News for today's 2018

15-Nov-2013 16:43

7:43 AM Tukiyooo 0

EU says Spanish controls at Gibraltar border do not break law - Reuters UK :: <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/11/15/uk-gibraltar-eu-idUKBRE9AE0FI20131115">http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/11/15/uk-gibraltar-eu-idUKBRE9AE0FI20131115</a> Source: CIA using Patriot Act to collect money transfer data - CNN International :: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/15/us/cia-tracking-money-transfers/?hpt%3Dus_c2">http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/15/us/cia-tracking-money-transfers/?hpt%3Dus_c2</a> Death toll rises to 3621 as more bodies turn up in the Philippines - CNN :: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/15/world/asia/typhoon-haiyan/">http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/15/world/asia/typhoon-haiyan/</a> Greece: 12 Migrants Found Dead After Boat Capsizes - ABC News :: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/greece-12-immigrants-dead-boat-capsizes-20896861">http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/greece-12-immigrants-dead-boat-capsizes-20896861</a> Obama announces change to address health insurance cancellations - Washington Post :: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamato-to-announce-change-to-address-health-insurance-cancellations/2013/11/14/3be49d24-4d37-11e3-9890-a1e0997fb0c0_story.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamato-to-announce-change-to-address-health-insurance-cancellations/2013/11/14/3be49d24-4d37-11e3-9890-a1e0997fb0c0_story.html</a> Mitt Romney: Illegal immigrants should have path to citizenship - Washington Times :: <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/15/mitt-romney-illegal-immigrants-should-have-path-ci/">http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/15/mitt-romney-illegal-immigrants-should-have-path-ci/</a> Rob Ford saga delights US late-night hosts - CBC.ca :: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/rob-ford-saga-delights-u-s-late-night-hosts-1.2427835">http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/rob-ford-saga-delights-u-s-late-night-hosts-1.2427835</a> Fed nominee remarks suggests more of the same - USA TODAY :: <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2013/11/14/yellen-suggests-more-of-same-from-fed/3551193/">http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/markets/2013/11/14/yellen-suggests-more-of-same-from-fed/3551193/</a> China to ease 1-child policy, abolish labor camps - USA TODAY :: <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/11/15/china-one-child-policy/3570593/">http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/11/15/china-one-child-policy/3570593/</a> Burned jewelry found in Everglades still unclaimed - U-T San Diego :: <a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/15/burned-jewelry-found-in-everglades-still-unclaimed/">http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/15/burned-jewelry-found-in-everglades-still-unclaimed/</a>

15-Nov-2013 16:43

EU says Spanish controls at Gibraltar border do not break law - Reuters UK :: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/11/15/uk-gibraltar-eu-idUK...

JON STEWART TO OBAMA: At Least You're Not Rob Ford!

7:35 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5286246beab8ea5c0eac94f1-1200-924/jon-stewart-19.png" width="600"/> 'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart has one silver lining for President Barack Obama - at least he's not Toronto Mayor Rob Ford? Stewart continued to bash the President for the rollout of his signature health care law on Thursday, taking aim at Obama's press conference in which he announced a change that would allow insurers to keep offering plans for a year even if they do not meet certain minimum standards of the Affordable Care Act. Stewart mocked Obama for qualifying the fact that his administration had 'fumbled' the law's rollout by acknowledging that he's 'not a perfect man' or a 'perfect president.' 'That wasn't the slogan you campaigned on,' Stewart said. 'I think when you campaigned, you were all, 'Yes we can!' I don't remember the other slogan' of 'Pobody's Nerfect.' And so it's come to this. 'Certainly, the rollout of the president's signature health care law has been rocky. But at least it's not Mayor-of-Toronto rocky,' Stewart said. Watch the clips below: Part II: Join the conversation about this story ' See Also:</div>

ENTERTAINMENT JON STEWART TO OBAMA: At Least You're Not Rob Ford!

'The Daily Show' host Jon Stewart has one silver lining for President Barack Obama - at least he's not Toronto Mayor Rob Ford? S...

Stocks on cusp of key milestones

7:33 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Stocks continue to hit new records, and with just another little leg up, the three major indexes could surpass some big milestones. The Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq were all about 0.1% higher in early trading Friday. The Dow is closing in on 16,000, while the S&P 500 is inching toward 1,800, both of which would be reached for the first time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq is nearing 4,000, a level not seen since September 2000, just after the collapse of the dot-com bubble. Some believe stocks can continue moving higher in the short run as investors who have sat out the rally so far rush to get in before the party's over. Plus, stocks are still trading at compelling valuations, compared with many other assets. Bulls also say that the market surge is justified to improving economic conditions and record corporate profits. But others warn that stocks are being inflated by the Federal Reserve's easy monetary policies. The bears say stocks are due for a correction, which could come once the Fed begins to cut back, or taper, its $85-billion-per-month bond-buying program -- which could happen as soon as next month but is more likely to take place sometime next year. For the moment though, worries about Fed policy have been put on the back burner. Janet Yellen, who has been nominated to replace Ben Bernanke as Fed chair, told a Senate panel Thursday that she is determined to support the U.S. economic recovery, and believes the Fed's bond-buying program still has the power to help. 'She is clearly emphasizing the need for policy to remain highly accomodative for some time,' said Jim O'Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. Related: Fear & Greed Index What's moving: Shares in Exxon Mobil were higher after it was revealed that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway made a big bet on the company, buying roughly 40 million Exxon shares -- worth $3.74 billion at Thursday's closing price. Government-sponsored mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both surged after activist shareholder Bill Ackman disclosed in a regulatory filing that his firm, Pershing Square, bought just under a 10% stake in each firm. Credit rating agency Moody's downgraded four of the biggest U.S. banks, saying that it was now less likely the federal government would bail them out in the case of a crisis. Shares of the four - JPMorgan Chase , Goldman Sachs , Morgan Stanley and Bank of New York Mellon -- were little changed. Moody's reaffirmed its ratings on four other major banks -- Bank of America , Citigroup , State Street and Wells Fargo . European markets were mixed in midday trading. All the main Asian markets ended with solid gains. <img src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/money/images/bug.gif" width="600"/> First Published: November 15, 2013: 9:46 AM ET </div>

Business Stocks on cusp of key milestones

Stocks continue to hit new records, and with just another little leg up, the three major indexes could surpass some big milestones. The Dow ...

3 XL to regular XL

7:32 AM Tukiyooo 0

3 XL to regular XL

Short and sweet - I started this journey wearing 3XL and today I am in to a regular XL company shirt. SO HAPPY!!!! HAPPY FRIDAY !!!

China to ease decades-old one-child policy nationwide [ BeritaTerkini ]

