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SNES Classic: Yes, some people could actually buy it today
They're already selling out, but many stores actually had SNES Classics in stock when the doors opened.
"I could use a nap and some breakfast."
That was the victory speech from Mike W. in Brooklyn as he walked out of GameStop with the Nintendo SNES Classic in hand. ("I'm kinda supposed to be at work right now" was his excuse for not providing his full surname.) He began his morning around 5:45 a.m. ET as number 36 in line at a local Target, only to be told around 7 a.m. that they only had 33 in stock. Racing down to GameStop on nearby Fulton Street, he hit the jackpot: With 19 units on site, he was near the front of the line.
For the the Fulton Street GameStop, communication was the name of the game. A poster on the door listed how many SNES units (and wireless controllers) were in stock, and a staffer outside the locked door handed out reservation numbers. Once the magic number was hit, he made sure that everyone knew the initial stock was spoken for.
By 10:10 a.m., the initial lucky 19 were in line at the counter, and the sign was updated to "Sold Out."
Just a few blocks away at the Court Street GameStop, the store was swamped with customers picking up their preorders. That store only had an additional four units, which were long gone by 10:30. At both locations, the staff couldn't provide details on when they'd have additional SNES Classic units -- only that they did expect to have restocked supplies in the future.
The SNES Classic looks so much cooler in EuropeSee all photos
The fact that day one shoppers were finding any units at all is a testament to the fact that Nintendo ramped up production of the SNES Classic, the $80/£80/AU$120 miniaturized version of the classic 1990s console that comes with 21 built-in games and two wired controllers. The company had pledged that it would have more units available on opening weekend than it had for the entire run of its predecessor, 2016's NES Mini, which was notoriously difficult to find.
Nintendo stresses that stock will be refilled into 2018. And the original NES Mini? That's coming back next year, too.
Treasure Truck hits Manhattan
The stock situation was similar in Manhattan's Herald Square, where the GameStop there sold out of its allotment of 16. But an alternative arrived in the form of the Amazon Treasure Truck, which parked just a few blocks south at Fifth Avenue and 28th St. Amazon's roving pop-up store was also selling SNES units in 17 other US cities, too.
NYC goes nuts for Amazon Treasure Truck SNES Classic saleSee all photos
Full disclosure: The bulk of the CNET staff in our New York office -- just 2 blocks away -- emptied out just minutes later.
Waiting in the Bay Area
As the sun rose in California, the situation was about to repeat itself on the West Coast.
But first, we tried -- unsuccessfully -- to take advantage of Walmart's unique midnight launch at its 24-hour stores. "As soon as I saw this line, I didn't expect to get one," said Santosh, a 33-year-old software product manager who was surprised to find himself at the end of a 100-plus person queue at Walmart's Milpitas, Calif. store. (36 units were available.) Matthew E, a "robot wrangler" for Singularity University, did walk away with a console -- but only after spending 8 hours in line.
"I want to have that feeling again, opening that box of an original Nintendo product," Mike, a 27-year-old smokeshop manager, tells us around 5 a.m. in the parking lot of another Walmart. "This is what got me into gaming," he says of the Super NES.
As one of just 50 people waiting outside the Almaden Expressway location, he manages to nab one of 36 units when the store opened an hour later. (Angeline, a 24-year-old nanny who camped out for 8 hours to be third in line, says this exact Walmart only had six units of the NES Classic last year.)
But camping wasn't necessarily required in the Silicon Valley. It actually might have been the exception to the rule.
Fewer than 15 people were lined up at the Blossom Hill Toys R Us location at 8 a.m., and only one stayed overnight: Fei, 47, a business services manager who was determined to secure an SNES Classic after missing the NES Classic last year -- despite arriving at 2 a.m. then.
This time, bundled up in three jackets, she spent 12 hours waiting outside the store starting at 8:30 p.m. Thursday night. "Because we didn't get one last year, it was in me this year," she says, as a Toys R Us employee begins to distribute complimentary cups of Starbucks coffee and Oreo cookies to the tiny line. She jokes with her partner Earl about how he's the gamer, to which he replies that she's the enabler for camping out overnight.
(The employee suggests that there are more than enough consoles in stock for the short Toys R Us line.)
Just down the street, the Blossom Hill GameStop location had a similarly small group of individuals all but guaranteed to walk away with an SNES Classic. (Only 10 people, compared to the 15 units the store claimed to have on hand.) Then again, we only had the number in the store window to go by -- no staff appeared to be present by 8:30 a.m.
We also spotted a few people waiting in line at the San Leandro GameStop as the clock ticked down to its 10 a.m. PT opening. But unlike the New York and San Jose locations, there didn't appear to be a sign in the window with the stock levels. Note that someone did come out about 15 minutes later, handed out tickets (9), and put up an inventory sign.
But it wasn't until we tried Target and Best Buy that we saw how much closer Nintendo has come to satisfying (very early) demand. The Camden Avenue Target offered a full 90 units, despite only having 58 customers in line by the time it opened its doors at 8 a.m. Thirty-two additional people were able to walk right into the store, line up at the electronics counter and purchase an SNES Classic. Only three people left disappointed when Target sold out, half an hour later, and a rep suggested they try another Target store instead, which had an even greater allocation of 120 units.
(We often heard savvy buyers whispering they already knew how many units each store would have -- by quoting Brickseek.com, an online inventory tracker.)
And at the Almaden Best Buy location, supplies of the SNES Classic seemed tremendous: Every single customer who arrived by the store's 10 a.m. opening got a ticket -- at least 80, by our count -- no matter how many times an employee had to go back for another stack of tickets between 7 and 10 a.m. (A Best Buy employee was still left holding a sheaf of papers when the doors opened.)
None of this means it didn't pay to get up early for an SNES Classic, or that it was particularly easy to just stroll in and buy. (Excited buyer Israel, the first in line at a Target in Alameda, Calif., got there at 9 p.m. Thursday night -- but another customer, Justin, still had to arrive by 6 a.m. to obtain his lucky ticket number 50.
In our small sampling of stores, it almost always took some level of dedication to snag an SNES Classic. When we asked buyers why they got up early and spent part of their Friday to secure the console, the answers were almost always like this one from Justin:
"It's nostalgia in a box. It's most of my favorite games. Super NES was, in my opinion, kind of the best system of all time."
If you're a '90s kid -- and didn't prefer Sega Genesis, of course -- that might sound about right.
Our SNES Classic Edition review: Nostalgia this perfect is a rare thing.
How E3 2017 rebooted our childhood: In 28 images.
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Virtual Reality Gaming
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Low-Fee Rental Roundup: Stuy Town, Clinton Hill, Long Island City, and more, from $1,550 to $5,500 a month
Looking to liberate yourself from your current lease in time for the 4th of July? Start scouring Naked Apartments to see a huge variety of no-fee and low-fee apartments with broker's fees that top out at 9 percent (versus the typical 12 to 15 percent). Check out the places listed here in our round-up or search Naked Apartments by "no-fee" or "low-fee" to see more.
Found an apartment you want to call your own? Naked Apartments will make sure an agent's there to greet you whenever you want to see it with its Showings on Demand feature.
Newly renovated Upper East Side 1.5-bedroom in luxury building with pool, gym, and concierge, $3,595/month + 8.33% broker's fee>>
No-fee 1-bedroom in Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village with recent renovations and access to basketball, volleyball, tennis, and bocce courts, as well as play spaces for kids, $3,202/month>>
No-fee Midtown studio with hardwood floors and stainless steel kitchen appliances, as well as in-building gym, $2,884/month>>
No-fee 1-bedroom in new Ditmas Park building with amenities including yoga studio, gaming room, gym, roof deck, and children's playroom, $2,600/month>>
No-fee Downtown Brooklyn 2-bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows and building amenities including valet and concierge service, roof deck, and fitness center, $4,286/month>>
No-fee 2-bedroom in luxury Clinton Hill high rise with floor-to-ceiling windows, a view of the East River, and an in-building zen garden, $5,500/month>>
No-fee Long Island City 1-bedroom with hardwood floors, lots of natural light, and roof deck access, $2,496/month>>
No-fee Long Island City 2-bedroom in building with tennis and volleyball courts, wading pool, sun deck, and on-site dog run, $3,100/month>>
Bronxdale 2-bedroom in pre-war building with stainless steel appliances and in-building laundry room, $1,800/month + 8% broker's fee>>
No-fee Morris Park 2-bedroom in a private home with hardwood floors, $1,550/month>>

subset: commoncrawl


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Libraries See Decrease In Foot Traffic, Increase In Internet Usage
AS JAMAICA continues to increase its digital footprint, the relevance and usage of public libraries is being considered.
The Jamaica Library Service (JLS), as an agency of the Ministry of Education, with its network of 118 fixed libraries, has been shedding its more traditional image and embracing technology. This has resulted in a decrease in the number of persons visiting libraries.
For 2013/14, libraries across Jamaica recorded foot traffic of 3,102,164. According to data received from the JLS that figure decreased to 2,548,639 for 2014/15.
While the number of persons visiting libraries has decreased, the usage of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has seen an increase. Computer usage for the year 2014-2015 totalling 1,127,190 reflected an increase of 2.3 per cent when compared to the 2013-2014 figure of 1,101,655.
The JLS has boasted that it is the single largest provider of free access to computer and the internet.
Budgetary subventions to the JLS have however not kept apace with the public demand for the service.
"Despite all efforts made for the prudent management of limited resources, a number of activities could not be supported/accomplished due to inadequate subvention support. Several projects/activities were deferred and others remain incomplete," the JLS said in response to queries from The Gleaner.
The decrease in funding has resulted in a decline in acquisition of reading materials, a halt on plans to upgrade physical facilities of libraries in response to user's needs and the expansion of mobile library service.
According to the JLS, "the organization has experienced a decline in the acquisition of new material specifically due to the absence of funding to support the portfolio. The variance between the proposed budget and what was actually approved impacted several critical areas of operation and in particular the acquisition of new material."
Turning to the mobile library service, the JLS has noted that the fleet of mobile units is aged with varying degrees of mechanical problems and some units have been permanently withdrawn from service.
"Although this impacts service delivery the mobile service has remained relevant as evidenced by the number of persons who continue to access the service islandwide and some communities have complained about its absence," the JLS said.
Despite the constraints it faces the JLS has continued its transformation to a technology driven organization. This it has done through funding secured from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Libraries Initiative to support ICT development in public libraries. The funding is being used to increase access to ICT services in public libraries.


