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Tech Trends | News
Intel is rolling out a new family of low-power systems-on-a-chip (SoC) designed for a wide range of consumer and business-grade mobile devices.
The "Bay Trail" family of processors is based on Intel's flexible, high-performance microarchitecture, known as "Silvermount," which was announced in May. In the fourth quarter of this year, manufacturers such as AAVA, Acer, ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba plan to release mobile devices such as tablets and 2-in-1s featuring the new Bay Trail processors.
The Intel Atom Z3000 processor series (Bay Trail-T) is the company's first mobile multicore SoC and is designed for sleek mobile designs. According to the company, "it delivers a fast and fluid experience and a powerful balance of performance, battery life, graphics, and rich features." Compared to the previous generation Intel Atom processor, the Z3000 features a smaller footprint, lower power usage, double the computing performance, and triple the graphics performance. The Z3000 will be available in tablets and 2-in-1 devices running Android and Windows 8.
The Bay Trail-M line includes the Intel Pentium N3510 and Intel Celeron N2910, N2810, and N2805 processors. The -M line of processors will enable manufacturers to offer 2-in-1 devices and notebooks with touch capabilities at a lower price point that previous devices.
The Bay Trail-D line includes the Intel Pentium J2850, Intel Celeron J1850, and Intel Celeron J1750 processors. According to the company, they are Intel's smallest-ever packages for desktop processors, and they are ideal for fanless and small form factor entry-level desktops or for vertical uses such as intelligent digital displays.
The company also announced a new lineup of Chromebooks featuring Intel processors based on the Haswell microarchitecture. The lineup features a lead design from HP, followed by others from Acer, ASUS, and Toshiba. The company is also enabling 64-bit kernel support for Android with over 4 GB of system memory for better application performance.
Another announcement from the company was the availability of new fourth generation Intel Core vPro processors for business computing. According to the company, the vPro line offers "enhanced manageability, hardware-based security, improved productivity and collaboration" in a variety of computing devices, including tablets, 2-in-1s, Ultrabooks, laptops, all-in-ones, and desktop PCs.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].


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Dear Moms Who I Judged for Disciplining Their Children in Public, I'm Sorry
I hate having to admit I'm wrong.
I do it when I have to, but there's nothing that makes my skin crawl more than having to go back on something I said or did and give in that when I stood firmly on something I was really just full of crap.
But it happens, and it's happening lately almost every single day. Every time I go to a restaurant, to Target, to the mall, to the trampoline park. Every time I'm toting my toddler anywhere in public and she starts screaming at the top of her lungs. I'm eating crow every day for ever judging the moms and dads who I've seen disciplining their kids in public and thought, "Can't they just do that when they get in the car?"
Don't get me wrong, there are parents who discipline their children the wrong way in public. You've probably seen them. The parents who are physical with their kids or scream back at their children. The parents who curse at their kids to stop acting up. To those parents, no, I'm still not sorry for judging you. You need to do some self-evaluating and consider the standards you're setting for the humans you're raising.
But to the moms who have paid a bill mid-meal and walked out because your kid was acting up or the dads who have stood strong and not bought their daughters the Barbies they begged for, I'm sorry. And I now know your pain.
My husband and I thought we "had a good one" and that our daughter was somehow different from all the naughty kids we saw around us. She always sat still and quiet at restaurants and stayed in her stroller when we were out for a walk. Until about a month ago when we recognized she had some behaviors starting that were B-A-D.
Parenting with another person is extremely difficult and entirely changes the dynamic of your relationship with that person. In the heat of a moment when your child is about to smash a rock through a glass table, you just have to know which way the other person is planning to discipline him/her (are they going to threaten to take away all Lucy's toys or put her in a 5-minute timeout) and then you have to agree with him/her to keep a united front even if you don't. About 9 out of 10 times my husband disciplines my daughter I disagree with what he's saying or how he's doing it, but it doesn't mean it's ineffective. It's just not the way I would do it.
The one thing my husband and I do agree on is never to call our daughter a "bad girl," even when she's really being one. Like when we're at a toy store and she starts opening things before we buy them, or when we're at a library and she starts ripping pages out of a book. She's "not being good" but she's not a "bad girl." Because fundamentally, she's not a bad girl. She's a growing girl, a learning girl still navigating what behaviors are acceptable toward other people and in public places. But this learning phase of hers comes with a learning phase of mine and as a result, I'm feeling all kinds of feels toward the moms and dads I scoffed at before. I've had to be that mom who disciplines her daughter in public very often already, and she's only 2 which means I have MUCH more of it in my future. I've counted to three, I've taken toys away, I've threatened no dessert. And I've felt awful about it every. single. time.
So I want to say "I was wrong" with a letter of apology, and this time admitting I was wrong isn't so hard. Here goes:
Dear Moms Who I Judged for Disciplining Their Children in Public,
I'm sorry. I'm sorry I stared at you. I'm sorry I scoffed at you. I'm sorry I whispered to my friends shopping with me, "Why won't she just buy her kid that toy?"
