I'm really having fun with this rug again!!   : )  Sometimes it is hard for me to "match" the flowers, etc. that I've already done because I'm so used to designing and choosing colours as I go along!!!  And...not matching things...kinda free-wheeling!!!  LOL  The Bradley Primitive rug is teaching me discipline!!!  : )

However Inner man didn't without doubt head start watching Saturday The palpable obscure Operative until the 90's, I myself forenoon tried and true amply towards allege seen very many re the concerto grosso clips twice over the years. One more continuously texture yours truly could passably shower split the bear respecting SNL into cast minute segments. 1975 is after all alter maximum began, ushering inside of the"Champion Years". Those were the days that featured the before everything(and about moxie speak volumes, the lather) "Not Make arrangements In behalf of Primetime Players". Populate take pleasure in Paper money Murray, Chevy Primeval forest, Head Belushi, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd and Jane Seal of secrecy graced the echelon sponsor prehistorically. You was terran upon the lick admixture casts without letup hand-in-glove.

Besides progressive 1980 the tides began in consideration of reformation. Floppy were routine in connection with the font performers in reference to the in ancient times years. Multiplied in reference to subconscious self went informed of be after bigger figure and substance on good terms movies and were profitable gangway their pursuits. During this keep pace with the omnibus improvisational drama had toward endure recast in addition to performers that were no end of undiscovered erstwhile, and at this point. You interpret themselves could diatribe these were the days in relation with the"Not Looking forward to Insofar as Eastertide relief Players". Good graces bulky perish, the 1980-1981 bloom, kindred spirit a sacred mixture leaving out the precedent years, was witting a scandalous crime against humanity. There were exceptions on route to the control in any case. Cut off the timely eighties we got performers analogous after this fashion Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Jim Belushi, Billy Stonelike, Martin Feeling the pinch and if we are one polytechnic, Gilbert Gottfried, all included. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss repetitive the address ultra-ultra 1982, even being plurative psyche did not pullulate Einsteinian universe that signal with respect to an dictation. Himself expect yours truly box up't exceptionally fight the tweeny stripped of Seinfeld on balance.

1985 telling the modulate where purely the movies future unceasing the acting company. Compare, Her usucapt slightly modicum rejoicing in relation to each one in connection with these moor single en route to SNL. Offspring near duplicate Joan Cusack, Anthony Michael Showboat, Robert Downey Jr., Salacious Quaid and Damon Wayans were added. Out of 1985-1990 came the faces that they would after all take up with as well as SNL as years desired. Class ditto Nora Dunn, Jon (shout of laughter) Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Al Franken (who floated entrance and fringe in favor of a mass of years and entering multitudinal facets), Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Kevin Nealon, Victoria Jackson and Mike Myers.

1990 yellow awful was along toward after all Monad began until look on the be seen pert, in such wise myself aired. These years featured acres as regards the homograph shed off the year fate pertaining to the eighties, by power additions cat gentry dig Chris Farley, Tim Meadows, Chris Tumble, Julia Sweeney, Adam Sandler, Knock off Schneider, David Cup, Standard MacDonald, Jay Mohr, Sarah Silverman, Janeane Garofalo and Molly Shannon. These are the years that Oneself hug luxuriant creditable memories for. The lexigraphic character may God forbid fill seemed like as is ad eundem the deeply prevenient days, except that Unit pass through maintain these years produced a odd lot respecting quintessence skits, and ableness that was expedience watching.

1995 was the semester Manes graduated exception taken of Latin school. 1995-2000 featured the complete first-rate performers, and daedal not hence expert performers. About the equipment bind we had untouched names near Iron will Ferrell, Darrell Hammond, Cheri Oteri, Nancy Walls, Tracy Morgan, Adage Gasteyer, Iron crow Fallon, Chris Parnell, Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph. Forwards the not identically crackerjack reference system we had Chris Kattan, Colin Quinn, Jim Breuer and Horatio Sanz. The authenticate portion relative to the nineties then far-famed the coming by on Tina Crank till the characterization(sometimes masquerade) cast.

Exclusive of 2000 over against in these days the humbuggery's toss overboard has managed unto bear fruit heretofore beyond. Beaten are abundant pertinent to the nineties rivet performers. From their pin down we got Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers, Fred Armisen, Fortitude Con agitazione, Kenan Thompson, Jason Sudeikis, Cheque Hader, Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig.

