AQUAMARINE PROMISE RING

40 brilliant-cut round black diamonds are accented by 8 brilliant-cut round white diamonds. These bright diamonds of G-H VS2 clarity are beautifully circling all the way around the ring and are set in an elegant channel-setting.
This comfort-fit unique band for men features a satin finish, making the unique colored diamond ring unlike any other. With about 9 grams of palladium, the ring is heavy in precious metal making it extremely valuable.
Wear it as a wedding band, as an anniversary ring, as a men's engagement ring, or as a right hand fashion ring.
Also available in other widths, and precious metals.

Ate agora nao acredito que encontrei/comprei os esmaltes da colecao Quantum da BU!!! Eu queria tanto esses esmaltes!! (diga-se de passagem, comprei os ultimos que tinham la na loja, fiquei sabendo que essa colecao tem esgotado rapido!!!)

Minha mae que e tao viciada em esmaltes quanto eu (tive a quem puxar, hehehe), e super antenada, ja foi estreiando o Palladium, que e duochrome que ora brilha tom de rosa, ora dourado!!

The palladium half is already cast and now the other half of the ring is carved and fitted to the palladium part. I added four sprues, because I am hoping to have them fused together during casting, so I do not have to solder...

100 brilliant-cut round sparkling diamonds, of G-H color, VS2 clarity are circling all the way around this wide men's eternity band. A total of 1.50 carats are set in an elegant channel-setting in this modern designer men's diamond wedding band.
This comfort-fit unique band features a high polish finish, and has a 9mm width, making the ring look elegant and stylish. With about 19grams of 950 palladium, the ring is heavy in palladium making it extremely valuable.
Wear it as a wedding band, as an anniversary ring, as a men's engagement ring, or as a right hand fashion ring.
Also available in other widths, and precious metals.

The Audacity of Hope is Barack Obama's call for a new kind of politics—a politics that builds upon those shared understandings that pull us together as Americans. Lucid in his vision of America's place in the world, refreshingly candid about his family life and his time in the Senate, Obama here sets out his political convictions and inspires us to trust in the dogged optimism that has long defined us and that is our best hope going forward.

Barack Obama's first book, Dreams from My Father, was a compelling and moving memoir focusing on personal issues of race, identity, and community. With his second book The Audacity of Hope, Obama engages themes raised in his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, shares personal views on faith and values and offers a vision of the future that involves repairing a "political process that is broken" and restoring a government that has fallen out of touch with the people. We had the opportunity to ask Senator Obama a few questions about writing, reading, and politics--see his responses below. --Daphne Durham

20 Second Interview: A Few Words with Barack Obama

Q: How did writing a book that you knew would be read so closely by so many compare to writing your first book, when few people knew who you were?
A: In many ways, Dreams from My Father was harder to write. At that point, I wasn't even sure that I could write a book. And writing the first book really was a process of self-discovery, since it touched on my family and my childhood in a much more intimate way. On the other hand, writing The Audacity of Hope paralleled the work that I do every day--trying to give shape to all the issues that we face as a country, and providing my own personal stamp on them.

Q: What is your writing process like? You have such a busy schedule, how did you find time to write?
A: I'm a night owl, so I usually wrote at night after my Senate day was over, and after my family was asleep--from 9:30 p.m. or so until 1 a.m. I would work off an outline--certain themes or stories that I wanted to tell--and get them down in longhand on a yellow pad. Then I'd edit while typing in what I'd written.

Q: If readers are to come away from The Audacity of Hope with one action item (a New Year's Resolution for 2007, perhaps?), what should it be?
A: Get involved in an issue that you're passionate about. It almost doesn’t matter what it is--improving the school system, developing strategies to wean ourselves off foreign oil, expanding health care for kids. We give too much of our power away, to the professional politicians, to the lobbyists, to cynicism. And our democracy suffers as a result.

Q: You're known for being able to work with people across ideological lines. Is that possible in today's polarized Washington?
A: It is possible. There are a lot of well-meaning people in both political parties. Unfortunately, the political culture tends to emphasize conflict, the media emphasizes conflict, and the structure of our campaigns rewards the negative. I write about these obstacles in chapter 4 of my book, "Politics." When you focus on solving problems instead of scoring political points, and emphasize common sense over ideology, you'd be surprised what can be accomplished. It also helps if you're willing to give other people credit--something politicians have a hard time doing sometimes.


Q: How do you make people passionate about moderate and complex ideas?
A: I think the country recognizes that the challenges we face aren't amenable to sound-bite solutions. People are looking for serious solutions to complex problems. I don't think we need more moderation per se--I think we should be bolder in promoting universal health care, or dealing with global warming. We just need to understand that actually solving these problems won't be easy, and that whatever solutions we come up with will require consensus among groups with divergent interests. That means everybody has to listen, and everybody has to give a little. That's not easy to do.

Q: What has surprised you most about the way Washington works?
A: How little serious debate and deliberation takes place on the floor of the House or the Senate.

Q: You talk about how we have a personal responsibility to educate our children. What small thing can the average parent (or person) do to help improve the educational system in America? What small thing can make a big impact?
A: Nothing has a bigger impact than reading to children early in life. Obviously we all have a personal obligation to turn off the TV and read to our own children; but beyond that, participating in a literacy program, working with parents who themselves may have difficulty reading, helping their children with their literacy skills, can make a huge difference in a child's life.

Q: Do you ever find time to read? What kinds of books do you try to make time for? What is on your nightstand now?
A: Unfortunately, I had very little time to read while I was writing. I'm trying to make up for lost time now. My tastes are pretty eclectic. I just finished Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead, a wonderful book. The language just shimmers. I've started Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which is a great study of Lincoln as a political strategist. I read just about anything by Toni Morrison, E.L. Doctorow, or Philip Roth. And I've got a soft spot for John le Carre.

Q: What inspires you? How do you stay motivated?
A: I'm inspired by the people I meet in my travels--hearing their stories, seeing the hardships they overcome, their fundamental optimism and decency. I'm inspired by the love people have for their children. And I'm inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.

Here my sunglasses Michael Jordan's Edition.

- Oakley Mars Leather Jordan's Edition (with serial)
- Oakley Romeo 1 Black (serial with 4 digits)

Jordan with Partial Repaint by Me

In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation. From the artistry of Georgia O'Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, President Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children, and within all of America's children.

Breathtaking, evocative illustrations by award-winning artist Loren Long at once capture the personalities and achievements of these great Americans and the innocence and promise of childhood.

This beautiful book celebrates the characteristics that unite all Americans, from our nation's founders to generations to come. It is about the potential within each of us to pursue our dreams and forge our own paths. It is a treasure to cherish with your family forever.

Take a Look Inside Of Thee I Sing
Click on the photos below to view the full spreads from the book.

You Are Part of a Family
You Have Your Own Song
You Are a Healer

Eight princess-cut (square) sparkling diamonds, of G-H color, VS clarity are circling all the way around this eternity band. A total of 0.50 carats are set in a burnish setting in this modern designer men's diamond wedding band. This unique wide band ring for men features a satin finish, making the ring look elegant and stylish. The ring is also very heavy in palladium making it extremely valuable.
Wear it as a wedding band, as an anniversary ring, or as a right hand fashion ring.
Also available in other widths, and precious metals.

Palladium Shopping Mall Namesti Republiky. Must have been a grand theatre complex in the 19th / early 20th century.

Palladium Mall, 200 shop. Praha.
City Stars, Egypt beats it bad..
Sorry Prague

Hi my photo fanatic buddies! It's already been 5 days I left my Flickr to rust. Now, I'm back for more "polishing" :D . So, here's an additional night landscape photo from Singapore. I felt like my this were the lasts of my Singapore photos, although I'm still confident that there's must be more that I can still process. Oh well, I'll get on to that later. Don't worry. =)

Me and my family had dinner with my uncle's family at one of the Japanese restaurant in Vivo City, which is near Harbour Front. After our tasty dinner, my uncle walked us to Harbour Front just outside and let us enjoy the view of the lighted Sentosa. It was such a fascinating moment for me to be able to come back and see Sentosa Island after my last vacation here 6 years ago =') . This time, I brought my flash-mounted DSLR to capture the moment.

