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This morning I was so inspired by Valerie Brown's Endless Edits blog 'First Draft Writing Tips' to write for at least 20 minutes per day that I sat down to do it NOW… but then this fabulous idea about publishing hit me. I had to stop and share.
Here it is:
Publishing For Writers, By Writers.
What do you think?
I'm thinking of a kind co-op, or consortium, or partnership. Something where a few writers work as a group to market and sell their combined self-published catalogue of books.
Not convinced? Sounds too hard? Let me back up a step.
I recently went to two different Open Houses by publishers. The first one, a boutique publisher who set up their House after the GFC when they realized the market had irrevocably changed; the second one, a large arm of a world-renowned, long-established House with international clout.
Both Houses are filled with wonderful people. Both know what they're doing. And I'll guarantee neither are going to sign me up. Why? Not (I hope) because my product sucks, but because persistence, competition, good luck, and timing are key.
I'll call House One 'Tiger' because they're out to get 'em tiger. They love books so much they aim to sign up not books, but authors. Someone who will write and write and be part of a family-style, win-win, ongoing partnership.
And I'll call House Two 'T-Rex' because they already have got 'em. They love books so much they own one of the four corners of the world market.
Tiger are a small team. They read every submission to the end. It will be a long wait til they get to mine. Tiger are new and fresh and everyone is submitting to them. I will be competing against a lot of writers (some of whom are my friends) for a very limited number of available book deals.
T-Rex is a much larger team. They operate to strict budgets and intense deadlines. Last year they took on about 3,000 new titles. Only 80 of those were Australian. For the mathematically-challenged like myself, this means the remaining
2,020 2,900 2,920 books are international.
In this, the Australian market, 0.027% of T-Rex's books are not written by Australians, but are books already picked up by publishers elsewhere and re-printed for the Australian market (they're mostly printed in China by the way, but that's another story).
So it's clear that either way, I need to make my submission perfect if I'm to stand out from the madding crowd. Which brings me to the dreaded query letter. Hands up who's ever heard this:
You wrote a full-length novel, a 500 word query letter should be easy.
Well, no. I don't think it is. I'm not a short-story writer (although the urge does take me every now and then) and I don't write copy. Here's copywriting as defined on a Copywriting 101 blogsite:
Copywriting is the art and science of strategically delivering words (whether written or spoken) that get people to take some form of action.Copywriters are some of the highest-paid writers in the world. To become a proficient and profitable copy expert, you'll need to invest time and energy in studying the craft. To truly excel as a copywriter, consider investing in a copywriting course that will provide you the intensive training you'll need to enjoy a lucrative career.
Sounds like a-whole-nother skillset to me!
And if you've ever sifted through hundreds of job applications, you'll know how quickly you learn to judge the applicant within the first few words, and discard them. One spelling mistake and you're out. Written in comic sans and you're out. Wrote 'dear sir' to a female reader and you're out. Wrote 'good' and 'morning' and it's neither and you're out.
And this is before you get to the book itself. Because then, who wants to take a risk on a mish-mash of genres? Or on another Twilight even if this one is unique and exciting? Who wouldn't sign up an author with a CV that can state 'proven track record' of overseas sales over an unknown first-time author who may be difficult to work with?
Worse, what if your excellent and perfect book conflicts with one they're already committed to publishing? Because that happens. A lot. Call it synchronicity.
For Tiger, publishing is a business. For T-Rex, publishing is a business. Rejection is not an indictment on us as authors, but it does, in all its dubious glory, exist.
Self-publishing looks better and better now, doesn't it? Sure, vanity publishing still exists, and I've bought some really crappy self-published books that I just could. Not. Finish. But there are an increasing amount of gems.
Have a read of this interview with Silo's Hugh Howey and this interview with Robert Bryndza, both of whom are superstars after self-publishing incredibly good books. Both of them talk about the enormous amount of time involved in finding an agent and then even more time spent doing the publishing house rejection rounds.
But they also talk about self-publishing neither being an overnight success nor a seamlessly easy process.
And that's where a group of like-minded individuals can come together. Maybe a crime writer, with a historic fiction writer, with a fantasy writer? They're not in conflict with each other. Together they form an enterprise and make sure whatever it is that self-publishers need to do gets done. Starting with finding out what needs to get done, because I don't know. Yet.
What do you think? Is there room for Publishing By Writers, For Writers? Does something like that already exist? Would you want to be a part of that? After all, the next big thing in books will probably languish in the rejection process for the next three years. Doesn't the world deserve to read it?


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Every year, one hundred thousand men and women choose blepharoplasty to improve the way they look. Droopy eyelids can make you look older and can also impair vision. Blepharoplasty corrects these problems and also removes puffiness and bags under the eyes that make you look worn and tired. This procedure can not alter dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes, nor can it change sagging eyebrows, but it can be combined with other procedures such as browlift, facelift, or skin resurfacing to achieve the these results.
As with all facial plastic surgery, good health and realistic expectations are prerequisites. Blepharoplasty removes the excess fat, muscle, and skin from both upper and lower lids. The results can be a refreshed appearance, with a younger, firmer eye area.
After a mutual decision is made by both you and Dr. Ferguson, the technique indicated for your individual surgery will be discussed. The risks and costs inherent in the procedure will be outlined.
In upper eyelid surgery, Dr. Ferguson first marks the individual lines and creases of the lids in order to keep the scars as invisible as possible along these natural folds. The incision is made, and excess fat, muscle, and loose skin are removed. Fine sutures are used to close the incisions, thereby minimizing the visibility of any scar.
In lower eyelid surgery, eyelid puffiness caused primarily by excess fat may be corrected by a transconjunctival blepharoplasty. The incision in this case is made inside the lower eyelid, and excess fatty material is removed. Wrinkles are improved by application of a concurrent peel or with laser treatment.
Immediately after the surgery has been completed, ointment may be applied to any skin incisions. This is not done for transconjunctival blepharoplasty unless a concurrent peel has been performed. You will be given a prescripition or sample of this ointment. Over-the-counter moisturizer drops are highly recommended. A certain degree of swelling and bruising is normal. Cold compresses, as well as head elevation when lying down, will enhance healing and relieve discomfort. Pain is usually minimal, but all patients are given pain medicine, and, when indicated, medicated drops.
For a week and a half following blepharoplasty, you will need to clean the eye area (the eyes may feel sticky, dry, and itchy). The redness and bruising resolves fairly quickly. We can assist with camouflage after the stitches are removed three to five days after surgery. Sunglasses cover things perfectly. Most patients are able to resume their normal activities immediately after the procedure. Your only limitations are contact sports and contact lenses.
Special consideration must be made with the oriental eyelid due to anatomic variations. Dr. Ferguson is well experienced with preserving ethnicity, Westernizing, or reversing previous eyelid surgery.
For more information about having eyelid surgery in Honolulu Hawaii contact Dr Ferguson today.
*Results may vary by individual.

subset: commoncrawl


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Currently, feature phones are not used for everyday payments despite there being a platform that allows use of USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) messaging for the purpose. USSD is the messaging platform that prepaid customers use to check their talktime balance. The problem in using it for banking is that it requires inputs of several dozen characters such as 16 digit account number, 11 digit IFSC code, recipient's name and seven digit Mobile Money Identification Number (MMID).
The UPI, which was launched a few months earlier, aimed to address this problem by linking the account identifiers (A/c number, IFSC code, name) to an 'alias' which includes mobile number and email. However, the limitation was that the service was available only on banking applications, which needed smartphones with internet connections. Now, with NPCI bringing UPI to feature phones, someone with Rs 1000 handset can reap the benefits of instant payments. This 'optimised USSD' will be launched on January 30 with a new brand name by the PM.
"The only condition is that the bank should have joined the UPI platform. With this, even if the customer holds a basic feature phone, he can still avail the benefits that were hitherto available only for those with smartphones," said AP Hota, MD & CEO, NPCI. If the account holder keys in the recipient's mobile number, the UPI platform will retrieve the recipient's name from its server, helping the sender authenticate the number.
"The messaging can be done in English or Hindi. The customer will be given a choice when he first connects and subsequent messages will appear in the preferred language," said Hota. Because of the cumbersome procedure involved in sending money, the USSD platform was used largely for balance enquiry. The non-financial transactions were around 1.5 lakh before November 8 but rose to six lakh transactions post-demonetisation. However, only a few thousand account holders used it every day for sending money. As compared to this, UPI, despite a smaller user base, has seen its daily transactions increase eight-fold from around 10,000 in early November to 80,000 a day.
According to Hota, electronic transactions are continuing to grow even after money has started flowing out of banks. "We are seeing around 13 lakh unique users doing 21 lakh transactions a day up from four lakh transactions a day," said Hota.


