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Another insight I found out earlier this week is that things I take for granted and think everybody else should know how to easily do, actually isn't easy at all. For example, making something in Photoshop. This is where I need to step back and slowly think things through a little bit.
Bare with me while I remissness a little bit. Trust me there is a point to the little story below.
Here's a bit of my photo shopping history. I bought a scanner YEARs, I mean many years ago at this point. The scanner, if I had kept it, would probably fit well in the my towns local museum room of technology. The scanner came with a program disk that contained a photo manipulation program. I think it was photoshop 2.0 (elements or full adobe I don't remember)If not, it was similar. I played around with this for about a year making really bad anime fan art. I had no idea what the icons for each item was about. I just jumped in and dabbled around.
I get the fact, thinking about the past, that these programs until you learn the basics of them, can be a little overwhelming. I usually worry about how or what to write about.
Anyway....hard to learn, overwhelming sometimes, show you how I do this thing called digital stamps. Gotcha
First off, you're gonna need the following items or this little walk through isn't going to do you much good.
1. Scanner
2. Photoshop
Bonus! if you also have adobe illustrator or a lot more work is involved
3. pen
4. paper
and maybe
5. light box - this is only if you sketch out your image.
I usually sketch out ideas onto paper before making any kind of painting or project. I don't do anything to fancy, it's just regular typing paper.
Once I have my idea down, I tape my original sketch onto my light box and take some heavier card stock paper and trace the drawing onto the card stock with a sharpie maker. Why this step, because the clean up process in Photoshop is easier. I do not redraw the image in Photoshop with a pen. I don't own a tablet.
Make sure your scanner is on the black and white setting and at least 300 dpi. This does help out greatly when you bring the file into Photoshop.
(If you are already lost....well yeah...)
Open Photoshop. I drag my scanned image into the program.
Next I will go to -----Image -----Adjustments ----- Levels You want to either use the black and white droppers or move the tabs. I'm not here to debate about which one works the best. I know there are some pretty strong opinions out there about dropper vrs. tabs. I think there are multiple ways to get this done. All are welcome here : )
Once this is a clean crisp black and white image, I go to the drop down menu SELECT----Color Range--- (the color range box pops up!)
Take your eyedropper and click on the black of the stamp.
Then click on "OK"
You should have the "dancing ants" as my graphic design teacher used to say in class. While the ants dance away, go to your toolbar and click on the "magic wand tool"
Right click and pick the option -----Layer Via Cut
Hurray! Your image or my image is now on a separate layer and you can drag your white background to the trashcan icon.
This is now a separate line art layer and you can save your file as a png. I usually zoom in and take my eraser to get all of the extra dust etc. I didn't get rid of with the adjustments step above.
Just FYI, a digital stamp doesn't have to be a .png file. This just makes the background transparent. Just taking the image into the program after scanning and doing the adjustments step above with a little zoomed in eraser clean up can make a really nice hand drawn digital stamp .jpg file.
Here's my newest little addition to my etsy shop created exactly as you read above.
Thanks for reading! Are you new to digital stamps? A Photoshop pro that has a better way to do this? Think I should add more pictures and a better explanation to this post? Please share and comment below. I love to learn new methods. This is just one of many ways to get your line art into a cleaned up stamp version. I will be updating my blog posts from time to time as I review them.


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Energy Efficient Windows for Mid Wales
Windows can be one of the biggest culprits when it comes to homes losing their thermal efficiency. To combat this, modern windows are now available that offer superior levels of energy efficiency. As such, the installation of quality, energy efficient replacement windows is now considered one of the best ways you can improve your home's insulation and reduce your heating costs. Thanks to the use of modern materials and manufacturing techniques, windows can now be installed that offer incredible insulation whilst still remaining beautifully styled and durable .
Understanding that replacement windows are one of the biggest decisions a homeowner can make, we do everything we can to make the decision a simple one. Offering incredible choice, including double, triple, and thermal glazing, we are proud to offer homeowners in and around Mid Wales 'A+' energy rated windows. Far exceeding the previous top 'A' rating, these new energy efficient windows feature intelligent glass that transfers heat from the Sun into heat inside your home. As such, these incredible windows will help you to reduce your energy consumption for many years and providing you with real savings.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dry Skin
Dry skin can be rough, flaky, red, and sometimes painful. It's often caused by not having enough oil and water in the layers of the skin. Common causes of dry skin include dehydration, heat, cold, poor nutrition, and side effects of treatment.
What to look for
- Red, rough, flaky skin (although dry skin can look normal)
- Cracks in the skin
- Slight bleeding between the lines of skin covering joints, such as knuckles or elbows
What the patient can do
- Add mineral or baby oil to warm bath water, or put it on after showering while skin is still damp. (This can make you and the floor slippery, so hold onto something when you're moving around barefoot.)
- Wash with cool or warm water, not hot water.
- Avoid scrubbing the skin during showers or baths. Gently pat skin dry after bathing.
- Put on moisturizing, alcohol-free creams twice a day, especially after baths.
- Avoid colognes, after-shaves, and after-bath splashes that contain alcohol.
- Use an electric razor.
- Drink 2 to 3 quarts of liquid a day, if you've been told it's OK to do this.
- Protect your skin from cold and wind. Avoid hot water and heat, especially dry heat.
What caregivers can do
- Put lotions or oils on hard-to-reach places.
- Offer extra fluids.
Call the cancer team if the patient:
- Develops very rough, red, or painful skin
- Has signs of infection, such as pus or tenderness near broken skin
Fauci AS, Braunwald E, Kasper DL, et al (Eds). Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical, 2008.
Camp-Sorrell D, Hawkins RA. Clinical Manual for the Oncology Advanced Practice Nurse, Second Ed. Pittsburgh: Oncology Nursing Society, 2006.
Cope DG, Reb AM. An Evidence-Based Approach to the Treatment and Care of the Older Adult with Cancer. Pittsburgh: Oncology Nursing Society, 2006.
Houts PS, Bucher JA. Caregiving, Revised ed. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, 2003.
Kaplan M. Understanding and Managing Oncologic Emergencies: A Resource for Nurses. Pittsburgh: Oncology Nursing Society, 2006.
Kuebler KK, Berry PH, Heidrich DE. End-of-Life Care: Clinical Practice Guidelines. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. 2002.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Palliative Care. Version 1.2015. Accessed at www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/palliative.pdf on March 19, 2015.
Oncology Nursing Society. Cancer Symptoms. Accessed at www.cancersymptoms.org on April 3, 2013.
Ripamonti C, Bruera E. Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Advanced Cancer Patients. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Varricchio CG. A Cancer Source Book for Nurses, 8th ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett, 2004.
Yarbro CH, Frogge MH, Goodman M. Cancer Symptom Management, 3rd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett, 2004.
Last Medical Review: June 8, 2015 Last Revised: May 17, 2016
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.


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Teacher: Joanna Poor & Rosa Waters
No parent expects to make his or her child's funeral arrangements. Join teachers Rosa Waters and Joanna Poor along with other mothers on a personal journey toward spiritual growth and healing.
Can't find what you're looking for? Contact us.
Need help choosing your campus? Email us or call 713.681.8000.


