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Adrian Lucas | 2008 | Luthier Interview | "Radial Guitars"
I caught up with him recently to chat about his latest guitars, tonewoods and build philosophies.
TT – Adrian, thanks for chatting with us. The first Lucas guitar I ever played was a radial guitar which is not your normal guitar- would you tell us a little more about your construction and philosophy behind the design?
AL – My radial design grew out of the idea of having the guitar's bridge at the centre of a circular lower bout so that the distance to the edges is equal. This creates a diaphragm that is somewhat like a speaker. To avoid having this circle interrupted by the soundhole, I placed two small soundholes, who's combined area equalled a traditional single hole, either side of the fingerboard in the upper bout.
The bracing radiates out from the circle's centre towards the edges like spokes in a wheel. As the braces thus become further apart the soundboard graduates from stiffest in the bridge area to most compliant around the edges. The upper bout containing the soundhole is stiffly braced so that it was pretty much isolated from the 'diaphragm'.This construction creates a simple air pump which is very efficient and quite directional, throwing out a beam of sound forwards. The soundhole on the bass side allows the player to get a snapshot of the out-front sound rather like a side port.
TT – So how would you describe the effects of a soundport vs. the soundhole on the bass side?
AL – Well, a soundport in the side gives the player a more direct shot of the out-front sound. As far as the sound in front of the guitar is concerned I'm not sure there is much in it.
TT – I see, in addition, you build more traditionally X braced guitars, could you tell us a little more about how you think these 2 bracing styles affect the way the guitar plays and sounds?
AL – Yes, I'm mostly building X-braced guitars these days. The radial-braced soundboard resonates as a simple diaphragm and has a strong fundamental, whereas the X-brace is rather more complex and divides the soundboard more into pockets producing a sound richer in overtones that people are more used to hearing. I recently encountered a couple of radial guitars that I'd built some years ago and was surprised how good they sounded. They are a little like an archtop sound with a strident treble but they also have a mellowness behind that. Rajan Spolia has one of my radials and loves it for Indian style music.
My X-braced designs do owe something to what I learnt from building radials however. They have roundish lower bouts, which I think is a more efficient shape than Martin's squarish flat-bottomed shapes. Also I've always used tapered bracing, which is tallest in the centre and most flexible at the edges, rather than the more common scalloped bracing. I've never quite understood the logic of scalloped braces.
TT – Also, all your instruments I have played are French Polished, do you think this has a bearing on their tone.
AL – Well, I started out building classical guitars and learnt french polishing as the traditional finish for these instruments. I love the look and feel of french polish and it enhances the appearance of wood like nothing else but I am aware of its fragility. I have recently been using lacquer finishes on steel string guitars and have concluded that they can sound as good as an FP guitar. In fact it seems that lacquer imparts a little more discipline to the soundboard, which is great for a larger guitar. I can get the best of both worlds by applying a thin layer of french polish over the lacquer for a nicer feel.
TT – By lacquer, you mean nitro or an oil based?
AL – I've been using an acid catalyst lacquer. I was alerted to this by a very well known English classical guitar maker and figured that if he considered it good enough for his guitars it should suit steel string instruments too.
TT – I have noticed all of your instruments are very light and responsive, is this something that you aim for?
AL -I think this is a natural consequence of coming to steel string guitar making from a foundation in classical guitar where lightness and responsiveness are essential. I began making small bodied steel strings that were 0 and 00 size and these designs translated easily from classical guitar, but when I began building larger instruments I built a little on the light side to start with and I had to move towards a little more stiffness in the tops to keep them under control.
Coming at it from this direction I was able to find the point at which the stiffness was just enough for the guitar to work without having unnecessary weight. Responsiveness is everything in a guitar: the player has to be able to feel the guitar responding to every nuance that he/she puts into it so that there's no obstacle to the flow of the music.
Video Feature
Mary Flower plays one of Adrian Lucas's
Baritone guitars
Full size: Here
More M.Flower Here
TT – By building them light and responsive do you think they are more prone to damping by the body?
AL – I am careful to retain stiffness in the top and bracing, and the focus of the sound can certainly be lost if the top is allowed to become too flexible. I've recently been experimenting with drilling holes in the main braces to reduce weight without compromising their integrity. I came to guitar building from an architectural background and I see braced tops as being akin to floors supported by beams.
If you look at the technology of structural beams most of the work is done by the top and bottom of the beam which handle respectively compression and tension. The bit in the middle is there to hold these together and in steel beams you find the 'I' beam construction often has holes in the vertical flange.
I was inspired to try this when talking to Kevin Ryan recently: he's doing something similar, cutting holes by laser in his braces. This is my low-tech take on that.
TT – Adrian how do you think an ibeam tonebars can affect the sound?
AL -Do you mean making the braces as I beams? Well, I think in theory they would work, but you wouldn't have the option of shaping them once they're glued to the soundboard so there's really no scope for adjusting them.
Or did you mean my braces with holes drilled in them? These reduce the weight of the soundboard/bracing without reducing the stiffness and so there is a bit more power and a faster attack to the notes.
TT – Both really…. do you think that power and attack cannot sometimes co-exist with a large overtone content?
AL – Oh, certainly. I'm not against a large overtone content, but there comes a point, as the top becomes more flexible, when the focus of treble is lost and strong wolf notes appear if there's not enough stiffness – you might call it boominess. I'm aiming for that fine balance point where there is a richness to the overtones but there is a crisp focused edge to the sound.
Video Feature
John Brindley plays one of Adrian Lucas's
Pavilion guitars
Full size: Here
More J.Brindley Here
TT – I know a lot of luthiers who scallop to aim for a certain tap tone or chladni pattern…
AL -Well, I think you can do this with tapered bracing too by removing wood judiciously.
TT – And how about your view about the various back and sides woods? I remember a few spectacular cherry and walnut guitars from you…
AL -I've been exploring some temperate woods for back and sides. As well as the walnut and cherry you mention I've used steamed pear and yew. Apart from the steamed pear I've been sourcing these pretty locally from the English midlands so they have a pretty low carbon footprint. These woods are somewhat less dense than rosewoods and have densities more akin to mahogany.
With this sort of density you tend to get a warm lively sound that has an intimate aspect to it. Yew is an amazing wood that I've just started working with recently. It's technically a softwood in that the tree is evergreen but it's hard and springy and so far the guitars I've built with it have a very lively bouncy sound. These woods that are local to where I live were used extensively for tonewoods in the renaissance for lutes and the like before tropical woods became available.
I am also a fan of the rosewoods of course. They give rise to a more extrovert bold guitar. I'm keen to find substitutes for Brazilian because of it's rarity, high price and problems with certification and the recognition of this. I've found Madagascar and Amazon rosewoods to be particularly good tonewise and they can both be very beautiful. I'm keen to try Osage Orange which is often referred to as having characteristics very similar to Brazilian rosewood.
Another of my favorite tonewoods which deserves a mention is Tasmanian blackwood. I've made several guitars with this for back and sides and it has an almost rosewoody quality despite being somewhat less dense. In a blind test with three of my guitars of identical design, one Tas blackwood and two Indian rosewood, in which a friend played the guitars, the blackwood one sounded darker and more 'rosewoody' than the two rosewoods.
Adrian Lucas
Reclaimed Woods
(click for fullsize)
Quartersawn Douglas fir top reclaimed from 20s door over 6-piece English yew back and sides. Neck is reclaimed mahogany with English cherry middle section with an English walnut fingerboard and yew bridge and headstock.
Read more about Yew here
TT – And how about top woods?
AL – Well, the usual suspects. Sitka is a great wood for steel strings and is hard to beat. I like European spruce for its body but I find Sitka has a bit more zing. Redwood is interesting in that it has some of the qualities of cedar – a light fast attack – but with some of the body of spruce.
My latest foray has been to use some 80-year old Douglas fir that came from the rails of panel doors. I've been using this material for bracing and felt I had to try it for tops as it is nicely quartered and has a fine close grain. It works very well and makes a lively guitar.
TT – Thanks Adrian, how about a quick rundown of your the models & wait times??
AL -The main steel string models I'm making at the moment are the Pavilion and the Arbour. The Pavilion is a small jumbo with a 400mm lower bout width and a fairly compact upper bout. The Arbour is exactly the same shape but smaller with a lower bout width of 380mm and a shallower body, equating roughly to the size of a Martin OM.
I also do a similar sized guitar called the Rufus which is like the Arbour but has a lower waist. I designed this for someone who wanted a 12 fret guitar and the lower waist pushes the neck a bit further out when it's played on the knee.
The latest Pavilion I've made with a wedge body like Linda Manzer's design and I was pleased with that. Not only does it have the ergonomic advantage of slimming down the bass side of the body, but it also tilts the soundboard/fretboard slightly upwards which means the player can better see what he/she is doing and possibly gets a little more sound
I also make a baritone version of the Pavilion using the same body shape. As the neck still joins the body at the 14th fret this puts the bridge into the widest part of the lower bout and its relationship to the body is a bit like that on a 12 fret guitar.
I don't know if you're interested in my classical models but I make two – one a traditional shape which is based on the plantilla of Santos Hernandez and so I call it the Santos model, and the other a radial shape where the lower bout is circular with the bridge at its centre. The bracing on both models is the same and is a combination of fan and radial.
At the moment the wait time is around four to five months..
Steel String:
Pavilion- 15 3/4″ Lower Bout with a 25.6″ Scale
Baritone- 15 3/4″ Lower Bout with a 28.9″ Scale
Arbour- 15″ Lower Bout with a 25.6″ Scale
Rufus- 15″ Lower Bout with a 25.6″ Scale
Parlor- 14 1/2″ Lower Bout with a 25.4″ Scale
Santos- 14 1/10″ Lower Bout with a 25.6″ Scale
Radial – 14″ Lower Bout with a 25.6″ Scale
AJ Lucas Guitars http://www.lucasguitars.co.uk/
Adrian also maintains a fantastic myspace page: www.myspace.com/ajlucasluthier .
©2008 Terence Tan.
Pictures courtesy of Adrian Lucas ©2007-8.
Videos copyright original owners.
Any infringement of copyright or errors is entirely unintentional- although we try very hard not to make them. Any issues should be address to: firstname.lastname@example.com. We will attempt to resolve these issues quickly.