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Queen's Film Theatre accused of censorship in row over 'gay therapy' film
The leader of a Christian organisation who says that gay people "can choose not to live out homosexuality" has accused Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) of censorship after claiming that it refused to screen a film about people "emerging" from gay lifestyles.
Mike Davidson (63) is the head of the Core Issues Trust in Ballynahinch, Co Down, which claims it is "challenging gender confusion".
The father-of-two, who has undergone counselling for homosexuality and has been married to his wife Lynore for 38 years, provides "sexual attraction fluidity exploration" therapy from his base.
He said his group was refused permission to host a private, invitation-only screening of the film Voices Of The Silenced at the QFT in Belfast.
A private screening of the film at London's Vue cinema in Piccadilly was pulled last month after the event drew criticism. The film was screened at an alternative, unnamed London location.
Mr Davidson said QFT was "stifling" alternative viewpoints by refusing to screen the film.
"The film features 15 people coming out of homosexual lifestyles," he said.
"I initially made an inquiry to QFT in February and they came back to me and said the programme had already went to print and they had nothing available in March.
"When I asked about April, I got an email saying my request was denied and quoting Queen's University's equality agenda.
"We had gone to Queen's as we felt it has been very deliberate in its promotion of LGBT films over the years.
"It was a private, invitation-only event.
"It is censorship and intolerance. They aren't prepared to discuss this.
"It's almost as if when you are in the UK, if you have feelings around homosexuality, it's mandatory to identify as gay because you can't get help to do anything with it.
"If you have these feelings, you are going to be pushed into affirming homosexuality because the gay lobby claims you are born gay."
Mr Davidson claimed that gay people could "choose not to live out homosexuality and can deal with their feelings to the point that they can have a viable relationship with the opposite sex". "We are not victims, we can find ways of living that are consistent with our values," he added.
"I can offer support to them in their autonomous choice to explore other options."
A QFT spokesperson said: "The mission of QFT is to widen access to film through the delivery of a varied programme that actively encourages appreciation, enjoyment, debate and understanding.
"In addition, the QFT is committed, through its approved programme, to continue to promote and respect equality, diversity and inclusion."
Belfast Telegraph


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WITH foot-deep potholes, jagged pavement and rough cobblestones reminiscent of the rough-riding streets of the meatpacking district, the road is unmistakably New York — except for the road runners and coyotes.
This is New York Avenue near Stanfield, Ariz., built by Nissan engineers on the company's 3,050-acre proving ground to test and toughen the next generation of New York City taxicabs. In May, the Taxi and Limousine Commission chose the Nissan NV200 van as its Taxi of Tomorrow, which will be phased in as the city's sole taxi model over five years starting in late 2013. The cab's final design is still being worked out.
"We created New York Avenue to mimic the rugged streets here," Joe Castelli, the Nissan Americas vice president for light commercial vehicles, said in an interview during a visit to the city.
A prototype of the interior was recently displayed near the Flatiron Building in Manhattan to solicit citizen suggestions. The new taxi will have USB ports and power outlets for the electronic devices of passengers. The exterior will be painted a slightly brighter shade of yellow than the one on the city's current taxi fleet.
The NV200 was chosen over two other finalists, the Ford TransitConnect and a design by Karsan, a Turkish automobile manufacturer. Nissan is cooperating with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and the Design Trust for Public Space on the final design and development.
Mr. Castelli says that because the new taxi is based on a commercial vehicle it will get much more road testing — some 400,000 miles — than a typical passenger car would receive. Many of those miles will be on New York Avenue, a quarter-mile strip of nasty pavement at the company's facility some 60 miles south of Phoenix. The site includes a 5.2-mile high-speed banked racing track and other features.
Mr. Castelli said he visited the test ground last month. "Basically you go to Phoenix and turn right and head for the desert," he said.
The Nissan test facility already had special stretches for measuring ride problems like "freeway hop." But New York City poses special problems, Mr. Castelli said, because it "has some of the worst streets and potholes." He added, "We wanted to have uneven surfaces, because vehicles going around a corner have a tendency to slide a little bit from one pavement to another."
The extensive testing in Arizona is part of a wider development process, Mr. Castelli said. This fall, designers and executives met with medallion owners, driver operators and passengers.
"We also do other kinds of testing," Mr. Castelli said, like placing vehicles on four post machines that shake and twist them. "What is critical is the long-term durability of the vehicle."
Steve Monk, the director of vehicle testing at the proving ground, said: "There are a couple of things we are doing that are unique for the taxi. We have made several trips to the city, collecting data on road surfaces. We have looked at the drivers' style — how aggressively they are accelerating and braking on different road surfaces.
"We also want to understand operation cycles, like how many times a day a door is opened and closed and how many times someone slides across a seat over a two- or three-year period."
Nissan estimates that the cab's rear sliding doors will be slammed shut 300,000 times during the vehicle's street duty.
Vehicles other than NV200 mules roll along New York Avenue, including banged-up examples of the city's long-reigning taxi, the Ford Crown Victoria, retired from taxi service. "It is a strange sight to see yellow taxis with the ad boards still on them running around the proving ground," Mr. Monk said.
Nissan bought several veteran Crown Vics to see how they had stood up to the rigors of regular use. "We want to use it a reference point," he added.
The company also bought back Nissan Altima taxicabs to study.
Mr. Monk said the idea of New York Avenue began several years ago, before the taxi project. Even then the company was aware from driver surveys and examinations of cars it had put into taxi fleets that New York streets provided particularly rigorous conditions.
"We were getting a few specific ride-comfort complaints from our existing passenger vehicles in the New York area, outside expectations," he said. "The complaints stood out from the results anywhere else in the country. So we decided to replicate a section of New York at the proving ground."
Mr. Monk said the template for what became New York Avenue was a section of Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, a rugged commercial stretch north of Kennedy Airport named for a former local assemblyman.
"Thankfully, I believe it was repaired afterwards," he added.
The Arizona facility also has a section that simulates Belgian block pavement and large ditches filled with water. The urban hazards in Arizona are spiced with natural ones. The potholes sometimes shelter diamondback rattlesnakes. "We get everything from scorpions, even in the office, to rattlesnakes in the spring," Mr. Monk said. "Whole families of coyotes live here."
Nissan has not yet delivered any of the cabs it will provide under its 10-year contract with the city. But it is already using its taxi's New York street cred as a selling point for the NV200. The company hopes to find customers beyond the 13,000-plus medallion holders in New York.
Mr. Castelli said he had learned that two of India's largest taxi companies had decided to use the NV200 because they heard it was being used in New York.
"One of the ads we are running around the world shows a picture of the taxi on one side and the cargo van on the other. The line is, 'If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.' So two years ahead of it actually appearing on the streets, we are already marketing it on the New York nomenclature."
Mr. Monk has another sort of tie to the city. "I probably got involved in this project because even though I grew up in southeast Texas I am a Yankees fan," he said. He scheduled his research trips to the city accordingly.
"My trips are always based on the Yankees home schedule," he said. But when he goes to the Bronx he doesn't hail a cab. Because he likes to mingle with his fellow Yankee fans, he said, "I always take the train."


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About a year ago, I decided to attend a show at Madison Live to check out a band I didn't know much about. All I knew is that they had a clever band name and I liked a song of theirs that was on my Spotify "discover weekly" playlist. That was the night I was introduced to a four-piece indie band from Minnesota, called Hippo Campus. For not knowing much about them myself, they had gathered a decent crowd of people. When they first came out on stage that night and starting playing, I kind of fell in love.
Skintcinnati was asked to do a Hippo Campus feature and there was no way I was going to miss out. These guys give nothing but good vibes when they perform. They are incredibly energetic and play with huge smiles on their faces. You can instantly tell they enjoy what they do.
They opened with "Boyish", their new single that was recently released earlier this month. That track set the mood for the rest of set. With it's pop infused guitar riffs, the drums and catchy lyrics, you can't help but start dancing when you hear it. They followed that track with "Little Grace" off their EP Bashful Creatures.
These guys are talented and they are going places. If not for the music, go for the bass player's sweet dance moves, because he has moves.
The Hippo Campus dudes were cool enough to answer a few of our most burning questions:
Clara: You guys have seriously blown up since last year with your hit single "Suicide Saturday", were you expecting that quick of a response?
Hippo Campus: Not in the slightest. We didn't really think we had a single, and to be honest we didn't know what a single was when we released 'bashful creatures', it was just a grouping of songs that meant something to specific to us, so we're consistently humbled by the response we've gotten.
You recently released a new single, "Boyish" on Spotify, which I really enjoy by the way. Will we be expecting a new album soon? If so, what should we expect?
Can't say right now. Just expect to expect.
You get compared to Bombay Bicycle Club and Vampire Weekend, so what are your musical influences?
Our friends inspire us quite a bit, as gushy as that is. Everyone in Minneapolis is always creating and collaborating so it's exciting to be apart of that community. But other band favorite's are wu lyf, little comets, way yes, last dinosaurs, and Jonathan Boulet.
What should one expect when they see a Hippo Campus show?
Expect to expect a darn good time. Our chefs have labored tirelessly to craft a quality family friendly experience, full of fun, laughs, and good music. We just try to have fun and not biff it.
Last question, if you could tour with any band, alive or dead, who would it be?
It would be pretty cool to tour with sum-41 in the early 2000's, back when pop punk was the thing. Any band that made it into an American Pie soundtrack I guess.
Artistically speaking, bon iver's live show is massively impressive, as well as kanye's live show. Stylistically that doesn't make any sense so… Sum-41.
You can check out more of Hippo Campus at their website, and check out their newest single, Boyish.


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According to a study by the Auto Insurance Center, the average American spent nearly a full workweek in traffic in 2015, with traffic delays costing an average of $960 per year. That's a tough pill to swallow for any commuter, especially considering that this is just the national average. Big cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. all face much rougher traffic jams on a daily basis.
But which cities have to deal with the longest commutes? Based on U.S. census data from 2015 (the most recent year available), the following is ranking of American cities based on the average commute time. Only cities with populations greater than 50,000 were considered. That left 110 cities with average commutes of 30 minutes or more.
There are six cities with average commutes longer than 40 minutes, with four of them located in California. Six of the 10 worst commutes are located in the Golden State, though that does not include the city with the longest commute time.
Note: In the event of ties, the city with the higher percentage of people who spend 60+ minutes commuting was ranked higher. Images do not necessarily depict the city on each slide.


