Years ago a friend and I started a graphics company and one of our commissions was to shoot food for a drive in movie intermission slide show - it had to look good enough to get people into the concession. We found out that the only food which didn't need work was popcorn! Everything else was tweaked and touched up. Hamburger buns - spray varnish = nice and shiny. Pile of fries - held together with toothpicks. It was 4 AM when were done. We were starving, and the only thing we had which was edible was popcorn!

Canada apparantly is a more wealthy country than some others. These coins were created to save us from having to carry so many smaller denomination coins and bills around. The mint says that within five years most of us will have one or two of these in our pockets every day. Tim Hortons is currently changing their cash registers to handle them.

I too have seen photos of the great naturalist glassblowers of the past, and many of the methods they spent a lifetime developing died with them. The Welsh master glassblower who trained me in the seventies was well aware of this, and of the European tradition of 'secret' methods, never shared except with your own apprentice.

He told me then that the art was dying out, and to share freely what I knew and learned. I've tried to do this, and have always been happy to do so. I have just started my second class for art glass making (artistic glass beads) and I am delighted with the enthusiasm and skill of my students.

I'm working towards a local 'art glass' community, and I believe it is going to happen.
- Dougall

Hmmmm ... seems rather Orwellian. Everything that is not prohibited is compulsory!

OR ... you could just cut a hole in the fence for free.

My best wishes to you all. My best advice - trust yourself, but be willing to seek answers from books & other parents, but trust your own observations and instincts - you are there with your own child, they are not. Try not to worry to much, being a parent is different, sometimes challenging, but generally great and the best thing you can do with your life. Best advice for the next little while - learn to get to sleep quickly, get up when you have to, then get back to sleep quickly - if you get a chance for a nap, take it! Have fun - we certainly have with our family! Also - as I've said before - Neatorama is great. To echo an earlier comment, the only thing I would want is a bit more of it.

1. Latest pet hate - using "grow" as a transitive verb. Roses grow, and they may be grown, by a rose grower, businesses may grow, but you can't 'grow a business' (ie: make it larger)or 'grow a concept' (add to it). You can build a business, expand an idea, or improve a concept. Buy a thesaurus!
2. When I was learning public speaking (for vocational teaching) I had to break the 'you know' habit. I was told that speakers use it as a pause to think of the next idea or word. Don't! If you need time, stop talking ..... a pause is dramatic and if not overused will capture the listener's attention. Instead of being distracted by null phrases such as 'like...' and 'you know' the listener will be anxious for the next word!
3. I get emails. I send them. I know how to type and spell, BUT we all make mistrakes. Re-read the darn thing before you send it to me. There are few things that make you look dumber than misspellings in your correspondance.

Yes it's real - here's how they did it
http://www.wonderlandchristmas.com/wizardsofwinter.php
Did a little searching and found this in 5 minutes!