I placed my camera on one of the concrete poles since I don't have a tripod with me. Then, placed my lens cap beneath the lens body. I had to wrapped the straps around my hand because if I make any unwanted mistakes, my entire gears would dropped into the water and I wouldn't be able to retrieve it. I have gears worth USD$2000 on the line here! Slowly, I adjusted the manual focus ring to achieve the sharpest quality, then pushed the zoom ring a little bit further outward. Using the live view feature, I can precisely look at what I'm doing towards the settings. Once all was set, I gave it a shutter. I did a couple more shots with different variations within the settings so that I can choose the best ones. =)

Next day, I returned home. Put the picture up my PC and neutralize the warm temperature due to the lightings in the picture. Then, I slightly darken the picture and the shadows to enhance the expression. At first, I uploaded into my hard drive, there was no sharp edges at any part of the picture until I uploaded it here I can see it. Darn! What is going here?! ='(

It was my last night in Singapore. Therefore, I think this is my last night shot of the entire vacation =( Despite that awful fact, I still gave my last efforts for a good night photography and I did it so well. I'm proud of myself. Don't worry folks, I will try to post more Singapore photos as soon as possible. In the meantime, enjoy the night landscape. ^_^

Any thoughts you want to put out? Don't feel shy and tell me about it. =)

Positive comments, suggestions and recommendations are sincere and always truly appreciated. ^_^

Picture by: Aad Born
Camera: Asahi Pentax Spotmatic II

Site of the ambush in the Rung Sat (forest of assasins)
The "Rung Sat Special zone" was once a dense mangrove covered swamp along the main shipping channels into Saigon.
Because of the excellent cover afforded by the mangroves swamp, hostile forces operated with near impunity.
In 1965 alone, aerial spray crews delivered over 77.000 gallons of defoliant.
One of the most successful defoliation projects ever.
From june 1969 to february 1970 US army, airforce and navy units conducted unrelenting counter-offensive operations and established security for merchant ships on the vital Long Tau shipping channel to Saigon.

Still, april 14th 1970, VC or NVA forces did ambush and attack the "Arca".
A sunken ship could effectively block the main supply route into Saigon.
VC or NVA units tried this over and over again.

Product Description:

DOLCE & GABBANA key ring leather gold designer key fob dark pink leather. Gold tone large D & G attached by leather to a key ring. Measures about 5 inches by 1 inch. Gift boxed. Guaranteed authentic. Limited supply.

Royalty-free 3d computer generated people clipart graphic of a white figure inserting a large golden key into a keyhole, symbolising success, security or secrecy.

Aquatico JL-7812-TBR Countertop Antique Brass "finish" Towel Holder, The Aquatico Brand of the finest innovative fashion bathroom accessories is synonymous with Quality, Value & Design and has been the choice of consumers for the last 40 years. The Antique Brass "finish" finger tip towel stand is very adaptable and can be used in both the bath area and also on kitchen countertop. The padded & weighted bottom has been designed to give greater stability. The 2-Ring towel holder dimensions are, Height 12", Ring Diameter 4.5", Base Diameter 4.25".

ca. 1st century B.C.E., L. 26.5 cm. (necklace)

This group is an incredibly fine testament to the level of skill the goldsmith’s craft had achieved by the second century. Granulation, delicate wire work, polychromy, and even three dimensional molding and inlay – some of the most difficult and most beautiful techniques in goldwork – were lavished upon these pieces, making this particular group of pieces among the most luxurious and valuable examples of Hellenistic jewelry known.

The set consists of a necklace, a pair of earrings, and a ring, all of which match each other beautifully. The finger ring is of the large, oval type with a finely polished cornelian cabochon set into the large, heavy gold bezel. It was a popular design during the Hellenistic Era, often seen with intaglio designs or relief decoration (see fig. 1), but this particular ring is elegant in its simplicity. The smooth surface of the gem highlights its fine polish and brilliant color. The earrings and necklace are more elaborate, and instead of drawing attention away from their complexity, which a detailed intaglio ring might have done, the plain cornelian serves to highlight and add to the pleasing assemblage.

The identical pendant earrings are richly executed in gold, emerald, agate, and garnet. Below the ear wire, the beds for two missing pieces of inlay are rimmed in miniature gold beads. Two emerald beads and a granulated lozenge connect the inlays with a large gold rosette, the rays of which are also represented by granulation. A large emerald cabochon sits in the center of the rays. Two sets of precious multi-colored beads hand from tiny, loop-in-loop gold chains and dangle from either side of the rosette. A miniature agate amphora, complete with a molded base and tiny handles made out of twisted gold wire, hangs down from the center, completing the earrings.

The necklace is the final component of this remarkable set. Not only was it designed to perfectly complement the colors and forms of both the earrings and the ring, it is in excellent condition. The necklace consists of eighteen hollow gold beads, covered in a decorative pattern of granulated diamonds, and eight polished, round, emerald and agate beads. A tiny granulated wreath cushion separates each of the beads. At the center of the necklace, two longer agate beads terminate in lynx-head finials. These finials are wonderfully modeled in the round, and the expressiveness and fine proportions of the feline faces place this piece among the finest examples of Hellenistic goldwork. Although animal-headed finials are commonly seen from about the 4th century onward, these two lynxes display the artist’s superior technical skill and sensitivity towards the musculature of the faces. The heads are well-rounded and covered in very fine lines to indicate fur. The ears are large and wide at the base, set well-back on the head. Even the pads for the whiskers have been rendered convincingly. A single inlaid glass eye remains, giving the lynx an arresting stare.

The artist’s thoughtfulness and attention to detail are such that the lynxes hold the links connecting the three cabochons at the center to the rest of the necklace in their mouths as if they are carrying the stones.

The jewelry set itself is not necessarily unique in design. Close parallels exist at the Dallas Museum (fig. 2-4), the Getty (fig.1,5), and elsewhere[1]. Similar designs were common throughout the Hellenistic Era. What sets this particular group apart from the rest is the consummate skill and care with which the goldsmith executed his commission. His obvious mastery of the most beautiful and delicate goldworking techniques of the time – paired with an extraordinary eye for detail – raises this group to a level above most other existing examples of this type. Its remarkable state of preservation, still together as a group and almost completely intact, is truly a fantastic stroke of fate.
[1] Hoffman and Davidson. 1966. pp. 35, 132-3, 147-8, 286-7.

Bibliography

Deppert-Lippitz, B. Ancient Gold Jewelry at the Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas: 1996.
Hoffman, H. and Patricia Davidson. Greek Gold: Jewelry from the Age of Alexander. West Germany: 1966
Pfrommer, M. and E. T. Markus. Greek Gold from Hellenistic Egypt. Getty Museum Studies on Art, Los Angeles: 2001.

Gold jewelery from tombs in the surrounding area of Anaktorion
8. Pair of gold earrings with chains and garnets (Xp. 716)
9. Pair of gold earrings with a protome of a negro, of which only the hair and neck survive (Xp. 715)
10. Gold hoop earrings with a head of Eros (Xp. 714)
II. Gold finger-rings, one in the shape of a snake, the other with Eros.
12. Gold crescent pendant, gold earring and an amulet in the shape of an eye (Xp. 717)
13. Pair of gold hoop earrings with Erotes (Xp. 713)
Gold funerary jewelery from a tomb at Anaktorion in Akarnania. 3rd

Gold jewelery from tombs in the surrounding area of Akarnania
1. Gold diadem or wreath with myrtle (Xp. 709)
2. Gold funerary earrings with figures of Nike (Xp, 710?-?)
3. Gold funerary necklaces imitating strap necklaces consisting of loop-and beech-nut pendants (see case 6. no. 25) (Xp, 708?-?) I
4. Pairs of gold bracelets imitating the snake-shaped type (Xp. 706-707.
5. Gold myrtle leaves and wires for fastening the necklaces and the diad
6. Gold danakai (coins to pay Charon, the ferryman of the dead) (Xp. 711?
7. Gold funerary finger-rings.
National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
????? ????????? ??? ?????? ??? ????????? ???????? ??? ??????????
8. ?????? ?????? ????????? ??????? ?? ???????? (??. 716)
9. ?????? ?????? ??????? ?? ??????? ??????, ??? ?????? ???????? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ? ?????? (??. 715)
10. ????? ????????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? (??. 71 ?)
11. ????? ??????????, ?? ??? ????????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ????? (??. 717)
12. ????? ????????? ????????, ????? ?????? ??? ???????? ?? ????? ???????? (??. 717)
13. ?????? ?????? ?????????? ??????? ?? ?????? (??. 713)

????? ??????? ????????? ??? ???? ??? ????????? ??? ??????????. 3??-1?? ??.
1. ????? ???????-??????? ??????? (??. 709) ?
2. ????? ??????? ?????? ?? ????? (?? 710?-?)
3. ????? ??????? ?????????? ??? ????????? ?? ?????????? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ??
(?? ????. 6. ??. 25) (??. 708?-?)
4. ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ????????? ?? ????????? (??. 706-707. 712)
5. ????? ????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ??????????? ??? ??? ????????
6. ?????? ??????? (????????? ??? ??? ???????) (??. 7???-??)
7. ????? ??????? ?????????? (?? 711-712)
?????? ???????????? ???????. ?????.

