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What we stand for
In the justified outrage and horror at the events in Paris on Friday, it seems like it's necessary to remind some commentators about what Islamic extremists seem to hate and we (should) seek to defend (I've included some recent comment pieces in brackets that appear to forget these values):
Respect for privacy ("I have less and less sympathy with opponents of new surveillance powers for the security agencies" – Boris Johnson, Daily Telegraph, 16th November 2015)
Freedom of movement ('Written in the blood of innocents, the folly of a Europe with no borders', Dominic Lawson, Daily Mail, 16th November 2015)
Freedom of thought and religion (''Close down all Mosques', says UKIP candidate', The Sun, 16th November 2015)
The rule of law and due process ('Fury as Jeremy Corbyn OPPOSES 'shoot to kill' against terrorists on UK streets', Daily Express, 16th November 2015)
Being judged as an individual ('As the first plane-loads of Syrian refugees arrive, MAX HASTINGS reveals the deadly threat of Britain's enemy within', Max Hastings, Daily Mail, 16th November 2015)
Equality and diversity ("Don't use this attack to defend multiculturalism. We don't all love multiculturalism. We don't all want equality the way you see it", Katie Hopkins, Daily Mail, 14th November 2015)
Rational debate and discussion ('Jeremy Corbyn doesn't even have the decency to be angry about the Paris terror attacks', Tom Harris, Daily Telegraph, 16th November 2015)
It's called a liberal society, and we should defend it against anyone – foreign or domestic – who would seek to threaten or undermine it.
And while we're at it, there are some other freedoms we need to defend at the moment as well:
Access to justice irrespective of wealth and power ('Court charges could put pressure on defendants to plead guilty, claim judges', The Independent, 16th November 2015)
The right to vote ('Watchdog urges peers to block plans to take 1.9m names off electoral roll', The Guardian, 23rd October 2015)
The right to protest ("It is vital we protect our right to free speech. It is vital we protect our right to protest. Which is precisely why tonight's "demonstration" should not be taking place at all" – Dan Hodges, Daily Telegraph, 5th November 2015)
The right to withhold labour ('The BMA's strike threats 'could be interpreted as a betrayal of the Hippocratic Oath', Daily Telegraph, 13th November 2015)
Isn't it strange then, that those who proclaim themselves to be the boldest 'defenders of our values' seem to be the most willing to throw them away?
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12 thoughts on "What we stand for"
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Inspired by a friend of mine I've decided to make one of my 2014 Goals be to permanently remove 2,014 things from my home by the end of the year. There are many reasons, most boring, so I won't go over those. In 2013 I probably donated or consigned close to 500 items so I just need to continue that progress!
Here are my rules:
1. Expired food doesn't count, donated food does.
2. Regular trash doesn't count (junk mail, plastic containers).
3. Items going to consignment will count but may not be brought back in.
4. Items can be thrown away, sent to consignment, given to others or donated. For this I'll utilize Freecycle, Craigslist, eBay and Amazon.
5. Items in a collection may either be counted as 1 or individually. Probably depending on how close I am to the goal at any point in time.
Right now I'm starting with kitchenware, any decorating items that I'm not using and clothing. By the time I move on to my books again, crafts, linens and the garage I know it'll be easy to hit the goal.
By focusing on filling up boxes each week and going to consignment or Goodwill once a week I'll continue to track. It's already January 2nd and I've dropped off 52 items at consignment.
Other Projects
Looking around the house there are just a few projects I have still awaiting me. Here they are in loose order of priority for completion:
- Build shelving units for the master bath
- Install and paint baseboards in the hall closet
- Install and paint baseboards in the guest closet
- Sand and paint my footchest
- Sand and re-stain kitchen table
- Repair my outdoor wood box planter
- Sand and paint 2 outdoor wood side tables
- Make my outdoor wood shelf sturdier and re-stain
- Install new lights outdoors
- Build a new planter box for the front yard
- Install new baseboard, beadboard and chair rail in the master bath
- Install new lights in the living room, bathrooms and hallway (possibly hire an electrician)
On my "would be a total dream" list is installing crown molding in the bedrooms, replacing the HVAC and replacing 3 ceiling fans. We'll see. Maybe I should start playing the lottery.
As of now the wood for the bathroom shelves is stained and ready to be assembled. Let's see if I can create this:

subset: commoncrawl


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Platform Updates: Live as of 1/29
As we embark on 2016, expect to see even more Edit Suite improvements and Google Drive support for the VidMob platform landing following New Years.
Edit Suite: Latest Updates
Update 1.8
– Editor-Controlled "Enable Media": Now, when editors enable a user to add more media they'll also be in control of when to disable it. This way, editors can decide on a timeframe with their client for adding additional media on terms that work for both.
– Bug Fixes: Nipped a few bugs in the bud, like having media download instantly instead of opening in a browser.
– Upload Progress Bar: Draft upload will now show an in-line progress bar to let the editor know the progress of the upload.
– Seamless Editor Sign-Up: Accidentally sign up as a user first instead of an editor? We've got you covered. Users who signed up with the app first will now also be able to seamlessly register as an editor.
– New Feature: We want to know what our editors think! Now, editors will have the option to complete a "post project" survey for each project they complete. We hope this'll help us gather important feedback from editors on time spent, value of project, and quality of user media in order to improve our platform and our communication with our editor community.
Edit Suite: Archived Updates
Here are all the other changes we've already made to your Edit Suite, thanks to all your helpful feedback!
Update 1.8
– DataTables! What does this mean? Simply that editors can now sort and search through the "Job Listings" tab by column headers, such as "Media Length" or "Number of Bids Received." Added bonus? This also fixes the pagination issues on search. Hooray!
– Media Contributor: Our team of Edit Suite Admins can now identify specific users within a collaborative project that are having media issues to make problem-solving more efficient.
– Tool Tips: Not sure what the different elements of the Edit Suite mean? Now editors can simply hover over a column title to get a more in-depth description of the meaning.
Update 1.7
– "All Categories" Auto-Bid (and there was much rejoicing):
This has been one of our most-asked-for features and we are psyched to let you know it is finally live! Now, when creating an auto-bid, the first selection option in the drop-down is "All Categories." Hooray! This means that the details of the auto-bid you've set up will now apply to projects in all categories, if this is selected. Feel free to celebrate ????
– Project Notes now available in Edit Suite:
This update is the perfect example of how and why feedback from our community is so important! No matter how much testing we did, we all missed that "Notes to Editor" within the app didn't translate anywhere in the Edit Suite (doh!). But not to worry. These are now visible as a new tab in the Edit Suite, just under Project Details. And because anyone can see these notes, as they are project-related, we hope that this will help answer many of your questions relating to what the user wants or is looking for.
– Enable "Add More Media":
Sometimes, a project will benefit from the addition of new media. Previously, this option did not exist within the app. Now, in the chance that an editor would like to request a user to contribute more media to improve a project, the editor has a button within the Project Details to "Enable New Media" to be added. As we know, by default a user cannot add new media to a project that is "In Editing." However, when an editor engages this button, the user will be granted a one-time opportunity to upload media to the project. As soon as media is submitted they are unable to add media again. The editor would have to hit this button again for additional uploads, should the editor wish.
App: Latest Updates
Update 1.9
– User Post-Project Survey: We want to know what our users think! We'll now be including a survey link along with the download link for all complete projects.
– Download Improved: And now, when a completed project is emailed to our users, clicking the download link will automatically initiate the download instead of the browser playback.
– And, as always, astute bug zapping.
App: Archived Updates
Here are all the other changes we've already made to your app, thanks to all your helpful feedback!
Update 1.1.1
– Improved our DropBox integration and media upload communications.
– Reduced load time of your pics & clips in the Media Summary.
– And (as always) more superb bug zapping!
Update 1.1.0
– Zapped more pesky little bugs.
– Playback audio now plays even when your phone is set to vibrate/silent.
– You can now see your most recent editor's bid card in order to favorite them for a future project.
– MobFeed videos are now viewable both in the app and in browsers to improve the sharing experience!
Update 1.8
– Zapped a few pesky crash bugs to improve app functionality.
– Collaborators new to the VidMob app will be presented with a dialog box to join the project after our intro video plays.
– Scrolling ability fixed in the Draft: Feedback area.
– Enhanced communication functions to make use of app more seamless for new users: such as allowing access to user's Camera Roll and notification that media uploads default to wifi while on cellular.


