text:
About us
VAHC people
Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition is staffed by one part-time coordinator and two full-time AmeriCorps*VISTA members.
Guidance comes, in part, from a seven-member steering committee.
The Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition (VAHC) is a statewide membership organization dedicated to ensuring that all Vermonters have safe, adequate, physically accessible and affordable housing, particularly the state's low and moderate-income residents, people with disabilities, the homeless, elders, and families with children. Our further mission is to:
- Encourage resident participation and control in their housing;
- Advocate for the preservation of existing housing, protection of renters, and the development of new perpetually affordable housing;
- Promote the recognition of housing as a basic human right for all Vermonters through education of the public and elected officials; and
- Act as a catalyst for exploring and developing innovative means of preserving and increasing Vermont's affordable housing stock.
What we do
The Coalition pursues its mission through six major activities:
- Outreach and coalition-building among broad interests in the field
- Training and workshops for housing professionals
- Community education and public relations
- Research on affordable housing issues and by serving as an information clearing house
- Education, policy development and advocacy with local, state, and federal officials
- Organizing resident associations in affordable housing properties
The Coalition's 80-plus members represent most of Vermont's non-profit affordable housing developers, community land trusts, homeless shelters and service providers, public housing authorities, funding agencies, residents' associations, community action agencies, regional planners, and housing, disability and tenants' rights advocates. Together, VAHC's members provide housing and services to tens of thousands of low-income Vermonters.
State policy development
VAHC has played a central role in developing state housing policy, legislation and programs, including:
- The Vermont Housing and Conservation Board,
- The Vermont Affordable Housing Tax Credit,
- State funding for Homeless Shelters and Services and General/Emergency Assistance,
- Vermont's Landlord-Tenant Law,
- Enabling legislation for Resident-Owned Housing Cooperatives, and
- Act 252, the state's pioneering Mobile Home Law.
We have also been a leader in developing and defending long-standing principles of state housing policy, including:
- Ensuring perpetual affordability of publicly-funded housing;
- Targeting assistance to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged Vermonters;
- Preserving existing affordable housing from loss;
- Creating a community-based, non-profit delivery system; and
- Promoting mixed-income and resident controlled housing.
VAHC members led efforts to save Northgate Apartments and other large, at-risk federally subsidized housing developments. Our advocacy efforts have helped to preserve — and often increase — state funding for housing and homelessness in the face of unprecedented pressures on the state budget.
We have worked closely with numerous policy advisory groups, including the Governor's Council on Pathways from Poverty, Vermont Child Poverty Council, Vermont Council on Homelessness, Governor's Housing Council, Preservation Council, and work groups on Lead-Safe Housing, Rental Housing Code Enforcement, Offender Re-Entry and the State's General Assistance Program.
Education and outreach
The Coalition and its members bring together diverse partners to focus the attention of local, state and federal policy makers and the general public on the affordable housing needs of low and moderate income Vermonters, especially those with special needs, including very low-income families with children, the homeless, elders and people with disabilities. We were an active partner in the Vermont Housing Awareness Campaign, whose efforts have succeeded in raising public awareness of the state's acute and chronic affordable housing shortage and the need for affordable housing for all Vermonters. VAHC worked closely with the Vermont Housing Finance Agency and other state partners to help produce an annual research report, Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Housing and Wages in Vermont, which gathered key information on the housing needs of low-income Vermonters.
The Coalition is a valuable information resource for Vermont's affordable housing community through our blog, email alerts, periodic electronic newsletter and website. We convene monthly networking meetings for members to discuss federal and state policy developments, best practices, and other issues of mutual interest. The Coalition is a lead organizer for statewide and regional housing conferences and trainings. VAHC is directly involved in helping to organize residents of at-risk affordable housing and in efforts to preserve existing subsidized housing statewide. Our members are also focused on turning back the increase in homelessness among families with children and the need for various types of supportive housing for people with specialized housing needs.
Federal Policy Development
The Coalition also follows federal policy on housing and homelessness very closely, providing Vermont's Congressional delegation with feedback on the potential impacts of policy changes on low-income Vermonters. The housing community is in the midst of the most significant changes in federal housing policies in decades. Together with our national and regional partners, we are actively engaged in the struggle to prevent unprecedented budget cuts aimed primarily at low income people, and to preserve key federal housing resources amid a dramatic shift of responsibilities to state and local government.
The VAHC has been Vermont's lead agency for the New England Housing Network, a broad regional coalition of housing and community development organizations formed to respond to dramatic changes in federal housing policy. As the state partner for the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the premier national housing advocacy organization, we work with other state coalitions from across the United States to preserve and improve key federal housing programs.


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Which Console Did You Buy/Receive Over The Holidays?
Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft's Director of Product Management, was on hand during the latest taping of the Major Nelson podcast and he has confirmed that a few very anticipated titles from Microsoft will be released in the first half of 2010.
Greenberg steps up to the mic starting at 22:00. After Major Nelson makes fun of his new retainer, Greenberg begins to talk about the November NPD numbers and, of course, the complete domination of Xbox 360 software sales during the month. This segues into a dicussion about the Xbox 360's 2010 lineup and at 32:00 Greenberg drops this bomb...
"Starting in January we have like a AAA exclusive title pretty much every month for the first half of the year. You got Mass Effect 2. You got Splinter Cell[: Conviction]. You got Alan Wake. You got Crackdown 2. And we know we've got Fable III and Halo: Reach coming later in the year."

subset: commoncrawl


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Story highlights
- House Republicans criticize Senate payroll tax plan negotiated by GOP leaders
- Some senators call on the GOP-led House to pass the Senate proposal
- Gergen: Republicans have been outmaneuvered
- Sen. McCain says the impasse is hurting the Republican Party
At the end of another long and confusing day of political wrangling over extending the payroll tax cut, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi asked a question on everybody's mind.
"The public has to be concerned and wondering why on Earth are we not getting a payroll tax cut when everybody says they're for it?" Pelosi, D-California, said at a news conference Tuesday.
The answer involves the usual suspects of partisan divide in Congress and the politics of a coming election year.
This time, though, there is another factor: disarray among congressional Republicans that has led to a public rift between GOP members of the House and Senate.
On Tuesday, House Republicans pushed their call for further negotiations on a one-year extension of the payroll tax cut. They ridiculed a Senate plan for a two-month extension as irresponsible and unworkable, saying it would create uncertainty by failing to resolve the issue past February.
However, the Senate agreement was negotiated by Democratic and Republican leaders and received strong GOP support in passing on an 89-10 vote.
In effect, the criticism by House Republicans was directed at their Senate party brethren as well as Democrats, adding another twist to the reasons for the impasse.
Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, spoke with disdain on the House floor Tuesday about what he repeatedly referred to the "wisdom of the Senate" and asked his House colleagues to "look what the Senate did," calling the two-month extension plan "really irresponsible on all levels."
Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, also took issue with the Senate plan, saying he had asked Senate leaders to send the House a proposal but when it arrived, "the House disagreed with it."
Boehner's problem is that he initially urged his House colleagues to back the Senate measure, according to a GOP source who spoke of what happened in a conference call of the Republican House caucus Saturday.
While Boehner referred to the Senate measure approved that day as the best deal the House would get, his top deputy -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia -- opposed it and urged the caucus to reject it, the source said.
Boehner disputed that characterization of the caucus meeting, saying Tuesday he let Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell know of his disapproval of a short-term extension as the Senate negotiation approached finality.
"I expressed my displeasure in once again taking the convenient route and not doing the people's work," said Boehner, who now leads the House Republican opposition to the Senate plan.
Democrats have seized on the Republican disunity, noting that GOP leaders have blocked votes in both the House and Senate on payroll tax proposals backed by their party.
"If we do not have a payroll tax cut, it's because the Republicans in the House of Representatives have chosen to paint themselves in a different place than Republicans in the country and Republicans in the United States Senate," Pelosi noted Tuesday.
While House Republicans say they support a one-year extension of the payroll tax cut, the fact that they refuse to pass the Senate measure that would provide a two-month extension and more time to negotiate shows they have a different agenda, she said.
'Whatever they say is irrelevant," Pelosi said of House Republicans. "What they do is what's important, and what they're doing is not giving a payroll tax cut to 160 million Americans."
President Barack Obama joined the Democratic chorus, noting that Senate leaders from both parties had agreed to the short-term extension in order to guarantee that taxes don't increase for working Americans while negotiations continue early next year on the one-year extension that House Republicans say they support.
"What they're really holding out for is to wring concessions from Democrats on issues that have nothing to do with the payroll tax cut," Obama said of House Republicans.
Another problem for Republicans is that they have blocked votes in both chambers on payroll tax-cut proposals they crafted or endorsed.
House Republicans pushed through a bill extending the lower rate enacted last year through 2012, but tacked on other provisions opposed by Democrats and some GOP senators.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, was against holding a Senate vote on the House plan, apparently because he knew it would fail.
On Monday night, House Republican leaders ruled out a direct up-and-down vote on the Senate's two-month extension of the payroll tax cut.
Instead, the House on Tuesday passed a procedural resolution that expressed disagreement with the Senate plan and called for a conference committee made up of members of both chambers to negotiate a compromise.
Obama and House Democrats called for a direct vote on the Senate plan, with Pelosi saying the refusal by GOP leaders to bring it up showed they feared enough Republican members would join the Democratic minority to pass it.
To CNN Senior Political Analyst David Gergen, Republicans have been "outmaneuvered" on the issue.
Obama and the Democrats have "put the Republicans in the House into a position where they look like they are clearly obstructing," Gergen said.
The unresolved dispute continued to pit Republican versus Republican on Tuesday.
Five mostly moderate Republican senators have called for the House to support the Senate's two-month extension. One of them, Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, issued a statement after Tuesday's House vote that said House Republicans "would rather continue playing politics than find solutions."
"Their actions will hurt American families and be detrimental to our fragile economy," said Brown, who is facing a stiff re-election challenge in heavily Democratic Massachusetts next year. "We are Americans first; now is not the time for drawing lines in the sand."
Veteran Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who voted for the Senate's proposal, told CNN that the reality of the issue is that the payroll tax cut must be extended to help out Americans still struggling in the economic recovery.
"It is harming the Republican Party," McCain said of the continuing impasse. "It is harming the view, if it's possible any more, of the American people about Congress."


