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Mary Jane: To Weed or not to Weed?
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Up until I left Jamaica, I had never been really close to the Cannabis Sativa plant. I knew what it smelled like (sort of) and I knew what it looked like from pictures. But my goody-two-shoes-persona would not have allowed me to fraternize too closely with the substance I knew had sent my cousin, Snoopy, off his rockers.
I also knew that when most of the men I grew up with smoked it, they were freer with their hands on my body, quicker to violence and less inclined to go to work. So whenever I heard that there was going to be weed somewhere, I absented myself, thus, preventing my ever having had to refuse it outright. Back then I didn't even drink.
Cut to life in America on the artist-circuit. I've never seen coke or heroine or meth, but I have heard that they were present in some rooms I have occupied. But Marijuana is everywhere. These lesbians in New York have bongs and blunts and joints and brownies and a whole lot of other shit I can't spell. Come to think of it, Denver dykes are no different, nor are the lesbians from Lansing. Drugs are simply a part of contemporary adult life in Urban America. (I just realized that these confessions may make it impossible for me to run for president later, but what the hell!)
Anyways, not only did I have to constantly refuse to take a toke over and over and over again, I had to also explain why the Jamaican girl with the big afro was anti-Mary Jane and her talents. I heard every pro-weed argument in the book: weed makes you more in-tune with your higher self; good grass will make me really enjoy sex; it makes chocolate better; it makes me less uptight (as if I mind being uptight!); weed will make me more fertile; weed will increase the amount in my bank account; weed will bring Jesus to me; weed is a gift from Jesus; weed will make Bush a human rights activist. Weed, in the art world, is seen as the rebel drug that has survived the cruel tactics of right wing government through the ages.
In my heart of hearts I wanted to try this miracle drug. It seemed like it could fix all my problems. I lie awake at night imagining that what my life would be like if I were a
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its a weedy world
weed ain't a miracle drug and as with all things in life it can be good and it can be bad.
first of all i would like people not to forget that its NOT a mood maker it does not make you happy etc. its a enlarger it multiplies so if your down or suicidal etc. then don't expect it to snap you out of it. ( it might just be the thing that pushes you over the edge then)
some people can benefit from weed for different reasons including medical ones
if some one wants to try weed i would urge them not to take it when there alone
best thing is to have some one around who aint using it at that moment. safety first.
personally i have used weed and still do ( in different forms/manners)
i for one do benefit from it but i know when to take it and when not to and
to me that is the key
(when used medical its recommended to use a appropriated device inhalator / vaporizer safer on the body it is specially long term thinking - if you can afford it)
last but not least i would like to say that every person is responsible for them self's and there own life and well being so what ever you do or choose ? its up to you !)
And whatever happened to
And whatever happened to cousin Snoopy?
I believe that you should
I believe that you should think really a lot about this question. I know that Jamaica is way too well known about the fact that weed is everywhere but that weed is healthy. the weed we have in the States is made most of it by chemicals. This weed we have in here is genetically modified. If you have a problem quitting the use of weed then you could try the Narconon Vista Bay treatment. You don't need to go to the rehab. It's enough that you order the medicine online. I could give you a website for that.
Hi Mystics, Thanks. :) Yeah
Hi Mystics,
Thanks. :) Yeah I know a couple of those people too. One got her PHD that way. Go figure. xoxo
"Fight Prime Time. Read a Book"
Whoops that was supposed to
Whoops that was supposed to post under Mystics...
"Fight Prime Time. Read a Book"
I am from B.C., home of the
I am from B.C., home of the "B.C. Bud", a cultivar developed by a former 70s Friend of Jesus hippy whom my sister met one time. He publicly apologised for what he had done to B.C. He and his buddies had moved north and wanted to make a strain of pot that would grow up here. They accidentally produced a variety that is about 10 times more potent than other kinds (and also has 10 times the side effects).
It has since been developed into a 10 billion dollar organised crime industry in B.C. (that makes it our number one industry, ahead of oil and gas, logging, and tourism). The distribution is mostly handled by biker gangs (esp. Hells Angels), though recently Russian Mafia have also been moving into the area. Much of the production is handled by people living in B.C.'s many remote areas. A disproportionate amount of the growers and users in our area are First Nations people (Native North Americans), probably because of the political and social mess government policies have inflicted on them. The effect of all this locally is high crime rates (gang-associated murder, assault, rape, and arson) and high rates of family break-ups and dysfunction, particularly among First Nations people. Drug driving accidents are common - including semi truck drivers and heavy equipment operators who drive high.
The scientific studies that show marijuana to be non-addictive and not harmful to your health were performed using other milder strains than the B.C. Bud.
The good news:
- Legalising marijuana would lessen the associated crime problems.
- Marijuana will not kill your brain cells.
- Medicinal marijuana is a whole lot better than morphine.
The bad news:
- Marijuana contains 15 times the tar of cigarettes.
- Marijuana contains 50 percent more carcinogens than cigarettes.
- Prolonged marijuana use restructures your brain cells in a way that causes permanent damage to your short-term memory (giving you a problem like alzheimers').
- B.C. Bud is as addictive as other illegal drugs.
I am a teacher and I know teenagers who have developed a pot habit because the high made them alert while studying for school tests. They are not yet 18 and they are addicts who struggle to think clearly or remember anything. They may have done well on a test or two, but they will now never make it to college.
Nothing good to say about recreational pot use at all, ever. And it stinks too - having sex while smelling that? Really????
Yeah, the idea that sex is
Yeah, the idea that sex is better when you're high is ridiculous. I don't smoke, as I said, but I know sex is not better when I've been drinking. Quite the opposite.
I think it should
be legal and taxed as alcohol, but I'd be concerned about the effects on youth's brains *feels old*.
I had a perfectly intelligent go-getting friend, who had his own business and started smoking pot regularly. I'm sure it triggered his depression and the fact he has been on benefits since his 20's, unable to get back to the person he once was.
With all the research about under-developed brains and mental illness being triggered in the under 25 age bracket ... the nerd in me is concerned about youngsters. Sure, you can put an age limit on it's purchase ... but like alcohol, it will be easily obtained.
Then there's the issue of drug driving ... I really don't want to be on the road with people who are high, as there are already enough drunks out there
People STILL don't get the drink driving message, so what will happen if a city declared pot legal and the population just decided to give it a go?!
i'd be equally concerned
i'd be equally concerned about all of the legal drug's (adhd/add, bipolar, other drugs that drastically alter personality) effects on forming brains (youth's brains) as i would be weed. and it's not even for the biological health side affects, but more that i feel people should be able to develop to a certain age with the wits they were born with, and not think that they need something external to correct, fix, heighten, help something. should be allowed to develop a personality that isn't based on a drug be it weed, coke, adderall...lithium...whatever
It was good at the time...
I liked pot. But since it is illegal and I am no longer young and stupid...well, less stupid, pot is just a warm memory to me now.
Still searching for the right brainy quote.
I don't smoke, the smell of
I don't smoke, the smell of pot gives me a headache, but the only people I've ever known who do so regularly don't have better lives than I do. And from what I can see their experience only matches StacyAnn's. ie; things just look better but haven't actually changed.
In the immortal words of my
In the immortal words of my big bro- "Pot just makes you S-T-O-O-P-I-D."
I actually agree
with Carollani down there, as far as legalizing it -- and then taxing it. I mean i really don't see the diff between alcohol and weed.
Personally I stopped smoking at 19 (i started when i was 12! - blame the islands). But i have known potheads to be layabouts, i worked for a pothead for a couple years -- he was stoned everyday by 3 in the afternoon and his business went down the toilet.
tweet tweet @gracemoon
Forget the plant...
no kind of smoke going into your body is a good thing....and an orgasm is never lousy, some are just better than others!
Twitter Time @kdhales
Well said, Tex! (on both
Well said, Tex!
(on both counts)
I'll just say no
I'm not a fan either. I know too many layabouts who can't come up with money to help support their kids, but somehow always have enough to get high. As for personal use - I'll stick to beer. Every time I tried pot I sat around in a waiting for the cops to bust down the door state of paranoia.
"When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will." ~ Pollyanna
Hahaha, I mean absolutely no disrespect by this, but you sound adorably ignorant about weed.
Let's forget your anxiety for a moment, weed makes people less likely to act violently (as opposed to alcohol), isn't addictive, has very real medical benefits, and is pretty effing harmless.
If the US legalized pot, farmed it openly, taxed and regulated it, then we would not be in a recession. We could stop wasting millions and billions of dollars on fighting a drug war that is literally impossible to win, and poor street corner entrepreneurs would be decriminalized.
Is there a downside?
On Pot and War
LOL When I read your comment the first time I missed the drug in your war, and thought, "Yeah, just get all of the heads of state and military commanders stoned and there will be a permanent cease fire.
I agree pot should be legalized (possession of a small amount has been decriminalized in my state), but I don't agree with your rosy assessment that doing so would pull us out of recession--though it could help a bit in some state like CA. And most of the money spent at the federal level on the 'drug war' is spent on harder drugs like coke, heroin and meth.
I agree with PK below that it isn't nearly as 'harmless' as you claim, particularly if smoked. That's the primary reason I've always steered clear--I've been a runner for much of my life and it definitely affects the lungs.
Hi there, Hmm...I don't think
Hi there,
Hmm...I don't think "weed" is as harmless as many young people think. Smoking it can cause lung and throat cancer and most current research studies have determined that long-term use of pot can have negative effects on brain chemistry. Plus there's the fact that many people who are regular pot users often use alchol and other drugs with it. I don't know many people who just smoke "weed." There's also a lot of debate going on as to whether or not it's addictive. I do agree with you though that alcohol is the most dangerous drug. Alcohol and barbituates are the only drugs that can actually cause people to have siezures and die if they stop it abruptly after having become too dependent on it over time. You won't die from pot withdrawal.
"Fight Prime Time. Read a Book"
Tell me how pot is more dangerous than cigarettes. A lot of pot users I know don't even smoke it, so if you can use THC without smoking (method should really be an individual choice, don't you think?), then you're talking about a drug less dangerous than cigarettes, caffeine (shown to permanently decrease brain function after withdrawal), cough syrup. Seriously, you're grasping at straws.
Now, you're not really addressing the benefits that THC can have for people. It can cure chronic stuttering, shaking, pain, nausea, seizures, and do you know what that means to people who are stuck in a world of pain and isolation? Fucking freedom.
You literally can't overdose. There are literally NO deaths directly linked to usage of THC. There should be no argument.
I may sound like a pothead or something, but I could count all the times I've used pot in the last 5 years on one hand. I don't like to do it around other people because I get self conscious and don't enjoy it. I just know that my experiences aren't the end all of the drug. It can benefit millions of people and I don't think anyone should be able to stand in the way of that.
You make some good points but you way over-state your case with the 'grasping at straws' phrase. Most people do smoke pot because it's the easiest and quickest way to use it--other methods require some advanced prep. Why does it have to be MORE dangerous than cigs to question its effects on one's health? Cigarettes carry a warning saying they cause cancer which can kill you--that's dangerous enough for me to avoid them and urge others to do so as well. If pot was sold legally it would probably have to have a similar Surgeon General's warning.
Those are reasons to regulate, not ban.That's what I'm saying. Cigarettes are legal. Alcohol is legal. Salvia is legal and unregulated. Marijuana is illegal because there was an illogical smear campaign decades ago that left people with weird moral feelings about a subject that has since been studied extensively.
Your points about health are, I guess, relevant, but we're discussing the legality of the drug. In my mind, if this drug is less dangerous than completely legal drugs then what's the problem? That's why I said you're grasping at straws, because those "dangerous" effects are no more, and even less, dangerous than drugs that are legal.
PK, thanks for pointing out
PK, thanks for pointing out that pot does damage the lungs (and kills some brain cells along the way too!). But I have to tell you I know a number of people who only smoke weed....
Look up.
Look up.
"Fight Prime Time. Read a Book"


