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Let's take flight We may not be able to see UFOs, but we can make believe with a toy that can fly at your command. Our Gravity-Defying Flying UFO Toy flies high when it's time to have fun. Ready for fun? Simply turn on the power button, toss this UFO…
How much does shipping cost?
We are glad to bring our customers great value and service. That's why we provide fast shipping from our Fulfillment Center in California by UPS and USPS.
What countries are you delivering to?
As of now, we're delivering to the United States only.
How can I track my parcel?
Once your parcel has left our Fulfillment Center, you will receive an email with a tracking number to monitor your parcel movements.
Can you ship my order to a business address?
Yes, you can write your business address in your order details if it's more convenient to you.
Can you ship my order to a PO Box address?
Yes, you can select delivery to a PO Box if it's more convenient to you.
Can you ship my order to APO or FPO military addresses?
Yes, we ship anywhere in the United States, and to all US territories and military APO/FPO addresses.
What happens to my parcel if it is delivered while I'm not there?
Depending on the destination and the package size, your parcel will be left in your mailbox or on your porch, or it may be left with a neighbour.
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I bought this for my son's 4th birthday and he absolutely loves it. So do I. So does his grandfather. The dog and cat don't mind it. His mother could do without something flying around the house but tolerates it because it's harmless. :) Flight time is around 8 minutes and charge time is around an hour, which is not bad. Gives just enough of a break from the whirring sound to make usage tolerable for parents. As a programmer I'm fascinated by just how much tech and logic is packed into such a small, inexpensive toy. Once it starts flying it spins and scans for close objects, ceilings, floors, dogs, kids, etc. and once sensed, the spinning stops and it moves a few feet away from whatever it was too close to before starting its spin/scan mode again. If it gets into a situation where it's just bumping into way too many things, it shuts down and harmlessly drops to the floor rather than cause problems. It weighs practically nothing and the casing keeps fingers from contacting the propellers. This is a great little no-brainer of a toy for just about any age. If someone is tall enough to drop the thing (which is how it turns on), they're old enough to use and enjoy it.
This toy was a huge hit with the kids and adults , I had many adults asking where I got it and wanting one for themselves ! This was bought for my 5 year old but the entire family from age 5-55 enjoyed playing with this little guy. Charge time between play is about 15/20 mins and it runs roughly 7/10 mins, works exactly as described and seems to have a personality even. We were impressed with its ability to sense walls and other objects to avoid crashing. We were further impressed by its durability when crashing , it is very light weight and impact is very light and falling doesn't harm it at all even from great heights. We have Catherdral ceilings in part of our home and it was a delight to watch it soar so high on its own. We can't stop playing with this little saucer it simply is a delight, if it ever stops working we will buy another one as it is well worth the price, easy to use ,and durable if used as intended ( don't use outside , don't get it wet, don't overcharge it , don't try to make it carry anything or add anything to it ) I highly recommend this little flyer to anyone
I was a little unsure what to expect with this drone - my experiences so far with drones have involved learning curves figuring out the control of and quirks of different ones. Some are really sensitive and flying can take a while to get accustomed to, which means it's not very conducive to using with smaller kids. THIS one - was one everyone could enjoy though. Simply using our hands to keep it flying around was a lot of fun - older kids could do more to guide it, while younger kids could participate with very little eye/hand coordination. Wish the charge lasted longer, but understand the trade off for the lightweight flight ability vs short battery life. Charging time was fairly short. I'd like to give more of a review on longevity, but after I played with it for a while, I took it with me to get feedback from an assorted age group - they were having so much fun with it, I didn't have the heart to take it with me when I left. I will say, we crashed it fairly hard, often, without any real damage. As others have noted - remove the (tiny) screws when taking out of the box, otherwise you'll not be near as impressed. :)
Very easy to play with and use. It does have a bit of a high pitched whine but it is not intolerable. Although I haven't timed it, it seems to run for about 7-10 minutes between charges; long enough to enjoy playing with it but not so long that the kids start to drive me crazy with it. You can direct the motion by placing your hand under it or in front of the sensors when it is flying but it does a good job of avoiding crashes on its own, in my living room with a vaulted ceiling. I don't know how it would operate it's low ceilings, and I definitely would not fly it outside. I'm pretty sure you would only get one opportunity to fly it outside before it disappears into the sky, since there is really no way to have any control over it remotely. Fun toy, worth the reasonable price.
I bought these for my grandsons, ages 11,8 and 5. They had a ball with them. Much better than sitting with a remote control. They are very interactive with lots of running around and laughing. The two oldest even learned how to toss it just right so it would fly into the others hands across the room. You do have to read the directions and calibrate them after charging. They can take some knocking around as the cage is flexible. They seem to hit the ceiling in my living room quite often, but I think this had something to do with the lighting ( recessed), as it skimmed right around my kitchen ceiling. I would never let these loose outside, you'd never see them again. Definitely the more room you have inside the better.
This was a stocking stuffer type present and I didn't have much in the way of expectations. After using it, I'm surprised this toy isn't more popular. After charging you turn it on and rock it back and forth for just a few seconds to calibrate it. Then toss it in the air and it takes care of itself. In an open room it moves around on its own and kids can control it with what looks like Jedi hand gestures. In a cramped room it can start acting like a fly on a window screen and bounce around until it loses control because the sensors over compensate. Even so, the propellers are contained inside the body and don't get damaged or get thread or hair wrapped up in them like other drones. The battery only lasts for about 5+ minutes, but so does my toddler's attention span, so it's still a great little toy.
My 6 year old has been wanting a drone of his own, but we knew he wouldn't be able to handle anything complex. Then we found this drone. This thing is absolutely perfect for the kid and, quite frankly, all of us love it. The only complaint is the charging, which as others have noted, does not provide the ability to play with the drone for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. However, we are very happy with the purchase.