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- Sport and Wellbeing: The Importance of Exercise for Combatting Stress, Part One
- Sport and Wellbeing: The Importance of Exercise for Combatting Stress, Part Two
- Impulsivity Can Be A Side Effect of Medication, But Is It A Good Thing?
- Mental Health: Ways to Get Help Over the Summer Holidays
- 92% of Students Report Feelings of Mental Distress
- Eating Disorders Awareness Week: Confession of an Anorexic
- Eating Disorders: Realisations and Recovery
- Is it Me?: The Realities of Depression
- Lesser Known Mental Illnesses: Hypochondria
- Lesser Known Mental Illnesses: Bipolar Disorder
- Lesser Known Mental Illnesses: Dermatillomania
- Anxiety, Depression and the Year Abroad: Part 2
- Anxiety, Depression and the Year Abroad: Part 1
- Getting It Straight: What You Didn't Know About OCD
- Mental Illness, Katie Hopkins, and Me
- OCD: Washing Away the Stigma
- The Germanwings Co-Pilot and the Stigma of Mental Illness
- You Say Adventure, I Say Ordeal
- 8 Things You Shouldn't Say to a Depressed Person
- Eating Disorders and the Media: What Are 'Real' Women?
- How To Help A Panic Attack
- How to Survive a Mid-Year Crisis
- The University of Southampton Needs To Do More for Mental Health
- 5 Ways to Get Involved With Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2016
- Winter Blues: It's A Real Thing
- Elephant in The Corner: Social Anxiety
- Victory over Vehophobia: How to Overcome a Fear of Driving
- Let's Talk About Homesickness
- Your Guide to Managing a Fresher's State of Mind
- Study Finds Exam Pressure To Be The Cause of Mental Health Problems In Pupils
- Time to Talk Day – What's it All About?
- University's Research into Mental Health Treatment Goes Deeper
- World Mental Health Day: Reducing Stigma & Finding Support
- International Stress Awareness Day: Self-Care Is Important
When people first hear about skin picking, they do not think of it as a serious problem, or think of it as an extremely unusual behaviour.
What I originally thought was a "bad habit" started from the age of fourteen, when every perceivable blemish was subject to excessive picking even if the blemish did not really exist. Originally starting on only my arms, the picking fluctuated and did not really seem like a huge deal, although those closest to me knew there was something wrong about what I was doing and the marks I was leaving on my arms. I began simply covering my arms with make up to hide the marks when I wore short sleeves and carried on with life.
As I got older and had increasing stress levels with high expectations at school, friendship worries and having to make decisions that would affect my future, the picking started becoming far more frequent. I began doing it subconsciously on areas of my arms that were not covered, even during school hours. Other times I would do it because I felt like I just had to, or else the urge to do it would be relentless, like an itch that just had to be scratched.
And so the cycle continued. I would pick, leave sore marks on my arms, cover them up with make up and leave them alone until the urge to do it returned. On better days I could go without touching the most likely areas, but on the days that were particularly bad, the picking had travelled to my shoulders as well as my arms. It was at this point I felt the need to see a doctor, and after briefly explaining the situation I was prescribed cream to tackle blemishes that I would pick at. Needless to say that this was not fully effective, as I was picking at places that were blemish-free, and would not stop the urge.
It wasn't until the end of Year 11, at the end of my GCSEs, that I started thinking I had a real problem. By now my arms, shoulders, back, chest and stomach were suffering substantially from my constant need to pick, and I was regularly covering myself in various Vitamin E lotions and make up to hide my scars. I began having a very low self-image, became panicked by the idea of getting changed for PE around others and started feeling increasingly anxious and depressed. I told no-one for fear of being mocked or judged, and when I summed up the courage to visit a doctor it was not recognised as a problem and was told it was something I would grow out of.
By sixth form and the life changes that accompanied it – changing relationships, trying to get a place at university, a terminally ill family member – I felt as though I was stuck in a perpetual cycle of depression causing obsessive, uncontrollable picking and obsessive uncontrollable picking causing depression. It had become so bad that getting changed or getting ready to have a bath or shower was impossible without the urge to pick at my skin. There were times where I would use objects like tweezers to do it, or I would go to brush my teeth and I would look in the mirror and begin to pick, locked completely in it. There were times where I would spend a couple of hours solidly picking in the bathroom while the rest of the house slept, as I just could not get myself out of it.
The worst part of it all was that I felt I could not tell anyone about it. I felt alone in my problem and thought that I was the only one who had this condition, and at the time was not even aware that it was a condition. I even kept it from my partner, and used make up to cover any marks in hope that he would not see them. But on a day where I had forgotten to apply make up to my arms, he asked me about them and I could not keep it in any longer. I remember telling him what I did and how long I had done it for, and I had never felt such a strong feeling of shame and hollowness as I was feeling at that moment. Thankfully he was very understanding and supportive, and began being more open about the problem to those closest to me. I finally googled impulsive skin picking conditions and discovered that the condition, "dermatillomania", became classified as excoriation disorder by the DSM-5 in 2013 – four years after my problems with it first started. I discovered that dermatillomania is thought to affect between 2% to 3% of the general population, but it could be much higher as many cases are unreported, are not recognized, or are not given any media attention, so the prevalence of dermatillomania could be much higher. It is classified as a Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviour, where the person's behaviour has the potential to harm or damage their body and physical appearance, and is related to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
I would like to say that since starting university just over two years ago skin picking is no longer a problem, but unfortunately these things don't always work like that. I still have the problem, sometimes far worse than others, and I still often feel uncomfortable telling people about it, or putting myself in situations where skin is more exposed. I have been for hospital appointments where the practitioner involved has asked me about my skin, even though it was nothing to do with what I was there for. I have been told that my skin could affect my future employment if I do not cover up. But I am tired of covering up. This condition needs to be understood, because it could be affecting someone you love and you may not even know.
To find out more about dermatillomania and what can be done to treat it, click here.


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Things I want:
- medicine that is both holistic and scientific;
- spirituality that is both inward and outward;
- an identity that is both Mommy and Ally;
- nature that is both protected and accessible; and
- architecture that is both tasteful and charming.
That last one came from perusing architecture-themed posts on Pinterest.
The architectural posts on Pinterest don't really cover the gamut, but there are definitely lots of posts that are in the vein of high taste and plenty of other posts that could best be categorized as charming. There are also plenty that can most easily be categorized as boring, but we don't need to talk about those today.
|a selection of images from Pinterest when I searched the term "charming"
|a selection of tasteful design pinned from dezeen.com
It is my considered opinion from my very own objective 100% scientific poll that folks want BOTH architecture of high taste AND architecture that is charming, but they are seemingly impossible to marry to one another.
The Futility of the Case:
Good taste is generally purchased, while charm is typically home grown.
Good taste tends to minimize sentiment; charm tends toward excessive sentiment.
Good taste is largely the realm of old money. Charm is the province of a comfortable middle class.
Good taste is often accomplished with professional assistance. Charm can be easily ruined by professionals.
Good taste is BEAUTIFUL on many levels, and charm is COMFORTABLE on many levels.


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Painted Bar Stables is a community-oriented riding facility offering year-round guided trail rides to the general public as well as lessons, leasing, boarding and educational opportunities.
Specializing in trail riding and real world riding lessons the stable has reliable horses to guarantee a safe, secure adventure on horseback for riders of all ages and abilities. Our experienced horses carry riders through the rolling landscape of the Finger Lakes Region on beautiful trails ranging from simple to rugged terrain.
Each ride is carefully crafted through matchmaking of horse and rider and selection of the perfect trail to give each person the best experience possible. While we work to keep our groups small and intimate, we can accommodate groups as large as 15 trail riders.
About Us
Located in Schuyler County, N.Y., Painted Bar Stables is a just up the hill from Watkins Glen and a short drive from Ithaca. Our location directly on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail puts us in the midst of cascading waterfalls, breathless lake views and rolling glacier carved hills.
Established as the Painted Bar Stables in 2003, the stables changed ownership in early 2008. The new owner, Erika Eckstrom, has since brought new life to the stable, revitalizing the farm and doing needed renovations in order to make it into the local equine landmark that it had been in the 1960s and 1970s.
Operating predominantly as a pleasure riding facility, we work to share our love of the surrounding area and the beauty that it offers. Painted Bar Stables offers a unique way to encounter the beauty of the Finger Lakes from horseback. The multiplicity of rides offered give different and unique ways to see the grandeur of the local landscape, whether it be in our back yard on shorter rides, in the Finger Lakes National Forest on longer adventures, or under the stars on our moonlight trail rides.
Erika's philosophy is simple: create an setting in which both people and horses are happy. By creating a realistic, educational and friendly environment focused on dream-realization, Erika has been able to offer unmatched care to both her horses and her clientele. This way of thinking is reflected in the temperament of the horses boarded at the facility and the tight-knit group of individuals that has come to support the stable's endeavors. The resulting community that has grown in the barn is an intimate mix, bringing young and old together to enjoy and learn from one another.
The Painted Bar Stables lives up to its name by producing the highest quality APHA painted and colored horses. Standing at stud is Sierras All The Gold, a 2002 Perlino homozygous creme tobiano stallion that is guaranteed to produce creme dilute offspring: buckskin, palomino, perlino and cremello. Painted Bar Stables is also home to the offspring of Pepsi Poco and other champion APHA and AQHA offspring.
4093 Lake Street (Route 79)
Burdett, NY 14818
Social Media