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Craft Beer
We've introduced craft on draught with Devon rock lager from our good friends and neighbours Bays and Speakeasy Pale ale from Powderkeg brewery in Woodbury Salterton and Westcountry Gold Cider.
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We're delighted to have been accepted as members of Food Drink Devon
We're really excited that our new menu is now live – see the link at the top of the page for a full copy. Following the installation of a genuine Italian pizza oven we've updated Read more…
Treat your Mum to spectacular views, food and, of course, company! Enjoy a lovely meal with stunning views overlooking the bay. A specially tailored menu will be on offer to mark the very special day. Read more…
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Without George Abbott, Broadway might have been without those Three Men on a Horse,The Boys From Syracuse, Pal Joey, Brother Rat, that New Girl in Town, those Damn Yankees, Too Many Girls, Fiorello!, Me and Juliet, and Flora, the Red Menace. Theater-goers would have never known The Pajama Game, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. This legendary record has earned him the title, "Dean of Broadway showmen."
George Francis Abbott was born on June 25, 1887, in Forestville, NY, and moved shortly after to Salamanca, NY, where his grandparents set up his father in a wholesale tailoring business. Abbott attended Hamburg High School in New York and later went on to the University of Rochester. Although he considered journalistm for two years, Abbott soon turned his attention to playwriting.
Following his graduation from Rochester in 1911, Abbott studied playwriting under George Pierce Baker at Harvard. During that time, he wrote a one-act play, The Man in the Manhole, which won a $100 prize in a play contest sponsored by the Bijou Theater in Boston. After less than a year of working as a combination author, office-boy, and actor at the Boston theater, Abbott headed to the Big Apple to seek work as an actor with writing still his long-range goal.
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Abbott received Tony Awards for his writing contributions to The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees in 1955 and 1956, respectively, and for his writing and directing of Fiorello!, in 1959. He also won the Pulitzer Prize for drama for Fiorello! and a Tony for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Abbott continued working well into his 90s. The same year he received the Kennedy Center Honor, he also collaborated with George Balanchine on a revival of On Your Toes, which opened at the Kennedy Center on December 14, 1982. Abbott died on January 31, 1995 at the age of 107.


