text:
White House Daily Briefing, May 27
Thursday May 27,
THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS GAGGLE BY SCOTT McCLELLAN Aboard Air Force One 12:28 P.M. EDT MR. McCLELLAN: All right, good afternoon. Let me run through the President's day. He began with his usual briefings. Then the President welcomed his good friend, President Flores, to the White House. The two leaders had a very good discussion. The President thanked President Flores for his strong leadership, and wished him well as he leaves office. The President expressed his appreciation for El Salvador's strong support for our efforts in Iraq. They had a good discussion about the President's five-step plan for success in Iraq, and the way forward to a free, democratic and peaceful Iraq. They also discussed hemispheric and bilateral issues. And the President said he looked forward to building upon our strong relationship with El Salvador with President Flores' successor. Upon landing here in Nashville, the Freedom Corps greeter is Phuong Le, who for the past six years has been a volunteer with the Siloam Family Health Center in Nashville. She volunteers every Saturday morning, and after school two nights a week, by staffing the front desk, organizing charts and patient flow and serving as an interpreter for patients with limited proficiency in English. Then following that, the President will go to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The President will participate in a tour of the Children's Hospital and he will receive a briefing there, as well, about the way they are applying health information technology at the children's hospital. Then he looks forward to participating in a conversation on the benefits of health information technology. The people involved in that conversation will be the National Health Information Technology Coordinator, Vanderbilt's Assistant Chief Medical Officer, an Emergency Medicine Physician from Indianapolis and a Vanderbilt University Medical Center patient and the mother of a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. And you all have the fact sheet on that. Following that, the President will participate in a Victory 2004 reception in Nashville at a private residence. And I think that's all I've got. QUESTION: Is the President going to support an across-the-board cut in domestic spending in his next budget? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, any speculation at this point about the 2006 budget really has no basis in fact, because no decisions have been made, and they won't be made for months. This President will continue to work to make sure we fund our highest priorities, while restraining spending elsewhere in the budget. And he will continue to work to cut the deficit in half over the next five years. But any such speculation, like we've seen in some media reports about the 2006 budget, simply has no basis in fact at this point. Q: So there was no memo, because that story is based off of a memo. MR. McCLELLAN: Sure, and that's all part of the normal, routine budget process that goes on in every administration. Q: So there was a memo, then. MR. McCLELLAN: Yes. But it -- Q: And it accurately quoted -- MR. McCLELLAN: -- but the suggestion that Dick was bringing up, about possible cuts in the 2006 budget, that's what I was referring to. That kind of speculation has no basis in fact, because the policy decisions have yet to be made, and they won't be made for months. Q: But why, then, does the memo instruct the budget planners to assume that there will be cuts? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think -- and you're certainly one who has an understanding, Dick, of the budget process. Anyone who understands the budget process knows that there is routine guidance like this sent out in every administration to agencies, but it does not represent any policy decisions, because those policy decisions won't be made for months. Q: The President has, over the past couple of years, talked about restraining spending to roughly the level of what household budgets increase by. Is that still an operative framework for what he is looking for in terms of spending increases? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, right now, right now, we're continuing to work on the 2005 budget and we're pleased the Congress is moving forward on a budget that funds our priorities and restrains spending elsewhere in the budget, as the President has proposed. The House has passed the budget framework. We'll continue to urge the Senate to act on this 2005 budget. But the President, as he has in past budgets, will continue to work to fund our priorities and hold the line on spending elsewhere in the budget, as he has done. Q: The Kerry campaign is saying that the President's speech on Monday and the warning on Wednesday is an attempt to change the subject and is politically motivated -- MR. McCLELLAN: The speech on Monday is what? Q: And the terror warning on Wednesday -- the timing of it is politically motivated to change the subject. MR. McCLELLAN: We are waging a global war on terrorism to make the world safer and make America more secure. This President knows that his highest responsibility is the safety and security of the American people. And there are terrorists who hate freedom, who continue to want to harm Americans. We are continuing to dismantle and disrupt the al Qaeda network and the al Qaeda is desperate to try and attack America. I mean, we've seen public comments from al Qaeda that they have made that they want to attack America. They have said that they are 90 percent complete in their preparations to strike America. And, you know, this President will continue to act at home and abroad to protect the American people. Q: But the timing is not -- you're saying the timing -- MR. McCLELLAN: Well -- in terms of the Homeland Security announcement. I mean, the people who the Attorney General and the FBI Director reissued bulletins for yesterday are real people who represent a real danger to America. And that's why I said this President will continue to act at home and abroad to protect the America people. And -- well, go ahead. Do you have a follow-up, or -- Q: All of the men and the one woman who are in there, have been long sought, according to news reports, except for this one guy from southern California. Do you know anything more about him and why he was recently added, why he's the -- become a recent -- MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think they put out information about those people yesterday and the FBI Director spoke about it as well. So that's what -- and what they put out is what I know of as well. Q: Senator Kerry's going to -- MR. McCLELLAN: As they pointed out, these are people associated with al Qaeda that pose a danger. Q: Senator Kerry is calling again today for NATO to make Iraq part of its mission. Can you talk a little bit about the President's thinking about NATO's role in Iraq, as he prepares to go to the NATO summit next month? MR. McCLELLAN: Yeah, we are actually -- well, those are discussions that have just really gotten underway, in terms of NATO's role in the future of Iraq. There are 15 or so NATO countries who are already participating in our efforts in Iraq and helping provide for the security of the Iraqi people. And we appreciate that, those countries being involved in helping to build a free and peaceful and democratic Iraq. And we will continue to have discussions with NATO members going forward, as we head into the summit in Turkey. And we'll have further discussions at that summit. But those discussions are just in the early stages and they'll have further discussions at NATO, at the NATO summit. Q: But, I mean, based on your experience with France and Germany, in particular, is it realistic of Senator Kerry to expect NATO to take this on as a full-fledged military mission? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, first of all, I think he needs to do a better job of explaining his own contradictions. But, you know, that -- Q: On what? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, when it comes to Iraq. Because he's someone who's been on all sides of the issue when it comes to Iraq. But, you know, this President has worked to build a strong coalition in Iraq and has long called for the United Nations to play a vital role going forward, and we are continuing to move forward as part of the President's five-step plan for success in Iraq to broaden the international support for the efforts that are going on there. Q: But is it realistic and proper for NATO to consider Iraq -- MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I understand. I'm not, you know, I'm not going to try to speculate about it at this point, speculate about what future role NATO may or may not play, because those discussions are really just getting underway. We need to let those discussions proceed. But that's why I pointed out that you already have many NATO countries involved in our efforts in Iraq. Q: Any reaction of the President on the arrest of Abu Hamza in Great Britain? MR. McCLELLAN: I'm sorry, any -- Q: Any reaction from the President on this? It sounds like it's been a year in the works, lengthy negotiations to try to get the Brits to arrest this man and they finally have done so? MR. McCLELLAN: Yeah, we have, obviously, you have comments from the Attorney General earlier today, but this, you know, we continue to be at war on terrorism, and this administration is waging this war on many different fronts. This is a global war that we are fighting in close cooperation with many nations, and we will continue to do so. While it's fought on many fronts, the war on terrorism is won on the offensive, and going after those who seek to do us harm and bringing them to justice before they can carry out their attacks. And that's what -- and this is part of the continuing war on terrorism. Q: Forgive me if you're already responded to this, but there was a report out by the British Institute a couple days ago saying that the war has spawned thousands -- is it like 18,000 or something like that -- new terrorists, as a result of the war. Did you have any response to that? MR. McCLELLAN: I didn't see -- I haven't seen the report. I don't know exactly -- Q: The British Institute for Strategy, or something like that. MR. McCLELLAN: -- what it said, but, you know, terrorists, there are terrorists out there who hate freedom and the only way to defeat the terrorists is to take the fight to them and bring them to justice before they can attack. This is a global war on terrorism. We are at war and if the terrorists weren't carrying out their evil in one place, they'd be carrying it out somewhere else. I just reject that idea. Q Any reaction to Gore's speech? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think everyone is entitled to their opinions even when they are wrong. Q: Is he going to mention Iraq at all today? MR. McCLELLAN: It's a conversation focusing on health information technology. But you'll get -- it's not a formal speech, per se. But you'll be there to cover it. Q: Is the administration going to be okay if the names Brahimi puts forward are all in the expert category, the technocrat category? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, Mr. Brahimi has been in close contact with Iraqis as he's worked to form the interim Iraqi government. He's also been in close consultation with Ambassador Bremer and others in the region. So we are very well aware of the process as it moves forward. And we look forward to his announcement on who those members of the interim government will be. Q: -- more about when that might be? Q: Is it going to be this week, as the President said? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, he's -- I think you've heard from Secretary General Annan. Earlier this week he had expressed hope that it would be this week. And we know that Mr. Brahimi is continuing to make progress and move forward on the names. And we expect he'll be coming back soon with an announcement. Q: This weekend, maybe, still? MR. McCLELLAN: I'll let him to refer to more of a specific date, but we expect it will be soon. Q: Is there any concern that Shahristani has taken himself out of the running to become Prime Minister? MR. McCLELLAN: Well, one, I think you ought to look back to what -- I don't know if it was Mr. Brahimi or a spokesman for him said on that matter, but it's still my understanding that he has not made any final recommendations on exactly who will make up the interim government. Q: Does the administration have any feeling about the idea about having a U.N. high commissioner after this interim government is named? MR. McCLELLAN: A high commissioner for? Q: An international high commissioner. MR. McCLELLAN: I think right now where our focus is, is on moving forward on getting an interim government in place and transferring sovereignty and moving forward on a new resolution at the United Nations that would recognize that interim government and encourage even broader international support, and a resolution that would also support the electoral process that is ongoing right now in Iraq. So that's where our focus is right now. And we'll continue to -- All right, thanks. Q: Scott, is there -- is there any concern the administration is sending out mixed signals yesterday by, one hand, the AG and the FBI Director putting out the list of seven Iraqis we're looking for, and at the same time, Governor Ridge, going on a lot of the shows yesterday and sort of downplaying the threat and making the point we haven't raised the threat level. What should we make of these conflicting -- MR. McCLELLAN: I don't -- agree with your term "downplaying." Secretary Ridge has been out there talking about the current threat period that we are in prior to yesterday. And he's been talking about how these high profile events we come -- we have coming up over the summer and fall time period certainly present an attractive target that terrorists might want to strike. And that's one of the reasons he's out there talking about the importance of people being on a heightened state of awareness and being vigilant as we enter this serious threat period. And I think from the law enforcement stand point, you're seeing the law enforcement officials talking about their role in protecting the homeland and the steps that they are taking to find and apprehend the individuals they mentioned yesterday. So I think that what you're seeing is that these officials are talking about it from their own positions of responsibility. All right, thanks. END 12:43 P.M. EDT |
Copyright 2003 Q Madp www.OurWarHeroes.net