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We tend to trust what goes on in our brains. After all, if you can't trust your own brain, what can you trust?
Generally, this is a good thing—our brain has been wired to alert us to danger, attract us to potential mates, and find solutions to the problems we encounter every day.
However, there are some occasions when you may want to second guess what your brain is telling you. It's not that your brain is purposely lying to you, it's just that it may have developed some faulty or non-helpful connections over time.
It can be surprisingly easy to create faulty connections in the brain. Our brains are predisposed to making connections between thoughts, ideas, actions, and consequences, whether they are truly connected or not.
This tendency to make connections where there is no true relationship is the basis of a common problem when it comes to interpreting research: the assumption that because two variables are correlated, one causes or leads to the other. The refrain "correlation does not equal causation!" is a familiar one to any student of psychology or the social sciences.
It is all too easy to view a coincidence or a complicated relationship and make false or overly simplistic assumptions in research—just as it is easy to connect two events or thoughts that occur around the same time when there are no real ties between them.
There are many terms for this kind of mistake in social science research, complete with academic jargon and overly complicated phrasing. In the context of our thoughts and beliefs, these mistakes are referred to as "cognitive distortions."
This article contains:
Before you start reading this article, I recommend you to download these 3 Positive CBT exercises for free. With these exercises, you will not just be able to understand positive CBT on a theoretical level, but you'll also have the tools to apply it in your work with clients or students.
What are Cognitive Distortions?
Cognitive distortions are biased perspectives we take on ourselves and the world around us. They are irrational thoughts and beliefs that we unknowingly reinforce over time.
These patterns and systems of thought are often subtle–it's difficult to recognize them when they are a regular feature of your day-to-day thoughts. That is why they can be so damaging since it's hard to change what you don't recognize as something that needs to change!
Cognitive distortions come in many forms (which we'll cover later in this piece), but they all have some things in common.
All cognitive distortions are:
- Tendencies or patterns of thinking or believing;
- That are false or inaccurate;
- And have the potential to cause psychological damage.
It can be scary to admit that you may fall prey to distorted thinking. You might be thinking, "There's no way I am holding on to any blatantly false beliefs!" While most people don't suffer in their daily lives from these kinds of cognitive distortions, it seems that no one can completely escape these distortions.
If you're human, you have likely fallen for a few of the numerous cognitive distortions at one time or another. The difference between those who occasionally stumble into a cognitive distortion and those who struggle with them on a more long-term basis is the ability to identify and modify or correct these faulty patterns of thinking.
As with many skills and abilities in life, some are far better at this than others–but with practice, there can be improved recognition and response to these distortions.
These distortions have been shown to relate positively to symptoms of depression, meaning that where cognitive distortions abound, symptoms of depression are likely to occur as well (Burns, Shaw, & Croker, 1987).
In the words of the renowned psychiatrist and researcher David Burns:
"I suspect you will find that a great many of your negative feelings are in fact based on such thinking errors."
Errors in thinking, or cognitive distortions, are particularly effective at provoking or exacerbating symptoms of depression. It is still a bit ambiguous as to whether these distortions cause depression or depression brings out these distortions (after all, correlation does not equal causation!) but it is clear that they frequently go hand-in-hand.
Much of the knowledge around cognitive distortions comes from research by two researchers Aaron Beck and David Burns. Both are prominent in the fields of psychiatry and psychotherapy:
Experts in Cognitive Distortions: Aaron Beck and David Burns
If you dig any deeper into cognitive distortions and their role in depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues, you will find two names over and over again: Aaron Beck and David Burns.
These two psychologists literally wrote the book(s) on depression, cognitive distortions, and the treatment of these problems.
Aaron Beck
Aaron Beck began his career at Yale Medical School, where he graduated in 1946 (Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center, n.d.). His required rotations in psychiatry during his residency ignited his passion for research on depression, suicide, and effective treatment.
In 1954, he joined the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Psychiatry, where he still holds the position of Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry.
In addition to his prodigious catalog of publications, Beck founded the Beck Initiative to teach therapists how to conduct cognitive therapy with their patients–an endeavor that has helped cognitive therapy grow into the therapy juggernaut that it is today.
Beck also applied his knowledge as a member or consultant for the National Institute of Mental Health, an editor for several peer-reviewed journals, and lectures and visiting professorships at various academic institutions throughout the world (Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center, n.d.).
While there are clearly many honors, awards, and achievements Beck may be known for, perhaps his greatest contribution to the field of psychology is his role in the development of cognitive therapy.
Beck developed the basis for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, when he noticed that many of his patients struggling with depression were operating on false assumptions and distorted thinking (Good Therapy, 2015). He connected these distorted thinking patterns with his patients' symptoms and hypothesized that changing their thinking could change their symptoms.
This is the foundation of CBT – the idea that our thought patterns and deeply held beliefs about ourselves and the world around us drive our experiences. This can lead to mental health disorders when they are distorted but can be modified or changed to eliminate troublesome symptoms.
In line with his general research focus, Beck also developed two important scales that are among some of the most used scales in psychology: the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. These scales are used to evaluate symptoms of depression and risk of suicide and are still applied decades after their original development (Good Therapy, 2015).
David Burns
Another big name in depression and treatment research, Dr. David Burns, also spent some time learning and developing his skills at the University of Pennsylvania – it seems that UPenn is particularly good at producing future leaders in psychology!
Burns graduated from Stanford University School of Medicine and moved on to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where he completed his psychiatry residency and cemented his interest in the treatment of mental health disorders (Feeling Good, n.d.).
He is currently serving as a Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine, in addition to continuing his research on treating depression and training therapists to conduct effective psychotherapy sessions (Feeling Good, n.d.). Much of his work is based on Beck's research revealing the potential impacts of distorted thinking and suggesting ways to correct this thinking.
He is perhaps most well known outside of strictly academic circles for his worldwide best-selling book Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. This book has sold more than 4 million copies within the United States alone and is often recommended by therapists to their patients struggling with depression (Summit for Clinical Excellence, n.d.).
This book outlines Burns' approach to treating depression, which mostly focuses on identifying, correcting, and replacing distorted systems and patterns of thinking. If you are interested in learning more about this book, you can find it on Amazon at this link with over 1,400 reviews to help you evaluate its effectiveness.
To hear more about Burns' work in the treatment of depression, check out his TED talk on the subject below.
As Burns discusses in the above video, his studies of depression have also influenced the studies around joy and self-esteem. The most researched form of psychotherapy right now is covered by his book, Feeling Good, aimed at providing tools to the general public.
A List of the Most Common Cognitive Distortions
Beck and Burns are not the only two researchers who have dedicated their careers to learn more about depression, cognitive distortions, and treatment for these conditions.
There are many others who have picked up the torch for this research, often with their own take on cognitive distortions. As such, there are numerous cognitive distortions floating around in the literature, but we'll limit this list to the most common sixteen.
The first eleven distortions come straight from Burns' Feeling Good Handbook (1989).
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking / Polarized Thinking
Also known as "Black-and-White Thinking," this distortion manifests as an inability or unwillingness to see shades of gray. In other words, you see things in terms of extremes – something is either fantastic or awful, you are either perfect or a total failure.
2. Overgeneralization
This sneaky distortion takes one instance or example and generalizes it to an overall pattern. For example, a student may receive a C on one test and conclude that she is stupid and a failure. Overgeneralizing can lead to overly negative thoughts about oneself and one's environment based on only one or two experiences.
3. Mental Filter
Similar to overgeneralization, the mental filter distortion focuses on a single negative and excludes all the positive. An example of this distortion is one partner in a romantic relationship dwelling on a single negative comment made by the other partner and viewing the relationship as hopelessly lost, while ignoring the years of positive comments and experiences.
The mental filter can foster a negative view of everything around you by focusing only on the negative.
4. Disqualifying the Positive
On the flip side, the "Disqualifying the Positive" distortion acknowledges positive experiences but rejects them instead of embracing them.
For example, a person who receives a positive review at work might reject the idea that they are a competent employee and attribute the positive review to political correctness, or to their boss simply not wanting to talk about their employee's performance problems.
This is an especially malignant distortion since it can facilitate the continuance of negative thought patterns even in the face of lots of evidence to the contrary.
5. Jumping to Conclusions – Mind Reading
This "Jumping to Conclusions" distortion manifests as the inaccurate belief that we know what another person is thinking. Of course, it is possible to have an idea of what other people are thinking, but this distortion refers to the negative interpretations that we jump to.
Seeing a stranger with an unpleasant expression and jumping to the conclusion that they are thinking something negative about you is an example of this distortion.
6. Jumping to Conclusions – Fortune Telling
A sister distortion to mind reading, fortune telling refers to the tendency to make conclusions and predictions based on little to no evidence and holding them as gospel truth.
One example of fortune-telling is a young, single woman predicting that she will never find love or have a committed and happy relationship based only on the fact that she has not found it yet. There is simply no way for her to know how her life will turn out, but she sees this prediction as fact rather than one of several possible outcomes.
7. Magnification (Catastrophizing) or Minimization
Also known as the "Binocular Trick" for its stealthy skewing of your perspective, this distortion involves exaggerating the importance or meaning of things or minimizing the importance or meaning of things.
An athlete who is generally a good player but makes a mistake may magnify the importance of that mistake and believe that he is a terrible teammate, while an athlete who wins a coveted award in her sport may minimize the importance of the award and continue believing that she is only a mediocre player.
8. Emotional Reasoning
This may be one of the most surprising distortions to many readers, and it is also one of the most important to identify and address. The logic behind this distortion is not surprising to most people; rather, it is the realization that virtually all of us have bought into this distortion at one time or another.
Emotional reasoning refers to the acceptance of one's emotions as fact. It can be described as "I feel it, therefore it must be true." Of course, we know this isn't a reasonable belief, but it is a common one nonetheless.
Relevant: What is Emotional Intelligence? + 18 Ways to Improve It
9. Should Statements
Another particularly damaging distortion is the tendency to make "should" statements. Should statements are statements that you make to yourself about what you "should" do, what you "ought" to do, or what you "must" do. They can also be applied to others, imposing a set of expectations that will likely not be met.
When we hang on too tightly to our "should" statements about ourselves, the result is often guilt that we cannot live up to them. When we cling to our "should" statements about others, we are generally disappointed by the failure of the others to meet our expectations, leading to anger and resentment.
10. Labeling and Mislabeling
These tendencies are basically extreme forms of overgeneralization, in which we assign judgments of value to ourselves or to others based on one instance or experience.
For example, a student who labels herself as "an utter fool" for failing an assignment is engaging in this distortion, as is the waiter who labels a customer "a grumpy old miser" if he fails to thank the waiter for bringing his food. Mislabeling refers to the application of highly emotional, loaded language when labeling.
11. Personalization
As the name implies, this distortion involves taking everything personally or assigning blame to yourself for no logical reason to believe you are to blame.
This distortion covers a wide range of situations, from assuming you are the reason a friend did not enjoy the girl's night out, to the more severe examples of believing that you are the cause for every instance of moodiness or irritation in those around you.
In addition to these basic cognitive distortions, Beck and Burns have mentioned a few others (Beck, 1976; Burns, 1980):
12. Control Fallacies
A control fallacy manifests as one of two beliefs: (1) that we have no control over our lives and are helpless victims of fate, or (2) that we are in complete control of ourselves and our surroundings, giving us responsibility for the feelings of those around us. Both beliefs are damaging, and both are equally inaccurate.
No one is in complete control of what happens to them, and no one has absolutely no control over their situation. Even in extreme situations where an individual seemingly has no choices in what they do, where they go, or what they say, they still have a certain amount of control over how they approach their situation mentally.
13. Fallacy of Fairness
While we would all probably prefer to operate in a world that is fair, this assumption is not based in reality and can foster negative feelings when we are faced with proof of life's unfairness.
A person who judges every experience by its perceived fairness has fallen for this fallacy, and will likely feel anger, resentment, and hopelessness when they inevitably encounter a situation that is not fair.
14. Fallacy of Change
Another fallacy distortion involves expecting others to change if we pressure or encourage them enough. This distortion is usually accompanied by a belief that our happiness and success rests on other people, leading us to believe that forcing those around us to change is the only way to get what we want.
A man who thinks "If I just encourage my wife to stop doing the things that irritate me, I can be a better husband and a happier person" is exhibiting the fallacy of change.
15. Always Being Right
Perfectionists and those struggling with Imposter Syndrome will recognize this distortion – it is the belief that we must always be right, correct, or accurate. With this distortion, the idea that we could be wrong is absolutely unacceptable, and we will fight to the metaphorical death to prove that we are right.
For example, the internet commenters who spend hours arguing with each other over an opinion or political issue far beyond the point where reasonable individuals would conclude that they should "agree to disagree" are engaging in the "Always Being Right" distortion. To them, it is not simply a matter of a difference of opinion, it is an intellectual battle that must be won at all costs.
16. Heaven's Reward Fallacy
This distortion is a popular one, particularly with the myriad examples of this fallacy playing out on big and small screens across the world. The "Heaven's Reward Fallacy" manifests as a belief that one's struggles, one's suffering, and one's hard work will result in a just reward.
It is obvious why this type of thinking is a distortion – how many examples can you think of, just within the realm of your personal acquaintances, where hard work and sacrifice did not pay off?
Sometimes no matter how hard we work or how much we sacrifice, we will not achieve what we hope to achieve. To think otherwise is a potentially damaging pattern of thought that can result in disappointment, frustration, anger, and even depression when the awaited reward does not materialize.
Changing Your Thinking: Examples of Techniques to Combat Cognitive Distortions
These distortions, while common and potentially extremely damaging, are not something we must simply resign ourselves to living with. Beck, Burns, and other researchers in this area have developed numerous ways to identify, challenge, minimize, or erase these distortions from our thinking.
Some of the most effective and evidence-based techniques and resources are listed below.
Unhelpful Thinking Styles
Since you must first identify the distortions you struggle with before you can effectively challenge them, this resource is a must-have.
The Unhelpful Thinking Styles handout lists and describes several types of cognitive distortions to help you figure out which ones you might be dealing with.
The distortions listed include:
- All or Nothing Thinking;
- Overgeneralizing;
- Mental Filter;
- Disqualifying the Positive;
- Jumping to Conclusions: Mind Reading/Fortune Telling;
- Magnification (Catastrophizing) and Minimization;
- Emotional Reasoning;
- Should/Must Statements;
- Labeling;
- Personalization.
The descriptions are accompanied by engaging depictions of the distortions in action.
This worksheet will be available for download soon.
CBT Thought Record
This worksheet is an excellent tool for identifying cognitive distortions. Our automatic, negative thoughts are often related to a distortion that we may or may not realize we have. Completing this exercise can help you to figure out where you are making inaccurate assumptions or jumping to false conclusions.
The worksheet opens with space to describe the situation in which the negative automatic thought arose. The instructions are to identify where you were and what you were doing, as well as any other pertinent contextual information.
Next, you are instructed to rate the strength of the emotion or feeling the situation evoked on a scale from 0% (weakest) to 100% (strongest).
The third component of the worksheet directs you to write down the negative automatic thought, including any images or feelings that accompanied the thought.
After you have identified the thought, the worksheet instructs you to note the evidence, both for the accuracy of the thought and against the accuracy of the thought. This is a classic mechanism that can help you to make an informed decision about the accuracy of your thoughts.
Next, you have an opportunity to create an alternative thought that can replace the automatic negative thought. Using the evidence for and against the initial thought, you can come up with a thought that is more accurate.
Finally, you are instructed to rate the strength of the emotion or feeling once again. The hope is that the intensity of the feeling has decreased due to the evidence-based evaluation of its accuracy.
This worksheet will be available for download soon.
This is a particularly good tool for talking yourself out of catastrophizing a situation.
The worksheet begins with space to identify the catastrophe that you are worrying about. You should clearly state the predicted catastrophe and avoid using "What if…?" statements. You can also rate how terrible you believe this catastrophe will be on a scale from 0% (not so bad) to 100% (absolutely awful).
Once you have articulated the catastrophe that is worrying you, you can move on to thinking about how likely the event is to actually happen. Consider whether a similar event has occurred in your past and, if so, how often it occurred. With the frequency of this catastrophe in mind, make an educated guess of how likely it is to happen.
Next, think about how terrible it would be if the catastrophe actually came to pass. Consider the worst-case scenario as well as the best-case scenario. Try to put yourself in a friend's shoes and think about what you would say to yourself about your worry.
Once you have a good idea of how bad the catastrophe would actually be, think about how you would cope with the fallout. Note whether this has come to pass before and, if so, how you coped when it happened. Consider the resources you have at your disposal to help you cope, including friends and loved ones, skills or abilities you have, and methods or techniques that help you cope in other situations.
Finally, you are directed to put together a narrative about the "catastrophe" based on the work you have done. Think about what you would like to hear in order to feel reassured, and what kind of tone would be most helpful. Once you have come up with something positive and reassuring to say to yourself about the potential catastrophe, rate how terrible you think the catastrophe will be once again.
Just as the repeated rating in the previous exercise is intended to do, this repeated rating should show a decrease in negative thinking.
This worksheet can be an excellent resource for anyone who is worrying excessively about a potentially negative event.
This worksheet will be available for download soon.
Modifying Rules and Assumptions
Cognitive distortions include assumptions and rules that we hold dearly or have decided we must live by. Sometimes these rules or assumptions help us to stick to our values or our moral code, but often they can limit and frustrate us.
This exercise can help you to think more critically about an assumption or rule that may be harmful.
First, you list the rule or assumption that you live by, but would like to modify. Next, you describe how the rule or assumption affects you in your day to day life.
Once you have explained how the rule or assumption impacts you, you are directed to think about where it came from. Consider when you acquired this rule, how you learned about it, and what was happening in your life that encouraged you to adopt it.
Now that you have outlined a definition of the rule or assumption and its origins and impact on your life, you can move on to comparing its advantages and disadvantages. Every rule or assumption we follow will likely have both advantages and disadvantages.
The presence of one advantage does not mean the rule or assumption is necessarily a good one, just as the presence of one disadvantage does not automatically make the rule or assumption a bad one. This is where you must think critically about how the rule or assumption helps and/or hurts you.
Finally, you have an opportunity to think about everything you have listed and come up with a potential alternative rule or assumption that would suit you better. This may be a small change or a big modification.
However you decide to change the rule or assumption, the new version should maximize the advantages of the rule, minimize or limit the disadvantages, or both. Consider how you can put this new and improved rule into practice in your daily life.
This worksheet will be available for download soon.
Fact or Opinion
This is one of the first lessons that participants in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) learn – that facts are not opinions. As obvious as this seems, it can be difficult to remember and adhere to this fact in your day to day life.
This exercise can help you learn the difference between fact and opinion, and prepare you to distinguish between your own opinions and facts.
The worksheet lists the following fifteen statements and asks the reader to decide whether they are fact or opinion:
- I'm a bad person;
- Sam told me that she didn't like what I said about her;
- Nothing ever goes right;
- This will be a disaster;
- I'm not as attractive as they are;
- I failed the test;
- I am overweight;
- He shouted at me;
- I'm selfish;
- There's something wrong with me;
- I'm lazy;
- I didn't lend my friend money when they asked;
- My feet are too big;
- I'm ugly;
- No-one will ever love me.
Practicing making this distinction between fact and opinion can improve your ability to quickly differentiate between the two when they pop up in your own thoughts.
This worksheet will be available for download soon.
In case you're wondering which is which, here is the key:
- I'm a bad person. Opinion
- Sam told me that she didn't like what I said about her. Fact
- Nothing ever goes right. Opinion
- This will be a disaster. Opinion
- I'm not as attractive as they are. Opinion
- I failed the test. Fact
- I am overweight. Fact
- He shouted at me. Fact
- I'm selfish. Opinion
- There's something wrong with me. Opinion
- I'm lazy. Opinion
- I didn't lend my friend money when they asked. Fact
- My feet are too big. Opinion
- I'm ugly. Opinion
- No-one will ever love me. Opinion
Putting Thoughts on Trial
This exercise uses CBT theory and techniques to help you examine your irrational thoughts. You will act as the defense attorney, prosecutor, and judge all at once, providing evidence for and against the irrational thought and evaluating the merit of the thought based on this evidence.
The worksheet begins with an explanation of the exercise and a description of the roles you will be playing.
The first box to be completed is "The Thought." This is where you write down the irrational thought that is being put on trial.
Next, you fill out "The Defense" box with evidence that corroborates or supports the thought. Once you have listed all of the defense's evidence, do the same for "The Prosecution" box. Write down all of the evidence calling the thought into question or instilling doubt in its accuracy.
When you have listed all of the evidence you can think of, both for and against the thought, evaluate the evidence and write down the results of your evaluation in "The Judge's Verdict" box.
This worksheet is a fun and engaging way to think critically about your negative or irrational thoughts and make good decisions about which thoughts to modify and which to embrace.
Click here to see this worksheet for yourself.
A Take-Home Message
Hopefully, this piece has given you a good understanding of cognitive distortions. These sneaky, inaccurate patterns of thinking and believing are common, but their potential impact should not be underestimated.
Even if you are not struggling with depression, anxiety, or another serious mental health issue, it doesn't hurt to evaluate your own thoughts every now and then. The sooner you catch a cognitive distortion and mount a defense against it, the less likely it is to make a negative impact on your life.
What do you think about cognitive distortions? Have you experienced some of these yourself? Do you think we missed any important ones? How have you tackled them, whether in CBT or on your own?
Let us know in the comments below. We love hearing from you.
- Aaron T. Beck Psychopathology Research Center. (n.d.). Aaron T. Beck, M.D. Aaron Beck Center. Retrieved from https://aaronbeckcenter.org/beck/
- Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapies and emotional disorders. New York, NY, US: New American Library.
- Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York, NY, US: New American Library.
- Burns, D. D. (1989). The feeling good handbook. New York, NY, US: Morrow.
- Burns, D. D., Shaw, B. F., & Croker, W. (1987). Thinking styles and coping strategies of depressed women: An empirical investigation. Behaviour Research and Therapy 25, 223-225. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(87)90049-0
- Feeling Good. (n.d.). About. Feeling Good. Retrieved from https://feelinggood.com/about/
- Good Therapy. (2015). Aaron Beck. Good Therapy LLC. Retrieved from https://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/aaron-beck.html
- www.psychologytools.com
- Summit for Clinical Excellence. (n.d.). David Burns, MD. Summit for Clinical Excellence Faculty Page. Retrieved from https://summitforclinicalexcellence.com/partners/faculty/david-burns/
- www.therapistaid.com