This drone is SO much fun and SO easy to use. My five y.o. son and ten y.o. daughter each have one. They are easy to get the hand of. They love playing with them, doing tricks, and playing "catch" with them. And they have been dropped, bumped, hit hundreds of times, and even taken away in the mouth of a dog, and they haven't had one issue, not a scratch or dent! They last about 20 minutes on full on non-stop play and charge back up pretty quickly. I highly recommend this drone for little and big kids!
Even cooler than what we thought it would be!! It totally reminds me of the movie Batteries Not Included!!! My son loves it! The box says for ages 14 and above but my 8 year old isn't having any problems being careful with it. The body is very light and pretty tough. The way it is able to fly around by itself is amazing!! Definitely one of his favorite gifts not to mention we enjoy playing with it too!!
This drone is super fun. Even a toddler could play with it. You have to charge it when you receive it and it only comes with the chord for the USB and not the actual plug. Luckily, it fits into our computer and the usb phone charger base. Once it is charged all you do is toss it up and it will start working. Even if you toss it upside down it will correct itself and fly. Just be aware that it's kind of noisy and the battery doesn't stay charged longer than five to ten minutes, which is fine because that's normally how long my kids play with it at a time. It feels flimsy but it's been dropped and has run into things multiple times and still works. I also thought the price was great. I just wish it could stay charged a little longer and was a little quieter. Would still buy it again.
I wasn't sure if my 2-yr old nephews would understand the concept, but they were completely mesmerized by this toy and had fun with it. One even would sit and wait for it to recharge to play again. They did not understand that it went higher from sensing their hand, so their goal was to be able to catch it (not keep it in the air). It was surprisingly sturdy and didn't break when they did grab it multiple times. The adults also were amused and had fun playing with it too. Thanks for making me the most popular aunt, and at such an affordable price!
To be honest, when my husband purchased this for our small grandsons, my first though was what a waste of money. I was wrong. My older grandson absolutely loves this thing. He is only 14 months old, but constantly holds it out to have us launch it again. The drone is actually safe for his fingers -- even at 14 months, his fingers are too big to fit between the slots. My only complaint is that you have to charge it constantly, but on the plus side, the charging time is relatively quick. It actually worked out quite well.
I bought this as a gift for my 5yr old son. He loves it! It is by no means a drone that has precision flight, or a long flight time (maybe 6 or 7 minutes) but it is fun to just let float around, and try to "push" back and forth in a little game of "catch". It's definitly an indoor only toy, since the slightest breeze moves it around, and there are no controllers so if you fly it outside there's no telling where it will go. it's a good rainy day activity for kids.
This thing is awesome for my 4 year old! Couldn't be happier with it. Honestly its fun I fly out around once in awhile while my son is at school. Only advice I have is just keep it inside the house. It has sensors so won't run into anything, we took it to the park and it just flew off over a lake out of sight. My son was hysterical and I never expected to see it again but lucked out finding it in shallow water on the other side of the lake. Still works! This is a must buy!
I bought a kid's drone so my two grandchildren could play with it in the house. It worked great for them because it could avoid objects by itself and take cues from hand movements. Also it doesn't hurt if it touches them, and it won't fly off into the blue sky. However, my 10 yr old grandson was disappointed that it only lasts 10-15 minutes, and then you have to wait for it to recharge. He lost interest in it. I understand that at that price point, you can't expect a whole lot. I will be patient and wait for an indoor drone with more battery life to be available. It would be worth the extra money to me.
This charges up by USB port, and it was a gift for my grandson's birthday. So we very carefully took it out of the box to charge it up before we gave it to him. Actually, it already had a charge and worked just like the instructions said it would. This is a very nice drone for a kid, even the adults enjoyed it too. A nice indoor toy, safe because of the cage around the blades.
My kids love this drone! Unfortunately it broke a couple months later but I put most of the blame on the kids for being rough with it. A couple of the sensors would come unglued and a blade came off. Overall I think it's a good product for the price. It's very fun to run around and play with!
This is a fun product, very easy to use and play with. Simple, quick 1-2-3 instructions. They operate just as promised. The only small criticism would be that they don't last very long, maybe 5 or 6 minutes before they require a re-charge. Other than that, they pretty much exceeded my expectations. They are fascinating and fun!
I was very skepticle that this would work but it's very cool. It worked right out of the box after charging and didn't crash into anything. It doesn't run for a super long time but it's small and not expensive so that didn't surprise me. It works remarkably well though. Lots of fun.
The whole family enjoys using this! We looked on YouTube for a video on how to operate it as the directions included don't make it as easy as it really is. We always have fun with this item and I would recommend. I bought this for my ten year old nephew and he loves it.
Great toy but don't bring it outside unless you're ready to chase it down. Great indoor toy. Fun and keeps a charge for a while. Took it outside and the thing always takes off to the left?! Why? Flys away and my kids have to throw balls at it to get it to come down.
The drone is like a toy from the future. It doesn't take much to operate it - just throw it in the air and move it around using your hands. It is so much fun that it is addictive. Everyone that I show it to loves and wants to get one. The only downside is that the shell is a bit fragile. After many crashes, some parts of the connection pts of the shell starts to break but everything can be fixed with crazy glue.
The grandchildren loved these things for about a day. Now they just sit around and never get used, but the do work and from an adult perspective, they are fascinating. I just wish they'd bring them out and let me play with them more often.
Very cool little toy. Lots of entertainment for everyone.. the box came damaged but the product was fine. Purchased for my nephews 7th birthday and was a huge hit for him and the 6 and 5 year old as well.
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text:
As you get older you find out that
true happiness is not in how much
you make or how many degrees you
have or how big your house is or
how fancy your car is. It's finding
peace and joy and a calmness in your
life that will soon become the most
important thing to you. Your family
is what really matters to you, love
is what matters to you. Things that
are of quality, not quantity.


text:
One of the most powerful features of Google Earth is the ability to view custom maps or overlays, which are also commonly known as KML files. Ever since we introduced Google Earth on mobile devices, users have requested support for custom content. Today, we are proud to announce Google Earth 6.2 for Android and iOS, which includes support for KMLs. Now anywhere you find a "Google Earth file" (KML file) while you're browsing the mobile web, just click on the link and the Google Earth app will automatically launch and load the custom map.