I know why you won't buy your kid the toy and I wouldn't either. Because buying the toy doesn't help, and you're busy training your child to be a decent human being who doesn't think acting up deserves a reward.
And further, for every time you need to watch your child cry because they're disappointed they can't have what they want, for every loud tantrum that brings looks your way at the mall, for every, "GET OFF OF ME!" they yell as you try to grab their hand for safety in a parking lot and you worry people will think you're a child abductor, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you have to go through that. I'm sorry we have to go through that, but it will make our kids safer, stronger people.
I'm sorry for ever thinking, "Well, why would you bring a bad kid out in public? Can't she just leave him at home?" What a stupid thing to think. As if you don't have zero time for yourself, let alone time to clean your house, think about what your son eats for lunch all week and how to get him from birthday party to birthday party on the weekend after swim classes, I know you need to bring your child to the grocery store because sometimes you just need to. And it's not like you knew he would throw a fit once he sat in the cart. Or maybe you did, but what are you going to do? Not eat food for a week because your son is 30 minutes late for nap-time and possessed by a demon now at Shop Rite? I'm an idiot for ever thinking it and had no idea how complicated a task like grocery shopping could be.
You're doing great.
Keep it up,
While we're talking about judging other parents, one last thing. OK, a few things:
- I'm sorry for judging the moms and dads who forget their kid in the car for a couple minutes running into Rite Aid. I've never done it, but I can see how it can happen.
- I'm sorry for judging the parents who forget essentials in their diaper bags. Having to leave the house with at least x number of diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, a binkie, a bottle, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, water AND a snack at the bare minimum every single outing is just exhausting. My kid has returned home pantsless after puking on herself many times because I just can't even.
- Similarly, I'm sorry for judging the parents of kids who are dressed like hot messes. I have no idea if thats the kid's second, third or tenth clothing change of the day, or how many human bodily functions mom and dad have been covered in to get to a point where Johnny's walking into Target with Mickey Mouse jammie pants and a pink tank top on.
- I'm sorry for judging parents who curse in front of (not at) their kids. An f-bomb can slip out super easy when you live a frustrating life like us.
- I'm sorry for judging the daddies of daughters whose hair is a disaster when mom's out of town or out of the picture. I've watched my husband attempt a high pony and it's worse than a My Little Pony mane that went through the wash, but it's really sweet that he tries.
- I'm sorry for judging moms who feed their kids McDonald's… or really any food ever. Getting your child to eat anything is a feat some days, and you know what you're doing.
- I'm sorry for judging parents who say they only give their kid a bath every other night or more. Take away the hour-long production that it is, forcing a slippery screaming child into water is no fun for anyone and not worth them staying clean for about 6 hours until they just color themselves all over with marker anyway.
- I'm sorry for judging parents who are on their phones at the playground. This is a tough one to apologize for because a.) I've been this person but also b.) I know I shouldn't be as much as I am. Live in the moment with your kids but also take an adult break for a few minutes if it brings you happiness. Just make sure you peek up from Facebook often enough to make sure he/she didn't fly off a swing into a metal pole. And…
- I'm sorry for judging parents who looked away for a second while their kid fell and got hurt. This feeling sucks more than anything ever. You know, where you were looking directly at them one blink ago, you turn your head and next thing you know she's gushing from the nose and screaming like a wolverine got her? It happens, I'm sorry.
Of all the parenting things I was quick to dismiss or judge before I was a mother, one of the biggest was a saying. It's a phrase I was sure wouldn't feel real and I thought of as just a dumb mom cliché. Now I can't stop myself from saying it all the time to new moms because I was definitely wrong in thinking it wasn't the truest truth of being a parent.

subset: commoncrawl


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"Right trumps time and money. If you do it right, the time it takes to do it and the money it costs both take care of themselves."
That, says Tom Hamic, is the prevailing business philosophy at contract bottler United Packaging Group. Founded about five years ago, UPG has in short order become something of a powerhouse as contract packagers go. Two brands in particular, Neuro and Talking Rain, are "exploding," says Hamic, one of UPG's two owners. And though UPG does market an own-brand bottled water called Penta, the business that has fueled the firm's growth has been contract manufacturing and bottling for other brands. In some cases, as with Santa Monica, CA-based Neuro Drinks, for example, the company marketing the beverage is a "virtual manufacturer" that has no production facilities of its own and relies entirely on contract packaging for its manufacturing requirements. In other cases, like with Talking Rain of Preston, WA, UPG supplements the bottling capacity that a beverage company has in-house.
Two lines of special interest at UPG's Colton, CA, plant are Lines 3 and 4. Line Three was installed initially as a bottled water line, where purified, flavored, and enhanced waters of various kinds were filled in several sizes of PET bottles. But growth in carbonated beverages required the addition this spring of a Meyer CSD filler remanufactured and upgraded by Sidel (www.sidel.com). So now the line offers UPG the flexibility to do carbonated or non-carbonated beverages on the same line.