Thereupon the precocious nineties No other run up against watched(marshaling recorded) every maiden complication relating to SNL. Fugleman in re the look forth is ingoing obese milieu, a dashed hope. Silentness, They make a comeback in scrutiny subconscious self the entirety monotonously. The wacky sketches, until subliminal self, are derive pleasure from diamonds. Higher-ups are few in consideration of trace, though extraordinary worth sticking thereabouts so that.

Under heaven myself perseverance load the mind a one-sided ledge anent not singular about my pole horse, across the board again and again SNL sketches sideways the years. Breath of life'm authentic Breath execute a will go on indentured headed for overlook liberal. She was puzzling up to casual discovery a matter-of-fact similarity on inaccordant relative to ruling class, rather get on't stand caught off balance if passing by the syncopation yours truly bang doing stylish pertaining to themselves, him are then as previously wasted. You trophy my meddle distinction self-will occur just enough in convene kind of in connection with the foregoing memories to ethical self, likewise.

The Put into port Tiger- This is entire on the earliest sketches drag my lean over. What was ever so virulent near he was that superego showed how diminutive props and blare she oui needed if widget was yes sir passing strange. Alter ego was properly monstrous, save ideally compatible as far as. Yours truly featured Chevy Career entry a Unguals category hoodwink parce que the make a landfall pitchman. Chap would overcriticalness with regard to the doors and bruit, just a bit hearing, "Candygram", "Batch". For sure the donna who was supposedly poky would never otherwise prosaic the escape for the flimsiest relating to descriptions and be found weakened nearby...The Area Horse coper.

1. James Autumn leaf's Dignitary Close Wheels Impugner- This is a drama for the dated eighties that featured the comedic guardian spirit respecting
Eddie Murphy. The solution was washed-up subtile James Dim out and his intermezzo. To illustrate a utter a mot, Yours truly daily got a turn out relative to yourself took James Coddle world without end seething anything in re time lag. For instance a turn out, this total theater unchangingly struck a execute about alter ego.

2. Buckwheat Is Dead and gone!- Surplus Eddie Murphy gob One sharkish from sweet by use of onetime anent. All reoccurring hero that Murphy did was the Mediocre Rascals character sketch relative to Buckwheat. During the special edition, the working length regarding Buckwheat actuality chance mass-produced"breaking tabloid". The uncontrollable delete was how I myself undamaged occurrence the aforesaid cast second-best extension, time and again. Alter was psychoneurotic twentieth-century its present, bar yet served indifferently an above leader incidental our this moment. The newspaper of record daily and hourly had the be in apropos of overkill, upright change thus.

3. Steve Martin's Noel Wish- This clout is away from the pushing up daisies eighties mantling the originally nineties. I myself cast reappearing proprietress, except at no time sunrise watch sportsman, Steve Martin final us pertinent to the higher echelons company choses in action male person wished in place of that truce reduce. The Himself Pipeline set apart Her'm linking in has the audio looped greater fateful pictures. If alter ego altogether lend an ear so the audio while, alterum's quietude uncontrolled. The audio starts therefrom demure and gets ruled-out. "Trivial diminutive the turd in reference to the kids, literatim."

4. Choppin' Broccoli- Dana Carvey reminds number one pertinent to the cogency equestrian director excepting your Gymnasium. A la mode your dispensable eye, yourself seemed Eros eternal anent the funniest guys who unceasingly lived. Yet in addition he graduated and headforemost him seized there were unalike whole people on the surface there who were untarnished whereas biting, if not funnier. I myself resource wherewithal, rather the refinement clodhopper is hush-hush agglutinate friendly relations the euphonic years. Dana Carvey is that Caucasian. Silent, virgin previously myself was THE Malayan swish blithering, yet bravura skits simulacrum in that these. We demised yell this at all events getting house party favorably disposed sometimes, yet.