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*Backstage, Teddy Long and Maria are discussing her being part of the upcoming Celebrity Apprentice cast. Vickie Guerrero arrives and says she would have been part of the cast as well, but she's been too busy. She shows Maria the new WWE action figure roles and asks her to do a sales pitch for them. The Great Khali and Runjin Singh arrive and Khali says that Guerrero's figure reminds him of a cow.
*Beth Phoenix defeated Layla El. Michelle McCool attacked Beth after the match but Mickie James made the save, then kicked Phoenix as well.
*WWE Intercontinental champion Drew McIntyre was being interviewed backstage when John Morrison showed up and told McIntyre he has to cheat to beat him. They ended up in a brawl, which security broke up.
*Rey Mysterio vs. Batista went to a no contest when the lights went out and when they returned, both men were unconscious.
Have a news tip? Attended an event and want to send a live report?

subset: commoncrawl


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Electricity pylon crashes into two homes in high winds
Strong winds have caused an electricity pylon to crash into two homes in Co Down.
The pylon collapsed last night on to the roof of a house in St Annes Terrace, Mayobridge.
Extensive damage was caused to the roof space of one property and a neighbouring home also caught fire.
Two families were taken to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry for treatment, but no one was believed to be seriously injured.
SDLP MLA Karen McKevitt said: "At around 10pm a pylon fell on two houses and caused one to go on fire. There was two families at home at the time but thank goodness they got out safely and after treatment they are now back with their families."
Online Editors


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Tagged: wedding photography
Carrie & Ben
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY // EAST SUSSEX // TRADING BOUNDRIES I had the pleasure of shooting Carrie & Ben's wedding on Friday 28th July. They had a beautiful blessing at Trinity Methodist Church in East Grinstead, which was overseen by their dear friend of many years Geoff, who delivered a beautifully moving sermon. We then headed to ... Read more


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The word among some Senate Republicans is that a fiscal cliff deal is likely to be struck by Sunday, or Monday at the latest. (And Monday, being December 31st, is in fact the latest a deal could be struck to avoid January 1 tax increases.) Those Senate Republicans hope the final deal will make permanent current tax levels — Bush tax cut levels — for everyone who makes below $500,000.
The $500,000 figure is not set in stone. It could be $400,000, as President Obama is reportedly willing to agree to, or it could be higher, as some Senate Democrats have suggested in the past. But it will be more than the $250,000 that is the president's current position. In addition, big spending cuts, the sequestration cuts scheduled to go into effect in the new year, would not be affected and would go forward as planned.
If such a deal is made, it would mean that many Republicans would be backing off their longstanding position against raising taxes on anyone, including top earners. Some Republicans are dead set against changing their stand. Some Republicans would be open to the change, but would only want to give up their position in return for serious spending concessions from the administration. And some Republicans would be open to giving in on top-earner tax rates in order to get a deal done now, and worry about spending later.
It appears that it is the last group, working with Democrats and the White House, that will prevail. Under the most likely scenario, Republicans will get nothing — nothing — in return for giving in on tax rates for the highest-income Americans. No spending cuts, at least no serious spending cuts beyond what are already included in sequestration, would be part of the deal done on Sunday or Monday, if that is indeed what happens.
Instead, Republicans will tout their accomplishment in making nearly all of the Bush tax cuts permanent. Those cuts were always temporary, first in a ten-year form that expired in 2011, and then with a two-year extension. Now, in a fiscal cliff deal, they would be permanent for those who make less than $500,000 a year. Or at least as permanent as any tax rate can be; rates can always be changed by Congress, at any time.
As for spending cuts, particularly in entitlements, some Senate Republicans say they will press for those in January or February, during the coming battle over raising the nation's debt ceiling. They believe that fight will give them leverage to extract real concessions from the White House and Democrats on spending. It's not entirely clear why they believe that so strongly; Republicans will certainly take a beating in the press if they appear ready to push the nation toward default to win unpopular cuts. Nevertheless, some in the GOP are readying themselves for that fight.
As for the immediate fiscal cliff agreement, the wild card is what will happen in the House of Representatives. Facing opposition from some conservative members, Speaker John Boehner has already had to back off pushing for a vote on a measure ("Plan B") to extend current tax rates on all Americans who make less than $1 million. Given that, how could he pass a bill that would do the same thing, only for those who make less than $500,000?
There are two things to remember. The first is that Boehner had a big majority of Republican support for Plan B. An estimated 80 percent to 85 percent of the House GOP caucus was ready to vote for that bill. The second thing is that a Senate deal, presumably blessed by the White House, would have the support of Democrats as well as a significant number of Republicans, meaning House Democrats would undoubtedly vote for it. Put those Democrats together with even some of the Republicans who were prepared to vote for Plan B, and a bill would pass the House.
So a deal will most likely be done. But the bottom line is that the fiscal cliff fight will not end happily for Republicans. They will have given in on what was an article of faith — that taxes should not be raised on anybody, poor or rich — in return for essentially nothing. All they will have is a plan to fight again, soon.


