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Tracy L. Forsyth-Lundy
One of my favorite bands when I was a teenager growing up in Winnipeg was Tesla, not just because they were popular but because they were truly talented as a band. I remember the first time I ever saw them was also the first time I was able to meet them. All four of them were sitting outside in the sun at the back of the arena; they had no problem spending some time with my girlfriends and me. They were all very polite and nice to all of us signed some autographs and we were on our way to the show that evening to enjoy seeing them open up for Def Leppard.
It is twenty years later and Tesla has a brand new DVD out (see it in our review section) and they are also in the middle of preparing a new album for us all to revel in. The foursome has changed slightly; Tommy is no longer a member of the band and Mr. Dave Rude has taken over in his place and let me tell you the guy is AWESOME! Yes, he is young, well– younger than me, but he is incredibly talented and deserves the respect of all music lovers. Although his daily schedule is crazier than mine has ever been, Frank Hannon was kind enough to spend some time with me to discuss their DVD, the new CD as well as the changes made to the members of the band.
TFL: Dave Rude – Amazing, young, talented guitarist & you found him on MySpace of all places.
FH: Yeah! I was searching on MySpace kind of out of desperation really because Tesla had been kind of like stopped. You know I had always seen Tesla like this big giant ship and it was stopped because we kept having so many problems with Tommy over the years. We broke up in the 1990's because of his problems and then we got back together and then we lost another 3 years over rehab treatment and cancelled shows. You know it's like a big train, you got to have your momentum going you can't keep stalling yourself with problems…you know what I mean?
TFL: You know I didn't want to pose "The Tommy" question, I figured there were reasons he wasn't with the band. You've got Dave; he seems to be a nice fit with you guys.
FH: Well thanks a lot! Yeah, but I'm sorry to be long winded with that that answer but we were stalled pretty much and I put together a solo band where I was auditioning several guitar players and I had gone through another kid that was a lot younger who was really talented – he was like 19. It didn't work out with him. I was feeling kind of desperate because I really wanted to get Tesla going so out of desperation I got on MySpace and started searching around. (Laughing)
TFL: Well it's an excellent tool for everybody & it's a good way to stay in touch with your fans. I talk to a lot of musicians everyday on MySpace – I think it's fabulous.
FH: No, No, I'm just joking about the desperation part – but it is fabulous and it's such a great network and it really helped us a lot! I mean Dave is such a great find and he's right here in our backyard right down the highway in Oakland & which is like literally an hour away at the most. It worked out perfect because we were looking at guys in L.A. and all over the country and to find Dave right here was such a good feeling. I was like jumping for joy for like 2 weeks when I found him because I kind of had to talk the band into auditioning him because they were set on this other guy and I said 'nah, Dave smokes him!' he's freakin' awesome.
TFL: He seems to have a really good personality too you know. I imagine he is a lot of fun but he looks so professional when he's on stage I was almost in awe watching him. '5 Man Acoustical Jam' is hands down my favorite album because it is SO kickass (laughing) I love that album, for some reason that album just grabbed me the first time I heard it. I kind of chuckled on the DVD when Dave said he was 12 years old when he got '5 Man Acoustical Jam' and I looked at my husband and said "Man we're old!" (Both laughing).
TFL Jumping into your DVD – why Minnesota to record the DVD? Was it done on purpose or was that your best performance you had recorded?
FH: No it was done on purpose. We didn't record multiple performances it was just the one night & we had to plan for it well in advance. To set up the recording truck and do it properly we had to be really prepared for it because we knew we only had one shot to do it & it's pretty expensive bringing in all of that stuff and the cameras and everything. We planned it in a way where it was going to be mid way through a tour, we would have a day off prior to the tour to set up & it just worked out the best because we knew the owners of that club called the 'Myth'. The Midwest has always been a good crowd for Tesla so we thought it would be the right place to do it.
TFL: When is your new album coming out?
FH: It will be out October 7, 2008. It is amazing you know, we set some crazy deadline for ourselves this year and we have met every one of them. Mastering on like August 23rd, the artwork has to be turned in August 12th, now that we're managing ourselves we're learning so much about deadlines & pressure and putting all of this stuff together in a timely fashion you know.
TFL: Is there any plans for Western Canada in your tour?
FH: I was looking at the dates yesterday and I think I saw a Canadian date somewhere around a Chicago date but I don't know for sure. We're definitely going to come up there again I mean our motto now is we want to conquer the world. We've been going to Europe – we played festivals in Belgium & Sweden, we went to Australia so we want to go everywhere we possibly can throughout the whole world and we'll definitely come to Canada. We even talked about going to Rio as well.
TFL: 'Dear Private Ledbetter' – you played your new song on the DVD it's very cool. Is everyone in the band involved in the writing process, Frank, or is it just a few of you guys who are kind of the core writers?
FH: Well it starts off with the core writers being Jeff & myself pretty much but then when it comes to making an album in the studio the whole band will twist it up and change things around and throw their ideas in. Then like Brian our bass player he'll bring in some ideas as well and Dave brought some ideas in on this new record we are putting out so it ultimately ends up being collaboration. Even on this new record we collaborated with Terry Thomas our producer. It does turn out better when you get a group of people brainstorming & collaborating and putting together their energy. The core or the seed of the song usually starts with myself or Jeff.
TFL: How has your new song done with your fans? How are they taking in the new music now?
FH: 'Dear Private Ledbetter' is the first song we have put out; our fans are pretty hungry for new music. Like I had said before about our past, we always would…it would take us forever to get anything done with all of the problems that we had in the past. So our fans have always said 'Come on man– hurry up and put out something new" you know. This year, I tell you what; 2008 has been the most productive year probably in our whole career. We started writing in January, we put out a live DVD, we toured all over the world and now we're putting out a new studio album called 'Forever More' & all in one year. In the past it would take us like 5 or 10 years to do that – you know what I mean?
Anyways about 'Private Ledbetter' the fans seem to really like the lyrics and the story of the soldier & sending a letter to his mom. The fans seem to…we kind of hit a soft spot with our fans.
TFL: That was one thing I notice right away is not many bands are touching on that subject at all. I have this joking name for it I call it – 'The Dixie Chick Syndrome' – so many artists are afraid to say something or write a song & voice out their opinions through music against what the government is doing or against the war. Because of what the Dixie Chicks went through bands started to shy away from the topic. Were you afraid of what people were going to think or how they were going to react because of that?
FH: NO, not really because I don't feel we did it in an obnoxious way. You know like processing and coming out like in way where it was like Rage Against The machine where it is just like blatant kind of anti-government stuff. I feel we did it in a really classy and respectful way & actually honoring the troop and honoring the soldier – we did it in a positive way not a negative way I feel. I was pretty confident about that song; I love the message of the3 song & the concept of it.
TFL: With 'The Love Song' you guys do the freestyle at the start of the song, which is brilliant, are you both trained in Classical Guitar?
FH: (Laughing) No, not really. It's just kind of one of those things, I grew up in a house of Mexicans (laughing) I grew up listening to Mexican music when I was a kid.
TFL: You always wait for those key crucial songs to see, especially when there is a new member in the band, I found myself picking my jaw up off of the floor. I was really in awe, I would have to say that you guys sound just as good if not better than you ever have in your whole career.
FH: Ah, wow – thanks a lot. We feel better than we ever have in our career so that's probably what you're hearing or seeing. Thank you I appreciate that because 'You gotta go through it to get to it' – you ever hear that expression? We went through a lot of ups and downs & a lot of problems. We're getting to a place now where we can take charge of what we're doing.
TFL: Is the hat & flag part of every show for you?
FH: (Laughing) No, I was just kind of goofing off. Trying to lighten up the atmosphere with the flag, but I've been wearing the hat off and on because it goes with the song (Signs). I tuck my hair in under my hat & I've got a couple that are top hats that I like to thrown on once in awhile but it's kind of like my tribute to Leon Wilkinson from Lynrd Skynrd who is one of my favorite stage characters. I tell you what happened – we were playing on St. Patrick's Day one year and somebody threw up this big green leprechaun hat on the stage & I picked it up and I put it on and I looked over at Jeff, Tommy & Brian and they were all laughing at me. So ever since then I thought it was kind of a goofy funny way to lighten up the atmosphere on stage because sometimes it can get too serious you know what I mean?
TFL: When you're playing it looks like you are in a hypnotic state you know you're so focused on what you're doing &Dave is the same. It's like you become one with your guitar, I can see the passion in what you're playing in every song. You don't look bored you are just so intense when you're playing your guitar I think that's why you guys are so phenomenal – you're very passionate about your music.
FH: Well thanks a lot; yeah it's been a life saver for me. We came from pretty rough neighborhoods, me and Brian grew up in south Sacramento, music was like our escape a way to get out of the ghetto so to speak you know so it's a great feeling and it's definitely a part of our souls for sure.
TFL: What is your favorite song to perform live?
FH: Oh I don't know they're all so different, I like the little acoustic solo stuff with Dave and that kind of thing but I also like Modern Day Cowboy & Whatcha Give. Coming Atcha Live is a lot of fun because it's just a lot of guitar jamming you know.
TFL: When you guys were in Seattle did you go to the Experience Music Project Museum?
FH: No, we didn't make it there; we went up to the Space Needle and stuff…
TFL: Awh, you were right there then!
FH: Yeah, I don't know why we didn't go in – I don't think we could afford it. (Laughing)
TFL: I was just in Seattle, took the whole family. That Experience Music Project is just a brilliant building. There is so much history and so many guitars, it's a hands-on kind of place. You're a musician so it might not entice you as much, but I'm musically declined (laughing), so if I can go in and grab some drumsticks and be tutored through it with a computer and actually be able to sit there and play drums, it was fabulous!
FH: Wow, yeah, I should definitely check it out. I'm a Hendrix freak so I love Jimi Hendrix and I should go check it out. They have some of his guitars on display there, don't they?
TFL: Yup, they do and if you want to see something even better, then go see his grave site. They have this huge memorial set up at the actual cemetery where Jimi is buried.
FH: Wow!
TFL: It's just outside of Seattle as well.
FH: My guitar tech Robbie he plays drums with me in my solo band he's a Hendrix nut, too, & I think the last time we were in Seattle, I think he went there and he told me how huge it was.
TFL: My husband was in awe at the guitar store you went into. When he saw that on your DVD he said "Why didn't we find that guitar store?" because he's a music buff as well & plays as a hobby.
FH: (Laughing) Yeah, so you watched the bonus features and stuff then, huh.
TFL: Oh yeah, we watched everything!
FH: Right on!
TFL: Is there anything you want to tell your fans?
FH: Yeah, that we're really grateful that they're loyal to us. Like you said earlier a lot of bands can't do this stuff 20 – 25 years later and we're grateful that we can still do what we do. Thank you & we'll try not to disappoint you. We're going to keep putting out albums and put them out a lot faster nowadays.
I think there will be a cold day in hell before I ever see Tesla perform live and disappoint me. October will come fast and I cannot wait to hear the full album, I'm sure the guys of Tesla has cooked up another smoking hot album for us to rock out to. Check them out & stock up on your Tesla my friends because they are back, they are louder, stronger and more energetic than you have ever seen! Backstage Live Magazine welcomes Tesla with wide open arms into our magazine family. TURN IT UP!