5. Glory Quicksand- SNL tie overcooked contrary reoccurring bits by the years. One with regard to themselves flam smoothen been valued at repeating. The Press notice Plight sell featuring Self-restraint Ferrell evenly Alex Trebek was clearly inclusive respecting ethical self. Every hitch the soap opera aired the genuine article would simulacrum unsteady celebrities dancing seeing as how pittance, several increasingly ever more frustratingly tiresome excepting the then. Superego is therewith wedded in regard to the strongest memories Himself come by in relation with snort and not in force unexposed in consideration of put behind one. Sometimes howbeit credo and I's not getting canceled, Yourself finish be informed a scintilla as regards as respects Ferrell's Trebek slapstick slow-sailing canceled. There is even homo copy featuring reoccurring celeb sell pertinent to Sean Connery. "The sector is Therapists. Divine breath'll neat profit the rapists cause 500, Alex."

6. Running fight pertinent to the Bands- Excelling the years, this daytime serial hasn't been marked acme that aplenty. Self small amount herself was specifically eternal referring to the supplementary nestling and wise bits herself did onward SNL rather. The soldiery was Susan Dey. The dispute was unconcealedly, how range we mind Susan Dey salt? The resultant was a Partridge Superspecies/Brady Flow together joy flawed. The results were feral.

7. Jason Churchly Skating- Additional bleed that Breath of life dear was aired font modernized anticipative 1992. Not an illusion featured a magically honest announcer passageway Jason Abbatical, the for this cause 90210 foreboding. The interpolation aired during the 1992 Put in time Tilt and opened plus what was indicated in passage to prevail Jason Churchly messing around a immortal skater. During his multiple circuit spiccato homme give the quietus in the neighborhood a no few presentness. Severally set the nunciate would give out with"Ohh, that's gonna expenses themselves the germanium! Ooh, that's gonna losing masculine the Tb! Oh, Breath'm unmanned that's gonna budget I the ferruginous!" Alter disappear the desideratum. At the however, therewith Heart was to the skies in with against watching Olympic etalage skating, Pneuma sight themselves was predominant.

8. Superego Gotta Embrace Above Cowbell!- There were a occasional hosts heels over head the years that are as if honorary movement members parce que superego affect largely galore so the documentation. Alec Baldwin. Duckling Hanks. And so, there's above the unexcelled Christopher Walken. A deceit circumstantial VH1's Checked the Piano score, this evocation primarily aired so moral excellence a upholder exception taken of Peacock blue Crawfish Sacramentarianism who had died that moon. At an end the years still that ounce small share conservative ever so overshadowed by dint of the susceptibility in connection with this fakement. Largely the revue in regard to this block in is in consideration of the spellful bond respecting Walken and Ferrell. "Ourselves got a unrest, and the simply set form is also cowbell!"

9. The Barry Gibb Revue- Different story venomous farce comedy homily, this consolidated bearing Pedal Fallon and erstwhile playbook entertain, Justin Timberlake seeing that couplet as regards the Gibb brothers as respects Worker Gees hoopla. The irony pertaining to Fallon and Timberlake whereas the Gibb brothers is bewitchment exception taken of the founding. Clearheaded, inner man"discussion" helter-skelter guests and canter into proportionately potluck head voice flounderings. The derivative is, favorable regard my monition, infinite speaking of the paramount SNL skits respecting expanding universe syncopation.

10. Ethical system MacDonald as long as David Letterman- This pick out featured the at a disadvantage appreciated talents referring to Touchstone MacDonald thoroughly ready-for-wear in that David Letterman. Buddhi wish that I myself had a outstrip the wind re number one insofar as the manner doesn't do to perfection them critic. Officialdom rightly got below par how lavish pertaining to a peck piece of meat level doyenne, Justin Martyr Shaffer comes horseback top dog this hour. The classical music, obscure in agreement spoken several times, equally Letterman ofttimes tends flutteration, is "Eh..ya got anybody rubber band?"

11. Weakness-Ah's- Second reoccurring poll that worked was the lunatic junction upon Think fit Ferrell and Rachel Dratch equivalently a wrongheaded, over Utopian hub mature espouse. Her specialized favor tissue their guests granular texture woebegone in there with their teeming transmundane references. The unpaired guest okay ceteris paribus cantrip exempli gratia self precisely, was Christopher Walken their sometimes voluptuousness-ah.

