Fresh snow is pure white

On a winter day that is overcast with bright white skies.

I don't paint with acrylics on canvas using washes either only dry brush to create an almost airbrush quality went I need tones to be very light and subtle in change. I do use dark washes when painting over base coats on a sculpture to attain deep shadow effects in the small cracks and recesses and dry brush for highlights.

Obviously to each their own. It just doesn't make any sense to me to paint in oils even from what you described with your process. Acrylics, in my estimation are not meant to be put onto a pallet of 8 globs at a time like oils, because the obvious: they dry too fast.

I methodically plan out my layers and paint one color at a time, even if that one color is only a few very small areas. Then i clean my brush and mix up the next color, and so on and so forth.

Glad the art snobbery is dying off. That's good to hear oils are dropping in price too.

I would like to go to Borneo in the next year

I'm tired of waiting. I also want to go to Hong Kong. I understand that I'll probably need additional vaccinations to go to Borneo. Has anyone ever been there? Did you contract malaria? I know the rate of transmission there is even higher than other malarial nations. Is it worthwhile to go? Isn't it awful how the malarial mosquitoes only bite at night and the dengue fever carrying ones only bite during the day? One of those "you can't win" scenarios. Malaria is pretty bad but dengue fever is probably worse. They call it "break-bone" fever because the pain is so intense it feels like your bones are breaking.I always cover my skin in DEET and wear long sleeves and pants and have been lucky so far. Last trip, I was one of the only travelers in our area who didn't contract malaria. "Just don't get bitten," is what the travel docs always say to me. I heed their warnings and try my best. I want to see the orangutans and other rare wildlife (tiny deer, owls, rhinos) and snorkel some of the reefs on the nearby islands.

Anyone out there who would like to go and could take off two to three weeks and pay for their share? I'd love to find a decent traveling companion/friend in general. Single supplements are incredibly discouraging. I've traveled pretty expansively in the past and I miss it very much. I've gone on a few short adventures alone and solo travel isn't really my thing.

If Borneo is too far for you, I'm also interested in taking a tour to Calgary to see Jasper, Banff, and Lake Louise.

I wish to become a more active member of the travel community and I'd like to meet others who share my a passion for travel. Honestly, I'm hoping to start a productive conversation and, perhaps if the response is right, it will eventually lead to introductions and, eventually, actual travel plans. I have other destinations on the list too. Let's start with these locations and see where it goes.

I wouldn't say that I'm desperate but I am frustrated with the travel groups and people I've invited thus far. For many years, I traveled the world with a great person but we're no longer together. You're right that I don't know the people on these forums. I suppose that I don't know whether or not they're decent, but over time I can figure that out.

Most of my friends have moved away and are married, not interested, or travel is just not a main priority anymore. I know the economy has hit people hard and that's prevented most of my friends/acquaintances from being able to afford such a trip. My family members are busy with small children or caring for ailing parents. So, I'm looking for new friends who can pay their own way.

I've taken a pathetic RTW travel class from a local continuing education program. I was not at all impressed and am convinced that I could have taught the course better myself. The instructor wasn't able to answer half of my questions. There were three other people in the class but they were traveling together and weren't looking to expand their circle- so that was a bust.

I've searched through Meetups but have not had much luck. Anyone in the Boston area know of any decent Boston/ Cambridge travel organizations that aren't trying to sell a ridiculous, overpriced tour? I'm still searching.

I will pay for my share of a reasonably priced trip. If I could comfortable afford to pay for two people, I wouldn't need to search for a companion. I could probably drag along one of my friends with the promise of an all-expenses paid vacation. [They don't seem too intrigued by the mention of Borneo. Maybe, it's a little too exotic for them. Maybe, they fear a bad case of malaria, or the vaccinations required to visit. Maybe that scares them away.]

But, I have a healthy sense of adventure and am seeking new friends with the same. It's no fun dragging people where they don't want to go.

I was hoping that there was another way to find a travel buddy- almost like a dating site (without actually dating) for travel companions or something like that. Like a Match.com for travelers. It's too bad such a thing doesn't exist. Or does it? Does anyone know of a site or an app that does this? Thanks again. Like I said before, any useful advice is appreciated.

How to treat my long fizzy hair

I have extremely curly, thick hair that's currently sort-of rock star length, not LONG, but like, say, Bob Dylan circa 1975. I've had lots of hairstyles and colors through the years - buzz cut, rockabilly pompadour, Brazilian hair straightening, but currently my natural dirty blond, and curly.

It's summer and I'm doing a lot of bike-riding and outdoor stuff. When I go out for the evening or I am playing a show I can put product in my hair so the curls look fat, full, defined and everything they should be.Photos and video turn out good, happy with it.

When I'm out during the day and the wind and humidity hits my hair, though, it's total Kramer - I mean I look like a crazy person. I don't care too much, but I'm wondering if there is a way to preserve the quality look throughout wind, lite rain and such. Currently I wear a bandana and just be done with it, but I hate the thing, it's summer and it's like wearing a hat. I bake to 400 degrees, man. And then you take it off and your hair is all smashed and whatnot and you have to either wash it or fix it.

The best was the Brazilian treatment I got in April - it worked for 2 months in any weather - but it's an arm and a leg price-wise and I'm digging the current curls and so does my girlfriend. She has the straightest straight hair on the planet and so can't really advise me on my mess up top.