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Posted by Kanna on Jun 14, 2012 in Uncategorized | 0 comments
It has now come the time for our annual Sushi Social! In conjunction to this event, we are using this party as a double-header to say farewell to a special JASM member, our very own Kanna Sato. Kanna has been our Community Outreach Coordinator for the last two years. She is from Wakayama Prefecture and joined us in Minnesota in the summer of 2010. To say she has done a marvelous job and improved and broadened our JASM community is a great understatement. JASM is very appreciative of her and her hard work. Many people have come to know and love her in our community, and we at JASM really look forward to honoring her at this double event!
This will be one of the last official JASMs events she will be able to attend before her visa and work contract ends, so please come wish her well and say goodbye at our Sushi Social!!
See you there – please register now!!!! Space is limited.
This year's Social will be held at Fuji Ya in Uptown on July 10th from 6-8 pm for socializing, networking, drinks – and of course, SUSHI!
This Sushi Social is a networking event supported by JET Alumni. Are you interested about Japan or the JET program? Come and meet some JET alumni!
$25 for members and $30 for non-members. Sushi and Japanese appetizers are served.
Space is limited. Please pay in advance and RSVP right now!!
When: July 10th
What Time: 6-8 pm
Where: Fuji Ya in Uptown: 600 West Lake Street / Minneapolis MN
What: socializing, networking, eating & drinking, and most importantly, SAYING FAREWELL TO KANNA!!!


