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Katrina of Bookish Things & More is hosting the 2017 Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge. The aim is to read the number of your NetGalley and/or Edelweiss eProofs from your chosen level.
Have you ever logged on to Edelweiss or Netgalley with the intention of "Just Looking" and then logged off having requested 5 new titles even though your TBR is a mile long? This challenge will (hopefully) give you the incentive to tackle your review books, stumble upon new ones, and get your Netgalley percentage to the desired 80%!
Challenge Guidelines
The challenge will run from Jan 1, 2017 – Dec 31, 2017.
Anyone is welcome to join. You do not need to be a blogger, just post your reviews and come back every month to link them up.
Any genre, release date, request date, length, etc. counts so long as it came from Edelweiss or Netgalley.
At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews.
If you forget to link up one month it's not a problem just add your reviews next month.
If you would like to move up or down levels that is completely fine and at your discretion.
Bronze – 10 Books
Silver – 25 Books
Gold – 50 Books
Platinum – 75 Books
Diamond – 100 Books
I will be attempting the silver level for this one.


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DevOps is a response to the disconnect between development activity and operations activity. This disconnect often manifests itself as conflict, friction and inefficiency. Development tends to be driven by how many new functionalities can be churned out in a given time, therefore change is its incentive. Operations on the other hand tends be driven by stability of the status quo and its incentive is therefore resisting change.
DevOps describes how we do things rather than ourselves
DevOps is a movement, an approach, a way to organise people and organisations. It's fundamentally an extension of Agile and Lean as it attempts to instil those same values and practices into Operations. DevOps is about people, collaboration and feedback loops, not about tools. You cannot buy a "DevOps tool" and suddenly be done. There are tools better suited to a DevOps style of working than others, but those come after the hard work is done: getting Development and Operations to collaborate from the outset on common goals.
Some say DevOps is an adjective and a 'DevOps person' is someone who cares about and supports the DevOps principles. That makes sense but already recruiters, marketers and others have transformed it into a noun, which is misleading as you cannot be a DevOps. Others suggest it is an adverb so we can use it do describe how we do things rather than to describe ourselves.
We've been lucky to be in the right place at the right time and work in, and with, companies and people who were at the forefront of this movement when it was still called Agile Infrastructure/Agile Operations, including many of the people mentioned in the video at the bottom of this page.
Read our Insight "It take two to DevOps" to know more about where we stand and why we started HighOps in the first place.
Apart from our Insights subsection dedicated to DevOps, there are a lot of useful resources readily available online.
But as there is a great deal of confusion about how the movement was born and what it stands for, we recommend three resources in particular:
- 'What is DevOps?' by Damon Edwards as the single, most extensive, well written and complete explanation you will ever need
- 'There's No Such Thing as a "Devops Team"' by Jez Humble
- The (Short) History of DevOps video again by Damon Edwards as the definitive source of truth about how it happened from someone who was there:

subset: commoncrawl


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With the appearance of D. R. Shackleton Bailey's (SB) Loeb edition, an important early imperial voice may well be expected to attract increased attention, especially as closer acquaintance with Valerius Maximus, a crucial, but relatively neglected, author, can only, and certainly will, occasion new questions in the study of a more widely and more frequently explicated canon. A brief look at the state of Valerian studies is, therefore, in order, before turning to the volumes' many virtues and the reviewer's (minor) criticisms.
We stand at the end of the first decade of a gathering Valerian Renaissance, inaugurated ten years ago by W. Martin Bloomer, whose study recapitulated the critical work of a century and a half (concerned primarily with Valerius' sources) and offered also a sensitive appreciation especially of Valerian rhetoric in the early imperial context.1 Four years later, Clive Skidmore's decidedly more traditional reading focused on Valerius' undeniably strong moral purpose.2 More recently, Jean-Michel David edited an important collection of essays that address a host of historiographical issues,3 Andreas Weileder scrutinized Valerius' text in the political context of Tiberian Rome,4 and the present reviewer examined the role of traditional Roman religion in Valerius' rhetoric of virtue.5 One book6 every two years or so hardly constitutes a critical flood. Much remains to be done, and, thanks to the appearance of new texts and translations, Valerian studies rest again on a firm basis. Karl Kempf's still essential 1854 edition of Valerius' text (the editio maior)7 was followed by Karl Halm's Teubner,8 Kempf's Teubner of 1888 (his editio minor),9 and a century of occasional manuscript studies as well as articles on isolated passages.10 Briscoe's recent Teubner of 1998 sums up this work,11 and his text constitutes the new standard against which others will be measured.12 We come, then, to translations.13 SB's is not, in fact, the first to appear in English. That honor belongs to Sam Speed,14 whose work SB did not consult (1: p. 6), and for good reason: much of it is mere (and often inaccurate) paraphrase. Notable translations include those of, in French, Pierre Constant15 and Robert Combès;16 in Italian, Rino Faranda;17 in German, Friedrich Hoffmann;18 and, in English, D. Wardle, whose translation of book one includes an excellent historical commentary.19
We have now a context for the work of SB, whose volumes may be assessed in terms of the quality of the Latin text, the accompanying English translation, and their notes, indices, and cross-references.
SB's introduction is satisfactory, and he provides basic bibliographical references as well as a sketch of his own editorial principles. Because he commissioned Clive Skidmore to prepare the select bibliography, one gathers SB himself found general studies of little moment. His interests, we may gather, lay in the reconstitution of the Latin text, and, because SB's Loeb appeared after Briscoe's Teubner, even those who do not care to consult SB's translation will need to check SB's readings (the ambitious will keep Combès and Kempf 1854 handy as well), especially as SB disputes Briscoe's understanding of the manuscript tradition. Of the more than eighty surviving manuscripts, two, Bernensis (A) and Ashburnhamensis (L), survive from the ninth century. A, moreover, received corrections from the hand of Servatus Lupus, a Carolingian scholar, to whom Briscoe accords respect,20 but SB dismisses (1: p. 5). The primary importance and close relationship to each other of A and L were recognized already by Kempf. A third manuscript, however, Bruxellensis (G), derives from the eleventh century. Dorothy Schullian argued for its independent value,21 a value accepted by Briscoe,22 but dismissed by SB as "a farrago of hit-or-miss medieval conjectures (1: p. 5)."23 Readers will thus be well-advised to keep an eye on the bottom of the page.
Of course, all texts leave room for disagreement, and SB's is no exception. I shall limit myself to one example from Valerius' preface. Valerius dedicates his work to Tiberius as to a living god, and comments upon what Caesar worship has added to Rome's state religion: the best manuscripts (AL) read multum ... alacritatis (praef.). Kempf justifies the manuscript tradition at length in his first edition but changes silently in his second to an alternative reading found in inferior manuscripts: multum ... claritatis. Did the new form of worship offer the state religion emotional depth or mere pageantry? The choice has much to say about the lived experience of emperor worship in the early empire. Like the later Kempf (and Briscoe and Wardle, but not Combès), SB also fishes claritatis from the mediaeval farrago.24 SB does provide, however, a textual note, so even readers without Briscoe (or the early Kempf or Combès) will know that the alternative exists. One cannot ask for more of a Loeb. Such examples may, of course, be multiplied by any contrarian reader. Suffice it to say that SB's text is sound indeed and that his departures from other editions will be neglected at one's peril, but that his Loeb provides no substitute for Briscoe's Teubner.
The English translation does its job well. It renders the Latin text literally, and those in search of an approach to the vagaries of Valerian syntax will find a confident and reliable friend in SB, whose version, as one would expect, is painstakingly accurate. Nevertheless, should the Latinless ever stray near these volumes, they may find themselves puzzling over the meaning of a translation that generally opts for the literally minded. Two examples selected at random (by a native speaker of North American English): 6.2.12 periculose contumax. "Perilously contumacious." Even in English, the reader will need Latin. 9.6.ext.1 fontem perfidiae. "Fountain of treachery [i.e. the Carthaginians]." Granted, "fountain" as "source" or "well-spring" is both literal (as well as, once again, derived from the Latin original), but its poetical (and now archaic) use here will not necessarily bring the intended image to mind. Translation by way of derivative is very, very common.
On the other hand, when it comes to religious matters, one finds that the translation can suddenly shift into paraphrase. Spurius Cassius (cos. III 486) was executed for aiming at tyranny (6.3.1). His household was demolished and cast upon his corpse by the Roman people (interempto domum superiecit). Why? Valerius provides a reason: ut penatium strage puniretur. He then goes on to remark that a temple to Tellus was subsequently built on the spot (a religiosae severitatis monumentum). SB translates the explanatory phrase: "so that he was also punished by the destruction of his dwelling." We thus conclude perhaps that Cassius' house was thrown upon his lifeless body so that, dead, he could be rendered homeless? It seems rather that the translation has missed a cultural (here religious) antithesis. As the individual was crushed by the sovereign Roman people, his household gods yielded before the state's god. SB's translation cannot be called incorrect and will help readers interpret the Latin, but it does not fully dress Valerian thought in English garb. Translation remains, however, linguistic triage, and the dilemmas of translating alien concepts into modern English hardly need rehearsing for readers of this review. For a Loeb, with facing Latin text, SB generally opts for the literal. Those in search of meaning and interpretation will turn to Wardle's translation of, and commentary to, book one. Those with German have an excellent translation in Hoffmann. And, despite the vitriol heaped on Combès by English-language reviewers, his thoughtful Budé volumes deserve attention both for his elegant translations and helpful notes. SB knows Latin, and his translation is a helpful starting point. There is room, however, for an English-only edition of Valerius that leaves the Latin a little farther behind for the sake of accessibility.
Loeb volumes are not critical editions. Nor do they provide commentaries. Nevertheless, SB's helpful notes, textual, historiographical (cross-references to other ancient authors), and historical, will provide useful assistance to all navigators of Valerius' text. Even more, the index is lavishly appointed and masterfully executed, and the entries offer help with dates and magistracies, thus providing ready cross-reference to such standard works as Broughton's Magistrates of the Roman Republic or the Oxford Classical Dictionary -- the index alone is worth the price of the volumes. One may always, however, ask for more. Gods are, for example, not represented fully and cultural items (institutional, legal, religious, etc.) are not covered (though a compact glossary covers basic Roman institutions, e.g. gown [toga], lèse majesté [maiestas]). The indices of Kappius' Delphin edition,25 the lexicon of Otón Sobrino,26 and a machine-readable text of Valerius provide supplements for those in search of more.
We have, then, in SB's Valerius Maximus a satisfactory introduction (historical, textual, and bibliographical), a thoughtful Latin text, a useful English translation, and as much indexed and footnoted guidance as one could ever demand, or hope for, in a Loeb.
1. W. Martin Bloomer, Valerius Maximus and the Rhetoric of the New Nobility, Chapel Hill, 1992. Bloomer did not write in a vacuum, but because Bloomer's work so conveniently sums up and evaluates his critical predecessors, we may for the purposes of a review begin here, and refer the curious to Bloomer's discussions and bibliography for anterior details. 2. Clive Skidmore, Practical Ethics for Roman Gentlemen: The Work of Valerius Maximus, Exeter, 1996. 3. Jean-Michel David, ed., Valeurs et mémoire à Rome: Valère Maxime ou la vertu recomposée, Paris, 1998. 4. Andreas Weileder, Valerius Maximus: Spiegel kaiserlicher Selbstdarstellung, Munich, 1998. 5. Hans-Friedrich Mueller, Roman Religion in Valerius Maximus, London, 2002. 6. I omit articles from this very brief overview. 7. Carolus F. Kempf, ed., Valeri Maximi Factorum et dictorum memorabilium libri novem cum incerti auctoris fragmento De praenominibus, Berlin, 1854 [reprint: Hildesheim, 1976]. This edition includes extensive discussion of textual issues. 8. Carolus Halm, Factorum et dictorum memorabilium libri novem: Iulii Paridis et Ianuarii Nepotiani Epitomis adiectis, Leipzig, 1865. 9. Karl Kempf, ed., Valerii Maximi Factorum et dictorum memorabilium libri novem cum Iulii Paridis et Ianuarii Nepotiani Epitomis, Leipzig, 1888. 10. For bibliographical details, consult John Briscoe, ed., Valeri Maximi Facta et dicta memorabilia, 2 vols., Stuttgart and Leipzig, 1998, 1: xxxiii-xlii. 11. Briscoe, op. cit. supra n. 10. 12. For a review, see D. Wardle BMCR 1999.09.25 (http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/1999/1999-09-25.html). 13. For a more detailed look at translations and commentaries, see Dorothy M. Schullian, "Valerius Maximus," in Catalogus translationum et commentariorum, eds. P. O. Kristeller and F. E. Cranz, Washington, DC, 1984, 5: 287-403. 14. Samuel Speed, trans., Romae Antiquae Descriptio: A View of the Religion, Laws, Customs, Manners, and Dispositions of the Ancient Romans and Others, Comprehended in their Most Illustrious Acts and Sayings Agreeable to History, Written in Latine by that Famous Historian Quintus Valerius Maximus, and now Carefully rendred into English, together with the Life of the Author, London, 1678 [microfilmed: Ann Arbor, 1976]. 15. Pierre Constant, trans., Valère Maxime: Actions et paroles mémorables (Traduction nouvelle avec introduction et notes), Paris, 1935. 16. Robert Combès, ed. and trans., Valère Maxime: Faits et dits mémorables, 2 vols., Paris, 1995-1997. 17. Rino Faranda, ed. and trans., Valerio Massimo: Detti e fatti meomorabili, Turin, 1971. 18. Friedrich Hoffmann, trans., Valerius Maximus: Sammlung merkwürdiger Reden und Thaten, Stuttgart, 1829. The more recent Reclam edition provides only selections: Ursula Blank-Sangmeister, ed. and trans., Valerius Maximus: Facta et dicta memorabilia / Denkwürdige Taten und Worte (Lateinisch / Deutsch), Stuttgart, 1991. 19. D. Wardle, Valerius Maximus: Memorable Deeds and Sayings: Book I, Oxford, 1998. For a review, see Hans-Friedrich Mueller, CW 94 (2001): 403-403. For other commentaries, see Jerzy Linderski,"The Death of Pontia." RhM (1990) 133: 86-93 [= Jerzy Linderski, Roman Questions, Stuttgart, 1995, pp. 320-327] and Schullian, op. cit. supra n. 13. 20. Briscoe, op. cit. supra n. 10, pp. xi-iv. 21. Dorothy M. Schullian, "A Neglected Manuscript of Valerius Maximus," CPh (1937): 32: 349-359. 22. Briscoe, op. cit. supra n. 10, pp. vii-xi. 23. Cf. Combès, op. cit. supra n. 16, who ignores G. 24. For a fuller discussion, see Mueller, op. cit. supra n. 5, pp. 17-20. 25. M. Joannes Kappius, ed., Valerii Maximi Factorum dictorumque memorabilium libri novem ex editione Joannis Kappii cum notis et interpretatione in usum Delphini, variis lectionibus, notis variorum, recensu editionum et codicum, et indice locupletissimo accurate recensiti, 3 vols., London, 1823. 26. Enrique Otón Sobrino, Léxico de Valerio Máximo, 4 vols., Madrid, 1977-1991.


