you to worry, but . . . "

She was in hospital, on a drip, laid low by a heat wave. Our unborn child was fine, but she would be in hospital for two days. I would book the next flight out of El Paso. I still hadn't made it across the United States . . . but I had an idea. The four of us would take a steam ship from New York to New Orleans. From there we would catch the Sunset Limited out west. This land seemed filled with possibilities. Outside, somewhere near New Mexico, a train whistle blew.

Getting there
Amtrak (+1 800 872 7245) runs both trains. The Crescent from New York to New Orleans: from $125 seat; $178 roomette; $328 bedroom. The Sunset Limited from New Orleans to LA: from $133 seat; $236 roomette; $512 bedroom. A twin-centre trip with Virgin Holidays (0844 557 5825, virginholidays.co.uk), including Heathrow-NY and LA-Heathrow flights, two nights at NY's Comfort Inn and two at LA's Grafton on Sunset, both room only, starts from £885.

Where to stay
The Soniat House, New Orleans (+1 504 522 0570) rooms from $240 per night. The Camino Real Hotel, El Paso (+1 915 534 3000) rooms from $159 per night B&B.;

Further information
New Orleans: 020-8460 8473, new orleanscvb.com and louisianatravel.com.
Texas: traveltex.com
El Paso: visitelpaso.com

Douglas Rogers is the author of The Last Resort: A Memoir of Zimbabwe, published by Harmony.

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Capsouto Freres Thirty years ago three brothers opened a chic French bistro in some godforsaken area called TriBeCa and I’m happy to report that it’s still as popular as ever. We went on one of the coldest days of the year, when the last thing we wanted to do was shag all the way downtown, but [...]

National Equality Panel's analysis shows the richest 10% is more than 100 times better off than the poorest 10%

In many ways the Renton and the Green families have plenty in common – these are two busy, noisy, happy households, each with three children. In both families, the two older children are already in their early 20s, venturing out into adult life, leaving behind a much younger sibling, the baby of the house.

The parents' aspirations are similar. Chris Renton hopes that his six-year-old daughter, and his older boys, will find security and stability in later life. Laura Green wants her children to be happy, loved and fulfilled in their careers.

But their ability to help their children is profoundly influenced by their different circumstances. Chris, 44, describes himself as on the breadline, unemployed, with several thousand pounds of arrears on the draughty two-storey home he rents in east London. Laura, 51, lives a dozen tube stops to the west in a well-insulated and expensively renovated £1.5m house.

The publication this week of the National Equality Panel's analysis shows how the richest 10% is more than 100 times better off than the poorest 10% – with household wealth of at least £853,000.

Neither family feels exceptional but they are at the extremes of the wealth divide. This being Britain, there is an unease with the subject of money, and both prefer to discuss their finances anonymously.

In the early morning sprint to get his daughter to school, Chris is encouraging her to put down her pink Nintendo DS and finish her Weetabix, rushing to tidy her hair, straighten her school uniform, strap her into the car and deliver her to class on time.

As he drives back, it doesn't take him long to work out that his personal wealth stands well below the bottom 10% threshold; his most valuable possession is the 10-year-old car, perhaps worth about £1,000. Then there is an eight-year-old computer with a broken disc drive, maybe £50, a temperamental DVD player and some hi-fi equipment, perhaps another £50 together, the beds, the secondhand sofas, of indeterminate value, and the glass-fronted display cabinets, a present from his mother – "maybe they're worth £100 for the two of them, if I'm generous".

Most of the parents at his daughter's school are in a similar financial situation, he guesses, but the subject is never discussed. "Too stigmatising," he says.

Back at home, his 20-year-old son is playing with a tiny puppy in the narrow hallway. Both sons left school at 16 (like Chris), and, like their father, are now claiming jobseeker's allowance. The puppy is a new arrival, but will not be staying for long – grown dogs eat a lot of expensive food.