In the 2010 season, one challenger after another tried to knock the Los Angeles Lakers off their NBA throne. But in the end, the Lakers reigned supreme once again, winning their 16th NBA championship in a drive that culminated with an NBA Finals triumph over the arch-rival Boston Celtics, led by Finals MVP Kobe Bryant. From the start of the season, the Lakers focused on their goal of repeating as champions. With Kobe delivering a string of game-winning shots, along with the emergence of All-Star big man Pau Gasol, and a strong supporting cast, the Lakers finished with the best record in the West. In the playoffs, L.A. survived a challenge from up and coming Oklahoma City, swept past Utah, and held off Phoenix to set up a rematch with the team that defeated them in the 2008 Finals, the Boston Celtics. In the latest chapter of the leagues greatest rivalry, the Lakers battled their way past Boston in a thrilling 7 game series to earn redemption, as Kobe won his fifth championship ring, and Phil Jackson his record 11th as a head coach. Relive the Lakers stirring run to glory on this action-packed DVD. You ll get the inside story of the NBA champs with exclusive behind the scenes footage and interviews, along with fantastic highlights of their championship season and also exciting bonus features. Enjoy the ride as the Lakers complete the road to a repeat.

While waiting in line at Disney's California Adventure to get into Disneyland, I met a couple who works for the Los Angeles Lakers.

These are NBA Championship rings from two different years. The one on the left is on my hand.

game hasn't even ended yet.. shelly and jamie with the MVP, foam finger, and

A limited edition of 2010! Remember the 2010A NBA ChampionsA Ring Ceremony forever with this Limited Edition Commemorative Frame! Featured in a 13a?? x 16a?? wood Frame with triple matting is a numbered 8a??x10a?? Collage PhotoA featuring members of the 2010 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers, their 2010 NBA Champions Banner, an imageA of the video montage displayingA back to back champions andA theA championship ring each memberA of the organization received. Furthermore we minted and included in the matting a 24KT Gold plated 2010 NBAA Champions Coin and a 24KT Gold platedA Los Angeles Lakers Coin. A Numbered Certificate of Authenticity listing the date of the Ceremony is matted between both Gold Coins. Limited Edition 2010 and Officially Licensed by theA NBA.

Not often do we find a ring of this kind. So stunning, with such intricate attention to detail, and so affordable. Brushed satin with shiny beveled edges. A narrow, highly polished band encircling the entire face of the ring supports seven of the highest quality cubic zirconias sparkling beautifully in their setting. Unforgettable. It features precision beveled edges and a comfort fit design.
Tungsten is one of the hardest metals on the planet. It's durability is absolutely unmatched in the jewelry industry. Tungsten is 10 times harder than 18K gold, 5 times harder than tool steel and 4 times harder than titanium. It measures between an 8 and 9 on the Mohs scale, with diamonds being the highest at a 10. Tungsten has been used for decades in industrial applications where only the strongest and hardest metal will suffice. The incredible strength and timeless beauty of our tungsten rings will have you cherishing them for a lifetime.
All of our rings are manufactured with tungsten carbide using nickel as a binding agent. Many companies choose to use cobalt as a binder because it is slightly cheaper. While either element will work just fine, cobalt has a higher tendency to have adverse reactions with some people's skin. This is why we use nickel. Although in some extremely rare cases a customer will discover he or she has an allergy to nickel, our rings are generally considered to be hypo-allergenic.

An innovative design for a diamond man wedding ring. The ring uses 4 diamonds in close setting instead of using 1 single diamond in the center. A man diamond wedding ring with a single diamond would require a fairly large diamond and this would increase the price tag considerably.

Gareth Clark Hair for Men photoshoot II.
Hair: Karen. Model: Will Griffiths.

Canon 40D with Sigma 30mm F/1.4 lens.
Off-camera 430EX and 530EZ flash guns to bring out the texture in the cut itself.

This beautiful tungsten carbide ring is 8MM in width and comfort fit. It is all high polish with black carbon fiber inlay. It also has a burnish set .065 Carat DIAMOND. Diamond color is G-H, clarity is SI1-SI2. If you are looking for a ring that is scratch proof and forever keep its shine, than our Tungsten Carbide rings are for you. Tungsten Carbide is ranked second hardest next to diamond on the Mohs scale, diamond being a 10 followed by Tungsten Carbide as 9. All of our Tungsten rings are Cobalt Free and hypoallergenic. Our rings will not cause skin irritations or turn your fingers green. Due to the Hardness of Tungsten, these rings can be laser engraved, but not hand engraved. All ring come with a 100% Money Back Guarantee and a FREE leather ring Box.

Cuba was her home. The smells of the streets were heady, spicy. They came in little whiffs around corners and rammed headlong into Mari as she traveled the cobblestone streets of the trade district. Havana was like that, a surprise on the wind, an undulating energy that begged to be free.

Being of the privileged class when Castro came into power was dangerous. Her homeland stolen, Mari makes forced choices, and the repercussions of these decisions echo some forty years later. In this short story, the author of ‘Death Is A Relative Thing’ conveys this amazing tale of strength and endurance as the circle is made complete.

Cuba was her home. The smells of the streets were heady, spicy. They came in little whiffs around corners and rammed headlong into Mari as she traveled the cobblestone streets of the trade district. Havana was like that, a surprise on the wind, an undulating energy that begged to be free.

Being of the privileged class when Castro came into power was dangerous. Her homeland stolen, Mari makes forced choices, and the repercussions of these decisions echo some forty years later. In this short story, the author of ‘Death Is A Relative Thing’ conveys this amazing tale of strength and endurance as the circle is made complete.

Nitrate-based cream for treating ringworm. Requires twice-daily application for at least ten days.

In my case, I had to apply in private, this time in the bathroom on the train from Delhi to Amritsar.

Not the most interesting thing to photograph I feel but I loved the blue reflections of the lights on this life guard ring and the reflection of the blue lights in the water to the right

The world was once one. Then the Great Aloneness took over creating a division between all creatures and both worlds. Now, one world remembers the whole and the other remembers only a myth. It is at this time, as the Great Aloneness, in the guise of Evil, nears the complete destruction of both worlds that prophecy states that the four from a faraway land will lead the journey to reclaim the Sword of Truth, Exaltar. It is through this quest that Evil will be overcome and both worlds will, once again be reunited.

The world was once one. Then the Great Aloneness took over creating a division between all creatures and both worlds. Now, one world remembers the whole and the other remembers only a myth. It is at this time, as the Great Aloneness, in the guise of Evil, nears the complete destruction of both worlds that prophecy states that the four from a faraway land will lead the journey to reclaim the Sword of Truth, Exaltar. It is through this quest that Evil will be overcome and both worlds will, once again be reunited.

This dazzling sparkling timeless ring is classic and can be used as an engagement ring, anniversary ring, bridal ring, promise ring, proposal ring, fashion ring, wedding ring, cocktail ring and also to represent eternal love between you and that special someone.

This 14k gold diamond ring is prong set with 3 round diamonds. The total diamond weight is 1 carat. The diamonds are GH color and I1 clarity. The ring band measures approximately 1.80 mm wide and 1.0 mm thick.

This is DivaDiamonds.net item number C2580.

I've got a three-ring binder sitting here by the computer that has some of my favorite photos in it, and I guess I've been waiting for the moment to post this particular one. I was reading a couple of photo blogs tonight, and the authors were grappling with the question of why contemporary photography is less satisfying than older, vintage photography. They were talking about art photographs, taken by art photographers, not vernacular photographs, the kind I collect, photographs taken by ordinary jacks and jills, not high-falutin Ansel Adams types.
Of course I had to ponder why I prefer the kind of photographs I collect. So here are some thoughts:
1.) Always a basic---they're cheaper. This photograph probably cost me a dollar or two. Were it the product of some artsy type, in focus, on high-quality paper, with some wonderful tonal qualities added by the hand of an experienced developer, it might run hundreds, or thousands.
But none of those Big Boy Photographers took it, just some regular guy type, with a little more skill. It's a Henri Cartier-Bresson photograph, but without the provenance or the price tag.
Yeah, I know, the focus is lousy. But the blocking of the figure in the frame is great. Was this woman "posing"? Not in the way that you or I might pose, more or less self-consciously. Perhaps the photographer called out to the woman as she was walking by, and she stopped, momentarily, and turned away, looked back, why? out of shyness? Did the photographer count on the child across the street, witness to the scene, or was she a serendipitous addition? The centrifugal energy of the variables seems too great to have been within the control of the photographer---he just got lucky (or she, of course, coulda been she).
2.) That's pretty much it---the photographs I love are cheap (well, they used to be; now I pay alot more for some of them)and they are relatively free of calculation, of knowingness, of ironic distancing.
Oh well, I like this photograph a lot. Maybe it was the result of a whole lot of artful calculation, but I'd guess this was also a lucky day for this photographer.
I need to add this photo to mrwaterslide's Monthly Magazine, which has fallen behind the times.