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Bomberman Wars is a Strategy game, developed by Metro and published by Hudson, which was released in Japan in 1998.
Product Details
Name: Bomberman Wars [ボンバーマンウォーズ]
Platform: Saturn
Publisher: Hudson
Official Release Date: 04/16/98
Number of Players: N/A
Online Multiplayer: N/A
Game Data
Genre: Strategy > Turn-Based > General
Country: Japan
Product ID: T-14320G
Product Barcode: 4988607201258
※ Please note our prices on our website jnlgame.com may be different from our store prices. All prices and availability are subject to change without prior notice, at the sole discretion of J&L Game Inc. Product images for Pre-Order and NEW Video Games, Consoles, and Accessories are stock photos and may differ from what are available upon release. Product images for Pre-Owned Video Games, Consoles and Accessories are for illustrative purposes only, and may different from what are available at the time of order fulfillment. If you would like to see actual photo or box art of the game, please feel free to contact us for more photos prior purchase. Thank you for your understanding.


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Personal computers bearing the Windows 8-certified logo will be required to ship with Microsoft Secure Boot enabled. Microsoft Secure Boot is a component of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system that relies on the UEFI specification's secure boot functionality to help prevent malicious software applications and "unauthorized" operating systems from loading during the system start-up process.
Unfortunately, this has raised concerns that Microsoft Secure Boot will make it difficult to install Linux or other operating systems on a Windows 8 computer.
Linux foundation has published a document that offers recommendations on how Linux can be successfully installed on PCs certified by proprietary vendors such as Microsoft.
Excerpt from the document(PDF) ...
To enable proper operation with open systems, all UEFI secure boot platforms should ship in setup mode, with no Platform Key installed. This enables the Platform Owner to take control of the platform securely by installing their own platform key or allowing the Operating System install process to do so.
[Source : Linux Foundation]


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Christina Furgeson, Paralegal
Christina primarily works in residential real estate. Once executed contracts are received, she works with our clients, as well as realtors, attorneys, and title companies to obtain all information necessary to begin the closing process. Christina works to clear title issues, draft transfer documents and collect all items necessary to bring the real estate transaction to a successful closing.
Education: Christina graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Radio. She lives in Sparta with her husband, Jim and 3 children.


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While suspicion, fear, and fantasy, at times were closely associated with the Cold War period in terms of how the USA and the USSR viewed one another's respective actions, it became clear that space projects were not exempt from this mutual scrutiny either. One such project which did little to dispel international tensions at the time was the Soviet Union's top secret satellite Polyus-Skif, which in Russian refers to the North Pole and effectively means "Pole-Barbarian". This was in fact a prototype laser armed orbital battlestation.
At 37m long and over 4m across, Polyus-Skif was an enormous 80 tonne spacecraft which possessed its own space resupply tug to control its orbit once in space. Too heavy to be carried to space on the back of the USSR's standard heavy-lift launcher, the Proton rocket, its launch became a major event for the cosmonautic world, as it was to have been the first object to be taken into space on the Soviet Union's new and most powerful ever launch vehicle, the superheavy launch system, Energia.
However as the lower-half of the Polyus-Skif spacecraft would not be able to withstand the vibrations from Energia's roaring engines, the engineers came up with a extraordinary solution. Polyus-Skif was mounted upside down on the upper half of the rocket. On its way to space the plan demanded that it would separate from the launcher, rotate 180 degrees and complete its journey into orbit!
So as the largest satellite ever launched in one piece, (even larger than NASA's Skylab space station), what exactly was Polyus? Well while very few Russians even know in full, and those who do have never disclosed it to the public arena for fear of a ten year prison sentence for disclosing "state secrets", intended to be armed with a 1 Megawatt carbon dioxide laser Polyus-Skif is widely considered to have been the Soviet answer to the American SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative), nicknamed the 'Star Wars' project.
SDI was a plan for space-based "shield" outlined by President Reagan on 23 March 1983 as a would-be global defence for the USA from nuclear attacks. While testing of ground-based laser weapons and theoretical research into space-based laser weapons had been going on in the Russian camp for decades "just in case" they ever went to war with America, it seems that Reagan's speech was the catalyst for the then Soviet leader Yuri Andropov to authorise the full go-ahead on project Polyus-Skif. Unbeknown to the Russians following Reagan's speech, American research into laser weaponry for space had all but floundered, moreover a Soviet-funded feasibility study of the Strategic Defence Initiative had in fact already found the US space shield concept to be untenable. None-the-less, according to Peter Westwick, history professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, figures in the Kremlin were already entertaining fears of "selective political assassination" from invisible overhead weapons that could "zap you"! Furthermore, to the Russian mind the 'economically unaccountable' creation and launch of the US's Shuttle Orbiter in 1981 led them to believe that it was a transporter vehicle for space-based weapons to an American Earth-orbiting battlestation or a space bomber for bombing Moscow from Earth's upper atmosphere. The Politburo therefore urgently increased funding to the Polyus-Skif battlestation project in the hope of seeing Soviet high-powered laser lab tests finally turned into anti-missile hardware. So what exactly did the suspected Soviet weapons platform comprise of?
To meet the accelerated launch schedule Polyus-Skif borrowed solar panels from the Russian military space stations program, Almaz. For Polyus to produce a laser beam of megawatt proportions it required two bulky generators and carbon dioxide gas tanks to be taken into space. However the Russians realised that the hot gas jets expelled during the process of laser production would initiative movement, something which would disadvantage the battlestation's prospects of accurately targeting hostile satellites with its laser. To therefore counteract any unwanted motion in the satellite, the weapons platform was forced to become bigger and heavier with the addition of a rotating turret to point the beam.
Testing a giant laser is difficult enough on the Earth's surface (in fact during its development the laser was mounted on a large Il-76 cargo plane and test fired in flight) , doing it in space would be a stupendous achievement. Yet this seemed to have been not enough, as even more exotic and untried military technology was bolted on to the vehicle. Polyus was also believed to possess a sensor blinding laser and barium cloud generation system to confuse and incapacitate enemy ASAT satellites, stealth radar observational capabilities in the form of a radar and optical sighting system-guided ASAT defensive cannon and a laser communication link which is considered necessary for a spacecraft to function in radio silence. Adding to the craft's sinister appearance was its menacing black colour scheme; it was coated with matt black paint presumably for purposes of camouflage in space. To confuse the media, "Mir-2" was prominently painted on the vehicle when it was launched.
However, although fed for a time by paranoia in the military, the huge battle station project eventually began to lose momentum as Polyus-Skif ultimately started to face opposition from some on its own side. Russian reluctance and a wide divergence of opinion could be seen almost from the start when in the months after authorising Polyus-Skif, then premier Yuri Andropov endeavoured to create a treaty banning military weapons in space until his final illness. Further political pressure was placed on the scheme by Mikhail Gorbachev and his allies whose state priorities included cutting back on unnecessary spending. Another concern was that the testing of Polyus would cast doubt on public statements of the USSR's peaceful intent, according to Yuri Kornilov, Chief Designer of the Salyut Design Bureau, Gorbachev appeared at the Baikonur Cosmodrome before Polyus' launch prohibiting the on-orbit testing of the spacecraft's capabilities. As a result the launch in 1987 is believed to have been no more than a 'dummy run' of launching the battlestation prototype.
Supporters of this view claim that the 60 tonne Laser Module was never installed onboard, only a 'dummy' of identical weight. With the Soviet space shuttle Buran project delayed and a vacant heavy launcher available, Energia provided the opportunity to hurry the battlestation along and at least test some of its apparatus in orbit. Despite its probable laser combat station status, officially the Soviet Union only ever referred to Polyus-Skif as a type of "experimental apparatus" for conducting "peaceful" scientific experiments. As a further means of throwing dust in the American hawk-eyes that were sure to be glued to the Soviet launch at the time, it is also believed that the Russians replaced the laser-beam-producing carbon dioxide gas cargo in the prototype satellite with a mixture of xenon and krypton to be used in scientific experiments.
Polyus-Skif departed Earth from the Baikonur cosmodrome on 15 May 1987. On its way to space however something went wrong. It briefly boosted, but with the main engine failing to provide adequate thrust, it slowed, burned and broke up as it fell back down into the South Pacific ocean. Whatever the true objective, the mission had failed and perhaps due to the condition of the Communist economy at the time, the spacecraft was never rebuilt. To a greater or lesser degree the Polyus-Skif project has remained enveloped in a cloud of mystery to this day, the US Navy has never confirmed or denied attempts to examine the wreckage on the sea floor of the Pacific, nor has any American administration publicly admitted knowledge of the satellite's existence. With the prototype spacecraft having failed and the mission having died a death along with it, it might be fair to presume that Polyus-Skif would have been a space project with no legacy, however this is not actually the case. Some of its hardware did ultimately make it to space but for more civilised purposes. Its nose cone was incorporated into the Spektr, Priroda, Kristall, and Kvant-2 Mir modules, and it electric block 'Paddle' renamed as the Zarya FGB (Functional Cargo Block) actually became the very first part of the International Space Station.
(Article by Nick Parke, Education Support Officer)


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This guide is designed to support busy, on-the-go troop volunteers. Inside you will find details and information to help you get started on your newest adventure—being an awesome leader for girls. We recommend that you begin by browsing the sections below and come back throughout the year to find answers to your questions as they arise. Ready to get started? Let's go!
Return to in-person meetings with confidence by using these COVID-19 guidelines.LEARN MORE
Girl Scouts of Manitou Council
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Sheboygan, WI 53083
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You can email us your question at firstname.lastname@example.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
© Copyright 2009–2022 Girl Scouts of the United States of America. All rights reserved. All information and material contained in Girl Scouts' Volunteer Essentials guide ("Material") is provided by Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) and is intended to be educational material solely to be used by Girl Scout volunteers and council staff. Reproduction, distribution, compiling, or creating derivative works of any portion of the Material or any use other than noncommercial uses as permitted by copyright law is prohibited, unless explicit, prior authorization by GSUSA in writing was granted. GSUSA reserves its exclusive right in its sole discretion to alter, limit, or discontinue the Material at any time without notice.