text:
1. Find "App Store"
Press Settings.
Press App Store.
2. Turn automatic synchronisation of content on or off
Press the indicators next to the required content types to turn the function on or off.
3. Return to the home screen
Slide your finger upwards starting from the bottom of the screen to return to the home screen.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A New Kind of Anti-Piracy Scam?
Turns out it is possible to make money from having your products pirated. You put them out there yourself, and then sue anyone who takes them. This is what, allegedly, is happening between a U.S. pornographer, a German anti-piracy organisation, and a firm of UK lawyers. Here's how the scam—allegedly—works. The pornographer cuts a deal… Read More »


text:
There have been a few requests for a change log or release notes which I think would be great.
I understand that things are constantly changing, and if the team had to update us with every change, it would be a full time job.
That is why I propose a Monthly Summary of Changes.
The team could throw together a quick list of changes that have been implemented in the past month. I would only be interested in changes to the functionality or look and feel of the site.
So, what do you think?
Of course the monthly could be replaced with quarterly, bi-monthly or whatever. It would be nice to strike a balance between the users wanting to know what changes, and the team writing change notes.
I know that I could search for feature requests or bugs that have recently been marked complete on meta. However, there is no way for us to see what changes have been implemented if they didn't come from meta.


text:
Free forum : This is a trigger-free recovery help forum for those recovering from restrictive eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, binge-restrict, overexercise or ednos.
free, forum, letsrecover, recovery, #anorexia, eating, disorders, trigger-free, help, those, recovering, from, restrictive, such, bulimia, binge-restrict, overexercise, bingeing, rest
A forum where girls can talk about anything. Girl Talk Forums
free, girl, talk, love, relationship, bulimia, #anorexia, depression, conception, pregnancy, mums, advice, heartache, hate, argue
This forum is a hub for men and women to congregate to discuss and support one another with their eating disorder.
boys, eating, disorder, forum, male, woman, female, #anorexia, bulimia, support
Free forum : For people whom have any eating disorders (AN, BN, OSFED, BED, etc. ) don't want recovery at this point in their life to talk about their lives without shame.
pro-ana, #anorexia, pro-mia, bulimia, osfed, nervosa, thin, thyn, thinspo, anafeiends, miafriends, myproana
Free forum : A pro-ana website to support people through their own journey. We do not promote the development of anorexia or any other eating disorder. Browse at your own risk.
butterflies, dragonflies, united, pro-ana, support, eating, disorder, disorders, #anorexia, nervosa, anorexic, anorexics, bulimia, butterfly, dragonfly


text:
Featuring a stunning design along a padded back and adjustable shoulder straps, this embroidered backpack combines functionality and good looks. Use the two-way zipped main compartment to carry anything from a 15-inch laptop to books, and keep your phone and keys safe in the front zip pocket.
• 100% polyester, 600D
• Two-tone fabric
• Dimensions: H 16.5″ (42 cm), W 12.2″ (31 cm), D 8.3″ (21 cm)
• Capacity: 4.7 gallons (18 l)
• Top carry handle
• Front zip pocket
• Top zipper with 2 sliders and zipper pullers
• Large main compartment with padded back panel
• Padded adjustable shoulder straps in matching fabric
• Blank product sourced from China
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!
"S-FETY" Embroidered Backpack


text:
PORTLAND, Ore. — Inside these gym walls, you'll find the same perseverance, competition and sweat typical of a gym.
But this one is anything but typical.
This is The Recovery Gym, based in Portland, Oregon.
"(What) we want is someone to come in and feel understood, to feel like they belong," said Brent Canode, the gym's founder.
All of the members of this gym are recovering from substance abuse and mental health issues.
"We have contracts with five different treatment centers," Canode said. "We actually go pick clients up while they're in in-patient treatment and start to develop those kinds of healthy habits. And then they're allowed to come free of charge once they leave treatment."
Every month, between 500 and 750 people come there to work out and work through their recovery.
The gym works with the Science Research Consortium and it has partnered with the National Institutes of Health to make sure the work at the gym is backed up by science and data.
Shiloe Allison is the gym's director.
"I've seen people come in often that are apologetic," Allison said. "Right off the bat and they're just like, 'I'm sorry that I'm not going to be able to do this work out the way that it's written,' and I'm just like 'No, no, that's what we're here for — we're going to make you successful at this.' "
Emily Fox is one of those success stories.
"Couldn't even tie my shoes without getting out of breath," she said.
Two years ago, Fox said she gained 50 pounds after undergoing treatment for substance abuse. She heard about The Recovery Gym and decided to give it a shot.
"It takes you that much farther away from you're wanting to put drugs into your body or do self-harm because you're taking care of your body," she said.
So much so, that Fox has gone from student to teacher. She now works as a Crossfit instructor at The Recovery Gym.
"I've made a lot of friends here and now it's my career, it's where I get to work," she said. "I get to tell people like, this my church, it's where I go for my spiritual well-being, as well as my physical well-being."
For more information on The Recovery Gym, click here.


text:
We asked what looks to have been a pretty contentious question – what's the role of managers in software development? – and we got some pretty contentious answers, which are well worth a look in their entirety. The conclusion: a lot of managers are crap. But – and it's a big but – they don't have to be, if they get certain basics in place.
Here are your very own top five golden rules, compiled from your comments, which managers can employ to build trust and get the best out of developers. These rules may seem like common sense, but we know from the feedback that they are as frequent as a night bus. "Most can't [manage] and if you find one that can, you are blessed," said one of our respondents. "If you find one, pay him or her whatever it takes, because they are rare creatures," said another.
We've used the comments directly as they speak for themselves. If you want to help us bottom out how management can make a real difference to software projects, click here to answer a few very simple questions in our minipoll.
1. Protect the team from unnecessary distractions
A manager's job is to help the developers to work as productively as possible towards logical and achievable project goals by protecting the team. He must also earn the team's respect by fighting heroically for them against the boneheaded stupidity to be found in swampy stagnant meeting rooms across Britain.
The only 'big' company I've ever worked for that managed developers well was managed by an ex-coder with a 'personality' who could fight his own corner in the boardroom and kept the sales/marketing types well away from the developers, apart from the monthly 'meet the developers down the pub' meeting. That's programmers' nirvana!
A good manager keeps the devs shielded from crazy nonsensical requests and other managers that don't understand the importance and priority of the items being made.
2. Provide structure where necessary
Some people/teams are able to produce the goods without management – others require various levels of management to keep them on track. A good manager will already understand this and treat people accordingly.
"Structured" is the key word. Go read "Dreaming in Code" – the more "awesome" the developers, and the more free rein you give them, the more out of control they'll be.
3. Plan proactively and collaboratively
Finally to all those – too few – managers who do a good job, keep at it, Carpe diem, or even better Carpe cerevisi!
The problem is not with managers per se but with managers who use schedules to beat up developers. Management is fairly straightforward if you are a manager and not a dictator. Real managers know that trust from your staff is earned, not given.
4. Know how to manage
Logistics, politics, budgets, etc are necessary but boring – so, let's leave that to managers as long as they get us what we need and stay out of the 'how'.
In established professions like engineering and accounting, to manage the project you have to be a member of the profession. One of the problems facing IT is that our projects are run by professional salespeople, professional lawyers, and professional accountants. These people know a piece of the puzzle, but they should be resources that an IT professional manager consults, not quarterbacking projects.
5. Balance requirements with reality
A manager's job is to balance between what is best for the company, for the devs and for the users. You can't just pick one. All that will do is run the company into the ground in time.
If the QA is getting buggy software then the manager should be able to see this. When there is a problem with something that they are managing, they first they must do is look at themselves.
The best developers always have a very clear understanding of where the money for their salaries comes from (customers), and the best managers should be helping the developers to produce the goods that those customers want.
Through our research and insights, we help bridge the gap between technology buyers and sellers.


