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15 Running Helps for New Runners
If you want to start running, it requires a few running helps for new runners.
Running is one of those things I NEVER, NEVER thought I'd do.
I don't like to run. Well, I didn't like to run.
Now, I have this love/hate relationship with running.
I've been running since August.
Beginning with the #C25K app and then now pacing myself and training on my own with Jeremy.
I wrote about my beginner runner's journey here with some tips for you to know before you start running.
Quick… go read that top ten and then come back.
At that post, I was running 2.5 miles in about 35 minutes.
I'm now able to run 6 miles in an 65 minutes.
I can do a 5K in under 30. That is crazy. for me.
2.5 miles went from super hard to a nice run… and I love that.
We are now working on those long runs. Click here for what we are learning and what you must know for long runs.
But those times don't just happen. There is a LOT to know to start running.
So much more than I ever thought.
Running is hard on your body and to do it well without injury, there is plenty to learn.
I recently said on facebook, "Things I thought I'd never do: running, talk to a sports store about running, schedule a gait analysis, google hip bursitis, buy sports tape for Achilles tendon issues… the list keeps going. Crazy! Jeremy ran his first 1/2 marathon last night so I've got to get moving! #motivation"
Yep. Jeremy ran his first 13.1 the other night. Amazing.
I'm not there yet… probably still a few months away from that… but I'm on my way there.
{updated to say I've now run a marathon!}
And here are some more helps every runner should know…
I might be smiling in that picture, but if you look close? That is my "I'm smiling even though this is crazy hard" smile. Can you tell?
Running can and will make you smile for real but there is a lot of training, dedication and learning that goes into making runs successful.
Start Running
1. Know your body. Every ache and pain could mean something. Running with bad posture, running in the wrong shoes, running too much… listen to what your body is telling you and try to figure out how to make it better. We are doing a gait analysis at a local sports store soon to see how we can improve. Check into that in your area!
2. Get familiar with your local running store. Find one that has qualified, running staff. People who know their running info first hand. Talk to them. Ask questions. Tell them what is going on. They will help you. They want to help you.
3. Running is expensive but worth the expense. Having the right running gear is expensive. Having the right therapy tools will cost money. The benefits are worth it. Stress relief, overall health, strong defense against heart problems and so much more. Spend it now or spend it at the doctor later.
4. Know when you can run and when you can't. Take rest days. Know your pain. Is it something you can run with like hip bursitis? or something you need to let completely heal before running again like Achilles heal issues or a stress fracture?
5. Don't increase too fast. It is exhilarating to realize you can go farther than 3 miles. My first 6 miles was SO cool. But, increasing distance, speed and adding hills all in one month was a huge set back for me because it irritated my Achilles and my hip so I'm back to running slow and wearing compression socks on my foot until they both heal.
6. Pick one thing to work on at a time. Speed? Distance? Difficulty? This goes with #5. Don't increase them all at the same time.
7. Hydrate and prepare your body for long runs. Running more than 3-5 miles is incredibly hard on your body. Make sure you are ready for a run like that. Read up on ways to prepare your body and do it. You might even want a running belt with space for small water bottles. That can be very helpful!
8. Don't compare yourself and your progress. Jeremy just ran 13.1 miles. I could NOT do that yet. I need to be good with where I am and not worry about where he is. I'll get there. When my body is ready.
9. If you have to stop running for an injury, rest. Ice. Heat. ibuprofen. compression socks. massage {check these out!}, limit weight on the injury. Let it fully heal. The impatience to get out and run will shock you. I can't believe how hard it is to stop running and rest! But do it anyway.
10. Any run is better than no run. 1 mile is better than sitting on the couch. 100 calories burned is better than no calories burned. Get up. Get moving. Use what time you have and make the best of it. A short run isn't a failed run. Leaving your couch is success.
11. Cool down. Do it. Make time to walk at the end of a run.
12. Stretching. Find some videos on youtube, think back to gym class, read about the best stretches for your body… then do them. a few times a day. I find myself stretching a lot. It really helps!
13. Strength training. Yoga once a week. Free weights or push ups… anything you can do to boost muscle strength will help your runs!
14. Cross training. Fit in bike rides, long walks, hikes through the woods… other kinds of exercise might not burn the calories like running does but they are very important for overall health and will help your running!
15. Change it up. Don't always run in the same place. Not only is this safer for you, it is better for your body.
That is a lot to take in.
But, go slow. Get the knowledge you need to be a better runner and your body will thank you.
The success of running and running well is so good for you and for your family.
Now, more fit and healthy than I've ever been… 12-15 miles (sometimes 20) per week!
What is a running help you can add to the list?
Check out my fitness and running boards on pinterest! You might also like my Top Ten Weightloss Tips
And on days you need encouraged, here are some things I tell myself