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A bead is a small, decorative object of various shapes & sizes, being solid or hollow, but usually pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under 1 millimetre to over 1 centimetre in diameter. A pair of beads made from Nassarius sea snail shells, approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewellery. Beadwork is the art or craft of making things with beads.
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ANA signs offtake agreement for sustainable aviation fuel
All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest airline, has signed an offtake agreement with LanzaTech, Inc. that will allow the company to purchase sustainable aviation fuel. The move is a significant step in ANA's efforts to minimize its environmental impact and meet sustainable development goals (SDGs). The current agreement targets 2021 for the delivery of sustainable aviation fuel, making ANA a leader in putting its green principles into practice.
"ANA has always been guided by our values, and our decision to transition to sustainable aviation fuel reflects how seriously we take our commitment to the environment," said Akihiko Miura, executive vice president of ANA. "Adopting this advanced fuel will allow us to reduce CO2 emissions and meet the ambitious sustainable development goals that we have set for the airline. At ANA, we seek innovative solutions to the most pressing problems, and we will continue looking for ways to reduce our ecological impact in order to create a better world."
LanzaTech is using their advanced microorganism-powered gas fermentation technology to create ethanol and commercializing technology developed in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL) that allows for the production of sustainable aviation fuel. ANA signed a partnership agreement with Mitsui & Co., Ltd., which strategically invested in LanzaTech, in 2018, to jointly develop a sustainable aviation fuel manufacturing business that utilizes LanzaTech's innovative catalytic technology. Working with Mitsui & Co., Ltd, ANA plans to implement these exciting breakthroughs by testing LanzaTech's sustainable aviation fuel made from industrial waste emissions on new airplane deliveries this fall.
As ANA increases its global presence, the airline is working to ensure that it maintains its reputation for global leadership on issues of sustainability. This led the airline to conduct a comprehensive search for the most efficient sustainable aviation fuel, selecting LanzaTech's unique product for its flexibility and high energy density. The sustainable aviation fuel developed by LanzaTech does not contain any sulfur and as per current international standards for all sustainable aviation fuel used in commercial flights will be blended with at least 50% conventional jet fuel, easing the transition to full sustainability.
By working with LanzaTech to implement sustainable aviation fuel, ANA hopes to enhance the quality of fuel used in its aircraft while also meeting the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as part of its efforts to become the most eco-friendly airline group in the world.


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how connection is made in asp.net to sql server databse?
With the SqlConnection class and a connection string in the web.config file. There will be tons of readily available examples online. Just google for it
I think it all depends on what choice of front end or patterns you want.
For now Microsoft is pushing entity framework which makes life easy another good alternative is to use ADO.NET which is the older method, but a lower level of abstraction.


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Azerbaijan-Iran plant to annually export drugs worth $100M
The Azerbaijan-Iran joint pharmaceutical plant will annually export medicines worth up to $100 million, Ali Rabiei, Iranian minister of labor and social welfare, told reporters in Baku Jan. 16.
The minister made the remarks after the ceremony of laying the foundation of the Caspian Pharmed plant in Baku, Trend reports.
Rabiei said that medicines are planned to be initially exported to Russia, Kazakhstan and Georgia.
Azerbaijan will be able to fully meet its medicine demand, he noted.
The Iranian side invests more than $11 million in the plant's construction, while the project's total cost is $20.6 million.
In April 2016, Iran's Tamin Pharmaceutical Investment Company inked a memorandum of understanding with the Azerbaijan Investment Company and Azersun Holding in Baku as part of the project.
Rabiei also spoke about further plans on development of cooperation with Azerbaijan.
"We will expand cooperation with Azerbaijan in industry, tourism, transportation and other areas," added the Iranian minister. "I would like to note that Azerbaijan is not only a neighbor for us; we have a common culture, religion and our cooperation has a strategic nature."


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Finding options to wreck your unwanted or accident vehicle or car then car wreckers Oak Park is the unique car scrap yard. Earn top cash for crushing your second-hand car in Oak Park with definitely free of cost car removal. Car wreckers Oak Park welcome all cars, be it Third-hand, accident, damaged, dead, written-off, old. Dismantle any vehicle or car, truck, van, mini truck, SUV, mini van, Ute in Oak Park area.
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There are a lot of dealers in Oak Park suburb presenting cash for damaged or old cars in Oak Park. But Oak Park car wreckers is perfect because our business pick up all cars, Utes, 4wds, buses – every single dead, damaged, second-hand, worn out, domestic, wrecked, old, written-off, broken, foreign.
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URL: Oak Park Car Wreckers
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Silas Stormwarden £4.00
Silas Stormwarden is a Fantasy Miniature by Table Warfare.
Silas Stormwarden has been categorised as Infantry. Pack contains 1x figure, 1x slottabase in 32mm scale, and made from White Metal
Ideal for building up numbers of Infantry to finish your The Immortal Flute army, for battles and skirmishes
This figure is also available in the following packs:
Best Miniatures UK Games Expo 2011
Immortal Flute Command Pack
Product contains small items, and should be kept away from the reach of young children.
Unless otherwise specified 'Silas Stormwarden' by Table Warfare comes unpainted and may require assembly.White Metal is an alloy containing lead
© Product, Images and Text are the Intellectual Property of Table Warfare. All rights reserved.
Price: £4.00
Contents: 1x figure, 1x slottabase
Manufacturer: Table Warfare
Code: IF6
Product ID: 367
Stock Status: Available
Genre: Fantasy
Era: Tonan
Scale: 32mm
Material: White Metal
Race: Vampire
Faction: The Immortal Flute
Type: Infantry
Product Type: Miniatures


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Since you're already planning to take your own life...
I'm trying to get my shit together to write a proper review that gets at my feelings about Infectious Opportunity, the new show presented by my longtime cohorts Nosedive Productions, and hopefully will in a day or so.
For this morning, suffice it to say that Infectious Opportunity by James Comtois, directed by Pete Boivert, put together by the Nosedive team of Marc Landers, Becky Comtois, Stephanie Williams, Ben Vandenboom, and Patrick Charles Philucifer Willis Shearer (with special guests Ian W. Hill and Itai Sol), starring (in addition to Becky) David Ian Lee, Andrea Marie Smith, DR Hanson, Daryl Lathon, Ronica Reddick, and Matthew Trumbull is a masterful piece of theater at every level - great script, great direction, great production, great performances.
My previous favorite Nosedive show was 2005's Dying Goldfish, but this one surpassed it. I know I'm in the minority on Goldfish, but I'm not gonna be in the minority on this one. You could feel this one clicking with everyone in the room. This is a hit. The early rep on this show was that it was the most fucked up shit James has ever come up with, but that part kinda got out of the way early for me, and it quickly became the most heart-wrenching script he's written. In writing this character who is entirely despicable at the conceptual level, James has created for me his most sympathetic protagonist.
Anyone in the arts knows how easily they could turn into Wes Farley, how easy it is to value the general approval and admiration of others over a specific connection with any one person, how easy it is to say whatever thing will impress people in any given moment, and how easy it is to project a sense of authenticity rather than act authentically because the former gets the same response with much less effort. This isn't specific to the arts, but it's prevalent there. This play is being sold as a dark comedy about an awful guy pulling an awful scam - and can certainly be experienced that way - but it's actually a tragedy about what happens when the desire to be thought of well supersedes all other motivations - what kind of person that turns you into, and what kind of life it leaves you with.
Anyway, I can feel as I'm writing that I don't have my thoughts together. My point is, don't wait for the last two shows - clear your schedule and see it tonight. We'll talk some more later.