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Is there a way to customize the color palette (for setting back and foreground colors on objects)?
Is there a way to customize the colors available in the color palette (for setting back and foreground colors on objects)? We'd like our corporate colors to be permanent options (at the moment I'm adding them as a custom color on each individual object).
Wow! This month we've had all sorts of excellent questions about missing features in Visual Studio .NET. After a good bit of looking around, it doesn't look like there is any programmatic way to change the stock palettes for controls.
What I would do instead is create an assembly that contains the programmatic settings for colors in a set of common classes others could use and set the foreground and background colors programmatically in the constructor for the code. Alternatively, you could derive custom controls from the stock control classes that set the colors automatically as well.
Dig Deeper on Win Development Resources
Related Q&A from John Robbins
What is a JAD session?
What is a JAD session? This term is referred to often in job postings and seems like some kind of brainstorm you carry out with a client to define IT... Continue Reading
How is Microsoft Translation Server behavior integrated in .NET?
Is there a file file associated with the BackgroundImage property?
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DENVER, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The Denver Nuggets got 28 points from Danilo Gallinari and 19 from Kenneth Faried in their 112-106 victory over visiting San Antonio Tuesday.
Gallinari scored on 3-of-10 attempts from 3-point range and also collected nine rebounds in Denver's third consecutive win and seventh at home.
Faried rounded out his double-double with 11 of Denver's 58 team rebounds. Kosta Koufos had 14 boards.
Tim Duncan held up San Antonio's end in the paint with 18 rebounds to go with his 31 points and six assists. It wasn't enough for the Spurs, who lost for the fourth time in their last five games.
Manu Ginobili came off the bench to score 16 points and Patrick Mills hit 5-of-8 3-pointers for a total of 15 points.
Denver dominated the middle two quarters and led 90-75 heading into the fourth quarter. The Nuggets wound up needing that cushion as the Spurs rallied and outscored their hosts 31-22.


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Georgetown County student arrests policy mulled
Georgetown County School principals have given their seal of approval to a proposed district-wide policy that would allow them to suspend students from extracurricular activities if they get arrested off-campus.
The policy was drafted in a response to a recent uptick in students getting arrested off-campus and is meant to serve as a deterrent, officials said.
Two Waccamaw High School basketball players were arrested March 15 and charged with burglary after being caught inside a home. Another Waccamaw High School basketball player pleaded guilty Jan. 28 to assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature with a finding of a sexually violent offense.
The school board will take on the proposal today at 7 p.m. at Georgetown High School.
There is no district-wide policy in place to deal with off-campus offenses. Each principal has his or her own procedure. But the ultimate consequences are left out of the principals' hands. A principal can recommend expulsion, but the student's fate is decided during a disciplinary hearing at the district office.
This new policy would give principals more authority, allowing them to suspend students from extracurricular activities like sports for a season, even if it means carrying discipline over to the next school year.
"I think it's a very good policy," said Mike Cafaro, principal at Georgetown High School. "Oftentimes what happens off-campus carries on to on-campus."
Waccamaw High School Principal David Hammel said the district policy, if passed, would help principals who find themselves in new territory.
"Usually when we have kids get in trouble off-campus, they are already in trouble on campus," he said. "Now, we are finding students who are model students on-campus and are getting in trouble off-campus."
He said his athletes who have gotten in trouble, have done so during the off-season.
"This policy now allows us to move disciplinary action into the next year," Hammel said.
The proposed policy allows principals, not just coaches, to bench players and suspend choir members and student council officers who get arrested off-campus.
"We have students athletes who are working for scholarships," said Carvers Bay Principal Richard Neal. "A lot of our students will rethink their negative behavior under this policy. I think it's a move in the right direction."
Under the policy the school's administrator could place a student who has been arrested off-campus on probation, prohibit participation in extracurricular activity, suspend or expel the student or place the student in an alternative school. The school administrator also could opt not to take any action against the student.
"If we don't put things in place, students would feel there are no barriers," Staggers said. "It will force them to think about the consequences beforehand."


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Religion, Miracles, the American Dream
Messengers, Followers, Teachers, Edifices, Divisions
If history is correct, humans have never been content to just live in the world. They have consistently yearned for some kind of meaning in their lives. Often that pursuit of meaning has expressed itself in the form of religion.
For those who have chosen to follow groups with any kind of religious or spiritual trademark, the pattern seems to be the same. When a religion begins, one person usually has an idea or believes he (historically, mostly male) has the right message, the truth, or has a special message, powers, insights, given to him from an exterior divinity.
In ancient times spiritual teachers were often wanderers or lived in small villages or towns. Small groups gathered to hear these teachers. Over time, followers began to expand beyond these villages. Official teachings were established based on the words purported to have been said by the founders or, in some traditions, messages or rules given or spoken to an official messenger (or inspired messengers) by an exterior divinity. ( Who becomes an official messenger after the first messengers die often depends on the rules of lineage)
It didn't take long before religious organizations began to sprout up all over the world. Centuries-old edifices and sacred centers are still standing as testaments of humans' need for spiritual roots.
Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, all seem to have followed this pattern. Continue reading
Mystery and the Sacredness of Life
Roman Catholicism and the Marian Miracles
I grew up in a 1950s Roman Catholic culture in which I was taught that a virgin gave birth to Christ. I was later told that, several centuries later, the same virgin, Mary, appeared to a select group of barely literate, impoverished Portuguese children at a place called Fatima. Secrets were to have been revealed to these children, the specifics of which, to the best of my recollection, neither my elementary school teachers, nor my pastor ever revealed.
The dogma of the virgin birth was complemented by the infallible ruling of a nineteenth century pope that Mary was taken to heaven, body and soul. This dogma is celebrated in the church as the feast of the Assumption.
The Catholic Church, an untiring supporter of these Marian miracles, added to the repository of these mysterious events by claiming that Mary was to have been conceived without sin (the Immaculate Conception) and that she was to have received a visit by an angel announcing to her that she would be the mother of Christ, the Messiah (the Annunciation). Continue reading
The Holy, Another Grand Illusion
"Abandon holiness," says Lao Tsu. and "See with original purity."
Although these lines are just fragments of Lao Tsu's Tao Te Ching, they are typical of the ancient thinker's radical take on reality.
Who, for example, would "abandon holiness"? After all, Western culture prides itself on Christian values, especially those values gleaned from the Old and New Testament, saintly teachings, and church pronouncements. And, for those who believe in an afterlife, heaven, the "holiest" of places, is the ultimate goal of those on a Christian journey of virtue and sinlessness.
Lao Tsu challenges us, however, to give up the pursuit of the holy, for it is a goal fraught with other people's notion of what holiness is. It is also a journey that can be riddled with self-righteousness and arrogance. And it can be a path that will often distract us from paying attention to what is in front of us. Continue reading