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Donate to Hurricane Ida Relief & Recovery
This fund is now closed. All future donations will go toward supporting our work across a variety of programs and focus areas.
The Mutual Aid Response Network is a group of Louisiana residents, led by Imagine Water Works, that activates during floods, storms, and other natural and manmade disasters.
Hurricane Ida Updates (2021):
2/26: We selected 200 applications from across coastal Louisiana. We contributed $90,000 from our Hurricane Ida Relief Fund and $10,000 from NNPHI and LPHI — for a total of $100,000 distributed directly to public health workers impacted by the storm.
2/1: We are offering $500 dollar microgrants to public health workers who were impacted by Hurricane Ida. In acknowledgement of the fact that those who are most often pushed to the margins are also those most impacted by natural disasters, we will prioritize LGBTQ and BIPOC individuals for this fund.
We take an expansive view of public health and encourage applications from individuals working in a variety of ways to improve the physical, psychological, and social well-being of our communities. More info can be found on our website at bit.ly/PHWFUND.
12/31: Throughout the month of December, we redistributed $14,100 cash to individuals impacted by Hurricane Idea through two mutual aid holiday programs.
🔹 ENCORE Academy
We sent $25 VISA gift cards to 80 families to use for whatever they needed to get through the holidays. The list of recipients was made up of students who qualified for McKinney Vento services (students considered homeless under federal law), immigrant families who did not qualify for FEMA or DSNAP relief, and families who registered for ENCORE's Hurricane Ida relief. The gift cards were paired with additional support from ENCORE's neighbors and staff. The total amount of our redistribution for this program was $2,000.
🔹 Imagine Mutual Aid Holiday Program
We sent $100 VISA gift cards to 139 families to use for whatever they needed to get through the holidays. The list of recipients was made up of people who were impacted by Hurricane Ida and are part of our Mutual Aid Response Network. The gift cards were paired with food and holiday gifts from neighbors. The total amount of our redistribution for this program was $13,900.
Your donations have also helped us cover bank processing fees, as well as fees related to purchasing bulk gift cards. Thank you for your continued support!
12/6: On Thursday we made another trip down to Larose to deliver:
🔹 40 heaters
🔹 30 blankets
🔹 360 hand warmers
🔹 120 rolls of toilet paper
🔹 40 rolls of paper towels
🔹 $600 cash (VISA cards)
We remain in contact with folks across the lower bayous and have been responding to needs as they arise. Contributions to this fundraiser have made this ongoing work possible. More updates to come!
12/2: [UPDATE] As of December 3rd, we have distributed all $10,000 of the gift cards/cash to individuals in Houma, the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, and the following bands of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe: Isle de Jean Charles, Grand Caillou/Dulac, and Bayou Lafourche.
11/29: This weekend we sent 25 electric kettles to Lafitte, where many folks still don't have gas to heat their homes or hot water. Today we sent about 30 heaters for further distribution — by tomorrow they should have a total of 50 heaters. If you're in Lafitte and don't have gas right now, check out the "Let's help Lafitte" group on Facebook for details about how to get a kettle or heater. If you aren't in Lafitte but would like to help, you're welcome to join too!
We were also excited to meet up with Isabelle, who distributed some of our supplies (a handful of heaters, blankets, hand warmers, and four $100 gift cards) to folks down in the lower bayous.
11/27: This week we brought supplies to Houma, the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, and the following bands of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe: Isle de Jean Charles, Grand Caillou/Dulac, and Bayou Lafourche. With your support, here's what we were able to distribute this time:
🔹$8,800 cash
🔹400 handwarmers
🔹150 pairs of new socks
🔹80 oversized blankets
🔹58 electric heaters
🔹32 sheet sets
🔹22 pillows
🔹14 mattress pads
🔹12 kettles
🔹8 towel sets
🔹1 permanent carport structure
11/19: We've been preparing for the combination of winter storms + hurricane season by ordering heaters, blankets, and hand warmers. Currently, we've purchased 100 heaters, 100 high quality blankets that can double as permanent bedding, and hundreds of hand warmers. We're distributing these to tribal communities in the following areas this coming week: Chauvin, Pointe Au Chien, Isle de Jean Charles, Grand Caillou-Dulac, and Grand Isle. While there, we'll also be assessing some of their longer term relief and recovery needs. We have utilized approximately $13,000 from the fund on this effort so far.
We have additionally purchased $10,000 worth of gift cards ($10,410.95 with fees) to be distributed directly to folks who have been impacted by the storm and are needing extra support for the holidays.
10/22: Earlier this month, we committed $15,000 to women and girls impacted by incarceration + Hurricane Ida. We helped double the impact by advocating for a $15,000 match from a funder ($30,000 total!). All funds went to Operation Restoration for direct redistribution. When we build together, we win.
Many of these funds were distributed specifically to the River Parishes, or "Cancer Alley" as some of you know it. This brought our total direct cash redistribution during the Relief phase of our work to $120,000, with the match at $135,000. Thank you for your support!
10/1: This week's supplies drop/distribution was to Back Vacherie, a place close to our hearts in St. James Parish. By 2pm, there were already 100+ cars in line. Below is the final supplies count contributed by Imagine Water Works:
63 Pedialyte bottles
154 Wipes packets
5 Clorox wipes
25 sippy cups
50 toothpaste and toothbrushes
7 lanterns
25 baby toys / teether toys
94 rolls toilet paper
9 ziplocks
1 emergency radio
11 cases diapers
2 aa battery packs
12 contractor bag boxes
1 gloves pack
3 hand sanitizer
1 large tarp
24 pacifiers
192 DampRid buckets
80 DampRid closet hangers
30 adult diaper packs
14 Boxes Tampons
52 Boxes Kleenex
500+ liters of water
9/12: Last Friday, we committed $15,000 to the NOLA Black Youth Fund and promised to hold it for them until they were ready to receive it. We have both been struggling through getting blocked by Venmo for sending "too much" money out to folks, as well as bank and PayPal limits, but today's the day! Today we sent $15,000 for direct redistribution to Black youth from across southern Louisiana who have been impacted by the storm.
That brings our total cash redistribution to $105,000. We want to also share another reminder that this is not a 100% cash redistribution fund. It's currently also being used to distribute emergency supplies to folks in the city, river parishes, and lower bayous. It's supporting our on-site distribution center throughout last week and this week, which includes supporting artists and healers — to learn more about the center, check out our Instagram! And it's helping deepen disaster relief infrastructure for Yakani Ekelanna, a garden and cultural preservation project by the United Houma Nation, where we are sending supplies to set up a medic tent, free market, and cooking/feeding tent with camping supplies that do not require power.
We will continue to use multiple strategies to take care of our people at this time — in particular Black, Indigenous, undocumented, transgender, and queer folks both in the city and rural parishes — and we'll continue this work well into the future.
9/10: We've wrapped up our first week of on-site distro! We have so many people to thank and so much inventory to tally before we can give you the total amount of what went out this week to over 430 families.
9/8: We've officially sent $15,000 total to Trans Queer Youth NOLA! We committed the funds to them a few days ago, but with banks closed and limits on Venmo, we couldn't send them over immediately. To fill the gap, five community members stepped in and loaned their cash and Venmo accounts to move the money to our youth immediately. As of today, we've reimbursed them directly. Because of community trust — and working together — we were able to move money faster than the systems allowed. The people are powerful, y'all.
9/6: We've survived our first week post-Ida! Whew. We know the value of community, and our community has SHOWED UP this past week. Thank you!
Though we've done plenty of cash redistribution in the immediate aftermath, we've also been working hard on the ground. Read through the list to see what we did with your support over the past week… ranging from flying in supplies from Atlanta, to finding power and Wi-Fi against all odds, and linking up with neighbors across the city, upriver, and into the bayous.
With your support, here are just a few of the things our small team has managed to do within one week, and sometimes days, of landfall:
Directed over $90K (!!) to mutual aid funds around Southeast Louisiana within days of landfall for efficient and quick disbursal, with $105K committed in total. These funds went quickly into the hands of Black, Indigenous, transgender, and nonbinary individuals; peri-natal parents and birth doulas; undocumented coastal workers; and allows us to focus our time on additional needs that are not otherwise being met, such as Wi-Fi access and technical support.
Continued to look ahead to long-term relief and safety, allocating one-third of the fund to recovery and another third to preparation for future storms.
Secured multiple emergency spaces for private storage/sorting and public distribution.
Engaged old friends and new friends, partners, colleagues, neighbors, and volunteers to assist with admin, logistics, supply distribution, and cash distribution.
Partnered with CORE to set up a FEMA paperwork support site at Encore Academy, open this week from 12-4pm with computers, portable power, WiFi hotspots, and support on site to help with FEMA applications. Also distributing emergency supplies, as they last.
Received and worked together to distribute a variety of supplies, including multiple barrels of gas driven in from our friends in Austin, to various mutual aid groups in the city and in the river parishes.
Coordinated a private plane that delivered emergency supplies from Atlanta.
Dropped supplies to our neighbors out in New Orleans East, including: brooms, charging packs, medicine, diapers, batteries, fans, hygiene kits, cleaning supplies, and baby formula.
Received and moved supplies to Resurrection After Exoneration, including: 985 disinfectant wipes, 100 rolls of toilet paper, 257 diapers, 480 baby wipes, menstruation products, cleaning supplies, batteries, flashlights, face masks, plates and utensils, trash bags, and water.
Delivered the contents of Pizza D's freezer to neighbors across the 7th Ward.
Set up our Community Power Map to share locations of BIPOC and LGBTQ safe charging stations around the city, which is listed on the NOLAReady website.
Coordinated with 211 to provide Community Power Map information to those without internet access.
Made countless connections to get money and supplies to students at Delgado Community College, Individuals in our Mutual Aid Response Network, and folks who find us through social media, friends, emails, and in the streets.
Continued to amplify other grassroots efforts, both through social media and behind the scenes to reporters, funders, partners, and individual donors.
As we move through the upcoming weeks and months, please keep in mind that mutual aid is not simply cash distribution. Mutual aid is deepening our community connections for the long haul. It is recognizing the work others are doing and not reinventing the wheel. It is respecting Native knowledge and traditions. It is encouraging collective agency. It is supporting one another.
As a locally-based group, we have been right there with you… dealing with no power/phone/internet, credit card limits, summer heat, occasionally frozen cash accounts, the need to check in on our loved ones, and of course the complex trauma of riding out a storm of this magnitude at home. We have been doing this kind of work long before Hurricane Ida, and we will be doing it for long after.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to Hurricane Ida relief efforts, whether it has been supporting our organization or any number of other grassroots efforts on the ground. We're all in this together.
9/4: This morning we sent $3,000 to Trans Queer Youth NOLA, who are redistributing it directly to trans and queer youth who've had to evacuate or are otherwise impacted by the storm. We've committed $15,000 total and will update once it's all been sent out. In the meantime, a handful of community members have already moved to get the money out the door, and we'll be reimbursing them directly. The power of community is beautiful.
9/3 (Afternoon Update): Redistributed $15,000 to the Bvlbancha Collective, an Indigenous mutual aid collective based in Bvlbancha that organizes across the coast. These funds are being used to meet emergency needs for a member of the collective who is in the Houma area, as well as for herbal medicine and general care kits. Learn more about the collective on their website at https://www.bvlbanchacollective.com/
9/3 (Morning Update): We've partnered with the Birthmark Doula Collective for today's cash redistribution. On Saturday, the Collective mobilized a 24/7 "Parent-Infant Warmline" that is providing emergency information to perinatal families in Louisiana and evacuated around the country. The line has been ringing steadily since Saturday, and they hope to extend it for as long as needed. Some of their birth workers and clients are sheltering in place in New Orleans, and others are scattered around the South. Together we're covering evacuation costs, such as shelter, food, and childcare. The Collective is led by 12 Member-Owners, and includes 7 BIPOC, 3 Queer and/or Nonbinary people, and 3 Native New Orleanians. The wider Collective is composed of 25 additional BIPOC, a majority of whom are Native New Orleanians, and they serve primarily Black and low-income New Orleanians.