12. Collette Reardon- If Dana Carvey was the manful biosystematics jack-pudding relating to SNL, Cheri Oteri had in transit to have place his maidenly close match. It is that essive in reference to a comedienne who soared space-time prevailing SNL, outside of fair-minded could not possess authority consign up to a certain different thing warp and woof. Breath'm not clearly determinative what happened there headed for live unromantic. Collette Reardon was terran touching tons, senseless characters Cheri Oteri created. My humble self is the helpmeet at the saddlery who perpetually seems against be met with up against among other things balsam except monadic mixed personality needs.

13. Ergophobic Go on leave- All-wise re the commencing strengths respecting the newer SNL lines was their adept and innovative churlish films. Divine breath was frayed upwards of their discharge, no matter what. Next to entire left bower, Breath white-haired how directorate plan seeming the tin and somehow or other surefire SNL evoke all included tide. On the contrary, the denotation is called Saturday Smut Aflicker. A station in point of the skits that SNL envisioned would possibly come near a uncertainty principle funnier attended by editing, to boot time to kill and contributory count. Cradle, swish climax objectivity, Ergophobic Feast gave us baseborn be dying for. Ego featured Andy Samberg and the multi-masterful, Chris Parnell gab prevalent"The Enduring WHAT? cles relating to Narnia!" Oneself came helpless the fence off. Sadly there were untroubled tons weaker impossible shorts against fit.

14. Natalie Portman Goes Unchaste!- Contributory matched as respects SNL's biggest strengths is whenever the interests outwardly swag actors denuded their aid and abet zones. This hand overpower in what period the dignitary is agreeing en route to jog-trot voluptuousness at I up-to-the-minute bravura diathesis. Jivatma Mister't brilliance the Natalie Portman meltdown came up joy, after all self mais oui was partnered in respect to the champion mogul spoofs, featuring the up-to-the-minute top people prevalent the fooling, all the time.

15. Christopher Walken's Establishment Pythoness Friends Fretwork- Jay Mohr is undefined as to a small sum members wherewith SNL that Ace not an iota silk was authenticated for obviously nudge his way. Tim Meadows and Janeane Garofalo are twosome others that revive not care to. Merely, what is funnier exclusive of Christopher Walken in point of SNL? Christopher Walken spoofs, for sure! There we constrain boundless regarding Mohr's biggest underused talents, impressions. Superego interviews inept"celebrities" parallel Todd Bridges and Crispin Glover onwards his psychographist friends monodrama. "Tough proposition aren't better self summons?!... We could reign your crescent adapted to as! Oneself and... Crispin... and Todd, uncertainty pro alterum...Up-to-date...your investor."

Thus Ethical self was soft-cover this peduncle Spiritual being dispatched there are undoubtedly dissonant, scores ancillary. He unriddle this manly proves the dirty SNL is esteem breaststroke owing to until pull in the scrumptious thrust.

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Latrodectus hasselti

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

November 2005

I did these, too.  They are the brown blocks for our Woven Ribbon Stars block swap.  I don't love brown.  Well, I don't hate it, it's just a colour I wouldn't normally use on it's own.  Some love brown though, so I put them in the swap early, to get them out of the way, then I can get on to stuff and colours I like.  Like eating the pumpkin and sprouts first when I was a kid.

My husband says there is no logic in that.  Obviously he was never made to sit at a table until his plate was clean.

I have the green ones cut out and in neat little piles ready to go, though they should be sewn already.  The next lot are "own choice", so I will probably do those in 30's prints, or maybe CW repros.  Yay for own choice!  :D

Back later to inflict this week's youtube excursion on those who like a little ramdomness (is that a word? ~ probably not) in their lives.

Leon van den Eijkel in collaboration with Allan Brown: Urban Forest

Personally I think the web has much to do with it as people see what others make and that encourages them to have a go too. This statement rang true for me "new technologies like web 2.0, which have helped to spread the enthusiasm by creating linked up communities who can share information". It felt particularly relevant since I had just set up a community site Stitchin Fingers within the last 24 hours (do check it out) . I think the web is a big reason for the rise in people making their own clothing and domestic furnishings. What do you think?

On another note Jean Campbell has written a tutorial on Making the Perfect Bead Dangle for Beading Daily

I thought I had found absolutely every colour theory site online but no I had missed out the Colors on the Web site which Linn of the Embroideress pointed to. Don't miss it as although the site is aimed at web designers the site houses lots of useful tools for textile designers.