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Free Jungle Monkeys Slot Machine - Instant Play Game
The Jungle Monkeys slot game, by Ainsworth Gaming, has a really nice feel to it and some of the monkey animations are really cute. When you hit a good sized win along with wild symbols (monkeys), they jump up and down with joy and also, the baby monkey in the barrel is really cute as it pops it head up to say hello.
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Land 3, 4 or 5 Barrel Scatters anywhere on the reels to win 8, 12 or 20 free games during which Monkey Wilds will land on the reels 1, 3 and 5. If you land 3 or more Scatters on the reels, you will win a set of 5 additional free games.
The maximum possible payout you can win while playing the game is 100,000 coins. The most lucrative symbol is the papaya awarding 1,000 coins for a five of a kind combination. If you land 5 Scatters on the reels you will win 100x your total bet.
Residents of New Zealand and Australia can enjoy the Jungle Monkeys pokie with all its features intact. The only difference is in the term "pokie" which is used for a slot machine in this part of the world.
On the other hand, players from the UK can play the fruit machine Jungle Monkeys, although it can be found on the market as a slot, which is the term more and more British people use today for this form of entertainment.
Below, we list 10 free Vegas slots games you might like to try out:
It is those baby monkeys that help you trigger the bonus. Get three of them on the screen and you are in. The bonus is great fun. You get some fast, pumping music in the background, birds start to sing and the reels start to spin (8 free spins). You also get loads more stacked wilds and also some stacked bananas.
Our free Jungle Monkeys slots is below. It should just take a few seconds to load and you can play as long as you like without any spam (pop-up advertisements asking you for email addresses or to join a casino) and no download required to play.
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Book Review: Looking for Alaska by John Green
While looking for books written by someone under the age of 30 for my Reading Challenge 2015, I saw John Green's Looking for Alaska listed. Indeed, I verified, he was 27 when Looking for Alaska was published in March 2005.
Check off one more category.
After reading and loving The Fault in Our Stars, this decision was a no brainer!
In staying true to publishing spoiler-free reviews, there will be quite a bit about this book that I cannot write. I will warn you, though... If you know nothing about this book, Jon Snow, you should avoid the summary given on the title and copyright pages of the e-book. I vaguely knew some plot points: I knew Alaska was a teenage girl and I knew the story took place in a boarding school. But the summary just jumped right out at me and I stupidly read it. Nevertheless, the reading experience was still rewarding.
The protagonist, a high school junior named Miles Halter, nicknamed Pudge because he is so skinny, decides to attend boarding school to find his Great Perhaps. His Great what? Miles enjoys memorizing people's last words. And the last words of the poet Francois Rabelais were "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." Miles adopts these words as his own mission statement because his life is so entirely mundane.
The novel is broken into two parts: before and after. While it's not hard to guess the nature of the event that this counting centers around, it would be spoilery to name it.
During the before, Miles develops friendships with a group of ragtag intellectual prankster teens. I loved every one of them. I do think Green spends most of his effort developing Miles, his roommate Chip the Colonel, and the love interest Alaska, but the book is 221 pages long, so I'm not going to fault him for moving his story along.
These teenagers sound like teenagers. One aspect about The Fault in Our Stars that bothered me was the teen dialogue that sounded like it was straight from Dawson's Creek. I rationalized the overly-intellectual dialogue in Stars as Green making teenagers sound as smart as they think they are.
But in Alaska, these are intellectual teens who sound smart, but not worldly.
Miles can appreciate how seeking a Great Perhaps is a worthwhile goal for him, but when a girl offers him a blow job, neither one of them knows what to do. Before boarding school, Miles had never smoked or drank. He had also never ironed anything. He had never encountered a teacher who was not immediately happy to have such an enthusiastic learner in the room. He's a smart kid, growing up, making mistakes, sometimes getting caught, and figuring out who he wants to be. Some people compare him to Holden Caulfield, but I find Miles much more likable.
And Green's authentic characterization extends to two adults as well: the dean of students Mr. Starnes, the Eagle, and the World Religions teacher Dr. Hyde, the Old Man. The teenage lens sees each man as partial nemesis and partial mentor. While they both enforce various rules, the students at Culver Creek Boarding School know that, ultimately, these authority figures care about them.
On several occasions, Mr. Starnes finds it difficult not to smile at certain teen antics. And while he busts kids for rule-breaking, he really doesn't dole out the majority of punishments. A peer jury determines the fate of those caught for various minor infractions. Oh, he'll expel a student for the major infractions (genital contact, drinking, illegal drug use), but those rarely occur.
And Dr. Hyde plays an integral role in helping Miles answer the book's central philosophical question, "How will we ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?"
Sure, this teacher is old-school. He lectures, assigns readings, and gives daily quizzes and regular exams. No group work or project-based learning from Dr. Hyde. Instead, he fills their heads with information about Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity because he wants them to have a base of knowledge to form their own opinions and conclusions. He tells them on the first day of his class that his purpose is to help them pursue meaning: "What are the rules of this game, and how might we best play it?"
The question about the labyrinth of suffering builds through most of the before section of the novel and the after section focuses on answering the question.
And therein lies the beauty of this book. The characters are faced with a dilemma. They have a mystery that they spend the second portion of the book trying to solve. But there is no one definite solution. They must learn to cope with ambiguity, which is one of those lessons that people have a particularly difficult time with.
And in trying to cope with this ambiguous situation, they ultimately learn how to navigate the labyrinth of suffering. Miles writes a final essay to Dr. Hyde detailing the message of hope and forgiveness that he has learned. Have a few tissues nearby.
Sadly, many small-minded people object to this book because of smoking, drinking, and sex. The book has been frequently banned. People who ban books are beyond my scope of understanding.
John Green has a very spoilery reader's guide called Questions about Looking for Alaska. Regarding how some people view his book as "dirty," he writes a few things. My favorite: "I mean, just as another aside, we are discussing perhaps 800 words in a 70,000 word novel. More words are devoted to thinking about Buddhist conceptions of the desire-suffering cycle than are devoted to thinking about blow jobs."
Thank you, John Green, for some context.
I don't think I would feel comfortable recommending this book to a 6th grader. A ten-year-old might feel uncomfortable reading about blow jobs. But an 8th grader? Particularly an 8th grader who is struggling with their own labyrinth? Yes. Because the message of hope and forgiveness is worth reading.
Now I just need to read Paper Towns before the movie comes out.