7:13 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div id="yom-ad-LREC" class="yom-ad yom-ad-LREC"> <center> <div id="yom-ad-LREC-iframe" class="yom-ad"></div> </center> </div> By Sui-Lee Wee and Li Hui <div class="body-slot-mod"> <div class="yom-remote"> <div class="yom-loading" id="mediacontentrelatedstory_container"></div> </div> </div> BEIJING (Reuters) – China will ease family planning restrictions nationwide, the government said on Friday, allowing millions of families to have two children in the country’s most significant liberalization of its strict one-child policy in about three decades. Couples in which one parent is an only child will now be able to have a second child, one of the highlights of a sweeping raft of reforms announced three days after the ruling Communist Party ended a meeting that mapped out policy for the next decade. The plan to ease the policy was envisioned by the government about five years ago as officials worried that the strict controls were undermining economic growth and contributing to a rapidly ageing population the country had no hope of supporting financially. A growing number of scholars had long urged the government to reform the policy, introduced in the late 1970s to prevent population growth spiraling out of control, but now regarded by many experts as outdated and harmful to the economy. While the easing of the controls will not have a substantial demographic impact in the world’s most populous nation, it could pave the way for the abolition of the policy. “The demographic significance is minimal but the political significance is substantial,” said Wang Feng, a sociology professor at Fudan University specializing in China’s demographics, before the announcement. “This is one of the most urgent policy changes that we’ve been awaiting for years. What this will mean is a very speedy abolishment of the one-child policy.” In the 1980s, the government allowed rural families with a girl to have two children, Wang said. “Ever since the ’80s, there’s been nothing as clear as this,” he said. Wang Guangzhou, a demographer from top government think-tank, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, estimated the new policy would affect 30 million women of child-bearing age In a country which has nearly 1.4 billion people. Although it is known internationally as the one-child policy, China’s rules governing family planning are more complicated. Under current rules, urban couples are permitted a second child if both parents do not have siblings and rural couples are allowed to have two children if their first-born is a girl. There are numerous other exceptions as well, including looser rules for ethnic minorities and allowing parents who are themselves only children to have two children at most. Any couple violating the policy has to pay a large fine. The one-child policy covers 63 per cent of the country’s population and Beijing says it has averted 400 million births since 1980. Many analysts say the one-child policy has shrunk China’s labor pool, hurting economic growth. For the first time in decades the working age population fell in 2012, and China could be the first country in the world to get old before it gets rich. “It’s not a huge reform, there have been small adjustments all along,” said Liang Zhongtang, a demographer from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. “I am just worried that they will make no further adjustments for a very long time after they’ve made this one.” Tian Xueyuan, a retired family planning scholar who helped draft the original one-child policy, told Reuters the rules were only meant to last about 25 years. “They could have implemented this policy several years ago,” he said. Numerous studies have shown the detrimental effects of the one-child policy. China’s labor force, at about 930 million, will start declining in 2025 at a rate of about 10 million a year, projections show. Meanwhile, its elderly population will hit 360 million by 2030, from about 200 million today. A skewed gender ratio is another consequence. Like most Asian nations, China has a traditional bias for sons. Many families abort female fetuses or abandon baby girls to ensure their only child is a son. About 118 boys are born for every 100 girls, against a global average of 103-107 boys per 100 girls. Family planning officials have been known to compel women to have abortions to meet birth-rate targets. Still, the adjustment is likely to be popular. Zhang Yuanyuan, who has a one-year-old son, said she had already decided to have one more child before the new policy and was willing to pay the fine. “We are very, very happy about this new policy,” Zhang told Reuters. (Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) <ul id="topics" class="hidden"> <li>Society & Culture</li> <li>China</li> </ul> //

China to ease decades-old one-child policy nationwide [ BeritaTerkini ]

By Sui-Lee Wee and Li Hui BEIJING (Reuters) – China will ease family planning restrictions nationwide, the governmen...

iPhone 5, Galaxy S4 zero

7:07 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Network World - Two teams of Japanese and Chinese 'white hat' hackers have been declared victors at HP's Pwn2Own 2013 contest in Tokyo today for finding zero-day exploits that allowed them to compromise the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4. <img src="http://www.networkworld.com/graphics/2013/111313-hacker.jpg" width="600"/> HP has just reported to Apple and Samsung how these exploits were carried out by the Keen Team and Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions team, respectively, so that fixes can be made. The Keen Team won $27,500 from HP for its efforts, and the Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions team won $40,000. Neither HP nor the winning teams will make the exact exploits available publicly. The vulnerability discovered in the iPhone 5 using iOS 7 is an exploit against the Safari browser that lets the attacker 'weaponize' the victim's phone by compromising it to steal contact data, photos, or carry out attacks such as taking over the victim's Facebook page, says Brian Gorenc, manager of vulnerability research in HP's security division for zero-day research. He adds that vulnerabilities were also discovered in the Apple iOS 6 platform as well related to Safari. [NEW BLOOD: 12 hot security start-ups to watch] The vulnerability in the Samsung Galaxy S4 was carried out against at least one app that ships with the device, though HP is not saying exactly which one or ones. The vulnerabilities allow the attacker to wholly compromise the device in several ways, such as using a drive-by download to install malware on the phone. 'They can do whatever they want' after that, says Gorenc. This might include stealing SMS messages on the phone, contact lists and more. Gorenc says HP was glad to be able to have its Pwn2Own hacking competition for finding zero-day exploits in Tokyo this year so that it could have more direct interaction with security researchers with hacking skills in Asia, with most attendance coming from Japan and China. The best-known Pwn2Own contest takes place annually at the CanSecWest conference. Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG publication and website, where she covers news and technology trends related to information security. Twitter: MessmerE. E-mail: emessmer@nww.com Read more about security in Network World's Security section. </div>

Technology iPhone 5, Galaxy S4 zero

Network World - Two teams of Japanese and Chinese 'white hat' hackers have been declared victors at HP's Pwn2Own 2013 contest in...

Uncharted PS4 Officially Announced, Teased

6:52 AM Tukiyooo 0

Technology Uncharted PS4 Officially Announced, Teased

Update : Here's everything we've managed to spot in the trailer. Avast! Original story : Holy hell. Just because The Last of Us stil...

Report: Those PS4 system failures might not be that bad

6:52 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://stickskills.com/omega/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ps4-620x400.jpg" width="600"/> Just yesterday, we reported on some scattered claims that early PS4 units were experience problems including the system failing to interface with the TV. Kotaku may have found the source, at least for their system. Kotaku calls the error 'a fluke.' The editors had attempted to operate the system but were unable to get past plugging in the system. After trying various wires, monitors and other systems, they were able to pinpoint an HDMI issue as the source. After getting with Sony, the problem was identified: A piece of metal in the HDMI port on the PS4 had been bent upward when they should have been connecting straight with the cable. With not all of the pins connected, the system could not properly interface with the monitor. What's more, continuously trying to plug more cables into the damaged port had in turn broken some of the teeth of the HDMI cables. While this may not be the exact issue everyone is experiencing, there are two pieces of good news: first, if you have problems when you first acquire your console, you don't have to do much to look for the problem. Simply glance at the back of your system and see if something looks bent. Second, if this is in fact the problem, rectifying it is as easy as pushing the piece back down with a pin, as Sony was able to do with Kotaku's system. The actual cause of the bent metal has not been identified, but as a precaution check your port before you get things plugged in, and be careful when you are inserting the cable. Sony believes this is an isolated issue, however. We'll be keeping an eye on the other issues, and will let you know if we come across any more problems or solutions. Stay with StickSkills for impressions on the console and some launch games throughout the weekend! <img src="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/856133b72dfa320d71821cc16cee05b8?s=60&d=retro&r=PG" width="600"/> Chris has been writing about the industry in some capacity for over 5 years, and loves doing it. When he's not enjoying the latest novelty indie game, he can be found watching movies or telling lame jokes. PSN: SheriffSheridan, Steam: cmichaelsheridan </div>

Technology Report: Those PS4 system failures might not be that bad

Just yesterday, we reported on some scattered claims that early PS4 units were experience problems including the system failing to interface...