text:
Google has taken up the task of making the internet faster, not by installing thousands of miles of fiber optic cable, but rather, with math. The big brains in Google's engineering department have come up with a new algorithm that they're rolling out on both YouTube and in the Google Cloud that will help optimize web traffic so that it doesn't clog up available routes. The end result is faster internet.
There have been dozens of such attempts made since TCP was first developed back in the 70's. Some met a fair amount of success, while others didn't really do anything of note.
Google has reported that by using the new algorithm on YouTube, they were able to achieve an increase in speed of four percent on average, which is impressive, especially given that YouTube traffic is already highly optimized. The company also reports that depending on what country you're in, you could see speed increases of as much as 14 percent.
The new acceleration method, referred to as BBR (Bottleneck Bandwidth and Roundtrip propagation time) has been met with generally positive reviews. Although, as was noted by Mirja Kuhlewind, a senior researcher at Networked Systems Group in Zurich, "In general, standardizing congestion control schemes is not an easy topic, but if any company could push a standard, it could be Google, given the scale at which they operate."
Whether the new algorithm becomes an industry standard, users of Google's ecosystem are already reaping the benefits of a faster, more responsive internet.
If you make regular use of YouTube, Cloud Spanner, BigTable, Google Storage, CDN or Load Balancing, then you may have already noticed an increase in speed. It's not your imagination. That's BBR at work on your behalf. Kudos to Google for working hard to make the internet faster!


text:
Fuji - All Around Kids BJJ Gi - Pink
The FUJI Pink All Around Kids Jiu Jitsu Kimono is comfortable, durable, affordable and traditional. Built to last and designed for heavy-duty daily training, simple look, and feel good on the mats. Tested and approved by world-renowned organizations; such as Team Renzo Gracie, Rilion Gracie, and thousands of others.
Minimal Decorations with FUJI Embroidered Logos on Sleeve, Back of Neck and Pants.


text:
Hoping to curry favour with anti-capitalists around the world, the Archdrude chooses this month to unleash his revolutionary dining-set! Oi, sit down at the back! (Photo: Avalon Cope)
After the wettest, coldest spring in 50 years, I'm delighted to say that my new album REVOLUTIONARY SUICIDE appears to be acting as the wake-up call I'd hoped for. First reports regarding the 15-minute epic 'The Armenian Genocide' come from the film-maker Zareh Tjeknavorian, whose family I stayed with during my 2003CE sojourn to Mt. Ararat, and whose copy of the song arrived (no shit!) on the official first day of the Genocide: April 24th. Zareh is going to make an accompanying movie for the song, and there may even by an Armenian EP on the way. Of the song: Mr Tjeknavorian writes: "The Bosch-like landscape of your words-as-images … the sing-along, choreomanic chorus ... the counterpoint of words so dark and searing with music so bright and sweeping is what makes this indelible ... There is an unspeakable heartbreak at the center … with genuine compassion for those women and children that pass, vulnerable and naked, through our ears and before our eyes. And for all the unfathomable sorrow it divines, its gorgeousness, its sweetness, it's transcendent major-keyness, is the noblest form of tribute to them." Brothers'n'sisters, I don't mean to harp on, but this particular song is as searing and painful a piece as I've ever attempted. That it works at all is only due to the life of recording experience I've gained these past decades, and the song still requires a quiet room and low lighting for me to listen without breaking up. Of the rest of the album, Quest List subscribers will soon be receiving a link to a Head Heritage RADIO SPOT which showcases excerpts from several of the new songs and also helps to bring context to this (ahem) unusual record. In the meantime, let's all hope for no more ritual slaughter on our own streets and send our thoughts to the mother at the end of that final, loving text. New levels of not getting it, or what?
EPILOGUE M by Marcus Fjellstrom
REPRISEN UND INSTRUMENTALSTUECKE by Jahrtal
CONOCE LOS CAMINOS by Orthodox
WE ARE UCHU NO KO by Afrirampo
NO VISITORS by Quttinirpaaq
Right, before I go, I should make a few comments about my forthcoming novel 131, which I'm aiming to deliver to Faber & Faber in August. Kiddies, I may have mentioned this before, but this is the first novel to have been commissioned with a soundtrack. Those of you who attended the Manchester COPENDIUM event will have already heard several songs from this project. But, kiddies, I'm aiming to have hits! Chart hits! Fuck yeah! This novel takes place in a whole other realm but there are so many similarities to our so-called real world that your head will spin. Okay, Brothers'n'Sisters,
Until next month,
Love Upon Y'All,
JULIAN (Lord Yatesbury)


text:
Once you've created a file, it will be accessible whenever you sign in to Google Drive. However, there may be times when you want to download or print a file for offline access.
By default, Google Drive will choose the most common file format whenever you download a file. For example, if you download a Google Document, it will automatically be saved as a .docx file, which is used by Microsoft Word and most other word processors. However, there may be times when you want to choose a different format, such as PDF.
Note that these options will vary depending on the type of file you're printing. For example, you'll have different options for printing a spreadsheet than you would for printing a presentation.


text:
Back in mid-May I began our kitchen makeover. It was quite the project, with the DIY pieces taking over 55 hours to complete. Yikes :/. I'm so happy with the finished product, though!
I'll give you a quick before and after photo before explaining all the changes we made.
I just love it :). Ok, now for all the changes… Continue reading


text:
On the second of four days of meetings, the council of eight cardinals discussed the management of the Vatican State and of the Curia, including the so-called "Vatican Bank," whose process of reform is ongoing. Pope Francis, along with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, is involved in the meetings with the group of cardinals who he selected last year to help in Church reform efforts. The Pope was present at the entire meeting Wednesday morning, having suspended his Wednesday general audiences for a summer break. Although no document has yet formalized Cardinal Parolin's membership in the council, Holy See Press Office director Father Federico Lombardi said "Pope Francis told Cardinal Pietro Parolin he is a full member of the Council, and so we can consider him fully a member of the council." Fr. Lombardi reported that in these first two days of meetings the cardinals discussed "three main themes." Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, the head of the Vatican City State administration and a member of the council, reported about a series of matters relating to Vatican City's governorate, of which he is the president. Cardinal Parolin made a presentation about the Secretariat of State. The council also discussed in depth the issue of the Institute for Religious Works, known as the IOR and referred to informally as the "Vatican Bank." In two sessions, the council spoke with the members of the IOR's Supervisory Commission of Cardinals. All of the members of the supervisory commission were present except for Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, the Archbishop of Vienna. The commission is chaired by Cardinal Santos Avril y Castellò, Archpriest of Rome's Saint Mary Major Basilica. Its members include: Cardinal Parolin; Cardinal Jean Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue; and Cardinal Thomas Collins, the Archbishop of Toronto. The supervisory commission will have one of its periodic meetings this week. It is likely the meeting will discuss the IOR annual report that should be released next week. The report will "clarify the steps that have been made in the course of the year" and "will show the state-of-the-art of the IOR commitment to transparency," according to an IOR spokesperson. Fr. Lombardi's comments responded to several speculations about the Vatican finances and about the eventual dismissal of Vatican Bank president Ernst von Freyberg. He stated that the IOR is "in a time of natural and peaceful transition." "The contribution of Ernst von Freyberg continues to be deeply appreciated and highly valued, and further clarifications are possible, indeed likely, next week after the meeting of the Council for the Economy on Saturday," Fr. Lombardi said. President von Freyberg's mandate will expire this September. The issuance of the IOR annual report and the update of the IOR statutes could in any event lead to a changing of the guard at the IOR's Council for Superintendency, which von Freyberg chairs. The new IOR statutes would require a full time president. While von Freyberg acted as a de facto full time president, he is said to be desirous to return to his business and family in Germany. The Council for the Economy is the 15-member council Pope Francis established to supervise the Vatican's economic management. It also oversees the structures and the administrative and financial activities of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, of the institutions connected to the Holy See, and of Vatican City State. The council is chaired by Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich-Freising and member of the Council of Cardinals. It is composed of seven laymen and eight cardinals. The council will likely issue a first draft of it's statutes in their July 5 meeting. Cardinal George Pell, prefect of the Secretariat for Economy, will also be present at the meeting. Cardinal Pell's presence is a signal that the discussion will address the relations between the two separate bodies Pope Francis established with the Motu Proprio "Fidelis Dispensator et Prudens," issued Feb. 24. The Council for the Economy establishes policies, while the Secretariat for Economy implements them. Fr. Lombardi said the council will also be informed on "developments relating to the IOR." The Prefecture for Economic Affairs will inform the council about the 2013 budget and the 2014 provisional budget. Economic matters are not the only focus of leading Vatican commissions and councils. Fr. Lombardi also announced that the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors will meet July 6. The commission is now working to enlarge its eight-member board and to draft its statutes. The July 6 meetings will likely prepare for Pope Francis' meetings with victims of sex abuse by clergy, scheduled for July 7 in the Vatican. Pope Francis established the commission in December 2013 following the suggestion of the council of cardinals. The council will continue its meetings, taking into consideration and systematically developing the reflections it formulated about the review of the different bodies of the Roman Curia. According to Fr. Lombardi, "a draft of a new pastoral constitution to re-design the Roman Curia may not be expected at the end of the meeting." At the moment, many possible ways to streamline the Vatican offices have been discussed. The council of cardinals is holding its fifth meeting since its establishment. This marks the first time they have met for four consecutive days.
Catholic News Agency was founded in 2004, in response to Pope St. John Paul II's call for a "New Evangelization." It is an apostolate of EWTN News.