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Projection: First Light is a visually striking and thoughtful puzzle-solving journey into an alternate universe of shadow puppets and light-based magic, available exclusively on Apple Arcade.
Whipseey and the Lost Atlas - Available Now!
Whipseey and the Lost Atlas is a colorful retro platformer that is more challenging - and vaguely menacing - than it first appears to be. The game is adorable, with its bouncy-squishy hero, plump little enemies, and cheerful music. And the design is such a clear homage to classic retro 16-bit style side scrollers like New Zealand Story, when I first plunged into Whipseey I expected an easy stroll (or "scroll") down memory lane…
War Tech Fighters - Available Now!
When I reviewed War Tech Fighters for Blowfish last month I reached the conclusion that this very fun mech-battle game has a lot to offer: loads of action, a detailed universe, and hours of engaging gameplay. So I'm glad Blowfish asked me to write more about this game because there is plenty to talk about. This game is epic. It's like stepping into a sci-fi book or movie.
Minesweeper Genius: A modern take on the classic minesweeper game!
JackQuest: The Tale of the Sword - Available now!
Pete Witcher is a Feature and Community Writer for Blowfish Studios.
Jack Quest: Tale of the Sword is a fast-paced 2D platform adventure game that serves up plenty of everything that makes the genre fun: a simple story involving a hero with an oversized sword, his kidnapped love, and a mighty boss monster with a vast subterranean lair seething with enemies. To this classic recipe, Jack Quest adds a sassy aggro warrior spirit entrapped in that big sword, plus a long waggly red scarf, and some cool parkour-like physics to make a very entertaining game.
Jack Quest: Tale of the Sword opens with Jack sharing a quiet moment with his childhood sweetheart Nara, about to confess his love for her. Suddenly she is seized by the incredibly powerful Korg, a giant evil Orc. As Korg and Nara disappear into the earth, Jack dives after them unarmed but determined to rescue his true love. Seconds later Jack stumbles upon Kuro, a noble spirit trapped in a massive but nimble sword. The two form an impromptu alliance and Jack Quest is off and running.
One thing about Jack Quest that appeals to me is how it respects the genre, hewing to a design whose ancestry goes all the way back to, 80s arcade, and early console games like Metroid and Castlevania (Metroidvania). Jack Quest: Tale of the Sword incorporates many classic 2D-platformer themes, like picking up dropped red flasks for health, smashing wooden crates ejecting bouncing gold coins, and purchasing items from a shop (that somehow stays in business underground, surrounded by monsters). Jack's special attack is a spinning-wheel sword move that deals rapid damage, plus the attack multiplier while protecting Jack from harm. The rewards and upgrades Jack finds and earns for defeating bosses, like double-jump boots, a map crystal, or a bow and arrow, are both satisfying and useful, enticing you to play on to the next level, and keeping gameplay fresh.
I think part of the attraction that keeps designers and gamers coming back to this classic format is the way these games constantly introduce new challenges as fast as the player wants to leap and battle through the map: new areas with different traps and tricks, new enemies and mini-bosses with new strategies, and new secrets to discover. Jack Quest definitely delivers in this department. I certainly never got bored. A little frustrated, sure, but never bored. But any frustration is outweighed by the rush of finally nailing that seemingly-impossible jump sequence or boss fight, which always seems so easy *after* you've conquered it. ("Why did this seem so difficult before?") The thrill of improving your skill level to the point of overcoming these challenges is what metroidvania-type games are all about, and Jack Quest provides that thrill.
The art design in Jack Quest has that nostalgic, pseudo-16-bit look that you see in many indie titles, but the game plays and feels perfectly modern. My first reaction to the art design was something like, "Hey this game is cute, maybe it's aimed at a younger audience." Then I started playing, and that opinion went out the window. Jack Quest is both challenging and rewarding, and can get surprisingly intense, often demanding precision timing to make it through some tough areas. I'm sure young kids will enjoy playing Jack Quest because the basic gameplay is simple enough, but kids are definitely not the sole intended audience. There is plenty of skill required to progress very far in this game. And the more you play, the more you get the feeling the maps were designed with an eye toward speed running, making the game very replayable.
While researching the game for this article, I was surprised to learn Jack Quest was entirely designed and created by one man: José Neto, founder and sole employee of NetoX studios in João Pessoa, on the eastern tip of Brazil. He designed the art, composed some music, made all the gameplay decisions, and did all the coding for Jack Quest. I asked José about Jack Quest's classic look and feel, and he said it comes from his lifelong fondness for video games that began when he was a youngster, playing games on many platforms during the golden age of gaming consoles in the 1980s, including the Atari 2600, Magnavox Odyssey, and most importantly, the Sony MSX. The MSX system was very successful in Brazil in the 80s, and it included a full keyboard that allowed users to create and play games by typing code directly into the system. Back then gaming magazines often published the Basic code for entire games, and José's creativity and passion for games were strong enough to drive him to read it from the magazine and type it in line by line. Eventually, he started creating his own small games, and his skills earned him a job at a software development company, and he continues to create games on his own time.
So José Neto gets all the credit for this game being fun. Mr. Neto sneaked plenty of secrets and surprises into Jack Quest, like invisible doors and hidden rooms concealing rewards. But my favorite discovery in the game is the parkour-like wall-jump Jack can do to scale walls. Just mash the jump button while moving against a vertical wall and you can scramble right up it. There is a slight learning curve to get the timing right, but figuring it out is satisfying and encouraging. The wall-jump ability makes the gameplay and map navigation more fluid and smooth. And it creates this fun sense of freedom-of-motion as you rattle around Korg's spacious digs.
Jack Quest has lots of little touches that add depth and character to the game, like the wall-jump, as well as the hit multiplier that pops up when you land repeated strikes against an enemy. There are magic torches you can seek out that let you save anywhere, anytime, instead of only at waypoint stones. And Jack Quest has this very useful "ledge peek" feature: stand close to the edge of a drop-off to move the camera down and preview what's just below the bottom edge of the screen. Could be safe to jump down, could be patrolled by enemies, could be spikes … ledge peek lets you look before you leap.
Overall I found Jack Quest: Tale of the Sword to be an immensely satisfying 2D platformer, with loads of new challenges and surprises around every well-designed corner. It all comes together wonderfully: the art, the music, the action, the level design. The fact that the entire project was created by one dedicated game developer only makes this fun and engaging game even more impressive.
Storm Boy: The Game - A Story About Friendship
Pete Witcher is a Feature and Community Writer for Blowfish Studios.
Blowfish Studios is happy to share with you our new interactive storytelling game Storm Boy, based on the Australian children's book about a boy with a special connection to nature and the animals in his world. The game Storm Boy takes you into the book to experience the beauty of South Australia's Coorong National Park, a paradise of ocean waves, sand dunes and diverse wildlife. The environment is rendered in affectionate, artistic detail and playing the game makes you feel like you're really visiting this idyllic place.
The story moves along linearly as you guide Storm Boy through the sand hills and grasses on the beach. Passages from the book appear on the screen as you trot through the sand. You can also turn around to retrace your steps and make previous passages reappear if you want to read them again.
Minigames pop up in the environment as you go, giving you the opportunity to experience more of Storm Boy's world from his perspective, and providing another level of depth and immersion. The story describes how the tall birds near the shore stood up and clapped in the mornings, and how Storm Boy dreamed of being an ibis or a pelican. While this passage appears on the screen, Storm Boy is on the beach, watching the birds. You, the player, can step into the game here by clicking the minigame icon and becoming a soaring ibis, controlling the bird's swooping and banking flight just over the water's surface. As the story progresses, the environment reveals more engaging little pastimes like digging for cockles and tracing pictures in the wet sand and playing fetch with your feathered chum.
The heart of the story is Storm Boy's profound friendship with Mr. Percival, a tragically orphaned pelican. The boy raises and cares for the bird, and they form a special bond as deep and meaningful as any puppy or other beloved pet could inspire. Here you get to experience the simple joys of feeding and playing with a cherished animal companion. The fact that the pet is a pelican only enhances the enjoyment.
As you might expect, a story about a solitary boy befriending a wild animal is not all fun and happiness. Storm Boy: The Game stays true to the book, and there are moments of heartbreaking poignancy. I was surprised by how intensely a few scenes impacted me and stirred up my emotions. But being a good story, Storm Boy offsets the sad bits with some thrilling heroism and heartwarming redemption, and by reminding us that lost loved ones are always with us.
The care with which the designers interpreted the book and rendered a 3D world from it really comes through. The game creates a soothing, nostalgic atmosphere evoking childhood memories with peaceful music, swaying grasses, and waves crashing on the shore. The artistry that comes through is no accident; Storm Boy's lead game designer Ellen Jurik told me, "We liked the idea of a painterly feel, and during our research on the region, we came across some local artists who had painted the beach in that area in oils. We especially liked the art of Chris Wake." So local artists appropriately inspired Storm Boy's look and feel, and the way the game captures the essence of a young person's experience in the Coorong's distinctive environment. The art and design provide a stylized, almost dream-like hyper-vividness. It's like the rush of seeing the ocean for the first time as a child, how it takes your breath away and is so memorable in person, but taking a photo just doesn't capture that feeling.
With plenty of background information about the book and Coorong National Park itself, Storm Boy the game will pique your interest in this special place and probably lead you to further reading. Australians familiar with the book will find Storm Boy: The Game an ideal way to revisit a place fondly remembered, and those new to the world of Storm Boy will appreciate discovering one of Australia's national treasures.
So once again Blowfish presents a new game that stands out from so many other games out there. Storm Boy touches your heartstrings and opens your eyes and ears to a paradise you may have never known about. It takes you in a different direction than most games these days, and it's definitely a journey worth taking.
Find Storm Boy: The Game on:


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We will be doing a group ride out Old Fort road to Hagelstien. This is the shop's favorite route for it's views, the fast and fun nature of the gravel sections and the challenging but rewarding difficulty.
This is a mixed road and gravel road ride suitable for gravel bikes and road bikes alike. The gravel sections are typically improved enough to make them very manage-able on a road bike. We do typically recommend a bigger tire (28-32) but slick road style tires are perfectly fine (we've done this ride on 23's and they're fine).
Expect around 3000 feet of climbing and about 35 miles. It takes typically a little over two and a half hours. If we encounter snow in the earlier months we will simply turn around (the route is an out-and-back). Also if you don't want to do the last climb or you can't keep up feel free to flip around and rejoin the group when it comes back the opposite direction.
The pace will be moderately high(I'm not going to assign an average speed due to the steepness of the hills). There is a regroup at the top of each hill. We consider this between an intermediate and hard ride when it comes to difficulty.
Please bring water (there are no opportunities for refill out there), flat kits and lights (remember: a helmet might reduce your chance of injury, but a rear blinky light will prevent a crash all-together).