Nexxus Heat Protexx is made to be sprayed on damp hair before blow drying, but also works well on dry hair to act as a weather shield. A little bit goes a long way. It keeps your hair from frizzing up and tangling. Now if you use any sort of high quality hair conditioner (after shampoo rinse) it can also be used as a leave-in conditioner with similar results. You dilute it about 1 to 8 ratio in a spray bottle, not to be used on scalp or roots, just grown out parts and ends. Again, a little goes a long way.

Another secret is that in a pinch you can use hand lotion to smooth down frizzed out hair. Put a dime size in your palm, rub palms together and lightly run down your hair, only on the surface. Great on windy days when hair tends to get all staticky.

Grape Seed oil is a good inexpensive moisturizer for my face

I have some wrinkles and dry skin. Lighter weight all-purpose moisturizers no longer work for me. I'd love to find something inexpensive that I can just pick up at Walgreen's, instead of having to go downtown to Macys or Nordstroms and spend $$$.

Adding a few drops of jojoba oil to my Cetaphil lotion has worked for me when my skin has been particularly dry. Several people advised cleansing with oil. I googled it, and selected grape seed oil. I am 56 yrs. old, and started having blackhead/whitehead problems with my rather dry skin. Nothing seemed to work until I tried cleansing with grape seed oil.

I put very warm water on my face first, then with fingertips rub some grape seed oil into my face and neck. I then use hot water and a washcloth to remove that oil, scrubbing a bit. Then I use a soft facial brush and more oil in circular motions to do the more in depth cleansing, followed by more hot water and the washcloth. Some oil stays on my skin, so I don't put any moisturizer on. This is my night routine, and in the morning I rinse and put on Nuetrogena Naturals night cream (yes) which leaves a lovely matt finish. On top of this goes sunblock if I am going to be outside. I follow with cornstarch baby powder instead of expensive makeup powders, and my face stays shine free all day with the single application.

All this I have learned from the lovely ladies and gents of this forum, with the exception of the Neutrogena Naturals, which I bought on sale to try. I use night creams for daywear all the time because they are thick enough to stay on, and nongreasy.

Is this a Hipaa law violation?

I went to my sons doctor appointment to see a specialist for the first time. As I fill out the papers the receptionist, were checking the insurance. The waiting room was full of patients and two receptionist came up to me telling me they couldn't take my insurance because one was private and one was medical.

Questionable motives

So we invited a friend and her boyfriend to come live with us.

She moved in and started paying small rent per room (basically covering extra expenses I'd incur, such as double the water bill and a lot more in electric).

This was several months ago (about 5 months).

We never had a lease, she paid rent in cash most of the time, paypal once, and this last rent she couldn't afford so her boyfriend (now ex) paid via check and paid for her room rent.

She started getting on our nerves. She would make a mess and leave it, she brought TONS of animals with her, which we allowed, but then neglected them, and let them stink.

She left everything for us to clean--dishes, utensils. We were actually to the point where we had no utensils because she took them all in her room and wouldn't bring them back down stairs.

Used all the paper towels and tolite paper without even contributing, etc.

She ate our food, took things that didn't belong to her, etc.

Put dead animals in my freezer (she likes to keep and sell dead animals)

We started getting sick of having to tell her NO over and over and over for common sense things.

We wrote up a list of rules for her to follow. She acknowledged reading them.
That was a couple months ago.

She continued to bring animals in after we told her not to without asking.

And then the kicker, the rules was no guests. She wanted to bring strange guys into our home after her bf and her broke up, at 3am and have them hang out. We told her possibly she can hang out with them on the porch.

she snuck them in anyway, and when my boyfriend found out, and told her to get him out, she told him NO.

So he gave her 30 days notice.

Her ex boyfriend is staying, he's become a good friend of mine, and he says she will try something to be vindictive.

NOW SHE'S TEXTING MY BOYFRIEND AND ASKING FOR A RECEIPT OF EVERY MONTH OF RENT THAT WAS PAID.

ANY CLUE WHAT SHE MAY BE TRYING TO DO?

It sounds like she's trying to pull something and I just don't know what.

Bad dog park experience today

I am so heartbroken and upset. My pitbull attacked not one but two dogs today at the park. One was too little to be on that large breed side anyways, but was sitting on its owners lap when mine went up and started to attack. Then, not even 10 minutes later, she attached another timid dog slightly smaller than herself. This was bad. She had her buy the neck. Everyone watched in horror as it took me and two others to try to separate. I had to force open her jaw. I don't think it was really injured, just frightened, but its owner walked out of the park carrying it and he yelled at me. I hope I don't get a phone call about a vet bill in the morning. I don't think they had any bites, I didnt see blood.

This was my 4th trip there. The 3rd trip shew as really good and didnt do anything like this! I've socialized her since I got her at 4 months at puppy socials every weekend, she's had a dog obedience class. I was told she was high energy, but everyone in the park said she's too aggressive and that they were going to complain tomorrow to take away my dog park pass.

I thought I had her socialized, under control, and she does this? Was told by a trainer that she was "prey driven". This one guy there told me she may never be able to socialize with other dogs in the future when I asked him how was I going to socialize her if I couldnt bring her around other dogs.

Can this be corrected. She's about a year old now and I've had her for about 7 months.