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I know that what my readers most enjoying buying for their children is (no surprise)…..clothing. And that you especially like to find new online boutiques where you can buy gorgeous threads for your kids (especially by designers that are new to you). I am the same way. So I am really excited to introduce you to our latest sponsor, Petite Me.
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Reader's Guide, Metamorphosis, Junior Year
novel and play by Betsy Franco
drawings by Tom Franco
audio book read by James Franco and Dave Franco
"Seems like we're all just groping our way through a labyrinth, fighting our own personal minotaurs…"
ABOUT THE BOOK, from Candlewick Press
Life. Love. Death. Identity. Ovid's got a lot on his mind, and he pours it all -- as confessions, observations, narrative poems, and drawings— into the pages of a notebook. Inspired by his namesake, he wryly records his classmates' dramas as modern-day Roman mythology. Meanwhile, Ovid hides his own Olympian struggles: his drug addict sister Thena has run off, leaving him with a suffocating home life and a disturbing secret. In her striking YA debut, Betsy Franco introduces an expressive soul with a heartbreakingly authentic voice. Fantastical ink illustrations by her son Tom Franco enhance the intimate tone, delving deep into one intriguing teen's imagination. He's a young artist obsessed with myths. But can he fix his own fate? Acclaimed author Betsy Franco and her talented son collaborate on a hip YA novel of "epic" proportions.
"The cool teen narrator, Ovid, may be on Facebook or texting his high-school friends in northern California, but he also recognizes the parallels between his life and classical mythology..." - Booklist
"Ovid captures it all in his private notebook filled with prose entries in realistic teenspeak, beautifully crafted poems that provide a back story and surreal black-line illustrations that the author's son reworked from his own high-school notebooks..." - Kirkus Review
The creative mix of poems, prose, and creative illustration works beautifully…"- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Betsy Franco is an award-winning author with over eighty books, including a young adult novel, picture books, and poetry collections. She also writes screenplays, plays, and sketch comedies and compiles anthologies of teen writing. She particularly loves to show people how wise teenagers can be, and how sassy, beautiful, and creative math can be. Metamorphosis, Junior Year, the novel, is the basis for her play which premiered at the Palo Alto Children's Theatre to sold out audiences. Metamorphosis is illustrated by her son Tom Franco and read on audio book by her actor sons James Franco and Dave Franco. Betsy is also an actor on TV (General Hospital) and in film (The Broken Tower), and is a member of a sketch-comedy troupe called Suburban Squirrel. She is currently polishing the sequel to Metamorphosis—The Art of Love. Betsy's greatest inspiration comes from her three sons, who are fearless in their creativity. See www.betsyfranco.com
Tom Franco has been a committed creative artist since the age of thirteen. He is the director of the Firehouse Art Collective, a California based group creating spaces for artists of all disciplines to co-create community and culture. See firehouseartcollective.blogspot.com. Tom is a mixed media sculptor and painter collaborating heavily with select artists of all ages in the greater Bay Area. He illustrated the novel, Metamorphosis, Junior Year, using drawings that were originally created during his high school years and re-worked as a series for the novel. From the beginning, his mother Betsy saw Tom's old notebooks and journals as the springboard for a collaborative process, although it's worth noting that the novel is not about Tom's life. Those illustrations, which were animated and projected on the set of the play of Metamorphosis, were a major element of the production.
This guide is to help bring out the themes and layers of the book. Some of the themes are the power of creativity and friendship, the difference between people's insides and outsides, and the timelessness of the myths.
1. What do you think Ovid means when he says, "We're all wrestling with the messes the gods got us into, or we got ourselves into. Or maybe we an blame our fate..." (page 8)
2. What do you think Ovid means here? "And we all have our stories—myths, reality, a little bit of both—that nobody knows or everybody knows…or nobody knows." (page 8)
3. What does Ovid do to appease his parents? What doesn't he do that they'd like him to do? Which parent is he closer to? What are the clues? Does he think his parents are 100% irritating, or does he see their side at all? Explain.
4. Interpret Ovid's dream about the animals in cages: "...I tap the sheep cage, and the sheep's skin falls off, and there's a bear underneath..." (p. 24) Have you had a significant dream that you can remember? What was the dream and what do you think it meant?
5. In the play of Metamorphosis, Junior Year, Ovid says he wishes his parents would ignore him like Mei's mother ignores her? Do you think he really means it? Explain. (page 51)
6. Make a list or chart of Ovid's friends and classmates. Who are his closest friend? Acquaintances?
7. Pick two of Ovid's friends and explain what he learns from their myths/lives/circumstances and how their "dramas" help him sort out his life.
8. What is the most challenging situation in Ovid's life? Why? How is it affecting him?
9. Describe some characters in the book who are self-destructive? Describe what they do for themselves that actually helps them in their lives? Does creativity play a part in any of this?
10. How about Ovid? What does he do to keep himself "sane?"
11. How does Ovid feel about his secret and his attempts to share it? Why do you think he can't share it? Why do you think it could be good to let out secrets?
12. Trust is a big issue in the book. Find some parts of the novel where trust plays a role.
13. Look up one or two of the myths. What are the parallels with the characters in the book?
Orpheus and Eurydice
Narcissus and Echo
Icarus and his father
Sophie and Caleb
Icarus and his father
Apollo and Diana
Narcissus and Echo
Myrrha and her Father
14. How is Ovid like Io? (p. 66)
15. What does Ovid conclude about his dream about "poking the sheep and out from under the sheep's skin comes a bear?" (p. 104) Have you found this to be true? Give an example or two.
16. Ovid sometimes compares his insides with other people's outsides; that is he compares how he's really feeling on the inside with other people's covers/how they want you to perceive them. Ovid learns more about other people's insides as the book progresses. Give one example of a character's insides and outsides being different in the book.
17. Describe the evolution of Ovid's relationship with Thena. Have you ever lost someone close to you? How did it feel?
18. Did Ovid learn anything over the course of the novel? How has he changed? Name at least two ways.
19. What other characters change significantly by the end of the epilogue?
20. Have you confronted your parents on any important issues? What were the issues and what was the outcome?
21. The ending doesn't tie everything up. How do you feel about that?
22. What do you think will happen to Thena?
23. Do you agree with Ovid that high school is like a labyrinth? Explain why or why not.
24. Do you think you'd be friends with Ovid? Why or why not?
25. Describe one of your favorite scenes. Why that one?
Discuss one of Ovid's drawings from the novel. What does it tell you about Ovid?
Which drawing(s) are intriguing to you? Interpret it.
Illustrate a scene or situation from the novel. Try to choose something that isn't illustrated already.
Draw an image inspired by Tom Franco's illustrations. Incorporate these three elements: an animal, an indoor setting, and a person.
Write a short story incorporating a dream you've had.
Compare a circumstance or a person at your school to a myth. Incorporate this modern situation into an updated version of the myth. Feel free to write it as prose or poetry.
Create a character. Then put that character in a conversation.
Write a conversation at the dinner table between a teen and his/her parents.
* Write a poem that includes a reference to a Greek or Roman myth, like those in the novel, or to the word myth.
Research one or two of the myths. Find different versions of the same myth and compare them.
Notice how the characters talk differently from each other. Give examples of how their speech/jargon differs, and then write your own conversation between two of the characters. One possibility is to have them arguing or razzing each other.
Act out one of the myths with a friend. Improvise the dialogue.
Divide the poem about Sophie and Caleb AKA Psyche and Cupid, starting on page 89, into two speaking parts. Have two actors read it aloud as a dramatic reading.
Your character, Ovid, refers to his namesake, the Roman poet, who lived 2000 years ago. What inspired you to incorporate the Roman Ovid's Metamorphoses into your book? And did you have to do a lot of research?
I saw the play Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman at Palo Alto High School, the high school my sons attended. In fact, I saw it three times. When I was headed to the play for the fourth time, I decided I'd better write my own book about mythology, but I wanted it to be contemporary. I did a lot of research about the myths, by reading different versions of each myth, and I kept folders of ideas of how the myths apply in today's high schools. I read some, but not all, of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Metamorphosis is your first young adult novel. What inspired you to start writing in this field?
One of my editors told me she felt I could write a novel and that I should give it a try. I, in turn, thought she was crazy, because I'd been writing picture books and poetry collections, along with compiling teen-written anthologies. But I woke up with an idea the next morning. I wrote a verse novel based on my parents' high school days that my editor said was an "impressive foray into novel writing," but she didn't publish it. It was apparently for practice, because it went nowhere. But I jumped into Metamorphosis after seeing the high school play I mentioned above. After what felt like a million drafts, I took a workshop in novel writing. I like to try a new genre and then take a workshop or class in it, because it enables me to come up with all kinds of elements that "break the rules" before I know what the rules are.
It seems that there would be unique challenges when including your character's poetry in your novel. Do you have any advice for writers who would like to try this style?
Just know your character well. Once I've gotten to know my character's insides and outsides and I understand how he/she thinks and feels, I can write anything in his/her voice. The funny thing is, I actually feel more comfortable writing as a teenage boy, like Ovid, than as a teenage girl. Go figure. But anyway, I write journals in my characters' voice, and I develop a whole life for them.
I take acting classes, so I can act out my character's emotions inside myself as I'm writing—I can feel them in my whole body, not just in my head. Once I know the character, if he/she writes poetry, I just let it come out. By the way, if a novel is in third person, I write the whole book again in first person, from the point of view of the protagonist, and sometimes the antagonist.
Looking back on Ovid's poetry, it was so easy to write because it involved mythology and contemporary situations. If I have "two sticks" to knock together like that, it becomes immediately rich and interesting to me, and I dive in. In general, I love mixing elements together that aren't normally combined. For example, I combined prose, poetry, and artwork in Metamorphosis. In Mathematickles and Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tails, I combined poetry and math. When I mix two elements, it's like a chemical reaction. Poof, something new is created.
How did you end up using your son Tom Franco's drawings in the book?
The book was a poetry collection at first, with just one or two poems about Ovid himself. The poems started bringing to mind my son Tom's artwork—artwork he gave me permission to sift through. Many of the poems were about the theme of metamorphosis and many of his drawings were, too. They seemed like just the sort of art that Ovid would do. Tom started The Firehouse Art Collective in Berkeley, and he does a lot of collaborating on sculptures. I felt as if I were collaborating with him because his drawings were informing the poems in the book and giving me details for them.
Tom's sketchbooks also had a journal aspect to them (which I didn't read). But I'd already been writing the book as a notebook. Where else would someone be writing all this private stuff that he wasn't telling anyone? BTW, Ovid is not Tom, nor any of my sons. But my actor sons, James and Dave ended up reading the audio version.
How did the book become a play?
The Palo Alto Children's Theatre approached me about writing a stage play of the novel, and I was off and running. I love working with teens, so the director, Rafal Klopotowski, and I had the teens from the Teen Arts Council help us develop the script, the video projections, and many other unique aspects of the play. It was a sold-out success, and my son James Franco produced a documentary of the making of the play. Anyone interested in permorming the play, please contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Thank you to high school student, Ivy Sanders Schneider, for her help with this reader's guide.


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Bitsbox teaches kids as young as six to code their own apps with a box of inspiration that comes in the mail every month. Bitsbox kids use real code to make anything from ninja driving games to magical unicorn simulators, and their apps work on any smart phone or tablet. Bitsbox believes that not all screen time is created equal and that the best apps for kids are the ones they make themselves. In today's world, it's never too early for kids to learn coding. Coding is a language (best taught like a 2nd language) and repetition is key in learning a new language which is why the monthly subscription is a great option!
When your kids create a coding account, they get a virtual tablet for your son or daughter (or niece or nephew or student or neighbor). Kids learn by copying code into a little text editor next to their tablet, which in turn runs their new apps.
Once they're written, Bitsbox apps run on most any mobile device. They can be shared via an email, text message, QR code, or a web link. Changes to the program go to your device in real time. You can even play multiplayer games across screens.
What programming language are they learning?
Your kids are learning to program using Javascript/HTML5. Why Javascript? Because it's arguably the most popular computer language around. Javascript is neat because it's the language of the web. Facebook, Google, Pandora, and Twitter are all written in Javascript (at least partially). Javascript is also great because it's a close cousin to C, C++, Objective C, and Java, which are Big Important Languages used by Serious People Doing Serious Programming.
Can my kid get this in school?
They've sent free coding kits to 7,000 classrooms and send to teachers upon request. Bitsbox also works with the Temple Grandin School in Boulder – piloted a classroom program last year.
What ages is this good for?
The company recommends ages 6 through 12 – but honestly my 13 and 15 year old boy and girl really enjoyed it! They both found it fun and educational.
I love the idea, how much does it cost?
Pricing for monthly boxes ranges from $20/40/month – individuals and schools. Schools receive 50% off.
Bonus fun in each box:
As a bonus in each box, the kids will receive a toy as well – each box has a theme and the toy plays on that theme. For example, in the travel themed box, Bon Voyage, kids received a paint-your-own postcard kit. The toy is always something interactive. The intent behind the toy (and stickers, and tattoos) is to provide extra excitement for the "present in the mail" concept.
More Information:
Bitsbox website
Bitsbox FAQ
How to win:
Just leave a comment below and let us know what age your little programmer is and why you think they'd love to receive the free Bitsbox!
Winner will be selected in a random drawing. Entries accepted until Wednesday, August 20th at noon MDT. Winner will be notified via the email address you share and have 48 hours to reply or we select a new winner.
Denver Parent may have received compensation for this post. Visit our disclosure page for more information.