text: Edge Transportation provides specialized flat deck equipment along with experienced operators that understand how to load secure and unload over-Dimensional freight. Edge Transportation is guided by satellite tracking to ensure delivery of your shipment on time and claims free. Edge Transportation utilizes their fleet of flat deck trailers to ship oversized and overweight product throughout North America.


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My first online class, on Accessibility for UX Design, is now available on Skillshare!
Get access to the full class – along with thousands of others AND 2 free months of Skilshare Premium – when you sign up at Skillshare.com.
3 Reasons to Design Your Site UX for Accessibility
There are three reasons why you need to be designing your site's user experience with an eye for accessibility. Let's talk about them in today's episode of the DenverUXer.
Dark Patterns: The Dark Side of Design
In Episode 2 of the DenverUXer YouTube Channel, we're decked out in our Wookiee best to battle the Dark Side of Design – Dark Patterns.
I Don't Know S**T: 4 of My Favorite Things that Change That
In my first-ever YouTube video, I talk about the cognitive biases that keep us believing that we don't know what we're doing – and four of my favorite UX resources that help me learn something new every day.


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Christmas Berry Fine China Sauce Dish
|Fine china sauce dish made in Poland by Wawel. Use this small dish for your berries, sides or soft desserts. Can also be used for serving clotted cream or lemon curd on your tea table. This 5.5 -in. diameter sauce dish features the Christmas Berry pattern. Hand-painted with gold trim.
Christmas Berry Fine China Sauce Dish - detail
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If you are looking for a New Jersey web design company, Tranquil Blue is the best around. Ask your friends and business associates, if they have ever worked with a better New Jersey web designer. Our designs can be custom tailored to your specific needs. Call us to see our previous work and we can supply references if needed. You'll find Tranquil Blue to be a web designer that you are comfortable with.
Your New Jersey web design will be the first thing people see on your site. It is important to be as vivid as possible when explaining the direction you want your web design to take so that Tranquil Blue can meet and exceed your expectations. We like to work closely with our clients to ensure satisfaction and save time. It is crucial that you are satisfied early on with the proceedings of your web design project. This will help to eliminate any major changes down the road.
If you would like a free quote for our web design and development services, please contact us at (917)932 0118


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Business Cards Design Tips
In addition the cards are mainly prepared by graphic designers to contain information about an individual or business including the name, address, and the physical location. In addition the card can contain the following details about the company or individual, these include, telephone number, email address, street address and the company's website. Moreover, addresses on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can also be incorporated in a business card. In the past most cards were designed in simple black text on white stock, however, nowadays, professional business cards include visual designs. The designers of business cards prepare them using different materials; however, most are made of papers while another consist of crystal clear plastic, metallic plastic, and frosted translucent plastic. Some materials used to make business cards include, metal, rubberized cards, rubber, magnets, poker chips, wooden nickels, and even real wood.
When designing a business card, you should remember that first impression matter and that a well-designed and unique card is an eccentric way of creating a first impression. The following are some of the guides for making a perfect card that will represent your business. In addition one need to choose wisely the information and the words that they are going to use the card that will provide the relevant information of the business. The colors, texture and the images used in making a card play a crucial role since they are the key factors that distinguish your company from others. For instance, if a company is all business, then they should be portray a business look and when the business more creative, artistic or playful, then one can use bold images, attractive colors, strange shapes or humor to get your message across.
Other factors that needs to be put into consideration include, size, orientation, and the material to use. The materials that you can use to make the cards include, paper, plastic, wood or metal. Other factors that also need to be put into consideration include, font size font type and the color to use. Additionally, one need to include in the card all the relevant and necessary information of the business. It is recommended that when designing a card, one need to include the following details in front, physical address, websites, social media profiles and telephone and email address.
Finding Similarities Between Materials and Life