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Senator nails perfect score on inaugural ELM scorecard
BOSTON — Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) is a true leader on environmental issues, according to his perfect scores on the Environmental League of Massachusetts' unique and inaugural legislative scorecard. The scorecard gauges true leadership on environmental issues – not just votes, upending more traditional rankings that are often based mainly on non-controversial votes.
"I am honored to be given this grade by the Environmental League of Massachusetts," said Senator Eldridge. "Fighting for the preservation and improvement of land, parks and clean energy in the Commonwealth has always been at the forefront of my priorities. It was a pleasure to work with ELM last session to help pass the water infrastructure bill and the Environmental Bond Bill, among countless other budget items and environmental initiatives last session. I look forward to a continued close partnership with ELM this session."
"Jamie Eldridge has been a strong advocate for the environment in the State House and our new scorecard helps us show voters just what a great leader he is," said ELM President George Bachrach. "This is our best effort to give voters a sense of who is really on their side in the critically important work that goes on out of public view."
The legislative scorecard from ELM, the oldest environmental advocacy organization in the Commonwealth, awards additional points to lawmakers who led by sponsoring important legislation and deducts points for lawmakers who filed measures that ELM opposed. It also takes lawmakers to task over their recent practice of ensuring controversial votes are not recorded roll call votes – preventing voters from truly gauging which representatives and senators on truly on their side.
ELM's scorecard relies first on roll call votes on legislation that deals with environmental and energy issues. Observers of the state Legislature know that there are few roll call votes each session and that controversial votes are often taken as voice votes that are not recorded. As a result, ELM added leadership to the votes to better distinguish environmental champions and opponents.
The scorecard awarded bonus points to legislators like Senator Eldridge who authored bills that were environmental priorities or who introduced important amendments, particularly budget amendments to increase funding for state environmental agencies. Lawmakers lost points for introducing legislation or amendments that hurt the environment.
"It's essential that we recognize leadership and courage, not just votes," said Bachrach. "So much of the legislative process is impossible to score – from bill redrafts by committees, committee votes to pass or hold a bill and more. This scorecard is the best reflection yet of what really happens on Beacon Hill."
In all, ELM assessed lawmakers on 10 roll call votes in the Senate and six roll call votes in the House for 95 percent of the score. Five bonus points were then added for leadership in introducing an ELM priority bill or amendment and five points were subtracted for introducing a bill or amendment which ELM opposed.
ELM gauged Senator Eldridge's involvement and strong support on several important bills that will move the state forward on natural resource and public health protections – including:
- The $2.2 billion environmental bond bill which includes authorization for capital projects related to land acquisition, water and air quality, state and urban parks, farm protection and viability, climate change adaptation and solid waste and recycling, among other items.
- Natural gas leak legislation which begins to address threats to public safety, the release of potent greenhouse gas methane and adding to costs to ratepayers by requiring uniform leak classifications and repair timelines and establishing benchmarks for reducing lost and unaccounted for gas to reduce costs to customers.
- Water infrastructure legislation establishing a new Massachusetts Clean Water Trust as the successor to the Water Pollution Abatement Trust and which increases funding available for water infrastructure projects. The bill includes a definition of "green infrastructure" for the first time in statute and allows the state to use "green infrastructure" when weighing financial incentives.
- The Fiscal Year 2014 state budget, including amendments focused on energy and environmental issues
For more information on how elected officials scored, visit http://environmentalleague.org/scorecard.