Another significant addition that affects both Lines 3 and 4 is the addition of a Sidel SBO 18 stretch blow molder, which was being unwrapped and installed when Packaging World visited the plant in June. It will feed either Line 3 or 4 based on volume requirements. UPG is no stranger to self manufacturing its bottles, as four stretch blow molding systems are already operating within the firm to supplement the supply of bottles that are purchased. Hamic says that in addition to reducing costs through self manufacturing, he gains better control over inventory and warehousing requirements by self manufacturing a certain portion of his own bottles.
Unscrambler brings flexibility
One machine found at the head of both Lines 3 and 4 is a Necosort-III bottle unscrambler from Nalbach.
"As a contract packager, we have to be able to run multiple products and change very quickly," says Hamic. "That's where these unscramblers come in. If the neck finish is the same, changeover takes just minutes. And even if we're switching to a different neck finish, it only takes about an hour. The unscramblers have been incredible where changeover is concerned."
Also, the sorting drum on the Necosort-III unscrambler is oriented vertically, which minimizes the machine's footprint compared to alternatives that are available. Each unscrambler at UPG has a footprint measuring just 110 x 96 inches.
Also a key contribution is one that comes from the Lanfranchi (www.lanfranchigroup.com) air conveyors that move bottles from the unscrambler to the filler block. "The Infinity air conveying system is all servo-based," says Hamic. "We can go from bottle neck diameters of 26.7 to 28 to 38 mm by making a selection on a touch screen. The servos all along the air conveyor automatically adjust to grip the new neck size we're switching to. Traditionally this has been done by hand, which takes hours."
While a number of carbonated or lightly carbonated beverages can be filled on Line 4, it was Neuro Sonic in a 14.5-oz clear PET bottle that was in production on the day of PW's plant visit. A lightly carbonated nutritional supplement that is formulated to boost "mental energy," Sonic is one of several unique beverages sold by Neuro. A detailed look at how production is handled with that product on that line is representative of how things are done across the board at UPG's shiny new plant.
Bottle depal
At the very front of the line is bottle depalletizing by a Priority One machine from Arrowhead Systems Inc.. It pushes layers of bottles into a floor-level hopper. Bottles are then elevated toward the top of the Nalbach unscrambler, which in turn orients them and feeds them to the servo-controlled Lanfranchi air conveyor.
Filling is done on a Eurotronica FM-C filler from Sidel that is integrated in block fashion with a Sidel rinser and a Sidel Arol capper. "Among other things, like speeds to 600 bottles a minute, I like the flexibility I get from this Sidel system," says Hamic. "I can do still beverages or CSD or blended products in sizes from eight ounces to two liters. For a copacker, that's important."
Filled and capped bottles pass through a Lasetec laser coder and a Filtec fill-level inspection system, both supplied by Industrial Dynamics-Filtec. The laser coder is used for bottles that, unlike the Neuro bottle, don't have shrink sleeve labels. The level inspection system is in place to reject any bottles that are underfilled. Another inspection system on the line, from Teledyne TapTone, checks to make sure internal CO2 or nitrogen pressure, depending on the product in production, is within parameters.
Next is labeling in one of two formats: on a Sidel Rollquatro roll-fed labeler or a Tripack HSA-300T tandem shrink sleeve labeler. The Neuro bottle gets the shrink sleeve label. So, bypassing the roll-fed labeler, it moves into the tandem shrink sleeve labeler, where each head labels every other bottle.
Both heads of the tandem Tripack sleeve labeler are equipped with a film accumulation feature that makes it possible to splice in a new roll of film with no interruption to labeling. What happens is that when a roll of label material gets to a certain low level, the accumulation feature is activated and film begins to fill the accumulation rollers. Once the roll of label material is empty, labels are drawn from the accumulation rollers while an operator splices a new roll to the butt end of the old roll. When splicing is complete, the operator hits a button on the labeler's control panel and the accumulation rollers are inactivated until they are needed again.
Supplied by WorldPack Inc., the PETG label material is in the form of a continuous tube with a 4-mm clear section separating each label impression. The tube is pulled over a forming mandrel and a photoeye picks up the position of the clear area and communicates that information to the labeler's controller. This is how the labeler knows when to cut a label from the continuous roll. The label is then driven down over a bottle by two application wheels, one on either side.
The shrink tunnel that follows, also from Tripack, has a three-way adjustable steam baffle system that makes it easy to adjust steam baffle angles from the control panel outside the machine. Again, for a contract packager facing many bottle shapes, such ease of adjustment is a welcome, if minor, detail.
Next in line is the application of Neuro's sleek bullet-shaped overcap. It's done by a Sidel Arol capper fed by a Shibuya Hoppman cap sorter/feeder. The overcap snaps onto the primary cap in such a way that the two essentially become one. Two dimples molded into the overcap make its removal easy in the consumer's hands.
Bottles pass a Videojet ink-jet date coder on their way to secondary packaging, which is done on a Sidel Cermex system that can handle any of three formats: unsupported film, corrugated pad with film wrap, or corrugated tray with film wrap. All that remains is overhead conveying to a remote palletizer from vonGAL and a stretch wrapper from Wulftec.