text: Darby Bible Translation Moses at the Burning Bush 1And Moses tended the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock behind the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God -- to Horeb. 2And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a thorn-bush: and he looked, and behold, the thorn-bush burned with fire, and the thorn-bush was not being consumed. 3And Moses said, Let me now turn aside and see this great sight, why the thorn-bush is not burnt. 4And Jehovah saw that he turned aside to see, and God called to him out of the midst of the thorn-bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I. 5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: loose thy sandals from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6And he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God. 7And Jehovah said, I have seen assuredly the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and their cry have I heard on account of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows. 8And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good and spacious land, unto a land flowing with milk and honey, unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9And now behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me; and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10And now come, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 11And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12And he said, For I will be with thee; and this shall be the sign to thee that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 13And Moses said to God, Behold, [when] I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM hath sent me unto you. 15And God said moreover to Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you. This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. 16Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying, I have indeed visited you, and [seen] that which is done unto you in Egypt; 17and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. 18And they shall hearken to thy voice. And thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us; and now, let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Jehovah our God. 19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a powerful hand. 20And I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go. 21And I will give this people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians, and it shall come to pass, when ye go out, that ye shall not go out empty; 22but every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is the inmate of her house, utensils of silver, and utensils of gold, and clothing; and ye shall put [them] on your sons and on your daughters, and shall spoil the Egyptians. |