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Singapore. Minister of State for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin has said that his ministry will not put up with the wrongful confinement of foreign workers, the forceful repatriation of them, or the failure to settle their salaries and other claims.
His post on his Facebook wall yesterday, under the headline "Protecting Workers", said that when such allegations come to the attention of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), investigations are launched into the repatriation companies and the employers who engage them.
He said foreign workers who turn to MOM will have their cases attended to within two weeks of being registered.
Last year, more than nine in 10 employment disputes filed with MOM were resolved through mediation within six weeks upon MOM's intervention, he said.
Brigadier-General (NS) Tan opened his post by noting that online articles on the protection of foreign workers and salary dispute cases had been brought to his attention recently. He did not say where or when these articles appeared, or say which ones triggered his post.
An article, reposted on his Facebook wall by a netizen on Monday, alleged that repatriation companies were locking up foreign workers to ensure they do not go missing before they are sent home.
Tan said MOM has worked with the Home Affairs Ministry since last June to investigate and prosecute such cases.
He noted that last year, for example, an employee of a repatriation company was jailed a month for voluntarily causing hurt. The employer which engaged the company was given a warning for abetting in wrongful restraint.
A post on the blog Yawning Bread on July 9 highlighted a case of 23 foreign workers who claimed to have not been paid their wages. It reported that the workers had gone to non-governmental organization Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) for help, with some workers claiming that their boss had beaten them.
The blog also said that these men had approached MOM, but that their problem had not been resolved yet.
A TWC2 spokesman said yesterday that three of the workers have since been paid their back wages; the other cases are still pending. MOM is looking into them.
Told about Tan's remarks that MOM attends to cases within two weeks and resolves the majority in six, the TWC2 spokesman said: "In our experience, cases remain unresolved for a range of reasons, often due to, among other things, the sheer volume of the officers' caseloads or ambiguities in the law."
Employment disputes remain small in number, affecting under 0.5 per cent of the foreign workforce.
Acknowledging that foreign workers might be reluctant to step forward out of fear of reprisal, Tan said they can turn to, for example, the Migrant Workers Centre, which can in turn refer their cases to MOM: "The MOM is committed to seek a fair resolution to these issues." –Melissa Kok – Straits Times
Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.
c/o National Trade Union Center Philippines
Suites 8 N & O, Future Point Plaza 2, 115 Mother Ignacia St., South Triangle, Quezon City 1103, PHILIPPINES
Email us


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When it comes to renting out your property you will generally find that all your potential tenants will have a list of criteria. This list usually involves things such as whether the property has a garden, if there are local shops and facilities nearby, and whether the property comes with its own parking facilities. Many people will straight-out refuse to even look at a property if it doesn't have adequate parking, so what can you do to make the situation easier?
Street Parking
In some towns and cities it can be difficult to ensure that your tenants will have their own private parking area, which means that they will probably have to park on the street. If you are planning on investing in a property that only offers street parking make sure you do some research before you buy – some streets get filled up extremely quickly and others may need permits for your tenants to park there.
Driveways and Private Garages
If your property comes with a driveway or a private garage then this can be a great selling point. Even better is if you keep the driveway or garage in a good condition, as it means that there will be more demand for your property. If your driveway or garage is looking a bit run down, it is wise to invest in a renovation as they are generally not too expensive and the amount of worth they add to the property can outweigh the initial spend. Just make sure you invest in landlord insurance to protect your property whilst the work is being carried out.
Public Transport
Families with young children usually use cars as their main form of transportation, however if you are renting to young professionals or students then you may find they don't even own a vehicle. If this is the case then they would be more interested as to whether there is public transport near the property and how reliable it is, so make sure you do a bit of research into what is available and give your tenants the information they need.
Parking can often be a deal-breaker when it comes to potential tenants, so if you do have facilities available make sure you make the most out of them! Otherwise make sure you are up to date on all the other options available.


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Don't Worry, Be Sorry
Greetings sometimes followers of the latest trendly goings on. It's been far too long since you've seen our smiling faces and glowing witticisms on this here page. If only there were some way we could make it up to you that didn't involve monetary appropriations or sexual favors. We've got it! How about we resume our position as the standard bearers of the latest in all that is both friendly and trendy by posting something new? Sound good? No? Well, then we guess we're just going to have to offer you a heartfelt apology, which just so happens to be the latest friendly trend in public discourse.
Plenty of people in this world are capable of committing unspeakable acts of immorality such as actively engaging in genocide, offering free health care and forgetting to tip their server. All too often those heinous occurrences go unchecked without even the slightest acknowledgment of any wrongdoing. Lately though those who have committed a heinous act against their fellow man have seen fit to right their wrongs by publicly proclaiming "mea culpa" for their questionable decisions that stand to jeopardize their status as the world's foremost athlete, restaurant patron, or douchebag tattoo-sleeved guitar player of easy listening music.
Whether you've offended people by outing your penis's racist tendencies, not providing boundaries for your penis, or just simply not posting on your blog for a really long time; it's important to acknowledge that the road to ruin was paved with good intentions. Unfortunately that road is only big enough for penis-shaped cars or vehicles driven by your ego. While you were busy thinking with your genitalia, guitar, and/or wallet your well-intending actions -no matter how private- were busy hurting the feelings of millions of people you have never even met who obviously look up to you as a role model.
The only way to right this wrong is to offer an utterly sincere admission of guilt and probable sex addiction as reasons for your lapse in judgment. After all, you could've spent so much time being the best you you could be if only you weren't so busy looking at porn or shamelessly flirting with the girl you paid to have sex with.
So how does one offer a sincere apology to those wronged souls also known as sponsors, professional sports associations, or Twitter followers? Well, there are several different methods sweeping the nation:
The most popular and readily available is the press conference. The media loves a good admission of wrongdoing and what better way to do it than in real-time in front of cameras and microphones before the entire world. Not only will it magnify the extent of whatever you're admitting, but it also makes you seem sorrier. Whether you cheated on your wife or your SATs and need to tell someone, there's a good chance ESPN or TMZ will cover it, provided you schedule it during The World Series of Poker or when Britney Spears is not driving to the mall.
The second most popular form of apology is through the purchasing of gifts. While this form of contrition won't achieve the level of international forgiveness on the scale of a press conference; it goes to show those you have injured that your actions, while selfish, put enough money in your pocket to afford expensive chocolates or a used Mazda Miata. It also helps to stimulate the economy, which is always friendly and trendy.
The third most popular form of forgiveness also happens to be the least beneficial to the economy. It's known as the simple action apology. The simple action apology is a personal admission of wrongdoing popularly expressed via language or sexual favors and sometimes both. It requires an audience of five or less and often occurs during an intervention or after the receipt of a credit card bill that reveals frequent trips to the strip club.
Although apologies may be the latest friendly trend, it's important to note that one errs on the side of unpopularity when expressing such regrets to loved ones. After all, being in love means never having to say you're sorry.
February 22, 2010 Posted by evankessler | Celebrities, Gifts, Methods, Relationships, Social Trends | Ali Macgraw, apologies, Britney Spears, cheating, ESPN, John Mayer, Love Story, Mazda Miata, Ryan O'Neal, sexual indiscretions, Tiger Woods, TMZ, TMZ.com, twitter, World Series of Poker | Leave a comment
Have The Conversation
Greetings Trendly Tweeters and Facebook status flirts. Do you spend the majority of your day tethered to an electronic device not designed to give you sexual pleasure?Are you fully up to speed on the whereabouts and goings on of all of the seven hundred people in your online network yet draw a blank every time you try to imagine what their voice sounds like? And when it comes to your own voice do you have trouble remembering whether it's more nasal, manly, or just somewhere in between? If you said yes to all of those it's time to clear the cobwebs in your throat and get familiar with a trend that, well, used to be really popular a year or two ago…the trend of actual conversation.
Yes ladies and trend-tleman the oral adventure that is human communication has taken many forms since the lord created man on the seventh day and then planted evolutionary clues to convince scientists their whims had the slightest merit. Early man used grunts and hisses to impart such important notions as "please pass the salt" and "I'm going to go hit that pig over the head many times with a club so that we can have it for dinner and then rape that female." While we were on track to develop a complex language based on those hisses and grunts for quite awhile, the almighty himself deferred communicative ease for a few years after an unsatisfactory architecture experiment at Babel. This failed "tower" project not only made conversation impossible but it allowed for the worldwide spread of mankind and development of different linguistic characteristics to the point where we needed a phrasebook to figure out what people like Dennis Miller and the French were talking about.
Thanks to the advent of technology and the imperialistic notions of such nations as Great Britain, The United States of America and Finland, there is now an "international language" that doesn't involve sexual favors for the exchange of spices. That language is "innovation" and that innovation usually comes with an English instruction manual and now includes visual aides typed via computer. While mankind has fought so hard to bring themselves closer together, many technological advances have provided the ruse of progress due to the fact that while we think sharing links of kitty videos over the Internet is uniting us, we will never actually get to see the people who we are sharing those videos with naked and in person.
However, thanks to the potential re-embrace of the idea of actual conversation people are talking, talking about people, and not only that, those very same people are now starting to remember that face to face interaction and chronic halitosis is a lot more desirable than chronic carpal tunnel syndrome and blurred vision. So that's why we here at Trendliest are urging you to put down that Twitter, head down to the local pub and buy yourself something bitter and talk it out with some of your best buds instead of typing it. Give those vocal chords the workout they've been begging for.
May 15, 2009 Posted by evankessler | Language, Social Trends, Technology | Communication, conversation, Dennis Miller, French people, Great Britain, Internet, Sexual favors, spices, Tower of Babel, twitter, UK, United States of American, voice | Leave a comment
Know What Everyone Is Doing…All of the Time!!!
Hello my Trendlies, Are you doing something friendly and trendy right now? Well how about now? Even if it isn't trendly, you should probably tell us what it is you're up to. Why? Because knowing what everyone else is doing all of the time is unbelievably trendly. As you're reading this I'm doing perhaps the trendliest thing of all, blogging. While blogging may be a hot new way to show a nation on the edge of it's seat important photos of your cat, it can no way inform people as to your regular whereabouts and goings on. The fact of the matter is everyone wants to know what you're up to whether you're in a bathtub getting ready to pop out junior with your midwife, poisoning the water supply in Myanmar or just plain hangin' out. To put it briefly, you're not cool unless somebody knows you're cool. Thanks to technological advances like super computers, cell phones and the Swiffer Sweeper, keeping eager stalkers constantly apprised of your goings on has never been easier.
Way back in 1492 when Columbus sailed the ocean blue he forgot to tell his roommates he was even leaving the house and they were totally pissed when he ditched out without getting someone to sublet. It was four months before they knew he was gone and another two months before they were beheaded in a public square for not paying the full rent. If they could've checked his Facebox profile they would've seen the phrase "Christopher Columbus is out sailing for a few months" on his status update and put an ad up on Craigslist or on the town square bulletin board and avoided their subsequent guillotine rendezvous. Thanks to sites like Twitter and Tellmewhatyouredoingallofthetime.com this is so not a problem. These sites allow users to constantly give people the lowdown on what they're up to by typing in their daily minutia into a browser so that you never have to exercise those pesky amenities known as their voice or their privacy ever again.
The trendliest people, a.k.a Celebrities, even have their own uber-exclusive telling everyone what they're doing all the time service called TMZ.com. TMZ.com uses a complex system of stalkers with video and photo equipment aimed at the crotches of female celebrities to let the rest of the world know that celebrities never have underwear, always have genitalia, and sometimes go to the supermarket. Now that's what we call trendly!
April 7, 2008 Posted by evankessler | Celebrities, Electronics, Social Trends, Technology | Britney Spears, Christopher Columbus, craigslist, Facebox, Internet, knowing what people are doing, midwives, Myanmar, pregnancy, stalkers, stalking, swiffer sweeper, TMZ.com, trendliest, trends, twitter | Leave a comment
The Trendliest is your friendly guide to latest trends. If you need to know what's hop, hot, or now…well then you've got to read it. Not only is The Trendliest friendly and trendy, but it's also satirical. So, if you find yourself easily offended by the content, there is a good chance that you are either silly, hyper-sensitive or Canadian. Lighten up Canucks.
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At an early point in development, I was given the responsibility of designing and implementing the Broadway Emporium main mission. At the time I was given a lot of freedom regarding the narrative and moment-to-moment gameplay of the mission, and I'm pleased to say that most of the ideas I suggested in those early concept stages have made it into the final version of the game.
Although some of the narrative structure has been adapted since I handed the mission on to another team, the broad beats of the mission objectives and the whitebox layout of the store remains largely unchanged.
This location was always intended to be a visually arresting space with its burning Christmas tree the centre piece amidst the aisles of looted jewellery and fragrance counters. More than that, it serves as a key piece of the story in determining the origins of the virus, as well as the motivations of the Cleaner faction in the game.
As a Mission Designer/Level Designer on Watch Dogs, I was responsible for the design and creation of a number of driving based side missions called Fixer Contracts.
Transporter contracts were designed to be fast paced vehicle delivery missions that encouraged exploration, parkour and the use of the city's many shortcuts in order to achieve the fastest delivery times for leaderboards. Adding to the challenge, players had to ensure that damage to the vehicle was kept to a minimum to avoid failure, providing an additional test of their driving skills with high risk/rewards.
Speed through the city and push your driving skills to the max, attracting the attention of the police and CtOS whilst the Fixer uses the distraction for their hacking activities. Designed to take players on high intensity routes that capitalised on the many stunt opportunities throughout the city, these contracts get progressively more challenging as the police close in on you with all their force.
Driver: San Francisco is the critically acclaimed follow up in the Driver franchise that sees the return of Tanner as he pursues wanted criminal Jericho across the city of classic car chases. The game introduces the innovative new Shift feature that allows players to instantly jump into the driving seat of any car in the city to offer a fresh new perspective on the driving game genre.
As a Level Designer and Mission Scripter on Driver: San Francisco I was responsible for designing, producing and maintaining the majority of the side mission content in the single-player campaign which included:
I was responsible for scripting and designing the 2010 E3 demo for the game that would serve as the first public announcement of the project. I was also chosen as a representative of the company to exhibit the demo live on the E3 show floor in the VIP booth during the conference's duration.