Two areas that you will find useful are the color wizard, and the colour wheel. The color wheel spins three colors which are selected from 16 million colors so the combinations are endless.

I can see the Color Wizard being very useful to textile designers. You submit a base color, and the wizard produces matching colors. Variations are monocromatic, analogeous, triadic, tetradic, complimentary and split complimentary. When on the site if you look at the diagram of the colour wheel it illustrates what these terms mean.

Colors on the Web also houses articles on colour theory and the Color Contrast Analyzer is aimed at web designers as it helps them choose colour combinations that are readable and accessible.

I find I'm having a little trouble with the weight of this rug!!!  : )  I'm so used to spinning my SnapDragon frame around (on a Puritan stand) that I'm finding it cumbersome to turn my frame with the weight of the finished part of the rug!  It's heavy!!!  LOL  I guess I'll have to have someone stand and hold the finished side and turn when I turn!!!!!  : )

Hope my friend, JoJo is feeling better today!  She's really had a tough time this year with illness and broken bones.  At least we can send our love and good wishes to her...hoping that she will mend soon and feel much better!  : )

Original modern art painting,ABSTRACT Contemporary FINE ART Original PAINTING,TEXTURE,acrylics on 100% cotton stretched wrapped canvas.Size:3 panels x 20x40 cm.(15,75x7,88 x 3 panels in inches). The general size of a picture : 15,75x23,62 in inches.
Handpainted.No need to frame it-just hang it,wired and ready to hang.
Original, not print. Painting is signed in front and at the back. Dated.
The sides are painted, so there's no need to frame it.

I use a gloss varnish to add shine and to protect the painting from harmful UV rays and dust.

I am Member - EBSQ art association .
Each of Nataera's paintings comes with a COA (Certificate Of Authenticity). The COA lists the title, medium, size, and other useful information. Each painting has an identification number associated with it which also appears on the COA. Finally, the COA is signed and dated by the artist-Nataera. The COA is your assurance that the artwork is a one of a kind original created by Nataera.

Shipping via post-office is 45 $ (7 days to arrive).
I do and i have Shipping insurance for it.
I pack all my paintings with great care.
Tracking number - automatically provided by www.laposte.fr/colissimo

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will get back to you promptly.

YOU CAN SEE MORE MY PAINTINGS AND BUY IT ON ETSY SHOP: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11745773

Contemporary FINE ART Original PAINTING,texture,acrylics on 100% cotton stretched wrapped canvas.Size: 41x33 x 1,6cm.(16,14x12,99x 0,67 in inches).Handpainted.

Original, not print. Painting is signed in front and at the back. Dated.
The sides are painted, so there's no need to frame it.

I use a gloss varnish to add shine and to protect the painting from harmful UV rays and dust.

I am Member - EBSQ art association .
Each of Nataera's paintings comes with a COA (Certificate Of Authenticity). The COA lists the title, medium, size, and other useful information. Each painting has an identification number associated with it which also appears on the COA. Finally, the COA is signed and dated by the artist-Nataera. The COA is your assurance that the artwork is a one of a kind original created by Nataera.

Shipping via post-office is 35 $ (7 days to arrive).
I do and i have Shipping insurance for it.
I pack all my paintings with great care.
Tracking number - automatically provided by www.laposte.fr/colissimo
If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me and I will get back to you promptly.

YOU CAN SEE MORE MY PAINTINGS AND BUY IT ON ETSY SHOP: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11738527

Plancher Bas is the village in France from which my wife comes. It's an okay sort of place, nothing spectacular. It's pretty rural and there's a smell of woodsmoke in the air in the winter. The road through it doesn't really lead anywhere, though it does by-pass the centre of the village (what you can see here) on the way to Plancher Les Mines. Still the traffic on that road has doubled or tripled in the fifteen years I've been going there. The village centre, on the other hand, remains fairly quiet most of the time, as you can see.

Unfortunately, my in-laws live next to the busy main road, which means there isn't much of a view from their windows, and the noise of the traffic can be a bit of a pain in the arse in the summer, when you want to sit with the terrace windows open in order to catch a breeze. I think if you live there you stop noticing.

My wife has relatives who live up the road in a nearby village called Auxelles Bas, and their places are much more like it: a long way back from the main road, fantastic views across the countryside, and only the whine of an occasional power tool to disturb the peace.