Good parenting is a priority, and Chris took time off work to be with all three children in their pre-school years. He has helped teach them to cook, supported the elder boys' steps towards independence, encouraged their interest in music and is helping the middle child apply for a Prince's Trust grant.

The sale of his mother's house a few years ago meant that he was able to put £5,000 each in three trust funds for his children – money that he won't touch.

He is not materialistic (although he minds a little that he can't afford to buy his daughter free-range eggs) but money troubles do have an impact on his ability to be a good father. Piled up on the table are bailiffs' notices that announce that agents "have today attended your property with the intention of levying and removing your goods".

Filed beneath them are the bank statements that record the frequent decisions to charge £35 fines for unauthorised overdrafts – charges that mean a trip to buy eggs, bread and milk for his family can end up costing £40 instead of £5, (a penalty for being poor, he says).

In many ways it is a relief that he can no longer afford the landline because before it was cut off the phone would be ringing several times a day with recorded messages from utility providers about unpaid bills. Anxiety about whether his debts to the landlord will trigger eviction once the six-month tenancy expires is, he says, "a permanent presence, a weight on your shoulders, a knot in your stomach – all the clichés".

He knows his daughter senses his unease. "What I can't provide is security. She has her room upstairs, with all her stuff in it – she is comfortable here. If that was all to be disrupted there would be unhappiness," he says.

"If you don't feel secure, you are always on tenterhooks, you snap at the children. It is a mental strain. Sometimes you feel you just want to roll over and give up. Your resilience is worn away, there is nothing left to rely on."

At the other end of the school day, Laura encourages her 11-year-old son to unplug his ears from an iPod to say hello, before his guitar tutor arrives. Her stock-take runs through the value of the home, an estimated £1.5m, minus the £400,000 mortgage, plus approximately £200,000 worth of shares, plus the uncertain value of her husband's business, and the pension and health care schemes – pushing the household so firmly into the 90th percentile, that there is no need to start itemising the values of televisions, cars, carpets, paintings and marble kitchen fittings.

A little later, and with some embarrassment, she remembers a London flat bought for the children that she has forgotten to add into the calculation.

Laura would never have placed herself at the top of the pile. For her being truly rich means "flying first class without blinking", living in a more expensive part of London, taking ski holidays and always staying in five star hotels.

Although money has not been tight for the past six years, putting three children through private education has, she says, meant going on fewer holidays abroad, and keeping the same family car for 17 years. This week's equality report notes: "Most people are unaware either of their own position in the income distribution or of the true scale of differences between the high-paid and the low-paid. This lack of awareness runs through society, from rich to poor."

The report concludes that "economic advantage and disadvantage reinforce themselves across the life cycle, and often on to the next generation" and argues that achieving the goal of equality of opportunity "is very hard when there are such wide differences between the resources which people and their families have to help them fulfil their diverse potentials".

Earlier this month David Cameron argued that "what matters most to a child's life chances is not the wealth of their upbringing but the warmth of their parenting". Both Chris and Laura are kind and dedicated parents, but no amount of warmth can outweigh the effect of money or the lack of it.

Like Chris, Laura has made good parenting a high priority, but money has widened their opportunities. Educating the children has been the key; as well as paying for private schools, she and her husband are now supporting the two older children through second degrees.

Both Chris and Laura have a sense of social responsibility. Laura trained as a social worker and then as a teacher and has spent years helping disadvantaged children overcome literacy problems. Since losing his job as a gardener last year, Chris is working as a volunteer with Community Links, a support group for the long-term unemployed. Both expected Labour to do more to narrow the wealth divide.

"There was a drive to make this a classless society, but I think the trend has become even more emphasised," Chris says. Still, he remains an optimist – happy despite his financial worries and with no desire to jump to the top 10th of society.

"I don't think their lives are more enriched by what they have. They will be accumulating for the sake of it and they will be more worried about what they have to lose. They will have further to fall," he says. "That could be just as stressful as my situation."