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As Craig wafts to the ground and minces away, MP knocks out a quick Google search from her kitchen table, for Hannes and Franz Oberhauser. Ironically she finds this:
Rather than this:
Is it me or does Oberhauser Sr. look like a Photoshop creation, like a computer drawing of someone who never existed? If so, why? Did EON not want to pay royalties to an actor to use their likeness? And why is it the only photo of him appears to be a mugshot?
Cut to "C", addressing what I called the "Pan-European Recognizance Video Eavesdropping Recording Tele-monitoring Symposium" (P.E.R.V.E.R.T.S.) in the unofficial novel thread on the forum. Somehow I feel the title still fits.
C's droning on about the need for more surveillance, how critical "Nine Eyes" is and how imperative it is for them to join. In the midst of this dissertation, Tanner spots a news story about a "Street race gone wrong" featuring a photo of Craig's DB10 being fished out of the river. (Chuckle!)
M leans over to Tanner and makes a catty remark about C's pet project being an unelected body. C concludes his manifesto, and immediately the committee takes a vote, who says the wheels of democracy turn slowly! The panelists cast their supposedly secret ballot on large screen displays located on their desks, allowing M to spot in full Technicolor glory that South Africa is the lone dissenter in the required unanimous election.
The chairman announces the vote has failed which prompts M to whisper "Democracy". Tanner sends him a text from across the table asking if he was sure Craig was in London.
Allow me to sidebar and take a moment to address the fact that South Africa was the lone voice of reason. Why was that? Was North Korea unwilling to meet EON's price for endorsement? South Africa, that bastion of freedom and good will. A country that until very recently practiced rampant racial segregation. Self-loathing Americans love to point out our personal short comings in the arena of race relations, but we got nothing on South Africa! South Africa is a country where Africans are treated as second class citizens on their own continent! And these are the people being portrayed as champions of personal privacy?!
M jumps on the blower to Q, who is doing some late night tinkering in the lab (now there is a guy who needs to get a life!) Q lies for Craig saying he's in Chelsea, when in fact according to the smart blood map, he's in Austria looking for you know who!
Cut to a lone vehicle making it's was up a twisty snow covered mountain road to the ominous sounds of the film's score. "Austria" appears at the bottom of the screen, is that really necessary Sammy? We were JUST told Craig was in Austria do we really NEED to be told again what country he's in, not to mention just minutes ago in the Aston Martin commercial, err I mean chase scene, the plot was advanced when Moneypenny told Craig where Mr. White, aka the Pale King, aka cheap plot devise was hiding, Austria! What is with Mendes' incessant need to label every location?
Smash cut to a lone figure standing in a dingy crossing a fog covered lake, like Washington on the Delaware. It's Craig looking ridiculous and craggy in a form fitting snow outfit complete with knit cap! Craig makes his way to a rustic yet opulent cabin on the bank of the lake. He's such an accomplished "Bad Ass" he fumbles with his PPK before entering. The interior of the cabin is dark (of course it is, this is a Mendes film) abandoned and a shambles. Craig swipes his gloved hand across the arm of a chair and inspects the dust deposited upon his fingers. I don't know Craig, I think the copious amount of cob webs and funk should have told you the cleaning lady was sacked long ago, the white glove test was quite unnecessary. Craig continues to the kitchen accompanied by creepy mood music when, BOO! Crows come flying around the corner! Boy, this film sure is taking me on an emotional roller coaster!
The crows leave in a crescendo of cackling laughter, probably directed at Craig's hat. Craig spots a surveillance camera complete with red "on" light. He moves down the hall where Craig spots some light coming from the floor, under a mirror, classic hidden door giveaway; good thing MI6 training includes watching every Scooby Doo episode ever! Craig finds the secret latch and pops open the door, leading down a stairway to none other than the Pale King himself! He's seated in front of a bank of T.V.s and camera monitors. White was unprepared to meet him, no weapon, not on his feet, or even facing the door, what's the point of all the security if you're not even bothered to defend yourself? White says "Make it quick" Craig replies "on your feet".
Craig and White make their way to a table where the men sit opposite each other at a dusty chessboard, OH THE SYMBOLISM! White looking like he's been lost on a desert isle for decades says "I always knew death would wear a familiar face, but not yours." Which is ironic as Craig's pasty, stark white pallor looks like the reaper incarnate. Craig informs White SPECTRE is looking to kill him, which shouldn't come as a surprise to White, as he's in such deep hiding for just that reason. White tells Craig he found "Thallium" in his phone (I assume this is some sort of radioactive substance), which is killing him. So SPECTRE is such a thorough organization, they poison a man by sabotaging his cell phone then send an assassin to find and murder him? Talk about belt and suspenders! Throughout this exchange the men slide the mystical SPECTRE ring back and forth across the dusty chessboard,just to sledge hammer the symbolic point home!
Craig asks what White did to incur the ire of Blowy, White says he disobeyed him; He "Followed him as far as he could, but he (Blofeld) changed". He changed how? Did he go from an unhinged, psychotic, sociopath bent on world domination, to a slightly more unhinged, psychotic, sociopath bent on world domination? And I guess that was just a little too much for you eh, Whitey? Perhaps it was Blofeld's newly found penchant for white Persian cats that drove him away, "He knew I was allergic, but he kept on petting Mr. Whiskers, right in front of me!"
Craig asks White where Blowers is and White tells him "He's EVERYWHERE! Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating with your family!" How existential! So Craig's trying to find Blofeld? Why not kill another one of his henchmen and attend the funeral? Call Felix and have the widow Sciarra tell you when the next meeting is, since she seems to know all this stuff? Craig comes to the realization White is protecting someone. How? I don't know! Just because we said so!
Craig further deduces that someone is White's daughter. White states "You won't find her, she's smarter than me, she's cleaver, she knows how to hide!" we'll see just what a laugh that statement is later. Craig gives his word to protect the daughter, to which White laughs "Your word, the word of an assassin?"
Let me sidebar here for a moment. Ever since Casino Royal EON has been pushing this "Bond is an assassin" B.S. I don't know about you, but I never saw Bond as an "assassin", he killed men in the line of duty sure, but never as a matter of course, his orders never were "Go kill Mr. X". Bond has always been an investigator, CDR. Strangways goes missing Bond is sent to investigate, nuclear bombs are stolen Bond investigates, a submarine disappears Bond investigates, you get the picture. However since the reboot we've been constantly told Bond is some sort of cold calculating killer, he's a governmental mafia type hitman, despite never getting orders to assassinate! In fact Craig has never gotten orders of any kind, as he's always found an excuse to go rogue!
Back to the plodding plot advancement. Craig produces his pistol and slides it across the chessboard to White. Stating "That's my word." (Check?) White picks it up awkwardly cocks it with both hands (being an accomplished assassin he knows the best way to ready a PPK is with the middle of his two thumbs). (Counter Check?) White points the pistol at Craig in what is supposed to be a tense dramatic move, but falls well short of the mark. After an extremely pregnant pause White lowers the gun and says "L'American", "She knows L'American, she can lead you to L'American", "Try the Hoffler clinic", and then delivers the line we've all been waiting for… "You're a kite dancing in a hurricane Mr. Bond", (Check Mate!) before shooting himself, I can sympathize, after watching that scene and hearing that corny line I wanted to shoot myself too. You'll want to commit seppuku as well when I tell you we are one whole hour in and still have one and a half left to go, yes we have an entire Quantum Of Solace left in this movie!
Craig flinches when the shot is fired cuz he's such a bad ass, cold blooded assassin, picks up the one ring and his pistol, while closing the dead man's eyes, what an exposition of the character's duality! He tosses his friend in a dumpster one movie, then gently closes the eyes of a terrorist in another. Craig rifles through White's pockets looking for clues, to what I'm not sure, when he finds a poorly photo shopped, sepia tone picture of a little girl and a bearded man whom I assume is supposed to be White, the photo quality is that bad, I can't tell who is supposed to be in it. (I'm starting to detect a theme here with the photographic special effects) Craig takes the photo and leaves, he takes the time to rifle through the man's pockets, but doesn't think to check the rest of the house, maybe that little command center where he found White in the first place? Maybe take the surveillance tapes? He's going to wish he did a little later.
Cut to M and C in the new "Surveillance Center", C telling M, how it's all been funded by private "benefactors", since when do private entities fund government espionage agencies? M and C share some stilted dialog about George Orwell and looking over everyone's shoulder, before C plays a tape containing Moneypenny and Craig's conversation which took place during the chase. Now correct me if I'm wrong but didn't that conversation take place on the cell phone Craig gave Moneypenny before leaving, so this precise thing wouldn't happen? Was Craig so stupid as to not get a burner phone for himself and instead call her on his own? C makes a comment about M's inability to control his agents (Burn!), I in turn can't control my gag reflex.
Cut back to Mr. White's cabin in the woods, where a man is skulking around his body, which is being devoured by the crows from earlier. It's Mr. Hinx, come to accomplish his task, but finds he's been beaten to it. Hinx spots the security camera and unlike Craig he's smart enough to check the tape…


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The Maker Show: Episode 16 - The Miniscule ESP8266
In this episode of the maker show, we will take a look at the inexpensive and very small ESP8266. This tiny wireless device brings a very simple way to connect your thing to the internet or a local gateway.
In the presentation, I reference Jeremy Foster's video on using Fusion360 to model an existing part into your project. He used the ESP8266 as an example in The Maker Show: Episode 4
Because these devices can run for a long time on a little power, I am using these devices for a project in my backyard garden. Look for a future Maker Mini for more details.
Right click to download this episode
- Low Quality MP4 (26.0 MB)
- High Quality MP4 (303.0 MB)
- Mid Quality MP4 (111.8 MB)
More episodes in this series
The Maker Show: Episode 17 - Coding & GPIO in Windows 10 IoT Core
Related episodes
The Maker Show: Episode 18 - Easy IoT with the Tessel 2
The Maker Show: Episode 17 - Coding & GPIO in Windows 10 IoT Core
WinHEC Anniversary Update Planning Event – Slides Available
The Maker Show: Episode 15 - Using Voltage Regulators to Power your Projects
The Maker Show: Episode 14 - SignalR with the Raspberry Pi
CodeChat 060 - Toradex Makes a Cool, Little Windows 10 IoT Board
WinHEC Shenzhen - Fall Workshop
IoT Solutions and Azure Cosmos DB
IoT support for .NET Core
Introduction to IoT Plug and Play
The Discussion
Love these boards Brian! Thanks for the video.
For other viewers, just FYI, there are a number of "Azure IoT Starter Kits" (link) available. One of kits from Adafruit and has the Huzzah ESP8266 board in a "Feather" format (link). There is a set of tutorials as well that walks you through publishing temperature data up to Azure via IoT Hubs, Stream Analytics, Table Storage, Azure Event Hubs, and a Node.js Web App (link).