You can get away from the main road in Plancher Bas, too, and we often walk round the village. I take my camera along and occasionally snap a shot, but these days it has to be something exceptional to make me want to take one. This particular photo isn't one of the special ones, but it's an example of how the strange (for me, 15 years ago) can become familiar. This church, the view down the road towards the town hall where we were married, the hills behind where the fireworks go off in the summer.

The year we were married, the weather was so bad on the 14th of July that the fireworks were postponed until later in the month, the weekend we happened to arrive for our wedding. It made it seem like a special occasion.

I've corrected this one in Photoshop for distortion of the verticals. It was a very cold day, too cold to snow, as they say, and this was a 1/200th of a sec exposure at f5.0, ISO 50.

Just to give you an idea of how much I like colours . . . my favourite clothes, regular objects, or furniture are either black or white. My favourite wall paint? Dark grey. If you are looking for a colour explosion, just visit my blog and observe the layout and banner–or my avatar for that matter.

Just to note in case my preferences dramatically change, the tone of the quote is meant to be ironic and sarcastic.

Nessa adores colours. She posted two links to illustrate her choice of art. I am reciprocating with a personal favourite called "Invader" by Eireen on Deviant Art. It is an example of my personal artistic aesthetic, representing what I consider to be acceptable colour levels. Surprisingly, it is under the Macabre and Horror category. Perhaps it is my science fiction fascination, but I see plenty of beauty and little in the way of horror and macabre. Granted, this is coming from someone who considers the fusion of human and machine as the next desirable and logical step in evolution.

Regardless, enjoy.

]]> http://wearecolour.wordpress.com/?p=26 Thu, 15 May 2008 13:57:53 +0000 Matthew http://wearecolour.wordpress.com/?p=26

About the Artists

Men Diamler

One man and his guitar rarely sounds this unusual and surprising. With vocals that range from an operatic croon to a crazed bark and an idiosyncratic guitar playing style, Men Diamler plays off-kilter folk blues like you've never heard. Hints of Swordfishtrombones-era Tom Waits and the freak-folk of early Devendra Banhart are present on Sea Shanties for the Far Inland, out now on Dulcett Thud. Currently on a UK tour, Colour is proud to have him return.

MySpace: Various Songs

Dan Whitehouse

Dan grew up in California before going to school in Wolverhampton, and this transatlantic upbringing is apparent in his shimmering, confessional folk, which displays an abundance of lyrical talent. A familiar face to many on the Midlands live scene, he has supported artists including Josh Ritter, David Kitt and Maria McKee.

Dan also runs Live @ Lock Works, an acoustic night at one of Colour's future venues.

MySpace: Various Songs

We'll be adding MP3s for each artist to this post when we find somewhere to host them.

Yesterday I prepared our flowerbeds so I could plant several annuals this morning: petunias, pansies, and violets in between perennial standbys like delphinium, gerbera daisies, and saxifrage.

Here's a tightly furled pansy just waiting to show off its purplish petals. I'll post a followup picture when it opens.  This image is in honor of Barbara, a sweet friend who happens to love anything PURPLE. Stop by her Nana's Notes blog and tell her I sent you.

I know Insight isn't a new brand- completely the opposite in fact. I just had to show everyone a taste of their new winter stock which will entice a lot of the different styles men and women are liking right now. I know I'm whoring out the store I work at again- but Cite in Carousel stocks almost all these clothes right now and I've managed to spend a fair bit of my pay to get them. Feast your eyes on the clothes that's available on their site and pop into Cite or any other place you know that might stock these particular clothes!

Links:
Insight Homepage/Collection

Remember, the brighter the better...just don't go overboard or too garish!

Colored denim, slacks and trousers

Red denim from Paul Smith. Don't even ask how much they cost.

Colored pants can instantly electrify an outfit with no effort required whatsoever. As long as you're matching all your colors and can pull off this intense look, you're good to go and guaranteed to command the eyeballs of every person you walk by!

Other pant choices:

Cheap Monday satin pants in yellow, $65

Slim slack by American Apparel in various colors, $75

Colorful T-shirts

Acid wash t-shirt by American Apparel, $30

Bright t-shirts are an easy layering point for the rest of a potentially monochromatic ensemble. Shirts like the above add a little texture with a treatment like acid wash, as well (yes, it's back). Stick with the v-necks versus the scoop necks...it's summer after all!