Our Community Power Map is still going — please help spread the word. We partnered with 211 to also share this information with individuals who call in for a variety of support but do not have internet access: bit.ly/powermapnola
Imagine Mutual Aid is also still moving — if you're in the New Orleans area, please join the group to offer and receive support: bit.ly/mutualaidneworleans
9/2: We've set up warehouse sites to receive large donations of supplies to distribute in the days to come — and connected with our community down in Houma, which still has almost no phone service. Tonight we're redistributing $15,000 in partnership with the Houma Protection Network. The HPN is organized by and for rural migrant workers who often face unfair and abusive workplace practices in Louisiana's seafood and oil & gas industries. They have been organizing to end 287g in Houma, as well as leading rapid response work, rights education, legal support, and more. They are directly redistributing cash and supplies to folks in their network, as well as helping the local NAACP chapter clean their office and patch their roof.
9/1: Today we delivered supplies across the city to folks who have been reaching out directly, in addition to people in our mutual aid group. We also partnered with Familias Unidas and sent them $15,000. These funds are going towards meeting the basic needs of undocumented folks at this time. This includes housing, hygiene kits, diapers, and more. We also used the fund to purchase a large vehicle for the month to transport supplies with, as well as for the supplies itself.
8/31 (Night update): We met up with a couple of community members who have been redistributing funds directly to people who need it. Instead of reinventing the wheel, we've sent them funds while we work to fill gaps like power and Wi-Fi. Through them, we've sent the first $15,000 to BIPOC and LGBTQ folks who have evacuated. These funds covered emergency housing, gas, food, evacuation supplies, and more.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not currently have a signup link for receiving funds. Direct fund redistribution is happening through our community partners while we organize mutual aid on the ground. Currently, they are redistributing through their networks, often by word of mouth. Those with signup forms have paused them due to overwhelming need while they catch up. We ask that you be patient with each other at this time — frontlines work is hard and time consuming, and folks are doing it right now with limited connectivity.
8/31 (Morning update): Wow, we are so very grateful for the outpouring of support. You all surpassed our goal quickly, but we are still accepting donations since we know the need will be far greater than we imagined. We rode out the storm in the Lower 9th Ward, as well as in Ponchatoula 40 miles north, and lost cell service/power/water/internet. Last night, we re-launched our Community Power Map so that folks across New Orleans can get access to power (bit.ly/powermapnola) and are encouraging everyone to join the mutual aid group if they are in the area (bit.ly/mutualaidneworleans). Today we're coordinating resources behind the scenes and fielding thousands of emails/calls/texts. More to come.
See our prep work on Hurricane Ida (2021):
8/28: It's our last day of prep and our final Q&A for Hurricane Ida. Today we're focused on keeping folks as safe as possible, regardless of whether they're staying or going. Over the past few days, our Q&A has reached thousands of people. To see the full series, find us on Instagram at @imaginewaterworks.
8/27: Though not named as such yet, this storm will become Hurricane Ida.... so it's time for a second round of Storm Prep Q&A. We base our answers on lived and trained experience, along with data from trusted meteorologists, NOHSEP, and others. Though the storm is evolving, we are already asking our community to evacuate if they can. This will be a strong storm.
8/26: Here we go. Even though Tropical Depression Nine is not yet in the Gulf, we are launching our anonymous "Storm Prep Q&A" early. We must start preparing in case this storm is headed our way on Sunday. Folks in our Imagine Mutual Aid (New Orleans) group are beginning to prepare, as well, and we're providing daily updates on the storm's progress.
8/23: Today we distributed a condensed version of our hurricane guide, in partnership with the Climate Resilience Project, to continue helping folks prepare. At the time of this post, the "mini guide" has reached 6,000 individuals through Instagram alone.
8/21: Today we're widely distributing our updated "2021 Guide to Hurricane Season" to help support our friends in the Northeast U.S. with Hurricane Henri. Whether you're in New York or New Orleans or anywhere in between, please consider using today to get prepared (this will help with storm stress!). This year's guide has storm prep checklists, tips for staying safe through COVID + hurricane prep, and special considerations for queer and trans individuals. Created by Native New Orleanians and disaster prep professionals. Local information is specific to New Orleans and SWLA, but most of the information can help you prepare no matter where you are. As hurricane season is kicking into gear, now is the time to prepare!
See some of our work on Hurricane Zeta (2020):
10/31: Tonight we have 53 free power stations, 13 free wifi stations, and 8 businesses offering power and/or wifi through the Community Power Map. We've delivered several chairs, power hubs, and power cords to the areas with the least power.
10/30: With thousands of households across the city still without power, we've used the first $450 of donations to launch a Community Power Map, showing places for folks to charge their devices at Charging Stations. Thanks to our amazing neighbors, some stations also have free wi-fi! Funds were used to purchase extension cords and Power Hubs that allow for multiple devices to charge at once. To see the full, most updated map, visit our website at https://www.imaginewaterworks.org/community-power-map/. Shoutout to Sara Slaughter, who we found through the mutual aid network and is co-organizing this project with us.
10/28: We've spent the last 48 hours prepping for Hurricane Zeta, which will be a direct hit on our city and our organization. We know it's been a tough year, but please continue to donate or spread the word. Every show of support helps.
See some of our work on Hurricane Laura (2020):
In addition to Zeta, we have been working throughout 2020 on all named storms with Louisiana in the "cone of uncertainty", supporting folks through Cristobal, Marco, Laura, Sally, Beta, and Delta. Below are updates from our work on Laura and Delta, for those who would like to see where your support goes.
10/26: As of today, we have successfully distributed $16,440 of emergency funds directly to 411 individuals in New Orleans, Lake Charles, and Lafayette. We've signed up over 625 individuals, with a goal of distributing $25,000 through the Emergency Cash Program alone.
10/24: Today we successfully recommended seven Indigenous and LGBTQ families for $500-$1000 additional cash assistance each through Islamic Relief Muslim Charity. These emergency funds can be used for whatever each family needs in the wake of Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. Those we recommended were already part of our networks and include Black trans women, a young trans woman in SWLA, a member of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation who is caring for other sheltering families at this time, an Indigenous zydeco musician, and LGBTQ women sheltering in New Orleans.
10/23: Thanks to our friends at ITDRC, we now have 20 HP tablets to distribute to those who are most impacted by both hurricanes and COVID-19 right now! We'll be working over the next week to distribute them as quickly as possible, prioritizing children who have evacuated from Hurricane Laura and are now taking classes remotely.
10/19: For the past week, we have been focused on keeping the mutual aid group running, as well as disbursing cash to those who need it most. So far, with your help we've successfully distributed: $5,100 to BIPOC individuals in the Lake Charles area; $3,000 in supplies to Sulphur (rural SWLA); and $14,840 to evacuated individuals in New Orleans and SWLA through the Emergency Cash Program. We continue to work on getting more ATMs active for the Emergency Cash Program to make it accessible to as many people as possible — as well as responding to emerging needs throughout recovery. Our most recent emerging need is for laptops, so we're looking for sponsors and donors who can help us get these to evacuated children who need them for remote school at the moment. As of today, there are still 6,000 people evacuated to New Orleans from Hurricane Laura and Delta.
10/10: Hurricane Delta was the strongest storm named for the Greek Alphabet in history, and those of us who were working on Hurricane Laura Relief are now supporting the same communities through Hurricane Delta. As of today, we've registered 600+ individuals for accessible emergency cash assistance through a network of ATMs enabled for our program. That means we're providing at least $25,000 in low barrier cash support to those most impacted by both Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Over the next few days, we will continue to help individuals access their funds so that they can use the money to return home, see family, or purchase supplies that aren't offered through traditional support.
10/8 @ 3:24pm: We're continuing to disburse funds through our Hurricane Laura Emergency Cash Program ahead of Hurricane Delta. In the past few days, we have sent $40 in emergency cash to 219 evacuated individuals, totaling $8,760. You all are making this happen — Thank you so much for your support!
10/8 @ 10am: With a new storm on the same track as Hurricane Laura, we are now expanding the Hurricane Laura Relief Fund to include Hurricane Delta Relief. We expect Delta to make landfall Friday night or Saturday morning as a Category 2 or 3. The eye of the storm has shifted west, passing over the same communities that were hit by Laura back in August (see photos below). With a historically active hurricane season, we continue to need as much support as possible for both immediate relief and long term recovery. Please continue to share the fundraiser with your networks. If you're in New Orleans, we are also still supporting 6,000 evacuated people with food, clothing, emergency funds, storm information, and anything else folks need. Everyone has something to offer, even if it's emotional support or something as simple as a quick snack delivery. If you have Facebook and would like to help, find us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MutualAidNewOrleans/.
Hurricane Laura's track is on the left; Hurricane Delta's current track is on the right.
10/7: As of today, we have completed a smaller, first round of disbursements from the Hurricane Laura Emergency Cash Program. So far, we have sent $40 to 23 individuals, totaling $920.
10/6: We're excited to announce the launch of our Hurricane Laura Emergency Cash Program! Thanks to your donations, we are now distributing $25,000 in $40 increments to 625 evacuated individuals. To keep people safe from COVID, we are doing this through text — and individuals are able to withdraw their own cash through a nearby cardless ATM, without ID or a bank account. While this is enough money to cover gas from New Orleans to Lake Charles and back, we are also encouraging individuals to use it for whatever they need most in this moment. We believe that those who are most impacted by disasters know exactly what they need. They deserve autonomy and dignity, even in times of crisis. The Emergency Cash Program and our Imagine Mutual Aid groups are both rooted in this value. Read more about the program HERE.
10/1: Today we drove 20 minutes past Lake Charles to Sulphur, Louisiana. Sulphur was hit hard but is more rural and has fewer resources. We used $252.05 from the Hurricane Laura Relief Fund to rent a van big enough to haul supplies, along with paying for gas to get there and back. Somehow (!?) we fit all of this in a 12-passenger van:
🔸 15 each of claw hammers, box fans, extension cords, buckets, and gallons of bleach
🔸 10 chainsaws
🔸 5 charcoal grills + bags of charcoal
🔸 12 handy bars for demolition
🔸 150 work gloves
🔸 3000 garbage/contractor bags for cleanup
🔸 an assortment of pest control supplies, tarps, generator oil, and batteries
This was the most powerful storm to hit Louisiana in 150 years. The people of Southwest Louisiana are still needing your support for relief and recovery. Please continue to donate and share!
9/28: We've now sent 30 Uber rides, have scheduled to drop off supplies in Lake Charles on Wednesday this week, and are working on a large disbursement of funds. New Orleans still has over 10,000 people who have evacuated to our city. This is a long term effort, with our organization leading the way as Black and trans, multigenerational native Louisianans. Please continue to donate as you are able, and consider joining the mutual aid group on Facebook to help out, one on one.