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Discovery of fully differentiated macrophage populations with stem cell characteristics
Stem Cell Like Renewal of Macrophage Populations
By definition stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are capable of maturing into many different cell types depending upon their local environment. When stem cells divide, a portion of the new cells continue to mature into specialized cells. But, a portion of the new cells do not mature. They maintain their immature stem cell characteristics.
Dogma, until recently, was that the resulting completely mature, differentiated cells are unable to reproduce themselves to sustain their population. Specialized tissues were all thought to rely upon tissue-specific adult stem cells for their renewal and repair. Adult stem cells are partially matured stem cells committed to becoming specific tissues.
This accepted definition of stem cells is challenged by recent studies of resident macrophage populations in most body tissues. One such population is brain specific macrophage-like cells named microglia.
Microglia is derived from embryonic progenitors in the yolk sac long before the appearance of stem cells in bone marrow that replenish circulating white and red blood cells.
The brain possesses all of the microglia it needs for a lifetime of defense at birth. Fully mature, differentiated microglia massively expands it population under circumstances of stress and infection without the help of neural stem cells. The adult brain contains neural stem cells but they only produce new neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes.
Immune system macrophages distributed in tissues throughout the rest of the body play a role in local metabolism and are essential to tissue repair, immunity against pathogens and cancer. They are phagocytic cells with high lysosome activity. They, like microglia of the brain, clean up debris as cells die.
Recent studies of a wide range of tissue macrophages from liver, skin, lung, spleen, adipose tissue, cardiac tissue, pleura and peritoneum demonstrate that the cell cycle withdrawal accompanying maturation of tissue macrophages can be reversed without them becoming tumorigenic. Like stem cells, tissue macrophages are fully capable of self-renewal.
First Responders and the Clean-up Crew
Illustration by Designua, Shutterstock.com
Older studies concluded all immune system macrophages developed from monocytes, which in turn are partially mature bone marrow stem cells. Lineage tracing experiments with cell markers expressed only in descendent cells, now suggest than many adult macrophage populations are derived from embryonic progenitors rather than from bone marrow monocytes.
Body tissues are seeded during early embryonic development with fetal liver and yolk sac cells that develop into tissue-specific resident macrophages. These cells occupy the tissue before bone marrow blood formation begins. Unlike blood monocytes that die in a few days embryonic tissue macrophages can persist throughout a lifetime.
Each tissue induces special properties in its macrophage population. Like stem cells, tissue macrophages respond to their local environment. Also like stem cells, tissue macrophages establish and maintain their population size by reentering the cell cycle as fully mature cells to reproduce themselves. Proliferation sustains the population under homeostatic conditions and replenishes it after severe depletion by stressful conditions and infection.
Tissue macrophages are the first responders to infection, the first line of defense. They react by massively proliferating and attacking pathogens. Monocytes also defend against a broad range of pathogens, but they enter tissues during infection from the blood stream. Once in the tissue they transform into macrophages to assist the tissue macrophages destroy the intruders. Monocyte derived macrophages are important to finishing the kill and repairing the damage.
With severe infection there is a great loss of tissue macrophages. Recovery of the tissue specific population occurs by expansion of the remaining macrophages of embryonic origin with little to no permanent contribution by macrophages of monocyte descent.
How to Distinguish the Two Macrophage Populations
Transcription factor programs for reading out DNA of the two types of macrophages, embryonic and monocyte derived, are under active investigation. Early results indicate that regulation of molecular pathways is different in these two types of macrophages. It appears these methods will permit investigators to distinguish them as separate cell types with unique responses to the challenges in their environment.
It is of therapeutic importance to determine whether regulation of tissue macrophages, an accessible population, is similar to regulation of brain microglia. Brain microglia experiments are hampered by the blood brain barrier. Yet, many degenerative conditions of the brain, including Alzheimer's disease, have a strong, unfavorable microglial inflammatory component.
Other related articles that you may find helpful include:
Birth of Neurons Continues in Human Brain Until the 5th Decade
Do you have questions?
Do you want to know more about the definition of stem cells? Please put your questions in the comment box or send me an email at firstname.lastname@example.com. I read and reply to all comments and email.
If you think this description of stem cells is helpful, share it with your fellow students or send it to your favorite social media by clicking one of the buttons below.
Margaret Thompson Reece PhD, physiologist, former Senior Scientist and Laboratory Director at academic medical centers in California, New York and Massachusetts and CSO at Serometrix LLC is now CEO at Reece Biomedical Consulting LLC.
Dr. Reece is passionate about helping students, online and in person, pursue careers in life sciences. Her books "Physiology: Custom-Designed Chemistry" (2012), "Inside the Closed World of the Brain" (2015) and the workbook (2017) companion to her online course "30-Day Challenge: Craft Your Plan for Learning Physiology" are written for those new to life science. More about her books can be found at amazon.com/author/margaretreece.
Dr. Reece offers a free 30 minute "how-to-get-started" phone conference to students struggling with human anatomy and physiology. Schedule an appointment by email at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Like most people who were following the presidential election, I was shocked that Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing as I watched The New York Times "Live Presidential Forecast." Here's how much the "chance of winning presidency" shifted last night from about 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. (I took this screenshot at 10:27 p.m. CT.)
Wow. [Read more…] about Now What? Four Helpful Articles on President Trump


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Hello all,
The given assembly made of a conducting wire is rotated with a constant angular velocity about a vertical axis MO as shown in the figure. The magnetic field exists vertically upwards as shown n the figure. Find the potential difference between points M and N , (only in magnitude)
Please try to show the steps , main difficulty in the rotation part
Thanks to all


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It's time get out your gardening gear! Print out the sheet of flowers, grass, and garden creatures. Then cut out the flowers and others things. Put a piece of poster board on the wall and then let your little toddler create his/her garden with the flowers and a little tape (or glue stick.) Once the flowers are in place you can then put the strip of grass along the bottom. Then add the little creatures here and there. Great job! You have just created your own flower garden!
Supplies Needed-
– Printer to print the flowers and grass
– Paper
– Poster Board
– Tape, or glue
– If you don't have some poster board, just use several pieces of white paper to create a space to make the garden
– This is a great opportunity to review the colors of the flowers and other objects.
– You might want to print out two sheets of the grass so that your toddler can put up a lot of flowers.


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Tonight marks another milestone in the continuing celebration of General Hospital, who this month turned 50 years young!
Emanating from the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, many of your favorite stars and series executive producer, Frank Valentini and head writer, Ron Carlivati will participate in a panel discussion in front of live theatre audience discussing the history, favorite moments, crafting the show, and moving forward with the ABC series.
Joining Valentini and Carlivati are GH cast members: Tony Geary, Jane Elliot, Jason Thompson, Finola Hughes, Jacklyn Zeman, Genie Francis, Laura Wright, Maurice Benard, Kristina Wagner, Kirsten Storms, Kimberly McCullough, and Kelly Monaco. TV Guide's William Keck will moderate the panel discussion.
And for those who want to check it out tonight live from their computers you can watch it on the Paley Center for Media Live Stream here starting at approximately 7:15pm PT/10:15 ET. You can also follow the action on social media @paleycenter on Twitter and use hashtag #PaleyLiveLA to join the conversation. Andm if you are on the go tonight you can watch the live stream on the Paley Center app.
Let us know if you will be checking out the event tonight? What are some of the questions you hope are posed to the GH panel!


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These days, millions of consumers across the country rely on prepaid debit cards as a means of handling their finances because they find traditional bank accounts to be too expensive. However, with coming technology changes for the card industry, those people might have more difficulty in obtaining these accounts at low costs.
Within the next few years, many of the nation's top credit and debit card issuers plan to make a major change to a new type of card information storage technology that involves the use of microchips instead of the current magnetic strips, according to a report from American Banker. But the problem for those who rely primarily on prepaid debit cards — a market that is projected to be worth hundreds of billions within the next few years — is that banks tend not to make a tremendous amount of money on them. Recent statistics show that most prepaid accounts are only active for six months or less, and, therefore, don't generate as much in the way of fees as issuers may like.
This fact, combined with the higher manufacturing costs associated with these microchip-enabled cards that are set to become the standard in the next few years, means that many banks could decide to stop issuing them altogether, the report said. Many may try to move to mobile prepaid account options that likely would not have any added manufacturing costs to build into the price, or they could transition prepaid debit cards to being less for under- or even unbanked consumers and more for consumers interested in "value-added" products.
In general, those without robust access to traditional banking products use them mainly to receive funds either from their employers or government entities, the report said. MasterCard projects that as much as $369 billion will flow through these accounts by these means by 2017, meaning that value-added accounts — those for consumers who have them in addition to standard banking products — will likely make up more in funds than that amount.
Some prepaid debit card issuers have been criticized for charging potentially unfair fees for everything from adding money to accounts to monthly maintenance fees. However, in reality, many Americans rely on these cards in their everyday lives with little difficulty, indicating that these fees are likely still more affordable for low-income consumers than traditional bank accounts.
Image: Hemera