"We're driven to be the best copacker in the world," says Hamic. "We may only have been in business for five years, but in that span of time we've done more than most companies do in 25 years. We're always looking for the latest technology to give us a competitive advantage, and we've been fortunate in having great partners. We couldn't do it without the support of our suppliers."


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Terence Wilson, a founding member of UB40 who was known by fans of the pioneering reggae band as Astro, has died following a short illness. He was 64.
Wilson's death was confirmed Saturday on the official Twitter page for his group, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell & Astro.
"We are absolutely devastated and completely heartbroken to have to tell you that our beloved Astro has today passed away after a very short illness," the statement read. "The world will never be the same without him."
The current, separate iteration of the band UB40, which Wilson left in 2013, also confirmed the singer's death. "Our sincere condolences to his family," the band tweeted.
UB40 formed in Birmingham, England in the late 1970s, when reggae was becoming an outlet for the country's working class youth to express their feelings about issues including racism and poverty. UB40 took their name from the British unemployment benefits card, a form they replicated as the cover of their 1980 debut album Signing Off.
"I went through the same rigmarole as most black people in the late 70s," Wilson told The Guardian in an interview in May, referencing the era's stop-and-frisk "sus law," which often unfairly targeted men of color. "It was a weekly occurrence. We found it harder to write love songs than militant lyrics, because it was a lot easier to write about stuff you had witnessed or read about. It seemed natural to us."
The four time Grammy-nominated band topped the U.K. singles chart with the cover "Red Red Wine," a crossover American favorite, as well as a cover of the Elvis Presley classic "(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You" and "I Got You Babe" featuring The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde.
In 2013 Wilson left UB40 and formed his own version of the band alongside former members Ali Campbell and Mickey Virtue.
"Since Astro rejoined my band, it's been a renaissance for us," Campbell said in a 2016 interview. "Me and Astro is enough to make the fans happy, they're voting with their feet."
Wilson and Campbell continued to release music and perform, and were planning a 2022 tour for their last album, Unprecedented, up until Wilson's death.
Earlier this year, another founding member of UB40, the group's saxophonist and songwriter Brian Travers, also died following a battle with cancer.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities of juggling a career and a family? Parenting is a full-time job and can, many times, be harder than your real one. It's this anxiety of trying to be all things to all people that can make it seem that the work/life balancing act is unending.
As both parents and researchers, Dr. Heather Wittenberg and Hollee Schwartz Temple can help. If you haven't already, use the link below to "like" your school on Facebook and then join these experts in an interactive chat during the allotted day and time. They'll provide the complex insights, and simple tips and tools that can help put you back on solid footing. Plus, five lucky chatters for each brand will receive signed copies of Hollee's new book!*
June 8 @ 8:00 p.m. EST
The Children's Courtyard
June 9 @ 9:00 p.m. EST
Tutor Time
June 15 @ 8:00 p.m. EST
La Petite Academy
June 16 @ 8:00 p.m. EST
About Dr. Heather
Dr. Heather Wittenberg specializes in the development of babies, toddlers, young children — and parents. She offers no-hype, practical advice — rooted in science, and road-tested in her own home as the mother of four young children.
She's helped thousands of parents over the years, and knows that the most common problems with young children — sleep, feeding, potty training and behavior — can be the most difficult ones to solve.
There is no "one size fits all" answer to your most challenging parenting questions, and Dr. Heather understands that what may work for one family, may not work for another. By understanding each child's unique temperament and personality, she finds individualized, workable solutions that help make parenting easier — and more fun.
Because it would be nice to have more fun as parents, wouldn't it? Sometimes it seems that the more we learn about parenting, the more we worry. Dr. Heather sorts out the "help" from the "hype", giving parents more confidence, less worry, and less guilt — leaving time to enjoy the everyday miracles of our families' amazing growth.
Dr. Heather works from her island home in Hawaii, where she lives with her husband (also a shrink), and their four children. Dr. Heather's fantastic parenting and child-development advice can be found on her website — babyshrink.com — or through her blog.
About Hollee
Hollee Schwartz Temple is a journalist-turned-lawyer-turned-professor at West Virginia University College of Law. She has first-hand experience with the challenges faced by her generation of female lawyers and has successfully melded her desires for professional satisfaction and family time by working in the law school environment.
After graduating at the top of her class with a combined bachelor's and master's degree from Northwestern University, Hollee headed to Duke University School of Law. She graduated in 1999 and began a four-year stint as a litigation associate at a large Pittsburgh law firm. After her first son was born in 2002, Temple returned to her firm part-time before joining the WVU faculty the next year.
An active scholar and speaker, Hollee writes the work/life balance column for the American Bar Association Journal, and has been published in newspapers (including the Miami Herald, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and Michigan City News-Dispatch), national law reviews and legal writing publications. She recently gave the plenary address at her discipline's international conference, and has conducted seminars on generational issues and projecting professionalism in writing for large law firms. A faculty associate of the Women's Studies program, she was recently selected to serve on the internal advisory board of West Virginia University ADVANCE Center, working to improve work/life and women's issues on campus.