9/24: Much of our work this past week has been "behind the scenes" continuing to facilitate our mutual aid group, which now has 4,400 members and continues to support those who are still in New Orleans (still over 10,000 people). The biggest need at the moment is suitcases — the group has fulfilled 40+ suitcase requests in the past few days. On Wednesday, we completed our last reusable bag run to the Resource Center, bringing our total number of bags collected/sorted/delivered to over 3,000. We're working now to support those who are being sent home or moved around to different shelters in the city, and those who are trying to navigate FEMA assistance. In the past week, we have also sent 18 free Uber rides to folks who have evacuated and do not have transportation to get to the store, pharmacy, doctor, and other essential resources. This resource is ongoing until we reach 50 rides, so if you know of folks who need a ride, have them reach out to us on social media! If they don't have internet access, please help out by contacting us on their behalf (with their consent, of course).
9/15: Whew, we've been busy preparing both New Orleanians and evacuated folks for Hurricane Sally. We received an update this morning that Sally would not hit New Orleans — we're grateful but staying in touch with our partners in Mississippi and Alabama. We've also been working on our next large disbursement of relief funds and will be excited to provide an update next week (or sooner if possible!). In the meantime we've helped Cathy, a hairstylist who evacuated here from Lake Charles, set up a temporary salon within her shelter to provide free haircuts to others while there:
We've worked with Home Depot to secure chainsaws, buckets, bleach, box fans, extension cords, and other supplies to help folks clean out their homes once they're able to return. And we have a shipment of 3,000 brand new socks on the way! We're doing our best to secure supplies and resources that aren't typically covered in traditional disaster relief. Many thanks to everyone who has helped along the way.
9/10: Tonight we were grateful to be a part of a virtual healing event and fundraiser, reflecting upon the lasting impact of Hurricane Katrina on our city — and in particular, on Black artists. This was a time for Black New Orleanian artists to talk about growing up in New Orleans, our experiences with Katrina, and the ways we imagine art can preserve history and shape the future of our city. We also reflected on Hurricane Laura and what that will mean for coastal Louisiana in the years to come. The panel consisted of Maha Chielo, @bmike2c, @phillipmyoumans, @dawnrichard, and a musical performance by @mykiajovan. Our Managing Director, Monique Thomas, spoke about the work we're doing to provide relief for Hurricane Laura survivors; and @stephaniemckeeanderson, Executive Artistic Director of @junebugnola, provided closing remarks and shared a film about New Orleans.
Our partners for the event were @blackfilmfestno, @wift_louisiana, @novacvideo, @neworleansfilmsociety, @thedreamdefenders, @blackpublicmedia, Junebug Productions, @sisterswithinvoices, and @thecreatedaily. Thank you for showing up, everyone!
9/9: When Hurricane Laura made landfall and we launched this fund, we were told that there would be 800 people evacuated to New Orleans. We are now up to 12,000 people (officially) and growing. As such, we are capping the direct regranting portion of the fund at $62,000 to focus on adding much-needed immediate and long term support for folks evacuated here to the city, as well as longterm recovery efforts for Southwest LA. Any additional funds raised will go toward general costs such as printing flyers, expanding our 24/7 crisis response team, and supporting our overall work on Hurricane Laura Relief and Recovery. We are the only local BIPOC and trans-led disaster relief group on the ground for the 12,000+ people who need services right now in New Orleans. We're also led by multi-generational native New Orleanians who went through Hurricane Katrina and know what it's like to be displaced; we bring that care to our work. The situation is dire and we still need your help. In the last week alone, we have fact-checked and facilitated over 5,000 interactions in our online mutual aid group — this does not account for all of the DMs, text messages, phone calls, VOAD meetings, and in-person actions that have been happening simultaneously. We do this transparently and welcome anyone to check out the group to see who we are and how it works. We also post a steady stream of screenshots and photos on our social media platforms if you're looking for even more frequent, detailed updates!
9/8: Wow, thank you all so much for the support! We have been incredibly busy, but please know that we see you out there helping folks and supporting our work. It means the world to us. This week we worked with individuals, nonprofits, and small businesses to collect and deliver 1,000 bags to the Resource Center. The Resource Center sees about 500 people per day, so the bag donation drive is still going — if you're in New Orleans, check out our Facebook or Instagram to find the drop-off locations (Lower 9th Ward, West Bank, Mid-City, and Magazine). The mutual aid group is also picking up excess food and bringing it to hotel shelters with less food, stocking community fridges, dropping off microwaves and mini fridges, doing laundry for folks, delivering specific hygiene products, brooms, vacuums, and more. We're dropping off cleaning supplies now because the hotel shelters (1) are not cleaning the rooms and (2) do not offer cleaning products for folks to do it themselves. Tonight's heartwarming moment was when a mother asked for help baking her kid a birthday cake — he's going to have so many awesome cakes now! It's been amazing to watch folks step up for each other in so many ways. All of it is important.
9/7: When the government shut down the Resource Center for three days in a row, we stayed open. That means we are one of the only places where folks can ask questions and receive support right now. We'll be in touch again soon with more details! In the meantime, you can always stay in touch and see what we're doing on a daily basis via our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
9/1: We now have 9,200 people staying in 30 shelters/hotels, which means likely more than 10,000 people sheltering in the City right now. Additional people are now being directed to go to the "mega shelter" in Alexandria, Louisiana. Yesterday, we collected and dropped off bags at the Resource Center so that folks wouldn't have to carry supplies back to their hotels in their arms. If you have bags to spare, check out our social media channels for places to drop them. If you live in New Orleans, you're invited to join us in the Imagine Mutual Aid Facebook group — people who have evacuated are asking for exactly what they need. This is a chance to deliver it to them. Lots of needs getting met, including strollers, specific clothing items, and other mobility devices. Some requests still need more support. More requests are coming in. Given the increased numbers from when we first launched the Hurricane Laura Relief Fund, we've increased the fundraising goal to $100,000.
8/31: Photo update. Top image (Reuters): Two individuals from our "Street Team", talking with folks and helping them log into the mutual aid group so that they can ask for what they need. Bottom image (Imagine Water Works): Piles of clothing on the ground. For safety and accessibility reasons, we are asking folks to respond *directly to requests from individuals* instead of dropping off boxes of donations. People deserve the right to state their own needs, and they deserve to have things handed to them — not to pick it up off a street. We have a solution to that. More about that can be found on our Facebook post here.
(Top photo from Reuters)
8/30: We are now at 6000 people staying in hotels across the city. Yesterday we gathered more volunteers and prepped our 3,100 member New Orleans mutual aid group for a large influx of requests. Today we printed 1000 additional flyers (see below) and are on the frontlines, walking the streets: listening, offering emotional support, noting immediate needs and barriers, continuing to direct folks to our Mutual Aid group to receive support, and helping folks get into the group. The group is a platform for people to state their own needs, instead of having others speak for them. Those who are most impacted deserve a voice and a say in where funding goes and what supplies they receive — free of judgment. And they deserve to be met with care and compassion.
8/29: Received confirmation that more than 3000 people have now evacuated to New Orleans. We expect to see at least double that as more make their way here. We are working with shelter organizers to respond to needs as they come in. The Fund will continue sending half of its donations directly to groups led by BIPOC Southwestern LA residents once they are ready to receive them. Half the funds are remaining here in New Orleans to support those who have evacuated + long term needs as they arise and as funds allow. Right now, the best thing to do is still to donate directly to small local organizations — whether that be us or others.
8/28: We've sent our first $5000 to the Atakapa-Ishak Nation, whose territory spans both Southwest Louisiana (The Sunrise People) and Southeast Texas (The Sunset People). Thank you so much for supporting the fund and making this possible! We have also received confirmation that at least 2000 people are sheltering in New Orleans right now. We have delivered 700 flyers to the three hotel shelters in New Orleans, directing folks to our Mutual Aid group to receive support. As the need is large and growing, both in SW LA and in New Orleans, we've increased our fundraising goal to $50,000.
8/28: We are in contact with local groups and individuals on the ground as they get their footing, gather their people, and in some cases are sheltering. Please be patient. Funding those most impacted means giving them a moment to gather their thoughts and see where the need is. Disaster funding often goes to large, non-local groups because the waiting period feels uncomfortable. We are challenging this default and moving forward with intention and care, following local BIPOC leadership.
8/27: So far, we have also received $485 through Venmo to add to the total above. At the moment, much of Southwest Louisiana (SW LA) is still very much a "disaster area" with chemical spills, evacuation traffic, and dangerous roads. We are encouraging individuals from outside of SW LA to stay put — roads are closed and emergency personnel need to be able to do their jobs, focusing on the local community. We are assessing the situation and working with hyper-local BIPOC partners to send funds to SW LA as soon as possible.
8/26: The fund's first $100 went to a family on Pecan Island who missed the last evacuation bus and needed baby formula, gas, and transmission fluid to be able to emergency evacuate to Baton Rouge.
8/25: Hurricane Laura is expected to be a Category 4 when it makes landfall in Southwestern Louisiana this week. Knowing this, we are getting ready + encouraging folks outside of Laura's direct path to support relief efforts as the situation evolves. This fund, in particular, was created in our "Imagine Mutual Aid: COVID + Hurricane Season (New Orleans)" group as one way to direct resources from New Orleans (and beyond!) to those who will be most impacted by the storm.
More about the organizers:
Imagine Water Works is reimagining the future through art, science, and connection. Our core focus areas are water management, climate justice, and mutual aid + disaster readiness and response.
Our other current projects:
Mutual Aid Response Network
Anonymous Storm Prep Q&A (Instagram)
Imagine Mutual Aid (Facebook: New Orleans & SWLA)
2021 Hurricane Season Guide
COVID-19 Guide to Hurricane Season
Queer/Trans Guide to Hurricane Season
Art of Science / Science of Art Symposium
Little Library of Water
Business Survival Handbook
Joy of Water: A Resident's DIY Guide to Becoming Water Wise
Learn more about any of the projects above on our website: www.imaginewaterworks.org
Donor Wall471
Yotam Tubul | $52.23
Tchoup Industries | $102.50
Ariel Wolfe | $26.27
Thanks to Different Spirits on YouTube for sending me here and for reviewing Louisiana Rums on his channel.
Thank you so much for the work that you do and the communities you support. I'm a Louisiana baby living in Milwaukee, WI so when we held our Louisiana-themed wedding this September, we made sure we had our hurricane relief donation jar front and center. From our family to yours.
Women@Langan | $176.84
On behalf of the Cleveland/Pittsburgh/Chicago offices Women@Langan team, we support your efforts to provide relief and recovery to those affected by Hurricane Ida. Thank you.
Oasis Wellness Partners
Tabata Rodriguez | $15.89
Zeta Omicron Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated | $118.30
On behalf of the Zeta Omicron Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, we pray that those affected by Hurricane Ida are safe and sound.
Judy | $25
Alex | $233.96
Benefit Concert Proceeds for Hurricane Ida Relief
Michele | $52.23
Michelle Lattner | $525
Via the fundraiser organized by Keta Handmade and other Philadelphia makers
Milena | $25.23
Shermale Motley | $5.50
Donating in support of Duke University's Iota Mu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated
Via the Romancelandia fundraising auction & Wildfire PR Services
Spencer Head | $169.57
Kendall Motley | $5.50
Kendall Motley | $5.50
Gretchen | $259.92
Thank you!
Erin Rosett | $311.84
linda | $26.27
For Annie Lou
Virginia Moss | $291.07
Iota Mu AKA | $10.70
Mera Kitchen Collective | $375
Thank you for your work! On behalf of the team at Mera Kitchen Collective and the people who supported our Donuts for Mutual Aid Sale
Elliot | $250
Quativa | $2,077.15
Our team at Quativa wants to help the amazing people of New Orleans have access to power, water, and safe shelter!
Abigail | $10.70
Donation from @newthousand's live concert
The Decorated Body | $3,000
Thanks for everything you're doing! Hope this is able to help, from all of our clients at The Decorated Body.
Andres | $104.15