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The National Rifle Association is using its muscle to fight a Nevada ballot question that would create a universal background check for gun purchases in the state.
The association announced last week that its lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action, launched a website encouraging people to vote against the measure.
If passed, background checks would apply to private sales, including online and at gun shows.
The association says the measure is poorly written, costly and would make criminals out of law-abiding citizens.
Nevadans for Background Checks is pursuing the measure that supporters say closes a legal loophole to keep criminals from obtaining firearms. The measure made it onto the Nov. 8 ballot after legislators failed to pass it during the 2015 session.
New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg funds Everytown for Gun Safety, which donated $2.9 million of the $3.6 million contributed to Nevadans for Background Checks.
The NRA has criticized the involvement of the Bloomberg-funded group.
Nevadans for Background Checks spokeswoman Jennifer Crowe said the measure is endorsed by the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers and supported by more than 50 leaders in the state. Hundreds of people are volunteering to help get the measure passed, she said.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


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Movie: PK
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Amir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Boman Irani, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh
Genre: Comedy-Drama
As a writer, there is one question I have repeatedly asked myself- 'What is the secret to a good story?' I found the answer today. Simplicity! Yeah, it's as simple as that. Rajkumar Hirani picked up a visibly knotted up, questionable theme and built a surprisingly, simple story out of it. PK is one of the best releases of the year, so far, and well, as not much time is left for the year to end, for me, PK is THE release of 2014.The hero of the movie is neither the actors nor the director; it's the storyline itself. I kept keep prying like an eagle for the script to make a faux pass and slip down a predictable lane and but nah! Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi have penned down a memorable experience and a lesson for each one of us, the importance of questioning, with a childlike innocence. A lesson we have all forgotten in the scramble to grow up.
PK (Amir Khan) is an alien (Yes! You heard it right). His remote control, his only connect with his space ship gets stolen the moment he lands on earth. Jaggu (Anushka Sharma) is a news reporter who spots PK distributing flyers declaring the 'God' as missing. She decides to help him out after hearing his story. The two, launch a war against a popular religious guru and the rest of the movie is a satire on religious stereotypes and poses innumerable questions that we all must have pondered over at one point in our lives.
Amir Khan is adorable in his portrayal of the character. He manages to essay the role with a sheer childlike innocence which is hard to not fall in love with. Anushka Sharma easily fits into the role of a chirpy-bubbly news reporter. Saurabh Shukla delivers a brilliant performance as a religious guru. Boman Irani and Sushant Singh, despite having limited screen space, manage to infuse meaning to their characters. The credit for this goes to the script again because there are no loose ends in the story. Every character's presence in the movie is justified and no character has been drawn purposelessly. Never will you be left wondering- 'What the hell just happened?'- which has been my standard state of mind for the past few Bollywood releases.
The songs are fun and you will catch yourself humming them for the rest of the day, (Well atleast I did). Every actors's comic timing was just perfect, and though it is not your, rolling-on the floor- laughing comedy, its funny enough to keep you smiling till the very end. PK is a classic example of how we don't need flying cars and over-the-top romance to make a good movie. Moving closer to reality is the new key to making a good cinema. PK is a must-must watch for everyone(age no bar) and I hope you will all walk out of the hall learning a lesson or two in the process, like me. Happy Watching!
My verdict: ****


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Welcome to the Irish Artist Blacksmiths association's web site. Our web site is here to promote, encourage, advise and help artist blacksmiths and decorative metal workers working in Ireland.
The web site is aimed at architects, interior designers, public bodies and the general public who may be considering commissioning a piece of metal work such as a decorative gate, a staircase balustrade or a piece of sculpture. Indeed, our web site showcases many pieces that have been forged, manipulated or created from wrought iron, mild steel, stainless steel or from some of the non ferrous materials like bronze, copper or brass.
Many people think that artist blacksmiths and decorative metal workers no longer exist in Ireland and that they have to accept poor quality metalwork fabricated from components sourced from the other side of the world but this is not the case. Armed with computer aided design, power hammers and other sophisticated machinery, the capabilities of the modern artist blacksmith have been increased and added to his armoury of hand skills, hammers, tongs and anvil.
We invite you to look at the gallery which contains both classical and contemporary decorative metal work from large architectural commissions to small domestic items forged and made with skilled hands. Have a look at our member's page; we are sure that there is artist blacksmith or metal worker near you.
Board Members
|JJ Bowen
|Vice Chairman
|James O'Toole
|Colm Bagnall
Membership Secretary
|Colm Bagnall
|DCCOI Liaison Officers
|Jane Murtagh &
Patrick Strahan
|Promotions Officer
|John Hogan
|Tooling and Keeper of the Kit
|JJ Bowen
& Colm Bagnall
|Website & Facebook Coordinator
|James O'Toole