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MOC: Palace of WestminsterPosted by Huw,
We don't normally cover MOCs (my own creations) here at Brickset; we leave that to the experts over at The Brothers Brick, but we're making an exception for this absolutely stunning model of London's Palace of Westminster, otherwise known as the Houses of Parliament, built by Brickset member and forum regular paperballpark, AKA Jamie Douglas.
The model will be making its first public appearance at Bricktastic in Manchester, July 1-2 2017, organised by, and for the benefit of, our favourite charity Fairy Bricks.
Read our exclusive interview with Jamie and view more images after the break.
Brickset: What inspired you to build the model?
Jamie: As soon as I saw the Big Ben model revealed last year, I knew the full Palace of Westminster had to be done. I figured that it might as well be me that did it!
How did you go about planning the build?
There are a couple of plans of the building on the internet, and I used them to work out the foundation of the whole build – the base of the building. Planning the base was the critical thing, as I didn't want to get half-way through and realise that sections didn't line up where they should do.
The planning took about 20 – 30 hours, and that was just the base, as I didn't plan the build any higher than that, I just built it as I went along. I didn't use LDD or any other digital designer for planning any part of it, as I prefer to build with bricks.
I mostly used Google Maps for reference, as it has a 3D section of London, with a really good representation of the building. That was very useful for working things out, such as lining parts of the building up. I was also down in London at one point during the build, and I took a load of photos of the outside of the building while down there, which helped a lot with the detail.
How many parts are in it and where did you get them? Which part is used the most?
It uses about 50,000 pieces in total. I opened ten Big Ben sets, in addition to the set used for the Big Ben section itself. I had about 13,000 pieces left over from the sets, but I also ordered a total of about 11,000 pieces from Bricklink, as well as using an estimated 6,000 pieces from my own collection.
The part I used the most is the Trans-Black 1x1 brick (6102359), which is used for the windows – I used almost 5,400 of those. Next up is the Tan 1x1 plate (4159553), of which I used almost 4,000, and there are also over 3,000 of the Tan 1x1 bricks (4113915) in there.
Did you know before you started exactly what parts you needed, or did you start building and source more as needed?
I had a rough idea of the kinds of parts I'd need, but I had no real idea of how many. I was able to get quite far just using the bricks from the sets, but there were sections which needed elements not in the sets, and with other elements it became clear quite early on that there wouldn't be nearly enough of them in the sets, so I had to get more from Bricklink. For example, I estimate I used nearly 1,300 Tan 1x2 bricks (4109995), but there are only 28 of them in each set.
What scale and size is it, and how will you get it to exhibitions?
It's the same scale as the Big Ben set, so it's 177.6cm (222 studs) wide, 100cm (125 studs) deep, and about 70cm high.
It splits down into six main sections for easy transportation to and from shows. I couldn't have built it all in one piece! It takes about half an hour to put it all together
Were there any particularly tricky areas of the building to build and/or get looking right?
Westminster Hall – the oldest part of the palace, built in 1097 – is at an angle to the rest of it, which was tricky to join to the rest of the building! If that wasn't difficult enough, there's a small section next to Westminster Hall which is at a different angle again.
There are some small compromises with scale at various points in the building, due to the limitations of representing such a complex building in LEGO. Some of these caused a few headaches when planning it, but there were no major problems.
The Central Tower was also quite tricky, given that it's octagonal, and also sloping at the bottom and near the top. It took me a total of 12 hours just to do that tower.
How long did it take to build?
I knew this would be a question everybody would ask, so I kept track of how long it took me. It worked out at 234 hours, not including the 20 – 30 hours of planning. I built it over the course of 5 months.
What part of it are you most proud?
There's actually two parts I really like. The first is the Victoria Tower (the main tower at the opposite end to the clock tower), mainly because of how detailed I was able to get it, and how solid the construction of it is. The second is Westminster Hall, partly because it's a very recognisable part of the building with quite a bit of detail, and also because architecturally it's completely different to the rest of the building. I think it's turned out very well, and I'm very pleased with it.
Is there anything inside?
A lot of bricks and cross-bracing to support the structure! Most of the building is too small to do any kind of interior. I considered doing the inside of Westminster Hall, but I realised I couldn't without severely compromising the structural integrity of that section.
There is, however, an interior of sorts at the base of the Victoria Tower, because you're able to see inside the base of the tower when walking past it. Photos I took while down in London came in very handy when building that.
What advice do you have for someone looking to build a similarly sized model of a local landmark?
Oh blimey! Plan, plan and plan some more. The more you plan, the less you'll have to re-build later. Take lots of photos if you can, and using plans of the building would be best, although whether there are any publicly available will depend on the building.
Also, you may think you have enough bricks, but you probably don't. I used my entire supply of 1x1, 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, 1x6 and 1x8 Tan bricks when building this, and I had a LOT of them.
Where will you be exhibiting it?
It will be shown in public for the first time at Bricktastic in Manchester, UK, on Sat 1 – Sun 2 July. All proceeds from the event go to the charity Fairy Bricks, which is a really good cause. I hope to see you there!
Thanks Jamie!
You can view more photos on flickr.
More information about Bricktastic and Fairy Bricks
Giant Westminster model to be unveiled at Bricktastic
Manchester's very own LEGO brick show Bricktastic, hosted by children's charity Fairy Bricks, returns in July with a bang, including the first chance to see an exclusive giant brick-built model of the Palace of Westminster.
Now in its third year, Bricktastic has become the must-visit LEGO brick show for the north of England. Every year the event boasts some of the best creations from some the UK's hottest LEGO builders – and this year is no exception.
Taking centre stage for 2017 is a giant detailed model of the Palace of Westminster from builder Jamie Douglas. Constructed from over 50,000 bricks, this amazing creation spans over 1.7 metres long and 1 metre deep. Not a single detail has been omitted from this architectural masterpiece as Jamie confesses to having spent 30 hours planning it before even starting the epic 234-hour build, which has been built exclusively for Bricktastic.
"The model has to be seen to be believed," said Fairy Bricks 'Chief Fairy' Kevin Gascoigne. "This is a fantastic opportunity for the public to view this unique and stunning model for the first time."
Bricktastic has proved over the years that it is the perfect day out for every LEGO-loving family. Visitors can experience an amazing array of giant models from fans and professional LEGO builders Bright Bricks, they can spend hours creating in the free play areas, get involved with the robotic world of LEGO Mindstorms, and not forgetting the opportunity to pick up a bargain from the array of traders.
Bricktastic 2017 is back at Manchester Central on Saturday 1st July and Sunday 2nd July 2017. Tickets are available from www.bricktastic.org
About Fairy Bricks
Fairy Bricks is a registered charity that has one simple objective, to provide LEGO to children in hospital. Our charitable aim is very simple and straightforward, and as a charity we act in a very similar way.
From humble beginnings and a single hospital donation in 2012, Fairy Bricks now delivers LEGO with a retail value of approximately £5000 per month throughout the UK and sometimes beyond. In the later half of 2017 we are hoping to increase that to £7500 of sets each and every month.
Play is a vital part of the recovery process when children are in hospital. It provides comfort, distraction and is even used as an educational tool by Play Specialists to assist children with procedures they have to endure. LEGO itself as a product is perfect for this. It is an item many children are already familiar with and can provide an instant escape at a very difficult time. Then by its very nature when tomorrow comes it can be rebuilt to help the same child with something else or move to another child to start the process all over again
36 comments on this article
Absolutely stunning.
As a resident of London, I always love seeing this incredible building, and this MOC is simply an outstanding representation.
Amazing! Simply amazing!
I am astonished by this creation.
Magnificent - great job, Jamie!
Mind-blowingly good. I wonder if it's based on the big Ben set.
Brilliant! Well done, Jamie! Also excellent photos. Thanks for sharing these. Looking forward to Bricktastic. I bet this will be the visitors' favorite.
(Mouth hangs open) What!?!?!?!
Superb, it looks stunning!
That is amazing! And it's really cool that he built it specifically for Bricktastic!
I N C R E D I B L E ... I haven't words.
Stunning! What a detailed representation!
Incredible! When I first saw the Big Ben set I figured it was only a matter of time before some incredibly ambitious AFOL tried building the whole thing. This far exceeds my expectations!
Wow this truly amazing!! But its crap in closer view
Absolutely masterful! I wish I could see this in person someday.
Amazing build which certainly took a bit of time and dedication! Well done!
When will the Lepin version be available on AliExpress?
Thanks for the spread, saw the MOC on the forum and was very impressed, the interview is very interesting too. Makes a nice change.
Absolutely amazing and beautify done. I had the same thought about trying to build the full Palace of Westminster when I first saw the Big Ben set too. A bit of quick research revealed some area of concern. Notable the Westminster Hall, the Central Tower and the Victoria Tower. Maybe day. In the mean time, congratulations on a superb job.
I saw this on Eurobricks and it is just an awesome MOC that paperballpark has created.
I get more amazed by it each time I look.
I hope to see the model in reality some time. Even if I can't make it to Bricktastic.
My plans to recreate the same model are now over. I simply could not do it better than this.
Respect! Thank you for sharing...
Amazing. One of the coolest MOC:s of the year.
Wow. Just. Wow!
Superb! I especially like that you included the little garden with rows of trees, and the statue outside, as well as the incredibly intricate set of buildings. Mind blown!
This is truly breathtaking. Having studied the pictures in this article very closely I can honestly say that I've never seen anything like it. The dedication needed to source the bricks and build this model is remarkable. As for the design itself, the foundations alone are a real work of art. I salute you sir ...
Simply incredible. Awesome that you will be displaying it at Bricktastic, Jamie.
If someone hasn't done it already I reckon your model should be put forward for a stint on display in The LEGO House Masterpiece gallery when it opens.
Truly fantastic work, and it's great to hear so much behind-the-scenes info, including the astonishing amount of (well spent) time invested.
What an incredible creation, thanks so much for this interview and preview! I just imagine opening 11 Big Ben sets, what fun! And then only to discover you need to place several massive bricklink orders! hahaha...love it, great job @paperballpark!
I have tickets for the fairy bricks event in Manchester, looking forward to seeing it.
Inspirational work, Jamie! A brilliantly executed piece. Very well done indeed.
Looks amazing - I can't make it to Manchester, so hoping it will make it to Steam later in the year so I can see it close up... :)
Meh. (joking--it's unbelievable!!!)
truly a masterpiece!!! all the 1x1 pieces would resulted in sore fingertips but the end result is absolutely stunning! Good job!!!
Wow, this is astounding. It's accurate enough to actually bring back memories of when I visited there when I was 5. Absolutely amazing work! :)
AMAZING!! fantastic work! great!
Stunning and an amazing build. You really have to admire the effort and talent.