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Overview + SERVICES
"When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty, but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong."
- R. Buckminster Fuller
Create is a multi-disciplinary design studio specializing in creative concepts and thinking. Using design & technology we assist companites to market, grow and optimize their business. We develop Internet Business Solutions & Software that allow our clients to market, and communicate effectively with consumers and business partners.
We have 10 years of experience developing tourism and real estate related web products for clients from Toronto to Vancouver and our home in Whistler, Canada.
what's new
» March 10, 2010 Domain for sale
This business is no longer operating as I have started another venture. If you wish to purchase this domain please send proposals to email@example.com
WEB Portfolio
Examples will open in new window
We build solutions to let you use the internet to share, learn & communicate effectively; Creating powerful web-based tools for partners and customers that communicate with applications and e-commerce; Developing tools that allow employees to centralize, organize, and share information; manage documents; and enable efficient collaboration.
Principles of web design
We nicked these from The BBC web standards but they capture our thoughts perfectly.
1. Build web products that meet audience needs: anticipate needs not yet fully articulated by audiences, then meet them with products that set new standards.
2. The very best websites do one thing really, really well: do less, but execute perfectly.
3. Do not attempt to do everything yourselves: link to other high-quality sites instead. Your users will thank you. Use other people's content and tools to enhance your site, and vice versa.
4. Fall forward, fast: make many small bets, iterate wildly, back successes, kill failures, fast.
5. Treat the entire web as a creative canvas: don't restrict your creativity to your own site.
6. The web is a conversation. Join in: Adopt a relaxed, conversational tone. Admit your mistakes.
7. Any website is only as good as its worst page: Ensure best practice editorial processes are adopted and adhered to.
8. Make sure all your content can be linked to, forever.
9. Remember your granny won't ever use "Second Life": She may come online soon, with very different needs from early-adopters.
10. Maximise routes to content: Develop as many aggregations of content about people, places, topics, channels, networks & time as possible. Optimise your site to rank high in Google.
11. Consistent design and navigation needn't mean one-size-fits-all: Users should always know they're on one of your websites, even if they all look very different. Most importantly of all, they know they won't ever get lost.
12. Accessibility is not an optional extra: Sites designed that way from the ground up work better for all users
13. Let people paste your content on the walls of their virtual homes: Encourage users to take nuggets of content away with them, with links back to your site
14. Link to discussions on the web, don't host them: Only host web-based discussions where there is a clear rationale
15. Personalisation should be unobtrusive, elegant and transparent: After all, it's your users' data. Best respect it.
Our PRODUCTS
LiveSoftware is a suite of web enabled software that allows you to take control of your web site. Easily update the contents of your site without learning complicated web programming or hiring a web designer.
LiveSoftware products integrate seamlessly into your current site design and are updatable through a web browser. More information wil be coming online shortly about our suite of products.
Client login + RANDOM READINGS
Random readings & sites we like
» http://www.brandspankingnew.net/
» http://www.springwise.com/ideas/
* thanks to mootools


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MEOW cat_3nodding Hello! Today I have put a list together of my top 10 favorite vocaloid songs cat_blaugh Enjoy!
10. Unhappy Refrain
9. Sweet Devil
8. Romeo and Cinderella.
7. Cantarella
6. Trick and Treat
5. Bad Apple
4. Unbalanced
3. Daughter of Evil
2. Online Game Addicts
1. Burst
Life in the day of Dj Fire Fang
All my crazy events i do in my crazy life to make you spit milk out of your nose


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Even in our grief, applying the algorithm
Plaza Towers Elementary School, Moore, Oklahoma. Before and after
My mother's family mostly live around Oklahoma City. As far as I know all my cousins are okay. But it is a huge clan, much more prolific than my father's. I have not met most of the youngest generation.
Even without a personal connection — including childhood memories of my grandpa's storm cellar — the outcome of what happened in Moore and nearby prompts many of us to quietly, respectfully ask some questions; and listen patiently and non-judgmentally for answers at the right time.
Is the frequency of the threat increasing?
Is the innate energy of the threat increasing?
Can we do anything to reduce the threat?
Since the 1999 tornado has new construction reasonably reflected the nature of the threat? (For example, safe-rooms, basements, other "protective action")
Since the 1999 tornado has there been any retrofitting to reflect the nature of the threat? (For example, construction/designation of safe-rooms)
What is the nature of public training, exercising, messaging and other aspects of threat preparedness?
Does this event — and similar events — have implications for residential density?
Does this event — and similar events — have implications for preventive actions? (For example, there was at least some talk late Sunday and early Monday — before the tornado struck — of canceling schools across a wide area of Central Oklahoma. Those involved in snow-closings will recognize the treacherous nature of such decisions.)
How do we best mitigate the worst risks?
Or as a friend wrote yesterday how do we — allow ourselves, discipline ourselves, empower ourselves — to "think-differently" about such risks?


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Phuket is Thailand's largest island and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. This island is rich in natural resources and has the perfect weather for agriculture while providing colorful tropical vistas. The terrain is varied supporting a variety of plants and animals, addition to agricultural.
Admirable Thailand
Admirable Thailand3N Phuket and 3N Pattaya
Itinerary Map
What's Included
Car DetailsRoad transport from Bangkok - Seat In Coach - AC
Hotel DetailsHotel options available in the package
|Hotel and Room
|3 night(s)
Standard Room
|Room only
|3 night(s)
Standard Room
|Room only
Sightseeing and TransfersOther inclusions available in the package
- All transfers in Seat in Coach basis
- Half Day Phuket City Tour
- Transfers from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Aiport to Hotel 8 00 AM to 6 00 PM
Day Wise Itinerary
Here is how you will spend your time
Day 1
Day 1: Arrive Bangkok And Transfer To Phuket
Upon your arrival in Bangkok, you will be given a warm reception and will be transferred to Phuket. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2
Day 2: Phuket
Day at leisure or half day sightseeing. Overnight at hotel.
Day 3
Day 3: Phuket
Day at leisure or half day sightseeing. Overnight at hotel.
Day 4
Day 4: Phuket To Pattaya
Today transfer to Pattaya. Day at leisure. Overnight at hotel.
Travel from Phuket to Pattaya
Fly Phuket to Bangkok, taxi
6hrs 8min
Fly Phuket to Utapao
6hrs 18min
Ferry to Krabi, fly to Bangkok, taxi
10hrs 5min
13hrs 29min
18hrs 47min
Bus, train
18hrs 55min
Day 5
Day 5: Pattaya
Day at leisure or half day sightseeing. Overnight at hotel.
Day 6
Day 6: Pattaya
Day at leisure or half day sightseeing. Overnight at hotel.
Day 7
Day 7: Departure
After enjoying breakfast at the hotel.Check out of the hotel. Proceed to the airport in time to board your flight back home.
Hotels Included
Holiday Inn Resort Phuket (4 star)
52 Thaweewong Road, Patong Beach - 83150, Phuket
Twin Palm Resort Pattaya (3 star)
429/1 Beach Road, Central Banglamung, Chonburi, Pattaya
Cancellation Policy
- The package once booked is refundable and cancellable.
- Flight cancellation will be as per airline cancellation policy.
- Date of booking to 30 days before travel the cancellation charges will be 10% of the tour cost
- 30 to 15 days before travel - cancellation charges will be 50% of the tour cost
- 15 to 7 days before travel - cancellation charges will be 75% of the tour cost
- 0 to 7 days before travel - cancellation charges will be 100% of the tour cost. No refund shall be given
- Please note cancellation policy is subject to change. It depends on the hotel policy. In peak season, some hotels may charge 100% cancellation.
Additional Information
- Check-in at hotel starts from 14:00 hrs.
- Check-out time is until 12:00 hrs.
- Early check-in or late check-out is subject to availability and may be chargeable by the hotel.
- Once your payment has been processed, we will send you an email confirmation.
- You will receive all travel vouchers required for your flights and accommodation shortly afterwards.