With this release, the Google Earth Gallery is also now available in the mobile app, enabling you to easily explore some of the best maps from around the web directly within Google Earth. For example, not sure if that was an earthquake? Go to the Earth Gallery and click on the USGS' real-time earthquake map to see recent earthquakes from around the world.
Maybe you're interested in finding hiking trails on your next vacation. Check out Everytrail to find a hike wherever you might be.
If you're a basketball fan, be sure to check out the new College Basketball Tournament map, which takes you on a virtual trip to the school and stadiums of this year's competing teams.
For Google Earth for Android users, we've also added a new "Share" feature, which allows you to share a screenshot of your current view with people in your Google+ circles, via Gmail, or on other applications. Now you can share your favorite places with friends and family from your desktop computer, mobile phone or tablet. And, if you follow the Google Earth +Page, you can see what others are sharing and discover new locations around the world.
The 6.2 release of Google Earth for Android and iOS also includes improvements in navigation, which make it even easier to fly to your favorite spots on the globe.
To check out the latest version of Google Earth for Android phones and tablets, download it now from Google Play.


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PARIS (JTA) – Cigarette in one hand and cup of tea in the other, Matisyahu sat down with JTA in his closet-sized dressing room during his European tour to talk about his life, his music, how he's raising his kids, and the recent changes in his religious outlook and physical appearance.
The beatboxing reggae star once known for his signature beard and hasidic garb has left his yarmulke by the wayside, dyed his hair blond and moved to Los Angeles from the hasidic stronghold of Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
Matisyahu (aka Matthew Miller) says he felt locked in by the hasidic life and at some point thought his look no longer represented who he was. Orthodox Judaism does not have a monopoly on the truth in life, Matisyahu says; each person must discover his own truth. The 33-year-old singer, now dressed in a blue zip-up hoodie, says he still looks to the Torah and Judaism for inspiration, but his view of Jewish law — halachah — has changed.
Matisyahu talked about his ongoing evolution with JTA shortly before a performance at Le Bataclan in Paris.
JTA: A year ago you released the single "Sunshine," probably one of your happiest songs. In what context did you write it?
Matisyahu: I was in California with my son, who has blond hair. It was "golden sunshine." There was a really good feeling. Part of that is because of the connection between me and the producer and the way we approached the music — dealing with real topics, but in a positive light. I made certain changes in my life. I feel more open, more free. It's like springtime coming out of a hibernation.
Let's talk about these changes. A lot of your fans were shocked when you decided in December 2011 to shave your beard. Not long afterward, you posted pictures of yourself online without a yarmulke. Now you have dyed your hair blond. Can you explain the different steps leading to these changes?
When I was in my early 20s, I became interested in Jewish identity and history. I went to Israel and had a strong feeling about being Jewish. I started to think about how to incorporate my spiritual search into reggae music. And I decided to make the leap to express myself as a Jew. I started to wear a yarmulke, grew a beard and changed my clothes. It was very much like the blending of the old mystical tradition and spirituality with who I am in America as a 21-year-old musician. Then I decided that I would go the next level with it all and that I would take on the ideology of Orthodox Judaism, even though I didn't necessarily understand it logically. I figured that I was going to submit myself to it. And I accepted it. It became a part of my worldview. At the same time, I was traveling a lot, meeting different hasidim, and I really got a good understanding of what it means to be Jewish. But at some point I felt locked in to that vision of the world. I needed to go back to my choices and make decisions about my life. I still believe there is a lot of truth in Orthodox Judaism, but not the whole truth. Each person has his truth that he has to discover. You don't necessarily have to mold yourself to another idea of who you are.
So you feel more authentic now that you have shaved your beard?
When I had my beard and my suit, that was very true for me. In that moment that's what I wanted. But I did feel that it no longer was representing who I was.
Were you affected by some of the negative reactions among your fans after you changed your look?
Obviously it made me a little sad because I'm not really interested in making people upset. But at the same time, I'm not representative for anyone. Some Orthodox Jews felt that I betrayed them. There's no betrayal; every person has to do what is right for him in his life. Then, separate from religion, there is the image issue. Some artists are bound to an image: Bob Marley has dreadlocks, Matisyahu has a beard. But that's a reminder that the whole thing is not about style. It's about music.
Still, you were, maybe unintentionally, a symbol for many Jews around the world that it was possible to reconcile tradition and modernity.
I think I'm still doing that! I'm looking very much towards the Torah and Judaism as a source of inspiration. Maybe it's not as obvious for people on the surface, but anyone who really listens to my record will find depth. And that's a good way to weed out who is a real fan and who cannot go with you. When you are in a relationship with an artist, if his music is a part of your life, you have to choose whether or not to follow him through his transformation and evolution. You know, it's like the story of the golden calf. When Moses comes down from the mountain, the first thing he does is burn it and it goes back to its original form. Sometimes a calf comes to us like an idol and we become stuck in an image. But to go back to the truth, we need to get rid of the image and get back to the base core. That's kind of what I did.
Has your observance of Judaism evolved, too?
I'm taking every day as it comes. For example, if I'm on the road with my chef or if I'm home, it's very easy to keep kosher. But what is it to keep kosher? Is it eating kosher potato chips? Kosher is a bigger idea. I think it's about being healthy. But according to some people, it's about not eating this food because it's forbidden by the Jewish law. My view of the halachah changed a little bit. The laws are there hopefully to be a tool. When they're acting in that way, I'm following them. But if not, I'm not just doing random things because that's what you are supposed to do.
How did the people around you react to your changes?
The people that I'm around are my band. That's who I'm spending most of my time with on the road. They're not religious, they're not Jewish and they're very understanding. Also, I don't live anymore in the neighborhood where I used to live. As for my family, they are very accepting of my changes. My kids are learning very different perspectives. I felt that was something very important to teach them all along: bringing them out, getting them out of the shtetl, seeing the whole world, meeting people from different cultures, stressing the humanity of mankind. They're also growing up with a strong Jewish identity because it's a big part of our lives — with Shabbat, holidays and even school. I'm teaching them real Jewish values: not to judge people, believe in unity and oneness, and also to know who they are.