text:
Volunteer Meat – 10 April 20007
Minutes via the mind of G.W.
Alex, Graeme, NB, John-with-an-'aytch'
Action from Previo:
1. Volunteer agreement – Bill – ACTION REPRIMAND! Why you no do? We now do a cry.
2. NM agreement – Shannon has done it maybe – so no reprimand but where is it? We now do a little cry.
3. Tabletops – NB – has he done it? Yes he wrote something but is it good enough?
The verdict….
AleX – a few spelling mistakes, a few laughs
JoHn – needs to be more smart arse and tied up
Graeme – wunderbar
NB gives his self approval.
We cried but only with larfter!
Will do some more work on this.
4. Meal of sedateness – it hasn't happened but the karaoke was a stonker. AleX will have a party in mid May. The So-Called "Fancy Dress Drag Disco Ball" – AleX will do it anyway but can make it a vollie party. We like it! Here are possible names:
a) The Ping-Pong Ball!
b) Alex's Big Bender!
c) er...that's it. Insert your idea here!
Volunteer Meat – 10 April 20007
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text:
To cut or not to cut my hair has been a hot topic around my house lately. Mommy finally convinced Daddy that we should go ahead and get it done, so I will be looking sharp for my one-year pictures. They didn't cut much, they only trimmed around my ears and a little around my neck.
Here is the before picture....see how long it was!
Here is my hairdresser, Heather giving me a trim. Mommy and Daddy were suprised at how well I was able to sit still!
All Finished!
Here is an after shot!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
All Dressed Up!
In preparation for my one-year portrait Mommy and Daddy are trying a few outfits on me. The golfer outfit is almost complete. We are only lacking a tie, and Mommy has to hem my knickers now that we know the correct length. The other outfit is part of what my Daddy wore when he was Baptized. The white short-alls are over 20 years old and still in good condition (thanks to Grandma). Don't I look handsome?
Posted by O Boys Daddy at 11:15 AM 1 comment:
Mimi & Granddaddy
Mimi takes care of me one afternoon a week while Mommy goes to work. We have a lot of fun together. Here I am on Mommy's old rocking horse.
When Granddaddy gets home, we have fun too. Here we are comparing who has the bigger tongue!
Posted by O Boys Daddy at 11:12 AM No comments:
Monday, February 18, 2008
Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day
I just wanted to wish everybody a Happy Valentine's Day. I hope yours was enjoyable. Mommy and I went over to Grandma's house while she hired somebody to clean her carpets. She is trying to get her house ready to put up for sale which should be any day now. She told me that she wants to move closer by. Mommy and Daddy stayed home and had a cheese fondue with chocolate covered strawberries. It was an enjoyable day for me. I was hoping to go on a date with my best girl, Isabelle, but I hear she has been sick. Unfortunately I have a bit of a cold now too....so it could be a while. I do enjoy looking at her blog though...I just smile and talk and giggle at her pictures. She is quite a looker!
Posted by O Boys Daddy at 7:38 AM 1 comment:
Saturday, February 9, 2008
The Circus comes to Town!
I went to the Circus on opening night (Thursday, Feb 7th) It was a lot of fun. I got to see elephants, tigers, zebras, horses, dogs, and many other things. I even got to meet some clowns before the show. I enjoyed it except for when a clown yelled and scared me and also when there was a loud explosion during the show. I would definately reccommend that you go and see it for yourself!
Posted by O Boys Daddy at 10:57 AM No comments:
Monday, February 4, 2008
10 Months Old!
I have now officially made it over the 20 lb mark. I am now 20 lbs 2 oz and still about 28.5 inches long. At ten months old I am now eating tons. I love most anything except green peas (but mommy doesn't like them either). I like cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, yogurt (which I tried for the first time today), apples, carrots, raisins, bread, eggs yokes, and many other things too! Mommy and Daddy kept trying to encourage me to move. They can tell that I get frustrated when things are out of my reach. They bought me a train that will move when I hit the top button to encourage me to crawl after it. I do like to watch it though. I usually go to bed about 9:30 p.m. and get up about 8 a.m. I'm still taking about 3 naps a day; 10-11 a.m., 2-3 p.m., and 7:30-8:30 p.m. Lately though some of my naps have been 1.5 - 2 hours long. Some people say this means I'm growing!
Posted by O Boys Daddy at 9:40 PM 1 comment:
Super Bowl?
I listened to last year's super bowl in Utero. From what I can tell, mommy and daddy laughed more last year at the commercials than this year. I did enjoy the commercial with the talking baby though. I waved to him and talked some. Mommy and daddy rewound the commercial a few times since I seemed to enjoy it. Now that I'm 10 months old now, I'll post my stats later today!
Posted by O Boys Daddy at 7:30 AM No comments:
Great Grandmother's House
Last Monday, Mommy, Daddy, and I took a day trip to go visit my great grandmother in Nashville, NC. Here I am sitting on her lap admiring pictures of myself. Grandmother has this special digital picture frame that downloads pictures that mommy sends her. She like to see new pictures of me and I enjoy looking at them too! We had a fun trip to Nashville and I hope to go visit grandmother again soon. I hear they'll be making me a Birthday cake soon!
Posted by O Boys Daddy at 7:25 AM No comments:
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text:
IriThere are many regional variations of this dish. It is often eaten with boiled ham or Irish bacon. An inexpensive dish is usually eaten in autumn when kale is in season. Which makes this recipe a great traditional dish for the Samhain table.
The song "Colcannon" (Skillet Pot"), is a traditional Irish song that has been recorded by many artists it goes like this:
Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.
Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake?
Of the creamy, flavored butter that your mother used to make?
The chorus:
Yes you did, so you did, so did he and so did I.
And the more I think about it sure the nearer I'm to cry.
Oh, wasn't it the happy days when troubles we had not,
And our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.
Traditional Colcannon Recipe
Colcannon Recipe
- 4 lbs Russet potatoes peeled and cubed into 1" pieces
- 2 C of Chopped Kale or 1 small head of green cabbage chopped
- 8 oz cream
- 1 stick butter divided into 2 parts
- 4-5 scallions sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sliced chives for garnish
Boil potatoes in a large pot with enough salted water to cover by 1".
While the potatoes are cooking, place your Kale or cabbage into a large saucepan or pot. Cover with water and boil 3-5 minutes until the cabbage is just wilted and has turned a darker green. To ensure you do not overcook the cabbage remove from the heat when wilted.
When the cabbage is cooked, drain it well, squeeze to get any excess moisture out, then return to the saucepan. Add one-third of the butter and cover. Allow the butter to melt as you continue with the recipe.
When the potatoes are fork tender, drain the water and return the potatoes to the saucepan. Set the burner to low, leaving the lid off so that any excess moisture from the potatoes can evaporate. When they are mostly dry, add the cream, with a third of the butter and the scallions. Allow the cream to warm, do not boil.
Mash the potatoes thoroughly into the butter & cream mixture. Mix the cabbage thoroughly through the mashed potato.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
**When serving your Colcannon, make a well in the center of the serving and add a piece of the remaining butter to the well. It should be allowed to melt slowly.
Recipe Notes
There are many variations of this dish developed of the centuries. Try adding bacon or ham to deepen the flavor.
I invite your feedback. Tell me what you think.
I love to know what my readers are up to, and how you put my thoughts and experience to use in your world.
If you have any suggestions on subjects for future posts, give me the scoop! I'm listening. Don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you don't miss future posts!
Bright Blessing!
© 2015, The Magick Kitchen
Leandra Witchwood
I love food and everything that goes with it. I have spent more than 35 years in the kitchen, enjoying every minute of it. Okay… well, enjoying nearly every minute of it.
In addition, I have disbursed nearly as many years studying Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism. Combining these two interests has created a Magickal path where food, spirituality play brilliantly together.
My love of whole healthy foods, and unique recipes has also lead me to help run a local teen cooking program, where I teach kids valuable life skills in the kitchen. In addition, I teach different cooking classes for adults on subjects of making the time spent in the kitchen more enjoyable and efficient, recipe creation, and how to make cooking a part of your Magickal and spiritual practice.
From this, The Magick Kitchen was born. My journey with you is about developing a spiritual experience with food, far beyond the dull habit of consumption. We have a marvelous opportunity here to take a most basic-mundane task and make it Magickal!
Please enjoy the recipes, article, and content here on The Magick Kitchen. If you have questions or suggestions, I'm listening.
I am so glad you joined me! The personal act of sharing knowledge, experience, and personal perspective with you is an honor. Thank you!
Latest posts by Leandra Witchwood (see all)
- Light Magick vs. Dark - November 7, 2019
- Samhian Mulled Wine - October 5, 2019
- Magickal Herbalism: Making Magickal Pokeberry Ink - September 20, 2019