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Home > Personal > Bank > Routing Number
Think Mutual Bank's routing number is: 291975465
Member FDIC - NMLSR ID 440195
Visit our Facebook page for more news.
Bank smart, live well.
© 2020 - Think Mutual Bank | Legal Notices | Privacy Policies
Insurance products are offered through Think Insurance (MN license # IA-538), not Think Mutual Bank. Insurance products are not FDIC insured, are not insured by any federal agency, and are not a deposit or guarantee of Think Mutual Bank. This is not a policy. For a complete statement of coverages and exclusions, please see the policy contract.
The financial advisors of Think Financial Planning offer securities and advisory services through Commonwealth Financial Network®, member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. Investments are not insured by the FDIC and are not deposits or other obligations of, or guaranteed by, any depository institution. Funds are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of principal investment. Think Mutual Bank is not a registered broker-dealer or Registered Investment Adviser. Think Mutual Bank and Commonwealth are separate and unaffiliated entities. Fixed insurance products and services offered by CES Insurance Agency, Think Insurance, or Think Financial Planning. Think Financial Planning is headquartered at 5200 Members Pkwy NW, Rochester, MN 55901. Check the background of this firm on FINRA's BrokerCheck.
This information is provided for new customers who live or work in Minnesota, and for existing customers residing in the states of AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NM, NV, NY, ND, NC, OH, PA, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside of these states due to various state regulations and registration requirements regarding investment products and services.


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As promised the Craft Room Pics ....
DURING (as I was saying "OMG What was I thinking!") >>>
And AFTER >>>
I am VERY Happy with the end results! Also that it didn't take 10 hours to finish (I really thought I'd be working on until the wee hours of the morning!)
Nook Renovation
2 weeks ago


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On Thursday, 14 July 2016 we hosted a panel discussion Exploring the Antarctic Treaty in 2056 in collaboration with the New Zealand Antarctic Youth Council (NZAYC). The panel discussed
New Zealand's intent in 1956 and then explored what our interest might look like 100 years later. It was fantastic to bring the Wellington ocean community together and build a narrative through the diverse range of thoughts.
Why 2056?
We chose the year 2056 as this will mark 100 years since New Zealand first established its presence in Antarctica, which is important context for a discussion around our long term interest in the continent. In 1956, the Royal New Zealand Air Force scouted the route for New Zealand's first Trans-Antarctic Expedition, and the Royal New Zealand Navy's HMNZS Endeavour set sail from the Port of Wellington with materials to start building Scott Base.
The discussion highlighted a clear need to engage early with New Zealand's role in the governance of Antarctica going forward. The Treaty presents a unique opportunity, and we need to work together to explore creative policy solutions today for officials to implement tomorrow.
Lionel Carter
Professor of Marine Geology, Victoria University of Wellington
Dr Neil Gilbert
Adjunct Senior Fellow at Gateway Antarctica, University of Canterbury
Tim Naish
Director of Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington
Rear Admiral John Martin
Chief of Navy
Lou Sanson
Director-General, Department of Conservation
Andrew Townend
Senior Legal Adviser at MFAT
Next steps
NZAYC will be producing a discussion paper touching upon some of the issues raised by the panel and audience, with an estimated publishing date of September 2016. We will also be publishing videos of the speakers' discussions on the McGuinness Institute's YouTube Channel.
For more information about NZAYC, see the New Zealand Antarctic Youth Council website.
(a) Invitation to this event
(b) PowerPoint presentation