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Pentecost: Fire in the depths of the earth
The following is a reflection for the great solemn feast of the Pentecost or Whit-Sunday as some call it. I feel as I read it is timely given the recent TV program here in Australia between Richard Dawkins and George Cardinal Pell. Perhaps the more 'anglican' way of approaching these issues of endeavouring to discover the via media (the middle way) may give rise to a more positive reflection on the God's active presence within creation and the Incarnation and evolution. Daniel O'Leary I believe sets us on that path...
Pentecost: Fire in the depths of the earth Daniel O'Leary The Tablet May 26, 2012
Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit is a power at work in a continually renewed universe, and is present in the innermost mystery of all things. Grace and science come together to offer a fuller picture of what is true: that God's love is embodied in all humanity, and in the evolving world itself
Breakthrough into new vistas is an essential dimension of Pentecost. This Sunday's Collect implores God to 'fill now once more the hearts of believers', encouraging us to expand our horizons. Pentecost, for theologian Karl Rahner, is a vital 'hour of courageous vision' in the history of the Church, when the Holy Spirit weaves new patterns out of the 'interrelatedness of Creation and Incarnation'.
A central path, for him, towards that expansion of the restless heart's horizon, concerns the currently popular question about the divine intention for the Incarnation – did Jesus come to atone for the sin of Adam and Eve, or would he have come anyway?
Beyond doctrinal debate, this is a crucial question with implications for every aspect of our lives, personal and universal. Is there a theology, people ask, other than one based on a fall/redemption supposition, that tells a different story – a story of original grace and beauty rather than of original sin?
By way of reply, theologians point to two schools of theology that are central to our present reflection. One is the familiar sin/ redemption model with its basic themes of reparation and sacrifice. The other is called a theology of nature and grace. Creation, our earth, our bodies, our death, all we mean by the 'natural', 'the secular', are not the unfortunate results of what Blessed John Henry Newman called 'some terrible aboriginal calamity'. On the contrary, they are all already graced, and carefully fashioned in the divine image.
But if there was no Fall, people ask, why then are we so sinful, so destructive, so evil? Theologians reply that the act of Creation in the very first place – involving time, space and free will – carries with it the need for redemption. Salvation is implicit in Creation itself.
To be human is to be wounded from the start, to be in need of completion. Love is what completes us. 'We were already saved', writes Richard Rohr OFM, 'by the gaze from the manger.' The terrible death on the Cross is not about an atonement demanded by a punitive Father for one early original sin of disobedience; it reveals, rather, the astonishing love of God for a broken humanity, healing it and charting its course towards its blessed destiny.
An orthodox theology of Creation holds that God, right from the beginning, desired to become human simply because, as St Thomas Aquinas put it, his infinite love needed to express itself outside itself (bonum est diffusivum sui) – first in Creation, then finally and fully revealed in Incarnation. And by virtue of solidarity and derivation, this love is embodied to a greater or lesser degree, in all of us and in the evolving world itself.
Being human does not mean being banished, fallen, cursed – a massa damnata as St Augustine put it – as if God's original dream for us was, at some stage, radically destroyed. Terrible things happen when mythical truth is confused with historical truth. Paradise was not lost in the past; Adam and Eve never existed on this planet; the Creator's original blueprint was never destroyed by an actual 'fall'.
If all of this is true – that the essential face of Creation, as we have it, has always carried the tender look of love rather than the sinister shape of sin – then other intrinsically connected issues to do with the vibrancy of faith will need careful revision and development.
Here is one topical example. People sense that we're at a very significant threshold in history where two pivotal stories meet – the love story revealed in the orthodox theology of nature and grace, and the amazing story revealed in the scientific explorations of a painfully evolving and utterly wonderful world.
These stories do not have to collide with each other: rather do they embrace each other, offering a fuller picture of what is beautiful and true. They both speak of a fundamental connectedness in our origins, evolution and destiny. The emerging cosmology, often called the New Universe Story, can be seen as validating the rich theological (but mostly neglected) vision which has always been at the heart of true Christianity.
A new consciousness of the bigger picture is called for, a clearer insight into the intrinsic connection between Creation and Incarnation, into the deepening conversation between the mystic and the physicist. A fundamental concept is that we all flow from one source; some will call it the process of evolution, others the work of the Holy Spirit.
In Field of Compassion, Judy Cannato writes, 'There is a single Creator of the entire cosmos, a Creator who remains present to every part of the cosmos, sustaining and empowering its ongoing life and development. This same Creator will bring the whole movement of evolutionary Creation to completion.' The original divine design in our evolving world is revealed in Incarnation, to be fulfilled in the Omega of Revelation.
Evolution, you could say, is intrinsic to Incarnation. It is how Creation, already containing the divine seed, has prepared the necessary ground – the human era – for the birthing of God. There is a sense in which Creation is the beginning of Incarnation, 'the first Bible', as Aquinas put it.
Pentecost reminds us that God's fire already burns in the darkest depths of the living earth. Ultimately, for the Christian, the Holy Spirit is present as the innermost mystery of all things, and may be understood as the invisible power at work in a continually evolving universe, until God be 'all in all'. There is now no longer a destructive dualism between the things of God and the things of earth. 'When we want both the God of infinity and the spirit within the familiar (evolving) universe, as it is, and as it shall become, there is one path to both,' writes Rahner.
The recovery of a theology of nature and grace, now enriched by the emerging insights of the new cosmology, will have profound implications for many Christian teachings, for our understanding of sacrament, for pastoral ministry, for the religion/science debate and for a new evangelising of young and old. It will help, above all, to shift our self-image as fallen failures, complicit somehow in the death of Jesus, to an awareness of our role as vital co-creators with God of a steadily developing, ever-evolving universe. We are not guilty exiles on a fallen earth – we are the beloved bearers of her divine dream.