Factory Output in US Rose More Than Forecast in October (1)

6:48 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Bloomberg News <img src="http://www.bloomberg.com/image/ib8iLAtV4hrY.jpg" width="600"/> Factory production in the U.S. rose more than forecast in October, indicating the partial government shutdown did little to halt the pickup in manufacturing at the start of the fourth quarter. The 0.3 percent advance at factories followed a 0.1 percent gain the prior month and exceeded the 0.2 percent median projection in a Bloomberg survey, figures from the Federal Reserve showed today in Washington. Total industrial production fell 0.1 percent as output at mines and utilities declined. The report indicates businesses were increasing orders and output even in the face of the 16-day federal government closing in October. The housing rebound and demand for vehicles, the mainstays of manufacturing, will help to sustain economic growth that's forecast to cool in the wake of last month's fiscal gridlock. 'Manufacturing will keep expanding,' Jim O'Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics Ltd. in Valhalla, New York, said before the report. O'Sullivan is the top industrial production forecaster in the past two years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. 'Demand should be pretty solid. The overall economy has been held back by the fiscal drag but as that fades, we should see an improvement.' The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 0.2 percent rise in total industrial production. September output was revised up to a 0.7 percent gain from a previously reported 0.6 percent advance. Estimates of the 84 economists surveyed by Bloomberg ranged from a drop of 0.2 percent to an increase of 0.5 percent. Stock Futures Stock-index futures held gains after the report, with the contract on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index expiring in December climbing 0.2 percent to 1,791.6 at 9:24 a.m. in New York. Another report today showed a gauge of manufacturing the New York region unexpectedly declined this month. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's general economic index fell to minus 2.2 in November from 1.5 the prior month. Readings less than zero signal contraction in New York, New Jersey and southern Connecticut. The gain in manufacturing, which accounts for about 12 percent of the economy and 75 percent of total industrial production, reflected increased output of furniture, computers and metals. Today's Fed report also showed that capacity utilization, which measures the amount of a plant that is in use, fell to 78.1 percent from 78.3 percent the prior month. Mining, Utilities Utility output dropped 1.1 percent after a 4.5 percent surge the previous month. Mining production, which includes oil drilling, decreased 1.6 percent, the biggest drop since February 2011. The decline reflects the temporary shutdowns of oil and gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico in advance of Tropical Storm Karen. The output of motor vehicles and parts decreased 1.3 percent, the first decline in three months, today's report showed. Excluding autos and parts, manufacturing production climbed 0.4 percent after no change the previous month. 'There's a lot of volatility in these numbers and auto production can be very lumpy,' O'Sullivan said. Other recent reports signal a pickup in manufacturing. The Institute for Supply Management's factory index climbed in October to 56.4, the highest since April 2011, from 56.2 a month earlier, the Tempe, Arizona-based group's reported on Nov. 1. Readings above 50 indicate growth. Third Quarter The economy expanded at a 2.8 percent annualized pace in the third quarter, after a 2.5 percent rate in the prior three months, according to Commerce Department data released Nov. 7. While the biggest gain in inventories since the beginning of 2012 provided a boost, the buildup of stockpiles risks limiting growth this quarter as companies restrain production. Motor vehicle sales have been a bright spot in this expansion as Americans take advantage of cheaper borrowing costs to replace older models. Cars and light trucks sold at a 15.2 million (SAARTOTL) annual rate in October, matching the September pace, according to Ward's Automotive Group data. 'Economic conditions continue to improve at a modest pace,' Emily Kolinski Morris, senior economist at , said on a Nov. 1 call with analysts. 'Manufacturing sector growth continues at a steady pace' and housing data signals there is 'a broad-based recovery still in place.' Cisco Systems Some companies are faring worse. Cisco Systems Inc., the world's largest maker of computer-networking equipment is facing slower spending by phone companies and large corporations, as well as economic weakness in Europe, Asia and emerging economies. 'The shutdown, debt ceiling negotiations, and delay of key decisions exacerbated the lack of confidence among business leaders we had highlighted over the past few quarters,' John Chambers, chief executive officer, said on a Nov. 13 conference call. He said the impact of the shutdown on the company's federal business was about $50 million, and slower global growth is hindering sales as well. The U.S. economy will grow 1.9 percent in the final three months of this year, less than the 2.4 percent pace that economists projected in October, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey from Nov. 8 to Nov. 13. The figure will reflect a decline in government output, estimated by the number of hours put in by federal workers, as well as cutbacks at contractors, economists said. The effect of the budget impasse on the economy and lack of faster progress in the job market are among reasons that help explain why U.S. central bankers are continuing with $85 billion in monthly asset purchases. To contact the reporter on this story: Shobhana Chandra in Washington at schandra1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Wellisz in Washington at cwellisz@bloomberg.net </div>

Business Factory Output in US Rose More Than Forecast in October (1)

Bloomberg News Factory production in the U.S. rose more than forecast in October, indicating the partial government shutdown did little to h...

Soft NY manufacturing, export data fan new US recovery fears

6:48 AM Tukiyooo 0

Business Soft NY manufacturing, export data fan new US recovery fears

Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images This story is developing. Please check back for further updates. Economists in a consensus survey ...

15-Nov-2013 15:42

6:42 AM Tukiyooo 0

CIA Collecting Data on International Money Transfers, Officials Say - New York Times :: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/us/cia-collecting-data-on-international-money-transfers-officials-say.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/us/cia-collecting-data-on-international-money-transfers-officials-say.html</a> Gangster 'Whitey' Bulger given two life sentences - BBC News :: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24951710">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24951710</a> Jihadists say Syria rebel beheaded in error: Report - Times of India :: <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Jihadists-say-Syria-rebel-beheaded-in-error-Report/articleshow/25832282.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Jihadists-say-Syria-rebel-beheaded-in-error-Report/articleshow/25832282.cms</a> Controversy Over Sri Lanka's Human Rights Record Overshadows ... - TIME :: <a href="http://world.time.com/2013/11/15/controversy-over-sri-lankas-human-rights-record-overshadows-commonwealth-summit/">http://world.time.com/2013/11/15/controversy-over-sri-lankas-human-rights-record-overshadows-commonwealth-summit/</a> Obama to Meet With Insurance Executives - Wall Street Journal :: <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303789604579199611237337606.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303789604579199611237337606.html</a> Rob Ford's authority faces threat by Toronto City Council - CBS News :: <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57612502/rob-fords-authority-faces-threat-by-toronto-city-council/">http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57612502/rob-fords-authority-faces-threat-by-toronto-city-council/</a> China to loosen its one-child policy, end labor camps - Los Angeles Times :: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-china-one-child-20131115,0,5451004.story">http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-china-one-child-20131115,0,5451004.story</a> Marines killed in California were doing dangerous job - Deseret News :: <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765641712/Marines-killed-in-Calif-were-doing-dangerous-job.html">http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765641712/Marines-killed-in-Calif-were-doing-dangerous-job.html</a> Death toll rises to 3621 as more bodies turn up in the Philippines - CNN :: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/15/world/asia/typhoon-haiyan/">http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/15/world/asia/typhoon-haiyan/</a> 6 Tons of Seized Ivory Crushed in Denver - ABC News :: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/tons-seized-ivory-crushed-denver-20883086">http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/tons-seized-ivory-crushed-denver-20883086</a>

15-Nov-2013 15:42

CIA Collecting Data on International Money Transfers, Officials Say - New York Times :: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/us/cia-collecting...

Taylor Armstrong Slams Brandi Glanville for Joanna Krupa Diss: She "Can't ...

6:35 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://assets-s3.usmagazine.com/uploads/assets/articles/68070-taylor-armstrong-slams-brandi-glanville-for-joanna-krupa-diss-she-cant-keep-her-/1384441424_taylor-armstrong-brandi-glanville-article.jpg" width="600"/> Ladies, to your corners! Brandi Glanville's feud with Joanna Krupa is having a ripple effect among the other women on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and The Real Housewives of Miami. After the 40-year-old Drinking and Tweeting: And Other Brandi Blunders author told Bravo's Andy Cohen that Krupa's 'p--sy smelled,' her former costar Taylor Armstrong decided to give Glanville a taste of her own bitter medicine. PHOTOS: Real Housewives' biggest brawls Asked by TMZ about the war of words between the Real Housewives, Armstrong didn't hold back. She told the site that Glanville's trash-talking was 'gross' -- but not out of character. 'It never surprises me because Brandi can't keep her f--king trashy mouth shut,' Armstrong, who departed RHOBH after season three, dished. 'Who talks about another woman's vagina? It's so gross and so classless and it's pretty consistent with how she is. You don't talk about another woman like that, and what business of it is hers who Yolanda's husband was sleeping with? That is so gross to me.' PHOTOS: Former Real Housewives stars (During her appearance on Monday's episode of Watch What Happens Live, Glanville also accused Krupa of having an affair with Yolanda Foster's ex-husband Mohamed Hadid while the two were still married. Hadid later tweeted that the RHOBH star was lying.) 'You want to know why Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will never be the same?' Armstrong asked TMZ. 'Brandi Glanville...I think if Brandi was nonexistent, all together it would be a better show.' PHOTOS: Beverly Hills Housewives' biggest bombshells Krupa had some not-so-nice words for Glanville, too. 'No wonder her husband left her,' the RHOM standout tweeted, referencing Eddie Cibrian's infamous affair with LeAnn Rimes back in 2009. Glanville, for her part, seemed to regret the effect her words had had on her fellow Bravo stars. 'My morning is ruined. I'm crying and going back to sleep,' she tweeted the morning after her WWHL appearance. 'It was not my intention to hurt anyone last night, I spoke my truth when asked a question, fought back when attacked.' </div>

ENTERTAINMENT Taylor Armstrong Slams Brandi Glanville for Joanna Krupa Diss: She "Can't ...