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Breaking news this morning has changes at the top of the writing teams of Prospect Park's All My Children and One Life to Live. In a statement from the creator of the legendary shows, the one and only Agnes Nixon, who has been a consultant with Prospect Park on her shows, announced the new head writers for All My Children are Lisa Connor and Chip Hayes. While the new co-head writers of One Life to Live are Jessica Klein and Marin Gazzaniga.
Agnes related, "It is now my pleasure to announce that the future stories involving the lives of All My Children's beloved characters are from now on in the capable hands of the co-head writers Lisa Connor and Chip Hayes, both of whom have a long and stellar history with our program.
Lisa Connor collaborated with me on the final draft of the All My Children Twenty – Fifth Anniversary Family Album. For two years she also served as a line producer of the program and was creatively involved in plotting and writing daily episodes since 2002.
In addition to his six years as a producer on Melrose Place, Chip Hayes in 2003, became a vital member of those devising the ongoing drama of All My Children. He remains in this crucial work through its incarnation on the internet.
I agree with Prospect Park's decision to replace the head writing team for All My Children. However, I particularly want to thank Marlene McPherson and Elizabeth Snyder for their incredibly positive dedication to the show and their constant helpful attitude during many long hours of intense work. It is greatly appreciated."
Meanwhile, Prospect Park said in a statement today, "We are excited for the opportunity to put the lives of our characters in the capable hands of the new writing staff. We appreciate their commitment to great storytelling that will build upon an already solid foundation for the residents of Llanview and Pine Valley."
Changes to the writing staff include the appointment of Lisa Connors, currently the script editor of All My Children, and Chip Hayes, currently script writer of All My Children, to Co-Head Writers. Additionally, Jessica Klein and Marin Gazzaniga have been promoted to Co-Head Writers of One Life To Live. Jason Seidel will also join the writing staff of One Life To Live.
About the staffs below …
All My Children Co-Head Writers:
Lisa Connor (has won four Writers Guild Awards and a Daytime Emmy, has worked on shows including All My Children, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, Young and The Restless, As The World Turns, One Life To Live and Guiding Light.) Chip Hayes (All My Children Writer, Melrose Place Producer, Writer and Director.)
All My Children Writers:
Rebecca Taylor (All My Children Script Writer) Suzanne V. Johnson (Executive on All My Children and One Life To Live, Head of Writer Development for ABC's daytime dramas, and Emmy award winning creator and co-executive producer of the web series, "What If…") Joanna Cohen (All My Children Script Writer, journalist for Sports Illustrated) Tara K. Walsh (Story Coordinator)
One Life To Live Co–Head Writers:
Jessica Klein (As The World Turns Head Writer, Beverly Hills, 90210 Executive Producer) Marin Gazzaniga (As The World Turns" and Arthur Writer; SO CLOSE Writer)
One Life To Live Writers:
Alex Douglas (USA Network's Royal Pains Writer)
So what do you think of the news of the head writing changes at All My Children and One Life to Live? Happy about it? Do you think it will help the shows? Weigh-in!


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This week's assignment for my Cooking Lab, 'Cooking with Whole Foods' was to makeover a recipe of my choice and turn it into a healthier version, explaining my rationale. We are not allowed to use an actual recipe for our makeover dish, so you have to do your best to come up with a recipe of your own. I chose to makeover the 'nom nom burger'.
Original Dish
Nom, Nom Burger from Holstien's
INGREDIENTS and COOKING METHOD (Taken from their menu or estimated)
- Kobe Beef (Broiled)
- Cheddar Cheese (Melted)
- Thousand Island Dressing (Mayonnaise, Egg, Cream, Ketchup, Mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Lemon Juice, Paprika, Vinegar)
- Potato Chips (Deep Fried and served inside the bun)
- Bun
- French Fries (White Potatoes Deep Fried)
- Onion Rings (Deep Fried)
Chickpea & Veggie Burger
CHICKPEA BURGER (Replaces Kobe Beef Burger) Makes 6 -8 Burgers)
- 1 cup dried Chickpeas (Washed and Sorted, Soaked Overnight and Cooked with Kombu (to improve digestibility)
- 1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Onion, medium dice (sautéed in olive oil)
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- Salt, two pinches
- 1 tsp Cumin, 1 tsp Cardamom and ½ tsp Chili Powder
- 1 Roasted Red Pepper, fine dice (roasted in oven, skin removed)
- 10 Sundried Tomatoes, diced (rehydrated)
- 4 Carrots, grated
- 3 tablespoons of flaxseed to ½ cup of water OR 1 egg
- Parsley, minced ¼ cup
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
SWEET POTATO FRIES - BAKED (Replaces French Fries)
- 1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Sweet Potatoes, ¼ inch baton shape
- Salt, pinch
- Paprika, ½ teaspoon
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, add olive oil. Add sweet potatoes and coat with oil. Sprinkle with salt and paprika. Bake in the oven (400 degrees for approx. 20 minutes).
SWISS CHARD (Replaces Onion Rings)
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard, chiffonade
- 1 Onion, diced
- 1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 – 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
- Salt, pinch
AVOCADO DRESSING (Replaces Thousand Island Dressing)
- 1 Avocado
- Garlic Powder, ¼ tsp
- Lemon Juice
- Add the avocado, garlic powder and lemon juice to a food processor. Process till smooth and creamy.


text:
Pinkee here~ I recently found an article in Glamour magazine that I thought might be interesting to some of you guys. The article is called "Yes (Oh, yes ) Real Women tell their Orgasm Secrets. In it, the truth about women's orgasms is revealed: that women vary quite a bit in their ability to have an orgasm, how fast or slow they have an orgasm, and what kind of orgasms they have. But the big myth of the Cinderella sex is blown. (You know, the fairytale kind of sex where the first time you and your partner are together, you totally know each other's bodies, there's some kissing, some foreplay, and then after a little intercourse the two of you have amazing, simultaneous orgasms.) Ok, maybe it is that way for some people, and if that's you, no need to read on. If not, here are a few ways that Glamour- reading women revealed do it for them
Ayana says that one time in the middle of sex she reached down and shyly started stimulating her own clitoris. Apparently her partner thought it was hot, and she ended up having a "body-rocking " orgasm. Sound good to you? Then you could suggest this to your partner, and she may get the same result.
A woman named Beverly tells of how she "got over being a size queen." A size queen is a woman who wants a man with a large penis. Well, it just so happens that Beverly fell in love with a man who had a 4.5 inch penis, "on a good night". Sound familiar? Well, read on This guy went down on her and she had her first ever orgasm from oral sex. After that, they had sex with penetration, and she reports it was "incredible". So, an orgasm for a woman doesn't always have to be during intercourse in order for her to have a great time.
Sophie says she tilts her hips upward during sex so that her clitoris gets more contact during intercourse. (I am assuming she is on the bottom here.) Another variation on this is to put a pillow under your partner's hips and head during missionary-position sex. Then try to keep your bodies close together while you move during sex. This makes for good clitoral stimulation and contact.
Here are some other tips for female orgasm that the magazine offered: According to Dr. Hutcherson, studies show that panting can increase arousal, which increases the chances of orgasm. So, encourage your woman to start panting like a dog (ok, a porn star?) and see what happens
Before sex, have her use a heating pad on her pelvic area "until things start to feel toasty". Or, have her take a hot bath, or take one together. The heat stimulates blood flow which increases sensitivity.
Whether the woman is on her back, side or torso, if she straightens her legs, this forces her partner to stroke her clitoris as he moves inside. Once you are in position, having the woman move- "try anything from rocking to making figure eights"- can feel quite good to her, says Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, MD.
As you may have noticed, most of these orgasms tips have to do with clitoral stimulation. That is because, for the great majority of women, clitoral stimulation, or some combination of clitoral and G-spot stimulation are what gets them to orgasm. So, if you are simply thrusting in and out of her, without any attention being given to her clitoris, chances are she will not orgasm this way. If this has been your experience, or, if you simply want to try some new, fun, stuff, why not try some of these tips tonight?