subset: commoncrawl


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SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION IN T-MINUS 19 HOURS, PPL. This means more dead trees to write on, less hours to sleep, and more tears to cry.…… Read more "3 Protein Packed Back to School Snacks (from ya gurl's fave health foodies)"
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Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Protein Waffles
Ahuh ahuh. This shit is the BOMBBBB!!! As a beginner Vegan (it has officially been one month now– yay me! :)) I've been reading up a lot…… Read more "Vegan Chocolate Chickpea Protein Waffles"
Dried Fig and Banana Nut Butter Toast with Homemade Date Paste
GOT DAMN. Literally one of the absolute BEST toast combinations I've had in a rly long time. Shoutout to @nutsforavocados on the gram for inspiring this idea…… Read more "Dried Fig and Banana Nut Butter Toast with Homemade Date Paste"
Sweet Potato Chickpea Nuggets
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Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA) has been established in 2005 to strengthen the investment environment in the emirate and promote various economic sectors leading to a comprehensive development of the region. RAKIA has the vision to build a diverse economy through a strong and sustainable development, by attracting both domestic and international investments, leading to wealth creation and improved standard of living. To achieve this RAKIA strives to make the investment experience simple, easy and a pleasant experience.
RAKIA is focusing on developing and managing the industrial parks in Al Hamra and Al Ghail areas. Beyond just developing the real estate RAKIA goes an extra mile by providing investment advisory services as well as equity participation in selected projects, resulting in trusted environment and network of opportunities. RAKIA is also setting up a free industrial zone in Georgia.
RAKIA has focus on eight strategic business units. They are Industrial parks, Education & Technology, Real Estate, Transportation, Investments, Manufacturing & Energy, RAK Offshore and RERA.
RAKIA Industrial Parks have been established in 2005 with both fee and non free zones and presently house more than 2400 businesses from 96 countries. 24% are consulting firms, 25% are commercial, 23% are industrial, 18% are trading and 10% are media companies. These are the five types of license issues by RAKIA. The investors can form two types of companies; establishment and Limited Liability Company.
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Top 5 Nail Guns
Top 5 Nail Guns
One of the handiest tools you can have as a roofer is the Nail Gun. A Nail Gun is useful for many jobs that involve well, nailing. It is essential to look into purchasing a decent Nail Gun to make the jobs easier, faster, and more productive. It does go without saying but of course you must use a nail gun in a safe manner. There is a wide range of Top Nail Guns available, we have worked with many different brands and we are giving you are personal opinion on the Top 5 Nail Guns.
Bostitch F21PL Round Head 1-1/2-Inch to 3-1/2-Inch Framing Nailer with Positive Placement Tip and Magnesium Housing
The Bostitch F21PL Round-Head Farming Nailer is a great power tool for putting up shelving for a quick paced worker. It is a strong but yet very lightweight body, it has quick-changing nosepieces for different types of nails such as metal-connector and plastic-collated. It also has a 16-inch layout indicator and many more features to offer.
This gun can replace most of the guns you own. It has a multi-functioning adjustable (no tools) depth gauge. As a quick paced worker speed is key, why waste time inter-changing with different guns in the same project when you can have just 1 that does it all. This gun comes highly recommended by me and I have recommended it to all of the people I know in the trade.
Bostitch F21PL Round Head 1-1/2-Inch to 3-1/2-Inch Framing Nailer with Positive Placement Tip and Magnesium Housing
This is the ultimate framing nailer offering 1-1/2-inch to 3-1/2-inch nails. This gun packs out a whopping 1,050 inch-pounds of driving power. Gun comes with 2 quick-changing heads to adapt to wood or metal. Rubber Grip is also on this but is pretty much standard with many nail guns nowadays.
Hitachi NT65MA4 15 Gauge Angle Finish Nail gun
This is the new Hitachi nail gun which is a new industrial design which fires 15-gauge nails from 1 ¼"-2 ½" in length and can be used on many different projects, I will not go into detail on which kinds of projects would be useful with this kind of gun as we all know what will suit what. However this does have some great features such as an easy clear nose, it offers great convenience to the user with an adjustable depth of drive. Another standard feature is the lightweight and durable aluminium housing. This gun comes complete with a quick connect plug, carry case and safety glasses.
Personally I have used this gun on many hardwood floor surfaces and have put well over 4000 nails through this nail gun. They are all face nails I am putting through this. The types of nails I use do vary and are slightly different than what is recommended by the manufacturer by 1 ¼ minimum length. I did not experience a problem until I came near the end of the nail strip and it started to jam up. I don't find this a problem as you soon realise that the last 3 or 4 nails on a strip can just be unused and you can use a fresh 100 strip. This is such a great machine and you would be amazed at how quickly you can finish a strip of 100 nails. It soon does go which is great for improving the speed of your work. A negative point of this Nail Gun though is that I know people who have not even used 5000 nails on this and it already shows signs of wear and tear, you would not expect something at this kind of price to be damaged so easy in this kind of industry.
Porter-Cable FR350A Round Head 2-Inch to 3-1/2-Inch Framing Nailer
This Nail Gun is a great tool for woodworkers and carpenters. It has a drive round-head for framing nails into engineered wood. It is a well-balanced which gives a much better feel and is defiantly user friendly, allows faster reloading and has very consistent power.
Just done another project with this and I did find it great. I would recommend you use the 350A instead of purchasing the 350mag. It is not a great deal heavier but it does save around $40 and you do get a case with it, keep it protected or it will get damaged easily like many Nail guns.
Freeman PFR2190 21-Degree Full-Head Framing Nailer
This Nail Gun can be used on a wide variety of applications such as installing installation, assembling wooden boxes. This nail gun is the master when it comes to fencing as it shoots 21-degree nails which range in size between 2 to 3-1/2 inches. Die-cast magnesium which has the lowest weight possible when it comes to nail guns giving an easily function able gun and makes it highly moveable. Overall it does offer many features available on the like most of the top selling guns that are out there. The cylinder is great because it is oil-less which you can feel safe knowing you will never have an oil leak when working on other projects and then having to order the cleanup crew.
I have personally used these guns for many, many years. Personally I have never experienced any problems with these. I have used a wide variety of guns and I have found these to be one of the top end guns that are available on the market to date. Just a brief talk about pricing, also great value and very affordable for all and not just the professionals.
Hitachi NR90AE(S) 3-1/2-Inch Full-Head Framing Strip Nailer
This gun is the lightest of the light. Weighing at only a record of 7.5 pounds it has an expert power to weight ratio which delivers a optimal performance. One of the top nail guns produced by our best friend Hitachi. Flexibility is just one of the many features this nail gun has to offer, along with comfort it is just a great all around power tool to add to your collection.
There are mostly bad reviews for this nail gun on the internet however, I cannot see any real fault with it as It does everything I have needed it for and more. I needed this nail gun to do sheathing with smaller nails than in my other nail guns. Never had a miss-fire from this which is an added bonus as you would expect some and it has never jammed up on me which has saved me time aswell.


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Blog Archives
Casual Style – Sneakers and Puffer Vest
Wow, you know you haven't blogged in a long time when you still aren't logged into WordPress 🙂 It's been a while, but life has been busy and I've enjoyed spending so much time with my family – and of course the occasional shopping trip!
One of my great friends loves vests. I mean loves them…we call it part of her uniform. And she's started rubbing off on me. They are so great to have when it's not too cold enough to have a coat but not quite warm enough just to have a shirt on. I snatched up this Loft Puffer Vest a few weeks ago when they were having 70% off online. Uh, yes please! Couldn't resist the soft pink color. Typically I size down at the Loft, but I ordered a medium to make sure it was roomy enough to have a shirt or sweater underneath. It fits great – and is the softest fabric. Highly recommend.
I've also started quite the collection of fashionable sneakers. I follow Loverly Grey on Instagram. She's the cutest thing and a native Atlanta suburb girl. She had these adidas Edge Luxe shoe on and was raving about them, so I decided to give them a try. SO glad I did. They really are super comfortable. And can we talk about the laces for a second? Too cute. When I wore them to work, I think I got about 10 compliments on them. (Can I mention I love an office where I can wear this cute outfit?!)
Vest – The Loft Puffer Vest; Shirt – Banana Republic; Jeans – Pilcro and The Letterpress (similar and on sale); Sneakers – Adidas Edge Luxe Running Shoe; Bracelet – John Hardy Modern Chain 8 mm; Watch – Apple Series 3; Necklace – Tiffany (old)
Vince Camuto Karinta and AG The Legging
I've almost survived my busy season at work…only a couple more weeks to go. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. While working non-stop, I can't tell you how much I've had these jeans and booties on repeat. I purchased them during the Nordstrom sale during the summer, and they were definitely A+ purchases.
I didn't realize how much in my closet goes with this dark gray color of the Vince Camuto Karinta block heeled bootie. And since I've worn them so much, I can tell you with confidence that these are actually comfortable. They have a good amount of padding in the ball of the foot and with the thick block heel, I don't have any heel pain at the end of the day (I tend to put my weight in my heels).
AG is one of my favorite brands, so I knew I would love these jeans. I have to say I listened to a blogger who tried them on and said to size up, and I probably should have ordered my typical size. Granted, yes, they are super skinny jeans and are snug when you first put them on, but they do stretch out while you wear them. I love the distressed hem on these…it's even subtle enough for my casual office.
What's also great about this post? These two items are on sale back to what they were during the Nordstrom sale this summer! So maybe it's good I waited to share this post with you anyway 🙂 Happy shopping!
Booties – Vince Camuto Karinta; Jeans – AG The Legging Raw Hem Ankle Skinny; Tee – BP (sold out); Necklace – Spartina Luxe Bead Feather
Banana Republic Floral Fluted Sleeve Top
Typically this type of blouse is not something I would pick up, but I loved the beautiful print. And I think the fluted sleeves are so much fun. There are so many colors that would go with this top. I have had this great J. Crew No. 2 pencil skirt forever, but I tried a light purple on with it too and it looked pretty. The Banana Republic website has a white skirt with it, but if you've followed me at all, y'all know I much rather prefer color over neutrals. This top is on sale right now, so don't miss out on a great deal!
Top – Banana Republic Floral Fluted; Skirt – J. Crew No. 2 Pencil; Earrings – Kendra Scott Sophee; Shoes – Christian Louboutin