subset: commoncrawl


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Shipping, Returns & Exchanges
Your satisfaction is our goal! We understand that you need supplies in a timely manner as well as to expect great quality products to hone your craft and career. Please read below about our Policies, if there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
Orders will be processed within 1-2 business days. Orders placed on Saturday and Sunday will begin processing the following Monday.
Lashes del Sol processes orders Monday through Friday, excluding major US holidays.
We ship through USPS. First Class (2-3 day) and Priority Mail (2 day) options available. Shipping costs may vary due to location, package size, and weight.
Canada Shipping: $25 Can take 10-15 days to arrive
International Shipping: $30-$40 Varies depending on shipping address (feel free to contact us to get further details)
- We are not responsible for any additional customs charges or fees once your package has left our facility. Customs charges and fees are the sole responsibility of the purchaser
- If you are unfamiliar with customs fees and charges, please speak to your local postal or customs office for more information.
- If customs fees and charges are refused at the time of delivery, your order will be returned and you will not receive a refund for shipment costs.
- Customers have up to a maximum of 90 days from the date the order was made to claim their package as lost in order to receive any sort of compensation regarding their order.
Lashes del Sol is not responsible for lost or stolen packages. Once you have received your shipping confirmation, USPS will have the most current information regarding your package on their website.
In the unfortunate event that an item becomes out of stock after your order is submitted, we will ship the remaining items in your order and send you an email informing you of your selected item(s) being out of stock. You will be refunded for that item or items.
If in the unlikely event there is a defective product or quality concerns beyond your control, Lashes del Sol requires an exchange request to be submitted within 3 business days after receipt. Please read the Terms & Conditions: Compliance with sanitation regulations requires that Lashes Del Sol ACADEMY cannot accept returns after product packaging has been opened, unless the product is deemed defective. If you suspect product is defective, contact us without delay within 3 days. All sales are final. We do not offer returns or exchanges on Adhesives, Removers, Eyelash Extensions or other Chemical Products. Exchange can be made only on items that were not previously used, remain sealed and in the original packaging. No exchanges will be accepted without prior authorization. Exchange credit will be issued after merchandise is received and inspected.
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Lashes del Sol
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Subpoena warning for Clarke, others in Alliance crime case
Queen's Counsel Tom Tavares-Finson, who represents the embattled Alliance duo Peter and Robert Chin, has signalled intentions to have the court subpoena top government officials, including Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke.
Alliance Finance Limited, which is also represented by Tavares-Finson, pleaded guilty to 34 counts of financial crimes in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court. Sentencing has been set for March 3.
At Thursday's hearing, Robert Chin, one of the principals of Alliance Finance Limited, entered the plea on the company's behalf.
He, along with Peter Chin, was charged with conducting foreign-currency lending without being an authorised dealer. The allegations related to more than 20 foreign-currency loans, totalling approximately US$8 million, to various entities.
The Chins are jointly charged for alleged breaches of the Banking Services Act for accepting deposits without the requisite licence from the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) relating to a series of deposits in excess of US$7.5 million over the period 2014 to 2017.
Additionally, Alliance Investments was charged with failure to file threshold transaction reports as mandated under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) for transactions of, or exceeding, US$15,000 (or its equivalent in any other currency) to the Financial Investigations Division (FID).
The matter against the Chins, in their individual capacity, will also be mentioned on March 3.
Tavares-Finson told Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague on Thursday that on the sentencing date, the defence would request that a subpoena be issued for BOJ Governor Richard Byles, FID Chief Technical Director Selvin Hay, and Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke.
The senior judge amusingly told Tavares-Finson that those men are not citizens who would generally visit 144 Maxfield Avenue, the court's address, and later asked if he wished to stand down on the subpoena matter until the sentencing date for Alliance on March 3.
Tavares-Finson yielded to the suggestion of the senior judge but not before declaring, "Maybe they need to learn where it is because neither are Mr Robert and Peter Chin accustomed to coming here either … . I believe that Mr Clarke, Byles, and Haye need to appear in these courts with respect to the sentencing. That's my application."
It was also disclosed on Thursday that a plea agreement was entered by the defence that could see the charges against the accused men, in their personal capacity, dropped at the next hearing.
"I have often said and wondered to myself how many times have I entered into a plea deal, pleaded, and got no deal. In this particular instance, after lengthy negotiations, part of the arrangement is that the charges against Peter and Robert Chin in their individual capacity will be discontinued," Tavares-Finson said.
A plea and case management date is to be agreed on between the prosecution and the defence in relation to the POCA charge against Alliance Investment Management.
Tavares-Finson said that the defence has records to prove that the reports were, in fact, made, notwithstanding a dispute over a seven-year window.


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Carved from Salt & Pepper granite these traditional sculptures some in 3 sizes.
PEKS – 17″Tall – $1,140.00
PEKM – 24″Tall – $1,764.00
PEKL – 32″Tall – $3,000.00
AguaFina also specializes in custom production pieces, and Asian artifact sourcing, suitable for estate and institutional settings, with various stone colors available.
Check our Toby's Finds product page to see additional hand carved sculptures. Hand selected and sourced by our principal during his travels in Indonesia and China.


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Coca-Cola Zero Sugar relaunch an early success as awareness and sales soar
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar saw the greatest rise in ad awareness of any brand in August, according to new YouGov data.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar achieved the greatest rise in ad awareness in August of any UK brand, according to YouGov BrandIndex data, with the market research company suggesting the summer campaign has "been a success so far".
Coke Zero Sugar's ad awareness score, which analyses whether respondents have seen an ad from a brand in the previous fortnight, has significantly improved over the past month. Its score rose from 6% in early July to 17% in the last weeks of August. Meanwhile, Coke Zero Sugar's purchase consideration, which asks whether a respondent would consider buying a brand's product, rose from 11 to 16 over the same time period.
Having pumped £10m into promoting the rebrand, you would expect to see some sort of impact. However, Coca-Cola claims the Zero Sugar rebrand is translating to the most important success metric of them all; sales.
According to figures from Nielsen cited by Coca-Cola, sales are up by a quarter since the campaign launched compared to the same time last year. And the company claims reaction from consumers has been "really positive" so far.
"The launch of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar this summer followed years of research and development to get the recipe even closer to the 130-year-old original to encourage more Coca-Cola Classic drinkers to give it a try. Along with a new look, we also renamed it to make it even clearer that it is sugar-free," says a spokesman.
"The launch was supported by our biggest marketing campaign in a decade and we will continue to invest to raise awareness and trial of our latest great tasting, no sugar drink."
'Encouraging signs'
The fizzy drinks brand originally announced it would be revamping its 'Coke Zero' variant in April this year after discovering that half of its consumers did not know it contained no sugar. Coca-Cola launched a £10m campaign at the beginning of July to actively promote moderation and reduce consumers' sugar consumption. The fizzy drinks giant wants 50% of its sales by 2020 to come from its non-sugar options.
Sarah Murphy, director of YouGov BrandIndex UK, says the rebrand looks like the right move. She explains: "While a large part of the marketing effort was to inform consumers of the product's sugar content, company bosses still want sales of the drink to increase. On this front, the early signs are encouraging."
YouGov's research also shows that among those that would consider buying Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, four in 10 (41%) say they tend to count the amount of calories they consume. However, 60% of the group says their diet 'could be healthier'.
Murphy adds: "While it's clear that the campaign has been registering with consumers, there is an opportunity to convert those that haven't yet become customers, with a prominent focus on the health benefits of the drink."


text: Online Ordering For Delivery or Collection Too busy to dine-in? Enjoy the same high quality experience when you carry out Hana. Order online today to have your order ready at your convenience. ORDER ONLINE NOW Address: 351 West End Lane, West Hampstead NW6 1LT Phone: 020 7794 1200 Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday 12:00 - 23:00 Hana's Mobile APPs Download Hana's mobile applicationfor online ordering.


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I agree with my friend and former High Times colleague David Bienenstock when he says in the video below:
"Smoke a joint, hold your nose and vote Biden!"
Joe Biden is not by any means the perfect choice, but he is our only real chance in 2020 to eject Donald Trump from Washington.
I preferred Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. We got Biden, fair and square.
Biden has run a commendable campaign during Covid, unlike the incumbant.
At the last debate, Biden talked about treatment instead of jail for drug offenders. I don't think he wants people who are arrested for marijuana possession to go to treatment. He favors decriminalization. His VP Kamala Harris is for legalization.
A vote for Biden-Harris is a vote for drug-policy law reform.
Forget the past, the crime bills that Biden endorsed and since apologized for. It's time to move on.
So repeat after me: Smoke a joint, hold your nose and vote Biden!


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The indoor plant: cultivation and care
read more
It receives the name of plant of interior all plant that is cultivated in places under ceiling. They serve as decoration for our home, offices, terraces, and even for health reasons, since they are very good for purifying the air. The qualities that we have to take...