Will we see a new Matisyahu a couple of years from now?
In life, you're never going to escape yourself, you're never going to become something else. Hopefully, if you're having this interview in two or three years, you will meet a more evolved Matisyahu. It's important to keep growing.
Your latest album, "Spark Seeker," has just been released in Europe. Critics describe it as more pop and less reggae than the previous albums. Do you agree?
I don't really consider it less reggae because reggae means a lot of different things to different people. There's no such objective definition of the term when you're talking about genres and styles in music. In the pure sense, it's not so much reggae, but in some ways, this is more my delivery of vocals, a lot of them in a strong reggae patois. … The record was a sort of nice breath of fresh air: having a good time, writing feel-good songs. It's more of a digitally produced record, more hip hop in the sense that drums and synthesizers are at the forefront of the music. But when my team and I went to Israel, we recorded a lot of live instruments, mostly Middle Eastern style. So in the end, we combined this Middle Eastern organic flavor with more modern fresh pop.


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This article also appears in Global Nerdy.
Before I begin, let me state that yes, I know that chaps, by definition, have no seat and that the phrase "assless chaps" is redundant. By adding "assless" to chaps, I am simply following one of the golden rules of comedy, namely that adding butt-related humour to anything always makes it funnier.
The Snub and the Challenge
How I came to end up wearing assless chaps on Saturday started innocently enough. I wrote an article about Toronto Code Camp in which I talked about the sessions I was thinking of attending. One of the presenters, Bruce Johnson of ObjectSharp, saw that I didn't mention his presentation and tweeted that I'd snubbed him:
Actually, learning WPF was on my "to-do" list, so I let Bruce know that I actually was coming to his presentation. In my tweets to him, I fired off this jokey reply:
I figured that I was at very little risk at having to follow through with this promise. Had this been FutureRuby or perhaps some open source conference, I'm sure my challenge would've been answered, but I thought: Hey, this is a conference of Microsoft developers! Yes, they're a bright and talented bunch, and I like them, but they're an older, corporate, more buttoned-down crowd. They'd never go for renaming a session from "Data Binding" to "Data Bondage".
But Bruce and the Toronto Code Camp organizers surprised me:
I was actually impressed. I was even a little ashamed that I'd brought some prejudices about Microsoft developers from the open source world with me, thinking that they wouldn't be cool enough to handle slightly edgy content. Live and learn.
Malabar to the Rescue
"A promise made is a debt unpaid," as the narrator in the classic poem The Cremation of Sam McGee says, so I made arrangements to get my hands on (or more accurately, ass into) some assless chaps. Luckily, Toronto has Malabar. It's a great costume shop located on McCaul Street just of Queen West, and they've been a great source of costumes for years. That's where the Ginger Ninja and I got our outfits for Cory Doctorow's steampunk-ish wedding back in October:
Getting the chaps was easy. I walked into Malabar and simply said "I'd like to rent some chaps, please."
"What kind?" the woman behind the counter asked.
"The S-and-M-ier, the better."
"I know just the pair," said one of the guys. "Let me get them from the basement."
Malabar rocks.
Putting the "Camp" in "Code Camp"
At this point, you're probably saying, please Joey, for the love of all things holy, tell me that you wore something under the chaps.
To which I'll answer: "Yes. Yes I did." I wore my loudest pair of jeans, a pair of striped jeans in crazy colours that I've had since my days at Crazy Go Nuts University, back when I used to go to raves. They went well with the chaps, as you can see in the photo below:
I did promise that the assless chaps would be Microsoft-branded; this was fixed thanks to Colin Bowern giving me an "I'm a PC" sticker that he happened to have in his knapsack:
Later in the afternoon, I ran to the store to get a Diet Coke and saw my reflection in the mirrored windows of a neighbouring building. "Damn, I look good!" I thought.
And as proof of their asslessness, here's a photo of the chaps from behind. Ladies, please control yourselves; I'm already spoken for!
I walked into Bruce's presentation moments after everyone was seated and regaled them with Britney Spears' Baby One More Time, spiced up with a little extra butt-wiggling and ending with rousing applause:
…after which I sat down in the front row to catch Bruce's presentation. It was quite good, and I did learn a lot about data binding in WPF – certainly enough for me to start exploring that aspect of Windows and Silverlight programming. Just as important – if not more so – I learned that the Windows developer community is cooler than one might be led to believe. Both were good lessons.


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Have you noticed some unusual behavior in your elderly love one?
There are many signs that can point to the onset of Alzheimer and Dementia, but you have to first know what your looking for. Approximately 65% of Dementia cases are gone unnoticed and untreated. Know the warning signs.
Some of the symptoms to these diseases are:
- Becoming much more forgetful than usual, to the point it's affecting daily life
- Becoming very argumentative about small things
- Having difficulty completing familiar tasks at home
- Becoming much more forgetful of their surroundings, than not knowing where they are or who they are with
- They start to pace frequently around the house.
If you're an "at home" Caregiver, Professional Caregiver or you operate a community that cares for individuals with Alzheimer's dementia, this web site and all of the information and services it provides are here for you.
There are over 15 Million unpaid caregivers at home providing care to loved ones with Alzheimer's and sadly 30% of those "at home" caregivers will pre-decease the people they are caring for. Is it any wonder that there is more time missed in the work place today from elder care issues than from child care issues? Furthermore, in my 15 years as a State Certified Administrator and my 12 years as a Master Trainer of Alzheimer's care, I have witnessed first hand that many heath care professionals; Doctors, Nurses and Aides don't have the most basic understanding of Alzheimer's dementia or how to deal with it.
Years ago a client came into my office screaming at her afflicted husband because she was "sick of him embarrassing her in public." Clearly she had no understanding of how to deal with his illness. Since that day I have devoted myself to educating those important Caregivers and providing them the vital information they'll need so everyone enjoys a better quality of life.