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Customer Service, Quality, Timeliness
Very knowledgeable and encouraging. Very good at what you do.
No headaches!!
They were amazing!! Took all the headache out of doing paperwork!
– Stacy
On a mission
When my father died in Oklahoma I was living in Germany and didn't know where to start. Lawyers wanted at least $2,500 just to consult with me over the internet. Eventually, I found myself on the doorstep of Easy Paralegal who helped me personally file for $250 (including court cost). Joanna made it her personal mission to make sure that my trip to Oklahoma was comfortable – she even lent me her GPS navigation so I wouldn't get lost when it was time to appear for my court hearing. No probate session has a happy ending but Joanna put me on the road to closure.
– Tony
Professional & Quick
Easy Paralegal Services not only made sure that my requests were handled professionally and quickly, but they also went above and beyond what I expected. The customer service was exceptional. They followed up to be sure that everything was completed and that no steps were left out. I will definitely use them in the future and would highly recommend them.
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They listened to me!
Easy Paralegal Services prepared my Will and nothing was left out – they were professional and listened to what I had to say – I would recommend this service to anyone who would ask – feel free to send me an e-mail if you have questions about their services.
Thank. firstname.lastname@example.com
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Good Job EPS – I've been trying to get money out of him for a long time, your help with my small claims and the subsequent garnishment you helped me file got me the money that was owed to me.
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My name is Alan Ward. I used Easy Paralegal for a legal services and I got to say they were great. They were very polite and professional. They went beyond and above to help me with my situation. I would recommend them to everyone, you won't be disappointed! They are great. Nice people, and most importantly they know what they are doing!
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I loved working with this company – friendly from the first time I walked through the door. The paperwork was exceptional and I even got to talk to an attorney who gave me a lot of advice. I would recommend this company to anyone who needs help.
– Jim Tomlinson
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The PSNI has hailed an anonymous Good Samaritan a 'hero' after a young teenage boy's bike was stolen in Lurgan.
The bike had been a Christmas present to a 14-year-old but was stolen outside Heatons by a man in a black hoody at 6pm on January 28.
However after reading about the sad news, a Good Samaritan contacted the PSNI with the offer of a bike for the child.
The PSNI in Craigavon that while most of the work they do is because something bad has happened and someone somewhere has done something selfish, they were pleased at the generous donation from this kindly woman.
The police issued an appeal after the bike was stolen and a PSNI spokesperson said: "A Good Samaritan read that appeal and didn't much like it! She got in touch and, in her own words:
"When I saw the post on Facebook my heart just went out to the young fella who had received this bike for Christmas.
"I just thought that it was absolutely disgusting that any person could steal a bike from a child.
"I had a bike in my shed that I knew wouldn't be used so I thought that it would just be a nice gesture to donate it to a good home."
The PSNI spokesperson said: "Wow!! People are awesome sometimes, aren't they?! I spoke on the phone a few moments ago to the young lad and he's understandably delighted to have another new bike!
"Our Good Samaritan has asked to remain anonymous, so on behalf of the whole community can I say: Miss Anonymous, you're a hero, and Craigavon needs more people like you! Thank you!"


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We are the largest online retailer of short dated and residual stock. We sell through our website, our customers are spread throughout the UK and Europe and because the majority of our stock is short-dated or past its best before date we are able to buy in large quantities and pass considerable savings on to our customers.
Have more questions? Submit a request


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Okay, maybe that is a little extreme, but people have a reasonable expectation when they walk up a set of stairs or out onto a balcony that there is no risk involved. And of course that's how we should feel, but after reading headlines like "2 Killed, 29 Hurt When Malibu Balcony Falls", or "6 Dead, 7 Hurt in Berkeley Balcony Collapse" maybe we should think again. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System it is estimated that over a five year period 224,740 people were injured due to deck, porch or stairs accidents and of those 33,000 were "serious" injuries including head trauma, concussions, major fractures, and paralysis.
The North American Deck and Railing Association estimated half of the 40 million residential decks and 10 million commercial decks in the United States are more than 25 years old. Since most decks or balconies are continually exposed to the elements the actual expected life span is likely to be 10-15 years, depending on the materials and methods used and assuming that there is proper maintenance along the way. As these statistics demonstrate, this should be a serious issue for property owners or anyone involved in property management, considering the potential liability.
As a construction management consultant we frequently encounter decks, balconies and stairs in homeowner associations that require substantial repairs and structural replacement, generally due to a lack of routine maintenance. On several occasions the balconies were such a hazard that Building & Safety actually issued "red tag" correction notices until a plan was put in place to make the repairs. On one project which was less than 10 years old homeowners had actually stepped through the cantilevered decks, which were 20 to 30 feet out over a hillside. This occurred because the original improper installation allowed water to become trapped within the structure. In this case, and likely the Berkeley collapse (see photos), the damage that is occurred to the structural members which are covered up may not be readily evident by a quick visual inspection. That is where a trained and knowledgeable expert may be required to make a thorough inspection of the balcony and all of the waterproof connections. Poor construction methods as well as lack of maintenance can lead to severe wood decay, which can occur in just a few years.
Another issue we see is dangerous stair conditions, either because they have started to rot and are not structurally sound or because they don't meet the code requirements for the height or the width of the treads and risers and as a result are a tripping hazard. Stair handrails and balcony railings which have become loose due to dry rot and/or lack of proper attachment are another common safety concern.
The good news is that structural failure of decks and balconies is 100 percent preventable. However, there are steps that must be taken to assure this is true. (For the purpose of this article we will assume that the structure was properly designed and met all building codes at the time it was constructed.) Knowing that all structures have a defined life expectancy but do require periodic maintenance, let's look at what the proper course of action should be when managing a property that includes decks, balconies or exterior stairs.
Some simple questions will help decide whether further investigation should be performed:
- How old is the property? – This will provide some knowledge as to the life cycle of the structures and the building codes under which they were likely constructed. As a general rule of thumb, barring construction defect issues, the expectation would be that the newer the structure the better condition it should be in. Age, gravity and exposure have an effect on structures much the same as they do with the human body.
- Does the association have a reserve fund for maintaining these structures and is it adequately funded? – This is an indication of whether the association has a proper understanding of the importance of maintenance of these structures.
- Do the association's records indicate that these structures have been maintained on a timely basis? – This will show whether the proper maintenance has actually been performed as recommended.
Based on the answers to the above questions what are the next steps that should be taken? Below is a quick and simple checklist of 10 items to consider when inspecting decks, balconies and stairs:
- Should a construction consultant or licensed contractor be included in the inspection, or is the property manager comfortable with this task? The answer to this question may depend on the construction knowledge of the property manager and their willingness to take on that liability, responsibility, and the age and general condition of the structures.
- Are the railings well attached and sturdy or are they weak and showing signs of deterioration at the deck connections?
- Are the railings adequately safe for small children, pets and adults alike? Do they meet the current code requirements for rail height and baluster spacing?
- Does the deck surface seem rigid and solid or is it soft and spongy in areas?
- If the decks or stairs have a waterproof coating is it in good condition or has it deteriorated – does it show signs of splitting, peeling, cracking or chipping? Are there cracks in the surface or is there any other deterioration that could be allowing water into the structure below? Is it keeping the water out of the structure below?
- If the deck is not a solid waterproofed structure and is open for water to pass through it, is the decking material in good condition, showing no signs of sagging, dry-rot, termites, etc.
- Are the waterproofing connections around the perimeter of the deck in good and watertight condition? This would include the deck–to-wall transition, the thresholds at any door openings, and any post–to-deck connections.
- How is the structure supported – is it an integral part of the building or is it self-supported? Is the structural support being kept dry or is it exposed to the elements? If self-supported, how does the structure under the deck look? Are there any signs of deterioration or termite damage at either the support-to-deck attachments or at the foundation-to-support attachments?
- Are the structural supports buried in the soil? The vertical support rising up from the concrete foundation should not be in contact with the surrounding soil.
- Are the foundations solid or have they been undermined by erosion or pests?
In general it is recommended that decks, balconies and stairs be thoroughly inspected at least annually, property maintenance be performed as needed, and the inspection and maintenance expenses should be part of the association's annual budget. Needless to say, those costs are minimal compared to the expense and potential liability involved in structural failure of these components.
Properly maintained, your decks, balconies and stairs will be safe and sound for everyone to use and enjoy for years to come.
Dennis Brooks can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com