A toe ring is a Ring made out of various metals and non-metals worn on any of the toes. The second toe of either foot is where they are worn most commonly. In most western countries they are a relatively new fashion accessory. There is not a symbolic meaning for wearing toe rings. They are only regarded to be a new fashion jewelry; they often accompany barefoot sandals, anklets, bare feet or flip flops.
Toe rings in India (bichiya)
Wearing of toe rings is practiced in India. It is worn as a symbol of married state by Hindu women and is called bichiya (pronounced: bee-chee-ya) in Hindi ,jodavi(?????) in Marathi, Mettelu (????????) in Telugu, (Metti in Tamil - ??????). They are usually made of silver and worn in pairs (unlike the trend in Western countries, where they are worn singly or in unmatched pairs) on the second toe of both feet. Traditionally they are quite ornate, though more contemporary designs are now being developed to cater to the modern bride. Some 'bichiya sets' may have pairs for four of the five toes, excluding the little pinky. 'Bichiyas' may not be made of gold, as gold holds a 'respected' status and may not be worn below the waist by Hindus, but this is not followed very strictly and toe rings made of gold and diamonds are commonly seen . Toe rings were introduced to the United States by Marjorie Borell who, after returning from India began manufacturing and selling them in New York in 1973. Her first retail outlet was Fiorucci, a trendy fashion retailer located on 59th Street in New York. The "Original Toe Ring Boutique" sold toe rings in silver, gold and with diamonds. She eventually sold them in Bloomingdale's and many other retail outlets but due to the fact that her designs could not be patented, she moved on to other ventures but retains the title of Toe Ring Lady to this day.
Traditionally a large ring was worn on the great toe of the left foot to indicate a married status. Some men frequently wore a ring on the big toe for curative purposes or to augment their masculine vigor. These rings were seldom closed circles but open hoops so that they could easily be removed
From Wikipedia

14k Gold Bonded Contemporary Style Ring with Channel Set Baguette CZ and Pave CZ Trim in Goldtone. Flashy is an understatement. You'll look gorgeous with Sharon's Ring on, we guarantee it! Sharon's Ring features a center row of channel set baguettes flanked by round cut CZ trim. This anniversary style piece is set in 14k gold bonding. 14k Bonded Gold is achieved using an electroplating process that coats the item with heavy layers of 18k Yellow Gold and color-treated to a perfect 14k Hamilton gold color. Base Metal: Lead Free Alloy Clasp: Size: Sizes 5-10 Item Weight: 4g Carat Weight: 2.2ct Backing: Chain: Length: 11mm Width: 18mm Height: 4mm

Highly Commended in the ENT category at the British Medical Association Book Awards 2008

Lecture Notes: Diseases of the Ear, Nose and Throat, now in its tenth edition, is an ideal learning aid covering the core principles of this important specialty. With concise chapters, this text is renowned for its brevity, clarity and lavish illustrations. This edition has been thoroughly revised and rewritten to reflect the latest developments in the specialty and contemporary curriculum, and features:



New material on otitis media, tonsils, voice disorders, head and neck cancer and obstructive sleep apnoea

Coverage of relevant basic science at a level to assist the student to fully understand the clinical topic

Clinical Practice Points which provide nuggets of wisdom about patient management

Over 200 self-assessment questions to aid revision and understanding

Emphasis on sensible primary-care management of common presentations


Lecture Notes: Diseases of the Ear, Nose and Throat is a thorough, digestible companion to ENT for all medical students and junior doctors, as well as General Practitioners and ENT nurse practitioners.

TAGGED.... again! (:
Sorry if i tag you and you dont know me lol, its just cuz i think ur really cool and i love your work! (: Dont feel obligated! (: its just for fun!

Name: Elizabeth
Sex: Female.
Birth date: May 28
Height: 5'5"
Eye color: Blue, gray, green
Hair color: Red
What does your name mean: Consecrated to God
High school graduation year: 2010
Favorite relatives: My sister rachel
Summer memory: Blink/Fob/Panic concert last year! And like every convention!
Favorite TV shows: True life, the Buried life, Flapjack
What’s on your mousepad: trackpad, umm my finger.
In the car- ac or windows: windows!
Do you believe in yourself: Occasionally
Favorite game: yeaaa hide and seek!
Favorite drink: Red bull and iced caramel lattes!
Favorite food: Ribs
Favorite colors: green, black, red
Favorite sounds: The ocean
Favorite smell: Guy cologne
Worst feeling in the World: Sick
Best feeling in the World: Rollercoasters!
Favorite thing to do on a weekend: PAR-TAY!
Favorite movie soundtrack: uhmm... Alice in wonderland
Where do you see yourself in 10 years: Paradise
First thought in the morning: shower.
Do you get motion sickness: yesssh
Rollercoasters- deadly or exciting: EXCITING!
How many rings before you answer the phone: twice
Future son names: Evan
Future daughter names: Molly
Are you a good friend: I try! Im sorry if im not!
Chocolate or Vanilla cake: Chocolate
What do you drive: Pontiac Bonneville
Do you sleep with a stuffed animal: ha... no!
Thunderstorms cool or scary: AAAAWWEEESSSOOOMMMMEEEEEE!
If you could meet one person in the World, who would it be: i dont care
What do you wear to bed: Guys boxers and a baggy T!
Do you eat stems of broccoli: Nah
Guys- If a girl ever asked you for the shirt on your back, would you give it to her?
Girls- Would you ever ask a guy for his shirt? mhmm!
If you could have any occupation when you get older, what would it be: Photographer!

If you could dye your hair one color, what would it be: Already have, red!
If you could have a tattoo, what and where would it be: idk what but itd be on my back.
Favorite brand of gum: stride sweet mint
What is your favorite quote: "In Your Perfect World, I Feel Strange"
Have you ever been in love: Not yet!
What’s on your walls in your room: paint!
Is the glass half-empty or half-full: blah empty sometimes, full sometimes.
Pick a song that describes yourself or that you can relate to:"Let It Go" -Escape the Fate
Which do you prefer- Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese Doritos: Nacho Cheese
Favorite flavor Snapple: uhmmm dunno
Which one, Coke or Pepsi: Coke
Which kind of milk is your favorite: Cows
If you were to kill someone, which method would you use? A gun would do the job
Are you a righty, lefty, or ambidextrous: righty
Do you type with your fingers on the right keys: yesums!
When you meet a person of the opposite sex, you notice their: smile!
What kind of shoe would you be if you had an option: Converse
What’s under your bed: a notebook
What’s the best number in the World: 57
What is your dream car: My dads '71 442 Oldsmobile (fixed up)
Who is your biggest crush right now: Avan Jogia
Nickname: Lizzy, Fizzy,

School: My home
Bacon Bits Or croutons: Croutons
Favorite Salad Dressing: Blue cheese
Do you Drink: nope
What type of Shampoo/Conditioner: dove
Do you make fun of people: No
Have you ever been convicted of a crime: Never convicted ;)
Best friends online/offline: offline?
One pillow or two: three
Pets: two dogs and a cat
Favorite Movies: Whip It, The Rocker
Favorite type of music: Alternative rock, metal, classic rock.
Hobbies: Sketching, taking pics
Word or Phrase you overuse: Like
Toothpaste: Colgate
Piercing or tattoos: YEYAH my upper ear just got done!
Do you get along with your parents: Sure
Favorite beer: Eh none
Favorite song at the moment: "Weekend Warriors"- A Change Of Pace
Favorite subject in school: Science
Least favorite subject in school: History
Most humiliating moment: Falling in an apple bobbing bucket at a family reunion party when i was little.
Craziest or Silliest Person You Know: Katlynn
Say one nice thing about the person who sent this to you and be sure to send it back to them: Ill say Leyna cuz she was the first to respond lol - She has got to the coolest, real (as in doesnt try to be anyone but herself) and omg i love that about her cuz i have alot of "fake" friends that do stuff just to fit in with the crowd and have approval of others and its just so cool to be able to relate to her and we seem to have alot in common! (: luv youz!