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What does it mean to meditate... a lot of people do not quite know and have never meditated in their life. I recently met a 76 year old whom tried meditation for the very first time. I want to explain on this blog some facts about meditation with the intention that you try it and may be even get into the habit of taking a few minutes a day just for you to meditate.
- Reduce Stress is one benefit that people are aware of. But meditation helps with many other things. For example, helps quit smoking, ADHD attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression and burnt out, eating disorders, anxiety, slowing ageing, positive emotions and well being, the list goes on and on!
Now that you know this, aren't you ready and willing to try it? Make this practice a daily routine in your life? You can start with five minutes a day! Here are some tips on how to get you started:
- Sit for just five minutes. This will seem easy. Start with just five minutes a day for a week. If that goes well, increase by another two minutes and do that for a week.
- Do it first thing each morning. It's easy to say, "I'll meditate every day," but then forget to do it. Instead, set a reminder for every morning when you get up, and put a note that says "meditate" somewhere where you'll see it.
- Don't get caught up in the how — just do. Most people worry about where to sit, how to sit, what cushion to use … this is all nice, but it's not that important to get started. Start just by sitting on a chair, or on your couch. Or on your bed. If you're comfortable on the ground, sit cross-legged. It's just for five minutes at first anyway, so just sit.
- Check in with how you're feeling. As you first settle into your meditation session, simply check to see how you're feeling. How does your body feel? What is the quality of your mind? Busy? Tired? Anxious? See whatever you're bringing to this meditation session as completely OK.
- Count your breaths. Now that you're settled in, turn your attention to your breath. Just place the attention on your breath as it comes in, and follow it through your nose all the way down to your lungs. Try counting "one" as you take in the first breath, then "two" as you breathe out. Repeat this to the count of 10, then start again at one.
- Come back when you wander. Your mind will wander. This is an almost absolute certainty. There's no problem with that. When you notice your mind wandering, smile, and simply gently return to your breath. Count "one" again, and start over. You might feel a little frustration, but it's perfectly OK to not stay focused, we all do it. This is the practice, and you won't be good at it for a little while.
- Develop a loving attitude. When you notice thoughts and feelings arising during meditation, as they will, look at them with a friendly attitude. See them as friends, not intruders or enemies. They are a part of you, though not all of you.
- Don't worry too much that you're doing it wrong. You will worry you're doing it wrong. That's OK, we all do. You're not doing it wrong. There's no perfect way to do it, just be happy you're doing it.
- Don't worry about clearing the mind. Lots of people think meditation is about clearing your mind, or stopping all thoughts. It's not. This can sometimes happen, but it's not the "goal" of meditation. If you have thoughts, that's normal. We all do. Our brains are thought factories, and we can't just shut them down. Instead, just try to practice focusing your attention, and practice some more when your mind wanders.
- Stay with whatever arises. When thoughts or feelings arise, and they will, you might try staying with them awhile, you might also try staying with a thought or feeling that arises. We tend to want to avoid feelings like frustration, anger, anxiety … but an amazingly useful meditation practice is to stay with the feeling for awhile. Just stay, and be curious. These thoughts and feelings are answers and guidance for you.
- Get to know yourself. This practice isn't just about focusing your attention, it's about learning how your mind works. What's going on inside there?
- Become friends with yourself. As you get to know yourself, do it with a friendly attitude instead of one of criticism. You're getting to know a friend. Smile and give yourself love.
- Do a body scan. Another thing you can do, once you become a little better at following your breath, is focus your attention on one body part at a time. Start at the soles of your feet — how do those feel? Slowly move to your toes, the tops of your feet, your ankles, all the way to the top of your head.
- Notice the light, sounds, energy. Another place to put your attention, again, after you've practice with your breath for at least a week, is the light all around you. Just keep your eyes on one spot, and notice the light in the room you're in. Another day, just focus on noticing sounds. Another day, try to notice the energy in the room all around you (including light and sounds).
- Really commit yourself. You will notice a difference in your life, within yourself, your attitude towards situations and people and your own personal relationship with yourself.
I hope you find this blog helpful and you feel ready to start this practice. If you have any questions or comments please send me a note.
Reiki Master


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NAAMA- MI CME Event
As a leading professional medical organization in the Arab American community, NAAMA- MI is proud again to report on another CME program that was held on May 2, 2012 at Meriwether's Restaurant in Southfield. The program was a great success and feedback by attendants was rated very high. The speaker was Dr. Dilip Moonka, MD, Medical Director, Liver Transplantation, from Henry Ford Health System, who is well known in this field of hepatology. We had a good attendance, excellent presentation and good food. The program was sponsored by Rush Medical Center and Organized by Simply Speaking.


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Central heating and cooling is the most common method for conditioning indoor air in U.S. homes today. To provide indoor comfort, central systems efficiently produce warm or cool air in one central area and then distribute it throughout the home.
You can choose between a split central system or a packaged central system. You also can supplement your central system with controls and thermostats, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air cleaners, radiant heating and vent-free heaters. When selecting your central air conditioning system, you also may want to choose your home's water heater. Learn more about your options and make the right decision for your home.
© Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute 2311 Wilson Blvd, Suite 400, Arlington, VA 22201 | Phone: (703) 524-8800 | Site Map | Privacy Policy


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Duran Duran - From Past To Present
When people mention music of the 80�s, there is one band name that almost always comes to mind�Duran Duran. Although the band has enjoyed success over nearly three decades, they are still referred to as an 80�s band due much in part to the success of their catchy singles and colorful music videos. Boasting chart-topping singles such as �Hungry like the Wolf�, Duran Duran has sold over 70 million records across the globe.
About the Author: Nick Rauge writes on topics including duran duran news and duran duran wallpaper.


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The Two Legged Chihuahua Has An Unusual Friend… And Her Story Will Melt Your Heart.
Care to soften the heart of the strictest, coldest, most unsentimental cynic you know? Well, a complete heart-melting is about three minutes and several "awwwws" away, just as soon as your favorite tough guy or gal meets Penny and Roo.
It's hard for anyone to resist the joy brought on by the shenanigans of two-legged chihuahua Roo and silkie chicken Penny.
The two are an unlikely pair, but it seems that their individual peculiarities are what unites them. In fact, their unusual friendship has inspired many, from the owner who cares for them to the woman who donated money for Roo's wheelchair. One thing is certain: You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who isn't charmed by the dynamic duo, even if you're in a room full of unforgiving strong-arms. They're just that adorable.
Source: NatGeoWild


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Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) and the Baruch Padeh Poriya Hospital in Tiberias recently launched a unique collaboration through the IDF's "Good Neighbor" program to save the lives of Syrian children and adolescents who suffer from complex and life-threatening heart abnormalities.
Fourteen Syrian children were treated at Hadassah's Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem by a team of experts, as part of the "Good Neighbors" program, according to Ellen Hershkin, national president of Hadassah.
A joint team from Ein Kerem in Jerusalem and Poriya in Tiberias initially examined 20 Syrian children and teenagers with severe heart defects and determined that most of them could benefit from complex heart surgery.
Hadassah's pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Julius Golander, who heads surgical evaluation at Ein Kerem, joined doctors from Poriya Hospital through IDF's Good Neighbor program in Tiberias. Mothers from Syria brought their children with heart diseases to Tiberias, where doctors examined them and ascertained what treatment they were receiving in Syria.
"The special cooperation between the HMO and Baruch Padeh Poriya Hospital was critical to saving the lives of these children," Dr. Golander said. "HMO utilized its state-of-the-art Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Department and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem for this very special humanitarian project. The children, some of whom have never been properly treated or examined before, came to Jerusalem recently for the complex surgery and catheterizations at HMO and are continuing their aftercare at the Pedah-Poriya Medical Center in Tiberias."
"We made an initial diagnosis and built a treatment plan for anyone who needed cardiac intervention, whether catheterization or surgery at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem," Dr. Golander adds. "The children were suffering from a wide variety of significant heart abnormalities, including ventricular defects and transposition of the great arteries. Their chances of surviving without medical intervention were slim to none.
"In the dead of night, 14 Syrian women brought their children to us for medical assistance. Two-year-old Layal had a congenital heart defect, a hole in her heart which would have likely been diagnosed in a prenatal ultrasound in a Western country.
"Perhaps it would have been found in Syria, too, under normal circumstances. According to statistics from the Syrian Ministry of Health, Syria was on an upswing of medical care before the current crisis and the decimation of the health care system. What was clear was no way Layal's heart could be repaired in Syria.
"This 'hole in the heart' was an atrial septal defect (ASD), an abnormal opening in the wall between the upper chambers of the heart. If left untreated, this condition would produce excess flow to the lungs causing irreversible lung damage, dilate her heart and probably shorten her life.
"Layal's mother, Reem, a farmwife, knew that Layal wasn't growing like her three siblings. There was something different also about her energy level."
Although Reem knew that every child was different, she made an appointment with the doctor at her local health care center. The doctor held the stethoscope to Layal's chest for a long time, and she knew there was a problem. When the doctor finally said, "It's her heart," Reem was distraught.
She then learned from women in her village that there was hope across the border.
"Needless to say," Dr. Golander said, "their identities were concealed to protect their security."
Since June 2016, the Israel Defense Forces has quietly been offering health care to Syrians across the border. Help was initially for those wounded in the war, but was later expanded to include advanced life-saving medical care available in Israel.
Dr. Golander recalls, "When I told Reem, 'We can help your daughter,' Reem didn't need the Arabic translator to tell her what I meant."
Source: Hadassah