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Mistle Thrush
Dominic Couzens on Mistle Thrush
Mistle Thrush fact-file
Scientific name: Tardus viscivorus
Length: 26-29cm
UK numbers: 170,000 breeding territories
Diet: Insects, berries, worms and slugs
This is the thrush that embarrasses birders. It's the large, barrel-chested spotty-breasted one that ought to be simple to identify, but somehow isn't.
It perches high on the branches of trees in early spring, seemingly always with its body angled away, or with a branch in front of it, so we cannot quite see its features properly. It is the thrush that sings, but never quite clearly or close enough for us to be sure. It isn't the poet Robert Browning's bird: "That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over." Instead it's a wise thrush that makes fools of us all.
For a large, bold bird with seams of aggression stitched into its character, a bird of dominance which can scatter smaller beings when it lands nearby, the Mistle Thrush is a remarkably overlooked species. It is found almost all over Britain, yet is barely noticed. Who would have thought that the species was once involved in a large-scale, Collared Dove-like invasion of swathes of the country?
Admittedly, it was long ago; just before 1800, the Mistle Thrush was all but confined in this country to the south, but then something caused it very rapidly to spread all over northern England and Scotland over a few decades, until by 1850, it had conquered the whole realm.
The BTO's Bird Atlas 2007-11 records breeding in 96% of the 10km squares covering the British Isles. While we conquered Napoleon, parts of our country were quietly being invaded.
Low density breeding
It would have been invasion-lite, however. It is not as if we readily see a Mistle Thrush at every street corner. It has long been recognised that British Mistle Thrushes breed at bewilderingly low density.
One well-studied suburban plot held 180 pairs of Blackbirds, 12 pairs of Song Thrushes and just one pair of Mistle Thrushes, while a broad estimate suggested that the density of Mistle Thrushes is only 10% that of Blackbirds. The impression is that there is plenty of room to expand, and the larger thrushes are not as numerous as they should be.
There are some explanations for the low density. In contrast to Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, Mistle Thrushes don't tend to feed among leaf-litter, preferring open grassland, instead.
Furthermore, they generally eschew the patchwork of small gardens that make up suburbia, needing wider expenses of sward to feed comfortably. They also prefer tall trees for nesting. Despite these drawbacks, they still could be more abundant. And this is particularly odd when you bear in mind that, in some parts of the continent, Mistle Thrushes can be colonial.
Most pairs nest singly, but in countries such as Denmark, Germany and Russia, some do breed in close proximity. For some reason, this just doesn't seem ever to happen here.
The low density of breeding pairs ensures that it is always a treat to hear the song of a Mistle Thrush percolating through the soundscape of a neighbourhood. Some consider it one of the finest of British bird songs, combining the Blackbird's virtuoso content with the Song Thrush's proclamatory style.
It does combine elements of the two, with a repetitive style redolent of Song Thrush but with tone closer to Blackbird. Listen long enough, however, and you can pick up its own unique flavour.
It has an unforgettable melancholy quite lacking in the other two species, and the singer also has a curious knack of sounding much further away than its actually is. Invariably, it stays longer on its perch than the other thrushes, almost always close to the very top of a lofty tree.
Famously, it seems unperturbed by inclement weather, and will sing lustily in the rain and wind, when most other birds take shelter. I am not sure there are any statistics indicating that Mistle Thrushes sing more often than other thrushes in challenging meteorological conditions, nor indeed that they sing more frequently in the afternoon, as is claimed. Perhaps these impressions stem simply from the reality that Mistle Thrush phrases are easily drowned out by other songs? But it would take a hard heart not to be stirred by the wild, haunting utterances from the 'Storm Cock', fighting against an irksome wind on a stuttering spring day.
Another strange fact about Mistle Thrush songs is that, at least in some places, they apparently are given in flight. This isn't an aberration but instead, in Germany and elsewhere, it is a routine phenomenon.
Personally, I have never seen this, and I don't know anybody who has; neither do the usual bird books over here refer to it. Yet sometimes the bird evidently launches into the air and sings as it goes, as a Cuckoo often does. This aerial aria seems to be a continental oddity.
And what about their courtship-flight? Have you ever seen that? Again, though, it has been recorded in the literature many times. The choreography is similar to that of the Robin's early courtship, the 'song-and-following'; the male sings, the female darts away, the male follows and sings, and so on.
Sometimes the (presumed) male flies around the potential mate and shows off his gleaming white underwings. Usually concealed within tree branches, this ceremony is undoubtedly an early spring secret, unknown to most of us.
One piece of behaviour that is much easier to observe, however, is the Mistle Thrush's aggression, coupled with its very loud, discordant calling, an angry and irritable rattle. While this is sometimes triggered by the presence of a bird of prey or other danger, or by the unwanted presence of rivals, look closely and you might see that it is frequently all about berries.
You might have thought that squabbles over fruits might have finished by the end of autumn, but the fact that they can rage now, in late winter and early spring, unveils another interesting pastime of our largest thrush, the sequestration of fruity assets.
Mistle Thrush: A half-understood species
While many thrushes, such as Redwings and Fieldfares, spend the winter passing nomadically from district to district feeding upon berries that they come across in serendipitous fashion, some singles and pairs of Mistle Thrushes take a different approach to foraging.
They select a tree or trees that have a crop of long-lasting fruits, such as Holly berries, and remain close by them, driving away any visitors that arrive to take advantage of the crop.
Such is the dominance and intimidatory manner of Mistle Thrushes that, for months on end, they can keep rivals of other species at bay, unless there is a sudden arrival of a large flock.
So long as that eventuality doesn't occur, the birds can ensure the preservation of a significant, personal food-supply for them to pluck whenever they wish – and when it is mild, they can feed on soil invertebrates while keeping watch on their inheritance.
Their actions mean that Mistle Thrushes will often have a useful crop of berries available to feed themselves and their subsequent young well into the spring. It works so long as they are vigilant and suitably petulant when challenged. And yet, as so often with the Mistle Thrush, this isn't the whole story.
Some individual Mistle Thrushes undertake long-term fruit-defence, while others don't at all, but are nomadic. What causes some to be sedentary and others to move isn't known.
And we don't fully understand the song-flights, or the nest-dispersion, nor do we understand the nature of late-summer flocks. We don't understand why Mistle Thrushes typically nest very early, with eggs in March, either.
True, the Mistle Thrush is often a half-seen and half-identified bird, of annoyance to many a frustrated birder. But, surely, to scientists, it is also a half-understood species.
Where to see Mistle Thrush
A bird widespread across the UK, it can be found almost everywhere but is absent from the highest, barest ground and also from the northern and Western Isles of Scotland. Look in gardens, woodland and parks.


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After attending U Mass–Boston and working as a professional cook, Dorothy married her high school sweetheart. She was lucky enough to stay home and chase little feet around the house and tame the tantrums of her four adorable children, while also making time to participate on school committees and work as a personal assistant. Her desire to pass along her love of skiing led to family trips to Stratton Mountain, and it's no surprise that Dorothy now lives in Vermont, where she chases her Berner Cubby across spectacular pastures and snowy fields.
Being part of a team that understands and considers the ideas of its members.
Skiing, gardening, hiking, and genealogy.


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The $33bn (£17.7bn) private equity consortium buyout of Tennessee's Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) was the largest deal of its kind this year. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett advised private equity giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), Proskauer Rose acted for Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity and Ropes & Gray advised Bain Capital. Sullivan & Cromwell advised HCA's management, while Shearman & Sterling advised a special committee of HCA directors. Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson completed the line-up, representing financiers Bank of America.
New York's Cravath Swaine & Moore advised IBM on its $740m (£396.88m) acquisition of MRO Software, a maker of asset management software. Corporate partners Scott Barshay and George Schoen led the team, which included tax partner Andrew Needham and employee benefits partner Eric Hilfers. Foley Hoag advised MRO on its sale, with a team led by John Hancock and Robert Sweet
Partner Graeme Sloan has completed his biggest deal to date since joining Latham & Watkins in May. Sloan, who joined Latham from Maclay Murray & Spens, was part of the Latham team advising on the E2.57bn (£1.75bn) sale of
aerospace engine-maker Avio to Cinven. The sale is Europe's largest-ever aerospace deal and Italy's largest-ever single-fund private equity transaction. Sloan worked alongside London corporate partner Michael Immordino, who led the Latham team advising the Carlyle Group, which owns 70 per cent of Avio. Italian defence group Finmeccanica, which was advised in-house, sold the remaining 30 per cent for E430m (£293m). As part of the deal Finmeccanica has agreed to reinvest in Avio alongside Cinven. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised UK private equity house Cinven, the buyers in the current deal, led by London corporate partner David Sonter. Chiomenti Studio Legale advised Carlyle on Italian law. Bonelli Erede Pappalardo advised Cinven on Italian corporate law and Gianni Origoni Grippo & Partners advised it on Italian financial aspects.
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has joined the bidding war for Canadian nickel producer Inco in what became Cleary's second major mining instruction of the summer after advising on the Mittal bid for Arcelor.
Cleary partner Nicolas Grabar and partner Jeffrey Lewis are advising longstanding client Companhia Vale do Rio Doce on its hostile $17.5bn (£9.39bn) bid for Inco, which instructed a Sullivan & Cromwell team led by James Morphy.


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In his review of the Rural Route Film Festival, New York Times critic Mike Hale singled out Danny Wilcox's Frazier's Driftless photography, saying:
They get to the heart of an anomie and a sense of endlessly declining fortunes that were as true 30 years ago as they appear to be today.
Of the MediaStorm production, Hale noted:
Nothing in the festival will ring more true for generations of former farm children than the offhand comment of a young woman in Driftless: "Moving from Iowa to Denver was just as easy as changing the brand of mascara I use."
Read the full review here.