Laura does not feel under real stress now, although she concedes that, as a mother, life is never worry-free. "What does it mean to be comfortably off? It means I can choose to work part-time and spend time with my family, I can choose to take a day off a week to do an art class," she says.

She says it is "hard to conceive" of how life might be if her personal wealth were to be shrunk 100-fold, but she doesn't want her children to have to find out. "I do hope that they will be comfortably off as well. I don't think money makes you happy but I think that money worries make you unhappy."

Home Depot has a nice selection (three pages) of Holiday Clearance Mats on sale for as low as $1.94. Check out the Mohawk Home Santa Stop Here 18" x 30" Mat and the Mohawk Home Feliz Navidad 18" x 30" Mat for $1.94 each, as well as the Shaw Living Happy Holidays 19.5" x 30" Mat] for $2.94. Shipping is free on these and sales tax is charged in most states.

You hear all sorts of stories in the news, in print, online and from friends about people going above and beyond what’s required of them. People espouse the stories of major brands, such as Nordstrom and Les Scwab, as well as those in the service industry, such as bartenders and waiters, that go the extra distance to ensure their customers are delighted. How about you as marketers? You are after all in a customer service position. Are you delivering a level of experience that prompts others to talk, share, forward, post, respond to you or your programs, say thanks, or simply have a better experience than they would have expected?

This is something you must consider. Sure, you may say that you work for a software provider, an online retailer or another company that already provides a great service with happy customers, and I’m sure you do, but are people really taking notice and telling their stories, as related to your brand, without being prompted? Most likely, no.

So what can your company do to create this level of customer relationships this year? Well, there are a host of things that can drive this forward (and I list some suggestions below), but in the end it is important to remember that it will take your entire team, company or organization to truly make it happen.

Here are some ideas that I believe are worth exploring with your team…

1. Call your customers. Seems simple, right? But in today’s world where people are so caught up with email, text, tweets, etc. they often forget that just a simple phone call can make a big difference. Sure this takes time, but in order to make an impact you need to invest this time, as it will come back in spades. You could start small, such as picking one person a day who has placed an order or downloaded a resource and give them a personal call to just make sure everything went ok. Not only will this catch them a bit off guard (in a positive way), but it may actually move them a bit closer to you or your brand. Another idea is to run a report of top customers and call at least one a day just to check-in and see how things are going. The purpose of these calls are not to get more orders, business, or make sure you have a meeting set, but simply to make a connection.

2. Change something in the delivery. A long held story in ecommerce is the one where a Zappos customer places an order selecting normal ground shipping then gets an email informing them that their order has been expedited for overnight shipping at no charge. This is just Zappos’ way of saying “thanks for your business” but it’s something that many of their customers experience, and share, each week. Periodically expediting a customer’s shipping is an effort to create a delighted customer experience and drive repeat orders. And it works. We all know (as reports from this past holiday season have shown once more) that free shipping or faster shipping drives orders. In fact, I believe that Zappos led most of their subject lines this past holiday season with some variation of free shipping. So if it is working for them, could it work for you? It is something to explore as a cost/benefit trade. Worth a test.
3. Say Thank you and Welcome. With a goal of driving subscribers to their email programs why do so many companies simply grab the sign-up and move on? I am a firm believer that simple things, such as telling subscribers thank you on a welcome page or sending them a series of welcome emails with helpful information, can lift the lifetime engagement of each subscriber. Take it a step further and periodically give subscribers surprise discount codes. Finding ways to say thank you throughout your relationship is a great way to deepen your connection with your subscriber and show the value you place on them.