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Do you snore?
Do you snore or are you tired of sleeping with someone who snores? The board certified specialists at the Institute For Better Breathing can reduce or eliminate snoring using a new simple FDA approved procedure, called Somnoplasty. The specialists perform this procedure at your convenience and in the comfort of their office. In less than an hour, Somnoplasty can eliminate some of the causes of snoring with little or no discomfort.
Who else snores?
Snoring occurs to some degree in most of us. When it is accompanied by symptoms to suggest obstructed sleep apnea or when it disrupts a bed partner's sleep it is time to seek help.
Do you suffer from chronic nasal stuffiness?
The board certified specialists at the Institute For Better Breathing can relieve chronic nasal stuffiness using a new simple FDA approved procedure called Somnoplasty. The specialists perform this procedure at your convenience and in the comfort of their office. In less than an hour, Somnoplasty can eliminate nasal obstructions with little or no discomfort. Moreover, Somnoplasty is effective in reducing some of the causes of snoring.
Snoring can be a sign of a serious disorder.
Besides being disruptive, snoring can be a sign of a serious disorder called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where a person has periods of decreased breathing during sleep, causing chronic sleepiness, daytime fatigue, poor work performance and poor sexual performance. Sleep apnea is even a major contributor to some kinds of heart attacks and strokes.
Why stop snoring?
Unless corrective action is taken, loud snoring lasts a lifetime with two consequences: the first is prolonged embarrassment accompanied with various social problems. The second and more serious is the possible development or the existence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a condition where you intermittently stop breathing during sleep.
Your obnoxious snoring sound itself is not a health threat, but it is embarrassing. Your snoring is irritating to your wife, lover or partner. Often, because of snoring, spouses sleep in separate rooms.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
If you have sleep apnea, you stop breathing while you sleep. When you have sleep apnea, your tongue falls back into your throat, blocking your airway so air cannot flow in through your nose or mouth. Then the airway collapses and prevents airflow from reaching your lungs and bloodstream. This situation is like pressing a pillow over your face. The cumulative effect of these obstructed breathing episodes is reduced blood oxygen levels to the brain. This condition forces you to remain in a light sleep, depriving you of REM (rapid eye movement, deep-sleep- stage) and preventing you from getting a proper night of sleep. If untreated, severe sleep apnea can lead to serious long-term consequences.
Symptoms Indicating Sleep Apnea
If you suffer from sleep apnea you may have hundreds of involuntary breathing pauses, called apneic episodes, per hour, each lasting 10 seconds or longer. You will usually snore between episodes, and then snort, gasp or choke when you begin breathing again. Another symptom of sleep apnea is marked daytime sleepiness. If you have these symptoms or if your snoring is excessively loud, you should immediately see a physician.
Results of sleep apnea
If you are an OSA sufferer, you will never get a "good nights sleep" because the repeated sleep interruptions will deprive you of necessary deep sleep. A lack of sleep leads to morning headaches, irritability, poor concentration, chronic daytime exhaustion, obesity, hypertension, frequent nocturnal urination and daytime sleepiness. Daytime sleepiness and fatigue caused by sleep apnea has severe consequences, from job impairment to loss of life while driving a car. Furthermore, the results of improper sleep can lead to long-term cardiovascular stress, cardiovascular failure or to stroke.
How can the Institute for Better Breathing stop your snoring?
If you have tissue floppiness in your upper airways, the board certified specialists at the Institute For Better Breathing will use the FDA approved Somnoplasty procedure to permanently stiffen and alter the shape of these tissues to reduce or eliminate your snoring. Somnoplasty can also reduce or eliminate sinus headaches, post nasal drip and also reduce the impact of allergic reaction.
What is somnoplasty?
Somnoplasty is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment that uses
radio waves to shrink and tighten the soft tissues in your upper airway. These tissues
are at the back of the throat and enlarged turbinates in the nose. The reshaping
and tightening of these tissues stops the tissue vibration, improves air flow and
consequently stops your snoring. The doctors at the Institute For Better Breathing will
perform the Somnoplasty procedure in their office using a local anesthetic. The procedure
takes less than an hour with only 2-5 minutes of actual exposure to the radio waves.
More on somnoplasty
Somnoplasty is FDA approved for use in the treatment of four conditions: habitual snoring from the soft palate and uvula, chronic nasal obstruction from enlarged inferior turbinates and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS).
Somnoplasty involves inserting a small probe into the palate. The probe directs low levels of
radio frequency energy to the tissues of the uvula or soft palate. The procedure creates finely
controlled zones of coagulation at precise locations beneath the tissue in the upper airway.
This controlled destruction of tissue results in reshaping and tightening of the soft palate.
Over a period of three to eight weeks, the treated tissue previously responsible for snoring is
resorbed; that is, the body naturally removes this tissue and opens the airway.
Why does somnoplasty work?
The FDA approved Somnoplasty procedure treats snoring and obstructive sleep apnea by shrinking soft tissues in the upper airway. Somnoplasty permanently alters the shape of the soft palate. The new stiffer shape of the soft palate does not vibrate as much in a way that causes snoring.
Somnoplasty can also reduce enlarged turbinates in the nose, reducing the problems of restricted airflow in the nose. This improved air flow can resolve sinus headaches, nasal stuffiness, nasal drip and recurrent sinus infections.
What causes snoring?
When you sleep your body relaxes allowing the tissues of the soft palate and the base of the tongue to collapse, this obstructs the breathing airway. This narrowing of the airway increases the speed of the air movement. With the increased speed, the soft tissues of the palate, the uvula, and sometimes the tonsils vibrate, acting as noisemakers, causing you to snore.
Somnoplasty is safe, painless, and easy to have done.
Somnoplasty is safe.
Now, the Somnoplasty procedure available at the Institute For Better Breathing is a significant improvement over previous techniques. Somnoplasty will not destroy the delicate tissue lining of the throat like other types of snoring surgery such as laser or cautery. It is the destruction of this lining that causes significant discomfort as well as carrying other surgical risks.
The board-certified specialists at the Institute For Better Breathing perform Somnoplasty in their offices. The shorter a medical procedure is, the safer it is. Your actual exposure to low level radio waves is less than 5 minutes. You will be done with the procedure in less than 30-45 minutes.
Somnoplasty is painless.
For years, there was no available non-invasive solution for snoring reduction or nasal obstruction. Previously, surgical options would succeed in reducing upper airway obstruction, but carried significant postoperative pain and bleeding risk. Somnoplasty does not hurt. Since the delicate lining of the palate and nose are protected, the Somnoplasty procedure will allow you a quick and virtually painless recovery. You will usually resume your normal activities after the procedure using only a mild pain reliever such as Tylenol.
Somnoplasty is easy to have done
Somnoplasty is easy to have done because you are treated conveniently in the comfortable offices of the Institute For Better Breathing, eliminating inconvenient and costly hospitalization. Anesthetic is only a mouth gargle and a small amount of injected anesthetic similar to Novocain. Discomfort is minimal and you can return to your normal activities immediately after the procedure.
Stop using ineffective methods.
Stop using ineffective methods to cure your snoring. Some of these methods include the use of special anatomy contorting devices that attempt to prevent the vibrations that cause snoring. Some rely on behavior modification that inflicts self-torture or electric shock or the use of smelly greasy patent medicines. The last method suggests that you change your lifestyle habits by exercising more, losing weight or reducing alcohol consumption.
The ineffective attempts to cure snoring consist of four approaches:
1) This method is based on altering your position during sleep. Some suggested devices are special snoring pillows or nose strips popular among athletes and available at a drug store. If you suffer from sleep apnea, there are dental devices that hold the tongue and jaw forward to keep the passage in the back of the neck open. These methods are frequently uncomfortable and are less effective. More modern methods are available to control and detect sleep apnea.
2) This method is based on the idea of making you so uncomfortable that you will change your behavior. The method uses electric shock when you snore. There is no evidence that this works. On the contrary, there is no evidence you can control, either directly or indirectly, your snoring. Moreover, it might aggravate your snoring by depriving you of important sleep.
3) This method suggests that you try a life-style change. The suggestions usually include losing weight, exercising, stopping smoking and stopping drinking, especially at night. Even if these methods would work, and they do not, there is not a big enough book written that you can read to show you how to accomplish these ends.
4) This method employs snoring potions. These patent medicines are smelly and expensive. To avoid traditional surgical pain, patients with various nasal conditions resulting from enlarged turbinates often endure prolonged use of intranasal sprays and systemic medications, which have long term effectiveness and moreover have harmful side effects.
Start using an effective method.
Somnoplasty is a proven technique that will stop your snoring. Somnoplasty is a technique that relieves upper-airway obstructions with minimum intra-operative and post-operative pain. Somnoplasty is a safe method for palate-tissue reduction for the treatment of habitual snoring, and is effective in the improvement of nasal obstruction caused by turbinate hypertrophy. You will experience a reduction of snoring within four to eight weeks, sometimes much sooner.
Are you a candidate for somnoplasty?
If you are burdened with annoying disruptive snoring, habitual snoring, or snoring that prevents your partner from sleeping in the same room, you are a candidate for Somnoplasty. If you suffer from sinus headaches, snoring, allergies, post nasal drip or chronic nasal obstruction that is the result of enlarged nasal turbinates, you are a candidate for Somnoplasty.
Ruling out sleep apnea
It is important to discover if obstructive sleep apnea is a part of your problem. Please contact The Institute For Better Breathing. Our doctors will examine your medical history and determine if Somnoplasty or other procedures would solve your problem. When you come in for your initial examination, if you have suggestive symptoms, we will usually initiate a simple, painless overnight sleep test. If serious obstructive sleep apnea is ruled out and you snore loudly, you are certainly a candidate for Somnoplasty. If obstructive sleep apnea is not ruled out, you still might be a candidate, but further tests will be necessary.
How much does it cost and is it covered by insurance?
Somnoplasty is an FDA approved procedure for the treatment of habitual snoring. Please contact us for accurate information and to discuss your particular situation.
Initial evaluation of snoring and the sleep test for obstructive sleep apnea is nearly always covered by insurance. If you have sleep apnea, most insurance plans cover the cost of testing. We offer various package arrangements that cover the total cost of the procedure, including the doctor's fee for the first treatment.
Why wait? Get it done with the best!
Why wait? Stop your snoring with Somnoplasty. Get it done by board certified specialists at the Institute For Better Breathing. These specialists are among the finest and some of the first to perform Somnoplasty in the country. If you live in or are visiting Southern California, call The Institute For Better Breathing to discuss details.