text:
Health Medicine Herbs - Natural Healing Books
Health and Medicine Herbs Reference Books
In this internet age, when all information in the world seems only a mouse click away, many believe we have outgrown the need for books, and that the death of print is imminent. But the information you find on the surfing the web is only the glittery surface of a deep sea of knowledge. If you really want to learn about herbs you need at least three good reference books; preferable the old-fashioned, physical, hold it in your hands and read in your favorite chair by lamplight even if the lights go out kind. These herbals, especially the older ones, can be challenging to read, not only for the archaic English, but also because they were written at a time when people had common knowledge of plants, how to identify them, grow them, preserve them, and make them into medicine and food to sustain themselves and their families, and assume this level of knowledge on the part of the reader. The selection of books here, and the authors quoted from them throughout this website, are the ones in my personal bookcase. While you can find most of them by searching online bookstores, many hidden treasures populate the dusty shelves of second-hand bookstores in your town. If you are lucky enough to find one still in business consider giving them your support.
- 48 Mabey, Richard . "New Age Herbalist, The ", Fireside (1988)
The herbs in this glossary are listed under their botanical families, emphasizing the similarities between related plants.
- 602 Authors of Prevention . "Doctors Book of Home Remedies, The", Bantam Books/Rodale Press (1991)
Good source of easy home remedies for common illness. Use everyday household items to replace expensive OTC preparations
- 52 Balch, Phyllis A. CNC . "Prescription for Herbal Healing", Avery (2002)
This is a good book to have, and is very well researched. The drawback is an over reliance on the Western view of herbs as simply another type of drug - and not enough of the whole herb tradition that I favor.
- 50 Blanchan, Netje . "Wild Flowers worth Knowing", Doubleday (1917)
A gem of a book - for all of us who value the beauty of wildflowers and herbs. The author's love of the subject shines through to the reader, and her plant and flower descriptions are flowing and beautiful.
- 55 Brown, Alice Cook . "Early American Herb Recipes", Dover (2001)
A wealth of information on the uses of herbs by homemakers of the past through more than 500 authentic recipes as they appeared in their original sources.
- 67 Brown, Deni . "Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses", Dorling Kindersley (1995)
The beautiful book is well worth its place on your bookshelf. I find myself referring to it often, especially to sort out conflicting information about botanical names and exotic plants.
- 43 Cech, Richo . "Making Plant Medicine", Horizon Herbs (2000)
This is an excellent resource for those who want clear and concise information on making herbal medicines at home. Very easy to read and understand, there is information here for beginners, and for advanced home herbalists.
- 62 Charlotte Erichsen-Brown . "Medicinal and Other Uses of North American Plants", Dover (1979)
Chronological historical citations document 500 years of usage of plants, trees, and shrubs native to eastern Canada, northeastern U.S. Also complete identifying information. Well documented and detailed descriptions of herbs and plants used by the Native tribes and settlers of early North America
- 59 Chase, Dr. . "Dr. Chase's Recipes", (0000)
Dr. Chase, a traveling physician in the mid 1800s, published a book of 800 recipes for health remedies, drinks, livestock cures, etc that was a mainstay in households across early America. Some of these early Eclectic remedies are still good today, some not, but the reader will get a fascinating glimpse into how our forefathers lived. The book has been reprinted, Kessinger Publishing, LLC (June 29, 2008), and original copies are battered and timeworn, but still available.
- 608 Colonial Dames of America . "Herbs and Herb Lore of Colonial America", Dover (1970)
public domain first compiled in 1970
- 613 Crellin, John K., Jane Philpott . "Herbal Medicine Past and Present", Duke University Press (1990)
- 14 Culpeper, Nicholas . "Culpeper's Complete Herbal", Foulsham (1653)
Culpeper's Complete Herbal gives the reader a peek into the world view of 17th century thought and medicine. Culpeper was quite the rebel in his time, and diatribes against the establishment medical practitioners is infused with a dry wit and intelligence.
- 60 David F. Vennells . "Bach's Flower Remedies for Beginners", Llewellyn Publications (2001)
This book gives a simple explanation of what the Bach Flower Essences are and how they can be used in everyday. Good information on how to apply Bach's remedies to improve everyday life.
- 15 Dawson, Adele . "Herbs: Partners in Life", Healing Arts Press (2000)
Adele Dawson's classic guide to the seasonal use of herbs for food, drink, and medicine x Clear directions for growing and using many wild and cultivated herbs.
- 51 De Bairacli Levy, Juliette . "Common Herbs for Natural Health", Faber & Faber (1974)
Lore and uses for 200 herbs, 97 illustrated. Down-to-earth wisdom and practical hands-on knowledge. Foreword by Rosemary Gladstar
- 61 E.A. Wallace Budge . "The Divine Order of the Craft of the Herbalist", Society of Herbalists (1927)
Wonderful reference to the history of herbal medicine, with particular detail on Egyptian herbology. first published by Culpepper House by the Society of Herbalists, London (1928)
- 39 Editors of Prevention Health Books . "Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats", Rodale ()
An owner's manual and a godsend--no four-legged home should be without it
- 615 Elpel, Thomas J. . "Botany in a Day, 5th Edition", HOPS Press (Jan 2004)
Fun and easy way to identify plants. Teaches you how to recognise common patterns in the wonderful world of plants all around you. Highly recommended for anyone who ever wondered what is that plant?
- 33 Ericksen, Marlene . "Healing with Aromatherapy", McGraw-Hill (2000)
Comprehensive overview of the principles of aromatherapy. Gives more evidence based background than most .
- 37 Falconi, Dina . "Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair", Ceres (1997)
A master herbalist's guide to natural personal care. A great book - formulas range from simple to complex - with easy to follow directions.
- 601 Fernie, W.T. M.D. . "Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure", Boericke & Tafel. (1897)
This medicinal herbal text from the late 1890s of England is a good example of the trend of medicine towards scientific methods of testing and using medicinal plants and herbs. This book is part of our heritage and is in the public domain.
- 38 Foster, Steven and Yue . "Herbal Emissaries", Healing Arts Press (1992)
Anyone wishing a deeper understanding of Chinese herbs, their uses and histories will appreciate this beautifully written and easily read book.
- 607 Gibbons, Euell . "Stalking the Healthful Herbs", Alan Hood (1966)
Great book for those wishing to learn more about using wild plants and herbs for food. Full of recipes and written in a very accessible homey style.
- 17 Gladstar, Rosemary . "Herbal Healing for Women", Fireside (1993)
Rosemary Gladstar has a very powerful and personal way of writing that makes you feel like you could be talking to an old friend over a cup of herbal tea in a cozy kitchen. Understandable for beginners, a good reference to more advanced users.
- 10 Grieve, Maud . "A Modern Herbal", Harcourt (1931)
A truly encyclopedic work, the two-volume set describes well over 800 different species of herbs, grasses, mushrooms, shrubs and trees.
- 11 Grieve, Maud . "Modern Herbal Volume 2", Harcourt (1931)
Volume 2 of the fullest, most exact, most useful compilation of herbal material.
- 24 Hermann, Matthias . "Herbs & Medicinal Flowers", ()
Out of print classic, wonderful color engravings by Redoute', Daffinger and several other artists. Good, succinct information, good indexing.
- 610 Hoffmann, David . "Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine", Healing Arts Press (2010-12-15)
Excellent reference - solid herbal information - written with an eye on both the science and folklore of medicinal plants with a good dose of common sense.
- 27 James, Ph.D. . "The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook", Rodale Books (2000)
Well written and informative guide to common herbs, this book was on of my first introductions to herbal medicine.
- 58 John Gerard . "Gerard's Herbal", (0000)
Gerard's Herbal is the best selling herbal of all time, exceeding the number of copies printed of any other, because it has been reproduced in modern times.
- 68 Kavasch, E. Barrie, Barr, Karren . "American Indian Healing Arts", Bantam (1999)
American Indian Healing Arts is a magical blend of plant lore, history, and living tradition that draws on a lifetime of study with native healers by herbalist and ethnobotanist E. Barrie Kavasch.
- 29 Lavender, Mrs . "Mrs. Lavender's Herbal Book", Mellifont Press (1930)
Classic 1930 herbal. Great home remedies
- 49 Lehner , Ernst and Johanna . "Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees", DOVER (2003)
If you are as facinated as I am by the myths and symbolism of plants, pick up this book from Dover. It is in their clip art collection, but the text as well as the illustrations make great reading
- 57 Li Shih-Chen . "Chinese Medicinal herbs", Dover (1578)
As a basis for modern-day holistic medicine, Chinese Medicinal Herbs provides an invaluable compendium for practitioners of alternative healing methods.
- 46 Millspaugh, Charles F. . "American Medicinal Plants", Dover Publications (0000)
The Dover edition, first published in 1974 is a one-volume, unabridged, republication of the work as published in 1882. This book is a must have for anyone interested in North American medicinal plants, however one major drawback in the plates, while still gorgeous are poor quality black and white.
- 65 Muller-Ebeling, Claudia ,Wolf-Deieter Storl . "Witchcraft Medicine", Inner Traditions (1998)
Through study of ancient and medieval texts and artwork, the authors explore the demonization of natures healing powers and plants associated with witches.
- 30 Newmark, Thomas M. . "Beyond Aspirin", SCB (2000)
The scientific basis for many herbs used in traditional herbal medicine is explained, along with some of the drawbacks of the mainstream pharmaceutical approach.
- 26 Ody, Penelope . "Home Herbal", Dorling Kindersley (1995)
Especially valuable here are the lists of ingredients and proportions for making herbal mixes at home:
- 612 Orly, Cal . "The Healing Powers of Vinegar", Kinsington Books (January 1,)
Easy to use guide to the never ending uses of vinegar
- 606 Pengelly, Andrew, BA ND . "Constituents of Medicinal Plants, The", CABI (204)
The book explains how plant chemicals are classified and what their properties are. Important knowledge for those wishing to truly understand how plant chemistry works to heal us. Expensive book, so keep a lookout for used copies.
- 25 Pleasant, Barbara . "Whole Herb, The", Square One ()
practical, and easy-to-follow guide to the many uses of herbs
- 54 Plymouth Antiquarian Society . "The Plimoth Colony Cook Book", Dover (2005)
Authentic collection of 17th- and 18th-century cooking lore and wisdom includes recipes passed down from generation to generation
- 16 Readers Digest . "Magic and Medicine of Plants", ()
I was surprised how much I liked this book, not being a Readers Digest fan. Filled with beautiful color photographs of Herbs and plants with good details on history of uses, habitat, origins and how to identify plants in the wild.
- 604 Robbers, James E. ,PhD, Tyler, Varro E. PhD,ScD . "Tylers Herbs of Choice", Hawthorn Herbal Press (1999)
Very well regarded, practical information
- 611 Sievers, A.F . "The Herb Hunters Guide.", Trinity Press (1930, repr)
Misc. Publ. No. 77. USDA, Washington DC)
- 56 Smith, A.W. . "A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names:", Dover (1997)
Definitions of botanical names in general usage with information on their derivation and guides to pronunciation.
- 603 Tierra, Michael, Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa & . "Ayurvedic Herbs, The Way Of", Lotus Press (2008)
Good source of easy home remedies for common illness. Use everyday household items to replace expensive OTC preparations. This book is a good contemporary introduction for both students and practitioners of Ayurvedic herbology.
- 40 Tilford,Gregory L. . "Herbs for Pets", BowTie Press (2001)
The authors, both herbalists discuss the connection between herbs and diet and give guidelines for feeding dogs and cats. The bulk of the book is a 191-page guide to herbs for animals.
- 23 Tisserand, Robert B . "Art of Aromatherapy,The ", Healing Arts (1977)
Robert Tisserand is often called the father of modern aromatherapy, and his book is fact filled and easy to read.
- 53 Usha Lad & Dr. Vasant Lad . "Ayurvedic Cooking for Self Healing", The Ayurvedic Press (2006)
An authentic guide to the Ayurvedic approach to food and tasty vegetarian cooking. The recipes are formulated using herbs and spices to help balance the constitution of each person.
- 47 Walji, Hasnain Ph.D. . "Healing Power of Aromatherapy,The ", Prima Lifestyles (1996)
The book explains how the various essential oils work and how the average person can use them (baths, massages, skin care, and room fragrances). Walji also talks about various ailments/illnesses and the use of these oils for treating them naturally.
- 42 Weed, Susun . "New Menopausal Years", Ashtree (2002)
I like Susun's warm and folksy way of writing. Very wise and informative. Great selection of home herbal formulations and information for women to be able to take charge of their own health.
- 63 Weiss, Gaea and Shandor . "Healing Herbs, The", Rodale (1985)
Practical and full of how-to information on herbs. Good growing and harvesting advice.
- 614 Weiss, Rudolf Fritz M.D . "Herbal Medicine", AB Arcanum (1988)
Translated from the original German Lehrbuch der Phytotherapie (1960) Herbal Medicine is an indispensable modern text in the field of medical herbalism.
- 36 White, Linda B. M.D. . "The Herbal Drugstore", Rodale (2003)
Good book for those who are looking to complement drugs with herbs, very heavy reliance on lab studies and not much on traditional herbal wisdom. I first found this book at the local library, and found it instructional enough to buy a copy.
- 1 Worwood, Valerie Ann . "Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy,The ", New World Library (1993)
This is the perfect starter book for aromatherapy. Tons of information about essential oils and some really good recipes for use.
- 64 Yronwode, Catherine . "HooDoo Herb and Root Magic", Lucky Mojo Curio Company (2002)
Accurate botanical information on roots and herbs used in African-American conjure and hoodoo
Online Reference Sources
- German Commission E Monographs
The German Commission E is rather like an FDA of herbs, and is one of the most respected world organizations in the field of for herbal drugs and preparations from medicinal plants. It was established in by the Minister of Health in Germany in 1978.
- HerbalGram/Herbclip
ABC's quarterly, peer-reviewed scientific journal. Free articles online - membership allows access to all articles plus the written journal.
- Mountain Rose Herbs
Mountain Rose Herbs is quality source of bulk herbs but offered much more than just an online store. Their website has many pages of herbal information included in herb profiles, blog posts and articles as well as a directory of training programs for herbalists.
- Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
Accurate and trustworthy online tool for researching the actions and properties of herbs.
- Environmental Working Group
(EWG) A nonprofit dedicated to providing good information and ratings on toxic consumer products including household furnishings, cleaning supplies, food and cosmetics.
- Jim Robbins
Environmental and science journalism.
- Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Publishes papers on medicinal and other useful indigenous plants as well as their bioactive compounds. Some open access - some articles behind paywall.
- Henriettes Herbal
Online repository of public domain books from the Eclectic Medical period in the 1880s and 90s including King's American Dispensatory, 1898.
- Worlds Healthiest Foods
Non profit organization with really good, detailed information about important vitamin and mineral content of foods.
Looking for something you can read offline? Join our mailing list and get a free copy of Methods for Using Herbs. This free handbook includes instructions on how to make basic herbal preparations at home. It covers making herbal teas, herb infused oils and balms, tinctures, and more.


text:
The coneflower is a title that encompasses roughly four genera – ratibida, rudbeckia, dracopis and echinacea – which contain about 36 different species, and belong to the asteraceae family. The two best known plants among these genera are the echinacea and rudbeckia flower, which are mostly herbaceous perennial plants; the ratibida flower is also perennial, while the dracopis blossom is annual. All four genera have striking similarities. However, there are some minor differences to be noted. For instance, the dracopis and ratibida contain long central receptacles, while the echinacea is much shorter and smaller, and the rudbeckia contains a petite, button-like disk. The coneflower's distribution ranges from North America, Canada, and Mexico. They are most commonly seen in yellow and purple, but may also appear in shades of white, red or orange.
Although the purple coneflower – or echinacea – is considered one of the most useful in this group of genera, they all have their own particular applications. For example, both the ratibida pinnata and columnifera are said to ease a toothache, reduce a fever, and make for particularly tasty teas; rudbeckia occidentalis has found its way into spirituality, and is frequently used to connect with the "shadow side" of one's nature; while dracopis is favored as an easy to grow garden and ornamental bloom. In addition to the plethora of known medicinal uses, the echinacea coneflower is also frequently used in witchcraft.
It is believed that carrying this blossom with you will keep your spirit strong during turbulent times; they are sometimes presented as spiritual offerings, and are thought to enhance the power of any spell that is cast.
In general, coneflowers are a symbol of strength and – depending upon the genus – healing. These bright, beautiful blossoms are great to give as gifts as they are versatile, unique and long lasting – surviving nearly two weeks after cutting. In addition to giving these blossoms in the traditional bouquet, they may also be presented in a potted form or given within dried wreaths. If the recipient is an inexperienced but enthusiastic gardener, you might also like to present them with a gift basket filled with all the necessities, plus a packet or two of the seeds – maybe even one from each genus.