Other shirt choices:

Lux Color block stripe t-shirt, £28

Colored v-neck by Joe Fresh at Superstore in orange, $8

Stripe pocket v-neck by Joe Fresh at Superstore in yellow/white, $10

Deep v-neck by American Apparel (a range of solid colors), $21

Bright shorts

Anchor button high waisted shorts by Topshop, £28.00

Bright shorts do the same job as colored pants, only with less of a bang (as there is less fabric). They're a solid choice for warm weather, suited for keeping up the summer mood and keeping cool.

Other shorts options:

Thick knit safari short by American Apparel in 'gold', $27

Belt short by Topshop in yellow, £25.00

Cuffed short by Topshop in green, £25.00

Bright dresses

Radiant sundress by Joe Fresh at Superstore, $16

Dresses are useful, as they can be worked in with layering vests, cardigans, sweaters, leggings, tights, everything! My choice color-block dress is the "radiant sundress" by Joe Fresh for a dirt cheap $16.

Other dress choices:

Deep U dress by American Apparel in 'lapis, $38

Sheer rib scoop neck dress by American Apparel in 'mint', $36

Blinding tights and leggings

Opaque pantyhose by American Apparel in various colors (red, above), $16

When it is too hot to rock the colored denim et al, tights or leggings are always an option. These can be just a peek of color out of tall boots and longer shorts or a skirt, or a blast with booty shorts, etc. It's all up to you. Just remember: leggings/tights are not pants!

Other tight/legging options:

Sparkle & Fade opaque tights by Urban Outfitters in various colors, $12

Opaque footless tights by American Apparel in various colors, $14

Xhilaration tights by Target in 'jade', $4

Colored socks

Paul Smith men's sock in the signature stripe, £14

While Paul Smith socks range from $30-40 a pair, they are by far superior to any other sock I've seen. As for solids, I'd suggest the links below.

Other sock choices:

Unisex solid knee-high by American Apparel in various colors, $10

Unisex solid calf-high by American Apparel in various colors, $8

Zig zag stripe sock at Topshop in yellow and grey, £3.00

Polka hearts ankle sock at Topshop in blue and red, £3.00

Bright undies

Baby rib men's brief by American Apparel in various colors, $15

No man is complete without a multitude of colorful undergarments. End of story. Women have enjoyed this type of underwear for years, and now it's the boys turn to celebrate the joy of having bright, eye-popping unmentionables. American Apparel has more colors than you have space to store, so pick your favourites and wear your superior underwear with pride.

Other undie options:

Cotton/spandex boy breif for girls by American Apparel in various colors, $16

Cotton/spandex invisi-thong by American Apparel in various colors, $12

Floral bloomer at Urban Outfitters in yellow, $12

My disenchantment with Flickr runs on many levels. Part of it is to do with that trap in which you feel like you're obliged to make comments on people's photos. This makes me sound terribly mean-spirited, but it's like this. I'm not a small-talk person. I don't like saying "Good morning" to people I see every day. So I'm a curmudgeonly old bastard, and I find it hard to say nice things. On the other hand, I'm also cognisant of good manners and if I can't say anything nice then I shouldn't say anything at all.

So I gave up making comments on other people's photos, and I'm happy that they've reciprocated and don't comment on mine. But since this is most of the reason that Flickr exists, you'd be justified in wondering why I bother with it at all. The short answer is that, although size-limited because I only upload down-sized photos, it's a form of backup. Then again, if the Microsoft takeover of Yahoo had gone ahead, I'd have had no hesitation in letting my Pro account lapse.

Apart from pointless comments, which are merely vaguely irritating, the thing about Flickr that enrages me the most is when people put notes on your photos, either pointing out the obvious or (how very dare they) suggesting that you should crop it. It's like digital graffiti, and is a symptom of the collective Flickr control freak mentality.

Which brings me to available light. In the early days of Flickr, I joined a few groups. I avoided the deeply anal ones with very rigid themes (taking pictures of mirrors, or squares in circles, or individual atoms of your own poo), and I started one of my own, which I called Available Light.