text:
The Phantom Tollbooth - eBook
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In StockStock No: WW15519EB
Knopf Books for Young Readers / 2011 / ePub
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The Phantom Tollbooth - eBook
Knopf Books for Young Readers / 2011 / ePub
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Make your way through the Doldrums and journey through the city of Dictionopolis, where the world's letters are bought and sold!
Milo--a very bored little boy--must rescue the twin princesses Rhyme and Reason, who have been banished for agreeing that numbers and letters are equally important. Reaching the Kingdom of Wisdom through the Phantom Tollbooth (which he assembles and enters because he has nothing better to do), Milo encounters a fanciful world filled with puns and imaginative places based on literalized English idioms...and when he returns, he finds the world a rather more engaging place for the wisdom he's learned.
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|Format: DRM Protected ePub
Vendor: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 2011
Ages: 9-12
Publisher's Description▼▲
With almost 4 million copies sold over 50 years after its original publication, generations of readers have now journeyed with Milo to the Lands Beyond in this beloved classic that Philip Pullman says "comes up bright and new every time I read it . . . it will continue to charm and delight for a very long time yet. And teach us some wisdom, too." Enriched by Jules Feiffers splendid illustrations, the wit, wisdom, and wordplay of Norton Justers offbeat fantasy are as beguiling as ever.
For Milo, everythings a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because hes got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, its exciting beyond his wildest dreams!
For Milo, everythings a bore. When a tollbooth mysteriously appears in his room, he drives through only because hes got nothing better to do. But on the other side, things seem different. Milo visits the Island of Conclusions (you get there by jumping), learns about time from a ticking watchdog named Tock, and even embarks on a quest to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Somewhere along the way, Milo realizes something astonishing. Life is far from dull. In fact, its exciting beyond his wildest dreams!
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Norton Juster is an architect and the author of other highly acclaimed childrens books, including The Dot and the Line, The Hello, Goodbye Window, illustrated by Chris Raschka, which received the Caldecott Medal, and The Odious Ogre, also illustrated by Jules Feiffer.
Jules Feiffer is the author and illustrator of two novels for young readers, as well as several acclaimed picture books, including Bark, George and Meanwhile . . . He has won numerous prizes for his cartoons, plays, and screenplays.
Jules Feiffer is the author and illustrator of two novels for young readers, as well as several acclaimed picture books, including Bark, George and Meanwhile . . . He has won numerous prizes for his cartoons, plays, and screenplays.
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lrgabrielUpland, CAAge: 45-54Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Wonderful family read aloud and vocabulary builderApril 8, 2013lrgabrielUpland, CAAge: 45-54Gender: female"Words and numbers are of equal value, for, in the cloak of knowledge, one is warp and the other woof. It is no more important to count the sands than it is to name the stars."
Do you consider yourself a Number person or a Word person? Have you noticed that many people prefer one over the other? The Phantom Tollbooth is an allegorical fantasy tale that plays up this rivalry between lovers of numbers and lovers of words.
Milo's life lacked something, but he didn't know what. He was bored with everything; nothing interested him, and he didn't see the point in learning anything. In fact, of all the things that failed to interest him, "he regarded the process of seeking knowledge as the greatest waste of time of all." Then one day a mysterious turnpike tollbooth is delivered to his room. The Tollbooth kit includes a map and a book of rules and traffic regulations. Since he has nothing better to do, Milo hops into his little electric car that he hasn't driven in months, and drives through the booth. He soon discovers that the Tollbooth is a gateway into an imaginary world of words and numbers, color and sound.
Shortly after entering this strange world, Milo gets himself stuck in the Doldrums, "where nothing ever happens and nothing ever changes," and where it is against the law to think. There he meets a Watchdog named Tock, who gets very upset when Milo tells him he is just sitting there to kill time. "KILLING TIME!" he roared. "It's bad enough wasting time without killing it." He then advises Milo how to get out of the Doldrums: "Since you got here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking." With Tock's help, Milo realizes, "how much could be accomplished with just a little thought." And so accompanied by Tock and another companion called the Humbug, Milo makes his way to the city of Dictionopolis, where King Azaz the Unabridged sends him on a mission to defeat the demons of Ignorance and to restore the banished sisters, Rhyme and Reason, to the kingdom. By the time Milo comes to the end of his journey, he has come to realize just how much wonder the world holds to keep a boy interested and busy.
During his adventures in the Land of Wisdom, Milo visits such places as Digitopolis, the Island of Conclusions, the Silent Valley and the Valley of Sound, and the cities of Illusion and Reality. He meets fascinating characters such as the Mathemagician (ruler of Digitopolis), the Spelling Bee, Dr. Dischord, the awful Dynne, and the Soundkeeper, Chroma the Great (conductor of color and director of the entire spectrum!), the Dodecahedron, the Senses Taker, and the Terrible Trivium, "demon of petty tasks and worthless jobs."
Being a word nerd, I love the way Norton Juster uses language in a humorous, fun and creative way, making The Phantom Tollbooth a great tool for vocabulary building; it is chock-full of synonyms and antonyms, alliteration, homonyms, puns (ie. the Whether Man), idioms, and irony. Just as with other allegories, the characters and situations in The Phantom Tollbooth are meant to be more than just entertaining, but to illustrate and reinforce life lessons. Scattered throughout the story are little truisms ââ¬â brief words of wisdom and advise that can be discussed with young readers. Here are just a few examples:
"Always remember that while it is wrong to use too few [words], it is often far worse to use too many."
"Expect everything, I always say, and the unexpected never happens."
"You can't improve sound by having only silence. The problem is to use each at the proper time." Unpleasant sounds are necessary, "for you'd never really know how pleasant one was unless you knew how unpleasant it wasn't."
"The most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what's in between."
"Every time you decide something without having a good reason, you jump to Conclusions whether you like it or not."
"What you can do is often simply a matter of what you will do_ So many things are possible just as long as you don't know they're impossible.
And here's one that hits a little too close to home: according to the Terrible Trivium, "If you only do the easy and useless jobs, you'll never have to worry about the important ones which are so difficult. You just won't have the time. For there's always something to do to keep you from what you really should be doing." Ain't that the truth!
Towards the end of his adventure, the Princesses Rhyme and Reason have these words of instruction and encouragement for Milo:
"You must never feel badly about making mistakes, as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons_It's not just learning things that's important. It's learning what to do with what you learn and learning why you learn things at all that matters_Whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything an everyone else, if even in the tiniest way."
This book is a great tool for slyly reminding children of some important life principles, without lecturing to them. How many of these things have we as parents told our children over and over?
- Your actions have consequences.
- Take time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
- We must be careful how we use our words.
- There is no try, only do!
- Once time has been wasted, it can never be gained back again.
- Always learn from your mistakes.
- Never be afraid to ask questions.
The Phantom Tollbooth challenges readers to consider how much we take for granted in life, and how much there is to appreciate and learn in the world around us, if we just take the time to notice and engage our minds. Silly situations in the story can be used to stimulate interesting discussions with children. Here are some suggestions:
- What would the world be like if there were no sounds?
- What if you could see sounds or hear color?
- What if you literally had to eat your words? Would they be as pleasant in the mouth as they are to the ear?
- What if things that went unnoticed faded and eventually disappeared from sight? What things might disappear from the world?
- Which is worse - to say too little, or to say too much?
- What would it be like if we only had words to communicate, but no numbers?
It is difficult to say what ages The Phantom Tollbooth is recommended for. It's a fun read-aloud and I've heard of children as young as age 6 enjoying it. My son read it when he was about 10 (not the pi guy, by the way!), but I don't think a child much younger than that would be able to appreciate the wit and richness if they were to read it on their own. But for anyone older - adults included - who loves figurative language and wordplay, it is a jewel of pure entertainment.
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EBSCO has launched PrepStep, a new online platform designed to help students prepare for college and careers.
Intellus Learning has launched a new platform designed to make it easier for faculty to find, review and use digital resources available at their institutions.
ProQuest SIPX, a provider of digital course materials solutions for higher education, has introduced three new tools designed to help reduced costs for students and simplify the implementation of digital educational resources for educators and administrators.
Under the four-year agreement, students will receive one free digital textbook for each class during the new academic year. Undergraduates typically take 12 classes, so they'll receive 12 books over their three-year program of study.
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The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the end of the defining debate of the 20th century (between communism and socialism on the one hand and democracy and free markets on the other) and launched the search for a better form of freemarket capitalism. Other momentous changes soon followed. In 1990, the median age of adults in the United States crossed 40 for the first time, triggering a new era in which midlife values gradually came to dominate the culture. In 1991, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, the revolutionary communications infrastructure that has ushered in a new age of information democracy, which includes the ability of human beings from all walks of life, and from around the world to connect and interact with each other on an unprecedented scale.
All this, and more, has changed the world dramatically in the past 20 years, but business thought and practice have largely remained static. As a consequence of decades of unfettered pursuit of short-term personal gain, a number of systemic societal crises threaten to overwhelm us. These include vast domains such as healthcare, the environment, education, and security.
It is becoming increasingly urgent that we fundamentally reexamine the theoretical frameworks, managerial mindsets and business models that have brought us to this state of affairs. Conscious Capitalism is a fast-growing movement that is uniting forward-thinking business practitioners, prominent thought leaders, and leading academics around these ideas: businesses can and should exist for a deeper purpose beyond generating profits for shareholders; businesses can create all kinds of wealth—financial, intellectual, social, cultural, cological and spiritual; businesses should be managed for the simultaneous benefit of all key stakeholders; and businesses should be led by conscious leaders who inspire and mentor the people they lead, rather than top down command-and-control leaders motivated primarily by the accumulation of power and personal wealth.
Practitioners of Conscious Capitalism reject a zero-sum, trade-off oriented view of business, and look for creative synergistic win-win approaches that offer multiple kinds of value simultaneously to all stakeholders. Research has shown that a conscious approach to business taps into dormant inner resources of employees, giving them a sense of meaning and purpose that makes their work a calling instead of just a job or a career. It elevates suppliers to true partners who contribute greatly to a company's success. It is far better for the health and well-being of customers and communities. Rather than diminish financial performance, as a zero-sum mindset would lead one to expect, this approach appears to deliver consistently superior real performance.
In the past 18 months, three major Conscious Capitalism conferences have been held in the United States. These have featured corporate leaders such as John Mackey of Whole Foods, Kip Tindell of The Container Store, Sally Jewell of REI, Terri Kelly of WL Gore, Roy Spence of GSD&M Idea City, Casey Sheehan of Patagonia, George Zimmer of Men's Wearhouse, Chip Conley of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Doug Rauch of Trader Joe's, and many others. Thought leaders have included Gary Hamel, Ed Freeman, Peter Senge, Deepak Chopra, Sir Ken Robinson, Jag Sheth, Glen Urban, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Mark Albion, Tim Sanders, Joshua Margolis, Jim Post, Sandra Waddock, Phil Mirvis, Craig Smith, Jean Houston, Michael Gelb, and many others.
On May 24 and 25, 2010, the second annual research conference on Conscious Capitalism will be held on the campus of Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, on the outskirts of Boston. Building on the 2009 academic conference titled "Conceptualizing Conscious Capitalism," this year's gathering will further our understanding of what we know, what we are just learning and what we still need to discover about this complex and fascinating approach to business. We have once again assembled a stellar group of practitioners and thought leaders who will inspire and challenge us to think differently about business. Attendees will include a blend of executives, entrepreneurs, academics and doctoral students. The format is designed to be highly interactive and participatory.