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For Michelle's Intermedio 2 (CEFR B1 level, OUP's New English File Upper Intermediate, actually, a B2!) students.
CHECK OUT "LEARN TO LEARN" (below, see Pages) to find posts on things we see in class!
- Shipping and Transportation, Roberto's interactive presentation
- What Leads to Success?
- Useful Language + audios
- Farewell, Best of Luck and Thanks for a Wonderful Year!
- Silvia and Laura talking about a friend visiting
- Timed Speaking Activities (interactions) for the last full day (unless you want to do your own)
- Einstein, by Juancar (video)
- Listen and repeat: Phrasals
- Telling a true or fictional story: collecting resources here
- Two mons. on the Internet
- Mon. on sb you love
Missing posts, but… I'm not sure this is useful and it takes time to put together, so in April and May I'm not updating it. I've created a new Category: EOI, so you can find the posts ofinterested for EOI people.
- Timed Scanning (Exam-like) Activity designed by michelle
- Protect your intelligence — don't buy exams!
- Lesson Plans! Getting for an orgasmic end of course!
- First two weeks in April: did 6A and 6B. Do Writing over the weekend, and practice conversations with tourists
- Phrasals: L&R
- Oral Work by Students
- Oral & Written work by students
- Unit 6: pages we'll work on in class (you can do the rest at home and ask questions in class)
- Speaking: interactions for B1, B2: Listen & Repeat Useful Language for Organizing Events, Helping People, Pros & Cons of Options
- Happy spring holidays!
- About job interviews (Writings)
- Finished Monologs! Lesson Plans
- Monolog about Stereotypes
- Yeepee! Airport Experiences! (really funny!)
- Help! Transcripts of your work!
- Publishing your work on Talking People
- What to do. Issues worrying more and more people!
- Lesson Plans (All our work): week 4 Feb, week 1 March
- PS week4Feb (Bring your textbook, anyway, in case you can work a bit on Unit 5 Speaking Tasks)
- Whoa! What a day today, Tuesday! (life is a rollercoaster!)
- What happened today, Monday? (the sad story of the unprinted Sample Test)
- February: Weeks 3 and 4 (updated week 3, upcoming week 4)
- On Feb 13th and 14th we'll devote/dedicate the lesson to V-Day and work struggling against violence against women. Unfortunately, we cannot invite people, so there is no address for the event. But we'll be about 100 people in all, and we also count! 🙂 Here is the event.
- Writing Examples. Making suggestions: (Intermedio 2 Lunes) Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4, Example 5, (Intermedio 2 Martes), Example 6, Example 7, Example 8
- Speaking Tasks for B2 level students
- Dear Intermedios! (A Writing Sample and a useful idea)
- For Int2 Lunes! 🙂
- February Exam pack for Intermedio and Avanzado
- Feedback for Writings on Climate Change (edited)
- Functional Translation: The Futures in unit 3
- Assessment of our work so far (Jan 14) – check out Key Int 2
- Unit 3: message to int2's, Woof, woof!
- How will you rise? Getting ready for February
- January: You should've finished unit 3… so we can start unit 4… About unit 3, you can ask in class, and you will find the answer key here:
- About Unit 3 – First lesson together in January 2013 – Hey, Silvia requested I posted answers, so check out Key – Intermedio 2
Dear all, dear all, time flies, don't stop! (last Dec week together)
- Selected podcast episodes from 6-min English
- The Passive – Crime and Punishment
- On Language Matters
- Alba's monologue on someone she loves
- About your learning (Dec 6)
- News for all
- Week 1 December: We might have a mock evacuation: read When crowds become mobs (just taking it as an excuse to write away! 😉
- Felipe's monologue with teacher's feedback
- Booking a date for the December OPs
- Irene's mon with teacher's feedback
- Lesson Plans November Week 3
- re: your Writings & Audios
- First Course Assessment: About your textbook and our course together
- Audio Recordings: if you were recorded, you need to send me an email, so I can send you the audio and the feedback (Group code in subject line, full name in message)
- Víctor's mon with teacher's feedback
Week 3 December: Plan for our last week together: please, let me know if you have proposal by Dec 10, 11.
Week 2 December: we'll start unit 3 and answer your questions on unit 2 (if you have no questions, but would like to check your answers, post your request here and I'll copy them. Finishing unit 2 Dec 10, 11
Week 1 December: video (unit 2) – you, unit test, writing for 1st lesson next week
Week 4 November: Starting point: pages 26, 27 = writing a story + listening & speaking activities. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT YOU LEARN TO NARRATE IN THE PAST, SO PAY ATTENTION TO TENSES. Use text on p. 26, Communication texts on p. 27 and the Story plan to work on your monologues. We can also check all the exercises we skipped (please, tell me in class). We'll listen to people's oral work. Your homework this week will be the minisagas pages in your textbook (you can do the follow-up activity of reading the mini-sagas I posted here) and the two other pages following (we'll probably skip this in class, so please, ask in class if you have any questions). But your priority is using the textbook audios to learn how to tell stories in the past!
Updated!! Intermedio 2: Lesson Plans for November Week 2
November Weeks 1 & 2
Monday Oct 29: We did vocabulary and sentences on pages 12, 13 and 147. Your homework is to read the stories on page 13 to find Useful Language for your own, to do page 15 (listening to jokes) + Grammar Bank 1c, and if possible, to read page 15 (on stress) and underline words you don't know how to pronounce.
Tuesday Oct 30: considering you won't have a lesson on Thursday, I'm asking you to work on your English a bit more than usual this week, OK? We'll have a look at the vocabulary (pronunciation and sentence structures) on pages 12, 13, 147 (not all, you should finish the rest as homework). I'll read out the answers to the Grammar Bank 1a-1b. After the break, you'll work on page 17 (Writing) and I'd like to check that at Plenary this day. The idea is you learn from those exercises so you can do your handwritten Writing 1 to hand in on Tuesday Nov 4. Writing Assignments: procedure At the weekend, if you get any free time, listen to the jokes on page 14 (see if you can learn them by ear!)
Wednesday Oct 31: We'll check page 15 & I'll read out the answers to 1a-1c of the Grammar Bank (but if you have questions, please interrupt!) and then you'll do the exercises on page 17 (Writing) and we'll check them at Plenary. The idea is you learn from those so you can do your handwritten Writing 1 to hand in on For Monday Nov 5, Tuesday Nov 6: Writing Assignments: procedure
October. Week 4
1st lesson: the two pages on Graphology, with back pages (some exercises where done in Small groups and a couple of them are homework for next day. Remember to listen to Víctor's monologue with my comments (published on the TP Pod), so you can learn to listen to yourselves and fix your mistakes. Next day remember to ask at the beginning of the lesson for the answers to exercises you did, just to double check, and also remember you can pose other questions.
Mons/Dials: what does your signature say about you, according to graphology?, describing personality traits.
2nd lesson: we did the two pages on psychics, and before that, we doublechecked (!) the exercises you did the day before. For the listening activities on psychics I explained two techniques you should try to use in class and at home: underlining and visualization. I related that to exam performance. Your homework is to finish everything on those two pages (including back pages if there are any mentioned). Also, you should work with the transcript of today's listenings: listen & read, undeline useful language, and then listen and repeat, and practice saying those sentences out loud, in monologs or dialogs!
October. Week 3
♥ PRACTICE!! Oral Drilling for Intermedio 2
Int 2 Week Intro start the lesson doing your mons. in small groups and coming to me in the Exam Area, if you like. I would also like to listen to people saying sentences from the audios. We'll finish working with the audio exercises we didn't finish. Homework: listen to audios 1.1- 1.3 to learn to say the Useful Language you underlined. Remember to watch your episode of a TV series at least once this week.
Wednesday Oct 17: about half of the group joined the Students' strike today, so we did not work with the textbook. Instead, people came to the Practice Exam Area to do a monolog. PEOPLE, REMEMBER WE NEED TO FINISH 1 UNIT EVERY MONTH! So please, do as much of the textbook at home as you can (except the "big" listening activities).
Tuesday Oct 16: worked on pages 6 and 7, and adapted the Speed Dating event to Meeting People In Class! (We did the reading twice because nobody told me we had already done it!! 😛 😀 )
Monday Oct 15: we worked on timed monologs. First, one minute, then two minutes speaking about someone people loved. We worked a bit on a List of Mistakes: 1. EXPLAIN is never followed by ME or US!! People EXPLAIN SOMETHING, not someone!! 2. Things like that / Something like that. We did some Oral Drilling with Indirect Questions: I don't know where I left my keys; plus I don't know where to leave my coat.
For next Wednesday: if most of the people are on strike, we'll continue practicing 2-minute talks, and also interviews. If people come to class, unless there are questions on exercises from page 4 to page 7, we'll start with 1b (pages 8, 9).
October. Week 2
Intermedio 2: Interviews. We read the two texts in 1a, after trying to remember things you learned/learnt last year. We did the listening on speed dating, so now you should listen to it every day and learn by ear as many sentences as you can. You also need to do the exercises we skipped, and the Vocabulary page at the back of your textbook — you will be correcting them in small groups next day.
PS: Checking exercises in small groups might not have gone down well in some, so we need to see if Int2 Mon is willing to do this or not. The Tues group has just one lesson this week.
Monolog: Talk about someone you love. Decide if for 1 min., 2, or 3. Remember not to write it down at home till you have done the monolog in class (in the Oral Exam Area next to my desk). Remember to give a structure to your presentation, and try to have a good language range.
October. Week 1
If you missed the presentation of your course, or if you want a paper copy of what I said, print this: PRESENTACION_CURSO_2012_2013 (1 pdf page; it's on the classroom's bulletin board, too)
Handouts I gave out:
- Beginning-of-course Questionnaire 2012-13 (2 pdf pages; print in one page, please). Hand it in by (deadline) Oct 10 (L, U) or Oct 11 (M, T)The stapled lot about how to develop your oral/aural skills. It's 4 pages in 2 sheets of paper:
- Developing your Oral Skills (2 pages), found at the Talking People website, How to Learn (section) – How to Listen/Speak
- Strategies for Oral Practice. Developing Textual Awareness & Communicative Strategies (1 page), found at the Talking People website, Speaking (section) – Communicative Strategies & Oral Textual Structure
- Communicative Strategies: What's the Word for…? (1 page), found at the Talking People website, Speaking (section) – Communicative Strategies & Oral Textual Structure
Things I posted on this blog:
About techniques and procedures… "Getting along with the teacher" "How to work on your monologs at home" "How to work with your audio materials"
More resources (videos, audios, Sociocultural Knowlege): List of episodes at the TP Pod, Videos of students speaking English, Mary Oliver: Wild Geese