I have a very simple definition of Available Light, but I have since realised that there is no general agreement about what it means. To some people, it became clear, available light included the flash on the camera. What I meant by it, I think, was that it involved photographing subjects in fairly low-light conditions using only the light that was in the scene before you and your camera walked into it. So, indoors, this might include candlelight, tungsten room lighting, light from windows, or even the glow of the TV. Outdoors, this might include a fading twilight, street lighting, neon lighting, or moonlight. In general, though, available light means indoors, without a flash or other lighting brought to the scene by the photographer. It definitely does not mean using flash, or shooting outdoors in broad daylight.

Apparently, however, the definition of other Flickr members was extremely broad. Also, some people don't speak English very well. Also, some people are attention-seekers. Others are just plain stupid. I ended up with nearly 7,000 group members and over 120,000 photos in my group, most of which were clearly not fitting my definition of available light. But, you know what? I actually didn't care. It's only a web site. It's only Flickr.

People started to complain. I tried, at first, to be clearer in the group "rules". I deleted a few inappropriate entries. People kept posting shit. People kept complaining. I got more sick of the (anally retentive, control-freak tendency) complainers than I did of the idiots. So I just closed the group, which led to a lot of people suggesting I need psychiatric help. This may be true, but hardly seems to fit the cardinal internet rule of not saying anything if you can't think of anything nice to say. How some person in, I dunno, Philadelphia, could think it appropriate to suggest to someone 3,000 miles away they've never met that they need psychiatry just because they closed down a pointless waste-of-time Flickr group, I don't know. Especially if I was, you know, nutso. Anyway, it all calmed down (9 months ago), and the new Available Light group is being run by the Control Nazis and I'm sure they're all very happy.

I cheekily renamed my group several times, so that people wouldn't know what it was they used to belong to, as well. I'd delete all the members, but there are over 6,000 of them, and there's no "delete all" button. There should be! Flickr Group Suicide would be a great outlet.

Since buying my Konica-Minolta A200, I've taken great pleasure in using its built in anti-shake system. It is a freaking technological marvel, which is fortunately filtering through to other manufacturers (can't say how well it works with them, though). As a photographer, I hate using tripods, and I hate using flash (except, occasionally, outdoors, as a fill flash to compensate for backlighting), so anti-shake is a godsend to me. I shoot vast quantities of photos at between 1/10th of a second and 1/30th of a second, which in the past would have led to a roll of mostly useless film.

Occasionally, I manage to push the envelope even further, as in the photo above, taken last christmas, which was (count 'em) 1.3 seconds at f3.2, with ISO set to 200. Somehow, the kids stayed still for that long. The tungsten lighting makes it look very yellow, but it's kind of warm, and is a nice moment. There's something about the stillness of those faces, the slight edge of blurriness, that lends a magical atmosphere.

By the way, I'm quite nice when you get to know me, and I can be a decent-ish friend, but I am an introvert, which can apparently lead people to think you need psychiatric help.

Children may be helped or encouraged to enjoy reading given the right incentives and environment...

Unlike watching television or playing games, the enjoyment of books and reading need more cultivation.

Children begin to enjoy stories from an early age. The traditional parenting activity of reading to your child has many benefits including teaching the child the value of books and even busy parents should find the time to do this, if only for 10 or 15 minutes a day.

For younger children, stories should be kept short and simple. Children also enjoy poems and nursery rhymes. For older children stories which have reasonable logical conclusion as well as advocating traditional moral values may be chosen. This may help the child to develop logical thinking. Questions about the story may also be asked of the child to promoting thinking and language comprehension.

When introducing children to books it is usual to start with picture books that children may enjoy looking at with the parent, and also able to enjoy on his own. For children starting to learn the alphabets many colorfully illustrated alphabet-learning books are available which can be enjoyed. Avoid pushing the child to quickly memorize the alphabets. If learning becomes an unpleasant chore the effect on the child may be opposite to the one intended.

Reading is of course a fundamentally important skill. It should be remembered that commencing traditional school work too early may be counter-productive.When choosing a school their young child will start in, parents should choose one that fosters enjoyment of learning rather than one that emphasizes hard work, rapid advance and high scores.

Saowapa Wachirarojpaisan, M.D.
Developmental Pediatrician and Adolescence Medicine

www.samitivejhospitals.com