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Monday, April 2, 2018
Corporate & Securities Litigation Workshop - Call for Papers
From our friends at the Workshop for Corporate & Securities Litigation:
The University of Richmond School of Law, in conjunction with Boston University School of Law, University of Illinois College of Law, and UCLA School of Law, invites submissions for the Sixth Annual Workshop for Corporate & Securities Litigation. This workshop will be held on October 19-20, 2018 at the University of Richmond School of Law in Richmond, Virginia.
This annual workshop brings together scholars focused on corporate and securities litigation to present their scholarly works. Papers addressing any aspect of corporate and securities litigation or enforcement are eligible, including securities class actions, fiduciary duty litigation, and comparative approaches. We welcome scholars working in a variety of methodologies, as well as both completed papers and works-in-progress.
Authors whose papers are selected will be invited to present their work at a workshop hosted by the University of Richmond. Hotel costs will be covered. Participants will pay for their own travel and other expenses.
If you are interested in participating, please send the paper you would like to present, or an abstract of the paper, to firstname.lastname@example.com by Friday, May 25, 2018. Please include your name, current position, and contact information in the e-mail accompanying the submission. Authors of accepted papers will be notified by late June.
Any questions concerning the workshop should be directed to the organizers: Jessica Erickson (email@example.com), David Webber (email@example.com), Verity Winship (firstname.lastname@example.com), and Jim Park (email@example.com).


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I came across this recipe and thought it was too cute for words!
If you go by the original directions, it states to freeze the roll. I did not, which is probably why my Rudolph looks a little more bloated than the picture with the original recipe.
Bloated or not, he is dang cute!
1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
Pretzel twists
Mini chocolate chips
Red cinnamon candies
1. Cut dough, about ¼ inch thick
2. Break pretzels to make antlers
3. Squeeze dough round towards the bottom to make a "snout" area
4. Place mini chips for eyes
5. Place cinnamon candy for nose
6. Bake according to package directions
Love, Love, Love semi homemade recipes!
Rudolph with your nose so bright!


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Content for Saturday, July 16, 2011
Blog Entries
- U.S. Sandcastle Open Band Lineup July 23 - 24
1 comment
- IBA Warns Council On Parking Estimates For Balboa Park Garage
2 comments
- Scott Martin Latin Soul Band
- Craft Beer's in the Pink at La Jolla's La Valencia Hotel
- Burrito Barato: Surfin' California at Lucha Libre
- Rainbows Everywhere!
3 comments
- Happy Trails Nancy
1 comment
- Blow Out the Pilot Light: JLo and Marc Anthony Kaput!
33 comments
- Vokab Kompany's New Tour & Fresh Kut
News & Stories
Serenity Found at San Onofre State Beach
There's one thing I don't understand about San Diegans: why would you want to go to the beach on the 4th of July when you can go there 365 days a year? I mean the ...


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MIAMI—It was a little over an hour before the latest biggest game of the season, and Kyle Lowry's shots were missing all sorts of ways: short, long, left, right. He tried again. He slowed his release down a little, found a spot on the left side that worked, sped it back up. Swish, swish, swish. Near the baseline, broadcaster Sherman Hamilton, a former player, murmured: Seems like the days you miss everything in warm-up are the days the ball goes in. Kyle Lowry hadn't made shots for a month-and-a-half, but he kept trying. An hour to go.
"I don't doubt myself," Lowry said later, a small bandage over his left eye. "There is no such thing as doubting yourself."
And, finally, Kyle Lowry came back. Toronto had been waiting for him, and he came back. The Raptors were winning Game 3 against the Miami Heat, who had lost their monster centre, and then the Raptors lost their monster centre, like this was some kind of chess match, like they had exchanged queens. The Heat started rolling, and Dwyane Wade, the old Hall of Famer, rose to the moment. The Heat crowd, a laid-back crew, were singing along with Seven Nation Army, thundering. The Raptors were coming apart.
But Kyle Lowry came back. He had hit a three-pointer to start the half, and then another. Hmm. The 30-year-old points had missed 96 of his last 139 shots, had openly said it was messing with his head. In Game 1 he had tried to avoid shooting the ball altogether. In this game, with Toronto's two all-stars flailing again, Valanciunas had become the centre of things. Lowry had four points in a quiet first half.
Then Valanciunas was gone. Lowry came back.
"That's the Kyle I know," said DeMar DeRozan.
"Kyle went back to being Kyle," said head coach Dwane Casey.
"I don't think we played him that poorly, either," said Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra.
Lowry's third quarter was revelation, a flashback, a return. He scored 15 points, and Wade exploded for 18, and the game was tied entering the fourth. The Heat run reached 32-13 and with 8:49 left Miami was up six, and the Raptors' offence looked gummed in glue again. All season long the Raptors relied on Lowry in these situations: they'd be up two or three, tight game, and he'd hit a string of middle-finger shots to cinch it.
Two games earlier his teammates said he looked beaten. His old friend Goran Dragic said he was thinking too much. All that vanished into the afternoon air.
"He was hitting shots, he was happy," said Patrick Patterson. "We just tried to do whatever possible to keep him happy. We tried to free up some room for him to create opportunities, and just keep feeding the monster. He was hitting shots, and he was keeping us in that game. When he was hitting the shots, he started calling more plays for himself. He was just feeling it, saying he wanted the ball."
Did Lowry tell them he was feeling good, finally? That his shot was back in alignment, smooth and assured?
"He never does it," said Patterson. "The Cleveland game (when Lowry scored a career-high 43), he didn't did that. No matter how he's feeling, he doesn't let us know. He's just playing within the moment."
Down the stretch, Lowry was a killer again. A three-pointer to take the lead back, 80-78. A pump fake the Heat finally had to honour, followed by a cutting layup on a give-and-go with Patterson. Lowry missed one with the game tied but got another chance, and dropped a bomb from the right side, 85-82. The Heat clawed back, and it was a one-point game in the final minute and Lowry faced Wade, the old dog, the basketball genius. Lowry drove left, put his shoulder into Wade, everything under control. He pulled up from 16, no hesitation. Bang.
Joe Johnson missed a three to tie, and DeRozan made his free throws. In the second half Lowry had 29 points on 9-for-13 shooting, 5-of-5 three-pointers, 6-for-6 from the line. In that span, facing collapse, the rest of the Raptors shot 4-for-21. Kyle Lowry returned, and saved them.
"I had some good people, the people who can get to me, they got to me," said Lowry, who went 11-for-19 for 33 points in the game, with two assists. "For the most part, (they said), go out there and keep playing." He pointed to DeRozan. "I've got a guy to my left, he's probably my biggest supporter, and backbone to me right now. And he said 'Just keep going.' He's always going to ride or die with the decisions I make, and my teammates too. So just go out there and take the shots I've taken all year."
This series isn't over. But the guess is that Hassan Whiteside's knee injury will end his season for Miami, and the Heat backups are a salvage yard. Jonas Valanciunas's ankle is a problem, but not a season-ender, probably. This isn't over, because the Raptors make things hard, always, always.
But the Toronto Raptors are two wins from the franchise's first conference finals in history. And Kyle Lowry, the real Kyle Lowry, looks like he's back.