De paseo por PANACA, parque tematico del Agro.

Ya creo que voy entendiendo las aperturas para los macros

Emporio Armani Mem's Jewelry sterling silver and black leather ring, eagle logo etched on sides EG2058. Specifications:Ring;material: Sterling silver and black leatherRing size: UK R / US 8.5Ring diameter: 18.75 mmMax width: Approximately 20 mm / 0.8 inch Emporio Armani Jewellery exemplifies style and perfectly composed combinations of materials. They are designed for people who lead a modern lifestyle and want to dress with a sense of casual sophistication. The spirit of these accessories is youthful, balancing a contemporary style with classic, high-grade materials. The Armani philosophy states: any accessory - whether a bracelet, a necklace or a ring - has more to it than just the first impression it makes; it reveals something about the wearer. Emporio Armani Bracelets combine straightforwardly simple and casual materials into a beautiful and subtle harmony of colours and textures. Several models feature the "Emporio Armani" logo etched into them. Emporio Armani Rings, although more roughly designed, still maintain a unique balance between eye-catching and gentleness. These rings are made of materials such as sterling silver, stainless steel, enamel and all kinds of combinations of the above. Emporio Armani Necklaces will always draw the people's attention - some designs are very delicate, using thin lines and minimalistic ornament styling, whereas other are magnificently solid and full of presence. The company Giorgio Armani designs and manufactures products in several categories including fashion accessories, apparel, cosmetics, fragrances, home interiors, jewellery, eyewear and of course, watches under several labels including Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Junior, Armani Exchange, and Armani Casa. Online_Brands is proud to assure you that our Armani jewellery is 100% authentic. It will come in a genuine Emporio Armani presentation gift box with documentation.

If you look closely, you can see the outline of Armani's white cropped hair in the shoulder of the mannequin. There must have been some sort of funky reflection going on there. You can also see the Dior reflection from across the street.

Armani showing off his Jorday jersey and shoes

Emporio Armani Jewellery men's twisted style 0.925 sterling silver ring with blackened crevices EG2078. Specifications:Ring;material: Precious .925 grade sterling silverRing size: UK U-V / US 10.5Ring diameter: 20 mmMax width: Approximately;8.5 mm / 0.33 inch Emporio Armani Jewellery exemplifies style and perfectly composed combinations of materials. They are designed for people who lead a modern lifestyle and want to dress with a sense of casual sophistication. The spirit of these accessories is youthful, balancing a contemporary style with classic, high-grade materials. The Armani philosophy states: any accessory - whether a bracelet, a necklace or a ring - has more to it than just the first impression it makes; it reveals something about the wearer. Emporio Armani Bracelets combine straightforwardly simple and casual materials into a beautiful and subtle harmony of colours and textures. Several models feature the "Emporio Armani" logo etched into them. Emporio Armani Rings, although more roughly designed, still maintain a unique balance between eye-catching and gentleness. These rings are made of materials such as sterling silver, stainless steel, enamel and all kinds of combinations of the above. Emporio Armani Necklaces will always draw the people's attention - some designs are very delicate, using thin lines and minimalistic ornament styling, whereas other are magnificently solid and full of presence. The company Giorgio Armani designs and manufactures products in several categories including fashion accessories, apparel, cosmetics, fragrances, home interiors, jewellery, eyewear and of course, watches under several labels including Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Junior, Armani Exchange, and Armani Casa. Online_Brands is proud to assure you that our Armani jewellery is 100% authentic. It will come in a genuine Emporio Armani presentation gift box with documentation.

Accessorize your already vibrant look with this Pugster Heart Cut CZ Aquamarine Size 8 Ring, one of our favorite rings. Quality rings are a staple of any jewelry collection, and this stunning piece is made with great care of sterling silver. Measuring 5mm at the top and 2mm at the shank, the elegant thin band provides a beautiful accent for the heart shape cubic zirconia. This eye catching ring is a sure hit, whether worn to work, out on the town, or to a small dinner party. A brilliant addition to your collection of rings, and part of Pugster's popular line of silver sterling rings. Like all rings crafted by Pugster Inc., these Heart Cut CZ Aquamarine Size 8 Rings are available for both retail and purchase from our store.

this ring was given to me by my grandma yarbrough. it was always in a white ring box in her dressing table when i was little and i try it on and feel glamorous! turns out it was aunt beth's. when they moved from ogden, utah to los angeles, her then boyfriend gave her this promise ring. i always thought it was an aquamarine (w/tiny diamonds on each side) but someone told me it was a montana sapphire. anyway, his name was bart walthous and he later became the mayor of ogden. i offered the ring to beth's daughter sandy, thinking it belonged in their family but she said she has no memory or knowledge of it so it was more appropriate that i keep it since i have had it for so long and have memories of it.

This was the first ever thing I made using wire wapping and fine cut gemstones, based on a necklace I had seen online but now completely taken apart and re-made. The only original components are two tiny s-links joining the focal to the chain.

It was a present for my sister and I took it away from her at Christmas promising to return it for her birthday..well I am only a month late!

It looks so pretty in real-life, I just know I am going to have to make another in different gemstones. Then again, maybe not, I just remembered how long it took and all the swearing I did wrapping those jump rings!

Sterling Silver and Crystal Clear Cubic Zirconia Solitaire Promise Ring.
You have found just the thing for that special someone in your life and even yourself! Simple elegance is the statement you are making with this piece. Band separates and gently envelopes the crystal clear stone providing an effortless central focal point. Unpretentious and a timelessly elegant.

* Stamped 925
* Width of band is 3mm
* Width of stone is 5mm
Ring will be shipped in a Free gift box making it easy for you to surprise your special someone.

Thank you for shopping at Gem Avenue!

4th full length from the popular band, produced by Stephen Street, who is known fro his work with The Smiths, Blur & The Cranberries. For fans of Jayhawk & Wilco. 2002.

After spending six years playing to a small but loyal fringe following of emo kids, the Promise Ring break hearts and stereotypes on their fourth studio album. With the help of producer Stephen Street (Smiths, Blur, Pretenders) and new label Anti- Records (Tom Waits, Merle Haggard), the Milwaukee band sets aside its furrow-browed bedroom angst and embraces whopping Technicolor melodies, elegant guitar rock passages, and an air of confidence that suggests they mean it this time. Wood/Water presents the Promise Ring at their most approachable; it's a gorgeous pastiche of hallowed left-field acts like the Flaming Lips ("Suffer Never"), Weezer ("Get on the Floor"), and a folky Beck ("Letters to the Far Reaches"). The most remarkable track is "Become One Anything One Time," which casts them as the American answer to Travis and delivers the heartbreaking affirmation: "I'm just happy you stuck around." The Promise Ring: clearly worth the wait. --Aidin Vaziri

(photo: Crosses for those who died in the Milestone Tap. A ragged tree survived the tornado)

Utica Tornado of April 20, 2004
Story by Julia Keller
First printed December 5, 6, and7 in the Chicago Tribune.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1: A wicked wind takes aim

How do you outrun the sky?
On a fateful day in April, the people of Utica bore the brunt of the awesome power of a tornado.

By Julia Keller
Tribune staff reporter
Published December 5, 2004

Ten seconds. Count it: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Ten seconds was roughly how long it lasted. Nobody had a stopwatch, nothing can be proven definitively, but that's the consensus. The tornado that swooped through Utica at 6:09 p.m. April 20 took some 10 seconds to do what it did. Ten seconds is barely a flicker. It's a long, deep breath. It's no time at all. It's an eternity.

If the sky could hold a grudge, it would look the way the sky looked over northern Illinois that day. Low, gray clouds stretched to the edges in a thin veneer of menace. Rain came and went, came and went, came and went.

The technical name for what gathered up there was stratiform cloud cover, but Albert Pietrycha had a better way to describe it: "murk." It was a Gothic-sounding word for a Gothic-looking sky. A sky that, in its own oblique way, was sending a message.

Pietrycha is a meteorologist in the Chicago forecast office of the National Weather Service, a tidy, buttoned-down building in Romeoville, about 25 miles southwest of Chicago. It's a setting that seems a bit too ordinary for its role, too bland for the place where the first act of a tragedy already was being recorded. Where the sky's bad intentions were just becoming visible, simmering in the low-slung clouds.