4. Mix things up a bit. As marketers, it’s easy to get caught up in doing what works. Unfortunately, after long periods of doing “what works” you actually risk driving down the overall engagement of your audience. Give your audience an unexpected campaign element; try incorporating a new idea, angle or medium in to your campaign. For example, we have worked with a few clients to add PIN-coded direct mail pieces into their campaign mix. The mail pieces drove recipients to a landing page and were tightly integrated with their standard campaign elements. Your first reaction may be that traditional forms of media (such as direct mail) are dying, but when used as part of a larger “modern” campaign, traditional elements can absolutely create a high rate of engagement. Experiment with adding a new touch point where you audience isn’t expecting it and you may find that you unlock engagement from a previously silent part of your current audience.

5. Create your own holiday. One of my personal favorites for sparking engagement between you and your customers is to pick a day that you can produce a new event around.  Your audience gets hammered with messaging and offers around all of the major holidays, meaning that your campaigns may very well be getting lost in the shuffle. Instead of fighting so hard to get noticed during those holidays, why not put the effort into a totally “unique” holiday where your campaign is sure to get attention. Choose a day with some sort of historical significance. Or maybe look to a holiday from another country. Better yet, simply invent one. Even if your audience has never heard of the holiday you select, it can become an event that your entire company rallies around and develop into a something that really makes your brand shine. I have witnessed campaigns of this sort in the past that not only drove sales, but got great media and PR coverage. Not ready to try this on a large scale? Start with your regional business.  It’s likely that there are annual “events” specific to each region that a big campaign can be created around. One of my favorite examples of this is from right here in Oregon and was hatched by the legendary Tire Magnate Les Schwab. Being a rancher he had an abundant supply of beef. So he created, the still running, Free Beef Month. The campaign is simple – You buy a new set of tires and you get beef. Odd yes, but each and every year during “Free Beef Month” Les Schwab becomes a topic of conversation all over the region.

So go forth and think about how you can do the unexpected to deliver unique customer experiences that will get your new, current and past customers and subscribers feeling more connected than ever to your brand.

Fun at Work Day A day to bring some fun and humor into that dull, boring, cubically challenged job of yours. Remember a happy employee is a productive employee. photo credit: via flickr addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fblog.holidays.net%2Findex.php%2F2010%2F01%2F29%2Fjanuary-29-today-were-celebrating-fun-at-work-day%2F'; addthis_title = '%28January+29%29+Today+we%26%2339%3Bre+celebrating+.%26nbsp%3B.%26nbsp%3B.%26nbsp%3B+Fun+at+Work+Day'; addthis_pub = '';

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Valentine's Day is around the corner, and like many holidays it's an occasion for businesses to make more sales through email marketing.

We know you're always looking for ways to build your list and deliver relevant, valuable messages to your subscribers, so we thought we'd play Cupid and help you and your customers get together ;)

Just in time for the upcoming holiday, we've rolled out new HTML email templates and matching web form ones, themed for February 14th.

Check them out...

"Be Mine" Templates

Like the ubiquitous Valentine's day conversation hearts, these cheery templates use pastel shades and bold reds to grab your subscribers' eyes and clearly convey your message.

They're ideal for short, simple offers.

"Valentine Mail" Templates

These templates use simple, modern design and could easily be used even outside of Valentine's Day (think "we love our customers").

"Happy Valentine's Day" Templates

Want to use a design that's subtler than a big red heart?

Try the understated "Happy Valentine's Day" templates for an easy-on-the eyes look and calls-to-action that pop.

More New Web Form and Email Templates Coming Soon

We're creating more templates for your forms and HTML emails regularly - make sure you're subscribed to the blog so we can keep you in the loop! (You'll also benefit from the list building, newsletter and other email marketing tips we publish here.)

Next Week: Courting Your Subscribers

Stay tuned for an article from Rebecca next week on strengthening your relationship with your email subscribers.

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Here at Motivators, we're all about saving trees. That's why, when the holiday season rolls around its really hard to watch all those Christmas trees being chopped down. Luckily, the good folks over at Saatchi & Saatci agree with us. Using recycled cardboard and some fabous design skills they created a custom ornament out of a eco-friendly Christmas card. He's an eco-friendly Santa who hugs your tree. Could anything be cuter?