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Drawn in the style of Thomas Nast, the illustrations bring the historical New York Democratic Tiger back to life as a new symbol of Democratic reform. In his original political cartoons in the 1800's Nast had turned the Tiger, the original symbol of the Democrats, against the Party to criticize its corruption.
In the illustration above, Transparency: Zero Tolerance for Corruption, the new Democratic Tiger, the New York Tiger of Reform, has come back to Nast's Coliseum to attack Pedro Espada and New York's modern culture of corruption. Before attacking Espada, the Tiger had already vanquished two former state senators, MonserRat and Bruno.
On the Coliseum wall is a quote from FDR's campaign for the New York State Senate at the beginning of his political career. 100 years ago,
The New York Tiger is the symbol of the Bill Samuels Campaign and his goal to make the New York legislature the best in the country. The Donkey, which has been used to represent the Democratic Party for over 100 years, was invented as a negative symbol by Republican satirist Thomas Nast to brand Democrats as dumb, stubborn opponents of the Civil War.
Download pdf


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The mission of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Schooling program is to organize doctoral degree graduates in advanced research and analysis in health training. College students will show the ability to make use of resolution-making abilities to boost health. The Society for Public Well being Schooling (SOPHE) announces the appointment of Jesus Ramirez-Valles, PhD, MPH, as the following editor-in-chief of SOPHE's flagship journal Well being Education & Habits.
A second result was a revised version of A Competency-Primarily based Framework for the Skilled Development of Licensed Well being Training Specialists (NCHEC,1996). They help firms meet occupational well being and security rules, work with the media, and identify neighborhood well being assets for employees.
That is the primary try at ranking U.S. states based mostly on experiences of well being and training achieved. In January 1978 the Position Delineation Challenge was put into place, so as to outline the fundamental roles and responsibilities for the health educator.
The Nationwide Fee for Well being Schooling Credentialing continues to indicate stable development in certifying each CHES® and MCHES®. Including well being as a significant consideration in all policies and legislation (e.g. transport, environment, housing, education, social providers) because they all affect well being.
Effective college well being programmes will contribute to the development of child-friendly colleges and thus to the promotion of schooling for all. This degree of diploma is extremely effective when a student needs to enter a full-time job as a well being educator in scientific, corporate, or group settings.


text:
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Well, I got challenged by three buddies (one of them was also a brother) to do the challenge, and here it is (the challenge videos follow in case you need proof). My charity of choice is the Wyakin Warrior Foundation.
Here are the three challenges…first, is from Rick Kirkman of Baby Blues:
Other challenge videos from:
Idaho State Senator Marv Hagedorn
(In case you were wondering, I also donated to ALS.)


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Got a review copy of Rayman Legends for Vita today, and holy shit is the game gorgeous. Native res, 60fps, and it -appears- to have online co-op. That was unknown to me. Haven't been able to test it, since no one's online, but I'll keep trying.
Few quick screenshots:
Murphy's touch controls are super intuitive so far. You can use either front or back screen, you just toggle it in the settings. Seriously, this looks like the version to get.
Thanks so much for you passion about this game. I'm currently playing the Vita version and loving it. That said, I know some of you have questions about the Vita version, so here's what's going on: Due to a longer development time than expected, we couldn't initially include the Invasion Mode – essentially, a second take on existing Rayman Legends maps -- in the Vita version of the game. However, we can confirm that the Invasion Mode will be added via a free patch, at a later date. With more than 100 levels, online Coop and challenges, Kung-Foot mini-game, 5 exclusive touch challenges developed specifically for the VITA and 2 exclusive costumes, Rayman Legends already includes a lot for customers to love, and features the same outstanding graphics and gameplay design as the home console versions.
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text: A pile is often a particularly distressing disorder that affects typically the anal location of a one who suffers from these people. Piles tend to be swollen arteries or irritated anal/rectal tissue and will affect the interior as well as exterior pelvic spot. You'll need to understand how to remedy piles if you're going to return your personal easy brain as well as total relaxation.


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Great pictures on the yellow rally from Elizabeth Wong's blog.
It's 6.30pm in Bangkok. Been trying to access Malaysiakini but failed. Reporter Andrew Wong with whom I chatted with online simply to me to "keep trying". Maybe its a good thing. I'll have a good Sunday. At this point of time, I am rather proud of a fraction of my fellow Malaysians.
Well, I'm hoping that my commentators who went will share their stories with me.
Anyway, here's something to cheer you up 🙂


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Gorō Miyazaki
Gorō Miyazaki (宮崎 吾朗, Miyazaki Gorō, born January 21, 1967) is a Japanese film director and landscaper. He is the son of animator Hayao Miyazaki, who is one of the co-founders of Studio Ghibli. Described as "reluctant" to follow his father's career, Gorō initially worked as a landscaper for many years before entering the film business.[2] He has directed two films — Tales from Earthsea (2006) and From Up on Poppy Hill (2011).
Gorō Miyazaki
Miyazaki at the 2007 premiere of Tales from Earthsea
|Landscaper, film director
|Hayao Miyazaki (father)
Akemi Ōta (mother)
|Katsuji Miyazaki (grandfather)
Miyazaki was born to animators Hayao Miyazaki and Akemi Ōta in Tokyo. While growing up, Gorō and his younger brother Keisuke found sketches of their parents' work.[1] As a high school student, Gorō thought that he "would never be able to reach the level [his father] has attained." Gorō instead decided to pursue an interest in landscape agriculture.[1] After graduating from Shinshu University's School of Agriculture, Gorō later worked as a construction consultant in the planning and designing of parks and gardens. In 1998, Gorō was involved in the design of the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, and served as its director from 2001 to June 2005.[3][4]
Animation careerEdit
Miyazaki's first film was Tales from Earthsea, an adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea book series. Written by Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, the film stars Junichi Okada, Bunta Sugawara and Aoi Teshima. Originally joining the animation project as a consultant, Miyazaki was asked to draw the storyboards. After viewing his storyboards, producer Toshio Suzuki decided Miyazaki should direct the film.
The move to direct the film caused friction between Gorō and his father, who felt his son did not have the experience to direct a film; the two were said not to have spoken throughout the movie's development.[5] Despite this, Gorō Miyazaki was determined to complete the project.[6]
On June 28, 2006, Gorō held the first preview of the completed Tales from Earthsea, which was attended by his father. Hayao was seen to have "accepted Gorō" and after, delivered to his son a message, saying the film "...was made honestly. It was good."[7] The film was released on July 29, 2006 to positive reviews, but received mixed reviews when comparing to the other Ghibli movies, and grossed $68 million worldwide.[1] However, Miyazaki was presented Japan's Bunshun Raspberry Award for "Worst Director", with Tales from Earthsea receiving the award for "Worst Movie", at the end of 2006.[8] The film was nominated in 2007 for the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year (losing to The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)[9] and was selected in the Out of Competition section at the 63rd Venice Film Festival.[10]
In 2011, Miyazaki directed From up on Poppy Hill, which is based on Chizuru Takahashi and Tetsurō Sayama's 1980 manga Kokurikozaka kara.[11] The adaptation was written by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa and the film stars Masami Nagasawa, Keiko Takeshita. Yuriko Ishida, Jun Fubuki, Takashi Naito, Shunsuke Kazama, Nao Omori and Teruyuki Kagawa. Miyazaki also voiced the world history teacher character and wrote lyrics to some of the songs used in the film. From up on Poppy Hill was released on July 16, 2011 in Japan, to positive reviews. The film won the 2012 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.[12]
On January 31, 2014, it was announced that Gorō Miyazaki will direct his first anime television series, Ronja, the Robber's Daughter, an adaptation of Astrid Lindgren's Ronia, the Robber's Daughter for NHK.[13] The series is computer-animated, produced by Polygon Pictures, and co-produced by Studio Ghibli. The show ran for one season, from 2014 to 2015, with a total of 26 episodes.[14][15]
- Tales from Earthsea (2006), director, screenplay, insert/theme song lyrics.
- From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), director, insert song lyrics.
TV seriesEdit
- Ronja, the Robber's Daughter (2014), director.
- ^ a b c d Keegan, Rebecca (March 8, 2013). "Goro Miyazaki sets his own path in animation". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2013-03-13. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-11-01. Retrieved 2006-08-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ "{title}". Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ^ Thomas, Daniel. "Ghibli Blog - Studio Ghibli, Animation and the Arts: Fatherhood and the Family Crown". Archived from the original on 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
- ^ (in Japanese) See Eiga.com Archived 2006-06-18 at the Wayback Machine, June 6, 2006.
- ^ See Nausicaa.net Goro Miyazaki's Blog Translation (Prologue) Archived 2006-12-15 at the Wayback Machine December 13, 2005.
- ^ See Nausicaa.net Goro Miyazaki's Blog Archived 2017-03-25 at WebCite.
- ^ "Earthsea Wins "Raspberry Award" - Anime News Network". Archived from the original on 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
- ^ Official website of the award. Archived.
- ^ See official website of the festival Archived 2006-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kokurikozaka Kara film adaptation
- ^ "Ghibli's From up on Poppy Hill wins Japan Academy Prize". Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
- ^ "Studio Ghibli's first TV show, Ronja, the Robber's Daughter, lacks any real magic". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2018-04-08. Retrieved 2018-04-23.
- ^ "Goro Miyazaki to Direct Ronia the Robber's Daughter TV Anime". Anime News Network. January 30, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-02-09. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
- ^ "Polygon Pictures to Create Animation Under Goro Miyazaki's Direction, The Animated TV Series Ronia, the Robber's Daughter, Premiering on NHK BS in Autumn 2014". Polygon Pictures. January 31, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
External linksEdit
- Gorō Miyazaki at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Goro Miyazaki on IMDb
- Information at GhibliWiki
- Interview at GhibliWorld.com