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As part of our commitment to healthier people and healthier lives, Ascendis Health has formed a partnership with LEADout, a cycling academy which nurtures and hones the skills of aspiring young cyclists. It is an initiative which has been inspired by the success of our other Corporate Social Responsibility programme – Team Ascendis – where we have supported two of South Africa's top female mountain bikers, Robyn de Groot and Jennie Stenerhag.
As a leading health and care company Ascendis Health is adding a unique touch to this sponsorship – our premier health and care brands helping to better train, inspire and empower these young cyclists. In the first phase of the programme, two recently matriculated girls and boys from the Outdshoorn District and Grassy park were selected to go through a four-step process towards success. It included identifying their talent, exposing them to a road racing career, evaluating their discipline and commitment, and matching their academic goals to their cycle racing opportunities.
LEADout, run by Director Barry Austin, a former South African pro-cyclist on the European circuit, and Commercial Relations Manager, Malcom Lange, a South African cycling icon, is bridging the gap between 'bums on bikes' and nurturing star performers.
"We know the ratio of youngsters turning professional in sport is low and whilst we hope to increase this and that some of our identified talent bridge that gap, we know some are not. The idea is that those that do not make it still walk away winners in the sense of gaining extra education whilst chasing their dreams." – Barry Austin, Director, LEADout.
These goals align with the Ascendis Health vision to build a remarkable business of synergistic human, plant and animal health brands across the value chain, that all aim to enhance certain aspects of the user's life.
"Supporting pinnacle-performers in such a fast-growing, health-focused and prominent sport is a carefully considered alignment of our company, our brands and our vision – Dr Karsten Wellner, CEO, Ascendis Health.
With this dedicated program and the right performance enhancing products, together Ascendis Health and LEADout Cycling are helping create a winning team and supporting and developing South Africa's young cycling talent.


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You have prepared all your life to celebrate the wedding of your dreams. We want to capture the essence of your day using the unique tools and creativity of Jensen Wedding Films. Below are a few of the incredible options that can be added to your wedding film package to make it unlike any other.
NEW! You probably have close friends and family that are unable to attend your wedding. Jensen Wedding Films now offers Live Wedding Streaming- allowing loved ones the opportunity to view your wedding or reception live as it happens! Introductory Price: $400
We call our 360 Wedding Panoramas the ultimate image of your wedding day. These incredible panoramas are intended for High Definition full screen viewing, include audio, and are available online for you and your guests weeks after your event. Created in sets of 3. View a wedding panorama here. $700
Our Super 8mm Film feature is one of our most popular options. Film has an organic, timeless look unlike any other visual medium. That is why filmmakers continue to use Super 8mm film in TV commercials and even in feature films! View an 8mm Wedding Film Feature here. $700
From 1000 feet: Add a spectacular Aerial Introduction to your wedding film! We have over 30 aerial wedding venue exteriors professionally filmed from a Bell R44 helicopter and are adding more each year. $200
From 500 feet: Add an experimental Flying Wedding Camera to your wedding. Our small RC QuadCopter is able to get shots we never thought possible! We only offer this option away from metropolitan areas. View a short clip using the quadcopter here.
From 25 feet: Add our SkyCam, a mast-mounted camera remotely controlled from the ground. The Skycam can be used both during your ceremony and reception, to provide an unobrtrusive, birds-eye view of your event! View a short SkyCam clip here. $200
A few years ago, we custom built our own Vintage Photo Booths designed specifically for wedding receptions. The booths are oversized to accomodate all of your wedding party. We also use some of the best booth images as part of the finished video. Only $449 when purchased with a video package.
For over a decade, Jensen Wedding Films has offered "Thank-you" DVD's. We make these DVD's in quantities of 100. They are a short but spectacular highlights reel we create for our brides soon after the wedding to mail to her guests with the Thank-You cards weeks after the wedding. $700
Few events at your reception that will provide more emotional impact than a Same-Day-Edit (SDE). We edit and project highlights from your pre-wedding and ceremony into a stunning 3-5 minute film for your guests to enjoy, usually after the toasts. $800


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Professional Information & Communication Technology (ICT) - explore the opportunities
Some examples of ICT courses are ASP.NET, programming, database, mySQL, technical project management, wireless networks, IBM software, UNIX / Linux, JavaScript and Web Development.
Information technology (IT) is generally referred to as the design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, and in particular, the software applications and the computer hardware. IT is increasingly important in today's business world as it deals with the use of computers and software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve information.
IT professionals perform a variety of duties that range from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. Additionally, IT professionals work in other areas of information technology including data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire systems. Many of these professionals got their start through IT courses
CAD training courses
Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer technology for the design of objects, whether real or virtual and is a large part of the computer information technology industry. More than just being shapes, CAD involves the manual drafting of technical and engineering drawings. Usually the output of CAD must convey symbolic information such as materials, processes, dimensions, and tolerances, according to application-specific conventions.
CAD is an important industrial art, and is used in many applications, including the automotive, shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, prosthetics, and more. CAD is used to design curves and figures in two-dimensional (2D) space; as well as curves, surfaces, or solids in three-dimensional (3D) objects. Additionally a popular use of CAD is to produce computer animation for special effects in movies, advertising and technical manuals. CAD has an enormous economic importance, and has been a major driving force in research in computational geometry, computer graphics, as well as discrete differential geometry. As with IT courses, CAD courses can start you off in this varied field or further your knowledge within it.
IT Security
Another important area included under IT courses is IT security. These days businesses are increasingly reliant on IT to support their activities, and this makes them ever more vulnerable to threats from hackers, viruses and even their own staff.
IT Security Courses will get you up-to-date and on top of the latest software developments and ensure that you have the correct information at the right time. This knowledge can make the difference between success and failure for your business. Effective IT security can help you control and secure information from malicious changes and deletions or from unauthorised disclosure.
Networking and Servers
A network server is a computer that is designed to process requests and deliver data to other computers over a local network or the Internet. Typically network servers are configured with other forms of processing, including memory and storage capacity to handle the load of servicing clients. Common types of network servers include:
- Web servers
- Proxy servers
- FTP servers
- Online game servers
It is common for systems to use a client/server networking model including Web sites and email services. Additionally an alternative model is peer-to-peer networking, which enables all computers to act as either a server or client as needed. The importance of servers means that Networking and Server Administration is a large area of study within IT courses.
Systems design and development
Another important and popular area that can be studied through IT courses is design and development of systems is the process of defining the hardware and software architecture, components, modules, interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy specified requirements. It also includes requirements analysis, system design, implementation, documentation, and quality assurance. Systems design and development is also often referred to as systems engineering, SDD, and more generally IT development. Systems design and development courses can have a big role to play during the creation of a new business - findcourses' start-up programmes will give new businesses the best opportunity to succeed right at the very beginning of it all.
Are you curious about the L&D strategies of some of the U.K.'s top companies?
Find out what they're up to in findcourses.co.uk's second annual U.K. L&D Report!
Is your company looking to take on an apprentice?