text:
Mechanix M-Pact Multicam Gloves MPT-78
- Description
Blend in. The M-Pact® with MultiCam® transitional camouflage features a Thermoplastic Rubber knuckle guard and dedicated finger guards to reduce impact and abrasion injuries in the field. The dual-layer internal fingertip construction reinforces the thumb and index finger for improved abrasion resistance, while the embossed fingertip pattern improves feel and overall dexterity. D3O® palm padding absorbs and dissipates high-impact energy and vibration when you're fully engaged so you can maintain your focus. Imported
- Impact Guard™ protects first knuckle with EVA foam padding.
- Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR) knuckle guard and finger protection.
- Form-fitting TrekDry® with MultiCam® camouflage helps keep hands cool and comfortable.
- Armortex® palm reinforcement panel.
- Dual-layer internal fingertip reinforcement provides added durability.
- Embossed and textured index finger and thumb provides grip.
- D3O® palm padding absorbs and dissipates high-impact energy and vibration.
- Durable microfiber palm
- Thermal Plastic Rubber (TPR) closure with hook and loop provides a secure fit.
- Nylon pull loop.
- Machine washable.


text:
Dear Savvy Senior: I've read that people with heart problems need to be extra careful during the winter months because heart attacks are much more common. Why is this? -- Cautious Senior
Dear Cautious: Everyone knows winter is cold and flu season, but many don't know that it's also the prime season for heart attacks, too, especially if you already have heart disease or have suffered a previous heart attack. Here's what you should know, along with some tips to help you protect yourself.
In the U.S., the risk of having a heart attack during the winter months is twice as high as it is during the summertime. Why? There are a number of factors, and they're not all linked to cold weather. Even people who live in warm climates have an increased risk. Here are the areas you need to pay extra attention to this winter.
Cold temperatures. When a person gets cold, the body responds by constricting the blood vessels to help the body maintain heat. This causes blood pressure to go up and makes the heart work harder. Cold temperatures can also increase levels of certain proteins that can thicken the blood and increase the risk for blood clots. So, stay warm this winter, and when you do have to go outside, make sure you bundle up in layers with gloves and a hat, and place a scarf over your mouth and nose to warm up the air before you breathe it in.
Snow shoveling. Studies have shown that heart attack rates jump dramatically in the first few days after a major snowstorm, usually a result of snow shoveling. Shoveling snow is a very strenuous activity that raises blood pressure and stresses the heart. Combine those factors with the cold temperatures and the risks for heart attack surges. If your sidewalk or driveway needs shoveling this winter, hire a kid from the neighborhood to do it for you, or use a snow blower. Or, if you must shovel, push rather than lift the snow as much as possible, stay warm, and take frequent breaks.
New Year's resolutions. Every Jan. 1, millions of people join gyms or start exercise programs as part of their New Year's resolution to get in shape, and many overexert themselves too soon. If you're starting a new exercise program this winter, take the time to talk to your doctor about what types and how much exercise may be appropriate for you.
Winter weight gain. People tend to eat and drink more and gain more weight during the holiday season and winter months, all of which are hard on the heart and risky for someone with heart disease. So, keep a watchful eye on your diet this winter and avoid bingeing on fatty foods and alcohol.
Shorter days. Less daylight in the winter months can cause many people to develop "seasonal affective disorder" or SAD, a wintertime depression that can stress the heart. Studies have also looked at heart attack patients and found they usually have lower levels of vitamin D (which comes from sunlight) than people with healthy hearts. To boost your vitamin D this winter, consider taking a supplement that contains between 1,000 and 2,000 international units (IU) per day.
Flu season. Studies show that people who get flu shots have a lower heart attack risk. It's known that the inflammatory reaction set off by a flu infection can increase blood clotting which can lead to heart attacks in vulnerable people. So, if you haven't already done so this year, get a flu shot for protection. And, if you've never been vaccinated for pneumococcal pneumonia, you should consider getting these two shots (given 12 months apart) too.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit http://www.SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of "The Savvy Senior" book.


text:
One moment please
Flight & Hotel
Car rental
The mountainous Republic of Armenia is a must-see destination that promises to be light on your wallet, but to linger in your memory. Cheap flights to Armenia operate year-round at both Shirak and Zvartnots international airports, and the country welcomes you with a smile on its face, come rain or shine.
Armenia's reputation as a welcoming, hospitable nation precedes it. Chamber music lovers and jazz fans alike gather from across the world to take part in the folk festivals, theatre fares, opera shows, and local concerts that take place on its land, so proud of its cultural endowment, and yet so eager to share this cornucopia with its guests. So cheerful and merry is this ancient culture that the capital derives its name from the word 'Erebuni' for 'Happy Site'.
The capital city of Yerevan is slowly approaching its 2,800th anniversary, and it has many architectural treasures to reveal. Etchmiadzin Cathedral, for instance, is the oldest cathedral in the world, but nowhere near the 6,000-year-old wine press recently discovered in an Armenian cave, or the 5,500-year-old leather shoe, older even than the Great Pyramid of Giza. The country boasts the world's longest cable car line, made specifically to accommodate tourists visiting the renowned Tatev Monastery, which dates from the 9th century A.D. Hiking, mountain climbing, bird watching, brandy and wine tasting, going to the opera, and shopping on Marshal Bagramian Avenue are some of the most popular activities tourists like to indulge in, especially as the prices here are considerably smaller than elsewhere in the world. Obsidians, silver, semi-precious stones, jewellery, hand-crafted decorative items and more can be found at the local Vernissage. From artisan craft to edible produce, everything here is organic, healthy and tasty. From peaches and apricots to lavash and shish-kebabs, the food is inviting, yet humble, much like the people.
BudgetAir Australia's cheap flights to Armenia are a great opportunity to travel to an exotic destination for a bargain. Avail yourself of the endless array of flights and airlines available at unrivalled discounts, and secure the holiday of a lifetime.
Booking your cheap flights to Armenia with Budgetair Australia ensures a safe, reliable and easy way to plan your trip. With our easy to use website, safe booking system and large selection of hotels and car rental to choose from, you won't have to worry about a thing! Whether you're flying to Armenia for business or pleasure, no matter if you fly alone, with friends or with your whole family, Budgetair Australia always has you covered.
Choose Budgetair Australia for your next holiday! Book your low cost flight, right here, right now!


text:
Increase garage sale profits with some marketing basics
Published 7:00 pm Wednesday, May 23, 2012
(ARA) – As the weather warms up, garage sales begin appearing all over the U.S. Garage sales are a great way to clean out clutter while making some extra dollars for home improvements, bills, vacations or even "retail therapy."
Marcela Iannini, department chair of Advertising and Design & Media Management at Miami International University of Art & Design, says, "Garage sales are great opportunity to employ basic marketing principles in a fun way; a little innovation and creativity go a long way to maximize sales."
"It's important to start with the basics of marketing – the four P's – price, product, promotion and place. In garage sales it works best to think of the product as the garage sale itself and the items to be sold as product lines or brands of that product," adds Cheryl Pilchik, Advertising faculty at The Art Institute of Philadelphia.
Dr. Larry Stultz, department chair of Advertising and Web Design & Interactive Media at The Art Institute of Atlanta-Decatur, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, agrees. "It is imperative to use the same thinking retailers use to maximize the visibility and sales opportunities for a garage sale."
Below are some helpful suggestions from Iannini, Pilchik and Stultz on making the best of your garage sale:
* Product and price: Product mix is important in retailing. You can either focus on one type of product (kids' toys or garden tools, for instance) or a broad mix of products. Study sales in your neighborhood to see what works best. Check out the prices, too. You should consider not only the original cost, but also what others charge at sales like yours. Rather than use a lot of time individually pricing each item, consider grouping like items together on large tables, posting the same price for all items on that table – like retailers do.
* Place (scheduling/location): Think about a high-traffic area – retailers pay a premium for high-traffic locations. Perhaps you can team up with several neighbors and choose the house that has the most street visibility. Knowing your target market is paramount in timing your sale. Consider scheduling with other activities in your neighborhood – art shows or community events will help draw additional traffic.
* Promotion (advertising/marketing): A successful garage sale requires careful planning and promotion using proven advertising strategies to make your sale stand out. One successful strategy is choosing a theme related to the items to be sold and carrying out the theme in all aspects of the sale. For example, if most of the items to be sold are from the 1980s, you'd play 80s music, have everyone working at the sale dress in 80s style and use 80s elements in your flyers.
Whatever your theme, consider the following to promote your sale:
1. Neighborhood signs and flyers, placed on local business, PTA and school/church bulletin boards – and where permitted, on street corners or in yards.
2. Local newspaper listings and online listings like craigslist.org.
3. A social networking fan page with an event for the garage sale inviting friends and family.
4. Your own Facebook and Twitter pages to inform your "friends" and "followers" about your event.
5. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest on the day of the sale to distribute special offers, share photos of items for sale or offer incentives for referring fans or customers.
Give your garage sale a facelift to keep it fresh and appealing. Borrowing effective strategies and tactics used in the merchandising and advertising industries to engage the customer and communicate with them on their terms will help to ensure your success.
To learn more about The Art Institutes schools, visit www.artinstitutes.edu.