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Welsh Architect, Practices, Design Studios Wales, Contemporary Projects, Architects Offices
Welsh Architects Offices
Design Practices Wales, UK – Key Architecture Studios
Welsh Design Offices
Welsh Architects – Architect Studio Listings
Additions for the Welsh Architecture Studios page welcome
Links to Welsh Architect Studio Information – Architects Practices listed alphabetically by surname
21st Century Welsh Design Studios
Amanda Levete (Bridgend) of AL_A, formerly of Future Systems (no longer active)
HLM – various offices in UK
Percy Thomas
Architects Offices in Wales featured on this site but not listed in architect practice section
Clough Williams-Ellis (English-born Welsh-based architect of Welsh extraction)
Geraint Jones, Building Consultancy, Caerphilly County Borough Council
Edwin Seward (Cardiff) of James, Seward and Thomas
More architecture practices in Wales online soon
We welcome suggestions for additional architects studios in Wales : please mail images (min. 72 DPI and 900 pixels wide) with accompanying text & architect practice profile to us at the e-mail address below. The focus is on contemporary Welsh architecture practices but information on historic design studios in Wales is also welcome.
Welsh Architecture – Recent Projects
Ty Hedfan, Brecon, south Wales
Design: Featherstone Young
picture © Featherstone Young
Brecon house
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff, south east Wales
image : BFLS
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Development
Bangor University Pontio, northwest Wales
Architect: Grimshaw
image : Grimshaw
Bangor University Pontio
Newport Station, Newport, southeast Wales
Architects: Grimshaw with Atkins
image from architect
Newport Station
Welsh Gateways Competition
Winners – Ian Ritchie Architects, Marks Barfield, Tonkin Liu
Welsh Buildings : RIBA Awards 2006 – Wales
Additions for the Welsh Architecture Studios – Design Studios in Wales page welcome
Welsh Architects – page
Website: Architectural Walking Tours
Website: Architecture


text:
A presentation on data improvements in the WDPA and on how Protected Planet is expected to further improve the data, by Charles Besançon (Head of Protected Areas, UNEP-WCMC).
A presentation by Jon Hutton (Director, UNEP-WCMC) on the future of Proteus after its renewal at the end of 2012, including the review process used to plan for future developments.
A presentation by Tim Johnson (Chief Operating Officer, UNEP-WCMC) reporting on Proteus' budget for 2010 and for 2011 (year to date).
A budget update, an outline of achievements up to 2012 outline of the achievements of Proteus up to 2012 and a plan for the next phase of Proteus (2013-2015).
A presentation on the IFC Sustainability Framework by William Bulmer (Director of the Environment Social and Governance Department, IFC); a presentation on defining and describing protected areas by Nigel Dudley (Equilibrium Research) and Sue Stolton (IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas); and a presentation on biodiversity and ecosystem services safeguards in performance standards for business, by Chloe Strevens (UNEP-WCMC).
A presentation on decision support tools by Craig Mills (Head of Informatics, UNEP-WCMC); and a presentation on the development of a mapping tool for marine biodiversity priorities by Jon Hutton (Director, UNEP-WCMC).
A presentation by Kristin Kaschner (Evolutionary Biology & Ecology Lab) on AquaMaps, an online marine atlas and species distribution modelling tool that produces species range maps; and a presentation on marine and coastal habitat data and validation tools, by Claire Fitzgerald (UNEP-WCMC).
A presentation on recent developments in IBAT, by Jon Hutton (Director, UNEP-WCMC); an outline of the IUCN Red List; and a presentation on standard criteria to identify sites of global relevance for biodiversity, by Jörn P. W. Scharlemann (Senior Scientist, UNEP-WCMC).
An introductory presentation outlining the Proteus Partners Meeting 2012, by Jon Hutton (Director, UNEP-WCMC); a presentation on international site-scale agreements and their relevance to companies (JNCC); an outline of the evolution of the WDPA since 2006 by Amy Milam (WDPA Content Officer); and a presentation on World Heritage sites and the extractives industry by Anne-Marie Fleury (ICMM).
A presentation on updates in national and international policies concerning biodiversity, by Matt Walpole (Director of Programmes, UNEP-WCMC); and a presentation on emerging government biodiversity offset policies and their implications for business, by Jon Ekstrom (Director, TBC).


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HttpRedirection module allows you to do client side redirection as per various configuration rules. There are not many changes from what IIS6 had but I thought it will be good to revisit its configuration and behavior in IIS7.
Configuration properties
Here is the list of configuration properties available to you to control the behavior of redirection module. All properties can be configured at URL level.
enabled – Tells the module if redirection is enabled or not. Only if enabled is set to true, redirection is attempted.
destination –If enabled is set to true, destination property is read to get redirect URL. You should use full path to destination URL and avoid use of relative paths. If destination URL starts with slash, we append hostname sent in the request. So if destination is set to "/path/file.htm", redirect URL is changed to http://<hostname>/path/file.htm (assuming exactDestination is true). If destination includes full path, host header is not used and full path as configured is returned. So if destination is set to http://server/redirectpath/file.htm, we set location to this. If destination is set to blank, wildcard rules are evaluated.
wildcard rules collection – If section attribute destination is seen as blank (not set or set to blank at current or parent level), redirection module reads wildcard rules for requested URL. Redirection module compares requested URL against wildcard rules, picks the first rule which matches requested URL and uses destination as set in the corresponding wildcard rule. If destination is blank and there are no wildcard rules, redirection is not done.
exactDestination (true/false) – This tells redirection module that the destination should be taken as exact URL and it should not append the original URL to it. If set to false, original URL is appended to the redirected URL. For example, if request is sent to /app/file.htm and destination is http://server/app2, redirect URL will be /app2/app/file.htm. You want to keep this true in most of the cases. Added URL is relative to the deepest file path where the httpRedirect section configuration is set.
childOnly (true/false) – This is a safeguard to prevent looping. This tells the redirection module that redirect URL is a subfolder of this folder and the current redirect rules applies to URLs under this folder only. Same can be done by setting enabled to false for subfolder.
httpResponseStatus – This property tells IIS what status code to send to the client. Possible values are Permanent (301), Found (302), Temporary (307). Default is set to Found. You can change this value at URL level.
Use of $S, $V, $P, $Q, $0-$9 in destination
$S – Part of the URL which remains after the redirect URL is substituted including forward slash. Depending on deepest path from where the configuration is picked, $S value will change. If the configuration is picked from current folder, $S is /filename. If configuration is picked from parent folder, $S will be /parentfolder/filename.
$V – Requested URL without servername starting with forward slash. This is very useful when redirecting to external website.
$P – querystring without starting '?'. This is helpful when you need to add some querystring variables and also pick variables from original request (see examples).
$Q – querystring including '?'. This is used when you need to send all querystring variables to the new URL without adding new ones. If there is no querystring in the original URL, $Q means blank string. So '?' doesn't get hardcoded in destination URL as in the case of $P.
$0-$9 – When specifying destination in wildcard rules, $0-$9 can be used to refer to various parts of the original URL which matched * (see examples).
! is removed in IIS7. You can set enabled to false for the folder which you don't want to redirect.
Note of caution: Destination and wildcard rules are just like other configuration properties and can be inherited from lower levels. So for a URL /app/vdir/folder/file.htm, configuration set for app is seen for vdir and folder as well. You need to be careful when you are setting the httpRedirect section. Redirection module checks deepest file path where httpRedirect configuration is set. If you set any httpRedirect property, it's good to set all properties and not inherit values from parent. Let's say if you set enabled to true but don't set destination in web.config for vdir, you just changed the deepest path where the configuration is set to vdir. Now, if web.config for app had httpRedirect destination set, you inherit the value which might be using $S and you might end up with unexpected results. Also if you just set enabled to true and add some wildcard rules without setting section level destination to blank, it might get inherited from lower levels. In that case wildcard rules will never get evaluated. So it's better to explicitly set section level destination property to blank when adding wildcard rules. This ensures that values from parent folders is overridden and wildcard rules will be effective. Another thing you can do is clear the collection first so that you are sure that wildcard rules from parent folders are not effective.
Let's configure httpRedirect section to set some common redirection rules.
1. Redirect from vdir1 (including subfolders) to vdir2.
Configuration for vdir1 should be:
<httpRedirect enabled="true" exactDestination="true" childOnly="false" destination="http://servername/<path>/vdir2$S" />
2. Redirect from dir1 to a subfolder dir1\subdir (same filename and pass all querystring variables if any).
Config for dir1 should be:
<httpRedirect enabled="true" exactDestination="true" childOnly="true" destination="http://servername/<path>/dir1/subdir$S$Q" />
3. Redirect to another server in some folder and send requested URL as querystring variable along with other variables.
<httpRedirect enabled="true" exactDestination="true" childOnly="false" destination="http://otherserver/app/folder$S?originalURL=$V&$P" />
4. Redirect http requests as https.
<httpRedirect enabled="true" exactDestination="true" childOnly="false" destination="https://server$V" />
5. Redirect asp requests to one folder and aspx requests to another.
<httpRedirect enabled="true" exactDestination="true" childOnly="true" destination="">
<add wildcard="*.asp" destination="http://server/folder1$0.asp" />
<add wildcard="*.aspx" destination="http://server/folder2$0.aspx" />
6. Send .htm requests to .aspx requests in the same folder.
<httpRedirect enabled="true" exactDestination="true" childOnly="true" destination="">
<add wildcard="*.htm" destination="http://server/<path>$0.aspx" />
If you want to redirect only one file, you should set httpRedirect section under location tag for that file only so that redirect module doesn't try to build destination or match wildcard rules for rest of the files.