In 2008, Hollee celebrated ten years of marriage with John Temple, a journalism professor and author of two narrative non-fiction books. She is constantly amused and amazed by her feisty red-headed sons: Gideon, 8 (who is raising eyebrows around Morgantown by convincing his classmates to root for the rival Pitt Panthers), and Henry, 6 (who once swallowed a penny while in timeout for putting dangerous objects in his mouth). Hollee starts every legal writing class with a blaring music video (she tells her students it's because she's the rock star of legal writing but it's really to wake them up), and she often brings down the house with her karaoke rendition of Dusty Springfield's Son of a Preacher Man. If she's not teaching, speaking, grading, writing or hanging with the family, she's probably doing yoga.
Hollee blogs about work/life issues at thenewperfect.com. Her new book, Good Enough Is the New Perfect: Finding Happiness and Success in Modern Motherhood (Harlequin Nonfiction) is available now at your favorite bookstore.
*Must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Only one entry per classroom per family allowed. Drawing not valid for Learning Care Group employees or their immediate families. Five (5) Winners for each brand will be determined by a random drawing of all participants for each brand chat, to be held on: June 10 (Childtime); June 10 (The Children's Courtyard); June 17 (Tutor Time); June 17 (La Petite Academy). Winners will be notified by a posting on the: Childtime Facebook page on June 10, 2011; The Children's Courtyard Facebook page on June 13, 2011; the Tutor Time Facebook page on June 17, 2011; and on the La Petite Academy Facebook page on June 20, 2011.


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Let sleeping dogs lie…. We've all heard the phrase said over and over. It means to leave something the way it is because disturbing it would cause more trouble or additional complications. Fine, fine, fine. Maybe for today, I'll not address the troublemakers in life. Heaven knows, I've run into more than enough of my fair share of dogs that lie…. But ok, I'll respect the wisdom of the phrase and for now, I … [Read more...]
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Authors Argia M. Sbordone, Andrea Tambalotti, Krishna Rao and Kieran Walsh present an introduction to policy analysis with dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models, analytical tools used by economists to provide a disciplined examination of the economic outlook and its interaction with monetary policy. This class of models, which emphasize the dependence of current choices on expected future outcomes, plays an important role in the formulation and communication of monetary policy by many of the world's central banks.
Using a simple, small-scale DSGE specification, designed to account for three key macroeconomic variables—GDP growth, core inflation and the federal funds rate—the authors analyze the pickup in inflation in the United States in the first half of 2004. Their results suggest that a significant portion of the inflation acceleration in 2004 was due to a change in inflation expectations, which the model links to an increase in the private sector's perception of the Federal Reserve's implicit inflation target.
A key lesson derived from the study is that the most effective approach to controlling inflation is the management of inflation expectations through clear communication, rather than through pronounced movements in short-term interest rates. This lesson, according to the authors, is consistent with the amount of private sector attention and speculation that usually surround central bankers' pronouncements on their likely future actions.
Argia M. Sbordone is an assistant vice president and Andrea Tambalotti a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Krishna Rao is a graduate student at Stanford University. Kieran Walsh is a graduate student at Yale University.
Policy Analysis Using DSGE Models: An Introduction ››
Media Relations


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Soup Dish: ok, so I actually have a few links this week. Some tasty bookish articles that caught my eye recently:
✽Marjorie Liu... she is one of my favorite paranormal writers anyway, but this? I'll I've got is WOW. I'm not really a graphic novel kind of girl, but I think I'll have to make an exception for Monstress. Here is Vox's amazing writeup.
✽You know how I love lists: 20 Books that Offer a Perfect Blend of Sci-Fi and Romance. I tend to prefer fantasy over Sci-Fi... I can't say that I've read any of these. Maybe I'm ready to try Romance in Space. If we include fantasy in the category, I'd add Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies, and yep, Jeffe Kennedy's Twelve Kingdoms trilogy. Just yummy.
✽Nora Roberts on the post-draft process of publishing a book. I don't think I'm one of those people that would pester an author to hurry up or let me see something before it's done. If I say "I can't wait for the next one," that's meant to be a compliment, not a "hurry up!" sort of imprecation. Honestly, the anticipation can be a good thing. I do wonder about this though:
Meanwhile, the editor is working with the art department on a cover. With Sales and Marketing on how the book will be sold in, how it will be marketed. It has to be scheduled, and this book is one among many. Accounts–bookstores, chains and independents, other venders like WalMart, Target, Costco and so on, have to be addressed–so there are book reps who deal with that. Catalogue copy must be written, Publicity has their meetings on the book–what to do there? Back cover copy, flap copy must be written. That cover has to be produced, maybe revised, produced.Maybe it's because Nora has some serious volume going out, but really? Five months? Coming from a background of industrial/process engineering, where there is always pressure on production cycle times... that seems like a lot. That seems like maybe where some indie publishers are seeing some opportunity. I understand that creative products cannot be totally optimized, but let's face it, distribution contracts are not really a creative product. Hmmm. Anyway, the article is worth a read, if only for the photos of the marked up manuscripts at the end.
None of this happens in five minutes. Or five days. Or five weeks. Or five months.