Ladies, to your corners! Brandi Glanville 's feud with Joanna Krupa is having a ripple effect among the other women on The Real Housewi...

Volkswagen labor leader visits Haslam, speaks out

6:34 AM Tukiyooo 0

Business Volkswagen labor leader visits Haslam, speaks out

Volkswagen's top labor leader visited with Gov. Bill Haslam Thursday as workers, politicians and advocates continue to debate whether e...

Jos. A. Bank Ends Bid for Men's Wearhouse

6:34 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/11/15/business/dealbook/dbpix-wearhouse/dbpix-wearhouse-articleInline.jpg" width="600"/> Brendan McDermid/Reuters Jos. A. Bank said on Friday that it had withdrawn its $2.3 billion takeover bid for Men's Wearhouse after failing to entice the company into merger talks ahead of a Thursday deadline. Though Jos. A. Bank left open the possibility of reviving the offer if Men's Wearhouse changes its mind, the move ends a campaign to combine two of the country's biggest sellers of men's suits. 'The MW board has denied our request for limited due diligence and has failed to engage in any discussions whatsoever regarding our proposal,' Robert Wildrick, Jos. A. Bank's chairman, wrote in a letter to Douglas S. Ewert, the chief executive of Men's Wearhouse, referring to the company's ticker symbol. 'We are therefore terminating our proposal in order to consider other strategic alternatives which we have been investigating.' Jos. A. Bank first proposed a merger of the two retailers in September, offering $48 a share. But Men's Wearhouse held off on discussions, and after the offer was made public last month dismissed the bid as opportunistic and insufficient. Men's Wearhouse instead discussed its own turnaround plan, which it said would raise sales by up to $550 million within three years. It refused entreaties from its unwanted suitor, including threats to go hostile and promises to consider raising its bid. The absence of talks prompted Eminence Capital, a hedge fund that is Men's Wearhouse's biggest investor, to put pressure on the retailer to consider the takeover offer or other alternatives. Earlier this week, Eminence disclosed that the company had promised to review strategic options, including the bid. But the demise of the merger talks appears to have raised Eminence's hackles. The firm said on Friday that it planned to call for a special meeting of the retailer's shareholders. The hedge fund said that it planned to call for new bylaws that would let investors remove directors without cause. <img src="http://www.nytimes.com/adx/bin/adx_remote.html?type=noscript&page=blog.nytimes.com/dealbook/post&posall=XXL,AdShareData,PushDown,FixedPanel,TopAd,Bar1,Position1,Position1B,Top5,SponLink,MiddleRight,Box1,Box3,Box3A,Bottom3,Right5A,Right6A,Right7A,Right8A,Middle1C,Bottom7,Bottom8,Bottom9,Header1,Header2,Header3,Inv1,Inv2,CcolumnSS,Middle4,Left1B,Frame6A,Left2,Left3,Left4,Left5,Left6,Left7,Left8,Left9,JMNow1,JMNow2,JMNow3,JMNow4,JMNow5,JMNow6,Feature1,Spon3,ADX_CLIENTSIDE,SponLink2&pos=SponLink2&query=qstring&keywords=?" width="600"/> </div>

Business Jos. A. Bank Ends Bid for Men's Wearhouse

Brendan McDermid/Reuters Jos. A. Bank said on Friday that it had withdrawn its $2.3 billion takeover bid for Men's Wearhouse after faili...

Naughty Dog announces Uncharted 4 for PS4

6:07 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/image11.jpg?w=650&h=364&crop=1#038;h=575" width="600"/>But will Nate be back in Uncharted 4 for PS4? The next Uncharted game for the PlayStation 4 will see 'a big jump' in graphics, and maybe a new protagonist. The game was revealed at the US launch event last night, as the PlayStation 4 goes on sale in North America today - rather than November 29 in Europe. There was no gameplay footage shown, but the map in trailer below seems to be for the Carribean. As you can hear the voiceover, by TV actor Todd Stashwick, implies someone very angry at being abandoned somewhere for 15 years. However, series protaganist Nathan Drake is not mentioned by name and speculation suggests he may not be the lead in the new game. That's about all we can discern from what was shown, with Naughty Dog co-president Christophe Balestra merely promising that, 'Graphically you're going to see a big jump'. 'Amy [Hennig, series writer], Justin [Richmond, Uncharted 3 director], and the team are hard at work on an amazing new installment of the Uncharted series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation 4 system,' Naughty Dog said community strategist Arne Meyer on the PlayStation Blog. 'Our goal is to continue what we've done in previous console generations and once again deliver the best in storytelling, performance capture, technical innovation and graphics on the PS4. We can confirm that the voiceover is performed by Todd Stashwick and he will play a character in the game.' Thoughts? Email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk or leave a comment below</div>

Technology Naughty Dog announces Uncharted 4 for PS4

But will Nate be back in Uncharted 4 for PS4? The next Uncharted game for the PlayStation 4 will see 'a big jump' in graphics, and m...