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Product Description
The Combo Bisabuelo gift set brings a sampler of 5 Medina 1959 Miami Edition Churchill Premium cigars, a High Gloss Presidente Dos Glass Top humidor, a Cuban Crafters Perfect Cigar Cutter Dos Chabetas, up to 80 ring gauge, and finishes with a Cuban Crafters Tuscany Black Leather Cigar Case with 3 fingers. It's an incredible sale for just $134.99.
Cuban Crafters Glass Top Humidor PRESIDENTE DOS is a rich and elegant display humidor with a Gloss Rose Wood exterior and a Tempered Glass top. Features of the humidors include a Spanish Cedar Interior, a large outside Hygrometer, a Humidification System, a removable tray, removable divider, and a gold plated lock and key. This elegant display unit also has Hidden gold plated Quadrant Hinges, a scratch resistant felt lined bottom, full instructions and the best guarantee in the industry.
PRESIDENTE DOS Humidors hold up to 100 of your finest cigars. This is a showpiece humidor that will proudly display your best cigars without having to open it. The outside dimensions of the humidor are 13 1/2" x 9 1/2" x 6 1/4". This humidor is also available in Cherry woood.
Cuban Crafters PRESIDENTE DOS Rosewood Humidors are an excellent value. Our entire line of cigar humidors are specially designed to combine detailed craftsmanship with authentic Spanish cedar. Our goal is to provide the perfect environment for your favorite cigars. The enthusiast can now have it all, high quality and low discount prices, all with our full satisfaction guarantee.
Cuban Crafters Recommends that you activate your new humidor with Cuban Crafters Activator and Maintenance Humidor Solution. This 50/50 solution of high grade Propylene Glycol and pure distilled water helps the humidifier automatically stabilize the humidity at an optimum level of 70% and also actively prevents the formation of mold and bacteria in your humidor.
PERFECT 80 RING GAUGE CIGAR CUTTER Dos Chabetas is for big cigars. Dos Chabetas Perfect Cutter is uniquely designed to cut the exact amount of tobacco from the head of any cigar, including Figurado and Torpedo shaped cigars. This patented cigar cutter is an exclusive that was designed by our engineers for every cigar smoker, from the novice to the aficionado. Never guess how much of the cigar's head you need to cut for a perfect smoking cigar. The PERFECT cigar cutter does it for you. Just insert the cigar's head into the large opening, hold it in the calibrated chamber and clip off the exact amount every time.
The cut-off tobacco remains in the cutter's chamber until you open the cutter to properly discard it. The cigar cutter's body is solidly made with brushed stainless steel. The self-sharpening double blades are made with surgical grade stainless steel and cut cigar ring gauges of up 80. Each is packed in an elegant gift box and is Lifetime Guaranteed. A perfect cut is guaranteed every time or you get a free replacement.
This unique cutter is made with surgical grade Stainless Steel blades that cut with exact precision. Cuban Crafters PERFECT cutters are designed to fit precisely in the smokers hand during the precision clipping process. When not in use it fits in any pocket. Cutting your cigars correctly means you will have a better tasting smoke, so do it right. The object of the cut is to create an ample and smooth opening for smoking. This allows you to draw evenly, which in turn creates an even burn. This cutter will always make that exact cut without any guess work. They are made to function exactly as expected every time and are fully backed by an exclusive lifetime guarantee.
SIENNA leather cigar case in Midnight Black has fingers for up to 3 cigars. The case is extremely well made and the leather's extraordinary finish is smooth with a gentle shine. Just like great Italian shoes, the cases get better with use. This 3 finger case holds Robusto to Churchill size cigars, and even Torpedos. The case can hold cigars with ring gauges up to 60. At these special low prices, you can afford one in each color to coordinate with your daily attire.
The SIENNA cases shield your cigars from environmental elements, performing as pocket humidors in protecting your fine cigar, and are made to enhance your cigar smoking pleasure. Each style is uniquely different and the cases hold 2 or 3 cigars of various lengths and ring gauges. While the cases are big enough to hold cigars of most ring gauges, the cases are small enough to easily fit in your pocket when you travel. They are the highest performers in the industry and at these factory direct low prices, are very affordable. They are backed by the Cuban Crafters full satisfaction money-back guarantee. Every case is draped in a handsome cotton storage pouch and comes in a Gift Box.
Cuban Crafters™ Cigar Cases are handcrafted from the finest Italian leathers. Each case is elegant and made by a master craftsman using old world ways, by pounding leather over steel forms to obtain the contoured shape. Their high standards are visible in the fine stitching and skillfully finished smooth interior and exterior.
Cigar Sampler Box of 5 Medina 1959 Miami Edition Churchill cigars. They are hand made at the Cuban Crafters Miami cigar factory by one of the world's most talented Cuban cigar roller. Medina 1959 Miami Churchill cigars have that special and elegant taste that only pre-1959 Cuban cigars had. That's because they are made under the watchful eye of Manuel Medina, a legend in the history of Cuban cigars. From the dry Cuban-seed tobacco bunching to the precise blending of different tobacco leaves, this cigar yells quality and elegance. While it's beautiful to look it, it's even better to smoke.
The medium bodied smoke is filled with delightful tastes of toasted nuts, mild spices and smooth waves of butterscotch with sweet malt cream that coats your mouth and keeps you hoping it never ends. They can only be compared to the pre-Castro Cuban cigars that magically grabbed your attention at the start and kept you satisfied until the very end. The Cuban-seed Habano long-filler and binder are aged for 6 years and the super-premium Cuban-seed wrapper is aged for at least 5 years.
This combination of tobacco was blended by Manuel Medina to match the exact taste that he remembers when he first started rolling cigars in Cuba. Each Miami Churchill cigar is 7 inches long with a large ring gauge of 50. Every single cigar has its own register number. 5 cigars are hand-packed in a cedar box that is also made by hand in Miami.
1959 was a year of luxurious self-indulgence, romance and when Fidel Castro changed the course of history in Cuba. It was also when Medina started rolling cigars. He eventually became one of the most celebrated Master Rollers in Cuba. Manuel Medina played a formidable role in Cuba's cigar history. He started as a roller at the H. Upmann factory in Cuba. His talents were quickly recognized and he eventually became the factory's Master Cigar Maker, overseeing hundreds of master cigar rollers. He was then promoted and became the Master Cigar Maker in Cuba's Davidoff factory.
His talents were showcased throughout Europe, leading him to travel extensively. During one of those trips, he decided to seek freedom instead of success. Medina made Miami, Florida his new home. He is now in charge of cigar production at Cuban Crafters' Miami factory. Some of the Master Rollers who make the Medina 1959 Miami Edition cigars even worked for him in Cuba.
Medina 1959 Miami Edition re-creates the pre-Castro Cuban cigars, when Cubans were considered the best in the world. These cigars are unquestionably captivating. Each one is hand made by a decorated Cuban born roller in Miami. These Medina 1959 Miami Edition Churchill Cigars are hand made by Manuel Medina himself and by Oscar Medoza. They exemplify the talents and skills of these life-long cigar makers.
Oscar has been rolling cigars for over 25 years and is a Churchill cigar expert. It's the size he rolled in Cuba's Partagas factory. Oscar arrived from Cuba a few years ago and has been working at Cuban Crafters for about 1 year. Together with Medina, he continues to make cigars with magical qualities.