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Heartbreaker: Lady Dogs watch upset slip away in fourth quarter
Published 7:15 pm, Saturday, February 26, 2011
SNYDER - Every good thing must come to an end.
The Plainview Lady Bulldogs were convinced the end of their playoff run would be at the state tournament, but their end came sooner than they had hoped.
Instead, the No. 1-ranked Canyon Lady Eagles will be the team ending its season in Austin.
Canyon rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to remain unbeaten and deny No. 10 Plainview on Saturday in the Region I-4A Tournament finals, 42-40 in overtime.
"It's heartbreaking for our young people," Plainview head coach Danny Wrenn said. "You have two outstanding programs, the top teams in the state probably played here (Saturday)."
The dramatic end for the Lady Dogs (32-5) was all the more crushing considering the advantage Plainview had in the fourth quarter.
"Today, it almost felt like we were dead," said Canyon head coach Joe Lombard, whose Lady Eagles handily defeated Plainview in both of their district meetings 42-24 and 46-33. "Our kids were tired, we were struggling, and Plainview went up (11), and it was a miracle we were able to pull it out."
It was the second miracle Canyon came up with in as many games.
The Lady Eagles barely edged No. 5 Mansfield Summit in Friday's semifinals 29-26, and at the beginning of the fourth quarter Saturday it looked like another miracle might be beyond their reach.
With five minutes left, Plainview led 32-21, the largest lead of the game for either team. But that's when Canyon (36-0) kicked the defensive pressure into another gear and wreaked havoc on the Lady Dogs' backcourt.
Starting with a steal and ensuing 3-point play by tournament MVP Nicole Hampton, the Lady Dogs turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions, which the Lady Eagles turned into seven unanswered points.
"You've got to give credit to Canyon," Wrenn said. "They turned up the pressure in the fourth quarter, and we didn't take care of the ball like we're capable of."
Plainview briefly stemmed the bleeding with two free throws, but Canyon quickly ripped off the bandage and reopened the wound, scoring six more unanswered points off three Plainview turnovers that tied the game at 34 with a minute-and-a-half left to play.
"I guess we just got in a rush," Plainview junior Laura Castillo said, trying to explain the rash of fourth-quarter turnovers. "We knew where the open spots were, but we just didn't take our time."
Plainview, which had 31 turnovers compared to Canyon's 13, had an opportunity to hold for the last shot, but another turnover with 10 seconds left gave Canyon the opportunity to end the game in regulation. Madison Russ put up a 3-point attempt at the buzzer, but it rimmed out to send the game to overtime.
Canyon struck first in OT with two free throws that gave the Lady Eagles the lead for the first time in the second half, but Castillo hit a clutch 3-pointer at the top of the key to put Plainview back on top.
Russ hit a 15-foot jumper on Canyon's next possession, and Morgan Dean followed with two free throws after getting fouled while grabbing a rebound on Plainview's ensuing possession to make it a three-point Canyon advantage.
Sydney Hearn hit 1-of-2 free throws with a minute to play, but with 24 seconds left Plainview was forced to foul Hampton. Prior to her final trip to the line, Hampton was 3-of-7 on foul shots, but she calmly sank both free throws to put the Lady Eagles up by two possessions.
Hearn drove to the basket on Plainview's ensuing possession and hit a layup in traffic, but Plainview inexplicably failed to foul in the last seven seconds after the inbound and time expired.
"Out of all my years of coaching," Lombard said, "this ranks up there with one of the greatest comebacks."
For Plainview, having the biggest upset of the season within reach and giving it away brought plenty of heartbreak.
"It hurts more knowing that it slipped away," Castillo said. "We knew we deserved it, and we knew we could beat them."
Being a junior, Castillo has another season in front of her to make a run at the state title, but that didn't soften the blow of defeat.
"This was my last game with all of my seniors," said Castillo. "They mean a lot to me, and I do everything I can for them."
Everything she could translated into a game-high 15 points a day after being shut out against Waco Midway in the regional semifinal, but it wasn't enough.
"Everyone played so hard, and you can't ask for more than that," Plainview senior and all-tournament team selection Kacy Richburg said. "At the end we let a couple get away . . . I don't think we should be disappointed in the way we played."
Ten seniors will graduate for the Lady Dogs, six of whom have been on varsity for the last three years. Only Castillo and sophomore Bailey Davis return next season.
"We've all been playing together since Little Dribblers," Richburg said, briefly pausing to hold back tears, "so this was hard being our last game together."
Richburg finished with nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks and was joined on the all-tournament team by Castillo.
All nine of Richburg's points came in the first half, and she was the main reason the Lady Dogs were able to stay close with the Lady Eagles as both squads struggled with their shooting, each hitting about 25 percent. Plainview made only 8-of-34 while Canyon was 11-of-43, including 0-of-14 from 3-point range.
Plainview got off to a woeful start, missing its first four shots and turning the ball over on five of its first nine possessions. Canyon turned the Lady Dogs' troubles into a 7-0 lead.
Plainview got its first points almost four minutes into the game when Castillo hit 1-of-2 from the line after Canyon's Morgan Dean was called for a technical foul.
Two scoreless minutes later, Castillo grabbed a defensive rebound and went coast to coast to make it 7-3. Amanda Ramirez capped the first-quarter scoring with 1-of-2 free throws.
Second-quarter scoring was relegated to free throw shooting, which greatly benefitted Plainview. The Lady Dogs went 10-of-12 from the line in the second period - Richburg was 7-of-8 - while Canyon was just 3-of-10. Overall, Plainview was 22-of-28 from the stripe compared to 14-of-20 for the Lady Eagles.
Canyon turning its dismal free throw shooting around in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter, was a primary factor in ending the Lady Dogs' season earlier than they had hoped.
Still, 32 wins and taking the No. 1 team in the state to the wire in the biggest game of the season is nothing to be ashamed of.
"What a great season," Wrenn said. "What a great group of young people we have. They can walk out of here knowing they gave their very best. Disappointed in the way they finished this thing, for sure, but knowing they did their very best."
To comment:
Class 4A Region I Final
Canyon 7 7 6 14 8 - 42
Plainview 4 12 10 8 6 - 40
L. Eagles FG 3PT FT R TP
Hampton 4-12 0-3 5-9 2 13
Dean 1-3 0-1 8-9 5 10
L. Dogs FG 3PT FT R TP
Welch 1-6 1-3 1-2 4 4
Ritter 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0
De La Garza 1-3 0-1 4-4 2 6
Castillo 3-9 1-2 8-10 6 15
Gamboa 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0
Richburg 1-1 0-0 7-8 9 9
Hearn 1-5 0-0 1-2 6 3
Davis 1-3 0-0 0-0 6 2
A. Ramirez 0-3 0-2 1-2 1 1
Assists: Canyon 3 (Hampton 2), Plainview 2 (Gamboa 2); Turnovers: Canyon 13 (Russ 3), Plainview 31 (Richburg 4, Castillo 4); Steals: Canyon 18 (Hampton 7), Plainview 5 (De La Garza, Castillo, Gamboa, Richburg, Davis); Blocks: Canyon 2 (Hampton, Pedigo), Plainview 4 (Richburg 3); Fouled out: Canyon 0, Plainview 2 (Richburg, Gamboa); Technical fouls: Canyon 1 (Dean).
Records: Canyon 36-0, Plainview 32-5.


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May 17, 2011
- author |
- Rudy Rucker
- year published |
- 2009
Booklist | Always willing and able to embrace sf's trendiest themes, Rucker here takes on the volatile field of nanotechnology and the presumed inevitable "Singularity" of human and computer unification.
In a series of interrelated vignettes, he describes the calamity that befalls nanotech inventor Ond Lutter and his would-be benefactors when Ond unleashes a variety of self-replicating nanobots. In one episode, trillions of microscopic bots, dubbed nants, chew up Mars to create a colossal Dyson Sphere orbiting the sun.
When the nants move on to Earth to transform every living being into a virtual-reality doppelganger, Ond saves the day with a nant-busting virus. The real fun begins, however, when Ond "improves" on the nants with apparently benign nanobots, called orphids, that blanket every surface and provide plugged-in users three-dimensional access to every conceivable scrap of knowledge and experience.
While Rucker's improbable scenarios sometimes cross the line into pure silliness, his devoted fans and dazzled newcomers to him will revel in his willingness to push technological extrapolation to its soaring limits.