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In order to have a technician remotely connect to your computer software must first be downloaded.
1. I have downloaded the program, now what?
If you have not yet please contact us at (949) 916-6444 to have a technician connect to you.
2. I have a specific number given to me, what do I do with this?
Please provide this to one of our technicians via telephone.
3. Should I just leave my computer on?
Yes, once you have provided the necessary information we will fix any of your technical issues and automatically log out of your system.


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With Far Cry: Primal being announced just a few weeks ago, it seems there will be another tribe-based title making its way into the world of gaming. However, the two of them will have very distinct differences. While they will both be open-world games set in a primitive era, Far Cry: Primal will be focusing solely on the lives of tribe members as they try to progress themselves. On the other hand, WiLD will be a game where you play as a shaman, possessing the abilities to summon animals, and even play as those animals, as you gain powerful knowledge and utilize nature to help you complete quests and things of the sort.
Officially revealed back in August of 2014 by the developers of the newly-formed Wild Sheep studios, this game is looking to be a milestone in the open-world genre. The game will take place in a vast open land that will feature dynamic seasons and weather that will affect how the game is played. Basically what this means is that the environment will be constantly changing, allowing for different animals to spawn in and be used for many varying purposes.
WiLD will be based around a great deal of adventure in the world, but also will rely highly on skill to progress forward in the storyline. Meaning that you will need to recognize the specific situation you find yourself in, and what exactly needs to be done to succeed. As shown earlier today at Sony's media briefing for Paris Games Week, the shaman needs to save a woman who has been bitten by a venomous snake. What he does to accomplish this task starts off with calling upon an eagle to search for, and capture a snake. He then uses this snake to summon the Mighty Snake Divinity who can provide him with an antidote, and even teach him how to control snakes for his own purposes. These features open the door to a vast array of possibilities within the game as you move along in the storyline and do whatever you can to assist your tribe. Besides the single player mode, WiLD will also feature some form of multiplayer, although, what it will consist of is not known just yet.
A release date for WiLD has not been announced yet, but it has been established that this game will be an exclusive for PlayStation 4.


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Melissa & Doug Press-A-Pendant Necklaces
Melissa Doug
$ 17.40
This all-in-one kit lets the kid be the designer! All the premium materials needed to make 4 vintage-style pendant necklaces are included: 5 metal pendants, 5 metal ball chains, 11 decorative stickers, 5 dome stickers, 10 metal ball chain caps, 5 clasps, a decorative bead, and simple, step-by-step instructions on how to put them all together. In no time, kids will be designing and making stylish accessories to wear and share. It's quick to learn but challenging enough to engage older kids and tweens, and the results are wearable, giftable, and gorgeous. Gender: female.


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Take a look at VIAIR's NEW Onboard Air (OBA) systems featuring our NEW Dual 485C Gen. 2 Compressors and the already popular Dual 480C compressors. These upgraded kits have some of the same features of our original onboard air kits, but now include our NEW 485C Platinum/Stealth Black compressors and the 480C Chrome/Stealth Black compressors.
Both of these kits are ideal for a variety of pneumatic applications including (but not limited to): powering air tools, air lockers, air horns, air tanks, air bags, tire inflation, and load levelers. With these pre-packed OBA kits, we've made purchasing easy saving you time and research! These OBA kits come complete with compressors, air tank, fittings, pressure switch, relay(s), electrical connectors, and all applicable accessories.
Dual 485C Gen. 2 OBA
Make your onboard system stand out with the sleek new head design of the 485C. And with the new 485C Gen. 2 compressors, this is our only OBA kit rated at 100% duty @ 200 PSI. Featuring an increased head port size of 3/8" NPT, this OBA kit allows for more CFM – so you'll fill your application faster!
VIAIR's Dual 485C Onboard Air system also features quieter dB levels due to thicker vibration isolators on the feet. With the same mounting footprint as our 444C, you'll be able to upgrade to the new 485C with ease!
Additional upgrades exclusively available for the Dual 485C OBA are:
- Digital Tire Inflation Gun
- Airline Cutter
- Push-to-connect fittings
- Rubber Tipped Blowgun
- 3-in-1 Air Down Gauge
- Removable VIAIR Filter Cover
P/N 20085 (Platinum)
P/N 20185 (Stealth Black)View the full product details here
Dual 480C OBA
Stick with one of our most popular C model compressors, the VIAIR Dual 480C Onboard Air system! This classic round head design is known to be quieter than our smaller compressor models like the 444C or 380C. And, the increased head port size of 3/8" NPT provides the highest CFM on a 100% duty cycle compressors rated at 100 PSI. With your choice of the timeless chrome finish or stand out Stealth Black, these tried and proven compressors come as a pre-packaged compressed air solution for your pneumatic needs.
P/N 20021 (Chrome)
P/N 20022 (Stealth Black)View the full product details here
As one of the only manufacturers of these unique Onboard air systems, we offer multiple kits with various duty cycles. To learn more, refer to our previous blog post on Choosing the Right Onboard Air for multiple applications including air tools, tire inflation, air lockers and air horns. Whether you are out on the road, or on a wheeling adventure, make sure VIAIR is your vital air source for all your pneumatic needs!
If you have any further questions, you can always contact us:
- Call us at 949-585-0011 from 8AM-5PM PT, Monday-Friday
- Chat us with our website's Live Chat feature from 8AM-5PM PT, Monday-Friday
- Email us at Customer Service to reach us after-hours, and we will reply to you the following business day.


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Sunday, October 25, 2015
Hope for a Cure
27 comments:
Great post for a great cause. Thanks for sharing!!ReplyDelete
Melissa | So About What I Said
Love all of these products and donating to good causes :)ReplyDelete
xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys
Great awareness post :)ReplyDelete
Anything & Everything | Bloglovin'
Love these products and their promotion of awareness!ReplyDelete
I've been seeing a lot of the pink Lokai bracelets on my campus lately! I didn't know that Alex and Ani did an awareness bracelet as well so thanks for sharing!! :-)ReplyDelete
xoxo A
- AnonymousOctober 26, 2015 at 2:34 PM
The Alex + Ani bracelet is my favorite!ReplyDelete
How 2 Wear It [] http://how2wearit.com
I love these products! They are so great to bring awareness for breast cancer. Love the EOS and Alex + Alex bracelet.ReplyDelete
Smitten Sophie
I love the A+A bracelet. I didn't know Bobbi Brown had a breast cancer blush. I love purchasing products that give a donation to a cause. Thanks for sharing this.ReplyDelete
xoxo, Danielle
loving that vineyard vines phone cover!ReplyDelete
Aw prayers for you and your family! That fragrance is one of my faves!! Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Sara Kate Styling
I think it is fabulous when brands donate a portion of their proceeds to a great cause. The Lokai bracelet is so cute!ReplyDelete
Very cool post!! I think this is such a great month to celebrate survivors, fighters, and anyone affected by this terrible disease--awareness is so key!ReplyDelete
BCA is extremely close to my heart, too. I lost my grandmother and my aunt battled it but fortunately is a survivor. My chiro told me something really great the other day... he said instead of fighting to find a cure, we should be fighting and taking care of ourself to never have to have cancer at all! We should be taking care of ourselves, getting checkups all of the time, all of that. We shouldn't have to go through cancer and be sick, we should do everything to prevent it! I really loved that he said that.ReplyDelete
I love shopping for a good cause and I didn't know about a lot of these brand collaborations. Thank you so much for sharing.ReplyDelete
Lokai bracelets are fantastic! I didn't know why were doing a pink one! That's too cool!ReplyDelete
Nicole // Chronicling Home
Such a great post!! I love all of these brand collaborations for a good cause!ReplyDelete
xo Ashley
I love so much that I can buy things I would anyways and it will go to a good cause!ReplyDelete
Such a cute idea to round-up shopping ideas in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month...I had no idea so many people donated based on what you bought. Thanks for sharing! x Nicole | www.changeanddress.comReplyDelete
Breast cancer is also near and dear to my heart because my mother was diagnosed and is now a survivor. Thank you for sharing these items, it's so wonderful to see all these companies supporting the fight against breast cancer.ReplyDelete
I love when brands support charities, especially cancer research! Thinking of you and your in-laws <3ReplyDelete
XO, SS || Seersucker Sass
- AnonymousOctober 27, 2015 at 1:35 PM
What a lovely sentiment for a great cause. I hope everyone follows your lead.ReplyDelete
Ashleigh | www.quintessentiallyme.co.uk
Great products for an amazing cause! :)ReplyDelete
Le Stylo Rouge
I love supporting breast cancer. I have quite a few people in my life who've had this awful illness effect them and it's just horrible! I am always up for purchases that benefit the cause!ReplyDelete
I love pink and that it is the simple of hope for this month!! Great items donating back to a worthy cause!! Prayers to your family in this fight!ReplyDelete
I am all about some BAC and I can't believe October is already almost over - thanks for sharing your picks for a great cause!ReplyDelete
Pick Your Beau
I love that Vineyard Vines case! I might have to spring for it!ReplyDelete
The pink Lokai was on my must-have list! So glad it finally made it's way to my bracelet box!ReplyDelete
-Kayla | Professional Prep