Some people are such founts of generosity that on their birthday, they think not of themselves and what they will receive, but rather how they can brighten the days of others. On this special day, January 28, one selfless, gallant gentlemen, has gifted us all with an overflowing bounty of mirth.

Birthday - Holidays - Shopping - Gift - Oceania

A Night of Eating Light
655 Divisadero St. (between Grove and Hayes), San Francisco
Western Addition/Panhandle
PH: 415.409.0679
Open daily 5 to 11 p.m. (till 10 p.m. Sundays); weekday happy hour, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Reservations, major credit cards accepted
www.barcrudo.com

Sometimes when I wait too long to try a place, I end up having to chase it down. Luckily in the case of Bar Crudo, it was worth the extra miles.

Bar Crudo garnered a lot of attention when it opened up in a tiny spot north of Union Square, serving up crudo — the Italian preparation of raw foods. It was on my list of places to try, but then last year it closed up and moved to somewhat larger digs in the Divisadero corridor that’s between the Western Addition and the Panhandle neighborhoods (which the restaurant NOPA just a block away is trying to redefine as “north of the Panhandle”).

Damn the inconvenience. I jumped on the bus one weeknight and headed to the center of San Francisco, partly because I was already heading in that direction for a doctor’s appointment and also because I was craving some raw fish after weeks of heavy eating from the holidays.

When I arrived at Bar Crudo, I easily found a seat at the counter facing the bar and the open kitchen. The space has several small tables on two sides in the front and a few more tables in an alcove in the back. I felt the best seats were at the counter — not only because you get a front-row seat of the prep work but the bartender was especially nice and helpful.

The dinner menu is filled with a variety of raw fish preparations along with a raw bar with oysters. But there’s also a few cooked items served hot or cold, and you can order seasonal shellfish like a whole or half Dungeness crab (served simply with butter).

To get a nice taste of everything, I ordered the Crudo Sampler ($12), which includes four different bites from the raw menu. I tried the Tombo Tuna (bottom right), which was my favorite of the four. Who doesn’t love tuna, right? (Damn the guilt!) The fresh, oily tuna was dressed with pear chunks, hazelnut bits and a grape reduction that provided a nice savory flavor to the tuna. I would get a whole order of this next time.

Then I tried the Butterfish with Orange Vinaigrette (bottom left) that was served with a tiny bit of black garlic and shiso. This was the extreme of the tuna. Where the tuna was fresh and bright, the butterfish fell flat and the flavors were muted. The Artic Char (top left), which resembles salmon, was a beefy chunk of fish served with a complementary horseradish cream with wasabi, tobiko and dill. I liked the texture of the tobiko and the horseradish wasn’t very strong but balanced. It was lovely.

Finally, I finished off with the Hokkaido Scallop (top right), which sat on a celery root and roasted apple puree with a pinch of truffle salt. The puree seemed a bit on the bland side, and I didn’t get any sweetness from the scallop. This was just OK.

From the cold menu I ordered the Lobster Beet Salad ($17), which came out looking like a giant dragon roll. The pieces of lobster rested on roasted gold and chiogga beets and then covered with a lot of mache greens. Underneath the greens was burrata cheese stretched over the beets. Everything was brought together by the banyuls vinaigrette. While this dish looked impressive and I loved the beets, I felt none of the ingredients worked together. The burrata seemed chewy against the lobster meat, and the greens didn’t seem to accentuate the beets. Everything seemed a bit disjointed.

My last course for the evening was something warm — a cup of the Seafood Chowder ($7 but I only paid $5 because it was still happy hour/$14 for a bowl). The slightly orange-tinted chowder looked pretty big for a cup, and it was packed full of fresh seafood such as fish, mussels, shrimp and squid mixed in with potatoes. The menu also mentioned applewood smoked bacon but I didn’t notice any.