Nobel Center Matching Game - Answers and Finalists

5:45 AM Tukiyooo 0

Last month I asked readers to <a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/2013/10/nobel-center-matching-game.html">take a shot at matching</a> the anonymous entries in the design competition for the <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/">Nobel Center</a> in Stockholm with the eleven firms that submitted. Today the Nobel Center announced <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/">three finalists</a> (a winner won't be selected until April, 2014). Those are noted below as are which firm (numbers) designed which project (letters). See the <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Statement-of-the-jury_November-2013_low.pdf">jury statement</a> (PDF link) for more information on each submission. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/entrants/">Participating Architects</a> (in alphabetical order): <blockquote><ol><li>3XN (C)</li><li>BIG (H)</li><li>David Chipperfield Architects (E) - FINALIST</li><li>Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor (I) - FINALIST</li><li>Lacaton and Vassal Architectes (K)</li><li>Lundgaard and Tranberg Arkitekter (A)</li><li>Marcel Meili, Markus Peter Architekten (D)</li><li>OMA (B)</li><li>SANAA (F)</li><li>Snøhetta (J)</li><li>Wingårdhs Arkitekter (G) - FINALIST</li></ol></blockquote><a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/">Design Proposals</a> (in alphabetical order): A. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/archipelago/">Archipelago</a> by Lundgaard and Tranberg Arkitekter (6): <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1iAZCavDyE2PBojMk69XicN2JK_2Bvfgc2NkrbV1ICOtVFu7WuvoB2KfJtLMv-R7xe9WJ6KQ5xDhEc3_8zrmqEI3OmEKDcZmeh647f4MzWvm_iWylib2RJm_d6fEO-JilZMODjL7fF0B/s1600/Archipelago-night-1024x674.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1iAZCavDyE2PBojMk69XicN2JK_2Bvfgc2NkrbV1ICOtVFu7WuvoB2KfJtLMv-R7xe9WJ6KQ5xDhEc3_8zrmqEI3OmEKDcZmeh647f4MzWvm_iWylib2RJm_d6fEO-JilZMODjL7fF0B/s1600/Archipelago-night-1024x674.jpg" /></a> B. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/beyond-1210/">Beyond 1210</a> by OMA (8): <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92tllERzhiPKBklKgoqzNTZjIgIk1PpNEO4qzq9uXt22b7bsji5Y08oBYGWHl8XXn-rBRobPQeNMc3FPsvoRzn6_sH3GUhZ0nRMBr6FQWMPo_ue98wZ1HsUkSG3jwie0NWC7ss6Rbf7Lk/s1600/PRESS-IMAGE-3_BEYOND-1210-1024x679.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92tllERzhiPKBklKgoqzNTZjIgIk1PpNEO4qzq9uXt22b7bsji5Y08oBYGWHl8XXn-rBRobPQeNMc3FPsvoRzn6_sH3GUhZ0nRMBr6FQWMPo_ue98wZ1HsUkSG3jwie0NWC7ss6Rbf7Lk/s1600/PRESS-IMAGE-3_BEYOND-1210-1024x679.jpg" /></a> C. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/butterfly/">Butterfly</a> by 3XN (1): <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlq6gB7zSfOGxrkpErO-39N8F85jnsQNWR0swJ_nKhwdEREDjptMnnhCgKGwXf8R83PdPPxmg9ccOqWZfrEbw0NOdksh9VOj2smCHNl-5pRWNoRk9C1073nMvSSVX1TmAObmz3tlFlh93f/s1600/View_3-1024x544.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlq6gB7zSfOGxrkpErO-39N8F85jnsQNWR0swJ_nKhwdEREDjptMnnhCgKGwXf8R83PdPPxmg9ccOqWZfrEbw0NOdksh9VOj2smCHNl-5pRWNoRk9C1073nMvSSVX1TmAObmz3tlFlh93f/s1600/View_3-1024x544.jpg" /></a> D. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/landing-seagulls/">Landing Seagulls</a> by Marcel Meili, Markus Peter Architekten (7): <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHeIcbO6h45fNxWNI_ZrYPhtvwm0F5MzSxasGAZ0BdriMPcn2-Oi4zy20jhryzbRmoKI9jH6E-awk3lJ2VRlqyHnPAFNUsBUJV5OCmhx_9T1_3z-ZY4_E1B1IgEVlR9a05-cXCRgaMtwp/s1600/Landing-Seagulls-Drawings-from-the-illustrations-in-JPG-Format-Picture-1-1024x680.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHeIcbO6h45fNxWNI_ZrYPhtvwm0F5MzSxasGAZ0BdriMPcn2-Oi4zy20jhryzbRmoKI9jH6E-awk3lJ2VRlqyHnPAFNUsBUJV5OCmhx_9T1_3z-ZY4_E1B1IgEVlR9a05-cXCRgaMtwp/s1600/Landing-Seagulls-Drawings-from-the-illustrations-in-JPG-Format-Picture-1-1024x680.jpg" /></a> E. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/nobelhuset/">Nobelhuset</a> by David Chipperfield Architects (3) - FINALIST: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYs-SEPbbF6pCzXClioIhQ5Xieb4MQCYE_cr90R1JyHpzqjO2ujSicVofVzTLWwsziihlqOT6ocba18C-dWM3MFauDHTDY3KEWNrlgtRK70mTwQRmqCj7GhzN2gyqOYvPp8Z2Lv5FX6R9f/s1600/Nobelhuset_Nightview.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYs-SEPbbF6pCzXClioIhQ5Xieb4MQCYE_cr90R1JyHpzqjO2ujSicVofVzTLWwsziihlqOT6ocba18C-dWM3MFauDHTDY3KEWNrlgtRK70mTwQRmqCj7GhzN2gyqOYvPp8Z2Lv5FX6R9f/s1600/Nobelhuset_Nightview.jpg" /></a> F. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/nobel-sphere/">Nobel Sphere</a> by SANAA (9): <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQ26Azu8t7kzJhSzLCz7k25nD0LDNpjwaKM91klzUWlblsj4JUHjeFdDqp9MirAkZGNRJYVIvEgLXchB5Y5r-dFu7g3QQRH3qchGrAGqP7EggRxXb6kpVw07QibKAUmqb7ef_aV2R1l8E/s1600/Nobel-Sphere_1-1024x731.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQ26Azu8t7kzJhSzLCz7k25nD0LDNpjwaKM91klzUWlblsj4JUHjeFdDqp9MirAkZGNRJYVIvEgLXchB5Y5r-dFu7g3QQRH3qchGrAGqP7EggRxXb6kpVw07QibKAUmqb7ef_aV2R1l8E/s1600/Nobel-Sphere_1-1024x731.jpg" /></a> G. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/a-palace-to-enjoy/">P(a)lace to Enjoy, A</a> by Wingårdhs Arkitekter (11) - FINALIST: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU38x-0EjRN2m_oaLMb7FZxjZRF67ze8Rj8ZGmQJhzxUV8Ig1POTC6OxKqjoBogvK5RfH8f4aPx1akp63I_ldBSqufplAE4VHancuv7nxmzFElKJsSBG8hYrYQ9COsN011xQ3Zosn2JKP6/s1600/A-PALACE-TO-ENJOY_AERIAL-853x1024.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU38x-0EjRN2m_oaLMb7FZxjZRF67ze8Rj8ZGmQJhzxUV8Ig1POTC6OxKqjoBogvK5RfH8f4aPx1akp63I_ldBSqufplAE4VHancuv7nxmzFElKJsSBG8hYrYQ9COsN011xQ3Zosn2JKP6/s1600/A-PALACE-TO-ENJOY_AERIAL-853x1024.jpg" /></a> H. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/prism/">PRISM</a> by BIG (2): <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIv9P1ZUih5HUjVuCrGaOIWb0GaXAfe01i-I77X4AFxd4nnakdRqSAZTHzc99FqzpTAWqjff01IPNrQlZGPbgSNhyphenhyphenWV4rVxwb2QmUYMyG0iQ6nh-nHIMU-Jx7HvhiJtQe_QWE05K9onF-5/s1600/PHASE_1_NOBEL_CENTER_PRISM_IMAGE_02-1024x575.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIv9P1ZUih5HUjVuCrGaOIWb0GaXAfe01i-I77X4AFxd4nnakdRqSAZTHzc99FqzpTAWqjff01IPNrQlZGPbgSNhyphenhyphenWV4rVxwb2QmUYMyG0iQ6nh-nHIMU-Jx7HvhiJtQe_QWE05K9onF-5/s1600/PHASE_1_NOBEL_CENTER_PRISM_IMAGE_02-1024x575.jpg" /></a> I. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/a-room-and-a-half/">Room and a Half, A</a>: by Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor (4) - FINALIST: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUfOTKNxmyv7NZKy6qAVF1LmQoTIU1FW8w92nnDVZKkX7V6EHa2O6gDcF3JwFWtoeVQiQKvBIhI7sfnpyazZZjSh8XeRoe2vAELFK1so-NGIR8U1FH7ndGNWg93mf0pTU1lCTY6DXjBSA/s1600/A-Room-and-a-Half_1-1024x835.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUfOTKNxmyv7NZKy6qAVF1LmQoTIU1FW8w92nnDVZKkX7V6EHa2O6gDcF3JwFWtoeVQiQKvBIhI7sfnpyazZZjSh8XeRoe2vAELFK1so-NGIR8U1FH7ndGNWg93mf0pTU1lCTY6DXjBSA/s1600/A-Room-and-a-Half_1-1024x835.jpg" /></a> J. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/the-space-between/">Space Between, The</a> by Snøhetta (10): <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTigjuGYtQ0-hLQFGEjwou75sWVOXwjI8epmZC4vd3GgXjzSC2oQz9squH1hgi4dCglGetqtlb_Fo-tzGp2m7628pBs2V6ZmBiaH4DQ7ZOW40PtIwNIpzO_T8-5f8ecDEHkKyWkb09t_s/s1600/The-Space-Between_B-1024x618.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTigjuGYtQ0-hLQFGEjwou75sWVOXwjI8epmZC4vd3GgXjzSC2oQz9squH1hgi4dCglGetqtlb_Fo-tzGp2m7628pBs2V6ZmBiaH4DQ7ZOW40PtIwNIpzO_T8-5f8ecDEHkKyWkb09t_s/s1600/The-Space-Between_B-1024x618.jpg" /></a> K. <a href="http://www.nobelcenter.se/program/design-proposals-2/we-believe-in/">"We believe in..."</a> by Lacaton and Vassal Architectes (5): <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JWO5hRsuOKOEKwfLVZcFulfvdJUWJTWqYjDVifTLWMha9H9REh8xW37oiAje7Vfxo1piSz0Sp_eYTa1-s5UNxtCkkIWexSd63oJfZfRv5ClTkxYcWH7keO2sifLb2CnyXCXUFY-cBdZs/s1600/STK-night-perspective-1024x476.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JWO5hRsuOKOEKwfLVZcFulfvdJUWJTWqYjDVifTLWMha9H9REh8xW37oiAje7Vfxo1piSz0Sp_eYTa1-s5UNxtCkkIWexSd63oJfZfRv5ClTkxYcWH7keO2sifLb2CnyXCXUFY-cBdZs/s1600/STK-night-perspective-1024x476.jpg" /></a> So the entries in letter/number format are as follows: A6 B8 C1 D7 E3 F9 G11 H2 I4 J10 K5 Which means I guessed <a href="http://archidose.blogspot.com/2013/10/nobel-center-matching-game.html">9 out of 11 correct</a>, as did El Jiji on his/her first guess (but the edited guess got only 7 out of 11 correct). Anonymous and Craig both got 5 out of 11 correct. Thanks for playing!