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How to Use Housing Data on Your Beat
Course Overview
- Title:
- How to Use Housing Data on Your Beat
- Type:
- Webinar
- Cost:
- This $29.95 Webinar is free due to the generous support of Zillow.
- Originally Broadcast On:
- November 19, 2015
- Time Estimate:
- One hour for the main presentation and questions. Sometimes presenters stay longer to answer additional questions from participants.
About Webinars
In this virtual classroom, participants can join in a seminar led by Poynter faculty and visiting faculty. This screencast includes live audio and a slideshow presentation in which participants can post questions and respond to poll questions posed by the host.
- This Webinar was originally broadcast on:
- November 19, 2015 Enroll Now
- Watch and listen to the original one-hour Webinar in its entirety. This Webinar recording features the full presentation led by Poynter faculty and visiting faculty including Q&A from the audience and resources from the presenter.
Housing stories aren't always about real estate. In this free Webinar, a housing economist will introduce you to the sexiest dataset she's ever met, and show you how to use it to tell stories about your community. You'll learn how to unlock stories about crime, culture, politics and much more with free housing metrics available online.
Think for a moment about stories in your community in which housing plays a part. Can the middle class afford the rent? Are people of color able to get a mortgage? Where are the "sweet spots" – where jobs are plentiful and housing is cheap? Which neighborhoods are gentrifying, and what does that mean for culture and crime? In this Webinar, you'll find out how to make sense of all this information.
What Will I Learn:
- About housing data available on Zillow and how to download it in a usable form, all the way down to the ZIP code or neighborhood level.
- How to mix publicly available data from Zillow, the Census, local government and various federal agencies to reveal stories about your community.
- Housing statistics 101: new and existing home sales, the Case Shiller index, negative equity… what do they mean, and how should each be used?
- How to sort through available housing data to find out what is best for the story you're trying to tell. Discover the differences between all those median rent and median home-value metrics.
Who Should Take this Course:
Reporters, producers, designers, developers and graphic artists who are interested in building web apps about trends and stories in their coverage areas. Business reporters who want to become more sophisticated in their coverage of residential real estate. Metro reporters from various beats who want enterprise-story ideas and help knowing how to fill out stories with reliable housing metrics and statistics.
Course Instructor:
Skylar Olsen
Skylar Olsen is a senior economist at Zillow. Her research is used by consumers, policy makers, and other researchers to understand real estate markets and make better decisions. While authoring works such as A House Divided – How Race Colors the Path to Homeownership and numerous other Zillow research projects, she also creates many of Zillow's real estate indices and metrics, including the Buyer-Seller Index and the Buy-Rent Breakeven Horizon. Skylar also heads the economic research team at Zillow affiliate, StreetEasy, in New York. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Washington specializing in econometrics and environmental economics. Her academic work focused on using housing data to explore environmental issues. Prior to her work at Zillow, Skylar was honored for teaching excellence by the University of Washington.
Technical Requirements:
1.4GHz Intel® Pentium® 4 or faster processor (or equivalent) for Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1
512MB of RAM (1GB recommended) for Windows 7 or Windows 8
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10, 11; Mozilla Firefox; Google Chrome
Adobe® Flash® Player 11.2+
1.83GHz Intel Core™ Duo or faster processor
512MB of RAM (1GB recommended)
Mac OS X 10.7.4, 10.8, 10.9
Mozilla Firefox; Apple Safari; Google Chrome
Adobe Flash Player 11.2+
Bandwidth - 1.5 Mbits/sec up and down. We strongly suggest viewing our Webinars with a wired connection.
Some networks, especially those that use a proxy server, may encounter difficulty connecting to our Webinar software. If this is your first Poynter NewsU Webinar, please test your connection.
This Webinar contains audio. Please adjust your headphones or speakers.
Questions? Read our Webinar FAQ or contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
You can watch our Live Webinars on your iPad with a free Adobe Connect app. To watch Webinar replays, your iPad must be able to view Flash media players. The Live Webinar experience on your iPad is very similar to watching it from your computer. You can watch the video, follow the presentation, respond to polling questions, ask the presenter questions and participate in any discussion forums.
Download the free Adobe Connect app from iTunes here. To access the live event, click on the "Join Live Event Now" button on the Webinar landing page. The virtual room will automatically load. Viewing recorded Webinars on iOS devices is not currently supported.


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A properly sized protein skimmer is key to the success of any marine aquarium system—provided it's actually doing the job it's intended to do, that is. Sometimes protein skimmers just keep right on skimming with little or no foam and subsequent liquid skimmate to show for their effort. Why does this happen? Here are six … [Read More]
6 Reasons for Poor Protein Skimmer Foam Production
January 20, 2014 by 6 Comments


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17 Sep The Wand™ by PureWine in Action
I really look forward to a glass of wine at the end of a long day, or at dinner with my wife, or socially with good friends and family. Several years ago, I began to notice significant, uncomfortable side effects after drinking a glass or two of wine. My throat would get scratchy, my head congested and I usually suffered from headaches and foggy thinking the next morning.
Turns out I'm not alone! Millions of Americans enjoy drinking wine, and a large percentage of that group has wine sensitivities. A smaller, but significant population has given-up wine completely because their allergic reactions are too severe.
As scientists and problem solvers, my son Derek and I set out to find a solution. We consulted with researchers at leading universities and spent a lot of time in the lab. Three years later, the Wand™ wine filters were born.
One The Wand™ per glass of wine. Stir in wine for three minutes. Place The Wand™ in package and dispose after use.
The Wand™ wine filters effectively remove the agents in wine known to cause side effects, such as headaches and allergic reactions. By simultaneously removing allergens (histamines) and preservatives (sulfites), TheWand™ wine filters make it possible for everyone to savor their favorite variety of wine and skip the dreaded side effects. Additionally, the filtration process rapidly aerates the wine, opening up your wine and maximizing its full flavor potential.
I invite you to watch this quick animation to see the The Wand™ wine filter in action.
To your good health!
P.S. – Stay tuned! You can "like" us on Facebook for frequent updates and lifestyle content. Our wine filters will be available for sale later this fall.


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Javelin Hunt
A downloadable game for Android
Are you ready for the wild world adventure full of fun and challenges? Want to experience the ancient hunting life style? Now, enjoy this best javelin hunt game in store.
In the game, you will use javelins to hunt wild animals - tiger, leopard, elephant ... which are all lovely and animating. Starting as a newbie, you have to overcome all the difficulties and challenges before you become a javelin master. With glass board, wood plank, seesaw and balls, it is even more challenge and fun. Too difficult to pass a level? Well, a powerful bomb to get the job done. Be sure to check the help in the game for details about how to play.
Game Play:
- Click the coin to get free coins and buy new items.
- The left side of foxtail lily is javelin launch area.
- You can drag the screen on the right side of the foxtail lily only after launched javelin hit target and disappear.
- Throwing the javelin with a trace of parabola may work best mostly.
- Try different force and angle to fling your finger.
- If a ball run fast enough, it can kill animals.
- Unlock various achievements after completing the missions.
- Reach the TOP of Leaderboard to compete with friends.
With intuitive control and addictive levels, enjoy this javelin sports game now.
|Shooter, Sports
|Action RPG, hunt
|Average session
|A few seconds
|Arabic, German, Greek Modern, English, Spanish; Castilian, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Malay, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese
|Touchscreen, Smartphone
|Configurable controls, Textless
Also available on
Leave a comment
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.


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Scottsdale ArtWalk - December 26, 2019
Wander into galleries while strolling around tree-covered courtyards, famed restaurants, and more in Downtown Scottsdale!
ArtWalks are free to the public every Thursday evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (except Thanksgiving) along Main Street from Scottsdale Rd. west to Goldwater Blvd., and on Marshall Way north of Indian School Rd. to Fifth Ave.
Restaurants, museums and free trolley and/or horse-drawn carriage rides are available during ArtWalk to transport folks from numerous free parking areas throughout the Scottsdale Arts District and Scottsdale Downtown.
Scottsdale ArtWalk: America's Original
Scottsdale ArtWalk, "America's Original ArtWalk" is much like a large, easy-going open house for the Scottsdale Arts District. Member galleries belonging to the Scottsdale Gallery Association (SGA) open their doors to the public. They show off works of the Southwest's outstanding artists.
People love the fabulous weather and Scottsdale Downtown ambiance. They often plan an entire evening that combines ArtWalk with a foray for drinks, dining or the theater.
Be prepared to be surprised by the wide array of artistic styles that are represented by Scottsdale galleries! From Western traditional to cutting-edge contemporary, from Southwest landscapes and Native American subjects to Russian Impressionism and more. Scottsdale ArtWalk keeps you on your cultural toes!
Casual and eclectic, it's a great time to visit the galleries and discover fabulous artists. Several times per year, the Scottsdale Gallery Association "pulls out all the stops" for Special Event ArtWalks with live music along the streets and special themed events. For more information, visit their website.


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While Hexxcom core strengths lie in the Indian market, through strategic partnerships and Hexxcom infrastructure the firm has been able to duplicate its systems and processes enabling our client's seamless integration into other emerging south-to-south markets and beyond, including:
Brazil, China, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Dubai, East and South Africa, Poland, Ukraine and Russia.
By assembling leading teams of experts with deep knowledge and strong public and private sector relationships in key markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and beyond, Hexxcom's regional expertise grows from strength to strength for the benefit of our clients.
Clients value our ability to help them navigate the complex and often converging worlds of business and finance; media, public opinion and society; and government and public policy, gaining peace of mind in the knowledge that they are dealing with a professional firm with whom they already have an existing working relationship.
Our diverse and hands-on global team of experts come from the environments clients need to reach. Led by seasoned strategists Hexxcom works to create and implement strategic and tailored solutions designed to advance clients' objectives.
To learn more about our regional expertise use our contact form or email us at email@example.com