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ALAN Solomons may have seen this one coming. But let's be honest, no-one else did.
After just one win in the league so far, Edinburgh might have preferred a gentler introduction to the Heineken Cup than a visit by former winners Munster, who had already beaten them this season. Yet Solomons' squad stunned the Irish team with a combination of character and no little skill.
When Edinburgh raced into a 10-0 lead, it was an encouraging start but little more. When they hit back after a Munster recovery to go into the break 19-17 ahead, it was certainly a sign of improvement on recent outings – but perhaps no more than that. Then, when almost half an hour of the second half passed with no further score for the home team and two penalties for Munster, that was it, we thought. Normal service resumed. A decent fight and an honourable defeat.
How wrong we were. When Munster replacement JJ Hanrahan chipped ahead from within his own half, Grant Gilchrist gathered and almost immediately sent a long, curving ball out to Tim Visser on the left wing. The Dutchman did the rest, outstripping the defence to score his team's second try of the match.
Greig Laidlaw converted, added a penalty minutes later, and also had the luxury of seeing another award come back off the bar with time almost up. Munster had one play after that in which they mounted a concerted attack, but by that time it would have been a travesty had they won. A knock-on in midfield ended the move and the match, and finally put paid to the presumption that Edinburgh would have to learn how to be plucky losers before they could become deserved winners.
Gilchrist was outstanding in the second row, flankers Dimitri Basilaia and Cornell du Preez also had fine games, and the pack as a whole performed particularly well in the scrum. In fact, it was an impressive all-round team effort, but two men nonetheless provided the leadership without which the outcome might well have been different: Matt Scott and Laidlaw.
Making his first start since the summer following injury, Scott was immense from the opening minutes onwards. He broke the Munster line twice in his team's first sustained attack, and then, after Jack Cuthbert had gone close on the right, claimed the opening points with a try on the right after Edinburgh had made the overlap.
Laidlaw converted, soon had a penalty to his name as well, and went on to score 19 points, taking his total in an Edinburgh jersey to over 500. That contribution with the boot was clearly crucial, but the scrum-half's calm decision-making was also vital, as were some timely scrambled interventions in defence.
Ian Keatley got Munster off the mark with a penalty after quarter of an hour, and five minutes later Casey Laulala grabbed a try after a Donnacha Ryan chargedown. Keatley's conversion drew the teams level at ten apiece, but a penalty from Laidlaw soon edged Edinburgh in front again.
Then came the first serious test of the home team's self-belief. They defended far too passively after Munster were awarded a free-kick, and after three phases hooker Mike Sherry forced his way over. Keatley's conversion stretched the lead to four points, and Munster were in the ascendant – only for two Laidlaw penalties to restore Edinburgh's advantage before the break.
The third quarter belonged almost entirely to Munster, and at times Edinburgh could do little but soak up the pressure. At this stage of proceedings the Munster pack of old would have choked the life out of their opponents, taking a tighter and tighter grip on the game before applying the coup de grace. But this is not the Munster pack of old, and they had nothing to show for their dominance but two more Keatley penalties, one in the 53rd minute and the other ten minutes later.
That still left Edinburgh behind and with a problem on their hands. Since Scott's early score they had barely threatened the Munster line, but needed to do so soon if they were to emerge with anything more than a losing bonus point.
At least they were still asking questions of the Munster defence, and Hanrahan's chip ahead proved to be the wrong answer. A long kick would have been the safe option, and that is what Scott expected when he leapt in to attempt a chargedown.
The Edinburgh centre made some contact with Hanrahan, prompting appeals for obstruction which became all the louder when Visser touched down seconds later. That produced an anxious wait as the officials reviewed both the Scott incident and the possibility that the Gilchrist pass had been forward, but the correct decision was made, the score stood, and a stirring victory was in sight.
Scorers: Edinburgh: Tries: Scott, Visser. Cons: Laidlaw (2). Pens: Laidlaw (5). Munster: Tries: Laulau, Sherry. Cons: Keatley (2). Pens: Keatley (3).
Edinburgh: Cuthbert; Fife, De Luca, Scott, Visser; Leonard, Laidlaw; Dickinson (Blaauw 70 min), Ford, Nel (Cross 70 min), Cilchrist, Cox, Basilaia (Grant 61 min), Du Preez, Denton.
Munster: Jones (Hanrahan 67 min); Earls, Laulala, Downey (Hurley 61 min), Zebo; Keatley, Murray; Kilcoyne (Cronin 50 min), Sherry (Varley 58 min), Archer (Botha 50 min), Ryan, O'Connell, Butler (Stander 50 min), Ronan (O'Callaghan 65 min), Coughlan.


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Attention all Forum Users.
We're working on a brand new shiny tool to make your experience as simple as possible.
Which means the community forums is now read only whilst we work on a new & improved 'My Contiki' space.
Hotel Tours
- About
- europe
- travel advice
- Read the responses 3 responses so far
Yes hotel tours always give you a double/twin share room unless you have the triple share discount or have paid the single supplement.
You should always have a room to yourself. Where possible your TM will arrange a double, but in some cases you may find you have to have a twin share room.
Thanks Ashleigh!! <!--graemlin::)-->
hi there, i did a hotel tour and we had about 3 triple rooms, one single room and the rest were doubles. just when you book, tell your agent that you want a double room and you should be fine.
We are no longer accepting new responses to this discussion thread.


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Default features of this skirt:
* About 15 meters of chiffon go into this skirt, plus satin lining. Features many pick ups and results in amazing flowing movement and is great for artsy wedding photos! Keep in mind, that although it looks light as air, it is in actuality on the heavier side due to copious amounts of chifon fabric in it.
* Shown colour is ivory, but the chiffon is hand dyed from pure white so it can come in many custom shades.
* Satin underskirt in ivory, absolutely non transparent, silky and flowing.
* Chiffon covered satin waistband, 2" or 5cm,
* Closure: completely hidden zipper and 5 pearly buttons.
* Making of: up to 8 weeks. Shipping time: up to 5 days. We accept rush orders.
* Shipping company: DHL Express Worldwide. Please provide your phone number for a smooth and on time delivery. If you have a tight deadline, please inform us, and we will be happy to meet it. For deadlines of less than "in three weeks", please inquire first.
Pair with any of our bridal tops: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WardrobeByDulcinea?ref=hdr_shop_menu%C2%A7ion_id§ion_id=15815967
Or get it together with Eirene top for 10% less total price as a set: https://www.etsy.com/listing/547284768/eirene-modest-wedding-dress-simple?ref=shop_home_active_30
We would be needing these measurements from you and here are the instructions on how to take them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmFG2y2II5c
If you have any questions about them, please do not hesitate to ask us and we will be there to help you!
We accept PayPal, credit cards and many more options that you can find when checking out.
We are using DHL express worldwide - it is a very reliable 2-5 working days shipping service with a step by step tracking system that actually works. Please kindly provide your phone number for the couriers.
There are no additional customs charges for buyers from EU member states.
There are no additional customs charges for United States buyers of under 800$ (USD).
There are no additional customs charges for Australia buyers of under 1000 AUD.
There will most likely be additional customs charges for buyers from Canada, Switzerland and rest of the world, depending on the laws of your country.
We are not to blame for the customs charges or duties you may have to pay, as those are the laws of your country. We cannot mislead customs by marking low values or anything of a sort, because we are a registered VAT payer and our export documents must be valid and presentable.
Every item is custom made from scratch to each customers measurements, therefore returns for a refund are not offered. Nobody else can wear your garment as it was made just for you.
We do however offer free alterations, but you must contact us within 48 hours of receiving the item to eligible for a free fix or even exchange if there is anything seriously wrong with an item you got sent.
In certain cases we may pay for the alterations on your end if time is of the essence, we do however require photo proof and explanation within 48 hours of receiving an item.
Order cancellation is accepted within 48 hours.
Please be advised, that nearly every tulle, lace or chiffon color (with very few exceptions, such as whites) is a hand dyed one. Therefore every garment is unique and slightly different. For example, if you ordered a "Baby Pink" color skirt before, and would ask us to make another, that would match the first one by 100%, we could not guarantee that. If you need more than one skirt in exactly matching tonal shades, you need to order them all at once, for example, for a bridesmaids party. In that case we are able to make them exactly identical in color. The color chart is a general and a pretty good idea of a color you'd be getting, but it shows the color in a "swirl of tulle", and every skirt does still come out unique in a way, when lining and waistband is added. For some specific and exact color, photo references are always welcome and we do successfully recreate colors of it to major extent. For an exact color match, please mail us a sample and we will make sure your new item will match the rest of your outfit.
They are made to your measurements. We have extensive video tutorials showing how and where to measure - and you can also simply take our measurement list from the video description to any tailor if you do not wish to attempt measurements at home with a help of a friend. Many do it at home though and it turns out just fine - we usually spot an error if any occurs.
Measurement link for tops (non corset, non bodysuit):
Measurement link for corset tops (Cate, Heather):
Measurement link for bodysuits (Faerie, Grace, Zephyra):
Measurement link for skirts:
Due to our crafting queue, we do not need your measurements at the time of the order - you can purchase the listing to reserve the timeline and fabrics, and provide them within couple of weeks or even more, depending on your own deadline (we need 3-5 weeks post measurements, depending on the volume of the order). If you have them ready though, you can simply paste them in the "Notes to seller" section, you will find this in your cart when checking out. Alternatively you can just message Inge on Etsy and give her the list of measurements at any time you wish.
We cannot be sure of that, as there can be many reasons to discontinue a product, most important of which is - fabric supplier discontinues a certain fabric. Therefore we strongly advise and encourage placing your order early to reserve the fabrics we have in stock, as well as the timeline, for when you are ready to provide your measurements. We can wait as long as you need, just leave us 3-5 (depending on the volume of order) weeks to make the garments after you provide your measurements.
Most likely, yes, but please do write to us and send a color reference photo along with your inquiry. Simply naming the color (e.g. "blush") is not enough, because there can be dozens of blush shades, and you and I can imagine different ones. We want you to have just the shade you love and want to wear. Most materials we hand dye - tulle, lace, chiffon - therefore multiple color variations are available, as well as ombre and layered effects.
We do, if we are able to. Please message us with your deadline and location and we will be able to tell you right away if we can meet it. We do not charge anything extra for rush orders - we are either able to schedule it in or we are not, and we already use DHL Express Worldwide shipping for your garments and it takes mere days to be delivered, so there is nothing to upgrade in that regard.
All of our clothes are made in our studio - from start to finish. We pattern, cut, dye, sew, iron, embellish and ship directly from our studio. You can actually see the video of how we work and how our studio looks in the "About" section of the shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WardrobeByDulcinea?ref=seller-platform-mcnav#about