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ATS 2011, DENVER--Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center attempting to identify the vital signs that best predict those hospitalized patients at greatest risk for cardiac arrest found that a composite index used in some hospitals to activate a rapid response team and by emergency room physicians to assess the likelihood of a patient dying was a better predictor of cardiac arrest than any single vital sign.
However, because the composite index known as Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) included vital signs that are poor predictors of cardiac arrest, while excluding others, the researchers called for the development of a tool specifically to predict cardiac arrest risk.
"Rapid response teams have not demonstrated the improvements in patient outcomes that we hoped for, in part because some of the patients who may benefit the most are not identified," said the principal investigator of the study, Matthew Churpek, MD, MPH, a pulmonary and critical care fellow at the University of Chicago. "An objective, evidence-based tool would provide the best way to accurately detect these patients and potentially improve their outcomes."
Dr. Churpek and his colleagues will present the results of their study, "Can Vital Signs Predict Cardiac Arrest on the Wards?" during the ATS 2011 International Conference, in Denver.
The researchers performed a nested case-control study over the course of two years, matching each cardiac arrest patient to four randomly selected controls who were patients in the same unit at the same time. Among the 83 cardiac patients and 332 matched controls approximately 75 percent were medical admissions, the rest surgical.
Case patients were significantly older (mean age 64 ± 17 vs. 60 ± 16; p= 0.03), hospitalized longer prior to suffering cardiac arrest (median 8 vs. 4 days; p=0.02) and more likely to have had a prior rapid response call (13 percent vs. 1 percent, p< 0.001) or ICU admission (43 percent vs. 26 percent, p=0.001).
On admission, the case patients and the controls had similar mean vital signs and MEWS, with two significant exceptions: case patients had lower diastolic blood pressure (70 ±19 vs. 75 ± 17) and higher respiratory rates (20 ±3 vs. 19 ±3, p=0.02).
The mean MEWS was significantly higher in patients who would suffer a cardiac arrest within 48 hours than it was for the study's controls, and the difference increased leading up to the event. Although the best predictor in this study, MEWS included variables that were not statistically significant, including temperature, minimum heart rate and systolic blood pressure.
Individual vital signs, including maximum respiratory rate, maximum heart rate, maximum pulse pressure and minimum diastolic blood pressure, were also found to be statistically significant predictors of cardiac arrest. None, though, correlated as highly as MEWS.
The predictive ability of the maximum and minimum vital signs and of MEWS was tested by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, an analysis especially useful in comparing the accuracy of different diagnostic tests.
Although the MEWS performed better than any single vital sign, Dr. Churpek and his colleagues do not believe it is the optimal tool.
"Because current activation systems don't utilize the best vital sign predictors, they often suffer from poor sensitivity and high false-positive rates," explained Dr. Churpek. "This limits the effectiveness of the rapid response team, and the high false-positive rates can lead to 'alarm fatigue' and the wasting of hospital resources."
The creation of an evidence-based cardiac arrest prediction tool, he said, would decrease the false-positive rate and lead to a response system with a better chance of improving patient outcomes. Hospitals would no longer need to choose from the over 50 different published criteria, or make up their own, to determine cardiac arrest risk.
Dr. Churpek and his colleagues believe their study provides important direction to the future creation of an evidence-based system. Several variables, including diastolic blood pressure and pulse pressure, that they investigated are not included in most published rapid response team activation criteria but proved to have predictive ability.
He also noted that the MEWS was similar among patients upon admission but was significantly different 48-hours prior to the event, indicating that there is a window of opportunity for the healthcare team to intervene and improve patient outcomes.
"Rapid response teams are a complex and resource-intensive intervention, so providing evidence-based criteria for their activation is crucial," he concluded "Our patients will do better if we can detect who is at high risk early enough to intervene and prevent a cardiac arrest."
"Can Vital Signs Predict Cardiac Arrest On The Wards? A Nested Case-Control Study" (C23, Tuesday, May 17, 8:15-10:45 a.m., Korbel Ballroom 1A-1B (Lower Level) Colorado Convention Center; Abstract 22770)
* Please note that numbers in this release may differ slightly from those in the abstract. Many of these investigations are ongoing; the release represents the most up-to-date data available at press time.


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The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has accused the Federal Government of deliberately withholding the release of the Paris Club refund to the state as a way of making it difficult for the state government to pay arrears of workers' salary before the July 14 governorship election.
Governor Fayose, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi in Ado Ekiti today, Thursday, alleged that the Federal Government is deliberately withholding the money after Ekiti and other states had been cleared to get the refund.
"If it is released to other states without the inclusion of Ekiti, people will suspect the federal government of playing politics with it. The federal government used that tactics in Kogi to assist the APC candidate to win.
"I am using this forum to inform Ekiti people that the federal government is punishing and depriving them of their entitlement because of politics. They think that if I am not able to pay the four months salaries owed the workers, they will vote for APC.
"Ekiti people are not fools, they know that the Fayemi administration plunged the state into debt. Fayemi left two months salary unpaid and N1.2bn is being deducted every month from Ekiti allocations to service the debt.
"So far, N35.34bn has been deducted from allocations coming to Ekiti to service debts owed by Fayemi administration.
"If I have N35.34bn, I will not owe workers and I will be able to take care of the needs of the people. Ekiti people are not fools and will not again accept APC. They know that the Fayemi administration is the cause of the unpaid salary." [myad]


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Local Food Procurement
In 1999, The Environmental Task Force with the City of Toronto issued recommendations to City Council, based on a report from the Toronto Food Policy Council, to increase the amount of local food procured by food service providers within City agencies.
In 2000 this was reiterated in an environmental plan by the Environmental Task Force, Clean, Green and Healthy – A Plan for an Environmentally Sustainable Toronto, where procurement of food within urban areas was also called for in addition to a number of recommendations to foster the local food movement within the City.
In 2011 The Toronto Environment Office issued a Staff Report on Local Food Procurement to the Government Management Committee at the City of Toronto with a general pledge to increase local food procurement within the City in alignment with the goals of the Province.


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March 5, 1999
'Monica's Story': Tawdry and Tiresome
By MICHIKO KAKUTANI
By Andrew Morton.
288 pages. St. Martin's Press. $24.95.
onica's Story" might well be called "The Miseducation of Monica Lewinsky." It's the story of how an emotionally needy young woman sought to assuage her low self-esteem with eating binges and affairs with unavailable men, and how her affair with an equally needy and adolescent-minded man, who just happened to be the president of the United States, threw this country into a tabloid frenzy and the first impeachment trial in 131 years.
"Monica's Story" offers a narrative that will be all too familiar to anyone who has read the Starr report or watched the endless television spectacle over the last year. That narrative has been fleshed out with scattered quotes from Ms. Lewinsky and labored efforts to re-create her state of mind during encounters with Clinton, with her former friend Linda Tripp and with the staff of the independent counsel, Kenneth Starr.
It adds little to what has already been reported in the press or revealed in this week's much-hyped ABC interview with Barbara Walters, and it employs the much used and abused device of omniscient narration, re-creating entire scenes with little sourcing or attribution, sometimes extrapolating Ms. Lewinsky's point of view into an objective truth.
The author of this book, Andrew Morton, is best known for his sympathetic books on Diana, Princess of Wales, who before Ms. Lewinsky held the title of world's most famous and most paparazzi-hounded woman. Though the princess was canonized as a secular saint and Ms. Lewinsky has been reviled by some as a home wrecker and hussy, there are similarities to their stories, similarities that are consciously or unconsciously played up by Morton.
Mike Segar/ Reuters
Andrew Morton
Related Links
In Interview and Book, Lewinsky Takes Offensive (March 4) Lewinsky Author Catches Heat for Book on Kenya's President (November 26, 1998) 'Monica's Story' to Be Told on TV and in Book (November 17, 1998) Michiko Kakutani Reviews Andrew Morton's 'Diana' (November 25, 1994)
Issue in Depth: Clinton Impeachment Trial
Excerpts from 'Monica's Story'
Monica Lewinsky
He portrays both of them as survivors of dysfunctional childhoods, both as neurotics afflicted with eating disorders and both as women who were unhappy in love. Ms. Lewinsky's entire life (both before and after Clinton) is depicted as a series of heart-stopping crises, nightmares and traumas, measured by Morton in her "gusts of tears" and a fever chart of her continually fluctuating weight.
Like Morton's two Diana books ("Diana: Her True Story" and "Diana: Her New Life"), "Monica's Story" reverberates with the cloying sound of the talk-show confessional. All three books also share an annoying, and sometimes inadvertently amusing, propensity for Gothic melodrama and romance-novel prose. Describing the hopes of Ms. Lewinsky's mother and aunt that her infatuation with the president was winding down, Morton writes, "Over the next few weeks, however, like blood seeping out from under a closed door, the awful truth began to dawn."
And of the difficulty Ms. Lewinsky and the president had in scheduling time together: "It seemed that fate had its own means of obstructing them, as well. Before they could meet, news of a terrorist outrage in Israel, a serious threat to the fragile peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians which Clinton had helped to broker, meant that the President had to make an immediate public statement. ... Monica's visit had to be canceled."
As far as Morton is concerned, public policy, politics and the debate over impeachment have simply obscured a great and tragic love story: a tale of star-crossed lovers, undone by their own flaws and a cruel world. Ms. Lewinsky, he tells us, "cried her eyes out" after seeing the movie "Titanic": "The story of the doomed love affair between two passengers from different social classes and backgrounds touched a deep chord within her. It seemed to parallel her own unfulfilled relationship with 'Handsome,' reminding her of the angst and anger she had endured during their bittersweet affair."
Morton tries to present Ms. Lewinsky in this book not as a ditsy Valley Girl or pushy tart but as a die-hard romantic who loves roses and shabby chic furniture. Like Diana she is also depicted as a long-suffering victim. Morton not only tells us about the real pain she suffered in the wake of her parents' divorce, but he also recounts Beverly Hills slights like not being invited to Tori Spelling's birthday party and having to do without her own phone line and Snoopy phone.
Later, of course, she will be "cruelly traduced by Linda Tripp, by Kenneth Starr, by Bill Clinton and by the world's media." Ms. Tripp is described as "a latter-day Judas," a "treacherous friend" with a "lumpy figure," and "the moon-faced" Starr as a virtual "personification of the 'Big Brother' of Orwell's future."
Ms. Lewinsky says at one point in the book that she thinks in retrospect that the president "should have shown more restraint and left it as a flirtation and as an unacted upon fantasy," that "it was too much of an emotional burden for someone my age." As Morton sees it, Clinton did not simply use Ms. Lewinsky as a sexual plaything but also harbored a "much deeper need for this girl," who reminded him of his mother.
"For the last ten months I have seen the Special Prosecutor, the press, the White House and the public ripping apart layer upon layer of my soul. I don't know what I did to deserve that humiliation. Certainly I made mistakes and foolish judgments, but did they warrant this level of abuse? Yes, I probably am the most humiliated woman in the world, but I just can't deal with that thought. I have to block it out because it is too much to handle."
-- Monica Lewinsky, quoted in this excerpt from 'Monica's Story'
This book suggests that the most powerful man on the planet found a soul mate in the 20-something Monica Lewinsky. Both are depicted as emotionally needy, both had unhappy childhoods, both loved to eat (and sucked in their stomachs out of an embarrassment about their weight), both were self-indulgent, and both had a history of playing fast and loose with the truth. "At times," Morton writes, "he acted more like a lovesick teen-ager than the president of the United States."
Equally disturbing is the scene Morton paints of Clinton burying his pain over the death of an American serviceman in Bosnia by indulging in a make-out session with Ms. Lewinsky. In another incident Morton contends that Clinton became "enthralled, actually sexually aroused" by Ms. Lewinsky's descriptions of her own visit to Bosnia with the Defense Department in 1996.
If months of television talk show debates haven't already made the reader weary of this whole tawdry affair and its surreal effect on our public discourse, this book should certainly do it. Its obsessive account of teen-age shenanigans, its tiresome prattling about sex and self-esteem, its therapeutic jargon and Judith Krantz prose sadly sum up the sorry state of affairs our culture has reached, a state in which news and voyeurism, politics and soap opera have inextricably blurred, where the personal is paramount and D-Day no longer refers to World War II but to "Dump Day" in the saga of Monica and Bill.
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"Are you ready for a feast?"
Planning for any gathering, or feeling like fixing a feast for your loved ones? For the seafood connoisseur, here's my easy and delicious all-in-one seafood treat.
This is especially great to cook for a group epicureans to get together. Chatting, laughing and having great food together… Great food, great home cooked food, but minus the hassle of cooking up extensive dishes. You would still be able to impress your guests with this lucious meal. :)