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Westgate Town Center Resort currently offers 14 heated swimming pools. And an all-new water park facility is coming soon - slated to open this summer! Get ready for a new aquatic adventure as construction is already under way on the eagerly anticipated water park at Westgate Town Center Resort near Orlando.
The water park will be one of the biggest new amenities at the resort and is sure to be a huge hit for guests of all ages.
The multi-level water park facility will feature a lazy river, a fun-filled pirate ship, swimming pools, water slides and tube water slides, fountains, and more. There will also be a spacious sun deck for tanning and a pool bar for food and refreshments. No completion date has been announced, but the water park is expected to open sometime during summer 2015. Stay tuned for additional updates and details.


text:
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Other Local Events
HackTrin VI
Trinity School's annual hackathon
Come spend March 3rd coding with us!
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Our Team
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About HackTrin
HackTrin VI is the sixth iteration of Trinity School's annual hackathon and is on Sunday, March 3rd starting at 8am. Middle and high schoolers, of any experience level, can participate. You can form teams of 1-4 students, even across different schools, and work to make projects relating to coding. We'll have workshops and mentors to help you with your projects and learn! You'll present your projects to our panels of judges to win prizes in multiple categories (including a beginner category)!
Trinity Team
Cleo De Rocco '20
Vice President
Head of Hardware
Matteo de Donato '19
Geordie Young '19
Vice President
Lila Selin '19
Head of Workshops
Ayesha Ali '19
Head of Web Design
Alex Sheen '19
Co-Head of Mentor Outreach
Rifat Islam '19
Co-Head of Mentor Outreach
Mithun Ramesh '19
Head of Sponsor Outreach
Henry Shuster '19
Head of Marketing and Social Media
Katherine Vella '19
Co-Head of Student Outreach
Anna Rietbrock '19
Co-Head of Student Outreach
Mary Kate McGranahan '19
Co-Head of Student Outreach
Andrew Ting '19
Head of Design
Other Local Events
Here are some other great events in the NYC area:


text:
"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change" – Carl Rogers
Welcome to the webpage of Michael Morris, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Here you will find information on Michael's theoretical perspective and get to know a little about him before calling for an appointment. Michael offers a free, 30-minute evaluation appointment as well as a sliding-scale fee option for anyone with limited financial resources.
To set up an initial 30-minute, no-cost session call 707.799.9500, email firstname.lastname@example.com with a brief description of why you are seeking counseling, the best day/time to call you, and the best telephone number to reach you.
In addition to information about Michael, you will find articles and essays (mostly about parenting issues) that may help give a feel for his unique perspective on life and how he might help manage life events.
Michael is a Positive Discipline Educator, certified by the Positive Discipline Association and has a workshop series titled Creating and Building Respectful Relationships. This workshop is not just for parents. The workshop is for anyone seeking skills in developing respectful relationships with family, friends, co-workers, teachers and so on. Any relationship can benefit from this comprehensive workshop. Michael is available for corporate workshops/presentations as well.
A cancer survivor, Michael uses his personal experience to help clients dealing with chronic illness and end of life issues.
Positive Discipline Association


text:
The Bombs in the Basement
August 23, 2005
By Ernest Partridge, The
Crisis Papers
By all outward appearances, the Busheviks and the Republicans
have it made. They are, as the late Red Barber used to say, "sitting
in the catbird seat." They own the White House, the Congress,
and soon the Federal Judiciary. The mainstream media are safely
corralled, with just enough dissenting voices (such as Krugman,
Rich, Dionne and Oliphant) to give credence to the absurd right-wing
complaint of liberal media bias. Potentially devastating news developments
and issues, such as election fraud, the Downing Street Memos, Plamegate,
political corruption, growing domestic dissent and international
hostility are not refuted in the media as much as they are ignored
crowded out with trivial reports of runaway brides, disappearing
teenagers, celebrity trials and romances, etc.
For all that, the Bush regime has reason to be nervous. For its
continuing success depends totally on the public's inattention to,
apathy toward, and even ignorance of several potentially explosive
issues which, if brought to light, publicized, investigated, and
then criminally prosecuted, could demolish the House of Bush and
the Republicans. These bombs in the basement of the GOP establishment
are not disarmed. They are fully armed and ready to go off, if only
the opposition can get to them and mobilize the public. And the
Busheviks know this all too well.
I am not referring here to mismanagement or incompetence on the
part of the Bush Administration and the Congress, although there
is certainly plenty of that. Instead, I mean criminal activity
indictable and impeachable violations of the law. Amazingly, many
of these crimes are no secret, rather they are open and plain to
see by all with eyes to see. What additional crimes lurk beneath
the surface is anyone's guess. Even so, the crimes that are out
in the open do not arouse the media or a significant portion of
the American public. Abroad, its quite another story, as the foreign
press freely reports and comments on these crimes, and international
outrage at the Bushista outlaws continues to grow.
Among these open and confirmable crimes:
Yet the Congress refuses to investigate, and the mainstream media
refuse to investigate and report, which means that the Congress
and the media are (in an unindictable sense) accessories to these
Each of these is a momentous offense, totally incompatible with
a political order that claims to function under the rule of law.
Yet there they are, recognizable and still unpunished and tolerated
by a public that appears to be unwilling or unable to appreciate
the gravity of the crimes openly committed by their government.
But for how long? History teaches us that public opinion can be
"turned on a dime," by a catalyzing event. On December
6, 1941, a majority of Americans opposed entering the war. That
all changed the following day, when the bombs fell at Pearl Harbor.
Senator Joe McCarthy had the Congress, the Press, and even President
Eisenhower intimidated until the day that an obscure lawyer, Joseph
Welch, stood his ground and said to the Senator: "Have you no sense
of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
The public, as it turned out, was more than willing to listen.
Regimes also die gradually of a thousand cuts. In 1964, Lyndon
Johnson soundly defeated Barry Goldwater by twenty percentage points,
and four years later recognized that he was unelectable. In 1972,
Richard Nixon was re-elected in an electoral college landslide,
carrying every state but one. A year and a half later, he was forced
to resign in disgrace. Soon after the 9/11 attacks, George Bush's
approval ratings were above 80%. Now they are half of that, and
falling the result of which is still to be known.
And so, if, at last the public at large comes to appreciate the
magnitude of the crimes of this administration, the Bush crime syndicate
will soon be swept from power, despite the best efforts of the captive
media to prop it up.
But can the public be aroused from its slumbers? On that question,
history will turn. In the meantime, uneasy sits the junta in the
mansion atop the unexploded bombs.
However, we, the public, need not sit silently, as helpless spectators,
hoping for a reversal of fortune while our democracy is being taken
from us. In fact, a significant and growing portion of the public
is taking action, as the Bush administration and its bodyguard media
lose credibility. The public is acquiring immunity to the official
lies and Karl Rove's smear machine. They worked against Al Gore,
Max Cleland and John Kerry; but against Joe Wilson and Cindy Sheehan,
the slime does not appear to be sticking. The mainstream media,
having shed its sense of responsibility to the truth and to the
public, is now losing circulation and ratings, while it remains
answerable to its stockholders. That media might thus face the choice
of either becoming irrelevant or, to avoid bankruptcy, practicing
honest journalism again.
There is movement afoot and the public is beginning to stir. As
gas prices and interest rates rise, the disastrous consequences
of Bushenomics are coming into view. Some
conservative pundits appear ready to wander off the GOP reservation.
"The I-word" impeachment is heard more frequently.
And yet, amazingly, and disgracefully, the
Democratic Party establishment appears reluctant to play a significant
role in this movement.
Thus it remains the responsibility of each private dissenting
citizen to join the struggle millions of points of light, to paraphrase
George H. W. Bush's metaphor in a manner he never intended. The
citizen can act with boycotts, letters to editors, demonstrations,
and by supporting progressive voices in the independent media and
the Internet. The citizen can act by being heard in public meetings
and private conversations, and, if sufficiently resourceful and
courageous, with acts of civil disobedience.
But can private citizens make a difference? Ask that question
of the protesters at Camp Casey, and you will find your answer.
Joseph Wilson made a difference. Cindy Sheehan made a difference.
Colleen Rowley made a difference. Who's next? Maybe you. As Margaret
Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed
citizens can change the world: Indeed it's the only thing that ever
What, if anything, might set off the metaphorical bomb that puts
an end to the Bush regime? Possibly Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation.
He has no shortage of indictable felonies to deal with. The great
unknown is the courage of Fitzgerald, his legal team, and the grand
jury. Also unknown is whether Bush's Justice Department dares to
fire Fitzgerald, possibly igniting a Nixonian fire-storm.
To my mind, the most vulnerable line of attack against the Bush/GOP
machine is voting fraud. The evidence is compelling (see Dennis
Loo's "No
Paper Trail Left Behind" and The Crisis Paper's Election
Fraud page). The best that the GOP and the media can offer as
rebuttal is (a) stonewall silence, (b) the laughable, unsupported
and refuted hypothesis of "the reluctant Bush voters"
at the exit polls, and (c) predictably, smearing the election-critics
by calling them conspiracy theorists. Substantive proof that the
paperless e-voting machines and central compiling were totally honest
is non-existent. That's the way the e-voting machines were designed.
Nothing, except perhaps a collapse of the economy, is more likely
to move the public to open revolt than proof, possibly in the form
of criminal indictments and conviction, that their votes were stolen,
and that the administration and Congress in Washington have put
themselves beyond the reach of recall by the voters. Despite the
determination of the mainstream media to ignore the issue of voting
fraud, it will not go away. Occasional doubts of the integrity of
the ballot break through the media's wall of silence: first Keith
Olbermann, and just this week, Paul
Krugman. Citizen doubts must now be relentlessly expressed.
As more White House lies are exposed, as casualties mount in Iraq,
and as the economy darkens, more and more citizens will be open
to the idea that they've been had at the polls.
Obviously, the Congress and Bush's attorney general will not investigate
the issue of voting fraud. But no matter. National elections are
administered on the state and local level, and thus any state attorney
general or local district attorney is authorized to investigate
and bring charges of voting fraud. One must wonder why it hasn't
happened yet. (Perhaps such investigations are underway and the
media won't tell us about them.) Citizen pressure has more clout
on the state and local level than on the federal level. So that's
where demands for action must be made.
The Bush Administration is energizing a formidable array of opponents:
foreign governments that it is bullying and betraying, ordinary
citizens that it is robbing of social services, health care, and
job security, military personnel that it is sending in harm's way
to Iraq (and who knows, next Iran?), and the grieving parents, spouses
and children losing their loved ones in that atrocious war.
And finally, the Bush Administration is engaged in a contest against
the truth and against reality, as it spins out lie after lie, and
as it rewrites and censors scientific reports. This is a contest
that it must eventually lose. Presumably, the primary objective
of the Busheviks now is to prolong their charade until January 2009,
when they leave office. Our job as responsible citizens is to pull
away the curtain and expose the wizard as soon as possible, to minimize
further damage to our country to its economy, to its international
reputation, to its honor.
For, to quote the late physicist Richard Feynman in his dissent
to the Challenger Disaster report, "reality must take precedence
over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled."
Dr. Ernest Partridge is a consultant, writer and lecturer in
the field of Environmental Ethics and Public Policy. He publishes
the website, The
Online Gadfly and co-edits the progressive website, The
Crisis Papers. Send comments to: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Crisis Papers Archive
Advertise on more than 70 progressive blogs!