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"How are you doing?" Someone asks as if it's an easy answer.
I know they mean well, but the truth is, my real, honest answer is going to take more than the 3 minutes and 40 seconds most people are really willing to commit to listening… or half-listening.
No, if you really want to know how I am doing, the answer isn't a one-word "fine" or "ok." You see, I have just been walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I have been grieving, and I have MUCH to praise God for, much I am THANKFUL for, but it's been rough, to say the least.
Answering "I'm good" or "doing better" simply won't suffice because though I grieve, I have much to GIVE THANKS to God for.
It seems ungrateful to God to leave the answer with a phony or superficial "fine."
What I desire to tell people is this: I just lived out and am living out Psalm 30!
"I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed [art healing] me.
O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made supplication.
What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth?
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou, my helper.
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever."
Psalm 30, KJV
Oh, how I have cried unto the Lord.
Some of the deepest groans and lamentings I have ever experienced were sung to the Lord upon the death of our baby.
In the midst of this tragedy, I nearly perished losing well over half of my blood (close to 60%). I could say that it was an accumulation of many people who saved my life starting with my husband, the surgeon, my daughter, and a friend, BUT it was God who chose to save my life.
Through this tragedy and suffering there has been weeping and mourning, but there has also been laughter, singing, and joy because our joy is the Lord's. It's not ours- IT'S HIS JOY!
What good is my life if I die? How can I give You praise from the grave? How will I declare Your truth then?
Gird me with gladness has been my daily prayer.
"To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and NOT be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever."
As I have been reading through the Psalms, journaling every Psalm that ends with Selah, our daughter's name, I do what her name means: I pause, think, watch, and praise. Read my post here about what her name means.
There is much grieving, weeping, and crying out to God are all throughout the Psalms, but what is most beautiful to me is the lesson we all should glean from the painful sorrow the writers lamented and expressed–they always gave thanks to God and praised His holy name forever.
James 1:2-3 challenges us.
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."
No matter what we walk through in this life, we are called to give thanks, to praise His holy name, and to worship Him. To know God and make Him known. To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Read my post, We Will Worship While Weeping, where I share 20 of the most touching songs that lead my heart, mind, and soul to worship in the midst of grief.
It is a bittersweet paradox to walk through the hardest aspects of life with Jesus.
Most people, even some Christians who haven't yet experienced the sting of this fallen life to the fullest extent, can't understand the joy and hope we truly can have in the midst of grieving. People can even get mad not understanding that life IS HARD, but GOD IS GOOD!
No matter how hard life gets, we get to live with GLADNESS and JOY that is SUPERNATURAL because it isn't something we can strive to have, we just HAVE it. It's in us because God's Spirit lives in us.
The "fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
If you have the Spirit in you, that fruit isn't based upon earthly circumstance, it should be evident even during the trial! When we live by the Spirit, these are the fruits others can bear witness to as our reaction to trials: temperance, peace, longsuffering, faith, and joy.
We can grieve like Jesus did BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
We can worship while weeping and as we worship our sorrow is turned into gladness and thankfulness. We can give thanks in the midst of grieving, not because of our nature, but because it's the nature of the Holy Spirit who lives in us–by whom we live.
So how am I?
I'm Giving Thanks in the midst of Grieving and I am worshiping when I weep and watching His Spirit have it's full effect in my heart as I heal.


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Two teenage boys have been named winners of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, a championship tie for the first time in 52 years. But how could this happen? Aren't there enough tough words to go around?
Sriram Hathwar, a 14-year old eighth grader from Painted Post, N.Y., and Ansun Sujoe, a 13-year-old seventh grader from Fort Worth, will each be awarded $30,000.
Their rare tie is rooted in the bee's rules that specify that a list of 25 championship words are used after the competition is whittled down to two or three contestants. To win, a speller has to get the first word right. If the competitor gets the second word wrong, the first speller then needs to spell a third word correctly to win.
As the competition moved forward Thursday night, 23 words were exhausted in the final 10 go-rounds. With three words needed to declare a winner and just two left, organizers had to declare a tie.
Bee organizers didn't respond to requests to comment on whether changing rules to not allow ties has ever been considered.
The last tie was in 1962 when Nettie Crawford of Roswell, N.M., and Michael Day of Hardin, Ill., bested 70 others and used up 59 words in the championship rounds.
Crawford, the daughter of New Mexico farmers and Day, the son of an Illinois government worker, each won $1,000--about $7,800 in today's dollars.
Both received celebratory parades and more gifts when they returned to their hometowns, local newspapers reported at the time. Crawford rode in a convertible through Roswell. One administrator remarked about Day, that he had "hit a bigger home run than Stan Musial ever hit."
Similar celebrations are in store for Hathwar and Sujoe, who beat out 279 others.
The co-winners appeared to immediately enter gemeinschaft, a community of strong kinship -- and a word Sujoe spelled correctly Thursday night. In other words, they were close comrades, or corpsbruders -- a word Hathwar correctly spelled.
"The competition was against the dictionary, not against each other," Hathwar said during a televised interview after the draw. "I'm happy to share this trophy with him."
Both Sujoe and Hathwar are Indian-American, making it seven years in a row that an Indian-American has won the bee. The U.S. has nearly 3 million Indian-Americans, less than 1% of the population.
Crawford, a 13-year-old eighth grader when she won, now lives in Texas and didn't respond to requests to comment. Day, a 14-year-old eighth grader back in 1962, couldn't be located.
Co-champions have been declared in four of the 87 spelling bees.


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Terms and Conditions
Please read the following terms and conditions ("Terms") of use carefully before using The Law Firm of Stacey A. Davis website, owned by The Law Firm of Stacey A. Davis (the "Firm"), located at http://www.staceydavislaw.com/ (the "Website"). Without any additional action on your part, your use, access or viewing of, or submission of any content to or through (collectively, "use"), the Website is subject to, and constitutes your acceptance of and agreement with, these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Website. Before continuing, print off or save a local copy of these Terms for your records.
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5. No Warranties. YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE AND ANY LINKED WEBSITES IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. AS BETWEEN THE FIRM AND YOU, YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR OTHER DEVICE AND LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE. NEITHER THE FIRM NOR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES NOR ANY THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING OR DELIVERING THE WEBSITE SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES (INCLUDING, LOST PROFITS OR SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE OR ANY LINKED WEBSITE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, EVERYTHING AT THE WEBSITE IS PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS" AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE FIRM MAKES NO AND DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE WEBSITE, ANY INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE AND YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES REGARDING THE ACCURACY, CURRENCY OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE OR THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. THE FIRM MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS THAT: YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS; YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE OR FREE FROM ERROR; ANY INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE; OR DEFECTS IN THE WEBSITE WILL BE CORRECTED. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties; therefore the preceding exclusion may not apply in whole or in part to you.
6. No Assumption of Liability. THE FIRM ASSUMES NO AND DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY FOR ANY: MISTAKES OR INACCURACIES IN THE INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE; ANY FAILURE OR REFUSAL TO UPDATE ANY INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE; PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE ARISING OUT OF OR RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE OR ANY INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE; ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR USE OF THE FIRM'S SERVERS OR ANY PERSONAL OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION STORED IN OR ON THE FIRM'S SERVERS; ANY INTERRUPTION OR CESSATION OF TRANSMISSION TO OR FROM THE WEBSITE; ANY PROGRAM ROUTINE, DEVICE, CODE OR INSTRUCTION OR OTHER FEATURE THAT A THIRD PARTY MAY SUBMIT, POST, INTRODUCE OR TRANSMIT TO OR THROUGH THE WEBSITE THAT IS CAPABLE OF ACCESSING, MODIFYING, DELETING, DAMAGING, DISABLING, DEACTIVATING, INTERFERING WITH OR OTHERWISE HARMING ANY SOFTWARE, COMPUTER, NETWORK, DATA OR OTHER ELECTRONICALLY STORED INFORMATION, PROGRAM OR SYSTEM, INCLUDING ANY DROP DEAD DEVICE, MALICIOUS LOGIC, WORM, ERROR, DEFECT, TRAP DOOR, BUG, VIRUS, TROJAN HORSE OR THE LIKE (COLLECTIVELY, "VIRUS") THAT THIRD PARTIES MAY SUBMIT, POST, INTRODUCE OR TRANSMIT TO OR THROUGH THE WEBSITE; ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN ANY CONTENT OR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF ANY INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE; INFORMATION ON OR FUNCTIONALITY OF ANY WEBSITE THAT MAY BE LINKED TO ON THE WEBSITE; OR ANY CONTENT, PRODUCT OR SERVICE THAT A THIRD PARTY OFFERS OR ADVERTISES OR THAT IS REFERENCED ON OR THROUGH THE WEBSITE.
7. Prohibited Uses. You are solely responsible for your acts or omissions that occur when using the Website. You may not copy, reproduce, duplicate, sell, trade, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, license, reverse engineer, decompile, exploit or modify any part of the Website or extract or attempt to extract any source code from the Website. You may not circumvent, disable or otherwise interfere with security-related features of the Website or features that prevent or restrict use or copying of any information on or which enforce limitations on use of the Website. You may not engage in unacceptable use of the Website including, use of the Website to: transmit unsolicited or unauthorized advertisements, spam, messages, chain letters or unsolicited commercial electronic mail; transmit material that may be abusive, obscene, pornographic, defamatory, harassing, grossly offensive, vulgar, threatening or malicious; transmit files, graphics, software or other material that actually or potentially infringes, violates or contravenes, breaches or constitutes an unauthorized use or misappropriation of any intellectual property right, including any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret or other intellectual property or proprietary right of any person; submit, post, introduce or transmit any Virus to or through the Website; engage in systematic retrieval of data or other content from the Website by any means (including, the use of scrapers or other tools) to create or compile, directly or indirectly, a collection, compilation, database or directory without prior written permission from The Firm; interfere with or disrupt servers or networks connected to the Website; or engage in any other activity that is prohibited by law or applicable regulations or deemed by The Firm to be in conflict with the spirit or intent of these Terms.
8. Links to Other Websites. The Website may contain links to websites maintained by other companies. The Firm is providing these links to you only as a convenience. The inclusion of any link does not and should not imply that The Firm endorses or warrants any third-party website or third-party company or product.
9. Applicable Law. The Website can be accessed from every U.S. state, as well as from other countries around the world. Each of those places has laws that may differ from those of Alabama, where The Firm is located. The laws of the State of Alabama, without regard to its conflicts of law principles, will apply to all disputes based on, arising out of, or relating to your use of the Website or any information it contains. With respect to such disputes, you submit to the exclusive personal jurisdiction and venue of any court in Birmingham, Alabama and waive any objections or defenses contrary to such submission.
10. Indemnification. You will indemnify, hold harmless and defend The Firm and its members, attorneys, licensors, successors, or assigns from and against any claim, action, demand, cause of action, suit, proceeding, loss, cost, expense, damage, debt or liability, including reasonable legal costs and attorneys' fees, alleged or asserted by any person or actually incurred by The Firm, which arises out of or relates to: (a) your use or of the Website; (b) your breach or violation of any of these Terms; or (c) your breach or violation of any third party right, including any copyright, property, publicity or privacy right.
11. Changes to this Notice. The Firm may revise or modify these Terms, either in whole or in part, at any time without prior notice to you, and such revisions and modifications will supersede this version of these Terms. You will be bound by any such revisions or modifications and should, therefore, visit this page each time you access the Website to review the then-current Terms. Print off or save a local copy of the then-current Terms for your records.
12. General. These Terms are severable and, if any provision is invalid, void or unenforceable in whole or in part for any reason, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. These Terms will be binding upon you and your successors, assigns, heirs, legatees, executors, administrators and representatives. The headings of the sections of these Terms are inserted for convenience of reference only, will not be construed as part of your agreement with The Firm under these Terms, and will in no way be construed as defining, limiting or affecting the scope or intent of these Terms. As used in these Terms, the word "may" shall be construed as permissive and the words "will" and "shall" shall be construed as imperative; and the terms "include" or "including" mean "include" or "including" without limiting the generality of any description or word preceding such term. Nothing in these Terms will prohibit The Firm from protecting and enforcing its rights under these Terms, its properties and interests to the maximum extent of the law. These Terms are the entire agreement and understanding between you and The Firm regarding their subject matter and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements and understandings regarding their subject matter, and no agreements, understandings, warranties or representations exist between you and The Firm other than these Terms, unless set out in a separate written agreement between you and The Firm.
Last revised February 1, 2014