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So, this is something I've been periodically doing. I look at Blog Azeroth, and I find fairly decent quality druid bloggers to introduce to my readers. Although there's only rolling restarts today, I figure you'll still need some reading material for the downtime on a handful of servers that are going to be down longer. I'm also going to be on an airplane during maintenance today (what? I plan everything around maintenance days!). I'll still be posting while I'm on my trip. There's too many exciting things going on, with the PTR for 3.2 ready to start up any day… so I'm blaming my summer teaching job and bringing my laptop with me!
So, here are the gems that I found today in my search.
First up, Boize of the Moonglade blog. Boize is from New Zealand and has a brand new druid blog! There aren't many posts up yet. However, there is some pretty interesting posts about things like casual versus hardcore players.
Another new druid blog is Tranquility druid by Spexie. This is a resto druid blog, with a focus on raiding. Posts include information about haste rating, being prepared for raids, and other posts that you should read.
Last, but not least, is Wild Growth by Tazha. Tazha's blog has posts about raiding, adventure, achievements and more!
To the new bloggers: welcome to the druid blogging community! (also, I'm going by dates they posted intros at Blog Azeroth, so if you've been around longer than I thought, I apologize).
To everyone else… go check out their blogs!


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For those of us who work outside of our homes, sometimes the morning challenge of putting together something to take to work for lunch is nearly impossible. Working mom's who struggle with making sure their kids get out the door with everything they need often find that they took care of everyone's needs except for their own.
The kids had a healthy breakfast and left with a nutritious lunch in their hands, but Mom often leaves the house empty handed. Even the intention of packing a lunch the night before sometimes falls by the wayside while helping kids with homework, and ensuring that everyone is bathed and tucked in for the night.
In my household, I sometimes pack up dinner leftovers into containers that I can then take for an easy lunch that can be reheated in the break room microwave. This is a good solution, but what happens when there are no leftovers?
As children turn into teenagers, they begin to eat more. It's not uncommon for a growing boy to devour two or three servings of dinner. No leftovers means no easy fix for lunch. No easy lunch means either grabbing something from the vending machines, or picking up fast food. Neither of these options is nutritionally sound, and can have negative consequences in terms of your health if it becomes a habit.
The solution in my house to have a quick and healthy lunch for each day of the week is to put together Salads in a Jar.
I can assemble the salads on Sunday evening. By preparing all of the salads in one day, I only have to chop vegetables once. I arrange them in the jar, varying them slightly for variety, and I have a quick lunch solution that I can grab for the next four days, and the salads have never wilted or turned brown before I ate them.
The best part is that because I made the salads myself, I can ensure that they are made correctly to guarantee that the salad has the perfect nutritional content.
Give Salads in a Jar a try. You'll be glad you did.
**Patti can also be found at PattyCakesPantry.com where she tries to limit her blogging to stocking a pantry, budgeting, and recipes. She isn't always successful.


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The Cellar Door Visalia Reviews
837 reviews
One of the best dance venues in town! Jul 14, 2009
This Wine and Beer Lounge opened a few years back after the previous bank, and Chinese restaurant tenants closed. The renovations turned this bank building into one of the nicest places to dance, drink, and have fun. Recently they have opened during the week for lunch from 11:30am til 2pm on Tuesdays through Fridays and offer pizzas. But in the evenings the lounge offers a few appitezers and some of the best California wines and beers while you frequently listen to live music. On the weekends the "big name" bands come in and draw crowds that have people dancing and tapping their toes not only on the nice dance floor, but down in the pathways between the tables. The crowd, which is nearly always the maximum allowed, is almost always made up of every age, from 21 up. My wife and I have gone many times and I must admit, even I get up and dance once in awhile!!
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Somewhere over the rainbow you'll find Urban Decay's Oz the Great and Powerful palette inspired by none other than Glinda the Good! I personally LOVE this palette! All six eye shadows in this palette are full sized limited edition shades and can be taken out of the palette since this is a customizable palette! All of the eye shadows are very pigmented and smooth and the finishes vary from metallic to iridescent to glitter with little to no fallout. In the middle of the palette is a mini 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar, which is a nice dark purple. The application with the eye pencil is very smooth and pigmented and is so dark it almost looks black. Also included is an exclusive Super-Saturated High-Gloss Lip Color in the shade Glinda. This lip color goes on very smooth but doesn't seem to be "high-gloss". An instruction card is included with the palette and shows you how to get Glinda's makeup look from the film. There are quite a few steps to achieve her look but looks really beautiful in the end. Since this is a customizable palette the names of the shadows are not on the back of the palette so I would suggest keeping the box if you want to know what the names of the shades are. I am overall extremely satisfied with this palette and would highly recommend this to anyone! This is a limited edition palette but you can still buy it on Urban Decay's website.
swatches from left to right: 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar, Super-Saturdated High-Gloss Lip Color in Glinda, South, Oz – silver shimmer side, Oz – gold shimmer side, Illusion, Magic, Aura – rose iridescent side, Aura – purple iridescent side, Tornado
swatches from top to bottom: Tornado, Aura – purple iridescent side, Aura – rose iridescent side, Magic, Illusion, Oz – gold shimmer side, Oz – silver shimmer side, South, Super-Saturdated High-Gloss Lip Color in Glinda, 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Rockstar
Have you seen Oz the Great and Powerful and/or The Wizard of Oz? What do you think of this palette? Comment below!


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Houston poverty up, but so is income across the city
Local census data show mixed economic signals
Updated 7:44 am, Thursday, September 20, 2012
Houston's poverty rate increased slightly last year even as its median income ticked up - mixed signals that experts said reflected the uneven nature of the economic recovery.
Census data released on Thursday showed that the city's poverty rate increased by 1 percentage point to 23.8 in 2011 from 2010, while median household income increased by $542 to $42,877. The share of the population without health insurance, meanwhile, dropped to 28.9 percent from 30.9 percent.
The figures suggest that Houston's economy is faring better than those of other cities, but the improvements aren't reaching people at the bottom of the ladder, experts said.
"It reminds us that macro-economic indicators used to measure general well-being are no longer reliable," said Stephen Klineberg, a Rice University sociology professor who closely follows the city's economic and demographic trends through his annual surveys. "It's a new kind of economy that produces good jobs for the highly skilled and low-pay jobs, no-benefits jobs, for the unskilled. And there are few jobs in between."
Houston has had huge job growth in the last two years, which means more people have insurance through their employers, said Patrick Jankowski, a vice president of research for the Greater Houston Partnership.
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While the slight poverty rate increase is statistically insignificant, it shows that about 1 in 5 people remain in poverty.
"We don't want to see more people in poverty since there's such an abundance of resources and talent here," Jankowski said. "We need to find a way for them to benefit so they can pull themselves out of poverty."
The gap, he says, is driven by disparities in education and skills. Many jobs in Houston are concentrated in the engineering, health care and oil and gas industries that pay well and require education.
Houston's job increase helped lower the uninsured rate, but so did a provision in the Affordable Care Act. More people ages 19 to 25 have insurance because the law allows families to keep dependents on their plan until age 26, experts said.
Another indicator, the percentage of households receiving food stamps, increased last year to 15.3 percent from 13.2 percent. This is a clear indication that economic suffering in Houston hasn't ended, said Steve Murdock, a Rice sociology professor and former state demographer.
Results from a recent Kinder Houston Area Survey overseen by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research reinforce this. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they had serious difficulty buying groceries in February 2012, up from 20 percent the same time last year.
Harris County's jobless rate in February was 7.2 percent, compared to 8.4 percent the same time in 2011, noted Klineberg, the institute's co-director.
More poor people are seeking help at food pantries, said Houston Food Bank president and CEO Brian Greene. The poverty rate, he said, is a factor in the increased percentage of people getting food stamps, but it's probably driven more by the state's efforts to improve its poor record of getting aid to those who qualify.
Steven Craig, an economics professor at the University of Houston, said the census figures tell us what we already know: Times are still hard.
"You expect a 2 to 3 (percentage point) increase each year in income," Craig said. "A 1 percentage point increase is not back to normal, but at least we're not going down."


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Asked Feb 04, 2010
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Oni_Kami Feb 04, 2010
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Jesmyn Ward appears in the following:
In Beyoncé's 'Formation,' A Glorification Of 'Bama' Blackness
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Author Jesmyn Ward won a National Book Award for Salvage the Bones, her gritty and lyrical novel of Hurricane Katrina-era Mississippi. In this essay, as in all of her work, she doesn't mince words.
I was a freshman at Stanford University the first time someone called me a ...
Jesmyn Ward: Waiting for Katrina
Friday, January 03, 2014
Jesmyn Ward on Men We Reaped
Monday, September 30, 2013
Jesmyn Ward talks about losing five young men in her life to drugs, accidents, suicide, and the problems poverty brings, particularly for black men. In Men We Reaped she writes of the agonizing losses of her only brother and her friends and of her exploration into the forces that shaped their lives and led to their deaths—the racism and economic struggles that fostered drug addiction and the dissolution of family and relationships.
Jesmyn Ward: Waiting for Katrina
Friday, June 15, 2012
Bold, Beautiful Violence In A Strange, Savage Town
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
[Spoiler alert: This review gives away some elements of the story.]
When a friend gave me Merce Rodoreda's Death in Spring, he told me it would blow my mind. Ten pages in, I doubted his claim.
The book begins when the narrator, a 14-year-old boy from a small mountain village, ...