text:
Are you over 40? Over 50? This hot romance series is just for you!
Let the stories of Alexa, Regina, and Lauren convince you in this humorous romantic comedy saga that it is "Never Too Late" to find romance and love.
After deciding to end her sexual hiatus, 38 yr old retired Marine, Casey Carter, is looking good to 50 yr old lingerie model, Alexa Ranger. Granted,the age gap bothers her more than him, but a normal relationship is totally out of the question anyway because Casey is related to her daughter's boyfriend. The last thing Alexa needs is another talk-show worthy drama in her already complicated life.


text: Marco V is back with a brand new concept; The Art Of! T.A.O. is much more just an outlet for Marco V's new music. It's a complete media concept that focusses on interactivity between Marco V and his fans. Supported by its own label, online platform and a worldwide tour!!! MARCO V IS BACK!!!


text:
Monday, January 31, 2011
A Few More to Swap--Any Takers?!
5 comments:
What a great idea! unfortunately I live in France now : (ReplyDelete
This is a great idea. Unfortunately my books are like my children and unless they are misbehaving, I can't bear to see them leave. And believe me, you don't want any of my misbehaving books. :) But seriously, this is a great idea.ReplyDelete
If you want any of my other books I mentioned before, I'd swap for 20 Boy Summer :)ReplyDelete
I'd do it but I live in canada.ReplyDelete
Kasie - A lot of my books are precious to me too--but there are some I know I just won't read again, or use for reference, so I might as well get some new material!ReplyDelete
Bethany - I'm sorry, but I think Eragon was probably it :)
Melissa - Canada might not be too expensive to ship to.... which are you interested in, and what do you have that you'd swap?


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Rent the gallery for a traditional "5 à 7" in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Take advantage of our charming space in the heart of the Old St-Jean that can comfortably accommodate cocktail receptions with up to 30 people.
Frame your art pieces at competitive rates
– Wide variety of finishes
– Samples on-site
Classes and workshops
Learn in small groups with an intimate atmosphere
– Taught by professional artists who are active in the art world.
Art supplies
Get the supplies you need to create your own works of art.
– Pébéo acrylic and other products available


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Mon, 17 July 2017
Episode 167
Next Expansion Pondering
We are a (wo)man short tonight but that does not stop Dustin and Rich from bringing you two hours of Warcraft talk.
We start with some 7.3 ptr talk which leads us into the meat of the show where we spend the majority of our time with some Blue Sky pondering on what the next expansion for Warcraft might be.
This plus some great rabbit hole emails and a tweet or two make for a fun show.
Be sure to actually subscribe to this podcast to keep it AD FREE!
Join us in the conversation!
HFL Twitter: @HFLPodcast
Email the show and crew at:
Direct download: HFL_Ep167.mp3
Category:MMO, Games -- posted at: 2:31pm CST


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For Physicians
Some Patients Need Ongoing Support
Although imaging studies and pharmacology have contributed greatly to our understanding of cardiovascular disease and its treatment, your patients are at greater risk than ever for cardiovascular disease. Their symptoms may include:
- High Triglycerides
- Low HDL
- Hyperglycemia
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Angina unresponsive to medications
We are fighting a disease of civilization: sedentary lifestyles, fast and over-processed food, a lack of understanding of the roles played by diet and exercise, and/or lack of will to change them, hypertension, smoking, stress and pollution of various kinds. All these factors take their toll on your patients' health, starting in childhood. Although patients are usually aware of some of the risk factors that contribute to their unhealthy condition, they often need specific recommendations and guidance and support to motivate them to make lifestyle changes.
Early Intervention
If your patient is exhibiting early signs of cardiovascular disease, you do not have to wait until the disease progresses in order to provide treatment. Refer your patient to HeartCare so we can work with them now to arrest and reverse the progression of their disease.
Post Surgery
If your patient has already undergone an aggressive form of treatment such as surgery, they may require longer- term treatment. Refer your patients to HeartCare, so we can work with them to address their underlying conditions and mitigate the likelihood of recurrence.
Personalized Treatment Plans
You can be assured that when you refer your patients to HeartCare, they will receive the highest level of personalized care and attention, including a full assessment of their condition, development of an ongoing treatment plan, and regular monitoring, encouragement and support.
At HeartCare, our treatment plans emphasize lifestyle changes, especially food choices and moderate exercise.
For example, we can often control high triglycerides through specific dietary changes. Once high triglycerides are effectively controlled, then we can address how to raise low HDL. Hyperglycemia can also be lowered by identifying which carbohydrates should be eliminated.
Additional medications are not usually needed. Instead, for many patients, the use of medications can often be reduced. We also offer ECP therapy for patients suffering from angina unresponsive to medications.
Physicians' Testimonials
I have seen my patients benefit immensely from Dr. Wong's experience, skill, and knowledge.
Dr. Michael Wong is a great cardiologist to whom I have referred many of my patients with cardiac problems, real or suspected. I am board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonology, and a primary care physician. I have seen my patients benefit immensely from Dr. Wong's experience, skill, and knowledge.
Dr. Wong keeps pace with the rapid advancements in medicine. He knows how to determine the effectiveness of the many medications that treat heart disease. Furthermore, he is board-certified in lipidology, the study of cholesterol and other fats. Only a few physicians have this certification.
His staff is friendly and helpful. Dr. Wong always communicates his findings to his patients and the referring physician promptly and thoroughly with a typed note, and has had an electronic medical record system in place for over a decade.
I will continue to refer patients to Dr. Wong without reservation.
John Chalison, MD
Internal Medicine
Pulmonary Disease
He is a brilliant cardiologist and lipidologist, thorough and caring.
I am an Ob/Gyn with a special interest in preventive cardiology. I had been looking for over 15 years for a cardiologist aware of the special needs of women and courteous at the same time. This seemed to be an impossible task.
Then I received my first consult report from Dr. Michael Wong and I was astonished. I had never seen such a thorough report. It was immediately obvious to me that he is a brilliant cardiologist and lipidologist, thorough and caring. I have now worked with Dr. Wong for over seven years and my patients never cease to be impressed.
I am also participating in Dr. Wong's Los Angeles lipidologists group that includes some of the best cardiologists in town. I am reassured to see how Dr. Wong takes a leadership role both during and in between the meetings. As if all this weren't enough, he is developing a program to educate the public about the real dangers of heart disease and to how use lifestyle changes in its prevention.
He is a real gift to the field of medicine, and I am glad to refer him as a resource for my patients.
Christine Paoletti, MA, MD, FACOG