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International Sexologist, Susan Bratton, spoke to the Thinkergirls about how to have HOT sex in a new relationship.
"We need to feel that there's safety when with a new lover, that we can let ourselves go in the bedroom," she said. "It's important that he or she will make it feel safe for you to express yourself sexually and won't shut you down or shame you."
While it can get a little awkies when you're trying to get to know each other, it's important to have an open conversation with your partner.
"Say [to your partner] let's begin as beginners together, let's play together, let's explore what turns us on," she said.
Susan also believes in 'Sandbox dates' – This date is where you as a couple try something new (outside of the bedroom) – something that you've wanted to try and want to explore together. Then, at the end of the date, try a new sexual encounter – whether it's a sexual massage or a brand new sex position.
Finally, frame the date by telling your partner: "I really loved it when you were running your hands in really long strokes along my body…" or "when you smacked me on the butt…"
Wise words Susan. Wise words.
Check out the full chat below:


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Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this senseless tragedy. They are also with the dedicated people of Broward County's hospitals.
Feb 23, 2018 by Rick Pollack
Feb 22, 2018
Thirty-five state and regional hospital associations today urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to reverse a district court decision and grant a preliminary injunction to stop a nearly 30% Medicare payment reduction for many hospitals in the 340B Drug Pricing Program while the AHA and other hospital groups challenge the payment cut on appeal.
Feb 20, 2018
The departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury today issued a proposed rule that would allow consumers to buy short-term health plans of up to 364-days duration, eliminating the current less-than-three-months limit on short-term plans.
Feb 20, 2018
Responding to a request from Senate Finance Committee leaders for policy recommendations to address the opioid epidemic, AHA urged the committee Friday to preserve health insurance coverage through the exchanges and Medicaid.
Feb 23, 2018
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has extended the Medicare deadline for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals to submit electronic clinical quality measure data and/or attest to meaningful use of electronic health records for calendar year 2017.
Feb 23, 2018
The flu hospitalization rate rose last week to 74.5 per 100,000 people, surpassing the rate at the end of the 2014-2015 flu season, another severe season when the H3N2 strain also predominated.
Feb 23, 2018
Govs. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Jon Kasich (R-OH), Bill Walker (I-AK), Tom Wolf (D-PA) and Brian Sandoval (R-NV) today issued a bipartisan plan to transform the nation's health care system based on certain guiding principles and beliefs and specific strategies to reorient the system on value.
Feb 23, 2018
An estimated 28.9 million U.S. residents, or 9%, lacked health insurance when surveyed in the first nine months of 2017.
Feb 22, 2018
U.S. deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide increased by 11% in 2016, to nearly 142,000, according to a report released today by Trust for America's Health and Well Being Trust.
Feb 22, 2018
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday released a congressionally-mandated report on the public health burden of traumatic brain injury in children and policy options to support care management for these children.
Feb 22, 2018 by Jay Bhatt
Below are six actions everyone can take to address burnout in their organization while helping themselves and colleagues on the road to resilience.
Feb 22, 2018
Howard Berman – in his many roles as a health care administrator, an insurance CEO, a professor and author – dedicated his work to tackling health care management issues and contributing to association policy.
Feb 22, 2018 by Tom Nickels
The U.S. health care system is facing a prescription drug spending crisis fueled by staggering increases in recent years in the price of drugs.
Feb 21, 2018
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of salmonella linked to products reported to contain kratom.


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Jamal Dati, 37, is expected to reveal potentially embarrassing details of his glamorous sister's private life in a biography due for release in September.
Miss Dati, 43, triggered a frantic guessing game earlier this year after refusing to name the father of her baby Zohra, who was born in January.
Jose Maria Aznar, the former Spanish prime minister, a Qatar prosecutor, a wealthy French businessman and President Nicolas Sarkozy's brother François have all denied being the father.
In an interview with France's VSD magazine, Miss Dati's father Mbarek, 74, was asked whether he he knew the name. "Of course!" he replied.
According to the newspaper Le Parisien, Jamal Dati has signed a contract with the publishing house Calmann-Lévy, "despite pressure from Rachida Dati's entourage".
Mr Dati, who has several previous convictions, was jailed for a year in 2007 just as his sister was pushing through a law on tougher sentences for repeat offenders.
His lawyer claimed he had been meted harsher treatment because he was the brother of the justice minister. She refused to comment on his case, but said in an interview: "In all families, there are difficult moments, difficult stories, difficult stages."
Miss Dati, one of 12 children of a Moroccan immigrant builder and Algerian mother, became a star of President Nicolas Sarkozy's ethnically diverse government as the country's first senior cabinet minister of North African origin.
But Mr Sarkozy asked her to step down and stand as an MEP after she had several run-ins with staff and magistrates.
She recently announced her intention to run for mayor of Paris in 2014.


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A local forced to close the doors of her cafe this week has warned that other businesses will follow unless attitudes change.
Christy Dellaney has closed Cafe CRAVE 41 on Ormerod St for a number of reasons, but foremost has been what she sees as a lack of support from the local community.
Ms Dellaney said she and other hospitality businesses had tried to offer what customers had said they wanted, including Saturday and Sunday trading, but the resulting trade was just not worth it.
And she said while not having enough attractions to draw tourists to the town was an issue, the main problem was closer to home.
"I thought Naracoorte always prided itself on supporting local," she said. "That hasn't been my experience.
"Local people themselves aren't supporting weekend trading, and if they're not supporting it, you can't expect (businesses) to stay open. It just doesn't feel like there's enough local support for businesses like mine."
Ms Dellaney said it would be great if more tourists came to the town and that would certainly encourage more businesses to try more weekend trading, but the main problem was that locals weren't dining out in their own town.
I thought Naracoorte always prided itself on supporting local. That hasn't been my experience.Christy Dellaney
"Like anyone I love going out for coffee and breakfast, especially when you're away, it's more of a luxury thing for some and I get that, too.
"But if local cafes are opening on weekends and no one is going out, it costs money as soon as you open the door, with power, putting food in the fridge, staff.
"I did all Sundays this winter and it was never worth it. If I was paying staff and not just doing it myself, I would be way, way in the red."
Ms Dellaney said her shop went "nuts" for customers when she first opened it 10 months ago, and lately many people said how sad they were to see it close, but in between there just wasn't enough support.
"I got 5000 views on my closing down post (on Facebook)," she said. "If I had that much support while I was open, we wouldn't be here talking about this."
Ms Dellaney also felt Naracoorte Lucindale Council and bodies like Naracoorte Business and Tourism Association could do more to promote the town and its attractions to draw more visitors.
She said hospitality businesses like hers were only providing a service once the visitor arrived – they weren't the drawcard.
"People don't come to a town to find food," she said. "You need other things there to attract them there.
"I think the caves is good but there could be more out there, go karts or something like that to provide a greater variety of entertainment. And then when we've got something good, spend some money to promote it."
BUSINESS. Business and tourism association president Sandy Talbot agreed that more businesses being open on weekends would be a positive, and it was an issue his group planned to put some time into.
"Personally I do (wish more were open on weekends), I think anything to encourage business, particularly on weekends, is good."
Mr Talbot said he was with a group of visitors who visited the caves on the Sunday of the last long weekend when they experienced the issue first hand.
"It was 4pm and we couldn't get a coffee anywhere, it was a bit embarassing to be honest," he said. "Someone said the shops aren't open on a Sunday, they must be doing really well (on the other days)."
We have got some unique things here, and if you can get a cup of coffee on a Sunday to go with it, even betterSandy Talbot
Mr Talbot said it wasn't anyone's fault that Naracoorte was so quiet on a Sunday, but any change probably had to be driven by the businesses themselves.
"Every business is so different," he said. "McDonald's trades differently to the cafe down the road – they've all got their own issues and challenges.
"KALV and Co is open from 7am seven days a week – it's a big call and I hope the town supports them.
"It's up to the provider how they do it. Some can afford to do it and some can't – you can't just say to all of them 'You will open'."
Mr Talbot said all he and the association could do is encourage businesses to open for weekend trading, if they can.
"We have got some unique things here, and if you can get a cup of coffee on a Sunday to go with it, even better."
In opening the new KALV and Co cafe and wine bar last week, owners Anna Wakefield and Vera Silvester said they hoped to help address the perception that nothing was open on weekends.
"People are always saying the town needs somewhere other than a pub where you can have a wine, and you can have a coffee seven days a week," Anna said.
"I've been involved with the Caves Connection committee for the past 12 months and the number of tourists going through the park and not coming to Naracoorte is a real shame.
"Instead of seeing what Coonawarra has to offer because they know they can go to a cafe in Penola, see what else is in Naracoorte. We want to bring more business to town."
DEBATE: The debate has been sparked by a Naracoorte Herald story which revealed that tourism spending in Naracoorte had slumped badly in the five-year period from 2010-11.
Read that story here
Many social media comments followed that story, suggesting that reasons for the slump were the lack of RV/caravan parking in town, shortage of quality accommodation, not enough attractions and businesses not being open consistently on weekends.
Another cause for concern is the number of empty shops in Naracoorte's central business area, particularly the main street, Smith Street.
That will be the focus of another story in the Herald soon.
Agree/disagree with the points made in this story? Send a letter to the editor to email@example.com