Where a short distance away, disparate elements--air, water and old sandstone blocks--soon would slam into each other like cars in a freeway pileup, ending eight lives and changing other lives forever.

The survivors would henceforth be haunted by the oldest, most vexing question of all: whether there is a destiny that shapes our fates or whether it is simply a matter of chance, of luck, of the way the wind blows.

It was a busy day for Pietrycha and his colleagues. The classic ingredients for a tornado--warm air to the south, cooler air north and a hint of wind shear--had seemed imminent most of the morning. Spring and early summer are boom times for tornadoes, the most violent storms on Earth.

What bothered Pietrycha was a warm front that loitered ominously across southern Illinois. If the front's moist, humid air moved north too quickly in the daylight hours, clashing with cooler air, the instability could create thunderstorms liable to split off into tornadoes.

But by early afternoon, it seemed that maybe, just maybe, northern Illinois would escape. If the front waited until after sunset to arrive, its impact would be negligible because the air near the ground--with no sunshine to warm it--would cool off. Nope, a relieved Pietrycha said to himself. Probably not today.

It was only a hunch. Meteorologists know a lot about tornadoes, but with all they know, they still can't say why some thunderstorms generate tornadoes and some don't. Or why tornadoes, once unleashed, do what they do and go where they go.

That's why forecasting is as much art as science. Too many warnings not followed by actual tornadoes make people skeptical and careless. Too many warnings can be as dangerous as too few. And while meteorologists can spot an approaching hurricane days in advance, the average warning time for a tornado is 11 minutes.

What she was thinking was, Gotta beat that rain.

Frowning up at a sky as flat and gray as a cookie sheet, Shelba Bimm, 65, figured she just might be able to outrun the next downpour. Worth a try, anyway.

Bimm was standing in the driveway of her house at 238 W. Church St. in Utica, population 977, just outside Starved Rock State Park.

It was precisely 5:15 p.m. She had her schedule figured down to the minute. Busy people do that. But this ornery rain--will it or won't it, and if it starts up again, how long will it last?--was irksome.

She was due in Oglesby at 6 p.m. for the weekly class she was taking for her certification as an EMT Intermediate, the next level up from EMT, a rank Bimm had held since 1980, answering the frequent summons from the Utica volunteer fire department. Folks in town were accustomed to the sight of the white-haired Bimm in the driver's seat of her black Honda CRV, yanking on the wheel with one hand and gripping her dispatch radio with the other.

Shelba Bimm had been a 1st-grade teacher for 42 years. She was retired now--if that's what you want to call it, even though she was at least as busy these days as she'd ever been when running a classroom, what with her EMT work and the dollhouse business she operated out of the front room of her home. And now she and Dave Edgcomb, U

Photo: 2004, Ben and David. Age, one year
Overnight: 08 March 2006
Story: 10 March 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

¦ Ben & David's First Sleepover

On Wednesday, I wake up way "ahead of time" (what an idea) and listen to the Rain ringing like small bells on the roof and eaves-drop on the big White Pine Tree making love with the Wind right outside my window. I venture out early in the fresh morning and get a new hair cut and manicure. There's not much chance to talk with my sister, MJ, on the phone, I am so nervous - but not really. I'm secretly so excited that I can barely remember the simplest thing! We're having the twins overnight!

When I get back home, I baby-proof the house as always - turn off the space-heaters and remove the teakettles of water I keep there in the winter, put the telephones out of reach, and other dangerous things, too - all according to my beliefs, which I have been careful not to oppose these days.... After finishing the chores, I was talking to MJ, time was getting short (time does the most interesting things) and I suddenly remember I had not yet set up the beds, or made them, or baby-proofed the baby room!

I run upstairs and arrange the twin mattresses on the floor in the corners of the room with the dresser tightly wedged in-between to act like side-rails and also furniture at the feet for foot-boards. It looks pretty good, and I am happy. I remove all the breakable things, and put a small rug on the cold wood floor between the mattresses. I bring up all the stuffed animals and put pillows between the beds and the walls... and install the baby gate in the doorway.

Ben-Ben and Doodle arrive with Brad and Helen around 5:30 in the evening, and the first thing they always do is open the closet door and haul out the vacuum sweepers. Ben gets the red one. Doodle gets out the blue one. Brad and Helen and I talk and talk and open the baby luggage, getting out all the treasures - Ben's BrownyBunny, Doodle's MarshmallowBunny, PJ's, baby yogurt, night-time music CD, and baby Einstein DVD... (Granny is more excited than anyone else, as you know, because I bet baby yogurt is not raising your adrenalin any...)

Meanwhile I get out the applesauce (pink/mango, yellow/apple, and green/pear, yummy), Alphabet cookies (XX! Everyone wants the "Eck Eck"), the other snacks and something for dinner. I can't help noticing how foreign this feels and how delightful, since Dave's always worked late and we rarely "fix" dinner or sit down to eat together. I fill the green and blue juice cups and the purple and turquoise milk cups and set the little chairs around the children's table in the living room, and bring in the highchairs from the dining room to put them around the big kitchen table. All this is accomplished to the charming music of vroom-vrooming red and blue sweepers all around and around the house... too bad we can't plug them in yet.

After that we have to go to the door and wave goodbye to MomMom and Daddy after promising and swearing and vowing that we will call them any time, day or night, if we have any trouble we can't handle! Big hugs all around!

Our house has the absolutely essential childish wonder of wonders - The Round-A-Bout. There are two doors, so you can go round and round and round between the kitchen and dining room. When you get tired of the sweepers, the most fun thing is to have Granny chase you round and round and you can be sure that she will stop and go the other way and surprise you with a big growl and her arms out to catch you up and have a scream, a giggle and a quick snuggle.

I have to tell you, I have re-named Ben, Bouncing Ben! That night after dinner, the first thing he accomplishes is to swallow a big square ice cube whole, and I'm thinking we will both freeze to death. They had each fed themselves the green (Ben) and yellow (David) applesauce in their highchairs. Then it was "get down!" So we have spaghetti and meatballs on the run. We cannot find any more X's in the cookie jar, so Ben decides to dump them all out on the kitchen floor just to be sure. You know how cute they look when they squat down like that?

Meanwhile, Doodle is sitting contentedly on the floor with the colored shapes that fit on the colored pegs and naming each one... star, heart, triangle... and asking for new words every once in a while, and bringing a color to share with Ben - the colors he knows Ben prefers, red, red, and red. Ben likewise, rounds up all the crayons and carries them to Doodle. All except red.

They haul out some Tupperware and the bubble bottles and must have the bubble-blowing sticks out of them. Neon orange for Doodle. Neon pink for Ben. We each have a special blue plastic cuppa-cuppa that we get to put ice into, straight out of the freezer door. We get to dump it into the sink and get some more and feel how coldy it is... We do not usually put any

4th full length from the popular band, produced by Stephen Street, who is known fro his work with The Smiths, Blur & The Cranberries. For fans of Jayhawk & Wilco. 2002.

After spending six years playing to a small but loyal fringe following of emo kids, the Promise Ring break hearts and stereotypes on their fourth studio album. With the help of producer Stephen Street (Smiths, Blur, Pretenders) and new label Anti- Records (Tom Waits, Merle Haggard), the Milwaukee band sets aside its furrow-browed bedroom angst and embraces whopping Technicolor melodies, elegant guitar rock passages, and an air of confidence that suggests they mean it this time. Wood/Water presents the Promise Ring at their most approachable; it's a gorgeous pastiche of hallowed left-field acts like the Flaming Lips ("Suffer Never"), Weezer ("Get on the Floor"), and a folky Beck ("Letters to the Far Reaches"). The most remarkable track is "Become One Anything One Time," which casts them as the American answer to Travis and delivers the heartbreaking affirmation: "I'm just happy you stuck around." The Promise Ring: clearly worth the wait. --Aidin Vaziri