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JFShadowWarrior is 3D Realms' 1997 shooter Shadow Warrior updated for modern computers. - Game originally developed by 3D Realms - Build Engine developed by Ken Silverman - JFShadowWarrior, JFBuild, JFAudioLib and JFMACT developed by Jonathon Fowler - Shadow Warrior Classic game data required (get it from GOG or Steam) - Check chapter "Game Data" for further details - Thx to BSzili and BeWorld for engine fixes - Thx to ddni, Nuder_Try, samo79 and utri007 for beta testing - Thx to sTix for GCC 10.3.0 - Thx to Capehill for SDL2 2.0.14 - Initial release for OS4 - Port based on latest Version 20210130 - POLYMOST renderer (sw only) - Joypad support - Widescreen support - Check chapter "Known issues" prior first launch - Have fun ! - --- -------------------------------------------------------------------- -- - Game Data: The "data" directory should be filled with the following files: Filename Size Track14.ogg 3842720 Track13.ogg 7862110 Track12.ogg 5400585 Track11.ogg 4616340 Track10.ogg 4458630 Track09.ogg 4848227 Track08.ogg 4568921 Track07.ogg 3126839 Track06.ogg 4093050 Track05.ogg 5073409 Track04.ogg 4543142 Track03.ogg 1288683 Track02.ogg 4427686 Sw.rts 267626 Sw.grp 47536148 Don't copy any cfg files. JFShadowWarrior will automatically create one which should work on almost all OS4 systems. - --- -------------------------------------------------------------------- -- - Known issues: - When using an Radeon RX graphics card you need to set DPM Behavior to high in Power Prefs. Otherwise game perfomance will be decreased - even if this version features sw renderer only. - Switching resolution in fullscreen mode sometimes disables the mouse input. Workaround: Switch to Workbench, drag Workbench down and click into game screen, switch back to game screen. - Avoid changing NumBits to 16 in sw.cfg as this can cause loud noise - --- -------------------------------------------------------------------- -- - Links: https://www.jonof.id.au/jfsw/index.html https://github.com/IamSON1C/jfsw - --- -------------------------------------------------------------------- -- - License / Copyright: JFShadowWarrior is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. The JFBuild engine used in JFShadowWarrior is used under the terms of the BUILD Source Code License. // "Build Engine & Tools" Copyright (c) 1993-1997 Ken Silverman // Ken Silverman's official web site: "http://www.advsys.net/ken" // See the included license file "BUILDLIC.TXT" for license info.
|Copyright (c) 2004-2023 by Björn Hagström All Rights Reserved
Amiga OS and its logos are registered trademarks of Hyperion Entertainment


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The Mall of America purports to have everything, and maybe that's why we went, just to see what "everything" could look like. The Mall is less than twenty years old, and boasts 4.2 million feet of shopping and entertainment. But we weren't going to buy anything—we were going to be somewhere completely different. Hyde Park had become cold and unpleasant, with finals looming like the terrifying monstrosities they are. The exact reasons that we took an overnight bus to Minnesota are unclear, even to us. But we found ourselves at Union Station at ten on a Friday evening, waiting for the double-decker bus that would transport us across the great Midwest, towards the consumerist American dream. Whether we found it or not is as obscured to us as our reasons for seeking it in the first place.
The Mall of America at 10:30 in the morning on a Saturday, a half-hour after it opens its doors, is a strangely perfect place. Shoppers mill, in sweaters and coats, rosy cheeked as they shed scarves and mittens. They wait in line for tickets to the amusement park rides and lounge on the benches under the atrium, which floods the entire gallery with natural light. The Mall of America is located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. A mall like this could only really exist in the suburbs. It's expansive, overwhelming, and completely innocuous. Despite having a wedding chapel and an indoor theme park, the Mall doesn't have the flashy, sexy glitz of Vegas. Instead, the Mall of America looks almost exactly like whatever mall was closest to your house growing up—huge chain stores, lots of light, about a dozen coffee shops with holiday special drinks like Spiced Gingerbread Latte and Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha. Small retail carts abound, selling massagers, silver jewelry, and every color of Crocs. Except for the roller coaster roaring at a snail's pace above our heads, there was little to differentiate the Mall from any other.
When we rode the too-slow roller coaster at the Mall, we saw into its most visible guts. The theme park is set to become Nickelodeon-themed in the near future, and the building leading to a massive Sponge Bob ride carved out neutral, sand-colored holes which dotted the atrium. But aside from these strange footprints, even the smallest things were eerily perfect—there are no rowdy teenagers in the Mall of America, and mall security rarely appeared during our visit. When they did, it was at the entrance, turning away un-chaperoned youths as afternoon slid into evening. Families with children swarmed the tamest of the rides and the McDonald's in the food court. A huge Christmas tree loomed in the entrance, and the line for Santa's Village snaked around the indoor trees and plywood walls for the construction pits. The Mall of America is self-heating—the temperature maintains itself from the light in the atrium and the extra energy generated by the visitors and the operation of the stores and restaurants. In the winter, during peak shopping season, the Mall sometimes runs air conditioners despite temperatures far below freezing on the outside. Almost everyone in the Mall of America looks unbearably happy, or unbearably bored. Rather than making trouble, the teenagers stand in line to ride rollercoasters, and scream loudly at the most basic of twists and turns.


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IF bigger means scarier, director Jon Turteltaub's upcoming film The Meg should be a terrifying treat. Starring Jason Statham and Ruby Rose, the film sees a 70-foot shark ruin a few holidays by feasting on helpless surfers and beachgoers.
To mark the release of this colossal shark flick, Close-up Culture have picked ten of our favourite scarily sized creatures from film history.
10) Shelob
FINDING a two-inch spider in the bathroom can be scary enough, let alone the large creature that stalks Frodo in Peter Jackson's 2003 fantasy film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Shelob's stealthy scurrying and drooling fluids only add to the horror of this nightmarishly oversized spider.
9) Cyclops
MUCH of Peter Jackson's creature work has been inspired by one of the greats of cinema – Ray Harryhausen. The master of special effects created this hideously ugly cyclops for Nathan H Juran's 1958 film The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
8) Allosaurus
WILLIS O'Brien, another pioneer of early film special effects, helped bring Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 book to life for the 1925 film The Lost World. The Allosaurus is a menace for both humans and dinosaurs in the film.
7) Jabba's Rancor
IN Return of the Jedi (1983), one of Luke Skywalker's first big hurdles is to slay Jabba The Hutt's slobbering monster the Rancor.
6) Rhedosaurus
PRECEDING Godzilla by 16 months, the Rhedosaurus from Eugène Lourié's The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) was cinema's first atomic monster. Another creation of Harryhausen's visionary stop-motion animation, this reawakened prehistoric creature causes havoc in New York City.
5) Hydra
IN what Tom Hanks once called the greatest film of all time, another of Harryhausen's giant creature creations provided iconic cinematic sequences. The multi-headed Hydra is the perfect daunting final foe for our hero in 1963's Jason and the Argonauts.
4) T-Rex
68 YEARS after O'Brien brought the Allosaurus to the big-screen, Steven Spielberg and his team wowed audiences with the roaring arrival of the T-Rex. Thanks to incredibly crafted scenes and special effects that hold up to this day, Jurassic Park's T-Rex remains one of cinema's scariest creatures.
3) Godzilla
THERE is a reason we still frequently see Godzilla on the big-screen some 64 years after he first debuted. This monstrous creature still connects with audiences, no matter how many times he has scared them.
2) King Kong
JUST like his atomic sea monster friend, King Kong is a character that remains at the forefront of the cinematic consciousness – especially when it comes to scarily sized creatures. The biggest triumph of Willis O'Brien's legendary career, the King Kong film in 1933 is still considered one of the greatest films of all-time.
1) Jaws
SPIELBERG'S robotic shark kept people out of the water and helped revolutionise the film industry. Jaws (1975) has inspired a long list of giant shark films, including Jaume Collet-Serra's The Shallows (2016) and The Meg.


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Personalized Gift Greetings
If you are purchasing a month club as a gift, we offer you several options for sending a personalized gift greeting to your recipient. You have the option of having a gift greeting sent to you or your recipient via USPS or email. You can also print your own greeting. Things to know about gift greetings:
- Greetings that are sent via USPS are printed on a 41/4 X 51/2 inch card weight parchment paper and are inserted into a gift card envelope.
- "A Gift for You" is printed on the front of the envelope and the return address lists the from as "MCS" rather then "Month Club Store" in order to save the surprise for when the envelope is opened.
- Don't worry about the details of what they are going to get - we do that for you (see example below - your greeting will be printed in bold).
- Sign your greeting! If no names are listed on your greeting, your recipient my not know who sent it.
- Please refrain from using profanity or offensive language.
- We do NOT send any invoice (purchase price) info to the recipient.
Gift greetings are sent out daily (Monday-Friday) around 3:00PM CST
from Omaha, NE and typically arrive at most destinations within 2-3
days. If you would like to request a later date for us to send the
notification, please indicate the date in the 'Order Notes' area at
Christmas Holiday orders are automatically handled differently. Click here for information about holiday orders.
The following is a sample of a typical gift notification that we send out:
Happy Birthday Uncle Joe!
Tom, Jen and the kids!
You have been given twelve months of hot sauce from the Hot Sauce of the Month Club!
Each month for the next twelve months, you will receive a package containing the Hot Sauce of the Month Club selection. It will be shipped the third full week of each month beginning in January.
Visit us at www.monthclubstore.com. If you have comments, questions, suggestions or address changes, you can send them to us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Connecting people to video, data and applications using networks is at the heart of modern business
We specialise in the design and support of broadcast networking solutions. Our team supports one of the world's largest private networks.
Our team is leading the way in the development of latest technologies, and delivering seamless, critical network solutions. We are supporting some of the biggest live stream broadcasters in sport, entertainment and events in the world.
Our leading edge solutions include:
Live media content gathering for quality media broadcasting
Delivering live quality remote content with cost savings
Providing secure
and fast transfer of media files
Real time transporting of media with larger cost savings
24 hrs/7 days a week, network health monitoring and support
Our Approach
One size does not fit all – we identify your needs, design and deliver tailored solutions and services. And we back them up by 24/7 helpdesk support.


text: The AMANZI Dominate Prismatic Mirror Goggles - Black/White are a sleek high tech racing goggle with a low lens profile and hydrodynamic design ensuring minimal drag when swimming. The soft TPE gasket provides a comfortable seal around the eyes meaning these can also be worn during swim training sessions. These goggles come with a reusable neoprene case to ensure your goggles are kept safely stored between swims.