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Mild MondayWarm, moist air dominated southern Minnesota on Monday, December 3rd. Many observers reported daytime high temperatures in the 50s and 60s F (in the range of 20 to 30 degrees F above normal). Some observers reported new records for the date, including 63 degrees F at Preston, 62 degrees F at Rochester, Caledonia, Theilman, and Madison (tied record from 1941), 61 degrees F at Marshall, 59 degrees F at Austin, Grand Meadow, and 58 degrees F at Browns Valley. In addition, some observers reported record warm minimum temperatures for the date as well, before a cold front caused temperatures to plummet. Preston after setting a record high of 63 degrees F, fell to a low of only 14 degrees F the next day.
MSP airport reported a noontime dewpoint on December 3rd of 54 degrees F, breaking the record for the date of 52 degrees F set back in 1951. According to the State Climatology Office it was at least the 12th new daily dewpoint record set at MSP this year. Other locations also reported mid-June like dewpoints in the 50s F including 52 degrees F at Mankato, and 55 degrees F at Waseca, Red Wing, and Rochester. By December 4th dewpoints had fallen into the mid-teens F, putting a distinct chill in the air.
Temperature extremes in DecemberThere have been three years when December temperatures have reached 70 degrees F in Minnesota, 1939, 1941, and 1998. The all-time high is 74 degrees F at Wheaton on December 9th of 1939. Canby and Long Prairie reported 72 degrees F and 71 degrees F, on December 3 and 4 of 1941, respectively. Fifty-seven years later Chaska reported 70 degrees F on December 1, 1998, and a few days later Campbell and Redwood Falls reported 70 degrees F on the 6th. In December 1998 a number of citizens were still golfing the first week December, something to brag about.
On the other end of extremes, Pokegama Dam reported -57 degrees F on December 31, 1898, the state record low for the month. As recently as 1993, Tower reported -50 degrees F on December 27th, only two days after Christmas. Last December (2011) many northern Minnesota observers reported only 5 days with below 0 degrees F readings in the morning, while in some southern Minnesota observers reported no days in December with below zero F temperature readings. 2011 brought the 8th warmest December in state history.
Weekly Weather potpourriEnvironment Canada released winter season climate outlooks earlier this month covering the December through February period. Their model suggest a warmer than normal winter along the border with the central and eastern USA (including Ontario and Quebec), and a wetter than winter as well, especially in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. You can read more about these outlooks at their web site.
After traveling across the southern parts of the Philippines during the week Typhoon Bopha had weakened to a tropical storm and was expected to dissipate over the South China Sea. On Tuesday and Wednesday (Dec 4-5) Bopha raked the large southern Philippines island of Mindanao with winds of 110 mph, heavy rains and high seas. There were many reports of power outages and washed-out roads. Hundreds of citizens were reported dead or missing and thousands were left homeless due to damages from the storm. NASA's TRMM satellite captured Bopha in 3-D near its peak intensity. You can view images and read about this here.
Another tropical cyclone formed in the Southern Indian Ocean south of Diego Garcia this week. It was expected to strengthen over the weekend.
A report card on Arctic Sea Ice was released by NOAA this week. It provides data and analysis for snow and ice conditions in the high northern latitudes. You can find text and images from this report at the NOAA web site.
Briefing highlight statements from Brad Rippey of the USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board for the drought-monitoring period ending 7 am EST on December 4 include:
-There was little change in overall U.S. drought coverage, as improvements in the Far West were offset by some drought expansion in the Southeast. The portion of the contiguous U.S. in drought fell slightly (less than one-third of a percentage point) and currently stands at 62.37%.
-The portion of the contiguous U.S. in the worst category D4, or exceptional drought remained virtually unchanged at 6% (rounded) for the seventeenth consecutive week (August 14 December 4).
-Hay in drought was unchanged at 65%. However, that value is up five points from November 13.
-Cattle in drought was also unchanged at 73%. That value is up four points from November 13.
-Winter wheat in drought was unchanged at 65%, after being as low as 63% in mid-November.
-NOTE: Since the 1950s, there have been only two years when U.S. winter wheat abandonment reached or exceeded one-quarter of the crop: 1988-89 (25% abandonment) and 2001-02 (29%). Current U.S. winter wheat conditions are lower than those observed late in the year in both 1988 and 2001and for that matter, current conditions are the lowest on record for this time of year (period of record, 1986-2012). The 1988-89 crop was planted during the drought of 1988 and was further harmed by a severe cold wave in February 1989. The 2001-02 crop was adversely affected by a La Niña-driven drought.
NOAA released a video update this week concerning the drought impact on agriculture and water resources in the USA as we enter the winter season. Short in length it is still well worth viewing. You can find it under the NOAA ClimateWatch section.
MPR listener questionIt seems odd to me that so much of the state is designated to be in severe or extreme drought. I looked up precipitation totals at some locations in the state since January 1st of this year and some are in the surplus:
Chanhassen 31.15 inches, +1.30 inches
Duluth 29.69 inches, +2.07 inches
International Falls 23.96 inches, +0.59 inches
Even MSP airport shows 27.95 inches, only 1.45 inches short of normal
Given these numbers it is hard to understand why so much of the state is in drought.
Answer: Indeed, some observers have reported surplus precipitation for the year. Consider the community of Wright in Carlton County where they have reported 39.01 inches, 9.56 inches above normal. Bear in mind that 20 to 30 percent of the yearly precipitation in some northeastern communities came from one thunderstorm over June 20-21 (leading to the flooding at Duluth, Two Harbors and other communities). Nevertheless, many observers in the state are reporting significant shortages of precipitation in 2012. Some of these include:
Moorhead 16.42 inches, -7.89 inches from normal
Red Lake Falls 14.86 inches, -9.10 inches from normal
Madison (Lac Qui Parle County) 17.14 inches, -7.31 inches from normal
Grand Meadow 24.70 inches, -9.81 inches from normal
Waseca 24.57 inches, -10.01 inches from normal
Albert Lea 22.77 inches, -10.46 inches from normal
Austin 20.64 inches, -12.90 inches from normal
Twin Cities Almanac for December 7thThe average MSP high temperature for this date is 29 degrees F (plus or minus 12 degrees F standard deviation), while the average low is 14 degrees F (plus or minus 13 degrees F standard deviation).
MSP Local Records for December 7thMSP weather records for this date include: highest daily maximum temperature of 54 degrees F in 1939; lowest daily maximum temperature of -1 degrees F in 1882; lowest daily minimum temperature of -20 F in 1972; highest daily minimum temperature of 41 F in 1894; and record precipitation of 0.56 inches in 1883; Record snowfall is 6.30 inches in 1927.
Average dew point for December 7th is 14 degrees F, with a maximum of 39 degrees F in 1951 and a minimum of -29 degrees F in 1972.
All-time state records for December 7thThe state record high temperature for this date is 69 degrees F at Grand Marais (Cook County) in 1913. The state record low temperature for this date is -42 degrees F at Pokegama Dam (Itasca County) in 1936 and at Tower (St Louis County) in 1976. State record precipitation for this date is 1.31 inches at Lynd (Lyon County) in 1927; and the state record snowfall for this date is 12.0 inches at Chaska (Carver County) in 1927.
Past Weather Features:Very warm and sunny weather dominated the state in early December of 1913. Indeed that December was perhaps the sunniest in Minnesota history with 16 perfectly clear days noted during a month that is usually dominated by cloud cover. Many observers reported temperatures that were 15 to 25 degrees F above normal.
December 6-8, 1916 brought a strong winter storm to northern Minnesota. High winds and heavy snow caused large drifts across the landscape. Warroad measured 10 inches of snowfall, Roseau 10.5 inches, and a foot of snow fell at Baudette. It was a precursor to a long, snowy winter (196-1917) in much of the state.
December 6-7, 1927 brought another strong winter storm to parts of Minnesota with a mixture of precipitation. Where snow was the dominant form of precipitation some of the amounts were record-setting, including 19.5 inches at Maple Plain, 14 inches at Chaska, 11.3 inches at St Paul, 10.5 inches at Winona, 10 inches at Canby and Tracy, and 9 inches at Willmar and Campbell. Following the storm temperatures plummeted to below 0 F readings.
Arctic air dominated Minnesota on December 7, 1936 with 25 communities reporting morning lows ranging from -20 to -40 degrees F. The temperature rose no higher than -8 degrees F at Baudette and Virginia that day, and few observers reported readings about 0 degrees F.
December 4-12, 1939 was one of the warmest stretches of winter weather in state history. Over 30 communities reported daytime highs in the 50s F, some even reached the 60s F. An arctic cold front brought temperatures back to below 0 F readings by the 13th, but only temporarily. December 1939 proved to be the warmest in state history.
Probably the coldest December 7th in state history came in 1976. Over 60 communities reported morning lows of -20 to -40 degrees F. The daytime high at Cook, MN only reached -10 degrees F and many record cold values were reported.


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Interactiva Radio Chile is an online community radio broadcasting for the desired listeners. Everyday Interactiva Radio Chile broadcasts various programs for the welfare of their community and between their regular programs here listeners can have some local news and weather update also.
Interactiva Radio Chile official website address is www.interactivaradiochile.weebly.com
Popular Chile Radio:
FM Quiero
Batir FM Chile
Radio La Clave
Radio Bienvenida
Ray UFRO
Madero FM
Estación Similar:
El Conquistador FM
Radio Acogida Puyehue
La Magia Azul Radio
Radio Bahía


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Find A Session
FisherBroyles, LLP
Connect Online with this Speaker
You know that scientist in the action movie who has all the right answers if only the government would just pay attention? Eric B. Meyer, Esq. gets companies HR-compliant before the action sequence. Serving clients nationwide, Eric is a Partner in the Employment Group at FisherBroyles, LLP. FisherBroyles is the first and world's largest cloud-based law firm partnership, which has grown to over 220 attorneys in 21 offices nationwide. Eric is also a volunteer EEOC mediator, a paid private mediator, and publisher of The Employer Handbook (www.TheEmployerHandbook.com), which is pretty much the best employment law blog ever. That, and he's been quoted in the British tabloids. #Bucketlist.


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According to Havas' interim results, global revenue at Havas was €867 million in the first half of 2014, up 2.7 per cent year on year. On an organic basis, Havas' revenue increased by 5.7 per cent year on year.
The group's UK business generated revenue of €60 million in the second quarter of 2014, up 22.4 per cent year on year. Across the half year Havas' UK income was €112 million, up 19.1 per cent year on year.
The UK's organic growth was 14.8 per cent year on year in Q2, led by digital, healthcare communications and media.
The group reported operating income of €102 million in the first six months of 2014, up 3.9 per cent year on year.
Yannick Bolloré, the chief executive at Havas, said: "Havas delivered very satisfactory first half organic growth of 5.7 per cent. All our regions reported growth and certain, including the UK, Asia Pacific and Africa, showed double figure growth.
"The successful implementation of our strategic plan, announced in January, is already paying off and allows us to look to the 2nd half of the year with confidence and serenity."