text:
Muslim Brotherhood Hostility Towards Christians Worsens, Claims Evangelical Leader
Rev. Refaat Fikri, Chairman of the Media Board of the Evangelical Synod, revealed that the situation of Copts under the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood is getting worse, and it is expected to become increasingly worse with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.
Rev. Fikri commended the sentencing of Abu Islam to 11 years in prison on charges of contempt of Christianity, incitement to strife and disturbing the public security, but he noted he has reservations that the judgment was not final and can be challenged and refuted.
Rev. Fikri called for justice in all issues of blasphemy, whether against Christianity or Islam.
"The verdict did not make Abu Islam retract his provocative and hostile remarks, and he attacked the church and Copts over a telephone call with a TV program yesterday," Rev. Fikri told Mideast Christian News.
Commenting on the Islamists' threats to Copts to dissuade them from participating in the demonstrations on June 30, which demand overthrowing President Mohamed Morsi, Rev. Fikri noted that the threats target all Egyptians, including Copts who are a part of Egyptian society, to foil the demonstrations.
"The Egyptian people have proved that they have a lot of rebels that will not pay attention to such threats," Rev. Fikri added.
Rev. Fikri wished success for the demonstrations scheduled for June 30 to bring about real change, and is hoping that they do not turn violent.


text:
In early October of 2013, I was sitting in CNBC, waiting to talk about Twitter, which had just filed its prospectus (for its initial public offering). I was sharing the room with an analyst who was very bullish on the company, and he asked me what I thought Twitter was worth. When I replied that I had not had a chance to value the company yet, he suggested that I should save myself the trouble, and that the stock was worth at least $60 a share. Curious, I asked him why, and he said that Twitter would use its large user base to make money in the "huge" online advertising market. When I questioned him on how huge the market was, his answer was that he did not have a number, but he just knew that it was "really big". I am thankful to him, since he framed how I started my valuation of Twitter, which is with an assessment of the size of the online advertising market globally. Since I talked to that analyst, I have also become more more aware of the big market argument, and I have seen it used over and over in other markets, often as the primary and sometimes the only reason for assigning high values to companies in these markets. These analysts may very well be right about these markets being very big, but I think that suggesting that a company will be assured growth and profits, just because it targets these markets, not only misses several intermediate steps, but also exposes investors and business-owners to the macro delusion.
Big Markets! Really, Really Big Markets!
Would I rather that my company operate in a big market than a small one? Of course. Increasing market potential, holding all else constant, is good for value, but for that value to be generated, a whole host of other pieces have to fall into place. First, the company has to be able to capture a reasonable market share of that big market, a task that can be made difficult if the market is splintered, localized or intensely competitive. Second, the company has to be able to generate profits in that big market and create value from growth, also a function of the firm's competitive advantages and market pricing constraints. Third, once profitable, the company has to be able to keep new entrants out, easier in some sectors than in others.
It is therefore dangerous to base your argument for investing in a company and assigning it high value entirely on the size of the market that it serves, but that danger does not seem stop analysts and investors from doing so. Here are four examples:
China: A billion-plus people makes any market large, and if you add rapid economic growth and a
burgeoning middle class to the mix, you have the makings of a marketing wet dream. Visions of millions of cell phones, refrigerators and cars being sold were enough to justify attaching large premiums to companies that had even a peripheral connection to China. The events of the last few weeks have made the China story a little shakier, but it will undoubtedly return, once things settle down.
China: A billion-plus people makes any market large, and if you add rapid economic growth and a
burgeoning middle class to the mix, you have the makings of a marketing wet dream. Visions of millions of cell phones, refrigerators and cars being sold were enough to justify attaching large premiums to companies that had even a peripheral connection to China. The events of the last few weeks have made the China story a little shakier, but it will undoubtedly return, once things settle down.
Online Advertising: It is undeniable that more and more of business advertising is moving online, and this shift has not only pushed Google, Facebook and Alibaba to the front lines of large market cap companies but has been the impetus behind Twitter, Yelp, Linkedin and a host of other social media companies capturing market capitalizations that seem outsized, relative to their operating metrics.
The Sharing Economy: Even as private businesses, Uber and Airbnb have not only captured the attention of investors, with multi-billion dollar valuations, but have also disrupted conventional approaches to doing business. In the process, they have opened up the sharing paradigm, where private property (car, house) owners can put excess capacity in what they own to profitable use.
I am sure that you will find more examples add to the list. For example, just a couple of weeks ago, Morgan Stanley issued a strong buy recommendation on Tesla and based it entirely on its potential growth in the "mobility services" market. It took me two readings of the report for me to figure out that the mobility service market was a hybrid of the car sharing and driverless car markets, a potentially huge market, that would have become even enormous, if you were able to slap ads on the cars and put them in China.
The Macro Delusion: Individual Rationality, Collective Irrationality
When you label a market as a bubble, you take the easy way out, since a market bubble suggests that the investors who push prices to unsustainably high levels are being irrational, crazy and perhaps even stupid. It is for that reason that I have used the word guardedly (and when I have, regretted it), and taken issue with "market bubblers" in earlier posts. Even if you believe that assets (real estate, stocks, bonds) are being over priced, you will almost always be better served assuming that investors setting these prices have their own reasons for doing so, and understanding those reasons (even if you disagree with them).
To see how (almost) rational and (mostly) smart individuals can be fooled by big market potential into being collectively irrational, assume that you are an entrepreneur who has come up with a product that you see as having a large potential market and that, based on that assessment, you are able to convince venture capitalists to fund your business.
Note that everyone in this picture is behaving sensibly. The entrepreneur has created a product that he sees as fulfilling a large market need and the venture capitalists backing the entrepreneur see the potential for profit from the product.
Now assume that six other entrepreneurs see the same big market potential at about the same time you do, and create their own products to fulfill that market need, and that each finds venture capitalists to back his or her product and vision.
Now assume that six other entrepreneurs see the same big market potential at about the same time you do, and create their own products to fulfill that market need, and that each finds venture capitalists to back his or her product and vision.
To make the game interesting, let's make each of these entrepreneurs bright and knowledgeable about their products, and let's make the VCs also smart and business savvy. If this were a rational market place, each entrepreneur and his/her VC backers should be valuing his/her business, based on assessments of market potential and success, and the existence of current and future competitors.
Let's now add the twist that causes the deviation from rationality and make both the entrepreneurs and VCs over confident, the former in the superiority of their products over the competition, and the latter in their capacity to pick winners. This is neither an original assumption, nor a particularly radical one, since there is substantial evidence already that both groups (entrepreneurs and venture capitalists) attract over confident individuals. The game now changes, since each business cluster (the entrepreneur and the venture capitalists that back his or her business) will now over estimate its capacity to succeed and its probability of success, resulting in the following. First, the businesses that are targeting the big market will be collectively over valued. Second, the market place will become more crowded and competitive over time, especially with new entrants being drawn in because of the over valuation. Thus, while revenue growth in the aggregate may very well match expectations of the market being big, the revenue growth at firms will fall below collective expectations and operating margins will be lower than expected. Third, the aggregate valuation of the sector will eventually decline and some of the entrants will fold, but there will be a few winners, where the entrepreneurs and VCs will be well rewarded for their investments.
The collective over valuation of the companies in the big market will bear resemblance to a bubble, and the correction will lead to the usual hand wringing about bubbles and market excesses, but the culprit is over confidence, a characteristic that is almost a prerequisite for successful entrepreneurship and venture capital investing. That is one reason that I feel no need to inveigh against bubbles in the social media space, since this is a feature of investing in young, start-up businesses in big markets, not a bug. That said, the extent of the over pricing will vary, depending upon the following:
- The Degree of Over Confidence: The greater the over confidence exhibited by entrepreneurs and investors in their own products and investment abilities, the greater will be the over pricing. While both groups are predisposed to over confidence, that over confidence tends to increase with success in the market. Not surprisingly, therefore, the longer a market boom lasts in a business space, the larger the over pricing will tend to get in that space. If fact, you can make a reasonable argument that the over pricing will be greater in markets where you have more experienced venture capitalists and serial entrepreneurs.
- The Size of the Market: As the target market gets bigger, it is far more likely that it will attract more entrants, and if you add in the over confidence they bring to the game, the collective over pricing will increase.
- Uncertainty: The more uncertainty there is about business models and the capacity to convert them into end revenues, the more over confidence will skew the numbers, leading to greater over pricing in the market.
- Winner-take-all markets: The over pricing will be much greater in markets, where there are global networking benefits (i.e., growth feeds on itself) and winners can walk away with dominant market shares. Since the payoffs to success is greater in these markets, misestimating the probability of success will have a much bigger effect on value.
The Online Ad Market and Social Media Company Valuations
The market that best lends itself to run this experiment today is the online advertising market, with the influx of social media companies into the marketplace in the last few years. To run my experiment, I took the market capitalization of each company in the online advertising space and backed out of the expected revenues ten years from now. To do this, I had to make assumptions about the rest of the variables in my valuation (the cost of capital, target operating margin and sales to capital ratio) and hold them fixed, while I varied my revenue growth rate until I arrived at the current market capitalization.
The figure below illustrates this process using Facebook with the enterprise value of $245,662 million from August 25, 2015, base revenues of $14,640 million (trailing 12 months) and a cost of capital of 9%. Leaving the existing margins unchanged at 32.42%, we can solve for the imputed revenue in year 10:
Spreadsheet |
I assume that Facebook's current proportion of revenues from advertising (91%) will remain unchanged over the next decade, yielding imputed revenues from advertising for Facebook of $117,731 million in 2025. The assumption that the advertising proportion will remain unchanged may be questionable, at least with some of the other companies on the list below, where investors may be pricing in growth in new markets into the value. You undoubtedly will disagree with this and some of my other assumptions, which is why I will let you make your own in the attached spreadsheet and solve for your estimate of future revenues.
I repeat this process with other publicly traded companies with significant online advertising revenues, using a fixed cost of capital and a target pre-tax operating margin of either the current margin or 20%, whichever is higher, for every firm. Note that both assumptions are aggressive (the cost of capital may have been set too low and the operating margin is probably too high, given competition) and both will push imputed revenues in year 10 down.
Numbers & Valuations in US dollars for all companies (Folder with valuations) |
The collective online advertising revenues imputed into the market prices of the publicly traded companies on this list, in August 2015, was $523 billion. Note that this list is not comprehensive, since it excludes some smaller companies that also generate revenues from online advertising and the not-inconsiderable secondary revenues from online advertising, generated by firms in other businesses (such as Apple). It also does not include the online adverting revenues being imputed into the valuations of private businesses like Snapchat, that are waiting in the wings. Consequently, I am understating the imputed online advertising revenue that is being priced into the market right now.
To gauge whether these imputed revenues are viable, I looked at both the total advertising market globally and the online advertising portion of it. In 2014, the total advertising market globally was about $545 billion, with $138 billion from digital (online) advertising (Sources: Zenith Optimedia. eMarketer). The growth rate in overall advertising is likely to reflect the growth in revenues at corporations, but online advertising as a proportion of total advertising will continue to increase. In the table below, I allow for different growth rates in the overall advertising market over the 2015-2025 time period and varying proportions moving to digital advertising to arrive at these estimates of digital/online advertising revenues in 2025:
Even with optimistic assumptions about the growth in total advertising and the online advertising portion of it climbing to 50% of revenues, the total online advertising market in 2025 is expected to be $466 billion. The imputed revenues from the publicly traded companies on my list is already in excess of that number, and it seems reasonable to conclude that these companies are being over priced, relative to the market (online advertising) that they are expected to profit from.
As more companies line up to enter this space, this gap between the size of the market that is priced in and the actual market will continue to grow, but investors will continue to fund these companies, even if they are aware of the gap. After all, the nature of over confidence is that founders and investors are convinced that the over pricing is not at their firms, but in the rest of the market. There are two threats to this over confidence and they are inevitable. The first is that as companies in this space continue to report earnings and revenues, you will see more negative surprises (lower revenue growth, shrinking margins and more reinvestment) and some price adjustment. The second is that there is no better deflator of investors over confidence than a market panic, and if the China crisis does not do it, there will be others down the road.
What now?
Even if you accept my argument that big markets can create macro delusions and that these delusions can lead to a gap between collective expectations and reality, what you should do, in response, will depend on how you approach investing. If you are a trader, playing the pricing game, you may not care about the gap, since your returns will be based on timing, i.e., entering the market at the right time and exiting before the delusion is laid bare. It is possible that a lot of public investors and venture capitalists in this space are playing this pricing game and some of them will get very rich doing so.
If you are a founder/owner or private investor interested in the long term value of your business, you may not be able to do much about your over confidence but there are a few simple steps that you can take to keep it in check. I do know that many in the start-up community view intrinsic valuations (or DCFs) with suspicion, but done right, a DCF is more than a valuation of a company. It provides a template for how you hope to convert products/users/downloads into revenues and profits, how much capital you will need to deliver the growth you so eagerly seek, and how competition will impinge on your best laid plans (by affecting growth and margins).
If you are a public market investor, surveying a "big market" group of companies, this post is not a clarion call to abandon the group, but to approach it differently. You can still make money investing in this sector, but only if you are selective about the companies that you invest in (which requires that you grapple with estimating the size of the big market and make your best judgments on winners and losers) and are cognizant of the price that you are paying, not only when you buy the stock but while your hold it. In fact, your very best investments may come from mis-pricing in this segment.
No matter which group you belong to, it is time that we stop labeling each other. If you are on the outside (of these big markets) looking in, don't be so quick to categorize players in the market as irrational, shallow and naive. If you are on the inside looking out, stop thinking of anyone who does not buy into your big market thesis as a Luddite, out of touch with technology and stuck in the past. You and I should be able to disagree about the values of Uber, Snapchat and Twitter, without our motives being impugned, our intelligence questioned and our sanity put to the test.
YouTube Version
I know that this is a long post and that your attention may have flagged half way through. To remedy that, I decided to make a YouTube video around this post. I hope you enjoy it!
YouTube Version
I know that this is a long post and that your attention may have flagged half way through. To remedy that, I decided to make a YouTube video around this post. I hope you enjoy it!