text: Hi, My boss has given me the task of building a webpage for our company. I've had a little bit of HTML experience and messed around with FrontPage a little, but I am by no means a web developer or graphics artist. I'm a C++ developer primarily. You can see a personal website I have for my small software business here: http://www.sadevelopment.com That will give you a quick look at my limited capabilities. I've done a little .net reading, but not much at all. The task that I am given is to develop a website that has a banner across the top of the page. When you hover items in the top banner it will show the menu options available in a second banner directly underneath the top banner. The rest of the page below will be content. What is the easiest way to implement something like this banner menu? Thanks, Alan


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Friday, May 6, 2011
Term 2 Week 1 My Beautiful Holiday
In the 2 weeks holiday, I enjoyed doing the choirs for our church minister. The church minster is my papa's brother. He and his family lives in a very massive house, every Friday after school, I usually pack my bag and get ready to go over. Rev Le'i'ite Setefano and his wife Lealofisa Setefano treats me as their son because I do most of their choirs. When ever I get a growling from any of them, I do not get angry at all because I know they are teaching me a lesson. My uncle's daughters and sons sometimes come over for a visit with their kids, one of his daughter is a teacher over here at Pt England school, do you know who it is? Well it is Mrs Tuala my aunty. Every time my cousins and I finish doing the dishes in the morning, we walk down to Tamaki College for a holiday programme. My cousin Rivalana Setefano is one of the leaders, she is the youngest one out of the minister's daughters. When we get there, we get to have free time playing basket ball and volley ball. The main name for the holiday programme is called Youth Pride, lots of people from our school pops down to have fun. All of the leaders for Youth Pride belongs to the Tamaki P.I.P.C church, and that is the church I also go to, my sister is one of the leaders too.It is the same thing everyday at the holiday programme, our Youth Pride manager is Mike. He is really funny with his jokes, and he teaches us new and fun games like drop sprint and stop,letters,and basket ball and volley ball challenges.We have sausages or fish on bread for lunch, sometime we take our own lunch if we want to. After the holiday programme finished at 2 o'clock, we went home, had a shower and got ready to go to the movies with mrs Tuala, her husband and kids, and also with my uncle Steve and his wife and kids. When we were all ready to go, my dropped us off and we all went to watch the amazing HOP!!! it was very funny and great, it had some sad times too but we still enjoyed. On the next day, my uncle Mene asked Jordenne and I if we wanted to go for a sleep over at his house with his kids, we said yes and we were really excited to go. At my uncle's house, we played connect.My favourite sport was the athletes, if we want to dance, it show on the television. My cousin and I were against each other and we played, discus, the javalin,athletics and also long jump. When I run on the spot, on the TV it show my character running and jumping because that is long jump. What we do shows on the TV, that is why it's called connect. Next, we had pizza for dinner. After that we all watch a movie, we watch the documentury Justin Bieber and fell asleep. That day passed, and on the next day we had breakfast, played some play station and went to the library to get some books for the kids, we also had delicous pork buns and drinks for lunch. Next, we got ready to go home and as we got home we said thank you for that fun time we had with them and that is how I had a beautiful holiday.
Posted by Hosannah at 12:14 PM 2 comments
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The musical version of the hit 1992 film "The Bodyguard" has extended its West End run by more than seven months, the show's producers said Monday.
The stage version of the memorable Whitney Houston thriller opened nearly a year ago at London's Adelphi Theatre. Procuers will release over 300,000 tickets for sale, taking booking for the show through August 30, 2014.
Like the movie, the play follows a former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard who falls in love with the singing diva he is hired to protect.
Also read: 'A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder' Theater Review: Broadway's Tops 'Kind Hearts and Coronets'
The play scored solid reviews when it premiered, with critics praising the performances and staging, while maligning its story line as overly trite.
Charles Spencer in the Telegraph wrote, "The Bodyguard is dross with a gloss, and proof that if you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, you can sometimes come surprisingly close."
The play has a book by Alex Dinelaris and features hit songs like "I Will Always Love You" from the film itself. Michael Harrison and David Ian produced the play, which has already undergone one major cast overhaul.
In September, soul singer Beverley Knight took over the lead role of spoiled pop diva Rachel Marron from Tony winner Heather Headley. A Broadway production of the show is reportedly being planned.


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Medien Patent Verwaltung AG v. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Case Number: 1:10-cv-04119 (Dkt. 232)
Having previously found Deluxe liable for patent infringement of U.S. Patent No. 7,187,633 B2 ("Motion picture and anti-piracy coding"), the court denied Deluxe's request to stay damages proceedings pending Deluxe's interlocutory appeal to the Federal Circuit.
In denying Deluxe's motion, the court emphasized the substantial hardship that financing the litigation has caused MPV, "a small company,… struggl[ing] to survive in the face of what i[t] describes as rampant infringement of its patent, both here and in Europe." The court found that Deluxe had not demonstrated a "substantial possibility" that its interlocutory appeal will succeed. The court characterized Deluxe's argument as being based on the "assumption" of reversal by the Federal Circuit. Further, the court found that Deluxe had not demonstrated that all factors, such as prejudice to the plaintiff and undue burden to defendants, which are traditionally considered in granting a stay, weighed in its favor. With respect to prejudice to the plaintiff, the court rejected Deluxe's characterization of MPV as a non-practicing entity, saying instead "MPV is not a patent troll, but instead is a small company run by the inventor of the technology that Deluxe misappropriated, whose commercialization efforts were frustrated by rampant infringement both in the United States and in Europe by Deluxe and former defendant Technicolor."
The articles on our Website include some of the publications and papers authored by our attorneys, both before and after they joined our firm. The content of these articles should not be taken as legal advice.
© Copyright 2019 Robins Kaplan LLP Law Firm All Rights Reserved. Attorney Advertising. Prior Results Do Not Guarantee A Similar Outcome.


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Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.(Ecclesiastes 9:10 ESV)
I guess most parents struggle when their kids are flatly unwilling to pitch in and do a fair share of work around the home. The exact expectations may vary from family to family and between cultures, but part of our task as parents is to train our children in how to work.
God values work, He set Adam the task of tending the garden even before the fall:
The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. (Genesis 2:15 ESV)
When we work we glorify God by doing what He created us to do. After Adam and Eve sinned work became harder, but it is still part of our purpose and so does not have to be a demeaning burden. By teaching our children that work is an expression of what is good about being human and that it glorifies God, we help them to become willing to work hard.
Pray your children grow into understanding a Biblical perspective on work which enables them to accept it will not be easy but that there is a purpose in all work. Ask Jesus to help them see that as our Father is working, so too it is good for us to work.