Nobel Center Matching Game - Answers and Finalists

Last month I asked readers to take a shot at matching the anonymous entries in the design competition for the Nobel Center in Stockholm wi...

15-Nov-2013 14:41

5:41 AM Tukiyooo 0

6 tons of seized ivory crushed in Denver - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle :: <a href="http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/ap_news/us/article_1c020b0b-0562-55c8-8685-62d859f1bc3e.html">http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/ap_news/us/article_1c020b0b-0562-55c8-8685-62d859f1bc3e.html</a> Marines killed at California's Camp Pendleton worked in one of Corps' most ... - Fox News :: <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/15/marines-killed-at-california-camp-pendleton-worked-in-one-corps-most-dangerous/">http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/11/15/marines-killed-at-california-camp-pendleton-worked-in-one-corps-most-dangerous/</a> Coroner's jury says Peoria boy's death a homicide - San Francisco Chronicle :: <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Coroner-s-jury-says-Peoria-boy-s-death-a-homicide-4984992.php">http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Coroner-s-jury-says-Peoria-boy-s-death-a-homicide-4984992.php</a> Gangster 'Whitey' Bulger given two life sentences - BBC News :: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24951710">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24951710</a> Health-care law's problems test loyalty of Democrats in Congress - Washington Post :: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/health-care-laws-problems-test-loyalty-of-democrats-in-congress/2013/11/14/c9e3a14e-4d67-11e3-9890-a1e0997fb0c0_story.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/health-care-laws-problems-test-loyalty-of-democrats-in-congress/2013/11/14/c9e3a14e-4d67-11e3-9890-a1e0997fb0c0_story.html</a> David Cameron to raise 'war crimes' - The Australian :: <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/david-cameron-to-raise-war-crimes/story-fnb64oi6-1226761329761">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/david-cameron-to-raise-war-crimes/story-fnb64oi6-1226761329761</a> Toronto Mayor Rob Ford apologises for oral-sex remarks - BBC News :: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24947207">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24947207</a> Source: CIA using Patriot Act to collect money transfer data - CNN :: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/15/us/cia-tracking-money-transfers/?hpt%3Dpo_c2">http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/15/us/cia-tracking-money-transfers/?hpt%3Dpo_c2</a> China to End Prison Labor Camps and Ease 1-Child Policy - New York Times :: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/16/world/asia/china-to-loosen-its-one-child-policy.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/16/world/asia/china-to-loosen-its-one-child-policy.html</a> Philippines government defends typhoon response - Los Angeles Times :: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-philippines-defends-typhoon-response-20131115,0,2791438.story">http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-philippines-defends-typhoon-response-20131115,0,2791438.story</a>

15-Nov-2013 14:41

6 tons of seized ivory crushed in Denver - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle :: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/ap_news/us/article_1c020b0b-...

Weigh in results!!

5:18 AM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P7oKTHlbzr4/UoYbQTGyGKI/AAAAAAAAK10/wI1806cnrP4/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P7oKTHlbzr4/UoYbQTGyGKI/AAAAAAAAK10/wI1806cnrP4/s320/13+-+1" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">So as you may have seen before I've done a review on a digital bathroom scale from a company called <a href="http://www.eatsmartproducts.com/products">Eat smart</a> and they offer all kinds of scales to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle such as food scales that count calories and the digital bathroom scale!</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I always hated getting on the scale just knowing it was a number I didn't want to see, especially since it was always a high number. Now since I'm eating right and exercising a lot more I can't wait to get on and see results! </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I have come so far in this journey to just throw in the towel, I have hard days at times but I know I am going to make it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Each day I get closer to my goal and I feel great too which is the most important! </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">So I stepped on this morning and couldn't wait to see the number flashing on the scale! When it does go up though I tell myself you are not that number and you are on the right path so don't give up! </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Check out the review over here. <a href="/2013/09/eat-smart-bathroom-scale-review.html">Eat smart bathroom scale review</a> .</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Until next time,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Kelli </div><div style="text-align: center;">:)</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div>

Weigh in results!!

So as you may have seen before I've done a review on a digital bathroom scale from a company called Eat smart and they offer all kinds...