Along with being meaty and filling, the chowder had a balanced flavor with just a slight tinge of tartness from what I’m guessing was red vinegar. I love it when they had a twist of vinegar to cut the creaminess of the chowder (reminds me of a great gazpacho I had at Picco Pizzeria). I thoroughly enjoyed my cup.

In its reincarnation, Bar Crudo has a definite neighborly feel. The bartender is smart about the wine selection, and everyone else is welcoming and professional. Despite a bit of inconsistency in some of the dishes, overall I found Bar Crudo to be a refreshing spot for times when you don’t want a heavy meal but instead want something light and promising.

Single guy rating: 3.5 stars (Fancy raw fish)

Explanation of the single guy's rating system:
1 star = perfect for college students
2 stars = perfect for new diners
3 stars = perfect for foodies
4 stars = perfect for expense accounts
5 stars = perfect for any guy's dream dinner



Related raw reviews:
Otoro Sushi: “Latest Hip Addition to Hayes Valley”
Go Fish: “Casting a Wide Net at this Seafood Spot”
Kiss Seafood: “Sushi Presented with a Delicate Touch”

Once the yearend holidays and New Year craziness are over everyone begins to look to Valentine’s Day. Lovers are not the only ones wooing their partners. Marketers, the media and even bloggers take this opportunity to court their customers and readers. Chocolate companies package their products in red and white, and the media and blogs are full of advices and suggestions on how to charm your lovers. There are articles on how to make your lady or man happy, and how to celebrate the day as a single person. Not to be outdone I’m also going to give you advice on how to create an impressive dish for that Valentine’s Day dinner.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, we wanted to remind everyone of some very important safety tips for your pets over the holiday. While many traditions make our Valentine's Day more enjoyable, they can cause potentially serious problems for our furry friends:

Chocolate: While you may indulge over this sweetest of holidays, many types of chocolate, including baker's, semi-sweet, milk and dark chocolate can cause potentially life-threatening problems for our pets. Remember to keep chocolate out of reach.

Dangerous flowers and plants: All species of lilly are potentially fatal to cats, so when sending flowers to a cat owner, make sure to eliminate them from the bouquet. If you receive flowers, make sure you remove any dangerous plants first.

Candlelight: Be sure not to leave any candles or fires burning unattended; both cats and dogs can be curious and easily burn themselves by knocking over a candle.

Gift Wrap: After opening any gifts you may receive , be sure to gather up any paper, ribbons, bows etc. that can be potential choking hazards to animals.

.....and while it may seem like a good idea, buying a new pet for someone else for Valentine's Day should be carefully considered. Pet ownership is an enormous commitment and choosing one for someone else may not always turn out the way you want it to. For more information on Valentine's Day safety tips, visit the ASPCA website. Have a safe and Happy Valentine's Day!

$68.00
My latest and greatest take on the MOM bracelet - but it doesn't scream "I'm a MOM!"

The one StudioJewel design I wear everyday is my cross on leather bracelet. It's a easy wear, very comfortable and I love it. So I decided to make a mom bracelet in that style! And I'm so happy with the result!

The leather wraps around your wrist 3 times, or can be worn as a single strand necklace. It includes 3 sterling silver disks handstamped with the names of your kids. (If you need more than 3, just convo me and we can figure out the add-on.) The leather is knotted on each side of the disk to keep them from sliding around. AND you can choose from lowercase or uppercase letters.

So please convo me with any questions, but I know this will make YOU or the fav mom on your list very happy!

Each piece is made to order, so please allow 5-7 seven days for me to create your piece. Of course, if you are in a time crunch, let me know, I will do my best to work within your time frame!

All StudioJewel purchases are carefully packaged in our cute brown gift boxes, wrapped in pink tissue and shipped within three business day of receiving payment. Items ship 1st Class Mail or International Global Priority, excluding Sundays and holidays.

Please see my profile or contact me for further information.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by :)