text:
Versailles Bone White Computer Desk & Hutch
Save 15%
Original price
Current price
Lease for as low as $173.35/week
Learn More
Exclusive price for ONLINE ONLY
ACME Versailles Computer Desk & Hutch, Bone White (1Set/2Ctn), 76" x 21" x 92"H, 304lbs.
The Versailles collection classic style will blend masterfully in your home. The storage feature offers plenty of space to keep your office supplies, this set includes four top doors to reveal extra storage available. Carefully constructed from selected wood and veneers in rich Bone White and Hand Brushed Antique Finish. Highly decorative details, oversized crown, claw feet and decorative scrolled moldings on doors, gives this piece an elegant and sleek appeal.
- Computer Hutch and Desk - Arched Hutch: Touch Light & 4 Doors - Credenza Desk: 3 Drawers & 1 Door - Oversized Scrolled Trim, Leaf Crown Motif, and Post-Leg (Poly Resin with Antique Contrast Finish) - Desk Drawer: GLIDE Side Metal (Ext 3/4), DT French
Wood, Poly Resin, Glass


text:
This is by far our most popular multi-use bag, it measures 11" x 18" and can easily be folded in half to fit nicely into your microwave. Seams have been serged with a 4 thread safety over-lock stitch and closure seam has been double stitched for maximum durability. Approx. weight is 4 lbs.
*If the person using this is elderly, frail or has a weight restriction 4 lbs may be to heavy for you, please contact me for a lighter product before ordering.
Add matching 4 x 9.5 Eye Pillow in drop down menu
Heating Pad Corn Bags are the all Natural way to comfort those daily aches and pains of just to warm you on a cold day. Each warmer is made with 100% Cotton fabric and generously filled with only the highest quality clean whole corn. The unique design keeps the corn in place for even heat distribution. No cords, completely portable, just heat in the microwave and use it anywhere.
♥ Corn Bags can be used for both Warm or Cold applications:
~Lower Back
~Feet & Ankles
~Arms & Elbows
Heat: Place your Warm Hugs Corn Bag in the microwave as directed on the instructions attached to each bag (1-3 minutes depending on your microwave wattage) and enjoy the warmth!
Wraps easily around legs or arms, fold in half and insert hands, use as a heated lap blanket when you just can't seem to warm up!
Cold: Place your Warm Hug in a freezer bag and store in the freezer to use as an Ice Pack.
Products are shipped USPS Mail with tracking.
Made in a pet free/ smoke free studio
1-2 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but can't guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs.
Just contact me within: 3 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 14 days of delivery
Buyers are responsible for return shipping costs. If the item is not returned in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
Please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
I want you to be 100% happy with my products and warranty all craftsmanship of stitching and seams for 1 year. Any new, unused bags with tag still attached may be returned within 14 days for a full refund of product less shipping.
I provide over 15 years of detailed tested instructions attached to each bag and do not warranty any products that have been overheated or not heated exactly as directed and result in damage or burn holes to your item. I am not just a Seller, I am a daily user of my own product.
Custom orders cannot be returned except under the craftsmanship warranty on seams and stitching.
Please contact me for return shipping address. Thank you.
Yes, it would be my pleasure! Please remember to update the shipping address, check the box "This is a gift" at checkout, type a short message in the gift section box and also check the "To: From:" box so they will know who it is from. Do not leave your message in the "message to seller" box since they're auto generated.
My ready to ship by date will fluctuates depending on the number of orders I have already received and can change often during the Winter season. My current ready to ship date is located on each listing, on the cart checkout page, on your receipt and also shown on my shop Home page announcement banner.