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"STEPHEN IT'S ABSOLUTELY PERFECT, the size detail texture colour, everything. More importantly tho you have captured the feeling I wanted. I appreciate the effort you have put in for the painting and also helping me form my ideas. I could not be happier - Lee Gibson UK - Kate Moss Shoes
"I love it! it's the best birthday present I've ever had and I'd definitely love another one, I guess I'll have to persuade my mum and dad. it's up on my wall and looks great, thank you so much! - Caitlin Giffiord UK - Rihanna
" Absolutely love her!!! My only complaint it took about half hour to get her out of the packaging!! Haha " - Sheila Corrigan UK - Brigitte Bardot
"We just love it !!!!!! David and I are delighted with our commission and cannot thank you enough. I must admit we took a huge risk commissioning off the net without ever seeing your work. From our first emails we just felt that it was right. Please let us know if you are ever in Melbourne so you can come and have a drink and see Battle of L'Amour in its new home. It really is amazing how two people who have never met have managed to come together for this project. Thank you so much and please keep in touch." - April & David Broadie AUS - Battle Of L'Amour
"Finally got to pick it up on Christmas morning. .It looks awesome!! Everyone I had over for Christmas loved it! I will be showing it to more friends and family on New Years Eve. Once again thanks for everything." Eric Lucas USA - Boondock Saints 2
"Hey Stephen... yes, it's awesome! Just love it in the living room/kitchen above the table... first thing you see entering the room. Very happy and the delivery way quick... my only complaint is how bloody difficult it was to unwrap it! hahaha it was like a war zone in here hahaha but I appreciate the care for the travel." - Darryl Krobel UK - MJ, This Is It
"Hi Stephen. Thanks so much for the fabulous painting of Oscar that Richard gave me for Xmas. I love it! It's brilliant! Thanks so much" - Louise Holman UK - Oscar Dog
"Oh man, I love how they turned out and they. look far better than what I imagined from the beginning. I want to thank you for taking the time to make these for me and also tell you that i really love how you have kept me notified whit the progress. The way that you have met my demands and also put your own thoughts and ideas is really amazing. I can't thank you enough." - John Nilsson Swe - Boondock Saints
"I got the painting on Friday last week and i love it, the look and texture of the painting is awesome i am so happy with it.
I hung it as soon as i got it, I love the finished product i am very happy with it.. Thank you for the job you have done it has exceeded all of my expectations you really did an amazing job. I thank you also for all of the updates as well you were a pleasure to deal with very professional and a great artist i will be recommending. you to my friends and family. Thank you again Stephen" - James Findlay Aus - Blue Eyes
"Fucking AWESOME!!!! Thankyou muchly you clever man" - Jessica Lucy Millar UK - Sundance Banana
"I have to say that it is money well spent. I love the painting and I can't wait to see how it looks on my wall" - James Plummer Czech Rep - Wolverine Vs Deadpool
"Well I returned from work early this! morning to my enormous Christmas in July package! Upon opening, and sir I can tell you that's the most amazing pack job I've ever experienced...I couldn't believe the quality of the work. A friend of mine was with me when we opened it an he was absolutely stunned!!!!!!!!! Oustanding and without a doubt my most favorite piece in the house!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't be more happy. As stated before, I will ABSOLUTELY be partaking in follow-on commission paintings from you. Your timeliness, customer service, updates, and craftsmanship are truly a work of art (pun intended)." - Chirs Audet USA - Mustang
"Stephen, I love love love my painting.... just exactly what I wanted, and so much better than I anticipated. I truly feel you captured exactly what I had hoped for in Elliott Smith, and it's amazing you have so many different paintings and a diversity of subjects... Holy shit!" - Natalie Dial USA - Elliott Smith
"I just wanted to send you a quick email to say a huge thank you for the paintings! I know Steve's already emailed you, but thought I would too! Both paintings were absolutely gorgeous and will be treasured! Steve absolutely loved the one you did for me and it now has pride of place in his living room! Mine was also absolutely amazing! It is currently being shown off at every possible moment! Thanks again" Jade Yates UK - Steve & Jade 1 - Steve & Jade 2
"I think she looks absolutely fantastic. The eyes are awesome We are really delighted with her." - Owen Woodley USA - Bardot
"Midna looks awesome, consider me once again a very satisfied customer!" - Tim Milne UK - Midna
"These are AMAZING! I am now the owner of these paintings "Fred is my husband" and we just put them up. I was a little concerned at first because I did not know what to expect, but I am so happy that Fred went with you and we could not be happier! We will send you pics soon! Thanks so much for sharing your talent & passion with us!" - Fred & Kristie Rath USA - JBJ Sambora
"I received your piece last night and I cannot describe how UNBELIEVABLY happy I am with how it turned out!!" - Nick Noethe USA - Jack & Sally
"Well. I finally made it around to the parents house and have collected it this morning...and......I'm blown away. It is an amazing painting. You've absolutely and totally captured John Frusciante, it's perfect. I am very, very happy indeed. Thank you so much. This will have pride of place on my wall...I know that it's going to capture the eye of everyone who comes around to my flat, your painting is so striking. Once again Stephen, many thanks. I can't stop smiling Take care, all the very best, and long may you continue to bring pleasure to people through your art!" - Huw Know - UK - John Frusciante
Early this morning, I received my traditional Birthday phone call from my sister who, at the end of our conversation, said she was sending me a video link I had to watch........ Dave and our daughter Zoe were in my office watching along.....Thinking it was like so many of the JBJ videos I've seen in the past, I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary. 30 seconds later I think I blurted out "hey, that's just like my photo"...... but still, never made the connection. As I rocked out in my chair to Keep the Faith (a fave).... I marveled at your work on all the tiny little lights !Finally, it happened ..... you looked into the camera (signaled me to wait) painted the wish... and revealed.....Stephen, I burst into tears..... it was surreal.... I cannot describe my reaction. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is an absolute treasure and honestly.... your looking into the camera was like looking into my soul ready to deliver a beautiful gift. - Amy 'Boots' Ruff USA- JBJ Commission
"Happy with it??? haha, she absolutely adores it. As do I. You really did us proud. Within 5 minute of getting it, she had practically phoned the entire family screaming her off in excitement." - Neil Mclauchlan SCOT - Dave Grohl
"Just wanted to let you know the painting arrived today and it looks even better in person." - Scott Schottler USA - Metallica
"I LOVE IT!!! Brought a tear to my eye! I can honestly say, it is the best present I've ever bought! Thank you so much for all the hard work you put in." - James Ibbs UK - James and Demi
"She loves it!!! In her words "it's the best present anyone has ever bought for me"." - James Ibbs (on Demis reaction) UK - James and Demi
"We both love it, it's taking pride of place on our living room wall." - Jon Freeman UK - Jon and Natalie
"Adore it. You've outdone yourself! Thank you for realising the vision so beautifully." Keli Thomas AUS - Monarch
"My twilight paintings I love them even more than befor lol! They look soooo good all together. I'm so glad now I went for all 4 now!! Thank you soo much for doing them for me!" - Gemma Lowe UK - Twilight New Moon Eclipse Breaking Dawn
"Absolutely love the painting, everyone i've shown has been very impressed" - Vicky Hodges UK - Amy & Adam
"Just received it. It looks awesome! Thanks again Stephen. I'll definitely want more in the future." - Joey Brantley USA - Lost Jack
"I love it! He will enjoy pride of place over our piano and has been dubbed 'the funny man" by our four year old twin daughters. Thank you once again - I am very appreciative of your work on this and have already shared your website (and speed-painting video of Tom) with several friends. Keep up the good work!" - Matt Lettella Canada - Tom Waits 7
"The result is just amazing I love the way you paint Stephen." - Boris Greffe France - Han Banana Solo
"Feckin' stunning Steve! Absolutely beautiful" - Ismet Mustafic UK - Chick Corea
"The painting has arrived, it is amazing, and it is now on my wall! Thanks so much!" - Steve Hollyman UK - Hunter S. Thompson
"Thank you so much for all the work you've put into it for us. It's an amazing reminder of an amazing night" - Claire Gifford UK - 30STM Live
"Wow stephen these are amazing... I love these and dont be suprized if i order more! I have these painting placed so when i walk into my appartment they are the first things i see. Your truly did a amazing job on these! Thank You Very Much" - Byron Zelasek Canada - Joker 1 & Scarface
"Just wanted to let you know the painting has arrived safe and sound and it's amazing, everything I hoped it would be. A very cool image, expertly crafted, that I will enjoy admiring for a long time. It's going to impress my friends - I am very lucky to have snapped it up! - Jim Cannon UK - Joker 2
"I just got the painting and i'm speechless. It's absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much for the gorgeous painting! Can't wait to purchase more art from you! :)" - Morgan Bowers USA - Jeff Buckley Ocean
need i say more?
only problem now is we are running out of wall space for all the lovely paintings boohoo" - Mark Midgley UK - Hepburn & Foo Fighters
"I absolutely LOVE the painting" - Sue Stevenson USA - The Beatles
"Thank you SO much for the painting! I'm actually in love with it It was such a great surprise from my parents, I'm so happy with it, It looks amazing, you've done it so well, the colours are fantastic! I really appreciate you taking the time to do such a good job, thanking you muchly!" - Kim Ford UK - Killers Live
"Just wanted to tell you how much I love it ! It looks great on the pictures, but it is nothing compared to the real thing ! It's beautiful, I LOVE it" - Wendy Cairoli Luxemburg - Imaginarium
"Stephen, you have touched me and Caroline so deeply with the picture of Isla and Jaedon words can't even get close to how happy we are. thank you so much" - Tony Quick UK - Isla & Jaedon
"Peach arrived Friday and she looks splendid! She certainly brings colour to the room ^^ and she will look perfect next to Mario." - Lewis Green UK - Princess Peach
"Yippee!! He arrived yesterday and he's FAB!! I love him and so does my son, just perfect for the room." - Jan Wilcox UK - Banana Trooper
"This commission was a surprise birthday gift for my wife. Stephen worked with me from the beginning, all the way through to the end, allowing me to be part of the process. As you can see, the piece is stunning! We are very happy. Thanks again Stephen." - Barry Horwitz USA - Jon Bon Jovi 40 Love Songs
"I am absolutely blown away by your painting. It's fantastic and I'm going to do my best to get Robert to see it himself - he will love it." - Sali Mustafic UK - Robert Banana Plant
"The canvas
has arrived in perfect order! And, just like your name, quick
too! I must say, it looks even better than on photo! Amazing!
Friends of mine are going to be so jealous! Thank you for a great transaction! I wish you a lot of success". - Tom De Tant Belg - Mike Patton
"Got the painting today and its amazing, thanks, loved the large bubble wrap, that gave me a couple of hours of entertainment" - Anthony Dowdall UK- Jeff Buckley
"I've got it!! It came yesterday. Sooo happy and it looks great. Man I am so in love with the painting." - Sabine Hass Germany - Mike Patton 4
"The painting
arrived, and I have to say... I'm absolutely enthused! It's
really much more impressing, than the pictures you've
sent, could show. You are a great artist! Thanks for that wonderful work!" - Sabrina Abel UK - Final Fantasy Rinoa
"He loved it, you are very talented and I will defo pass on the word how fabulous you are!" - Sophie Woodward UK - RHCP
"Gerard does actually rock, funny tho cos I get some sort of 'Thriller' type vibe off the painting as well, his eyes are a bit disturbing, but that is totally my thing. I love It!!" - Kelly Homewood UK - Gerrad Way, I'm Not Okay
"It's really fantastic. I'm running out of words of praise for your work. It's excellent. I love the look and the colours and the size and everything - it's perfect. Thank you" - Claire Gifford UK - Muse
"Stephen - received the painting today. My Stepdad was absolutely over the moon with it he loved it so much he almost started crying !! (softy or what ?!). He really wasn't expecting anything like it (probably thought he was going to get some socks again !!).Thank you so much for your fantastic work. Our house is starting to look like a Stephen Quick Art Gallery !! " - Tom Henderson UK - REM
"Brandi came today....i love it so much. its so realistic, and i just want to thank you again!!" - Nicole Harrison USA - Brandi Carlile
I"'ve received the painting and I'm over the moon with it! It's even better than I knew it would be. Thanks for your hard work, I'm very pleased with the results & will continue to recommend you to friends." - Neil Coleman UK - Warhammer
"It looks fantastic" - Liz Lewis - Get Carter
"The paintings are awesome!!!" - Richard lyons UK - Spider-Man, Cloud, Wolverine
"Can't tell you how good it is. I'm really, really, really (etc) pleased." Sarah Clarke UK - Sarah Portrait
"Lovely piece Steve. Thanks"- Gary Churchwood UK - Nude On Purple.
"Brilliant painting just what I wanted" - Diane Ellis UK - Buffy and Angel.
"Awesome Painting" Mark Clarke UK - Space Marine
"Oh my god! They are awesome!!!! Obviously I knew you were an excellent artist, but I couldn't have imagined they'd be so fantastic!!! I'm so pleased, I can't tell you.. I can't thank you enough" - David Faithful UK - Unbreakable & Collateral
"I love it, just compliments wolverine perfectly." Mark Stanley UK - Spider-Man
"Pavarotti is in our living room and looks just perfect." - Rhiannon Morgan UK - Pavarotti Banana
"'The chosen ones' went down a storm - all the wedding guests loved it" - Rhiannon Morgan UK - The Chosen Ones Commission
"Great portrait of Tom Waits" - Darren Mcivor UK - Tom Waits
"Excellent piece of art....many thanks" - Mark Coltman UK - Gagged Nude
"Absolutely mega painting and delivered well quick too brilliant" - Leila Jones - Jeff Buckley
"FANTASTIC-my son will be delighted i'm sure. Very many thanks" - Christina Hale UK - Mike Patton
"Amazing service, Wonderful painting, excellently packed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!" - David Faithful UK - Light Sabers
"I got the Spawn painting this morning, it's absolutely fantastic ! Thank you so very much for your work, it really captures the essence of spawn and I know that Todd McFarlane would appreciate it as much as me." - Nick Harrild UK - Spawn
"It is lovely and I am very pleased with it. - Very well packed" - Kirsty Rose UK - A Rose By Any OtherName 1
"I absolutely love the painting. The colour is great, and i know he will love it." - Chanel Dusauzay UK- Spider-Man In Brown
"That is absolutely stunning, better than I had imagined. If I had half your talent i'd be a millionaire by now :)" - Kelly Melody UK - Mike Patton
"He's just great! I love the painting. It'll go in my grand old staircase, so it's one of the first paintings you see when you come in the front door. Thanks so much" - Cassie Stocks USA - Tom Waits
"The actual painting looked 10 times better than the photo and I have to say it was probably the best birthday present I've ever bought, definately worthy. He couldn't stop saying how much he loved it! You have a truly unique talent, I hope you keep it up! Thanks for eveything x" - Roxy Varga UK - Catwoman
"That is legendary...loved the painting, would defo consider more..." - Hardeep S Jhutti UK - Phoenix and Wolverine
"All recieved well and in perfect condition, and she proudly hangs on my wall." Luke Johnson UK - Nude On Blue Tears
"Thank you, it arrived last week. Love it so much!" Kelly Melody UK -Jeff Buckley
"I just wanted you to know that i absolutly LOVE my Pulp Fiction painting.,It has proud of place over my mantle piece and looks stunning...Thanks again!!" - Victoria Barber UK - Pulp Fiction Mia
"Hey, I received the painting today safe and sound, and jeez it looks great, i'm more than pleased." - Bernard Landavazo USA - Jeff Buckley
"Daniel is totally in love with it. Says it is brilliant very cool." - Clare Harper UK - Banana Pulp Fiction
"I look forward to hanging that amazing painting on my wall." - Chris Spear UK - Spider-Man The Kiss
"Thank you for the painting it really is better than I expected and the postage was excellent." - Jez D. Clay UK - Jeff & Tim
"Just wanted to let you know my wife has received it and loves it." - Donald Locke USA - Buffy
"Just received the painting, i'm thrilled to bits with it!" - Neil UK - Space Marine
"I love the Wolverine painting. I've just moved into a new apartment (well flat to me) and he looks great on the wall. Really smart." - Mark Stanley UK Wolverine
"I absolutely love it and it's amazing! I'm a HUGE Bob Dylan fan, and was so happy to see that this painting was even nicer than in the picture." - Ashley Romanchuk USA - Dylan Warp
"I did receive the painting and it is just what I had hoped for My husband has been raving about it ever since it arrived. Finally, we found something he and I can agree on; he normally hates my taste in art" - Stafini USA - Nude
"I love it! Thank you so much!!!!!" - Marlene Marcus USA - Nightmare Before Christmas
"Thank you very much received painting on Thursday it is brilliant. I look forward to make more dealing with you thanks" -Gavin UK - Moulin Rouge
"The painting was gorgeous, will have it framed. Many many thanks" - Kathy - Horse
"It turned up this morning, absolutely love it - amazing, thank you so much" - Calvin UK - Tim Burton