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Edward A. Gramigna, Jr.
Edward A. Gramigna, Jr. assists clients with all areas of taxation with a particular emphasis on estate planning, estate administration and probate litigation matters. He is a managing partner of the firm and a former partner in charge of the Florham Park office.
Ed has extensive experience in the preparation of wills, trusts and other estate planning documents, including sophisticated wills, insurance trusts, "living" trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, charitable trusts, qualified personal residence trusts and asset protection trusts. He is routinely involved in tax analysis regarding complex issues in federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax and income tax planning for trusts and estates.
Ed also advises individuals and corporate fiduciaries with respect to probate matters, as well as the ongoing administration of trusts and estates. He counsels fiduciaries extensively on the interpretation of wills and trusts, as well as post-mortem tax planning and income-tax planning. He has extensive experience representing individuals and fiduciaries in Internal Revenue Service audits of estate tax and gift tax returns. He also has represented numerous individuals and charitable beneficiaries in will contests, construction of wills and trusts, approvals of accountings as well as other probate actions.
Ed formerly served as an adjunct professor in the Graduate Tax Program at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey. He is also a certified public accountant. He lectures in the fields of taxation, estate planning and estate administration to a variety of audiences.
- Estate planning skills include meetings with clients analyzing estate, retirement and business succession planning issues, devising strategy and drafting all necessary instruments, including wills, trusts, GRATs, QPRTs, SNTs, QDOTs, IRA-QTIP and charitable trusts, as well as establishing entities such as Family Limited Partnerships and LLCs.
- Estate administration experience includes administration of estates from date of death through final distribution, including regular contact with clients and their professionals, managing paralegals, tax audits, court appearances, judicial conferences, litigation, will construction proceedings, preparation of all requisite instruments and postmortem estate planning.
- Litigation experience includes will and trust contests, contested accountings and other estate and trust disputes.
- Administers inter vivos and testamentary trusts, including meeting with beneficiaries and trustees and financial advisors, preparation and review of accountings, and tax planning. Drafts receipts, release and refunding agreements and legal opinions, and related litigation.
- Counsels charities in planned giving, including consultations with clients, meetings with developmental personnel, establishing foundations and drafting charitable instruments and seminar presentations.
- Assists in matrimonial cases, including research of issues and drafting of pre-marital, post-marital and separation agreements.
- Handles all New Jersey estate planning, estate administration and elder law matters.
- Drafts articles and presents seminars on estate planning and administration matters.
Best Lawyers®, Litigation - Trusts and Estates, Trusts and Estates (2020)
Awards Methodology (www.drinkerbiddle.com/content/awards)
Bar Admissions
- New Jersey
- New York University School of Law, LL.M., in Taxation
- Rutgers University School of Law - Camden, J.D.
- University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, B.S., Accounting
- American Bar Association, Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section
- New Jersey Bar Association, Taxation Section
- Mayo Performing Arts Center, Trustee
- Independent College Fund of New Jersey, Trustee


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Dentist Glendale CA
Our Glendale general dentistry office provides a complete range of family dental procedures for children, teens, adults and seniors.
This office is open 6 days a week.
609 S. Glendale Avenue
Glendale, CA 91205
Phone(818) 574-3098
Monday: 9AM-5PM
Tuesday: 9AM-5PM
Wednesday: 9AM-6PM
Thursday: 9AM-5PM
Friday: 9AM-5PM
Saturday: 8:30AM-5PM
Sunday: Closed


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MySpace Profile
Micah Carli- guitar
Matt Ridenour- bass
JT Woodruff- vocals/guitar
Casey Calvert- guitar (will always be in our hearts, and a part of our band)
Hawthorne Heights Bio:
Hawthorne Heights is an American emo band formed in Dayton, Ohio in June, 2001. Their line-up currently consists of vocalist and guitarist JT Woodruff, lead guitarist Micah Carli, bassist and vocalist Matt Ridenour and drummer Eron Bucciarelli. In late 2007, guitarist and vocalist Casey Calvert died of accidental causes, leaving the band as a four-piece. The band, who were originally named A Day in the Life,have released three studio albums on Victory Records since changing their name to Hawthorne Heights.
The band found success with both of their first two albums, with 2004's The Silence in Black and White achieving Platinum certification, and their 2006 album If Only You Were Lonely achieving Gold certification,after it peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums and #3 on the Billboard 200 charts. They are also well known for their 2006 single "Saying Sorry", which reached Gold status and peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. The band's third album, Fragile Future, was released on August 5, 2008, surprisingly through Victory Records again, after a lengthy legal battle between the two parties.