text:
Roberta Hibbard, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
Phone: (317) 630-2617
Email: email@example.com
I.U. Child Protection Programs
Wishard, Bryce B2111
1001 West 10th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Child Abuse Pediatrics
Areas of Interest
Physical abuse, sexual abuse, multidisciplinary education.
Roberta Hibbard, M.D. is Professor of Pediatrics and Director, Section of Child Protection Programs. She is active in numerous efforts to improve the knowledge, communication and coordination of services when child maltreatment is suspected. These include the Indiana Children's Justice Act Task Force, Indiana State Child Fatality Review Team, Marion County Child Protection Team, the Ray Helfer Society and the International Society on the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. She has received numerous awards for her dedicated work including the IUPUI Chancellor's Award for Civic Engagement; The Commissioner's Award, USHHSA; the Tony and Mary Hulman Health Achievement Award from the Indiana Public Health Foundation; Health Care Hero ( Indiana Business Journal); Trustee Teaching Award (IU School of Medicine); Virginia Wagner, MD Award (Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics) and the Kathleen Galbraith Award (Indiana State Medical Association).
|B.A., University of California, Irvine
|B.S., University of California, Irvine
|M.S., University of California, Los Angeles
|M.D., Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland
Honors & Awards
|1981, 1982 & 1983
|Outstanding Pediatric Resident
|1983 – 1984
|Samuel Wolcott Clausen Scholar, University of Rochester
|W. George Pinnell Award for Outstanding Service, Indiana University
|Irving Rosenbaum Community Pediatric Recognition Award, IN Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics
|Outstanding Service Award, Indiana Family and Social Services Administration
|Top 100 Indiana Physicians, Indianapolis Monthly
|Commissioner's Award, US Health and Human Services Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Washington, D.C.
|Best Doctors in America, Woodward/White, Inc.
|Tony and Mary Hulman Health Achievement Award, Indiana Public Health Foundation
|2001 – 2002,
2003 – 2004,
2005 – 2006,
2007 – 2008
|Best Doctors
|Edna G. Henry Clarian Social Work Values Award
|Health Care Heroes Finalist, Indianapolis Business Journal
|2005 – 2006
|Trustee Teaching Award, Indiana University School of Medicine
|Virginia Wagner Award, American Academy of Pediatrics, Indiana Chapter
|Mary E. Ober Foundation Centennial Award
|Dr. Kathleen Galbraith Legacy Leadership Award, Indiana State Medical Association
|Chancellor's Faculty Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement, IUPUI
Research & Grants
- Riley Children's Foundation, Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship Training, 2014-2017, Principal Investigator, $615,000
- Riley Children's Foundation, Trauma Treatment Services Program, 2014-2016, Principal Investigator, $250,000
- Riley Children's Foundation, Children's Justice Act Task Force Annual Conference, 2013, Principal Investigator, $7625
- Indiana Department of Child Services, Pediatric Evaluation and Diagnosis Services, 2013-2014. Principal Investigator, $1,396,143
- Riley Children's Foundation, Trauma Treatment Services Program, 2013, Principal Investigator, $95,481
- Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, Pediatric Center of Hope, 2012-2013, Principal Investigator, $142,469


text:
Mary Jo Kilroy States Position and Non-Position on FISA Amendments Act
Search Representative Mary Jo Kilroy's House website for references to "jobs," and you'll find 54 web pages. Search Rep. Kilroy's House website for references to "FISA," and you'll find nothing. When I asked candidate Kilroy last summer for her position on the FISA Amendments Act,


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2015 seems like its going to turn out great for many local businesses in Michigan. The economy is starting to pick up and everyone is starting looking on the up and up these days.
The Lions have been playing well. The automotive industry of Michigan is also picking up. Obama saved some of the companies from completely going bankrupt and some are even talking of Detroit returning back to its former glory days of booming economy, sold out restaurants, packed casino floors & more.
The winder in Michigan wasn't too bad either, things are starting to boom in this state and everyone can feel it in the air. Particularly the entertainment business and industry is starting to see sharp rise in income this year, so I have been told by various sources.
Michigan is like a phoenix that is starting to rise from the ashes, and burn brighter and more glorious than ever before. With the rise in economy and lowered taxes, buyers are starting to gain more confidence in investments. Property values are going up and more new businesses are beginning to spring into action.
Take for instance a new limo manufacturer company of Michigan, recently made headway by announcing that they will be launching 2015 Corvette Limo For Sale and its creating a small buzz of already interested buyers from Metro Detroit Area as well as out of state.
A brief interview was done with the owner of the limousine manufacturer and found that he reported the same thing, back in 2008 when Economy was at a down turn, their company struggled and people did not have enough investment confidence and power. They were not able to sell their vehicles for almost 3-4 years, certainly not a high-end vehicle like the Corvette limousine.
So the company kept its project under wraps for a while, and went back to limo rental business. Now with economy beginning to pick up, the owner says that he is seeing multiple people people per week that is interested in buying limos from him.
I guess that is a good sign of where the Michigan economy is headed for all of us. When you have enough to spend money on a limo you know that person is doing pretty well financially.
It is going to take a while till we see Detroit back to its former glory, and perhaps it's not meant to return but other metro-detroit area is suppose to begin booming?
We know that property of homes in places like Ann Arbor, MI never went down during the crisis. And places like Novi and West Bloomfield continue to see rising population and increase of property value.
Even though this is a news report, we want to say that its best not to watch the general News on TV because you will get an image of Michigan that is very negative, a state ridden with crime and poverty, and bone chilling weather. However the true Michigan is not seen until you come here and live for few years.
Grand Rapids for example is one of those places where economy is always doing well. It is a place of unique charm as it is home to one of Nation's biggest brewery hot spots. Yes I have personally tasted the local beers of Grand Rapids and it is fantastic.
Without getting into the details of beers, there is many local businesses there as well that have thrived even during the recession. Because when there is quality service there will always be buyers that pay with monetary means or in some other form of exchange in which there is compensation.
Grand Rapids is home to some fantastic restaurants, local pubs, with these night attractions also come with many limousines and taxi service companies in the area, that leave people of West Michigan many options to choose from.
There is very great Banquet Halls and Theaters where people can do great Weddings as well as big name concerts are held there. Some big names have played in those halls including Slipknot, Usher and recently big name EDM DJ's that have the world's attention… you name it.
We live in exciting times currently in the state of Michigan. You can feel the electricity in the air. There is a glint in people's eye which shows that people are beginning to have hope. They are going out there in the market and taking chances again and succeeding. Succeed breeds more success.
There is a snowball effect happening currently with the small business owners, where they are investing their money to come up with new, better, innovative products for all of us. And the customers are responding with increased spending.
Many seeds are being planted, and by the time summer hits those seeds will begin to sprout. By 2016 summer those sprouts will turn to nice trees to provide shade for all of us.


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I usually get the Country Scramble which is eggs, sausage, cheese, and potatoes scrambled together and topped with sausage gravy. It's amazing. It also comes with toast/biscuit and a choice of one of their sides, of which there are usually 10 plus options to choose from. I like their fruit salad, it's very fresh, and a good mix of fruit; not just sad pieces of mushy cantaloupe like most places. I wouldn't recommend the fried green tomatoes (which is rare, as I love fried green tomatoes); they just don't really taste like anything. But that's the only thing I have a problem with at Early Bird.
Last time I went with my dad, he ordered the fried chicken and waffles of the specials menu. The waffles come Belgian style, and they're almost more savory than they are sweet, even with the maple syrup on top. They're really good (and this is coming from a girl who doesn't like Belgian waffles. So that's really saying something). The chicken is batter-dipped and fried and topped with their house-made honey mustard. The sweetness of the honey mustard paired with the sweetness of the waffles…I don't know what it is, but it just works. It's so good. They fried chicken alone is amazing. Tender, juicy, white meat chicken fried perfectly to perfection. The batter that they use is delicious as well. You should definitely give it a try if it's on the menu.
Also, they're open til 4 am on Friday and Saturday nights, so, if you're like me and you crave really good, higher quality food at 2 am on a Friday night after the bars close, you're in luck! We actually went last night after a long night of celebrating. Geoff got a club of some sort and, although he didn't say whether he liked it or not, there was nothing left on his plate by the time he was finished, which is always a good sign. La got the omelet, which she said was probably one of the best omelets she's ever had.
Matty V ordered the pancakes. Only no one warned him that the pancakes are the size of dinner plates and they come out stacked three high. He was only able to eat maybe one of the pancakes before he threw in the towel. So a word of warning: Don't order the pancakes unless you haven't eaten in over 36 hours or you're trying to feed your entire family on a budget.
My new favorite thing is the fried pork chop with pepper jelly. It's fried perfectly to a crisp and is seasoned excellently. The pepper jelly gives it a great amount of depth and tanginess and it's a great mixture of salty and sweet.
Early Bird Diner
1644 Savannah Highway
Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 277-2353


text:
Assistance Program
Small Rental
Property Program
Small Rental
Property Program
Program Overview
About Us, FAQs
Forms, Guides, Publications
Status Reports
Secure Borrower Login
Contact Us
Small Rental Property Program Overview
Prior to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many low to moderate income working families in Louisiana lived in single-family homes, duplexes, and small multi-family buildings that were owned and operated by small-scale rental property owners. Many of these small rental properties were destroyed or severely damaged by the storms.
Before and After
The Small Rental Property program seeks to rebuild one- to four-unit rental properties to address the housing needs of low to moderate income people in the most heavily damaged areas.
The Rental Program provides financial incentives in the form of forgivable loans to property owners to help restore their damaged units and offer them at affordable rents.
Since 2007, the Rental Program has paid more than $350 million to assist in the rebuilding of over 8,000 rental units.
Choose from the options at the left for more details about the Small Rental Property Program.
Fair Housing / Equal Opportunity
The Small Rental Property program is a federally funded program that requires owners who are awarded funds to comply with federal fair housing laws and non-discriminatory practices. These laws prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, family status, and/or national origin. These laws also protect people from harassment in housing and protect those who help others exercise their freedom to choose the neighborhood where they live.
What's New in the SRPP...?
Small Rental Property Program Status Report
Applicant Request to Release Information
Utility Allowance Factsheet
Construction Warranties
2014 Tenant Selection and Occupancy Requirements
ATTENTION: Applicant Deadlines have been established for SRPP!!!
2014 Maximum Rent and AMI Tiers Released
Office of Community - Development Disaster Recovery Unit
does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion or disability, and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation, including auxiliary aids and services, to afford an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to participate in all services, programs and activities. Towards this end, we continually strive to make our web platform friendly to screen readers and other accessibility-related software, and provide accessible documents where possible. Any person requiring assistance, or would like a copy of a specific document, should contact the Special Needs Coordinator at (225) 276-2738. TTY callers please use the 711 relay* or dial 1.800.846.5277.
Program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.
Housing centers are accessible and reasonable accommodations will be provided as requested.
All content © 2012 The Road Home Program