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Nov 27, 2008
Demo of Gameshow Maker showing elaborate use of backgrounds. Most noticeable is the lack of a table surrounding the buttons.
As of 1.01, Question values also increase by +100, +25%. Just to make it complicated (all this is optional as always).
As of 1.02, game resolution is now 800x600 (higher depth for fullscreen). Showcased here by making it larger of course. You can always resize it smaller in anycase but it won't be as blurry now enlarged.


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+Stellaris Evolved Classic Mod
+Stellaris Evolved Classic Mod
Stellaris + Evolved Classic
Stellaris + Evolved Classic builds upon the older version of stellaris classic expanding into new directions while keeping a connection with the vanilla game elements.
Reiteating for people who missed the credits: I stand in the shoulders of giants, first and foremost a big thanks to Wolin for allowing me to continue the classic stellaris evolved. 99% of the assets, code and work here are his original work. (I hope to be able to expand it!)
Known Issues:
Sectoring planets that need a lot of influence maintenance can be disastrous as influence flows FROM sectors to the empire and not the other way. So if a sector doesn't have enough internal influence production to mantain a research planet for instance, it'll stall all activities.
Upgrading basic industries into refineries is a bit tricky. Stellaris only enables the upgrades to the top-leftmost industry tile at a time. You need to improve it to a desired refinery or to medium industry before the options will show on the next basic industry.
Compatibility Patches
Realspace Patch
Planetary Diversity Patch
Mod Features
More than 80 new buildings with a reworked planet development mechanic
17 New tile-based strategic resources
Now planets have up to 5 specializations that determines how they develop.
Hability to colonice asteroids, molten worlds and gas giants with their unique resources and buildings
More politics to customize your empire, from education system to Fleet Quality vs Quantity
Colonization events ala Galactic Civ III
Dynamic contamination mechanic for Industrial Worlds
New Pop Factions (one for now, more coming soon)
Expanded Federations with votes and laws that let you customize how your federation works
Overall improved how the AI/sectors builds and develop
More to come
Planet Development
Now colonies develop into specialiced planets, making you choose what is the best based on the planet strategic resources and your own needs. The specializations are:
Citadel Worlds: Basically your overall choice for growing pops and making food, also is a good choice to generate energy income.
Industrial Worlds: Ideal for producing minerals, the only planets where you can mine strategic resources and create heavy industry and refineries. But be carefull, people usually is very unhappy here due to harsh and heavy work conditions… also is good to keep an eye on contamination levels (represented as planet modifiers).
Research Worlds: Worlds dedicated to technological development, usualy Tomb worlds are ideal for this, but you can make them anywhere. Research worlds can have massive adjacency bonuses from data centers and supercomputers, but require data streams from network nodes based on your other planets.
Also unhabitable worlds such as asteroids, molten worlds and gas giants can be colonized from midgame onwards, they have unique and abundant resources. Asteroids and molten worlds can be developed into mining colonies, and gas giant into gas extraction platforms. They offer new platforms for increasing minerals income at the expensve of energy.
Unhabitable worlds will appear under the "Habitat" tab on the outliner to prevent spam.
Strategic Resources
Strategic resources are scatered around the planets replacing almost all the sources of resources from vanilla, they work pretty much like betharian stone on vanilla, they let you build unique buildings on top of them. Some of them need certain planet specialization to be built.
This makes planets a bit more interesting and the fact that there are actual resources instead of just "minerals" or "energy" adds to inmersion.
AI and sectors should be able to identify this resources and build according to what's in the tile.
Federation Expanded
Now you will be able to determine how your federation works, how many power the president has and what your federation politics are.
There are 3 president election methods:
Country election – Every member country has one vote.
Representative – Every pop living in any planet in the federation votes without government interference.
Permanent – The president holds the title for ever.
There are also several levels of centralization on the federation that unlock laws and federation organizations that need to be paid with a budget gathered from every federation member, every law needs to be proposed and voted depending yon the vote method your federation has.
Any member can propose a law change every 10 years using an option found under the politics tab.
Budget is gathered reducing the resources generation of each member and gives the president influence bonus, this influence is used by the current president to pay for the diferent federation institutios such as the research or the health institute.
This mod replaces a lot of vanilla files, because of that it will be pretty much incompatible with anything except ship related mods such as ISBS series. Anything that changes or replaces one of the folowing vanilla files should be incompatible:
If you use it with some mod that changes this file one of the two mods WILL NOT WORK.
I plan on adding compatibility to select mods. However for most other stuff you are on your own.


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Fake fruit can be very decorative around the house. It looks great in bowls and baskets but you can also use it in center pieces and wreaths or whatever you like. Ofcourse they will be great for kitchens and shops too.
Remember this is fake fruit like the stuff you buy at the dollar store so you do not have to be too fussy about it looking realistic.
Ingredients are very simple : tiny styrofoam balls and oil pastels or chalks.
The styrofoam balls can be found in many sizes. I used 1 cm for the big fruits and even smaller ones for the apricot look a likes.
I like using the oil pastels best because when you rub the colors into the balls they stick better than chalks. But it is totally up to you. You can even try water colors, a friend of mine loves using those and she gets nice results too.
I prefer the somewhat fuzzy look you get with the pastels and chalks.
Start with the lighter colour , add some color, and rub into the foam with your fingers.
Add the darker color and try to blend the colors just a little.
If you want to shape your fruits a little bit, you can press your nails into them to create that sort of crease that peaches have. You can also gently push a tooth pick into the top to create the spot for a stem etc.
If you are worried about the color rubbing off you can set the color by lightly spraying the fruit with hair spray.