If you or someone you know could benefit from the information provided here; if your staff could benefit from learning from an experienced trainer or if you know of a Club, Group or Civic Organization that would enjoy an engaging and informative speaker, please feel free to refer them to us. We're Care for Caregivers and that's what we do.


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Taylor Swift Reveals How Her Actual Cats Inspired the Movie 'Cats'
Taylor Swift is a MAJOR cat lady, so it made sense when her name showed up in the movie's cast list. During the Cats world premiere in New York City on Monday (December 16), the pop star revealed how her own actual cats — Meredith, Olivia and Benjamin — inspired a particular character (and it wasn't her own Bombalurina).
"The cat they're most like in the movie is a cat called Jennyanydots, which Rebel Wilson plays," she explained to Entertainment Tonight.
The actors apparently attended "cat school," where they learned how to move and act like creepy human-like cats. Swift introduced the instructor to her own feline friends, and that's when the light bulb turned on.
"She was like, 'Can I send these to Rebel? They're the perfect inspiration for her cat!'" Swift recalled. "So, my cats didn't inspire me — but I like to think that, when they were sent to Rebel, they did inspire her for her character development."
Aside from acting in the movie, Swift also penned an original song, "Beautiful Ghosts," for the project alongside the original musical's character Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Cats hits theaters on Friday (December 20).


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Add next week's total eclipse of the sun to the list of worker distractions that cost U.S. companies hundreds of millions of dollars in lost productivity.
American employers will see at least $694 million in missing output for the roughly 20 minutes that outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimates workers will take out of their workday on Monday, Aug. 21 to stretch their legs, head outside the office and gaze at the nearly two-and-a-half minute eclipse.
And 20 minutes is a conservative estimate, said Andy Challenger, vice president at the Chicago-based firm. Many people may take even longer to set up their telescopes or special viewing glasses, or simply take off for the day.
"There's very few people who are not going to walk outside when there's a celestial wonder happening above their heads to go out and view it," Challenger said, estimating that 87 million employees will be at work during the eclipse.
To get the overall figure of nearly $700 million, Challenger multiplied that by the Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest estimate for average hourly wages for all workers 16 and over.
Just as the Earth is a mere speck in the universe, however, Challenger said this is still a small sum.
"Compared to the amount of wages being paid to an employee over a course of a year, it is very small," Challenger said. "It's not going to show up in any type of macroeconomic data."
It also pales when compared with the myriad other distractions in the modern workplace, such as the U.S. college basketball championship known as March Madness, the recent U.S. shopping phenomenon called Cyber Monday and the Monday after the Super Bowl.
During the opening week of March Madness, the firm estimated employers experienced $615 million per hour in lost productivity as people watched games and highlights, set up pool brackets and avidly tracked their standings rather than performed actual work.
The Monday after the Super Bowl, meanwhile, resulted in an estimated $290 million in lost output for every 10 minutes of the workday spent by workers discussing the game or watching game highlights and re-runs of their favorite Super Bowl commercials.
And Cyber Monday on the heels of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday at the start of the annual holiday shopping season resulted in $450 million in lost productivity for every 14 minutes spent shopping, not working.
Events like this are likely to have an outsized effect on smaller companies, Challenger said. When their workers are absent, small firms may not have sufficient coverage from coworkers, especially in the current tight labor market where it is hard to find skilled workers.
"When three or four people are missing from an office of 15, it's a lot more disruptive," Challenger said.
Total Eclipse: $694 million for the 20 minutes it takes to go outside and watch the eclipse
Cyber Monday: $450 million for every 14 minutes spent
March Madness: $615 million for each hour spent on March Madness activities
Super Bowl: $290 million for every 10 minutes lost
discussing the game
Fantasy Football: $990 million for each hour of work time
spent on Fantasy Football


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All platforms: The final release of Fedora's 12th edition, code-named Constantine, is available for download. Want much better Bluetooth, the latest network and chat apps, and CPU and graphics efficiencies? Grab a live CD or USB image and give it a go.
The full list of changes, upgrades, fixes, and new apps is similar to what we saw in the beta, but if you need more specifics, Fedora's got a whole lot of custom-formatted documentation.
Are you a Fedora fan smitten with the new release? Irked that something vital is still left out? Tell us your take on the Linux distro in the comments. Fedora 12 is a free download, works on Intel and Power PC-based systems. Thanks Tamar!
Fedora 12 (release notes) [Fedora Project]


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I am very excited to be working with Kidtoons again after brining you the Care Bears Special a few weeks ago now we have Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas. Be sure to look for this movie coming in December- for locations click HERE.
About Kidtoons (From the Website)
Kidtoons is dedicated to helping parents connect with their kids by bringing family friendly animated movies to the big screen every weekend at participating theatres across the country.
Participating Kidtoons theatres showcase a fun, affordable family friendly matinee movie and provide a family experience filled with entertaining, kid-friendly characters, as well as cartoon shorts, music videos and sing-alongs before each movie. We even have fun giveaways for the kids, such as stickers, temporary tattoos, activity books or toys after every film.
Be sure to check out Kidtoons website for your local theater location and times. You will also find some really fun activities on their website including a coloring contest for kids!
Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas
George and The Man with The Yellow Hat are having a very merry time counting down the days until Christmas. There's only one puzzle: neither of them can figure out what to give the other for a present. The Man is having trouble reading George's wish list and George doesn't have a clue about what to get for The Man who has everything. Will they be able to find the answers before Christmas morning?
- 1 Curious George Book
- 1 Curious George DVD
- 1 Curious George poster
Mandatory Entry: Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect (found on the sidebar), and leave a comment here stating that you're a follower.
Be sure to leave your email address in each comment so that I have a way to contact you if you win! Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
You must complete the Mandatory Entry before you can complete any additional entries.
Extra Entries:
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(Kidtoons will send you a free movie pass to celebrate your child's special day!)