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Egypt's Interior Ministry said early on Tuesday that it killed a senior Muslim Brotherhood Leader it said was responsible for the group's "armed wing" and another member of the group in a shootout on Monday.
Mohamed Kamal, 61, a member of the group's top leadership, and Yasser Shehata, another leader, were killed. The ministry said it raided an apartment in Cairo's Bassateen neighbourhood after learning it was used by the leaders as a headquarters.
Kamal disappeared on Monday afternoon, the Muslim Brotherhood said on its social media accounts but gave no further updates. The Brotherhood says it is a peaceful organization. Reuters could not immediately reach the group for comment.
Shehata was sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison for "assaulting a citizen and forcibly detaining the person in the headquarters of the freedom and Justice party," the political wing of the origination, the ministry said in its statement.
Kamal had been sentenced to life in prison on two counts in absentia, added the statement.
Kamal is one of the most prominent leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and a member of the Guidance Bureau. He was in charge of...Read More HERE
This post first appeared on 90 Miles From Tyranny, please read the originial post: here


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3D Beats spits rhymes over TDE's Schoolboy Q anthem That Part. I think it was Mark Twain who said "reports of my death of been greatly exaggerated"...
Cali $tone Releases his New Single .44 and Drops the Video!
Cali $tone has been working! Not only does he have a project on the way but he's been performing at concerts and he's giving us a sneak preview of his album Black Americana in the form of his single and music video ".44". Check out the video below and a link to his Soundcloud below that.
King Dice Releases his TMNT-Inspried Song Oroku Saki
Royal Gambling Club presents King Dice's Teenage Mutant ninja Turtles inspired track about the infamous villain Shredder, also known as Oroku Saki (Prod. by King Dice)
Stutta Boii- Shackles (Music Video)
Royal Gambling Club recording artist Stutta Boii vents about some recent frustrations and how he overcomes them in his debut music video with the team. Produced by O.M.I.N.O.U.S., Shackles is shot, directed, and edited by King Dice.
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Check out other RGC media at www.RoyalClubHouse.com
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Stutta Boii Releases His Debut Single Shackles
Royal Gambling Club presents Stutta Boii's debut single called Shackles (Prod. By O.M.I.N.O.U.S.)".
Labels: Free Music, Stutta Boii
Location:I.E.,Ca Moreno Valley, CA, USA
Stutta Boii d(-_-)b TBP Audition
Stutta Boii puts it down in this latest visual. An audition for the popular Team Backpack Cypher. Check it out and let us know what you think!
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Canines rule at this half block of fenced-in dog park. Let the curs off their leashes to cavort with their own kind. Meanwhile, you can experience another expensive piece of Santa Monica real estate gone to the dogs…in a good way, for once.
Dogtown Ink
Pacific Street Park (Off-Leash Dog Park) on 1222 2008
Paris 1900 on 0927 2008
Known for vintage wedding dresses, linens and lace. Gotta have an appointment.
Perry's Café & Rentals (end of Ocean Park) on 0529 2008
One of eight Santa Monica and Venice locations renting bikes, blades, beach chairs, umbrellas, mats, boogie boards, volleyballs, storage lockers and more. KCRW members get a 15% discount. Private and corporate groups of all sizes accommodated. Plus, it's playground and cafe-adjacent (actually, what isn't around here?) in case the kids (or BF) throw a tantrum on the bike ride.
Perry's Café & Rentals (end of Hollister Ave) on 0529 2008
Concession stand fare plus generic re-recordings of classic rock and pop hits (played, I presume, to save on licensing fees).
Bravo Pizza on 0529 2008
The full Dogtown Ink endorsement for this place. Or actually, for their pizza. Deliveries take a while, but patience is rewarded. I like the one with artichoke hearts and black olives—whole black olives.
Santa Monica/Venice Bike Path on 0529 2008
A great bike path runs along the beach for much of Los Angeles' west side. The Santa Monica/Venice leg of the path is among its most colorful. The two-way, paved thoroughfare is best for wheeled devices like bikes, blades an skateboards. It can get a tad hazardous on weekends when lots of oblivious walkers meander — and unaware little ones dart — onto the path. Of course, the parade of humanity is part of the attraction for many. Watch out for aggro road bikers and berate the bullies accordingly.
Cha Cha Chicken on 0529 2008
Come for the jerk whatever, stay for the watermelon drink. Jamaican par exellance.
Santa Monica Pier Playground on 0528 2008
On the beach just south of the pier. The full compliment of playground paraphernalia: swings, climbing ropes, monkey bars, a padded deck…rings even. Nearby restrooms. Grassy gymnastics field. Definitely enough stuff to tire out your brood.
Chez Jay Restaurant on 0213 2008
1657 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 395-1741
Owing to its close proximity to the Rand Corporation, not only can you get tanked at Chez Jay, you can get think-tanked.
Vidiots on 0212 2008
The indie place to go around these parts for DVD and video rentals. The staff are movie nerds, you can get pretty much whatever weird thing you're looking for here—foreign films, cult movies, the odd book or two.


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I Was Featured Here, Buttons,Linky Party Schedule, Contact Me, About Me,Disclosure/Privacy.Holidays
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Bloglovin' & Facebook Blog Hop #13
7 comments:
- Melinda Collazo said...
Thanks so much for hosting! :)
- June 13, 2013 at 5:58 PM
Such a lovely blog! I look forward to exploring more and receiving your posts via Feedburner since I don't belong to Bloglovin yet!
It's so nice to meet you and the other hostesses. I have come by way of Stephanie's blog, The Enchanting Rose!
I look forward to getting to know you more!
- June 13, 2013 at 6:16 PM
- Ceil said...
Hi Kathy! This is my first 'bloghop'! Thank you for hosting.
The Lake Shore Drive in your blog name...are you in Chicago? I am in the suburbs of Chicago. Go Hawks!
- June 13, 2013 at 9:04 PM
- Victoria said...
Hi Kathy-
My first link-up! Hope I'm doing it right. Will be emailing you about maybe co-hosting! Happy Friday!
- June 14, 2013 at 7:50 AM
- Rachael Eliker said...
Stopping by from the blog hop--new follower! Looking forward to reading more. :) I love a good adventure!
-Rachael from The Rehomesteaders
- June 14, 2013 at 3:56 PM
- Vashti Q-Vega said...
Thank you for hosting this Blog Hop!
- June 14, 2013 at 9:55 PM
- Hannah Coe said...
Just joined your hop :) looking forward to meeting new people and new blogs!
- June 15, 2013 at 6:09 PM


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Wallace Stevens and the Mandolins of Spring
Rod Stewart's Mandolin Wind
So, I'm up in the mountains again, and I'm reading Wallace Stevens — reading about him, reading his poems. I take music with me, listen to it before and after the readings. It's very windy on the top of the mountain. Actually, the winds are ferocious at times. Merciless. And because I heard the Rod Stewart song in the car before I went to my place, my perfect spot, near the beautiful jagged rocks and the vulnerable pine trees, I hear the mandolin notes in that wind. They're everywhere, including on the page. I see them dance around on the white pages of the biography and the collected poems, along with the wind that won't let those pages be . . . still.
One must almost lose the mind of winter in order to feel the mandolin notes in that way, as a call to spring, to the past, to memories of that past. Melancholy … Click to continue . . .


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Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which I can earn a small commission off if you click and purchase the item, at no extra cost to you.
Layering can be really fun. It's mixing and matching different pieces and adding them on top of each other. You can layer tops, necklaces, rings, and sometimes more. In summer, I like to wear bralettes instead of bras because you can throw them on under pretty much anything and they look good, plus they're more comfortable and breathable. The heat of summer can be pretty unbearable and wearing breathable clothing is a must.
Prime case of how mixing metals can look amazing!
You don't think layers when you think summer, but I do. My favorite way to layer is with bralettes and oversized t-shirts. I love when bralettes peak through to give a feminine touch to an outfit. Lace is so, so pretty! There are so many different styles of bralettes right now which makes it easy to find a favorite.
I've linked some of my favorite bralettes + layering tees below. Mix and match to find your favorites! I reallllly like the yellow top and the white v-neck bralette combo. Which do you like best?
In addition to layering clothing, layering jewelry is another way to mix it up in summer. I love to mix metals because it's not something most people do. People think you can't mix gold and silver but the truth is that you can and it can look really, really good! This Brosway Italia lock necklace has both silver and gold in it which makes it pair perfectly with my gold circle necklace that my best friend Mary got me. I also chose to wear two silver rings from Brosway Italia and a gold ring I've had for a while to mix in with the different necklaces.
On my arm is a fun Brosway Italia watch. Printed watches have really been growing on me recently and Brosway Italia has some really cute ones including this floral one and this lace (!) one. I REALLY love the lace one, I might have to get it next! If you're looking for a unique watch to express yourself, this is where you need to look!
Brosway Italia started mainly as a watch company but they have since grown to offer a full range of jewelry including necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, and more! They have something for everyone and I love the uniqueness of the items they offer, unlike anything I've seen. I've scrolled through all of the pages of their jewelry and found a few favorites out of the many great layering pieces they offer. This silver pearl and star necklace is perfect for layering with just about anything. I absolutely adore this blue jewel necklace, I can think of so many outfits I'd wear it with. For all of my dog lovers out there, this dog necklace is adorable and the perfect way to express your love for pups.
For bracelets, the first two I recommend are this blue bracelet and this infinity bracelet. I have the infinity one in black and love the way it fits! Brosway Italia also has charms you can put on bracelets like the blue one I linked. As for rings, my two favorites (other than the ones I'm wearing) are this and this.
Top | Forever 21
Bralette | Victoria's Secret
Shorts | DIY
Watch | Brosway Italia (c/o)
Bracelet | DIY
Silver Rings | Brosway Italia here & here (c/o)
Lock Necklace | Brosway Italia (c/o)
Shoes | Madden Girl
*Thank you to Brosway Italia for sponsoring this post.0


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Wow, the things some artists will do in pursuit of their creative passion. Stockholm, Sweden-based August Zachrisson packed a GPS device inside a briefcase, handed it over to shipper DHL with an extensive list of shipping locations and over 55 days traveled through 6 continents and 62 countries culminating in this:
A 110664 km long self-portrait of the artist generated from all of the trip's GPS info uploaded to Zachrisson's computer. Biggest GPS Drawing