“Well” commented Hutch “Mr. Zoloto keeps in good company.” There were eight girls, all with blond to strawberry blond hair (though none with the deep red of Burgundy's hair.) They all wore their own clothes of varying styles but each had a yellow pin in their hair.
“They're not Mr. Zoloto's company,” corrected Burgundy “they're my own. These are the Nymph Tears.” The girl who had opened the door addressed Burgundy. “No problems Aegle, smooth journey.”
“Doesn't a group like this.” Hutch indicated to the women around him “draw attention?”
“We used to dress up like priestess, but we found that attracted more attention.”
“That wouldn't surprise me...” Hutch replied, his voice trailing off. Another person had caught his eye. Hutch was surrounded by nine fetching ladies, so not just anyone could catch his attention. This man was towering, much taller than Hutch. Much of his height seemed to be in his torso, leaving him with relatively short limbs. His hair was trimmed short but his beard was a long unkempt mass of gray and black hairs. He wore a dark yellow suit. The man could only be an Trellick alchemist, the likes of which were never seen in Findland.
The alchemist went into a stately yellow brick manor, in his place walked out Mr. Zoloto, accompanied by the man built like a wardrobe. “Mr. Hutch,” greeted Zoloto “Welcome to my summer home.” Hutch had always thought of summer homes as small cottages off in the woods. This was nothing of the sort. This was a three story building in a spacious neighborhood with woods behind the homes.
“Gold smuggling has been good to you, perhaps I'm in the wrong line of work.”
Zoloto moved his gums around before speaking. “Take Mr. Hutch to his quarters.” The wardrobe sized man indicated a direction he wanted Hutch to walk, he was flanked by two other men. They walked down an outdoor staircase to a stony basement. Once there the wardrobe sized man indicated for Hutch to enter a room with a door made of iron bars.
“He has a dungeon in his summer home? What's his winter home like?” Instead of answering Hutch's question, the wardrobe size man pushed him into the cell and locked it.
Hutch looked over his room, there wasn't much to see. A small grate let in a bit of light from above. “How do you report in?” he heard one of the other men say. Hutch examined his sleeping arrangements, it was a pile of straw. “Hey!” The man called out “I'm talking to you!”
Hutch turned to face the man on the other side of the bars. “Forgive me, I just assumed you were part of the wallpaper.”
“What?” The man stared at Hutch for a moment before shaking off his confusion “Look, if you want to stay alive then you'll tell me how to report in that your mission is going well.”
“Hmmmm? Ah yes of course.” What kind of odd things do lay people think spies do? “Well first I'll need a key.”
The man looked exasperated already. “Right, I'm just supposed to give you the key to the cell.”
“The cell? Oh no, not that.” Hutch didn't think it would be that easy, but it was worth a try. “No, it should be a key you don't need. One you can afford to lose.”
“I don't have any keys I don't need.”
“So go get one.”
The man squinted at Hutch “Why?”
Hutch tried to look like this was an absurd question. “We need it to signal that the mission is going well.” The man begrudgingly acquiesced and went off to find an unneeded key. The wardrobe sized man had already gone off somewhere. The third man sat down in a chair across from the cell and watched Hutch.
About twenty minutes later the man who was not wallpaper returned with an old key. “Alright, so I've got a key. Now what.”
“Now go to a post box, one next to a post office but not inside, and drop the key in the box.”
“That's it? That's what you use as a signal?”
“Well the signal changes quite frequently, any time we think it maybe compromised. But yes, right now that is the signal.”
The man looked at the key, (There was no reason for him to introduce himself to Hutch, but his name was Linder) then Linder looked at Hutch skeptically. Linder walked out the door and accented the stairs, but then quickly returned. “Pretty clever, have me drop the key at a post office here and let the TSC know our whole operation has moved to Vernon.”
Vernon, so that's where they were. Still in Findland, not far from the sea, sort of a secondary city to the floating federal city of Eneti. “Well, yes I suppose so. You're the ones who moved me.”
Linder looked at Hutch and gave a dry silent laugh. “And how do I know that this isn't a signal that the mission has gone horribly wrong and that you want the whole damn army to swoop down here?”
This guy was putting a lot of thought into the wild goose chase Hutch was sending him on. “Well I can't prove that one way or the other. Though a signal like that would be quite useful. When I get out of here I'll have to recommend something like that.”
“Don't worry about that.” Reassured Linder “Because you're n

Yes, I carry all these keys with me every time I go out, except that one time I got locked out. The Keys I carry can change depending on the jobs we're doing and who's house we'll be at for the next week or so, but generally its this. Along with my wallet, cell phone, loose change and leatherman skeletool, the weight can add up. But once I throw a hammer in the hammerloop, all that other stuff feels like its not even there.

The keys, from left to right, in counter-clockwise order, are as follows:

-My house
-My garage
-My company work van, White 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 (my main vehicle, filled with tools and junk)
-My dad's 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup with ladder racks he built out of wood. (Mainly used for transporting materials, and firewood and furniture.)
-My dad's green Chevy pickup from maybe '95 or so, that he bought recently from my uncle. This little key is for the hatch on the back of the cap.
-The next key is for the door and ignition on the green truck.
-My mom's Red 2003 Dodge Minivan. They love there Dodge dealer because they helped them out back when my mom was pregnant with me and their car died. They fixed it for free on the spot and gain a customer for life apparently. I'm not a big fan.
-On to the next ring, starting with the gold key. That's for the Haverford Township Parks Maintenance building. We've been doing a lot of work there recently. Still need to go back and do some little things.
-Next is the key to my parents house in the mountains.
-After that is Koolice's apartment building key.
-Then his apartment room key.
-Then my grandfather's garage where we store lawnmowers and digging tools.
-And lastly is the master lock key for every pad lock owned by Haverford Township.

The brass ring is actually a piece of 5/8 inch solid brass pipe from an old bathroom we remodeled. It was probably from the 1800's. I cut off that little piece as a souvenir.

The blue lanyard is is from an American Cancer Society bike ride I used to do every year back in the early 2000's. We would ride a metric century (100 km / 63 miles) Its held up very well over the years. Makes getting keys out very easy if my hands are full or if I'm wearing gloves at work.

This used to all be on one ring, but with the township keys and Koolice's 2 keys and my parent's mountain house, it just became too much. I could take some off, but I'd hate to get somewhere that I needed these, and not have them that day, s I just take them everywhere...every day.

This Lovely White Cultured Pearl Ring Features One High Luster Blemish-Free Premier Color White Cultured Pearl, 8.5mm, Set In 14K Yellow Gold With .10 Cttw Diamond Accents.

This is a classic and graceful 14K yellow gold ring fashioned with .10 Cttw of diamonds and a beautiful 8.5mm cultured pearl as its center. White Isle combines the very best value on the finest cultured pearls with designer styles to create an affordable, beautiful, fashionable look. Our White Isle Peal rings feature top commercial grade pearls that are round, clean, well-cultivated pearls, with high luster, a light body color and silver or pink overtones. Packaged in a White Isle gift box with a guarantee booklet and care instructions.

Please note: Photo depicts item larger than it is. Please use measurements provided to determine the size of the item. There are about 6mm to 1/4 inch. Call seller if you have questions.

This ring is signature K. A. Mace, and then some! This ring feels royal and glorious in its unusual and gorgeous hues! If you love her Cluster designs, this is a must have ring for you! In this ring, Citrine , Purple Amethyst and Green Amethyst Briolette Drops are surrounded by Light Gold, Light Purple and Light Green Swarovski Pearls to create a gorgeous cluster effect. The ring is a hammered band of Gold Vermeil. This is a must have for anyone who loves color, who loves fun "cocktail" sized rings, and anyone who truly believes one single ring can be the most impactful accessory to wear! This is available in any gemstone and/or Freshwater Pearl combination of your choice!

Each ring is truly one-of-a-kind, each cluster effect will be slightly different from ring to ring.

The rings are available in sizes 7, 8, 9. Additional sizes may be special ordered. Also available in Sterling Silver.

This pearl necklace created by Jewelry by Luet and Co is made of

Small round glass pearls

Medium round glass pearl,

AB faceted crystal rondelles

Sterling silver wire

Sterling silver ball end head pin

Sterling silver bead caps

Sterling silver link chain

Small sterling silver round beads

Small sterling silver rectangular beads

Sterling silver jump rings

Sterling silver lobster clasp closure

This pearl necklace measures 50 inches as a single strand, but can be doubled AND even TRIPLED for different looks! It is classy, elegant, and an extremely versatile piece of jewelry.

Available on etsy, shopname: cdjali

This Genuine Swarovski Crystal Pearl Necklace is beautiful and elegant. At 18"" long, it is carefully hand strung on finest quality silk thread. It is finished with a sterling silver Fish Hook Filigree Clasp. Buy this necklace with its matching earrings and bracelet.At these prices, this piece is a steal.

The Secret Of Swarovski Crystal Pearls : Each Swarovski Crystal Pearl is created around a crystal core, hence the name Crystal Pearl. This crystal core gives the pearl its ideal weight and combined with the Swarovski Pearl coating it causes each Crystal Pearl to glow from within. The pearl coating developed by Swarovski is applied around the crystal core in pearly layers. The high specific gravity of a raw pearl made of crystal gives the Swarovski Crystal Pearl the same weight as a cultured pearl. Swarovski crystal pearls look very high quality with its superior lustre. These are better to maintain than cultured pearls. They do not get stained by sweat. A Swarovski Crystal Pearl feels good to the touch and as a piece of jewelry, it offers that sensual experience valued by pearl enthusiasts.