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Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Ends December 10th at 10:00 PM (PST). A winner will be chosen using random.org and notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond after contacted by email. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be chosen.
Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this posting.


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Call 01253 366017 for Resin Driveway Services in Blackpool
Advantages of a Resin Bound Driveway
Driveways in Homes
In Blackpool, residential driveway specialists are offered. There are no such things as little or huge jobs. We have a lot of driveway experience. Call us at 01253 835 214 to find out how we can help you with all of your driveway requirements. We can build you a beautiful new driveway that will make your neighbors envious.
Driveways for Businesses
We are your local Resin Driveway Contractors, and we can handle any form of business driveway repair. For many years, we have worked with commercial clients.
Block Paving
In recent years, blocked paving has gained favor. The price of block paving has fallen due to mass production, but it is important to remember that block paving is just colored slabs of concrete that will fade and lose their original beauty over time.
Resin Bonded vs. Resin Bound
Before laying in a resin-bound technique, clear resin and aggregate are combined together. The ultimate result is a smooth, stone-free surface. The translucent resin is set first, followed by the aggregate, which completely covers the resin. When the therapy is finished, any extra stones are rinsed away. We only utilize Resin Mill Premium Quality Resin Driveway products.
Resin Bound Driveways
The resin-bound covering is a fantastic solution for various applications, including driveways, pathways, terraces, car parks, courtyards, and swimming pool surrounds. Because of its smooth, glossy look, which can be made in hundreds of different color combinations, effects, and designs, it is a great alternative for decorative places. We only utilize Resin Mill Premium Quality Resin Driveway products.
Is it possible to lay it over existing drives?
Resin bonded coating may be applied over existing or new concrete or tarmac to create stunningly beautiful roadways, footpaths, and car parks. It is permeable, with minute holes letting surface water pass through, reducing the risk of flooding.
Stones sourced from nature
Our natural stones comprise various aggregates, including gravel, shingle, quartz, and crushed granite. The stones can be angular or smooth and range in diameter from 1mm to 5mm. They come in various colors, either as a single color or a color combination. The finished result is outstanding.
Is it more expensive?
Superior materials and competent hand installation are required by organizations such as Blackpool Resin Drives Surfacing Experts for a Resin Bound surface. It is somewhat more expensive than other surfacing options, but the end result is worth it, and you will also have a weed-free drive.
We are proud to be the greatest driveway and paving company in the North West. Your feedback is highly useful to us, and suggestions are always appreciated.
Blackpool Resin Drive Experts
We provide personal and professional driveway conversion services throughout the North West. Our certified and authorized paving contractors work on commercial and residential projects and specialize in all aspects of driveways and pavement. We take great pride in our wonderful North West reputation and the complete satisfaction of our fantastic clients.
West Coast Resins provides an amazing service that covers selling and installing resin driveways and block paving drives.
Many clients have been satisfied with our extensive selection of high-quality resin-bound materials, which includes new driveways, paths, schools, access roads, and car parks.
Swimming Pool Design
Our whole product collection includes a wide range of color and texture options and natural aggregates, marble, and recycled materials. It provides practically limitless design options for landscape architects, designers, developers, and homeowners, making it ideal for new construction and restoration work.
You Can Count on Us for Blackpool Resin Drives
Blackpool Resin Drives resin-bound driveways are the most robust, tough, and long-lasting driveway materials on the market today in the UK. Following increased commercial usage, homeowners are becoming more involved and choosing this extremely durable material for their driveways. When it comes to installation, it's critical to work with a company with both experience and a strong reputation, such as Blackpool Resin Drives. Blackpool Resin Drives has the skills and capabilities to accomplish any project, whether it is a simple overlay over an existing surface or a full-scale excavation.
We conduct all of the work ourselves as a Reliable Resin Driveway Company, with no subcontractors, and all of our resin surfaces are set to the Resin Manufacturer's Specification.
Our resin-bound technique can revitalize your old and damaged driveway and offer your entire property a dramatic facelift. A West Coast Resins Resin Bound Driveway may set your house apart from the crowd.
Because of their permeability, our Resin Bound Drives decrease puddles, frost, mildew, and weed development while needing less maintenance. Because they provide a Sustainable Urban Drainage System [SUDs], Resin Bound Driveways from Blackpool Resin Drives do not require planning consent.
What exactly are Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS)?
SUDS are drainage solutions that provide an alternative to directly channeling surface water into nearby watercourses via man-made networks.
By emulating natural drainage regimes, SUDS tries to reduce floods from surface water, enhance water quality, and raise the amenity and biodiversity value of the environment. SUDs reduce flow rates, increase storage capacity, and decrease pollution transfer to the aquatic environment.
Alternative drainage systems, such as SUDs, are predicted to become more popular as a result of environmental challenges like as climate change and population growth. SUDs are included in the Flood and Water Management Act of 2010, as are the national standards required for their design, construction, maintenance, and operation.
A resin-bound driveway from Blackpool Resin Drives is an environmentally beneficial alternative to block pavement, asphalt, or concrete. Please contact us as soon as possible at 01253 366107.
The Importance of Using the Right Resin Drive Products
Many people have trouble discovering installation companies or artisans that are trustworthy and solely use high-quality items from reputable vendors. This is a major problem in the resin business right now, and it looks like it will worsen before it improves. The main issue is that many businesses start installing resin without first researching and educating themselves on the correct materials and applications. Some of these companies do an excellent job with the preparation, and the resin looks good at first, but after a year or two, the 'cracks' in their work begin to surface! Many shady installers out there get things wrong owing to bad installation! However, there are numerous professional integrated installers who have had their roads fail due to poor resin finishing coat ingredients.
Storing Energy Efficiently
The post The Advantages of a Resin Bound Driveway appeared first on https://richcitations.org
The post The Advantages of a Resin Bound Driveway in Blackpool appeared first on https://gqcentral.co.uk


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This has to be one of my most favorite recipes.