fess up friday - chez v

5:00 AM Anonymous 0

Have I got a yarn to weave for you today. I've got my partner in crime <a href="http://chezviviv.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Emily from Chez V</a> over for Fess Up Friday today and we've got a good one for you. Freshen up your drink and enjoy. And <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zuck" target="_blank">Zuck</a>, if you want to use us for a Facebook commercial, we're open to offers. Emily, fess up with Part 1... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvqmWCFBReUoGSpWJNv3QI1uxCQkC_sq5ar5CF__O7pF2BIpaG9MdEtbK9JGMlVmFMckiGCYZ8vRHbegsamkvoZNxfZuP0-CFFSGiylGYpq1kH6JriUVV-MMKD0fQN1nPNde6dN-3FqQe/s1600/FessUpFridaylogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvqmWCFBReUoGSpWJNv3QI1uxCQkC_sq5ar5CF__O7pF2BIpaG9MdEtbK9JGMlVmFMckiGCYZ8vRHbegsamkvoZNxfZuP0-CFFSGiylGYpq1kH6JriUVV-MMKD0fQN1nPNde6dN-3FqQe/s320/FessUpFridaylogo.jpg" width="160" /></a></div> <div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Is there anything better than the thrill of the chase?  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Well here is a little ditty for <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">you about <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">a desperate chase, the <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">power of social <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">media, <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">and the kindness of strangers.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">As a linking participant of the <a href="http://www.callingithome.com/2013/11/one-room-challenge-linking-party-pretty.html" target="_blank">One Room Challenge</a>, I was on <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">a <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">frenzied search <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">to locate a pair of <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">affordable sconces for my bedroom plan aka Project Chinoisy Safari Chic.</div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2Re_P7BmobUD58u66IMNb7aAqtvhaGs0jtOMiCDdSK0oH-sWa6etS3XVshyogIzfNmKA6KrkT-yez3kv4dsw5GGLOdGRtnrar75I-33ie8-vgadhguWUjRIPrzRlE6lK7O0gYto-VQ0/s1600/ORC+-+Week+1+Graphic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2Re_P7BmobUD58u66IMNb7aAqtvhaGs0jtOMiCDdSK0oH-sWa6etS3XVshyogIzfNmKA6KrkT-yez3kv4dsw5GGLOdGRtnrar75I-33ie8-vgadhguWUjRIPrzRlE6lK7O0gYto-VQ0/s640/ORC+-+Week+1+Graphic.png" width="388" /></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> </div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">With little time, I knew my search would be a lot like trying to avoid bread and cheese.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Not <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">gonna <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">happen.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">On a Wednesday, mid-challenge, I headed to <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/" target="_blank">IKEA</a> in search of some drapes to hack.  Imagine my glee when I stumbled across the <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20231325/" target="_blank">Ranarp</a><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">clamp <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">spotlights.  I was <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">complet<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">ely smitten upon first sight considering <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">all the other sconces I was <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">contemplating <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">for my <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://chezviviv.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-big-reveal-wk6-orc-challenge.html" target="_blank">ORC room</a> <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">carried hefty price <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">tags<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">and long lead times. The <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Ranarp<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> - $19.99.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Say what?!  Done and done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4Eylov3hPqrNOptWxX8TeQpjjAaxCy6zPJqVD8_UGQvXrhg5amz2mwDisiTvl_lD_-KFmcBd2Dww5RRr29vBoE_lF19w9PJZsxm1KEjKK7YkAfWMbO8-A2XlTgjvKyaVdowzrfGmdIs/s1600/Day+186+-+ORC+Link+Up+-+WK3+-+Ranarp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4Eylov3hPqrNOptWxX8TeQpjjAaxCy6zPJqVD8_UGQvXrhg5amz2mwDisiTvl_lD_-KFmcBd2Dww5RRr29vBoE_lF19w9PJZsxm1KEjKK7YkAfWMbO8-A2XlTgjvKyaVdowzrfGmdIs/s400/Day+186+-+ORC+Link+Up+-+WK3+-+Ranarp.png" width="300" /></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">But like all too-good-to-be-true dreams, <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">I awoke from my design euphoric nirvana state only to realize that <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">they <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">were sold out.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Of <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">course you are, little gorgy industrial glam thingy, you!  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Immediately, I <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">sent out a request on <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://instagram.com/chezviviv" target="_blank">Instagram</a><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> asking if anyone knew of any in stock anywhere.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Like the <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">shot heard round the world, <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">my fellow design soldiers started rallying to the call, <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">one of which <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">was one of my <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">favorite gals in all of <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">blogland<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">, <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Elizabeth.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">It seems she too was on the hunt for the coveted <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20231325/" target="_blank">Ranarps</a>.</div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">  </div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">In <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">the meantime, <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">while my little was busy hopping herself up on a cinnamon roll, I <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">sweet talked a very accommodating IKEA customer service guy into doing a country wide inventory search (<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">which <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">I do not necessarily suggest as it took <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">forever and garnered <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">a <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">lot of <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">evil side <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">eye from the long customer svc queue<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">) <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">only to discover that the <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">lamps were indeed, sold out everywhere with the exception of <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">17 <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">in Paramus, NJ and <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">3 in Houston<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">, TX.  I shared this info with Elizabeth and thus began a dual mission to score these lamps through one of our varied networks.</div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"></div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">We schemed, we commiserated, we called, emailed, <a href="http://chezviviv.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogged</a>, <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://instagram.com/chezviviv" target="_blank">IG’d</a><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> and <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/chezviviv" target="_blank">FB’d</a><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> in an attempt to reach anyone who had peeps near Paramus, NJ or Houston all to no avail.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">I even contacted <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">my master finder-of-all-things <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">bestie<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> in Berlin, Germany. This is the <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">kinda<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> gal who has a vast network of contacts willing and ready to do her bidding.  She said, yes, she could probably pull it off but to keep checking with other sources as it would take a few to orchestrate. Meanwhile<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">, <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">on Friday <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">evening of that same week, at 7pm, <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">my sister’s father-in-law, who lives in <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">NJ, happened to be near the Paramus store, and agreed to go pick some up, but would I mind calling to verify stock first.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Hoo<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">-ray!!!!  No problem!!!! <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Except when I called IKEA another very nice customer svc lady informed me that no, in fact, Paramus did not have ANY in stock.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Is it possible that all 17 sold out in 2 days?!  