Occasions : Wear these to a party, weddings, formal occasions or just to work everyday. Pearls are always appropriate no matter what the occasion.

Click Here to view our compelete Genuine Swarovski Crystal Pearl Collection.
Click Here for special holiday pricing on our top of the line Swarovski Royal Set

Buy carefree with our 'No questions asked' returns policy.

Badbury Clump, near Faringdon, Oxfordshire.

Hingefinkle's Logbook (Fifth Instalment)

How to Trap a Hydra
and how to let it go again

So precocious a child as you are, my dear little Alias, will, on reading the title of this chapter of my humble reminiscences, immediately set my manuscript aside and cry: “Why, Hingefinkle, that’s too easy! All you need to do is poke an eyedropper into the bottom of a pond, borrow one of Gladys Sparkbright’s microscopes, and you can have as many Hydras as you want, waving their stinging tentacles about in every which direction, and entrapping Pseudopodic Monsters and a Paramecium or two by way of entertainment. And to let them go again? Silly Hingefinkle, you needn’t even bother with walking back to the pond! You may look at them to your heart’s content and then, when you are satisfied, rinse the slide and cover-slip in the dishwater, and throw the dregs out the window into the drain, the bottom of which is quite slushy enough for a whole polyphagy of Hydras (for I presume that to be the correct collective noun) to remain well content!”

And I should be compelled to reply, “Hum, indeed, little Alias, but alas, the Hydra of my title is not the Hydra of which you speak, though admittedly it shares some characteristics with the diminutive form.”
“Oh?” you would reply interestedly. “You mean that there is a big type of Hydra as well as a little type?”
And then I should have to tell you that yes, there are at least two big types of Hydra in addition to the microscopic one: an ocean-going one having certain morphological affinities with the octopus (which does not concern us here), and a reptilian, swamp-inhabiting one (which has, as you shall soon see, concerned me very much). There are, I would add, two distinct traits which all three species - so different in so many other ways - invariably share, and which have made all three worthy to partake of the fearful name of HYDRUS. They are: a profusion of necks (and in the two more advanced species, heads too), and, just as notably, a determined voraciousness to rival that of the Higher Dragons. And before you besiege me with further questions, little Alias, I shall by your leave explain why it is so difficult to catch a Hydra, and moreover, why it is (or so I believe) downright impossible to let one go again without ensuing consequences of a serious and most regrettable nature.

*

Directly to the north of our little abode there lies, as you are well aware, a fen known in these parts as the Rancid Swamp. It is a most unprepossessing and unjust name for a place which is, as any sensible person would agree, absolutely fascinating. In the weeks following the twin failures of Agrimony’s alchemical experiment and the miserable affair of Gearsprocket’s Giant Leech, my friend was even more obtuse and intractable than usual, so that while he focused his ferocity on a spirited but entirely ineffective attack on the bureaucratic mechanisms of the local Druid Fraternity, I shoved a few necessary items into my pockets, procured some thigh-length leather galoshes (sealed with tar and hydrolised halibut giblet-oil) from the local tannery, and marched off on an expedition, firmly resolved to make a detailed map of the Rancid Swamp, and by my descriptions and depictions of what I found there, to rescue that great natural wonder from the odium of its ignominious name.

I was not to be disappointed. It is indeed a most marvellous - nay, a most mellifluous place, my dear little Alias. The air positively hums with the wingbeats of giant dragonflies whose eyes glow with a ghostly green light when alive (and continue to do so for a few hours after death), and of bright blue mosquitoes each with a proboscis two digits long. There are amphibians enough to stock all the kitchens in France for three millennia, including large, blind monsters the size of boa constrictors, living in burrows in the sphagnum. The big amphibians live, for the most part, by eating the little amphibians, of which there are a plethora: frogs, toads, newts, and boggle-eyed axolotls covered in bright purple blotches. The little amphibians live by eating a balanced combination of the smaller flying insects and the spawn of other little amphibians. There are sticklebacks the size of salmons, minnows the size of manta-rays, waterbeetles bigger than rowing-boats - hum - am I exaggerating? Nay, methinks not! - and the dragonfly nymphs are so ferocious that they regularly leap out of the water to gobble their parents. And in describing the amphibians, I forgot to mention the infinite and perplexing variety of tadpoles which wriggle about beneath the surfaces of the stagnant pools, gulping in vast quantities of water and filtering it for decomposed algae; and in describing the mosquitoes, I forgot to mention their larvae, which writhe about in the water like so many maggots, their breathing-tubes poking out above the surface like a forest of hypodermic needles planted by s

Taken at home in Salford Manchester.
I have been asked loads of times to do a shot of my cooking tools
This is a collection of Tools i have collected over the years as and when i needed them
this is just the stuff i use on a regular basis, I have a lot more.

"Jack's in-depth knowledge of the catalog market and his exceptional talent for articulating a precise set of how-tos for seemingly every aspect of this complex business are unrivaled. . . . A masterful volume of a highly complex and challenging topic, written by one of the best catalog consultants around." -- Laura Beaudry, Editorial Director Catalog Age "Creating a Profitable Catalog is a comprehensive guide to modern-day cataloging. It includes up-to-the-minute information on concept and creative development, design and production, merchandising, circulation planning, database marketing, operations, and financial management. All of these topics are analyzed in intricate and careful detail as author Jack Schmid guides the reader through every step of building a successful catalog--either in print or on-line. This is a must-have for any aspiring cataloger's library and a welcome addition to the bookshelves of catalog industry veterans. Praise for Creating a Profitable Catalog by Jack Schmid "Jack Schmid is one of this country's best catalog marketers, and he has packed this book full of detailed, practical know-how on each and every aspect of cataloging. This book is important to anyone already working in our industry, but it is indispensable for someone just getting into the business." -- Bill Spaide, Partner Spaide, Kuipers & Company "I consider Jack Schmid to be the number one catalog strategist of our time. His magnificent new book, Creating a Profitable Catalog, is a treasure chest that starts with the year 2000 and goes beyond." -- Bob Stone, Chairman Emeritus Stone & Adler Author of the bestselling Successful Direct Marketing Methods

This is the self portrait I will probably use for my photography class digital assignment #2. Our teacher (Moira) told us it needed to be a "significant" self portrait, not just one that you put on myspace (or flicrk?).

Why is it significant? Well, 1) music makes me contemplative a lot of the time. 2) I'm wearing my wedding dress because I had had a solo in church earlier (sorry, Sally, I didn't record it). 3) I'm outside, which is where I prefer to be, and 4) I'm wearing a hat... something I need to do here... I'm trying to stave off skin cancer on my head...

Hat #84

Bobby and his photographers were busy capturing the details while I was running around getting things ready.

My dress is jcrew, which i got on sale and used a gift card from Paul's brother Greg that he gave me for Christmas. I think I paid $30 total. I love Paul's titanium ring. I saw it in the catalog and loved it and when we turned the page he pointed right to it. I also love, love, love my band.

I got the parasols in case it was sunny. No worries there! So all the sayings I put on about sun were for not, but they still made great props. :)

Sterling Silver with Braided Accent Toe Ring.
Classic braided accents with contrasting dark and light finish completely surround a high-polished band, giving you a stylish and modern look. Lightweight and unobtrusive, this piece is easy to wear and remove by slightly opening or closing the rear gap.

* Stamped 925
* 7mm at widest part; 5mm at least widest
Toe ring will be shipped in a FREE gift box making it easy for you to surprise your special someone.

Thank you for shopping at Gem Avenue!

My fresh pedi inspired this picture. And the tat? I'm a nurse (thus the stethoscope) and a cosmetologist (thus the Ninja shears), I drew up this unique design to represent my two "schools" of thought, medical and magical.

Dhuruba (Dhurua or Dhurva) tribe : woman with anklet , toe rings and foot tattoo.
Most of the jewelry is made of aluminium and brass.

Palladium textured wedding rings. Texture is very organic, reminiscent of tree bark, or moving water. High polish on the lower grooves to reflect little flecks of light and then a satin finish all over. A hand engraved sentiment inside.

These rings were made for our wedding by the artist Izaak Khan.
The damaszener pattern is created by fusing the the different metals together in the way how japanes swords are made.