It's rich, delectable and creamy….. I could go on and on. It would be equally welcome, that wealth of rich Boursin cheese sauce, when mixed with silky braised kale or chard too. Or! Or! Take an entire rainbow of vegetables and roast them, dress them to the nines with this coat of luscious sauce, topped with the toasted Panko crumbs and then a few minutes under a broiler to sputtering browned perfection and you've got a side dish worthy of any celebration. Or, just an ordinary dinner at home.
Believe me, there is nothing boring about this dish. Nothing run-of-the-mill, or plain or anything. This is one of those weapons in your recipe arsenal that you pull out for the good friends who grace your table, the ones who kick off their shoes without being asked, who bring wine while wearing faded blue jeans because you just don't need to be fancy with your closest companions. And when they lift the first fork to their mouths, tasting the herbs, the seasoning of the succulent Boursin cheese, you know that smile that forms on their face tells it all. It's impressive, yes. But simple and quick and anyone can make it. And it leaves you looking like a superstar, because it's just that good.
Boursin Spinach Gratin
1 bunch fresh spinach, destemmed, washed well and spun very dry ( sub in kale or chard too)
1 t. unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced
3 T. AP flour
1-1/2 c. whole milk (alternately, use soymilk- it works perfectly!- or equivalent of 2%, or 1 c. skim & 1/2 c. heavy cream)
1 container Boursin Herb and Garlic cheese, 5.2oz
3 T. fresh shredded parmesan, or other hard cheese of choice
1 t. each fresh squeezed lemon juice and fresh grated lemon zest
2/3 c. panko bread crumbs
1 T. melted butter
Salt and pepper to tasteHeat oven to 425°In a medium oven proof skillet, melt butter and add shallot, cooking and stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour to coat and then slowly begin whisking in milk until fully incorporated. Stirring constantly, bring sauce to a gentle simmer to thicken slightly, then add in Boursin cheese, a small amount at a time, until all of it is blended into the sauce.Drop a handful of spinach leaves into sauce and stir to coat. Add more, a handful at a time, until all spinach is mixed well with the sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Mix panko, salt and pepper and melted butter, sprinkle over top of spinach and place pan, uncovered, into oven. Bake for 10 minutes, until bubbly and crumbs are browned. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly (remember that pan handle is HOT!) and serve immediately, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.Alternately, mixture can be divided among smaller ovenproof ramekins to be baked. Divide spinach into ramekins before topping with bread crumbs. Baking time will be shorter.
What's on YOUR plate this month??


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"My Shtetele Shkud"
(Skuodas, Lithuania)
56°16′ / 21°32'
By Leon Bernstein
Translated by Rachel Mines; Edited by Sonia Kovitz
Original Yiddish in Lite, Vol. 1. Ed. Mendel Sudarky et al. New York: Jewish-Cultural Society, 1951.
[Pages 1513-1518]
Once there was a shtetele, Shkud, which is no longer, which will never again rise from blood and ash and smoke. The laughter of Jewish children will never again echo in the marketplace. Respectable people, lost in thought, will never again walk down the Long Street into the synagogue, and summery young people will never again stride through the Vilke Birzhe ["forest of the wolf," possibly the local name of a wooded area between Old and New Skuodas] and through the Old Town to the rivers. Fires have devoured the Long Street's marketplace. Perhaps red roses will sprout from the Vilke Birzhe, dark with Jewish blood, and the last cries of mothers and fathers will echo in the playful murmur of the rivers. The conflagration has devoured the town together with those who built it. And the place where it stood will not, and should not, dare to refill itself with life. The laughter of Lithuanian peasants must not disturb the rest of our murdered generation; young Lithuanians in their Sunday drunkenness must not compete with one another: I murdered three, and I, five, and I … my friend.
Photograph: A Street in Shkud (sent by Charles Kahn, New York)
Shkud once was, and is no more. Only the heirs of its memory remain, a handful of Jews in America, in Israel, in South Africa. But in the hours of great longing, when my mother's voice seems close, as in a dream, scalding words rise from my choked throat and carry themselves clearly to all my Shkuder brothers across the world. Not because they seek comfort – "do not comfort me in a time of misfortune" [variant of Tractate Avot 4:23] – but because they know that they will be heard, and taken up, and understood. And they refer not only to Shkud, these words, but also Yelok [Ylakiai], and Maisyad[Mosëdis] , and Salant [Salantai], and Dorbian [Darbenai], and Telz [Telšiai] , and Mazheik [Mažeikiai], and every one of the little Lithuanian shtetls of which only the names and a black page in Jewish history remain. But each one of them is also a kind of Shkud, a kind of Nemirov [Nemyriv, Ukraine]. And everywhere the same horrors, the same tortures, the same deaths. My shtetl Shkud is but a great eye before me, that sees the entire Holocaust and weeps for the people. And my shtetl Shkud has become a symbol transcending the boundaries of its seclusion in Samogitia [northwestern region of Lithuania] to lie like a shadow over the civilized world, to sit like a silent accuser at the table of the United Nations with the eternal question: "Why? Why?"
After the first world war, when Lithuania became an independent country, Shkud also awoke from Tsarist slavery. Jewish young people stayed true to their Jewish national cultural inheritance, taking it up in a modern form. As in the majority of Lithuanian shtetls, a Hebrew folk-school was established in Shkud, which later became a Hebrew pro-gymnasium. There, among others, the well-known Hebrew poet Yisroel Shaf affected a poetic-biblical style, similar to the style he used in his stories. From the pro-gymnasium, young people went on to the Hebrew gymnasiums in Keidan [Kėdainiai] and Kovne [Kaunas]. But few of those who ended the gymnasiums returned to the businesses and trades of their fathers. Most went away to university, to Kovne, to other countries, some with the help of rich fathers and some independently. Nor could the rabbi's son, the beloved, refined Hirsh Terushkin, withstand the temptation, and he studied jurisprudence in Kovne.