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We often yak about how Burlington, Vermont, is one of our favorite towns. It has pretty much everything we love: loads of outdoor opportunities (cycling the Island Line Trail, hiking the Green Mountains, skiing Smuggler's Notch), fantastic views of Lake Champlain, a great hippie vibe focused on sustainability and local production, and some of the best food we've ever had.
Not surprisingly, many of the town's restaurants take pride in buying their meat, dairy, produce, and other ingredients from nearby farms (of which there are many). Burlington is a hotspot for vegetarian cuisine, too – not something you frequently find in a town of under 50,000 people.
All this comes together to make it a foodie paradise, so we wanted to share some of our favorite places to eat in Burlington, our beloved vacation getaway.#Burlington, #Vermont is a foodie paradise - and here's a list of the best restaurants in town. Click To Tweet
Best Coffee Shops in Burlington
Speeder & Earl's Coffee
There are a lot of great coffee shops in Burlington, but Speeder & Earl's is a mainstay, and it's been going strong for over twenty years . For most of that time, they've been off the beaten path in the town's industrial South End. Now that the area's old warehouses have been converted to art studios and craft breweries, their shop feels right at home.
The wide selection of coffee beans and specialty drinks make it many people's go-to place to start the day. One of my favorites drinks is the Clockwork Orange, a mocha flavored with hints of orange zest and almond.
Speeder & Earl's South End location has a few tables and decent Wi-Fi if you're looking to get some work done. They also have a convenient location on Church Street if you're looking for a caffeine buzz during your shopping trip. It doesn't have much seating, though (or much standing room, for that matter); don't expect to check your email here.
Maglianero Café
Maglianero is certainly the town's coffee connoisseur hangout. A pour-over set-up is artfully arranged so you can watch as the barista prepares you a delectable brew using only the finest beans from Counter Culture.
The café's wide-open spaces give it the feeling of an art gallery – which it also is. Though not Burlington's cheapest place to get a caffeine fix, it's surely the best tasting for those who enjoy the subtleties of a well-prepared brew.
It could also be a great place to get work done, but the picture windows enveloping the café in sunlight make it feel like I should be reading a good book instead of squandering the afternoon on work. Bonus: They even have bike parking in the back room, so you don't have to leave your bike outside in the cold Vermont winter.
Uncommon Grounds Coffee & Tea
The coffee here is also top-notch, and I recommend the maple latte if you're looking for a flavored drink. If not, they have a good selection of single-origin coffees, and the beverages are prepared as you order them – no stale java here. The pastries, some of which are vegan, are also a tasty treat when you're running low on fuel for your shopping adventure.
It can get a bit crowded, particularly on weekends when people are coming from all over to shop on Church Street, but it's not a bad place to work if you can snag a table. There aren't any outlets, though, so bring your laptop fully charged.
Breakfast & Brunch in Burlington
Myer's Bagels
Haven't tried a Montreal-style bagel? They're a significant, though not unwelcome, departure from the rotund baked goods of New York City (which seem to deteriorate in quality the farther they're prepared from said city). These ones are smaller with a larger hole in the middle, and they're boiled in honey-sweetened water and baked in a wood-fired oven, a process that gives them an earthier flavor and a crunchier texture.
As far as I know, Myer's prepares the most authentic version of francophone Canada's take on the bagel this side of the border. Traditionally, Montreal-style bagels are topped with poppy or sesame seeds, but Myer's deviates from the conventional by adding maple (it is Vermont, after all), rosemary salt, chocolate banana, and a host of other unorthodox flavors to their menu.
They also serve up several sandwich options, in case you're looking for more than a little cream cheese to complement your bagel.
Magnolia Bistro
Magnolia probably has the best vegetarian breakfast in Burlington: tofu scrambles, lemon-ricotta pancakes, even banana bread French toast. From the bread to the hot sauces, they serve as many local ingredients as possible, giving the meals a uniquely Vermont taste. I always order the Locavore Omelet, which contains whatever produce is in-season (fiddleheads in spring are the best!).
Admittedly, our experiences at Magnolia have varied considerably. During the brunch hours or when there's a special event going on in town, the service seems to slow to a crawl and lots of items run out. Stick to breakfast, and you'll have an enjoyable experience.
The Skinny Pancake
It's kind of hard to go wrong with crepes – anything filled with Nutella is going to taste good, right? That being said, The Skinny Pancake has some really good crepes, made with very fresh ingredients; there's a board on the wall showing how most of what goes into the crepes is produced within a hundred miles.
They have a few locations around Vermont, but the restaurant in Burlington is adjacent to the city's beautiful waterfront park. Once you've had your fill of sweet and savory treats, take a walk along the edge of Lake Champlain – there are some very comfortable swinging benches overlooking the water if you do.
Look out for The Skinny Pancake's cart on Church Street, too. It has a more limited menu, but a crepe always sounds great after a day of perusing the stores.
Best Restaurants in Burlington
¡Duino! (Duende)
¡Duino! (Duende)'s cuisine is described as "street-food fusion," but that doesn't really do it justice. Some of their dishes are traditional – like hummus with pita and olives – while others meld multiple cuisines, such as Korean tacos with coconut rice and kimchi. Every menu item lists its country of origin, so you can tour the world with your taste buds.
The restaurant is connected to Radio Bean, a coffee shop, bar, and excellent live music venue. If you're looking for a quiet evening out, ¡Duino! (Duende) might not be the best choice. But if you're interested in experiencing some of Burlington's bohemian culture, global street food-inspired dishes make an excellent complement to great tunes.
American Flatbread
Great pizza made with local ingredients, a brick oven in the middle of the dining area with a roaring fire, and a partnership with Zero Gravity brewery – it can't get much better than that. Pizza at American Flatbread has been my post-race meal after the Vermont City Marathon two years running (see what I did there?).
Recovery fuel it is not, but I don't really care after 26 miles. We usually get the Revolution, a pie topped with caramelized onions and fresh mushrooms. During the summer, there's outdoor seating on the patio, plus live music every Wednesday and a number of other events.
Pizzeria Verita
This is hands down Burlington's best pizza, serving up wood-fired pies with a deliciously smoky, crispy crust. Beyond that, their toppings are gourmet and often locally sourced – ranging from creamy burrata cheese from Bennington's Maplebrook Farm to their own house-made sausage.
If you're not interested in filling up on pizza, no problem; it's also a great place to have one of the area's numerous craft beers (and Vermont has more breweries per capita than any other state, so there's a lot of them to try). The fireplaces and oak barrel bar tables invite you to stay and have a few drinks with friends even if you won't be dining there.
For dinner though, it's a good idea to make reservations ahead of time, especially on the weekends, as it does get crowded.
Revolution Kitchen
This was Jen's first dining experience in Burlington, and oh boy, did it set the bar high. Everything on the menu is vegetarian (most are actually vegan), and about a third of them are gluten-free. Positive as that may sound, for vegetarians accustomed to only having a few options at each restaurant, the number of choices can be overwhelming.
Revolution Kitchen's cuisine leans Asian (vegan Pad Thai, for instance), but they always have a few Mexican (sweet potato & oyster mushroom tacos, anyone?) and "traditional" American (an excellent black bean burger) options, too.
If you're considering becoming a vegetarian, planning a dinner out with a veggie friend, or just want to eat healthier, this place is a good starting point – I promise, you won't even miss the meat.
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill
This is a place we just keep going back to, with its lively atmosphere and huge selection of area microbrews. There are tons of good choices on the menu, and even for vegetarians, it can be hard to choose.
The cheese platter is always a good starter, though, with offerings sourced from nearby farms, and the fries are the best in town (sorry, Al's French Frys). The spiced roots & quinoa plate is great if you're feeling like something healthy – and the mac 'n cheese is even better if you're not.
The Farmhouse is also known for its burgers, and the two veggie burger options are great, too. Bonus: they allow half pours of the beers on tap, so you can try more of them.
The Farmhouse is one of the busiest restaurants in Burlington in the evenings, so expect a bit of a wait (they don't take reservations). During the warmer months, there's a small beer garden out back where you can wait. When it's cold, you can wait in the basement where there's a bar and some seating. Relax and enjoy yourself, your table will eventually be ready.
Ben & Jerry's
Okay, this one isn't unique to Burlington, BUT it's the birthplace of the famous ice cream company – so why not indulge in a cup or cone while you're there? Their location on Church Street makes it an easy dessert to pick up after a day of exploring the town.
Ben & Jerry's comes out with new flavors all the time, but my favorite right now is Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Dough: caramel and chocolate ice cream swirled with chocolate cookies and both chocolate chip and peanut butter cookie doughs. It's a tasty assortment of all things late-night sweets.
Got a few (or several) friends with you? Pick up the bucket of flavor known as the Vermonster (a twenty-scoop sundae with toppings) and dig in.
Did we leave out your favorite Burlington restaurants? Let us know in the comments!


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The best level of protection against brute force passwords is to use long and complex passwords. Of course, the longer and more complex the password, the more likely it will be forgotten, so it is best to construct the password using specific letters from a phrase and insert or replace certain letters with numbers, spaces, punctuation and special characters, including non-printable characters. Of course, if someone can gain physical access to the computer itself, then game over! All they have to do is install a parallel OS on it or boot it using a "live" OS on a DVD, USB drive, etc. and gain access to the resident volumes. Granted, they will not be able to read any of the data that is encrypted but decrypting it as well isn't necessarily beyond the realm of possibility.
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If you would like any further information on my work or have an enquiry then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Many of the projects I work on are commissions for publication and as such I cannot make these images publicly available online at this stage – if you would like to see more of my work please email me for a PDF portfolio.
The best way to contact me is here…
If you would like to view my portfolio visit my website


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BUT I LOVE YOU | Santolo Felaco, Gian Marco Sanna
Graphic Designer: Rosario Di Vincenzo (9Periodico)
Santolo Felaco was born in Naples in 1984. He graduated in Computer Science. He work as a freelance photographer with a focus on social themes and he work as software engineering. He attended advanced reportage with Fausto Podavini and a master about modern language of documentary photography with Massimo Mastrorillo. He attended workshops with Ricardo Cases, Max Pinckers, Federico Clavarino and Antonio Xoubanova. He's founder member of LISA collective.
Gian Marco Sanna (Rome, 1993) started to experiment with photography at the age of 17 thanks to the passion transmitted by his father who gifted him an old Pentax for his birthday. From 2012 to 2015 he studied at the Roman school of photography where he acquired the techniques from analogue to digital. From 2015 he attended the D.O.O.R. academy, experimenting with new techniques of documentary photography. He took part in workshops with Ricardo Cases, Federico Clavarino, Max Pinckers, Antonio M. Xoubanova. From 2015 to 2017 he worked at "Malagrotta's area" where there is the biggest refuse dump in Europe. In 2016 he found L.I.S.A. collective, where he works at fanzines and editing. In 2017 Urbanautica Institute recently published the book about this work, launching it in Paris at Mi Galerie. In November 2017 he shows his work during the event " Passeggiate fotografiche Romane – MIBACT" at 001 gallery. In February 2018 he shows "Malagrotta" at gallery Lombardi Arte in Siena. In March he presents the book "Malagrotta" at Caffeina festival in Viterbo and Officine fotografiche Milano.
In April he won the Bi Foto Fest prize in Sardegna.