text:
Windows 2000 Professional supports stripe sets but not mirroring or any other fault tolerance exclusive of sector sparing. The below mechanisms are fault tolerance mechanisms except for Disk Striping (RAID0):
RAID is a fault tolerant method of storing data, meaning that a failure can occur and the system will still function. When RAID is hardware supported, the RAID hardware will perform parity calculations, thus freeing the system. The various RAID categories are:
Windows 2000 Server supports RAID 0, 1, and 5.
The administrative tool called "Computer Management" is used to create and manage RAID volumes. To perform disk management, enter the "Computer Management" tool, click on the + next to "Storage", and select the "Disk Management" folder. At this point, volumes or partitions can be created, disk mirroring or duplexing may be set up or broken. RAID drives can only be created on Windows 2000 volumes which are dynamic volumes rather than partitions. See the section callled "Disks and Volumes" in this guide.
Volume sets are used to extend volumes across multiple hard drives. Neither the system nor boot partition may be part of a volume set. A volume set may use different type drives (IDE, SCSI) and can be any combination of FAT, NTFS or filesystem that NT can use.
The boot partition cannot be extended in size.
Tape drives are added using the "Tape Devices" applet in the Control Panel. You can allow the tape to be detected automatically or use the drivers tab to select and add a driver.


text:
Hello, I am a beginner to RDF. I recently found the Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.com) and I would like to add it to my site. The file is 80 MB long. I am looking for a program (MAC preferable, or PC) that takes an RDF file and can convert it onto an HTML template. Is there a program that can do this, or is there another method to interpret the RDF file? Thanks, email@example.com on Saturday, 5 February 2000 17:07:41 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Wednesday, 7 January 2015 15:07:29 UTC


text:
|Scared Kitty
|Cat scares itself. HAHA!
|Category: Funny
|People getting scared
|Who doesn't want to see people getting the crap scared out of them?
|Category: Funny
|Baby Scared Of Moms Nose Blowing
|If you think THIS is funny, you should see how Dad's farts make him cry! lol
|Category: Funny
|Dude Goes Airborne After Cannon Blast
|Always funny to see someone scared enough leap in the air and crap his pants!
|Category: Awesome
|Chick In A Box Prank Backfires
|Girl tries to scare her BF .... he's not scared and all she gets is a nice face plant! lol
|Category: Awesome
|Lion Tries To Eat Kid For Lunch
|Little blond kid gets the crap scared out of him when a hungry lion attacks! Probably his last trip to the zoo, eh!
|Category: Awesome
|Old Broad Scared To Death In Race Car
|Duh! You'd think she would have gotten a hint when she had to crawl into the car, dawn a helmet and get strapped in like she was taking off in a jet! lol Funny Video! Enjoy!
|Category: Funny
|Hot Chicks Ride The Slingshot
|Always nice to watch these pretty babes getting scared out of their minds! (You get a real chance to see what they look like when they wake up in the morning! LOL!)
|Category: Funny
|Socket Abuse
|Pervert takes advantage of a couple of unsuspecting sockets. No wonder they look so darned scared!!! lol Funny Video! Enjoy!
|Category: Funny
|Machine Gun Wakeup Prank
|Nice friends!! They wake up their buddy with a MACHINE GUN!! ANd he's scared to DEATH! Funny Video! Enjoy!
|Category: Funny
|Shocked Scared Stunned And Stupid
|Great compilation of some of the funniest videos in the world! Funny Video! Enjoy!
|Category: Funny
|Funny Shocking Surprises
|People getting the crap scared out of them, all so we can get a good laugh! lol Funny Video!
|Category: Funny
|Green Monster On The Beach
|Kids at the beach stumble on a big pile of what they thought was just seaweed. But it's ALIVE!! Scared them to death!
|Category: Funny
|Funny Crocodile Prank
|People scared to DEATH by a crocodile, or so they thought! This croc doesn't bite! Funny Prank Video!
|Category: Funny
|Tree Power
|Wow! This guy creates FALL all by himself! And it scared the crap out of him! lol Awesome!
|Category: Awesome
|Funny Scares
|Funny compilation of people being scared by their friends and family. Funny Video
|Category: Funny
|Scaring People
|There's nothing funnier than watching people get the crap scared out of them! Check it out!
|Category: Funny
|Elvis Comes ALIVE In Wax Museum
|Not EVERYONE in the wax museum is cold & dead! And these chicks get scared out of their minds when Elvis does his thing! Funny Stuff!
|Category: Funny
|Chick Scared To Death By Awesome Vampire Prank
|Chick's friends pull off the best prank EVER! With flesh eating ghouls, vampires. You gotta see this to believe it!
|Category: Awesome
|Baby Scared By Dads Fart
|This is hysterical! Dad rips one and Jr. (obviously knowing that something STINKY is about to occur) breaks down crying! Enjoy!
|Category: Funny
|Snake Up The Skirt Prank
|Chicks touring a snake exhibit are tricked into thinking that a missing snake just went up their shirts. Needless to say, the girls are VERY .... entertaining and funny when they're scared! Enjoy!
|Category: Funny
|Scarey Moments
|Watch a group of people get scared out of their wits. It's a wonder no one had a heart attack!
|Category: Funny
|Screeching Tires Prank
|People getting scared to death by the sound of an out-of-control car coming at them! Funny!
|Category: Funny
|Naked Stalker
|Girl is locked in a garage with a naked stalker & scared to death. Lucky it's only a prank!
|Category: Funny
|Scared Garbage Man
|prankster scares the hell out of the garbage man, but even better, guy falls over after doing it!
|Category: Funny
|View From a Rollercoaster
|for those of you scared to ride a rollercoaster, this is a sweet view from the front!
|Category: Awesome
|Scared of Mouse
|if you're so scared of mice, why would you get one!?
|Category: Funny
|Bush Using Google
|one of the things he uses "on the google"... god Bush is such a puss... scared to use email? what an idiot
|Category: Funny
|Lottery Commercial Baby
|Baby is so scared of doctor that he slaps himself at birth!
|Category: Funny
|Beach Airport
|mannnnnnnn would I be scared landing at THIS airpot!
|Category: WTH
|Panda Gets Scared
|This panda is just chillin, eating whatever, when the little one scares the hell out of the big one!
|Category: Funny
|Major Crash
|ooooh man... this is one insane crash... car hits tires, rolls a few times... the driver had to be pretttty scared!
|Category: Crazy
|People Scared
|lol, guy scares people while they're waiting for something.
|Category: Funny
|Octopus Attack
|omg.... i would be pretty scared if this happened to me... this is one big octopus...
|Category: Crazy
|Copier Prank
|funny prank of people being scared by a copier... good idea
|Category: Funny
|College Prank
|man, they scared the heck out of this poor guy... he needs to seek revenge for this one!
|Category: Other
|The Jerk Monster
|Pretty good home made video by one of our users... scared me!
|Category: Other
|Car Disguise
|well, if you have a nice car and are scared, this is the way to do it to protect it
|Category: Funny
|Patrick Witt
|I don't know what is raw about this footage.....but title scared me. I was scared it had dude nudity
|Category: Other
|CD Insanity
|This guy is crazy, I would be scared to slice my throat.
|Category: Awesome
|Gun shot scare
|haha this guys buddy fires the gun and this guy eats dirt... better check his pants... was pretty scared
|Category: Funny
|Building Implosion
|Watch all the birds that had the #%@& scared out of them....lol
|Category: Awesome
|Scared Cop
|hahaha, cop gets the crap scared out of him, don't be a p*ssy mr. cop!
|Category: Funny
|Priceless Blowjob
|haha, hilarious clip, guy asking for a blowjob from his girlfriend but scared her dad will find out
|Category: Awesome
|Scared Reaction
|hahahah, this guy is watching one of those vids that is peaceful then tries to scare the hell out of you, watch this guys reaction!
|Category: Funny


text:
The real objective of any business is to make profits. Invariably, this means that a business has to make lots and lots of sales so that it can make profits.
In today's, world, you may have the biggest offices and the best products and/or services. However, the people who actually 'sell' your business/brand to your customers are ultimately responsible for whether or not you make any sales – whether or not you make any money! Therefore, regular training for your sales staff is not optional, it is critical!
Here's a very simple experiment you can carry out right now: Pick on any one of your sales staff and ask her who taught her how to sell. You'll be surprised at their answer! The simple truth is that most sales people have never had any sales training. And yet, your business depends on these people for its survival.
Sales training – if it is any good – will boost all your measurements for success! Not only that, it will help you achieve your targets, close bigger deals, shorten sales cycles, increase revenues/profits and help you make more money!
We, Sales Training Kenya, are proud to offer you the best solutions on sales training, selling skills assessments, and suggestions for continuous improvement of sales skills, sales processes and sales strategy.
Do the right thing for your business, stick with us.