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Rockland County Family Court
Authored By: New York State Unified Court System
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
Family Court handles the following cases: - family offense (orders of protection/domestic violence) - child custody, guardianship, and visitation - child and spousal support - adoption - paternity - child neglect and abuse - juvenile delinquency - termination of parental rights - review of foster care placement Family Court does NOT handle divorce, separation, and annulment. Divorce, separation and annulment are handled by Supreme Court.
Link: www.nycourts.gov
Last Review and Update: Feb 06, 2008


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FT & it's in SW19 | Franciszka Themerson | Friday 29 September until 10 October 2017
FT & it's in SW19 | Franciszka Themerson | Friday 29 September until 10 October 2017
Private View Thursday 28 September from 5 pm to 8 pm
FT & it's in SW19
This exhibition revisits Franciszka Themerson's time spent in London SW19 when she was teaching at Wimbledon School of Art in the 1960s. While there, she oversaw the production of a student magazine entitled it's, produced annually from 1964 to 1966. Her work with students involved graphic design, stage design, concrete poetry and the new preoccupations of the art world at the time.
This exhibition includes Franciszka Themerson's work in the theatre, her drawings during the sixties, and the four issues of the intellectually inventive it's, which reveal the range of ideas to which students were introduced by her teaching.
its magazine - Wimbledon school of art 1967 - FT.pdf
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Franciszka Themerson was born in Warsaw in 1907, lived in Paris 1938-40, and then, from 1940, lived in London until her death in 1988. She was principally a painter, although, throughout her life, she also worked in several other fields of the visual arts.
During the 1930s, she collaborated with her husband, the writer Stefan Themerson, on experimental films and illustrated children's books which he wrote. Then in 1948 in London they founded the adventurous publishing house, Gaberbocchus Press, of which she was art director.
Apart from appearing in journals world-wide, several collections of her drawings have been published as books: The Way it Walks, 1954; Traces of Living, 1969; The Drawings of Franciszka Themerson, 1991.
Her theatre designs included productions of Ubu Roi, Ubu Enchainé, and The Threepenny Opera. Many of these drawings were exhibited at the National Theatre, London, in 1993.
Her major one-man exhibitions have included shows at Gallery One, 1957 and 1959; a retrospective at Drian Galleries, 1963; Zacheta, Warsaw, 1964; New Gallery, Belfast, 1966; Demarco, Edinburgh, 1968; a retrospective at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, 1975; Gruenebaum, New York, 1978; Lodz, Warsaw and Wroclaw, 1981-82; a drawings retrospective at Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum, Aalborg, 1991, and at Gardner Centre, Sussex University, 1992; Gdansk, 1993; Redfern Gallery, 1993; the National Theatre, London, 1993; Royal Festival Hall, London, 1993; Themersons & Gaberbocchus Press, New York, 1994; Gaberbocchus Press at Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 1996; Imperial War Museum, London, 1996; 'White Paintings', Kordegarda, Warsaw, 1999; Zamek, Poznan, 2004; Europe House, London, 2013; F & S Themerson Muzeum Sztuki, Lodz, 2013; F & S Themerson, Camden Arts Centre, 2016; l'Étrangère, London, 2016; theatre design (UBU), Richard Saltoun, 2017. This is the second solo exhibition of Franciszka Themerson with GV Art London. The first one, in 2013, was called, Why is the Mind in the Head.
GV Art London are the exclusive agents for the Themerson Estate.
GV Art London will present the exhibition It was Paradise by Rachel Gadsden at the Norman Plastow Gallery 13 October - 23 October 2017.
The Norman Plastow Gallery is a versatile community exhibition space which forms part of the Wimbledon Village Hall Trust facilities and is an important part of its charitable provision. Full details at www.wimbledonvht.org.uk/the-village-hall-gallery
Norman Plastow Gallery Monday to Sunday 11am – 6pm
Village Hall, 26 Lingfield Road or by appointment
Wimbledon Village Admission Free
London SW19 4QD
The Gallery is on the first floor, the Village Hall, Lingfield Road, off Ridgway, which is at the top of Wimbledon Hill Road. Parking is metered until 6.30pm. Nearest station Wimbledon.


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Software Escrow Services – Providing Maximum Security of Your Properties
When you talk about escrow it basically refers to an agreement which involves a third party who will hold the properties and assets in behalf of the transacting parties. The escrow agent can possibly hold money, intellectual property, or documents. The items that the agent is keeping will be protected until certain instructions are given to them. A software is called an escrow if the source code is kept confidential by an escrow agent of the third party. The company who will use the software can ask the agent to hold it in their behalf In other words the main purpose of having a software escrow service is to protect both parties involve in a software license.
A programmer can only make a program if they have with them their source code. If the source code is transferable and can be performed in other programs then you can simply obtain the source code and install it in your device. As long as you have the right knowledge about software executable source code it is very much possible for you to have your own program or application. For software developers it is a must for them to assure their clients that whatever things that may happen, they will have the access to the source code of your program, this is where an escrow agent comes in play, they will only disclose the codes if there is a breach of contract made by software developer.
It is already a known fact that some people nowadays take advantage of other people. Oftentimes, the transaction involve significant amount of money. With the help of an escrow contract, buyers of particular software are protected and far from danger, this is even better since there is an involvement of source code and software. The price or rate of creating software is increasing these days and one way to keep you safe whenever you purchase software through the use of software escrow services.
This type of agreement is not just beneficial to clients but also to the makers of the software. It is a prevailing fact that developing one's program and software could be time consuming; this might even go for months and even years at the same time pricey. This is the right time to have a software escrow agent that will serve as the mediator of the whole transaction of the two parties, what they will do is setup the whole contract and let the two parties understand everything that they need to know. If by any chance any of the two parties violated any rule or part of the agreement then the escrow agent has every right to perform necessary actions as mandated in the contract or agreement that they have formulated.


text:
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As training season kicks into high gear – don't let an injury sideline you.
Many running programs are gearing up for the season in Central Texas. Whether your goal is to run a marathon or just become more active, doctors say you should begin by laying the groundwork to prevent injury.
That includes starting off slowly and making sure you have the right equipment.
Common running injuries
Some of the most common injuries are usually related to overuse or repetitive injuries and poor body mechanics, according to Dr. Vishal Kancherla, with ADC's Physical Medicine department.
Some common injuries are:
- Shin splints
Pain along the front of inside of the lower leg, along the shin bone. It could be as serious as a stress fracture or just be inflamed.
- Achilles Tendinitis
Pain that happens at the back of the calf, just above the heel where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel bone.
- Knee pain (runner's knee)
Constant ache under the kneecap during activity which occurs from the kneecap being out of alignment
- Muscle strains
Micro tears of the muscle secondary to overuse or improper/ overstretching. The most common muscles affected are the hamstrings, quadriceps, calf and groin.
- IT Band syndrome
This syndrome causes pain on the outside of the knee and along the lateral thigh. The iliotibial band is a ligament that runs along the outside of the thigh, from the top of the hip to the outside of the knee that can become inflamed and taught.
Dr. Kancherla says many times these injuries can be prevented by avoiding the "terrible too's."
- Too fast too soon
- Too much mileage too soon
- Too much intensity too soon
Preventing common injuries
It's easy to overdo training when you're excited about a goal, but Dr. Kancherla says it's important to start slowly, especially if the training program is new to you. There are several easy ways to prevent running injuries. These include creating a running plan that fits your level, warm –up and stretch, strength train, cross train, dress appropriately, stay hydrated and wear the right shoe.
"Footwear has a lot to do with preventing injury — having the right type of shoe and running on the right type of surface," Dr. Kancherla said. "If you have a good shoe and a good surface, that reduces stress reaction on the joints and extremities, and that can reduce a lot of these injuries."
Dr. Thuy Ho-Ellsworth, a podiatrist at ADC agrees. She says it's important to make sure you have the right shoes.
"A lot of that is associated with whether you are wearing the right shoes and changing out your shoes enough," said Dr. Ho-Ellsworth said. "I recommend to my patients that they change out their shoes every 300 to 400 miles."
When you look for running shoes, both Drs. Kancherla and Ho-Ellsworth say to have your gait evaluated at a specialty running store. Some stores offer this service for free,
Store employees can identify issues like over-pronation, which can lead to many common running injuries, and prescribe the right shoe for you.
When you feel pain
If you do end up with an injury, Dr. Kancherla says it's important not to run through the pain.
"Listen to your body. Take a step back," he said.
You can apply RICE treatment:
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
He says you might consider using an over-the-counter medication, such as Tylenol or NSAIDS to manage the pain.
If the pain doesn't improve in a couple of days, you may want to call your doctor to have the symptoms evaluated.
Its also important to be aware of some symptoms that would require immediate attention. These include weakness , numbness, pin or needles type sensation , or swelling of an extremity or joint.