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TrippLite's Smart Unison 6K UPS
As our servers rooms get larger and more complex, maintaining power in cases of interruption becomes even more important. Our past reviews of UPS units have mostly been aimed at the single server or workstation platforms, with a maximum of 1.5kVA. Two years ago we looked at TrippLite's SmartPro 2200RM 2.2kVA UPS and were mightly impressed (to the point that we bought the review units). Larger UPSs than these tend to be unwieldy, expensive contraptions, mostly designed for datacenters and corporate server rooms. What about those of use with a few servers in one location? Do we need to use separate UPSs for each? TrippLite has once again come through, lending us one of their new Smart Unison 6kVA UPS units.
The Smart Unison 6K is an impressive box, about two feet tall, one foot wide, and two and a half feet deep. It's a largish box compared to the usual UPSs we deal with. It's also heavy, tipping our scales at 350 pounds. As shipped, the Smart Unison 6K is bolted to a pallet and needs two strong people (or a fork lift) to move it around. The box is attractively styled, however, looking quite artistic from the front. Once maneuvered into position in our server room, we started to appreciate the benefits of this type of larger UPS right away.
The Smart Unison 6K is connected to a 240V wall socket, ideally dedicated to the UPS itself. The input is hardwired through a break-out box and is plugged into a standard 240V sockets, and takes anything from 208 to 240V, 30A service. Most electrical panels will be able to deliver this supply from an inexpensive breaker. The outputs are hard-wired to a break-out box, too, in combinations of 120 and 240V sockets. Three serial ports on the Smart Unison 6K can be connected to three different servers, all running TrippLite's PowerAlert software. The Smart Unison 6K is SNMP-compatible with an add-in board, and boards allow direct connection to Ethernet networks, too. (For the record, TrippLite provides $100,000 lifetime damage warranty for connected devices. Even better: there's no need to mail in warranty cards!) The front panel has LEDs to show constant conditions, although most users will likely rely on the PowerAlert software.
Connecting the Smart Unison 6K took us a couple of hours, simply because of the size of the box and the need to physically manhandle it into position. The process of installing and connecting was simple and easy, except for the grunts and groans of the moving staff! There are a number of features we noted right away about the Smart Unison 6K. The first is a bypass capability that lets you switch the UPS out of the circuit for maintenance, testing, or other purposes. If damage ever occurs to the UPS itself, this circuit is activated automatically and connected equipment is fed pure incoming power. The output voltage can be user selectable between pure sine waves, or four different levels of line-interactive behavior. The internal battery can be hot-swapped, and external batteries can be added for additional protection.
One feature we really like is a cold-start function. Most UPSs, when they are shut down in the absence of line current, cannot be restarted. The Smart Unison 6K can be started from the batteries themselves, even when no power is available. This feature may not sound useful but anyone who has lived through extended power blackouts and needed to boot a computer for a free minutes will appreciate it no end.
The Smart Unison 6K can be controlled through the network (using the plug-in SNMP card) or through any of the three serial ports. The ability to hook three servers up to the Smart Unison 6K is handy as it allows all three to detected power problems and take corrective action without relying on SNMP or other network broadcasts. We used the Smart Unison 6K with TrippLite's excellent PowerAlert software, first with the shipping 10.1 version and then with a beta of 10.2. There are a number of features with PowerAlert that endear the software to any administrator, not least the fact that it can control practically any UPSs on a network (drivers for non-TrippLite UPSs are available on CD and on the TrippLite Web site). And while some UPS manufacturers charge for the management software, PowerAlert is supplied free.
Version 10.2 of PowerAlert shows off some slick tricks including a visual view of all UPSs on the network in much the same representation as expensive network management software does. Each UPS can be managed from the interface, and groups of UPSs can be created and manipulated at will. Any change in the state of a UPS shows up as a color change on the PowerAlert screen.
The Smart Unison 6K provides constant regulated power to all connected devices. Our test meters showed pure sine waves to all output (120 and 240V) connectors, even when we did our usual nasty tricks with the incoming power supply. All of our spikes and brownouts were handled with aplomb, even with the Smart Unison 6K loaded with 6kVA. RFI filtering was excellent. We measured exactly 6kVA and 4200W output. When we failed the incoming power, the Smart Unison 6K kicked in instantly (as expected). With full power load (6kVA) the Smart Unison 6K lasted twelve minutes on battery power. At half load (3kVA) we obtained 31 minutes of full power. On a much smaller load like a single server, we got several hours of battery backup from the Smart Unison 6K. Battery recharge time from drained to measurably full was four hours.
Is the weight and cost of the Smart Unison 6K worth the investment for you? It depends on your server needs. The cost of the Smart Unison 6K is less than four or five equivalent lower power UPSs, and the use of a single UPS makes floor space and maintenance that much easier. Of course, if you are only powering a few hundred watts of equipment, the Smart Unison 6K is overkill. But if you have over 2kVAs to support, e think the Smart Unison 6K is your ideal choice. We're buying the review unit (again). Oh, and wear back support when you carry yours in.
Smart Unison 6K $5499
Breakout-box $129
1111 W 35th Street
773-869-1329 fax
Summary: As 6kVA UPS behemoths go, this is the best UPS package we've tested. Excellent test specs and enough juice for a small server room.


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All about grandparenting. Toy, book and product reviews of interest to parents and grandparents. Fun places to go and things to do with grandchildren.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Wordless Wednesday - Zach Hosing Off After a Haircut
Posted by Marion Conway at 1:36 PM
Labels: Family, grandfather, grandson, Places to Visit, Vacation, Wordless Wednesday
1 comment:
- Granny-Guru said...
Now, that's a great bribe! Reminds me, I meant to tell our grandson, who is visiting this week, he can run through the sprinkler watering our blackberries. We had fresh blackberries for breakfast this morning, but they only last about two weeks.
- July 26, 2012 at 1:15 PM
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Barefeet NZ set to look after Kiwi soles
Barefeet NZ set to look after Kiwi soles
20 August, 2014
With New Zealand Fashion Week in the sights of many of the nation's most well-known designers, models and fashionistas, there's no better time to rummage through the wardrobe and take a look at what's in there and evaluate how much is really needed to get by.
From 22 August to 31 August, 2014 Barefeet NZ is asking locals to drop off shoes – old or new, big or small - to Botany Town Centre. Knowing that there is a real shortage of shoes for many kiwis, sisters Kesh Rauf and Elisha Jithoo created Barefeet NZ as a result of having too many shoes themselves and not knowing what to do with them all. Launched this year, Barefeet NZ is about to enter its first ever collection drive, with one of four collection points across Auckland and Hamilton being the Botany Town Centre visitor's desk.
Co-founder of Barefeet NZ – and self-proclaimed shoe fanatic - Kesh Rauf, said she was initially apprehensive about giving away her shoes, but realising they would go to people who were in real need and could actually make a difference in somebody else's life made them that much easier to part with. "At the end of the day we need to look out for one another and it's this value that is at the heart of Barefeet NZ. We have already been blown away by the support of locals and the genuine 'kiwi heart'; from children to local businesses who have contacted us about doing their own collections, it's something we are so happy to see get off the ground as it's something that benefits everyone involved."
With women's shoes going to Dress for Success and all other shoes being donated to homeless shelters and refugee centres in the Auckland and Hamilton areas, there are visions for Barefeet NZ to have a national presence in years to come.
What: Barefeet NZ collection
Where: Botany Town Centre visitor's desk
When: 22 August – 31 August, 2014
Click here for the Barefeet NZ Facebook page.


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ROTHENBERGER S16087922R Rogroover, 6, Machine Only. ROGROVER 6", Machine ONLY: Portable rolling groover for steel pipes up to 6" (150 mm) for rapid rolling of grooves on standard and thin-walled steel pipes Suitable for installations, sprinkler systems, larger heading units, industrial use and mining.
From floor to ceiling and front to back, Zoro is about you and the supplies you need to run your business. Since our humble beginnings with 20 employees in 2011, to our current staff of over 300 people, Zoro remains committed to one thing: making your job easier. The item "ROTHENBERGER S16087922R Rogroover, 6, Machine Only" is in sale since Thursday, September 6, 2018.
This item is in the category "Business & Industrial\Light Equipment & Tools\Pipe Tools\Pipe Threaders, Taps & Dies". The seller is "zoro_us" and is located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. This item can be shipped to United States.


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Bears in thrilling game against United Arab Emirates
THE Warwickshire Bears secured a superb 58-50 victory over the United Arab Emirates last week.
UAE were in the UK to complete a training camp before competing in the Gulf Championships.
The friendly match was end to end, but the Bears held a narrow 27-22 lead at half-time.
Warwickshire pulled away and led 47-32 after the third. UAE fought their way back and clawed back the deficit, but the damage was already done.
"I'm so proud of the team today," said Bears' coach, Tom Masterson.
"To win a game against an international team is a major achievement for them and just shows how much potential there is in the club. Even our bench were awesome today and helped us to the final buzzer."