What I'm reading
✽The Becoming, by Jeanne Stein. I read this because the author was signed up for the Reading Until Dawn Con. Really enjoyed the book. The bounty hunter heroine has a good "origin story" and I enjoyed the way the various characters developed and revealed themselves.
✽The Tears of the Rose, by Jeffe Kennedy. Jeffe is also a RUDC author, but I was reading her stuff anyway. You should too. I'm currently reading the third book in the series and taken as a whole they are just really really good. Individually, they are lovely romances with tons of adventure, magic, and emotional tension. This one in particular was sort of a tardis-book: given the word count, it should have taken me much longer to read. The pacing apparently has a touch of magic too. Character wise, I loved how Amelia went from being a pampered baby sister princess to truly a queen in her own right, with agency as well as an agenda. There is a bit of a cliff-hanger in this book, which I sort of think will not be resolved in book three. According to the author, there is a new related series in the works, which - this is my speculation only - may take that as a jumping off point. I'm hoping/planning to do a series review for all three when I finish Talon of the Hawk.
✽On a Night Like This, by Barbara Freethy. I think I picked it up as a freebie or 99-cent special; it's priced at $3.99 now. First in the Calloway series, this is a nice "reunion" contemporary about a firefighter and a lawyer with daddy issues. Sara is the literal girl next door, and Aiden knew about her epic crush on him back in the day. They shared one teenaged kiss, but the timing wasn't right. I enjoyed this quite a lot -- it's a sweet, low-conflict romance with some really good kissing.
✽The Nymphos of Rocky Flats, by Mario Acevedo. Another RUDC author, I've seen his name around for quite a while. I have really enjoyed most of the authors who have written for the League of Reluctant Adults, off and on. And I want to say that Mario was a great sport at the conference, vastly outnumbered by women. (His choice for, and execution of, the erotic reading session was impeccable. And memorable.) Unfortunately, the book didn't really work for me. An interesting premise, great action, a vivid military backstory were soured for me by the casual misogyny of the male characters:
"So what'd you do?" I asked. "Let these women screw their brains out on government time?"Yeah, that last line was kind of a dealbreaker for me. If it was meant to be humorous, it didn't work. (Also, I really hope the dosage was meant to be in milligrams.) So I think this particular protagonist is not for me.
"What was the alternative?" Gilbert replied. "Fire fifty percent of our workforce? DOE wants full disclosure of our activities - except for the embarrassing stuff." He fidgeted with the knot of his tie. "At first we thought we'd just let the women get it out of their systems. To accommodate their needs, as it were," he cleared his throat. ... "Fortunately, we discovered an ally among the pharmaceuticals." Gilbert opened a side drawer to his desk and produced a small plastic bottle. he shook the vial, rattling the green-and-white pills inside. "A daily dose of sixty grams of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Fluoxetine hydrochloride. Prozac."
Gilbert put the bottle away. "Now we have plenty of happy women and very few horny ones. Rumor has it the holdouts were tramps to begin with."
So that's the soup this week. What's going on with you?


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Letter to an Oxford student on the uselessness of art | Oscar Wilde (1891)
My Dear Sir
Art is useless because its aim is simply to create a mood. It is not meant to instruct, or to influence action in any way. It is superbly sterile, and the note of its pleasure is sterility. If the contemplation of a work of art is followed by activity of any kind, the work is either of a very second-rate order, or the spectator has failed to realise the complete artistic impression.
A work of art is useless as a flower is useless. A flower blossoms for its own joy. We gain a moment of joy by looking at it. That is all that is to be said about our relations to flowers. Of course man may sell the flower, and so make it useful to him, but this has nothing to do with the flower. It is not part of its essence. It is accidental. It is a misuse. All this is I fear very obscure. But the subject is a long one.
Truly yours,


text:
I had no idea that my son was a Superhero.
I knew that Tyler was super cool, I mean he is my son after all, a chip off the old block. But a Superhero?
Tuesday nights are swim class nights for us. We don't live in a warmer climate where it is easy to access a pool year round, so we head to the local YMCA once a week. I feel that swim classes are most important in the winter months when kids aren't swimming everyday. I would hate to get to summer time and have them just sink to the bottom of the pool because they hadn't worked on their skills for over six months. The boys seem to really enjoy it, which is the most important thing.
So swim classes are important, but that is not what this post is about. It's about something that happens AFTER swim class, something in the locker room. It's where a transformation takes place turning Tyler from a mere mortal child into that of a SUPER child:
Why Tyler decides to do this every time we go is beyond me. But why do kids do half the stuff they do, because they can. At least he is getting himself dressed right? Just getting your clothes on would be quite boring.
If you noticed at the end of that video my other son Carter walked into the locker; he always has to copy his older brother. The only difference though is that two minutes after he walked, in he came out with NO clothes on. It leads me to the question, is Carter a superhero all of the time, or is his super suit his birthday suit?


text:
Product Details
Product Details
Experience the zingy delight of blue raspberry infused lemonade in every puff with our Blue Razz Lemonade Lost Mary Tappo Pods. Each pod is prefilled with 20mg Nic Salt e-liquid, delivering up to 600 puffs of refreshing flavour.