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Complete the info below and we'll send your friend an instant email notification.
Designed by Pablo Pardo read more...
The Link Small Desk Clamp Mount incorporates advanced LED lighting to balance performance and style in task lighting making it perfect in any room. Composed of stamped, die-cast, and machined aluminum. Body swivels 360 degrees from the base and head tilts 180 degrees. Finish available in silver, white, black, orange, or green. Also available in a small and medium floor, table, clamp mount and wall mount versions. Rated average life of 25,000 hours. 99 high output LED array totaling 7.5 watts module is included. Includes 9 foot cord with detachable power adapter. Switch included on head. Directional light distribution. Head measures 2 inches. Maximum arm reach adjustable to 26.5 inches. UL and CE listed. 2 inch width x 23 inch height x 23 inch length.
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text: Meta Rate My Team PokéBase - Pokémon Q&A Login Register All Activity Questions Unanswered Tags Users Ask a Question Rules Chat What does the ability simple do? 0 votes 2,762 views just wondering ability simple asked Apr 23, 2012 by eevee_rox Please log in or register to add a comment. Please log in or register to answer this question. 1 Answer 1 vote Simple: Gen IV >Simple doubles the effectiveness of stat modifiers. For example, if Defense Curl is used, the user's Defense stat will increase by one stage, but the effect of that stage is equal to the change of two stages. Similarly, if Tail Whip is used against this Pokémon, its Defense stat will fall one stage, but be treated as two. However, stat modifiers are still effectively capped at six stages; a Simple Pokémon with +3 or -3 in a stat can still increase or decrease the stage of that stat, but those changes will have no effect on the actual stats of the Pokémon. A Pokémon that uses Psych Up on a target with Simple only copies the actual (not effective) stage changes. Gen V >Simple now doubles the number of stages in a stat change rather than doubling the effectiveness of each boost. This means that moves like Defense Curl can only be used three times before failing (unlike Generation IV, where it could be used six times, but only have effect up to the third). As the effective stat change is now the same as the actual number of stages a stat is changed, using Psych Up on a target with Simple behaves as expected, copying twice the number of stat boosts compared to if the Psych Up user had used the stat boosting moves themselves. This also means that using Baton Pass with a Simple Pokémon as the recipient will no longer effectively double the stat changes that are transferred. The move Simple Beam can change the target Pokémon's Ability to Simple. Source I love Weird things ¯(°_o)/¯ answered Apr 23, 2012 by (Abnormal1!) reshown Oct 12, 2012 by Shining Yin How do you make the words big like that? commented Apr 23, 2012 by Dr.Flame Click on the option two **Items** down from the 1 2 3 Numbers It should have a **Small blue box** over the **Option** ;) ## Hope ## I helped :P commented Apr 23, 2012 by (Abnormal1!) reshown Oct 12, 2012 by Shining Yin So MANY words, my answer is simple... get it LOL (i said simple and the move is simple) commented Apr 24, 2012 by Spark Pichu It doubles the amount of stages that moves & abilities lower and raise stats. Defense Curl raises Defense by 1 stage, but under Simple, 2 stages. Swords Dance + 2. Under Simple, +4 Shell Smash: +2 Atk -1 Def +2 Sp.Atk -1 Sp.Def +2 Spd under Simple: +4 Atk -2 Def +4 Sp.Atk -2 Sp.Def +4 Spd commented Oct 12, 2012 by 5th of November edited Oct 12, 2012 by DarkTyphlosion Please log in or register to add a comment. Related questions How does the ability Simple work in conjunction with Critical Hit Stages? Does the ability Simple work with Berries? What would happen if you used swords dance 2x with the ability simple? Does Simple boost Choice Item effect? Does Simple increase the raise or lower limit? How do Simple and Sunny Day work on Growth? What are simple and mummy? In Pokemon Black 2, what does Simple beam do to a Pokemon? Useful Meta Posts How to change your username How to add a user avatar Why was my post hidden? The points system Question etiquette Flags vs Downvotes Anime FAQ


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Job insecurity and job reorganisation (72%) are seen as the most common causes of work-related stress across Europe, followed by hours worked or workload (66%) and unacceptable behaviours such as bullying or harassment (59%). These are the main findings of a pan-European opinion poll conducted on behalf of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).
Ipsos MORI carried out surveys in 31 European countries, conducting 16,622 interviews between November 2012 and early February this year. Around half of those surveyed (51%) perceived work-related stress to be common in their workplace.
Female workers (54%) are more likely than male workers (49%) to say that work-related stress is common.
Perceptions of workplace stress also vary by sector, with those in health or care work being the most likely to say cases of work-related stress are common (61%).
Four in ten workers don't think stress is handled well in their workplace.
Commenting on the findings, EU-OSHA director Christa Sedlatschek said:
"We are very much focused on tackling psychosocial risks, such as stress, in the workplace; next year we will launch our Healthy Workplaces Campaign on managing stress. The message to be conveyed across European companies of different sizes and sectors is that psychosocial risks can be dealt with in the same logical and systematic way as other health and safety issues."
Read more:
EU-OSHA press release (9 May 2013)


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Chris Brown released his latest single and music video 'Fine China' on April 1 – the first single off his upcoming album titled 'X.' [Read more…]
Chris Brown's controversial tattoo
Chris Brown has tongues wagging with the latest ink addition to his neck. [Read more…]
BET Awards 2012 Wrap Up
Missed out on watching the BET Awards this year? Have no fear – I have the fix you need.
Fortune – Chris Brown Track-By-Track: ALBUM REVIEW
Chris Brown has released his fifth LP titled Fortune. [Read more…]
Chris Brown and Drake What Went Down
King of controversy Chris Brown and my fav Drake have come to physical blows. [Read more…]
Supafest 2012 exclusive behind the scenes footage
The Supafest tour continues to dominate the urban music community in Australia – check out film footage of the artists performing and exclusive behind the scenes. [Read more…]
Supafest 2012 a Supafail?:GIG REVIEW
I went to the first show of Supafest in Brisbane and some could quite rightfully call it from an organisational stand point a Supafail.
Supafest 2012 kicks off with controversy


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What does NIKU mean in NASDAQ Symbols?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand NIKU in the Business field in general and in the NASDAQ Symbols terminology in particular.
Niku Corporation
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Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
"NIKU." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2018. Web. 24 Feb. 2018. <https://www.abbreviations.com/term/10105>.


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USS Abraham Lincoln returns to Norfolk after 4-year overhaul
The Lincoln got "significant combat system modernizations" during the overhaul.
The Lincoln got "significant combat system modernizations" during the overhaul.
State and city officials gathered to cut the ribbon on the new Waterside District. A concert featuring Weezer followed the festivities.
Volunteers from several businesses, alumni, and retirees pulled shrubs, painted, power washed, and set up fences and benches.
J.K. Rowling is urging Harry Potter fans not to buy a handwritten prequel to the boy wizard's adventures that was stolen during a burglary i…
A man who was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound Monday is now charged in the shooting death of a 29-year-old woman, according to po…
Trump is reiterating his view that reports about collusion with the Russian government by members of his 2016 campaign are "fabricated."
Ohio State Highway Patrol confirms a Kirkersville police officer was shot while responding to an active shooter situation at a nursing and r…
The firs spacewalk at ISS was Dec. 7, 1998 during a mission by the crew of the space shuttle Endeavour.
The group discussed the impact of the Republican plan to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, Kevin M. Miles, of Amherst, fell asleep, ran off the road and hit a tree, State police say.
Shane Allen Schindler told police following his arrest that he knew it was a mannequin he was attacking.
The mayor says downtown Norfolk has also become one of the nation's fastest growing residential destinations.
Police say there were snacks inside the car, and residents should always keep their vehicles locked.
Matt Cooper may be the next professional prospect to emerge from Hampton Roads.
The City of Portsmouth's Department of Behavioral Healthcare Services sponsored the event.
Police say the suspect was armed with a handgun and demanded money from the employees.
"You are paddle-boarding next to approximately 15 great white sharks," Deputy Brian Stockbridge announced over the helicopter loudspeaker to…
Blitz the dog vanished after the crash that killed his owner, 25-year-old Michael McLaughlin.
In an interview with NBC's Lester Holt, Trump slammed Comey as a "showboat" attention-seeker who had lost the confidence of the president.
The fire was ruled accidental.
Police in Virginia Beach have arrested a man on several child pornography charges.
Officers and detectives from both Norfolk and Chesapeake are still investigating.
An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing Hampton infant. Police believe the baby girl and her mother may have been abducted.
Raise a toast! That shot of tequila may actually be helping you strengthen your bones.
There was drama inside and outside of a Portsmouth courtroom Thursday morning, where a man is on trial for the shooting death of a baby boy.
Lilton Fenton Batten, 61, was taken in to custody Thursday and has been charged with first-degree murder and two weapons offenses.
The FBI has raided the office of a Republican consulting firm in Maryland in connection with an investigation into the 2013 Virginia governo…
We take a look back in the WAVY Archives
Police say the suspect entered the store, showed a knife and stole money from the register.
We take a look back in the WAVY Archives


text: your weelky online mag is great, but some of your advice and hints could mislead the novice gardener the one thing that has made write this missive. is your advice to lift dahlias ,etc,etc, and store in a frost free place, but were in the s.e, kent to be precise, perhaps ,all advice should be given with a caviat , ie, this advice is dependant on current weather condition and what your site and situation is... then give the latest a job should be done, as a landscape gardener myself i often have to say to customers and friends alike. is just use common sense , i know that people will take what you print as gospel ,( there i feel better now )....all the best dave12