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Date: Oct 25, 2014
Every year, my wife would bring back a real pumpkin from her US trip.
Don't ask me how did she do that? Isn't the luggage heavy? But she did bring back another pumpkin this year.
And both Ashlyn & Colette were at our place last night, so, let's create the latest Mr. Pumpkin!
In no time, all the kids drew and design Mr. Pumpkin 2014.
Mommy cut open the head, and Jay Jay pull out the brains.
Eeeeeeee… The brain looks like this huh?
Light up the candle.
Turn off the lights. Eeeew… It's Spooky indeed.
One big eye, one small eye.
The kids were so happy to see Mr. Pumpkin comes into live.
See how they smile to the camera. It is a memorable night.
Let's bring in some nice lighting. Much better.
Jay & Ashlyn were classmates for some years at LWPS.
Kay & Colette also are schoolmates/classmates at LWPS. 🙂
Halloween coming this coming Friday, and Happy Halloween! Mr. Pumpkin 2014!
Here are the past Mr. Pumpkin photos…
Year 2011
Kay Kay & Mr. Pumkin 2011. Kay Kay looks so cute and so young!
Jay Jay & Kay Kay with Mr. Pumpkin 2011.
Year 2012
Mr. Pumpkin had a triangle eyes.
Kay Kay try to place Mr. Pumpkin in my toilet and suppose to give me a fright!
Year 2013
We have Mr. Pumpkin A and Mr. Pumpkin B.
The kids love the Pumpkin's family.


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Much is written about broader providence and Israel's role as a light to the Gentile nations within the Psalms and Wisdom literature. However, at this point I should acknowledge the limitations, indeed the positive dangers of "proof-texting" to highlight particular passages that appear to support a particular emphasis or personal standpoint.
The background to this series of posts is that I have come to a quite new understanding of certain scriptural passages (especially within the writings of St Paul). That followed an extraordinary ten-day encounter with the Holy Spirit late in 2013, the results of which I have set out in a couple of books**. These posts are intended to supplement that work by drawing out sequentially from Scripture the passages to which my attention was directed within that process. That is a form of a "proof-texting" nevertheless but the text pertaining to the subject of each post is I trust considered within the context of each particular narrative.
The reason I am confident in my assertions (apart from the nature of the experience itself) is that the new interpretations resolve all the key scriptural "tensions", at least to my own satisfaction. And that is in spite of my adopting a quite literal approach to the Hebrew/Greek text throughout.
Such a strategy is in marked contrast to the hyper-allegorical approach especially to the Old Testament practiced by the supremely influential Augustine (Hippo). His particular understanding of Paul acted as the prism through which he believed the remainder of Scripture must be wrested. That might not be so much of a problem if he had understood the great apostle aright in the first place. As a result of what I have been shown I am convinced with all my mind, heart and soul that the Roman-African bishop was profoundly in error. That especially applies to his interpretation of Paul's teaching on Israel's relationship to the Law, the economy of grace, the precise problem with human nature and effectual free will.
So who is one to believe – the most influential Christian thinker of the first millennium or this retired London bus-driver? I suggest neither in and of themselves whatever either may claim for himself or is contended on their behalf within the churches. What I shall say is this: we will know we have arrived at the fullness of truth when its final arbiter, Holy Scripture is seen to cohere at last; i.e. a reading is provided in which Paul no longer appears to contradict himself (e.g. Romans 2:6-11 and 7:14-25 versus the rest of Romans and Galatians), each apostle is demonstrated to agree with each other and their Master before them, especially regarding the individual's role in his salvation and the criteria to be applied at final judgement.
Also, the seeming disparity between OT prophecy and the outworking of the gospel/church age is able to be explained from within Scripture itself. And last but not least, God's compassion, the equitable nature of His justice and His depiction as "Love personified" is seen to be consistent with the perceived cosmic outcomes. I believe this has now been achieved and that such is itself a fulfilment of prophecy.
These matters are re-affirmed in my own mind the more I read through Scripture, not least the genre we have reached in these posts being the so-called Wisdom literature. Solomon for example, assumed to be the author, wrote of those who effectively go in the way of Cain by "LEAVING the paths of uprightness to walk in the way of darkness" (Prov2:13 Masoretic) as opposed to those who CONTINUE to "walk in the way of good men and who keep the paths of the righteous" (v20); also that the day shall come when "the upright shall dwell on the earth and those who are perfected will remain (or have pre-eminence) in it whereas the wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the treacherous ones rooted out of it" (vv21,22).
Of course, if the physical and spiritual aspects of the human person were an inseparable union and rotten to the core none would be in a position to "leave the paths of righteousness" for they could never have been on them in the first place. The reason that a certain category (the seed of Satan Mt13:38-39) do leave is because they are no longer directed by what God provides to those who are made in His own image. In a sense these people cease to be fully human, reflecting instead the nature of their adopted father (Jn8:44); yet they have a role within God's purposes for the current age (cf. Jn6:70; Rom9:22b; 1Jn3:12).
Such people reject or become oblivious to the light of reason a.k.a. Logos, the Word, the seed (1Jn3:9), the light of Christ in the conscience (my preference) or simply "Christ" (e.g. Origen and Justin Martyr). So those heading for perdition are not those failing to apprehend the grace of Christ offered through the gospel. For contrary to the teaching of many, man has no innate ability to respond to the grace of Christ (e.g. Jn6:44; 2Tim1:9, Jn1:13).
The "damned" are rather those who irrevocably reject the Word's interior witness. In other words not those who have "failed to come" but those who have departed. Unlike agnostics and those of other faiths rejecting the gospel, they are without excuse. For all have such an enlightening deposit in their nature (at least to start with) so those who turn their back on it, evidenced by the misery, despair and often destruction such people cause to their fellows, will be afflicted with appropriately severe punishment after their death. Their judgement will be seen to be right and just to those who do possess sound reason. Just as it was to many of the other pre-Augustinian Fathers who commented on the matter.
**The latter (The Little Book of Providence) being a summarized, de-personalized version of the former (Fellowship of the Secret). A free PDF is HERE
Author's Facebook page HERE
Related post: Little Book blogs & The 95 theses of the Little Book