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If I hire an item for a day, when do I have to return it?
A day rate is for a 24 hour period, starting from the time you collected it. For example, if you were to collect an item at 11am on a Tuesday, it would need to be returned by 11am on Wednesday. An extra day would be until 11am Thursday, and the full week would finish on 11am the next Tuesday.
You're not open Sundays, what if I want to hire over the weekend?
A special rate of the first day plus half of an extra day is charged for a weekend hire. We define a weekend hire as any item collected Friday afternoon or Saturday and returned Monday morning. Please check specific opening hours for your chosen depot HERE.
Do you deliver/collect?
We can deliver and collect anywhere within our operating area of Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales for a small fee. Other areas available by request. The exact cost will depend on distance.
Do I need to leave a deposit or show identification?
We require a deposit from all our customers. The amount will depend on the value of the items you are hiring. Deposits are taken as cash or on a debit card. Acceptable forms of photographic ID are a modern driving licence; or a passport with a current utility bill. Photocopies are not acceptable.
Are you open Bank Holidays?
We do not open Bank Holidays, but we do a special Bank Holiday rate of a first day plus an extra day. The Bank Holiday rate is for any item collected Friday afternoon or Saturday and returned Tuesday morning. Over Easter, this rate applies from Thursday afternoon to Saturday, or Saturday through to Tuesday morning. Please check specific opening hours for your chosen depot HERE.
Why are prices for large items of plant not listed?
Wirral Tool Hire is one of the leading independent hirers for plant in the North West. As such we hire out items not suited for domestic customers due to the risks involved. These items, notably diggers; dumpers; telehandlers; powered access; industrial chippers, generators and compressors, are only available to Trade Account customers with their own insurance in place. If you are a trade customer and would like an account please click HERE.
I can't find the item I need on your website. Does that mean you don't have it?
Not necessarily. Our website is getting constantly updated, and new tools are added to our hire fleet daily. We may have what your after but it hasn't been uploaded yet, or we may already have an item that will do the same job. Please call your LOCAL DEPOT to discuss your needs. Even if we can't help, we will always try and recommend someone who can.
Do you have any vacancies?
We are always looking for motivated individuals to join our growing team and help support our expanding business, particularly drivers and plant/vehicle fitters. We invite anyone interested in a position with us to send a C.V. to email@example.com


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Product added to your basketGo to your basket
Nora Cashmere Cardigan
50% Cashmere wool - 50% WoolRoyal blue
Crafted from a durable but creamy hand-sorted cashmere-wool blend, the Nora extends our most-coveted range to provide the ultimate in everyday indulgence: this midi cardigan features a classic button-down design that passes as outwear just as well as loungewear. Smooth, soft and warm like nothing else, the Nora Cashmere Cardigan in timeless shades makes the very best of wintery days – for you, or someone special.
The cardigan is wrapped in silk tissue paper and delivered in an elegant box: perfect for gifting. In addition, each cardigan is both OEKO-Tex certified and personally quality-checked by us to ensure you're investing in something that will last a lifetime.
Construction: Plain knit
Product weight: 210-240 g (dependent on size)
Design: Waist-length, button down cardigan.
Colour: Royal blue
Made with love in: Inner Mongolia
Designed with love in: Berlin, Germany
Certification: STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® BEGO 100211
Model is 174 cm tall and wears size S.
Care: Hand wash, maximum temperature 30° C. Do not bleach. Dry flat. Do not tumble dry. Do not iron. Professional dry cleaning, normal process.
Oeko-Tex Standard 100The STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is an independent test and certification process for all textiles at all stages of manufacturing. The certificate ensures that textile products adhere to companies' environmental and social responsibilities.
Find out more »
Shop certified products »
We deliver across Europe – delivery and customs charges are calculated at checkout based on the shipping country, or you can contact us for a quote for special deliveries worldwide. If for any reason you're not 100% happy with your order, you can return it within 100 days of receipt. See our deliveries and returns pages for more information.
Customer Reviews
A lovely soft, well fitting cashmere cardigan in a beautiful bright blue colour. A good buy that will become a favourite to wear!


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Wednesday, 11 December, 2019
Engineering ToolBox (Popularity: )
Tools and reference data for engineers.
Flange Supplier, Welding Neck flange (Popularity: )
Manufacturer and Supplier of Forged Flanges, Raised-Face Flanges, Socket Weld flange, Welding Neck flange, Threaded flange. We are suppling wide range of Lap-Joint flange, Stainless Steel Flanges, Slip-On flange, API ...
Structural Analysis Reference Library (Popularity: )
Links to material properties, stress analysis information and design reference data.
Engineering Fundamentals (Popularity: )
Provides data on materials & processes, design calculators, forums, and engineering references.
Mechanical Shocks and Vibrations (Popularity: )
Description of the main methods of analysis and laboratory simulation of mechanical environments. Book ordering function broken
Reliability Engineering Snapshot (Popularity: )
A monthly illustrated collection of actual failure analysis case studies in the fields of corrosion, lubrication, machine design, material properties, people, and vibration.
American Engineering Group (Popularity: )
American Engineering Group LLC (ISO 9001) started in the year 2000 has established itself as a brand in the high technology innovative product development, also well known for consulting in ...
Failure Analysis and Durability Improvement (Popularity: )
VFA Engineering Group provides failure analysis and design improvement services for a variety of industries, including aerospace, medical devices and electronics. VFA Engineering's site on Failure Analysis & Durability Improvement. ...
© 2015 Directory of Science. All Rights Reserved