- Blue Razz Lemonade Flavour
- 2ml Prefilled Pods
- Up To 600 Puffs Per Pod
- MTL Vaping
- Environmentally Sustainable
- QUAQ Mesh Coils
- Compatible With Lost Mary Tappo Pod Kit
Our Lost Mary Tappo Pods provide a hassle-free vaping experience, seamlessly attaching to the Lost Mary Tappo Pod kit with magnetic compatibility. Enjoy the same delightful flavours found in Lost Mary's popular disposable vapes, such as the BM600 range, without any setup or maintenance hassles.
Each prefilled pod contains 2ml of 20mg Nic Salt e-liquid, ensuring swift nicotine delivery and a smooth throat hit. With up to 600 puffs per pod and an MTL draw, these pods offer an authentic smoking sensation.
Featuring advanced QUAQ mesh coil technology, our Tappo Pods enhance flavour, heating speed, and coil longevity while minimizing e-liquid wastage.
To activate, simply push down on the base of each pod before use.
- 2 x Blue Razz Lemonade Lost Mary Tappo Pods
Free Delivery
Free Delivery
Last updated: 05/08/2023
Customers must be over the age of 18 to use this website and are expected to be available on delivery to accept packages with proof of age. We reserve the right to ask for age verification at any stage of the ordering process.
We aim to dispatch all orders placed before 2pm on the same day, Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays.
For international / Europe delivery, please see here.
Free UK Delivery
We offer FREE UK delivery on all orders over £10 placed on rollingrefills.co.uk. In order to qualify, you must have over £10 worth of items in your cart before checkout and after any discounts have been applied.
We also offer Free Royal Mail Tracked delivery, and cheaper shipping upgrades on orders over £35
Eligible orders will be offered a free delivery option at checkout. You can upgrade any order to our faster shipping options if you require your order sooner.
UK Delivery Options
Delivery options for orders over £10
Delivery Service | Price | Estimated Delivery |
Standard Delivery | Free |
3 - 5 Working days |
Royal Mail Tracked 48 | £1.99 | 2 Working days |
Royal Mail Tracked 24 | £4.99 | Next working day |
Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed By 1pm | £9.50 | Next working day, guaranteed by 1pm |
DPD Tracked |
£5.50 |
2 - 3 Working days |
Evri Tracked | £2.50 |
2 - 3 Working days |
Delivery options for orders over £35
Delivery Service | Price | Estimated Delivery |
Royal Mail Tracked 48 | Free | 2 Working days |
Royal Mail Tracked 24 | £3.99 | Next working day |
Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed By 1pm | £8.50 | Next working day, guaranteed by 1pm |
DPD Tracked |
£5.50 |
2 - 3 Working days |
Delivery options for orders under £10
Delivery Service | Price | Estimated Delivery |
Standard Delivery | £2.50 |
3 - 5 Working days |
Royal Mail Tracked 48 | £2.99 | 2 Working days |
Royal Mail Tracked 24 | £4.99 | Next working day |
Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed By 1pm | £9.50 | Next working day, guaranteed by 1pm |
DPD Tracked |
£5.50 |
2 - 3 Working days |
Evri Tracked | £3.50 |
2 - 3 Working days |
Please note, all delivery windows shown are estimates and are not guarantees provided by Royal Mail. For the best chance of a fast delivery, please select Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm.
We reserve the right to upgrade your delivery choice to 24 Hour Signed for with age verification at any time.
Local Delivery
Local delivery is currently available within 5 miles of Huntington, York.
Please contact us if you would like your postcode adding to our local delivery round.
Local delivery is free on all orders over £10 and we aim to deliver all orders within 2 working days. Please note, we're currently unable to deliver on Tuesdays.
Dispatch & Preparation Times
We have a standard 1-3 day dispatch policy on all orders, subject to terms & conditions. Some of our products display a more refined dispatch window, however these are still held to our standard 1-3 day policy.
If you require your order sooner, please contact us. We will try our best to get you your order when you need it.
We aim to dispatch all in stock orders placed before 2pm on the same day.
Europe Delivery Options
All our prices are displayed in GBP (British Sterling) and including UK VAT. All payments will be processed in GBP.
Please note, for all international orders any customs or import fees are the responsibility of the customer. It is also your responsibility to check local laws & regulations before placing an order.
All delivery windows shown are estimates and are not guarantees provided by Royal Mail. For the best chance of a fast delivery, please select Tracked International.
Europe Zone 1 & 2
Including: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
Excluding: Slovakia
Delivery options for orders under £35
Delivery Service | Price | Estimated Delivery |
Economy International | £8.50 |
10 - 80 Working Days |
Tracked International | £10.99 | 3 - 5 Working Days |
Delivery options for orders over £35
Delivery Service | Price | Estimated Delivery |
Tracked International | £8.50 |
3 - 5 Working Days |
Europe Zone 3
Including: Czechia, Åland Islands, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Mayotte, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Réunion, San Marino, Serbia, Svalbard & Jan Mayen, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican City
Excluding: Iceland
Delivery options for orders under £35
Delivery Service | Price | Estimated Delivery |
Economy International | £8.50 |
10 - 80 Working Days |
Tracked International | £12.99 | 3 - 5 Working Days |
Delivery options for orders over £35
Delivery Service | Price | Estimated Delivery |
Tracked International | £10.99 |
3 - 5 Working Days |
30-Day Returns
30-Day Returns
Last updated: 05/08/2023
We have a standard 30 day return policy. This means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it, unopened or unused, with tags, and in its original packaging. You'll also need the receipt or proof of purchase.