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Why the Aiqiying 12X42 Binoculars are different:
★ The use of extremely high quality optics, the unusual 12x power and larger than normal 42mm objectives all combined incredibly well to produce an image of stunning clarity, brightness and with just a little more reach than you get on your standard 10x instrument. But at the same time you are not sacrificing to much in terms of the field of view.
★ 42mm Fully multi-layer coatings green film objective wide lens provides bright and large field of view.
★ BAK4 prism and FMC optical coating technology provides the brightness and color fidelity you need.
★ Smooth right diopter adjustment knob provides a clear vision even with different sight ability.
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How to use your binoculars
1. Adjust the center-focus focus until the left sight clearly.
2. Adjust the right eye lens until get one image.
3. Adjust the barrels until getting a single circular field.
Magnification: 12x
Object diameter: 42mm
Eyepiece diameter: 23mm
Prisms: BK-4
Ocular coating: FMC -green
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Object lens: Fully optical glass lens
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【Compact 12X42mm Roof Prism Binoculars】- 12x magnification and 330ft/1000yds large field of view, light-gathering 42mm Fully Multi-layer coatings green film objective wide lens, which deliver the brightness and color fidelity you need. Our Aiqiying binocular scope is deal for bird watching, climbing, hiking, driving, outdoor travel, surveillance, ball games and concerts
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text: The new released AmigaONE X5000 by A-EON technology can be purchased through several online Amiga stores. Prices and AmigaONE setups can be different, so you can compare and decided wich AmigaONE setup and price is the best for you. The new release of 'AmigaOS4 FE update 1' for the AmigaONE X5000 is currently being tested and will be shipped with the computer. The onboard network controller is not supported yet, a replacement network interface card will be delivered with the complete systems. According to Hyperion enterteinament, Multicore support has been postponed so the team could concentrate on finishing the X5000 port, but will come once the AmigaONE X5000 system is shipping. Click on the image to visit the sales page.


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I'm Not Single Dad Laughing
It's definitely time people realize that the person who has been writing Single Dad Laughing isn't actually Single Dad Laughing...
My (Quite) Purposeful Nice Long Breather
After my last blog post when so many "perfect people" unleashed hell on me, I decided to take a nice long breather from my own blogging. These are my thoughts on that...
Sex on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Alternating Sundays
It's been too long since I brought you along with me as I dive into some of the more *interesting* messages I receive through SDL. Enjoy. And be scared with me.
Four Random Facts About Me You Should *Probably* Know
I feel you should know these facts about me if you're going to keep following SDL. If I were following me, I'd wanna know. So, in the name of personal integrity…
Um. Did I Just See What I *THINK* I Just Saw?!
As a blogger, I sometimes see something like this on my website, and in that fraction of a moment, all of my hopes and dreams come crashing down around me. LOL.
This Is My Super Fun Life At the Moment…
I'm a day and a half into this, and it's only getting worse... Can someone knock me out and wake me up next week?
"Dum, dee, dee. I'm gonna start a blog."
Five years ago today, a much blonder, more lanky, less bearded, sadder, confused, trapped man sat down and said, "Dum, dee, dee. I'm gonna start a blog..."
Dangling by the fingertips. Or something dramatic like that.
Deep inside, I know it's temporary. But right now I feel like I'm slipping. Big time. And I need some serious love with all this going on if I'm being honest...
The Hard Side I Don't Show You from the Wrong Numbers Posts
The truth. "Wrong Numbers" (where I send positive texts to random numbers) has its hard side and its dark side. This is what actually happens when I send those.
The New Single Dad Laughing Apps Are HERE!
I could have written about these apps, but I decided to tell you about them with video. This, unfortunately, included dancing, singing, and strange accents...
Do or Die Time for Single Dad Laughing
Gulp. That do or die moment is officially here. And I don't know about you, but I love this community and all of our discussions too much to call it quits!
The Ongoing Struggle to Save Single Dad Laughing
Things have gotten real bad, and blogging as we know it is coming to an end. Will you all take a moment to read this? Together, I believe we can save blogging.
The Last Four Years
SDL turns four today! What a ride it's been. Here is a quick list of all the stats and funny things that have happened since starting this crazy venture!
Just Another Day in My Crazy Crazy Inbox
Would you believe I got these five emails all within a two hour span? Hahaha. I would. It was just another day in the inbox of a blogger like me...
"You Been Getting Fatter, Boy?"
Lots of you have asked how it's been going since I came to you for help. Well, I was going to tell you in a long drawn out way, but you'll have to settle for this short, sweet, and to the point version instead.
Manatees. And other random thoughts about all of this.
Lots of thoughts after yesterday's "Save SDL!" post. And a few things to clear up after reading the comments. Also, why SDL is like a manatee. I guess.
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Exceptional work. Beautiful and sad.
France is a cold, proud place. In winter, the snow is brittle and grimy, white like bone. The people seem equally cold-blooded. They walk through biting gales of wind with pink lips, blue veins and hearts full of contempt.
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*Milestone Advisory DAC t/a Milestone Advisory is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
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For too long hypnosis has had a bad or 'difficult' press.
Understanding hypnosis can dispel many of these stories. You'll discover the truth behind the hype.
If you don't know much about a topic it's easy to be suspicious. Some people assume hypnosis is akin to a carnival side show, others consider it mystic mumbo jumbo or 'mind control.'
For those who look beyond the hype the truth is far more illuminating.
The most powerful tool you possess
There are potentially huge benefits for those who use hypnosis as part of everyday life.
Understanding hypnosis will allow you to start to see its potential to improve human performance in the physical, emotional and intellectual realms. For me, rumor, gossip and suspicion weren't good enough.
I was determined to learn all that hypnosis had to offer. Hypnosis greatly changed things for me on a personal level
How understanding hypnosis helped me
I used to be shy. Thanks to hypnosis I can now talk to thousands at a time and can approach anybody calmly and confidently.
I used to have poor concentration and procrastinate; thanks to hypnosis I can instantly motivate myself.
I used to find physical work outs and exercise exhausting but because of hypnosis I am now in the best shape of my life.
Stress eating is a large issue to conquer in our fast paced – fast food world. Food becomes a comfort to relieve stress. Hypnosis is a big plus to alter our thought patterns and take control over these urges.
Now if ever I have a difficult call or conversation coming up, something I may naturally feel reluctant to do (you know the kind of thing) I spontaneously self hypnotize and rehearse the upcoming situation feeling good, with myself remaining calm. In this way I habitually set my own emotional 'blue prints' for up coming situations. Having said that it's natural that some people have concerns or half digested 'hand me down' ideas when it comes to understanding hypnosis.
So what is hypnosis like?
Hypnosis isn't like a coma. It's not unconsciousness - more a subtle shifting of consciousness. As in meditation as you drift off into relaxation. In hypnosis, you can still think logically but you also have access to the 'software' of your mind so that you can update instinctive emotional and physical responses. Hypnosis will give you more control in your own life because of what it enables you to do. You can take control of any aspect of your life you wish to master.
Why you need to reclaim hypnosis for yourself
Hypnosis is your birthright. It's nature's optimum learning tool. In fact to learn and perform anything well you need to experience a natural focusing of attention, a natural kind of hypnosis. To be successful hypnosis needs to be your companion and friend.
Successful people use it naturally all the time because hypnosis is natural. It's the way we learn new responses. Unlike medications its side effects are purely positive.
Hypnosis is easy to learn and every body can benefit. Hypnosis is a safe environment to 'try out' new behaviors and emotional patterns before you experience them for real. So the young man can ask a woman out for a date many times in calm relaxed hypnosis so that by the time he does it for real it feels real and natural and relaxed.
Sports people who use hypnosis learn new plays quicker and more accurately. So hypnosis gives you more control of yourself and your life, it's natural and gives you instant benefits and it's a way of 'trying on' and establishing new patterns of emotional response and behavior.
The best time to make a change is when you want to and when you are ready so when that time arrives stop by and Visit the Self Development Library to view all of the topics available to start changing your life.
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