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Serving San Diego, Oceanside, Carlsbad, & Nearby Areas of Southern California
At Avalon Lipo & Aesthetics, we specialize in liposuction and body contouring procedures to help you reach your cosmetic and aesthetic goals. Led by cosmetic surgeon Dr. Reza Tirgari, our goal is to help you achieve a beautiful, healthy body through the use of advanced treatments and techniques by our highly experienced staff so that you can be confident in how you look and feel.
If you would like to learn more about the liposuction and body contouring procedures we offer, contact us today to schedule your consultation at 619-494-3678 We happily serve the areas of San Diego and Carlsbad, California.
If you have areas of fat in your body, it can not only be embarrassing but it can also pose a risk to your health. While the best way to combat fat is by leading a healthy lifestyle fueled by diet and exercise, some people are genetically predisposed to stubborn pockets of fat. For those who can't eliminate excess fat with diet and exercise, we offer body contouring solutions to safely and effectively eliminate those troublesome fatty deposits.
If you have a specific problem area in your body and you want to get rid of the extra fat without making the skin sag, there are several body contouring options to choose from. Our highly skilled surgeon, who has treated many patients over the course of his career, is competent in performing multiple types of liposuction surgery.
At Avalon Lipo & Aesthetics, we offer body contouring procedures for many areas of the body, including:
We also offer specialized procedures that help with specific body-related issues, including:
It's important to understand that liposuction is not intended as a weight-loss solution and that the best candidates for any liposuction treatment are those who are at or near their ideal weight. These treatments help you get rid of those stubborn areas of fat that don't respond to diet and exercise but we always recommend leading a healthy lifestyle.
Please visit the above pages to learn more about each procedure. We also have a photo gallery where you can see before and after pictures of our liposuction patients.
When you come to Avalon Lipo & Aesthetics, you can expect a personal and professional experience from your first consultation through your recovery and post-treatment care. Dr. Tirgari is one of the most recognized and highly trained cosmetic surgeons in the area and continues to pursue the latest and most advanced liposuction methods.
Dr. Tirgari will listen to your concerns and draft a unique treatment plan that is tailored for you. And because safety is one of our utmost concerns, he'll also perform an overall health assessment to make sure that you are fit to undergo liposuction surgery.
We are excited to join you on your journey to a sexier and fitter you. Call us today for your consultation at 619-494-3678 We happily serve patients at our offices in San Diego and Carlsbad, CA.
Copyright © Avalon Lipo & Aesthetics. Disclaimer: The information throughout this liposuction website is not intended to be taken as medical advice. The information provided by Avalon Lipo & Aesthetics is intended to provide general information regarding liposuction, SmartLipo, laser lipo, tumescent liposuction, mommy makeovers, and more for residents of San Diego, Oceanside, Carlsbad, and nearby Southern California.This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact us today for a personal, consultation. View our nondiscrimination and ADA compliance statement.


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Abide Brewing Company is proud to be the first brewery in Newnan, Georgia. Local residents Matthew Kapusta, Evan Scanlan, and Philip Leonard developed their craft while home brewing. Together in 2013 they decided to follow their dreams and start a local nano-brewery that focused primarily on quality, flavor, and the unique techniques of brewing. Their desire is for the community to "accept without objection" Local Craft Ales.
Serving draft beer in Coweta, Fayette, Troup, Heard, Harris, and Meriwether Counties since February 2015 . Don't see us on tap? Ask for it and let us know! Cheers! NOW SERVING IN : Muscogee, Talbot, Chattahoochee, and Marion Counties!
Watch our Facebook page for regular updates on locations.


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Ever wonder how you can keep track of all the different services needed to manage the data produced by the Large Hadron Collider at CERN?
This Service Level Status demonstration, presented by Alessandro di Girolamo of CERN shows how it's done.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tracking Service Level Status for the LHC grid
Publié par Cristy Burne à l'adresse 11:39 AM
Libellés : EGEE 4th User Forum, EGEE 4th User Forum webcast, OGF25
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Planning & Projects
How to give your front garden a D.I.Y. makeover
With some simple D.I.Y. skills, you can transform your front yard into something special that will improve your home's street appeal.
Refresh your master bedroom
We'll show you how easy is to transform your master bedroom into a contemporary masterpiece.
Outdoor Living
How to build a D.I.Y. outdoor playground
Transform an unused corner of your backyard into a fun children's playground.
Paths & Landscaping
Landscaping for any size backyard
Here are some simple D.I.Y. landscaping ideas to make a great outdoor space.
Planting & Growing
What to plant in spring
Say goodbye to cold winter days and hello to the sun and warmth of spring. Now is the perfect time to get in the garden and start planting. But what to plant? Our spring planting guide has the answers.
Ideas & Makeovers
How to renovate and modernise your kitchen
Watch how we renovate an old 70s kitchen and give it a stylish D.I.Y. makeover that suits modern living.
Benchtops & Cabinets
What to consider when installing an outdoor Kaboodle kitchen
A kitchen is a great way to spruce up your outdoor living and entertaining areas. The team at Kaboodle share a few hints and tips on what to consider when designing your very own outdoor kitchen using their products.
D.I.Y. copper clothes rail
Create more space in your wardrobe with this easy-to-make industrial copper clothes rail.
If you want to know the weather in your local area, we'll show you how to make a D.I.Y. weather station. We'll take you through the various ways to monitor the rain, temperature, air pressure, wind speed and humidity in your own backyard.
Where you place your weather station is the key. The right position means it can more accurately measure the rainfall, temperature and wind speed. It's a good idea to place it inside a weather-box to prevent the sunlight and the wind from affecting the readings.
You can measure rainfall either with a rain gauge or a digital unit. A rain gauge collects water and has markings on the side to tell you how much rain has fallen. The digital unit will measure rainfall hourly, daily and weekly and stores the rain fall history.
There are several different types of thermometers you can use to measure the temperature. Both digital and traditional types can be mounted on an outside wall for an accurate reading. Some thermometers can even tell you the maximum and minimum temperature over a given period of time.


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Meet the Team
Kim Neal Davis – Director of Development
Kim is responsible for coordinating fundraising campaigns, planned giving opportunities, donor relations, annual gifts, memorial gifts, and other development functions. Having discovered a passion for serving her community, Kim has dedicated her career to not-for-profit development. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, boating, and reading. She also serves on the Dayton Lane Historic Neighborhood Board as well as the Hamilton Joe's Board.
If you are interested in an annual gift, a memorial gift, or a sponsorship of an upcoming Community First event, contact Kim at (513) 785-4059 or email@example.com
Carol McCollum – Development Assistant
With a passion for serving others and cultivating relationships with supporters, Carol is responsible for the organization and maintenance of a wide array of information and databases for Community First. When she's not at work, Carol enjoys traveling with her husband to see their grandchildren, fishing, hiking, and boating.
If you would like to update your contact information or have general gift questions, contact Carol at (513) 785-4794 or email@example.com


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I see on the internet that I am hosting the Uniform Panel at the 2019 Queens Baseball Convention. I will be joined by Russ from Stitches (that's the guy who makes the uniforms the Mets wear) so there's 15 minutes on #24 and the Kelvin Torre story right there, the great designer Todd Radom, and some collector dude named Jessie who has even more jerseys than Media Goon.
I should probably prepare something. Hey, you know what it's the 20th Anniversary of don't you…
You should come. Keith Hernandez is coming, so you should come. He will not be on my panel lol.


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Fall and I have always been "frenemies". I love the fall; the colors, smells, the cool breezes, and sweaters. It's always been my favorite season. But the fall has not always agreed with me. Big life changes seem to happen in the fall. Friends come and go. Marriages end and new relationships start. Marathons are run and marathons are quit. Whole worlds change in a matter of just a few short months.
For some reason the fall always makes me feel nostalgic for past times, even when the past wasn't always good to me, even when the present is so much better. I think about the friends that have walked away willingly and the friends that I have pushed away without even knowing I was doing it. I start to think: maybe I should reach out. Maybe I should make more of an effort to reconnect. Maybe I should remind them of how things used to be and let them know we can have it again.
And then I think…no. It's better this way.
I like my life right now. Correction, I love it. And I'm starting to realize that this wouldn't be my life right now if I continued to hold on to things that were not for me anymore.
I just read back over what I wrote and realized…it's ridiculous. It's not the post I wanted to write at all.
I tend to do this. I get these thoughts in my head about what I want to write about, and then in order to not make anyone upset at me, or in order to make things seem sunnier, I use flowery words to talk about how the changes in my life have made me who I am. It's not the journey, but the destination. Some people are meant to come and go, while others are meant to stay. And all kinds of other cliched crap that we all spout to make ourselves feel better in the weak moments.
Now, don't get me wrong, I most certainly believe those things. If you know me at all, you know I love a good inspirational saying, made all pretty, and instagrammed with a lovely hashtag to remind people (and myself) that life gets better and all that. But I realize now, I tend to hide behind these posts. I tend to hide behind these ideas. I tend to hide behind the overly typed words of my blog so that I don't have to face the real feelings that I have at that moment.
And why? Because I'm scare someone might read it and get mad or upset? Because I'm scared someone might judge me? Yes. Both of these things are true, but it's also because I'm scared of actually addressing the feelings that I have. Because when you do address them they become real, and no amount of pinterested life quotes can make them any better.
So after all that excess and explanation, here is what I really wanted to say.
In the past few years, I've lost quite a few friends. Some who I were close with got significant others and the friendship fell off. Some friendships fell apart when we realized we weren't meant for the long haul…that were were friends simply for circumstances or to fill a hole momentarily while we waited for someone else. Some friendships ended out of betrayal, on both parts.
For a while (ok in full honesty, for a long time) I was bitter. I tried to change for other people, I tried to be the person they wanted me to be. And when that didn't work I turned it all inward. I was judgemental…so judgemental. And gossipy. And mean. And so many other things. But then I simply got tired. I got tired of making all the effort. I got tired of being dropped or replaced. And I really got tired of carrying around the resentment and ill feelings I felt towards these people. Maybe it just wasn't in the cards for them to be a long term part of my life. And that's ok.
How much more time and energy was I willing to give up? And the answer now is none. No more fake promises and plans. No more hiding behind flowery words. It's simply time to embrace my life how it is. And you know what? It really is an amazing life. And not to sound cliche, but every single misstep I've taken has gotten me to this point. Life's too short to carry around baggage and resentments. If you fill up with all the bad stuff…where are the blessings going to go?
Having the last two days off have helped me quite a lot. I've been able to relax and think. I've been able to process and work through past issues I've had. I really do think I'm at the place where I'm ready to live my best life. No more hiding. No more feel of judgement. No more judging others. No more bitterness. Just me.