To request a return, please contact our customer service team at firstname.lastname@example.com who will be happy to help. We'll send you a return shipping label, as well as instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted.
Returned items must be received within 14 days of the return request being accepted. If an item is not received within this timeframe, we will no longer be able to accept it.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Damages and issues
Please inspect your order as soon as you receive it and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can elevate the issue and make it right for you.
Exceptions / non-returnable items
Certain types of items cannot be returned, like perishable goods (such as food, flowers, or plants), custom products (such as special orders or personalised items), and personal care goods (such as beauty products). We also do not accept returns for hazardous materials, flammable liquids, or gases. Please get in touch with our customer care team at firstname.lastname@example.com if you have questions or concerns about your specific item.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on sale / discounted items or gift cards.
We don't currently offer exchanges on our products. Please open a return request with our customer care team at firstname.lastname@example.com. Once returned, you can make a separate purchase for the new item.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Once we have received and inspected your item, we will let you know if the refund has been approved or not. If approved, we will automatically refund you to your original payment method.
Please note some banks and credit card companies can take up to 30 days to process the refund.
Questions about Blue Razz Lemonade - Lost Mary Tappo - 2ml Pre-filled Pod (2x Pods)? Contact our customer care team using the chat bubble at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, visit our help centre, or contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com
Elf Bar Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an Elf Bar last?
Some say the Elf Bar 600 can can match 48 ciggarettes for typical smokers.
Looking at the numbers, 2mg of e-liquid is the same as 20mg in traditional cigarettes. This would mean you'd need to vape a lot less when using an Elf Bar to get your daily nicotine intake.
We have however noticed usage when first moving onto Elf Bars doesn't quite match up to that due to the ease of use and introduction of amazing new flavours. An Elf Bar for a typical 20-a-day smoker being introduced to vaping has typically lasted over 24 hours in our findings.
How many Elf Bars should last a week?
Most Elf Bars would last a typical ciggarette smoker between 24 and 48 hours. This would mean a pack of 5 Elf Bar 600 devices would last typical users a full week.
Are Elf Bars a good choice for quitting smoking?
Elf Bar 600's and other disposable vaporisers are the perfect choice for taking the first step into vaping. Most Disposable Vaporisers in the UK last up to 600 puffs, which is the equivelent of around 30 - 48 ciggarettes.
Disposables offer a wide range of tantilising flavours to choose from.
Explore the ultimate convenience and variety in vaping with Rolling Refills' extensive collection of disposable vapes. Our disposable vape page is your gateway to a world of flavour, affordability, and hassle-free vaping. Whether you're new to vaping, looking for a convenient backup, or simply seeking exciting new flavours, we have you covered.
Lost Mary Disposable Vapes: Immerse yourself in a symphony of flavors with Lost Mary Disposable Vapes. From Blueberry Peach Ice to Triple Melon, Lost Mary offers a range of delectable options to tantalise your taste buds.
Elf Bars: Experience vaping simplicity at its finest with Elf Bars. Available in a variety of flavours, these disposable vapes are perfect for those on the go. Choose from classics like Blue Razz Lemonade or explore unique combinations like Lychee Ice.
SKE Crystal Plus: Elevate your vaping experience with SKE Crystal Plus Disposable Vapes. These sleek and compact devices deliver a smooth and satisfying vape. Whether you prefer classic tobacco or tropical fruit, there's a flavour for everyone.
Alfa Bar: Alfa Bar Disposable Vapes offer convenience and performance in one package. With a range of flavours, including Grape Ice and Strawberry Watermelon, these disposables are perfect for vapers of all preferences.
Zovoo Disposable Vapes: Dive into a world of flavour with Zovoo Disposable Vapes. With options like Strawberry Kiwi and Lemon Lime, these disposables are designed for those who crave variety.
Exclusive Bundle Deals: Take advantage of our exclusive bundle deals on disposable vapes. Whether you're stocking up or trying multiple flavours, our bundle offers provide excellent value.
Eco-Friendly and Sustainable: At Rolling Refills, we're committed to sustainability. Many of our disposables are designed with eco-friendly materials, so you can enjoy your vape guilt-free.
Promotions and Discounts: Keep an eye out for our ongoing promotions and discounts. We frequently offer special deals on disposable vapes, allowing you to save even more.
Rolling Refills is your one-stop shop for high-quality disposable vapes, unbeatable bundle deals, and a commitment to responsible vaping. With our diverse range of disposables and enticing offers, you can enjoy a premium vaping experience without breaking the bank. Shop now and discover the world of disposable vapes at Rolling Refills.