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Tom's Weekly Tips, Links and Tidbits Newsletter
Wednesday 31st August 2011
How To Live The Healthiest Life
Check out the special report How to Live The Healthiest Life
First day of spring tomorrow. Enjoy!
Basic Computer User |
Advanced Computer User |
Health |
Humour |
Samsung not buying HP's PC business
Samsung Electronics has flatly denied rumours it planned to buy HP's PC business. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/268005,samsung-not-buying-hps-pc-business.aspx
Vocus loses power at Sydney data centre
Weekend outage occurs during scheduled test. Good thing they weren't hosting YOUR data! http://www.itnews.com.au/News/268402,vocus-loses-power-at-sydney-data-centre.aspx
NaturalNews exposes secret vaccine industry ties and military involvement with Institute of Medicine, reveals fatal conflicts of interest at IoM
The Institute of Medicine is suddenly in the news following the release of its vaccine "adverse events" research which found that MMR vaccines actually cause measles, seizures and anaphylactic shock. The old media predictably distorted the story and used it to deceptively announce that "vaccines are not linked to autism!"
Everybody else in government listens to the IoM and usually adopts its recommendations as public health policy. And yet the IoM is actually run and financed by a complex network of globalists and vaccine promoters, as you'll see below. http://www.naturalnews.com/033455_Institute_of_Medicine_vaccines.html
Radiation and Food
"Despite the irresponsible promotion of this process as safe, food irradiation destroys much of the vitamin content of food, produces a number of toxic byproducts (formaldehyde, benzene, and formic acid) as well as unique radiolytic products, e.g. 2-alklycyclobutanoes, that have been demonstrated to be cytotoxic (damages cells), genotoxic (damages DNA), and carcinogenic (causes cancer) in test tube and animal studies. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/gamma-irradiated-virus-sprayed-frankenfoods
Monsanto 'Technology' Breeding Superweeds and Pesticide Resistant Root Worms
Over the past decade and a half, as Monsanto built up its globe-spanning, multi-billion-dollar genetically modified seed empire, it made two major pitches to farmers.
The first involved weeds. Leave the weed management to us, Monsanto insisted. We've engineered plants that can survive our very own herbicide. Just pay up for our patented, premium-priced seeds, spray your fields with our Roundup herbicide whenever the fancy strikes, and—voilà!—no more weeds.
The second involved crop-eating insects. We've isolated the toxic gene of a commonly used bacterial pesticide called Bt, Monsanto announced, and spliced it directly into crops. Along with corn and soy, you will literally be growing the pesticide that protects them. Plant our seeds, and watch your crops thrive while their pests shrivel and die.
Monsanto focused its technology on three widely planted, highly subsidized crops: corn, soy, and cotton. Large-scale farmers of these commodities, always operating on razor-thin profit margins, lunged at the chance to streamline their operations by essentially outsourcing their pest management to Monsanto. And so Monsanto's high-tech crops essentially took over the corn/soy- and cotton-growing regions of the country.
But now the pitches are wearing thin. Dumping a single herbicide onto millions of acres of farmland has, predictably enough, given rise to weeds resistant to that herbicide. Such "superweeds" are now galloping through cotton and corn country, forcing farmers to resort to highly toxic herbicide cocktails and even hand-weeding. More than 11 million acres are infested with Roundup-resistant weeds, up from 2.4 million acres in 2007, reckons Penn State University weed expert David Mortensen.
And now insects are developing resistance to Monsanto's insecticide-infused crops, reports the Wall Street Journal. Fields planted in Monsanto's Bt corn in some areas of the Midwest are showing damage from the corn rootworm—the very species targeted by Monsanto's engineered trait. An Iowa State University scientist has conclusively identified Bt-resistant root worms in four Iowa fields, the Journal reports. http://cryptogon.com/?p=24554
Jeff Allen - I'm a Happy, Happy, Happy Man
Married Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dchNzatST8
Jeff Allen "Teenagers"
Brilliant! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b65sTEyGEFo&NR=1
Police State Comming Soon to Your Street
Used to be that our rights were protected by the Magna Carta. But the "evil counsellors and judges" have been denying us those rights and we are now bereft of the protection against tyranny that only trial by jury ultimately provides.
John Wilson is a man on a mission to educate us as to our rights and encourage us to work to regain them while we still can. He sent this:
Dear Fellow Freedom Fighters,
The BANKSTERS are stepping up their campaign to impose their NWO FASCISM locally throughout Australia.
Local Councils + Local Courts = Local New World Order.
That's right! Totalitarian deprivation of Truth, Justice, Freedom and Democracy locally.
Blind Freddie can see the unrelenting drive towards Corporatism/Fascism (remember Mussolini's statement that "Corporatism is Fascism").
Attached are two recent items that are evidence of this. One tells of the determination to force "Local Government" through against the Will of the People .. and the second is a letter from the Community Relations Unit of the NSW Attorney General's Department confirming the elimination of the Rights of the People in the Courts.
How do we fight?
We fight them locally.
# 1. The third item attached to this email is the Public Notice that must be presented in every Australian Court, including and especially Local Courts, if we are to defend and restore our Rights.
# 2. Print copies of the attachment, "Local -Government_-the_Council.pdf" and present them at meetings of your Local Councils.
Defeat FASCISM locally ... and the entire EVIL EMPIRE will crumble, before your very eyes.
Yours sincerely,
PS. My Queensland angel has just paid for 200 "DEFEND YOUR RIGHTS" bumper stickers and wants them given out .... so, please send me (19 Elm Place, North Rocks, NSW 2151) a stamped & self-addressed envelope and I'll send you 2 free.
Until next time, dream big dreams, read widely, think well of your fellow man, eat food that's good for you and do the important things that make a difference - they are rarely the urgent ones!
Copyright 2011 by Tom Grimshaw - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Natural Hair: Accepting who you are
Hey Curlies,
Can I be honest today? You know, have one of those heart to heart conversations with you all?
A few weeks ago I got a request to cover this topic. The topic of accepting yourself and your natural hair texture after finding that it's not what you thought it was going to be.
To me, the core of "being natural" not only has to do with my hair, but throughout the years I've learned it's about being in-tune with yourself and accepting yourself no matter what.
So maybe you don't have "good people hair"(3a,b and c), but if that's how you feel, I'd tell you this...
via Pinterest
Even if you love your hair texture...finding the really issue is what's important.
And if you think you won't attract a partner, I'd tell you to read this:
What men think of natural hair
Wondering what women think?..of course they love natural hair, that's why we stare at one another..duh..haha.
If you thought this journey would only be about hair care, then your wrong. Many of us who have transitioned from relaxed hair tend to hide behind our hair. I say many, but not all.
We hide behind our straight strands fearing the curl at our roots and focused our time on blending in with the rest of society.
"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?"
Dr. Seuss
When I first big chopped, I'm not going to lie, it took some time to get used too. I knew it's what I wanted to do, but at first glance in the mirror I could say I looked...different. At this time none of my family members or friends were natural...just me, taking the plunge alone. (see all my old posts using the archive in the right column)
I wore my hair for two weeks and continued to struggle with styling and just the overall confidence to rock it, so I wore kinky twists.
At some point during that time, I truly began to find myself. Being natural is literally what you make it and for me it's not so much about outward appearance as to how you feel inside. I'd rather have an afro I can't comb through than struggle with the confidence to wear it.
Since being natural, my self-confidence has skyrocketed. Not that I'm the conceited type of any sort because that's not me. I'm simply laid-back and humble Victoria (with a sparkle of confidence) because that's who I've learned to become.
I like this community because it's not just about hair and if it was, I probably wouldn't be as involved. It's about more. So when you struggle accepting your appearance or even having the confidence to show the world who you truly are, remember it's about being "in-tune" with yourself.


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Why do we dwell on an emotionally charged idea, or maybe why do we dismiss it altogether? Have you thought about just how you have formed your ideas and beliefs about the world, and what just prevents us from dismissing the baggage we often collect? Are we willing to question the foundations of our belief system when there is a conflict about what we're told, and what we deem true?
The lack of having any external support group when you are feeling low is excruciatingly painful. The strength to pick oneself up is much harder, when your internal voice has to operate without prejudice, when your internal voice diminishes your own internal criticisms that are weighing heavily upon you so that you may overcome the obstacles that you face. Having conflicting conscious thoughts will always place you under scrutiny with your own judgments and this is sometimes a burden we do not freely share with others only to quietly suffer within our own creation of doubt. But why must we anguish over these times of self-doubt? Perhaps it is because we listen and acquire information from sources that give us a faulty valuation. We're taught to listen and respect our elders, the authority figures in our lives since they have benefited from their experience for more years than we have. But I urge the reader to question authority since the argument is of a qualitative nature, and not one based on a quantitative accumulation of knowledge despite its inherent appeal to some.
If an internal struggle of conflicting feelings and thoughts that are remnants from adversarial external sources which have filtered into part of our thinking, then it may result as a troublesome cognition. At a time of duress, we may give these critical token thoughts more weight than what is actually merited. When we have contrary thoughts that disturb our resolve, we may lose focus on what is important and lose our bearings within the fog of ridicule. If the diagnosis is a conflict that we ultimately control, and that we are the sole proprietors of our appraisals, then why does this seem to accommodate antagonism within our own minds? Are we not in the best place to undertake a corrective direction in our thinking? The answer could just be the way our thinking normally occurs. How we process our information, and how we learn this information influences our decisions on how we also filter what we think we know and have come to believe.
How our thinking has evolved through-out our lives with a blending of experience, observation, rational, and emotional syntheses that have created and forged our thoughts and influenced our belief systems is commonly accepted as fact. Some beliefs are conscious, and some operate on deeper levels we may not be consciously aware of. I submit that we are creatures of habit, including our processes of reasoning. Over time we form patterns of thought based on presuppositions about how we see the world. Our patterns of thinking are much like a learned response directly correlated to the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is one of three major parts of the autonomic nervous system (the others being the enteric and parasympathetic systems). Its general action is to mobilize the body's nervous system fight-or-flight response. It is, however, constantly active at a basic level to maintain homeostasis. The homeostatic response to the world in our belief system may just operate at levels we do not question or lend ourselves to very often, hence the subconscious thoughts that drive many of our conscious thoughts bring about deeply felt concepts that influence us. Whether we are to conclude self-doubt in times of conflict or conversely whether we are influenced on an alternate level is due to these presuppositions we rarely question. They are the subroutines in our daily thoughts, the notions that lead us to make conclusions binding feeling and logic together that can change the way we see the world. A convoluted fabric of thought, feeling and drives that work together to create a consistent view of what we observe that may at times disrupt our lives when conflicting notions enter into this process.
As children we develop a basis for meeting the world on how the world is presented to us. Most children have a very natural way of experiencing the world, until they matriculate through the cultural pathways placing various lenses upon their scope to shape a reality largely based upon the teaching of their families. Much of what is cultivated on pre-cognitive levels comes at a very early age, between birth and maybe six years of age. The developmental stages of childhood maturation are still in development and not yet "hard-wired" at this age. Our mental processes are forming from the examples given to us by our families and we build upon these foundations as we grow. It is precisely some of these foundations that we no longer tap into and question. They are the subroutines, the pre-cognitive staples that formulate some of our learned beliefs about the world. They are very elusive since they are found in deeper structures within the brain, given the immense amount of neural pathways formed in childhood and developing until they lose their functionality. The principles on which we form our ideas is largely influenced by these obscure percipient vestiges of thought. We are seldom taught the skill to search deeper into our assumptions. The contributions of Ludwig Wittgenstein in his philosophy of language are an invaluable insight on this topic when analytic philosophy is applied to our logic.
If these premises are sound, then where does that lead us? Does this explain why hypnotic suggestion can displace deeper modes of thought we seldom have access to? Why the importance of right thinking in the eightfold path is crucial for Buddhism? Why the Zen use the Koan to disrupt the minds normative way of thinking? Or perhaps why so many psychological personality disorders exist due to the formation of traumatized neural pathways during childhood? Enneagram theory accounts for much of this due to its approach. Again I ask, does this explain why we torture ourselves, being conflicted by ideas that we have only partial answers to, since much of the presumptions are buried deep within our minds? I refer you to the work of Dr. Bruce Lipton for further analyses on this matter. I highly recommend the work he has uncovered.
If the human experience is largely based on our ability to mediate its variables and problems, to arbitrate the ethical conditions that life brings us, then paying attention to what we conclude about our condition is preeminent. Indeed, misjudgement is the cause for many mistaken paths we lead ourselves. The purpose of trial and error, testing ourselves to the rigors of our decisions in everyday life is part of being human and also essential for our ability to learn through experience. Learning that we must be mindful of our prejudices, that we must pay attention and heed to new information that may not be consistent with what we think we know is crucial to expanding our views.
Before you judge others or claim any absolute truth, consider that you can see less than 1% of the acoustic spectrum. As you read this, you are traveling at 220 kilometers per second across the galaxy. 90% of the cells in your body carry their own microbial DNA and are not "you". The atoms in your body are 99.99999999999999% empty space and none of them are the ones you were born with, but they all originated in the belly of a star. Human beings have 46 chromosomes, 2 less that the common potato. The existence of the rainbow depends on the conical photoreceptors in your eyes; to animals without cones, the rainbow does not exist. So you don't just look at a rainbow, you create it. This is pretty amazing, especially considering that all the beautiful colors you see represent less than 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The earlier statements I've made about this paradigm of psychology are based on my studies. I draw from many sources and fields to illustrate my views.


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