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Please welcome to Lizzyland author Irving Belateche who's sharing his inspirational novel, "Under An Orange Sun, Some Days Are Blue".
"Under An Orange Sun" offers a unique take on overcoming obstacles and finding inspiration. The narrator, Ben, searches for a sign from his daughter, who's died and left him broken-hearted. Ben is a Hollywood screenwriter and he wants his daughter to have that Hollywood ending she so much deserves, even though he knows that's impossible.
So he starts to apply a series of principles to motivate himself into believing that everything can still work out. These fascinating principles are derived from self-help gurus, philosophers, and religion.
First he applies them to his writing, then to his career, and finally to everything in his life. He discovers which principles work and which don't and that journey becomes a powerful response to life's many setbacks. It also becomes a creative guide on how to be a writer.
Available at:
About the Author:
Irving Belateche is an author, screenwriter, and speaker. He's written screenplays for Paramount, Columbia, Warner Brothers and other studios. He also lectures on writing and on unconventional wisdom. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son. Please contact him through Facebook.


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A thank you letter
Dear Mr Strauss and Mr Dhoni,
Thank you for my birthday present of an excellent Test match at Lord's. It was very kind of you to give me such a lavish gift, which I was able to share with my good friend Bharat, a gentleman originally from Hyderabad who now runs a research lab in Pennsylvania and has said that he will be in the Warner Stand for England-India Tests at Lord's until either one of us is too decrepit to manage it. Even though he didn't care for the result as much as I did, he too says that it was a very enjoyable match.
I particularly appreciated your arranging that two of my favourite batsmen should score centuries.
The one by Kevin Pietersen was very unexpected. Not so much that he got one – I've seen him get several before – but the way he got it was most unusual. I hadn't known that he had it in him to play so carefully for so long. He often goes slowly for the first three-quarters of an hour or so, during which time he usually gets the chance to have a look at most of the main bowlers before deciding how he is going to approach the serious business of destroying them, but I've never before seen him play himself in until he reaches 130.
Of course the main reason I like watching him is his power to devastate bowling attacks, and I don't really want to see him block, leave, prod and nudge for hours on end; however, it is very gratifying to know that he can do it when that is what the situation and the quality of the bowling demand. We all know he wants to be the world's No. 1 batsman, and with this innings he has taken a giant step towards realising his ambition one day.
And then there was Rahul Dravid's hundred. He has always been my favourite among the phalanx of marvellous batsmen India have had these last 15 years or so, and this was a classic example of why. His batting is wonderfully serene and effortlessly economical. Without any fuss, he calmly treats every ball with appropriate respect, good ones defended or left, bad ones gently dismissed towards the boundary. You hardly ever see him hurried into a shot, even by the fastest bowlers, and he plays late enough to incur library fines. How reassuring it must be for his teammates when they are under pressure to see him contentedly grazing runs out there in the middle.
You also gave me a new hero to watch out for in the future.
Praveen Kumar looks like the kind of cricketer Nasser Hussain once described as being prepared to run through brick walls for his captain, and thus a captain's dream. When one of your main bowlers breaks down mid-match, the others have to shoulder more of the burden to make up for it. In England's first innings, Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma with their combined 130 Tests conspicuously failed to take up any of the slack whereas Praveen the Lionheart, a young man in only his fourth match, performed titanically.
Pietersen was the only one of England's strong middle order who succeeded in preventing him from getting them out, and even KP did not find him easy to cope with. He may not be quick and he may be pretty much cannon fodder if the ball won't swing for him, but when it does move around, his lack of pace is irrelevant.The England backroom staff are going to have to do some very minute examination of the videos to see if there is any reasonable way of detecting which way a given delivery is likely to swing, but I doubt they will come up with anything helpful. Ian Bell seems in particular need of assistance: even though he managed to get 45 runs, he was completely at sea when Praveen was bowling to him.
And Praveen also batted appropriately in both innings. He is obviously not very good, so chancing his arm with a few lusty blows to try and boot the total over the crossbar of the follow-on target was a perfectly reasonable approach in the first innings. Second time around, he did his best to hang around for Suresh Raina by dead-batting deliveries. It didn't work for very long, but at least he was doing what the team wanted him to do, unlike Harbhajan's ridiculous skyer. (Remembering the little contretemps Matt Prior's bat had with a dressing room window earlier this season, I was rather expecting to hear that Mr Dhoni had had to go down and apologise to the MCC members who were hurt when they had a spin bowler dropped on them from the balcony after he returned to the dressing room.)
Gentlemen, I could go on for a lot longer about the various delightful nuggets I found in my present but you no doubt have practice to supervise and fitness reports to digest before you pick your teams for Trent Bridge so I'll just leave it at those three highlights.
Thanks again,


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Circulation and ILL
Circulation and Interlibrary Loan Services
Circulation of State Library Materials
The State Library collections and public computers are available to anyone to walk-in and use.
All New Mexico residents with a valid New Mexico Driver License or other ID with a current New Mexico address may register and check out books in the State Library catalog.
Interlibrary Loan
State Library interlibrary loan services are provided for current state employees and for individuals doing research that involves State Library collections such as Federal or state documents or Southwest history, culture, or genealogy.
Interlibrary Loan services are also available for public libraries, tribal libraries, and correctional facilities in New Mexico.
We accept ILL requests through the ILLiad program on the State Library website. ILLiad serves as an interface between the ILL Department and you. It provides you with a record of your past ILL requests and with the status of your current requests.
State Employee or Library login to ILLiad: https://nmstatelibrary.illiad.oclc.org/illiad/logon.html
ILL Registration, Policies, and Procedures
For information on eligibility, registration, cost, and other expectations and procedures please visit the appropriate link below:
Independent Researchers - http://libguides.nmstatelibrary.org/illpolicy/researchers
State employees http://libguides.nmstatelibrary.org/illpolicy/state-employees
New Mexico libraries http://libguides.nmstatelibrary.org/illpolicy/libraries
New Mexico State Library Contacts


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Well my handpiecing might start with this storm here if our power goes out lol. I was in middle of setting up sewing space and fabric supplies when the storm watch said it was hitting our lovely garden state of NJ.
hope you are ok and have electricity.
Carey, Hope you have fun if you do start hand piecing - I agree it is more accurate - just takes a much longer time! If you want quickness this is not the way to go but the most fullfilling. I have made several hand pieced and hand quilted quilts. Good luck with your power.


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Scientists find genes linked to IQ
We've known for quite some time that intelligence seems to run in families. Until recently, we did not know the specifics of any genetic cause for this link or how much is the result of the influence of nurture on an individual's development.
An international group of researchers have now identified several key genetic variants that are associated with increased intelligence in those who have them.
A network of genes linked to increased head size and larger volume in the hippocampus (a brain structure important in learning and memory), have also shown a correlation to IQ scores, those who have this particular gene variant score a little higher on standardized IQ tests that those without it.
This finding is the strongest direct genetic link so far for intelligence and has spurred scientists to continue using the same strategy to locate more genetic variants associated with brain structure and IQ.
Twenty-four genetic variants within six genes have been identified that are associated with differences in the structural integrity of brain pathways. In their study, the researchers measured the insulation of neural pathways and found the level of insulation affects how efficiently the brain functions and also how well it resists disease.
Although many of these genes were already known, they had not been linked to brain integrity or intelligence before.
Of course this is very interesting as it takes us closer to understanding the genetic building blocks behind different human characteristics, but as in most things human, the presence or absence of these genes is not the only way intelligence can be gained.
Nature and nurture both play a role. A person does begin with a genetic predisposition and then our environment does much to further shape our development, in both positive and negative ways.
Even the expression of our genes is affected by our environment and nature and nurture are inextricably intertwined throughout a person's life.
In this study, the presence of these specific genetic variants accounted for only slight increases in IQ, one or two points on average, leaving much room or other factors to contribute to intelligence.
An IQ test is also only one measure of one's capability. A recent study of child prodigies found that some of them had relatively normal IQ scores. Their amazing ability could not, therefore, be accounted for by this single measure. Memory differences were more remarkable than overall IQ. It seemed, however, that even this could not adequately account for their performances.
And, although basic intelligence is a good quality to have, every person can work toward fulfilling his or her potential by continuing to learn new things and engage with the world.