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">No, turns out that when my customer svc dude did the country wide search, the 17 he ‘found’ in the Paramus, NJ store where actually in the Elizabeth, NJ store.  Which was no where near where my sister’s father-in-law happened to be at said moment.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Wha<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">wha<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">wha<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">.</div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKXXUwk3w1JYU_MmxOqEn8sBDR9RDCkcnqyN70zJNqyCdYByp9l4l1cybKDK06ZhGlHoSa36tPjjSMSndE2GX1q4YK0I3fZ06Ih3VUbrD_sOulU2sswawwhqw_HapUhW-eqvKfMHONa8/s1600/royvey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKXXUwk3w1JYU_MmxOqEn8sBDR9RDCkcnqyN70zJNqyCdYByp9l4l1cybKDK06ZhGlHoSa36tPjjSMSndE2GX1q4YK0I3fZ06Ih3VUbrD_sOulU2sswawwhqw_HapUhW-eqvKfMHONa8/s400/royvey.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thejimbolist.com/?p=415" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Are you still with me? <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">I know, me neither. I am exhausted just retelling it.  Clearly it was time for wine and more commiseration.  Off went another email to Elizabeth detailing how the Holy Grail had slipped through our fingers, yet again.  At which point, I hand off the story baton to her which involves that Friday evening spent feverishly exchanging updates via email over many glasses of wine on my side and probably many G &Ts on hers while my much ignored and frustrated husband could not understand even a little bit about what all the fuss was about.  <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Thankfully, Elizabeth’s <span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">hubster<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> could!<span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> </div><div style="direction: ltr; language: en-US; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #d99694; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-style: italic; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 5; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> </div><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #254061; font-family: "Century Gothic"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Century Gothic"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 4; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">kisses,  <span style="color: #254061; font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; font-size: 36.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 4; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">mrs.<span style="color: #254061; font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; font-size: 36.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 4; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> V</div><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #254061; font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 4; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilmhMyp_ciFvPMJqT2u2uOGjaa6aaf8duhSYrAJqWoFsYOPjZsB44iey7-TEI0QMaTbbKqY1ZPj2fdpDSuUhAJRLpki9BHUYqRYaa1Sd2AMN_Aq-X-BzqAD_rRQWkqAIu7VqtiA7pXMg/s1600/Slide2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilmhMyp_ciFvPMJqT2u2uOGjaa6aaf8duhSYrAJqWoFsYOPjZsB44iey7-TEI0QMaTbbKqY1ZPj2fdpDSuUhAJRLpki9BHUYqRYaa1Sd2AMN_Aq-X-BzqAD_rRQWkqAIu7VqtiA7pXMg/s640/Slide2.PNG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: #254061; font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 4; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> <span style="color: #254061; font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; font-size: 14.0pt; language: en-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Satisfaction Pro"; mso-bidi-font-family: +mn-cs; mso-color-index: 4; mso-fareast-font-family: +mn-ea; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweLXdtQL2HUzQKIvShvdmfpxfZ2w8H-fz7s99wY8CwUw8lvztJ_QmI4vrrMAvOVgxEDx8BfRpP6srGo9dcVfe92gdQwy5ns595hhhBTxQ3XBrRIoMHwEfStSXE2Uyck9dxH4ZZBlf4K8/s1600/Sunny+ORC+pictures+045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiweLXdtQL2HUzQKIvShvdmfpxfZ2w8H-fz7s99wY8CwUw8lvztJ_QmI4vrrMAvOVgxEDx8BfRpP6srGo9dcVfe92gdQwy5ns595hhhBTxQ3XBrRIoMHwEfStSXE2Uyck9dxH4ZZBlf4K8/s640/Sunny+ORC+pictures+045.JPG" width="424" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6NKIAQlPj_NvM05XWz9rKV1JfF8o-r_AiD4dt6B5bNqmwk7eLc3UY3RsvuW7FWvDjqAf6azGcb38n5wyEO2dfdy7KoivRZojEv2_stBdlkL6H3IVEAu24moZV9UeS6z_OSM0OntCE8o/s1600/Slide7.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6NKIAQlPj_NvM05XWz9rKV1JfF8o-r_AiD4dt6B5bNqmwk7eLc3UY3RsvuW7FWvDjqAf6azGcb38n5wyEO2dfdy7KoivRZojEv2_stBdlkL6H3IVEAu24moZV9UeS6z_OSM0OntCE8o/s640/Slide7.PNG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo4JTaYr2lC_OkUrAMSRVVOrFpzzHDX4KZekkDuaFJOWQbHwBmcyxhYmdZsNNMQO33bd-L0edxQr_cwM8OTxwLB5rVtaAa-bgOwUykDia1q78Ldn6NbVK4jSl0naamyVxryKlwfPupZ8/s1600/Master+Makeover+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwo4JTaYr2lC_OkUrAMSRVVOrFpzzHDX4KZekkDuaFJOWQbHwBmcyxhYmdZsNNMQO33bd-L0edxQr_cwM8OTxwLB5rVtaAa-bgOwUykDia1q78Ldn6NbVK4jSl0naamyVxryKlwfPupZ8/s640/Master+Makeover+001.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"> Part 2... It was not a good night for Emily and me. As y'all may have gathered, I can get myself a wicked case of tunnel vision when I want something. I am like Miley Cyrus when she sees a foam finger - I cannot be stopped. After days of back and forth, and a Friday night spent emailing at a rapid pace, we were left empty handed. Damn that IKEA customer service rep and his lack of New Jersey geographic knowledge. My New Jersey adjacent sources were tapped as well and worst of all I was running out of gin. Luckily this happened just as the hubs was finishing his movie. "Are you two still talking about those dumb lights?" he said (in an ultra supportive voice). I updated him on the latest and he said, "let's just put this on Facebook". And like that he sent out an SOS on his feed. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UiHTSONBeycK8qanaPvtNVDHVh4aj8yU1AG8x4jwjb3SSm0uOulVr2sVzX-DTNW70Pd7_fSyZlrW7RbTD-yxpvMdsLWpDAfyXzmD0mfKPV6_5YRAwZluj8mbDdTxWEjlICIVUv9ov9RK/s1600/lukefb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UiHTSONBeycK8qanaPvtNVDHVh4aj8yU1AG8x4jwjb3SSm0uOulVr2sVzX-DTNW70Pd7_fSyZlrW7RbTD-yxpvMdsLWpDAfyXzmD0mfKPV6_5YRAwZluj8mbDdTxWEjlICIVUv9ov9RK/s640/lukefb.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> Just an hour and a half later he had a response from a friend from high school (which was in Chicago) who now lives in Dallas. Yes, Dallas is not Houston, but she has a friend who lives in Houston who would probably be up for it. "She loves to shop." Good lord, we might have a winner. I told Emily right away and we both held our breath as my husband texted Dallas and Dallas texted Houston and back again. Houston was in, we just needed to confirm in the AM that the IKEA store did in fact have the lights in stock and she would be there as soon as they opened. So a perfect stranger agreed to go to IKEA on <strike>the worst IKEA day of the week</strike> a Saturday to pick up three lights, the LAST three lights in stock in the lower 48, for two crazy ladies in two different states that she had never met. Emily and I squealed and lit a candle that some early bird Texan wouldn't get our lights before our shopping angel arrived. I had already committed to go to an auction that morning with a client so I called IKEA on my way and they were as (un)helpful as ever, telling me that it 'looks like there are 3 available' but they couldn't be sure. Awesome. So we waited, and waited, and just as I lost a bid on some fab ginger jars this popped up on my phone. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa17zg-aNHCv92ZgYqUtP8dNHoO7PmGnMdikPhriDYXY-BUMNyP4LnfRYLAv3DusrgbqQSjFd_-ndb6y9No6ap1NuROhvQAkSQRcTJB1IrIZikb9YdCxWFn2EgKtQgRTKfzFzQ6wam6GK/s1600/IKEARANARP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa17zg-aNHCv92ZgYqUtP8dNHoO7PmGnMdikPhriDYXY-BUMNyP4LnfRYLAv3DusrgbqQSjFd_-ndb6y9No6ap1NuROhvQAkSQRcTJB1IrIZikb9YdCxWFn2EgKtQgRTKfzFzQ6wam6GK/s640/IKEARANARP.jpg" width="480" /></a></div> Three left and they were all ours. I cheered silently and forwarded the picture to Emily. IKEA, I love you again. As if this woman couldn't get any better, she sent a few more texts asking if there were any other forms of the RANARP we wanted while she was there (the desk lamp is especially lovely). Can this wonderful person please move to St. Louis so I can hug her?! She shipped them out first thing Monday and on Wednesday morning I had the best package on my doorstep along with the sweetest note (on fab monogramed stationary I might add). Not only did this woman make this trip for people she doesn't even know to a store that is crazy on a quite day but she did it all while sick. And my favorite part - "I took it upon myself to also buy the lightbulbs that were recommended for the light, just in case." I love her. So in the end this <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3eEKDUo6BcekpmZMZecs6nh4umLdV7JJWb935heiL8JI7Sp5W1fXj4fGD4Vrpqk7g8aeCd0rYjI8wiz_yjUm5L-AKPq1ylUlEcjtl6KAIvqt0LlmYBVz2hRr78X7Z9T_FbrR_Ut9wVW6/s1600/creativityismessyfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3eEKDUo6BcekpmZMZecs6nh4umLdV7JJWb935heiL8JI7Sp5W1fXj4fGD4Vrpqk7g8aeCd0rYjI8wiz_yjUm5L-AKPq1ylUlEcjtl6KAIvqt0LlmYBVz2hRr78X7Z9T_FbrR_Ut9wVW6/s640/creativityismessyfinal.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> and this <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5W1jCRNIpi8xNTorRHHGExzFiLs1eqRycDtlQJhjTpn6HKbbo8BOo2u2X5SmAtspUZqjReLlYf_Gspv_8h4S1dRLY1Fm6sYHw04nxZwYGaQm6QC3dsbfGFcQsR3-wiWMIX7-BxuVBl-fC/s1600/Slide2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5W1jCRNIpi8xNTorRHHGExzFiLs1eqRycDtlQJhjTpn6HKbbo8BOo2u2X5SmAtspUZqjReLlYf_Gspv_8h4S1dRLY1Fm6sYHw04nxZwYGaQm6QC3dsbfGFcQsR3-wiWMIX7-BxuVBl-fC/s640/Slide2.PNG" width="480" /></a></div> would not have been possible without our little slice of heaven in Texas. Thank you Marnie and Ann for your kindness. Emily and I would like to buy you ladies a drink. Have you ever been desperate to get your hands on something? Ever need something and then when you find out it is hard to get it becomes an obsession? Ever want to kiss a stranger?</div>

fess up friday - chez v

Have I got a yarn to weave for you today. I've got my partner in crime Emily from Chez V over for Fess Up Friday today and we've go...