In 1923, when the Lithuanians marched into Memel, Shkud attained its hour of influential prosperity. Situated by the railway line between Libau [Liepāja, Latvia] and Memel [Klaipėda], and now having a strong market in Memel and its environs, Shkud entered a phase of industrialization. An electrical station was built, which provided the shtetl with light and the factories with power. No fewer than six shoe-factories recently operated in Shkud, successfully competing in the Lithuanian marketplace with the greatest factories in the country. Among the six, the factory of Itze Cohen, for which he bought the most modern machinery, especially flourished. Leib Hochman opened his modern rope factory, and Shie Fogelman left university and opened a button factory in his father's house in the marketplace. Shkud became younger, fresher. The two rows of sleepy, wooden shops in the middle of the marketplace, with their crooked wooden walls and tall pointed roofs were torn down and replaced with bright modern businesses. Segal no longer drove his long, old-fashioned wagon to the train station, but brand-new buses. In one corner of the marketplace a cinema was built. The little staircases with the railed porches in front of the houses, where respectable people used to sit after work on summer afternoons, gave way to poured sidewalks, which began to wind like thin strands through the town. Only the synagogues, a stone one in the New Town and a wooden one in the Old Town, and – lehavdil [interjection used when juxtaposing things that are not to be compared] – a Catholic church and the Russian Orthodox church, did not change. They stood as they had a hundred years previous, and gazed threateningly, as if to ask, "who will hold out longer, who will survive whom?"
Together with the industrialization of the shtetl, a particular overturn of the social classes took place. A Jewish working class developed in the factories. A gap grew between the old and young generations. Among the latter, a group of industrialists took shape. Between the two stood the middle class of the greater and smaller merchants. Along with this development, the opposition between the Old Town and the New Town disappeared. These neighbourhoods were separated from each other by a river. The Old Town, with its wooden buildings and unpaved paths, once comprised the poorer part of the Jewish population. Now ambitious young people from the Old Town were becoming industrialists and wholesalers and venturing into the New Town. Youth from both sides of town would meet in the partnership of political and community work. But given that the new industrialists had risen from the ranks of former stitchers, cutters and cobblers, class divisions were not sharply defined in our shtetl. There was a community of people, bound together through long generations in a common destiny. Shkuders, for the most part, would marry among each other, one reason perhaps being that Shkud was renowned for its beautiful young women.
Shkud was a happy, lively shtetl. People were continually coming and going from Memel, Kovne, and Libau. Like every town which has a large turnover of strangers, the character of Shkud's Jewish population was influenced. Shkuders were tolerant and welcoming of strangers. There were many songs and much music to be heard. People learned to play piano from the two music teachers in the shtetl, my mother and the Russian pianist Pakrovsky.
Along with the Hebrew schools, Zionist ideas also won young people's enthusiasm. Most of the more middle-class youth belonged to Betar [Hebrew acronym for B'rit Trumpeldor, Trumpeldor League], while Hashomer Hatzair [Young Guard] and Hekhalutz Hatzair [Young Pioneer]recruited their members among the young factory workers. Of course, there were exceptions on both sides. In a small shtetl, personal relationships play a large role in political life. At the head of Betar stood the energetic, original, and spirited man, Mirkes. He was not entirely "pure-blooded," not a Shkuder, but had moved there in 1927 from the Lithuanian town Simne [Simnas]. Thanks to his strong personality, however, he quickly attained a leading place in the Shkud Jewish community. At the head of the Zionist workers' wing stood the well-known Hebrew teacher Moshe Cohen, who was also a "stranger." It turns out that Shkud, with its "international" flavour, quickly fell under foreign influences. Cohen, however, was much beloved among the youth. He was a great orator, and more than once people tried to break up meetings while Cohen was speaking. Even now I can see him before me on the stage of the folk-school: his long black hair dishevelled, a flame in his yearning eyes. In that way he would thunder in the name of workers' rights and progress. He also could not withstand temptation and married the most beautiful Jewish woman in the shtetl.
The Zionist women's organization also developed abundant activities. Young people in the gymnasium soaked up the Zionistic ideal. There was also an effort to enrich day-to-day life. How can one forget the Bialik and Peretz evenings, the performances of "Jephtha the Judge"? When I was 21 years old, I played with Saul Fisher (whose name means so much to a Shkuder) in a Yiddish play – can I ever forget that?
Imbued with its ideals, young people began to stream to Eretz Yisrael. Nothing could prevent them. Whole families went off to Israel: the Shers, the Grupels, the rabbi's daughters, the pioneer Yankelovich, and ordinary respectable families and dozens more young people. I met several in Italy as soldiers of the Jewish Brigade in the British army. The pioneer Yankelovich and the Grupel brothers, and the handsome, tall Avreml Kaplanski, who became a major-sergeant. How bitter and how sweet was that meeting. Two worlds met there: one lost forever and one newborn, the regained world of Eretz Yisrael.
And many more thought about making aliyah. My mother used to contemplate: "Let's sell the house, we'll have enough for the trip." The longing increased when a threatening cloud appeared and grew on the horizon: antisemitism. Lithuanian fascism, the lurking danger of Hitler.
But my mother remained, my father remained, hundreds of Jews remained in Shkud – they remained forever.
Photograph: A 250-year-old house in Maisyad (near Shkud), (sent by L. Grin, Toronto)


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Coil Nails Manufacturer and supplier in Assam
Vishal Nails has been started in 1975, we are the coil nails manufacturer and supplier in Assam. The concept of Coil Nail business in India initiated By Late. Shri Sundar Lal Sapra. It was he, who laid the foundation. He has taken this business to the heights.
The current Managing Director of the company is Mr. Sameer Sapra. Who is running this business. He is carrying forward the dream of his father. He is working towards achieving his goals.
Vishal Nails is a manufacturer of industrial products i.e. coil nails. We manufacture coil nails and wire nails. We always consider the client needs. The product quality is always important for us. The products manufactured with normal steel wire or treated material as per demand.
Question. Is Supply available in Assam?
Answer. Yes available and furthermore in NCR and India as well.
Our products is used in packing industry, pallet manufacturing in addition to the carpentry and interior decorations. The manufactured products are easy to use. The demand in the market is always high, use of products is also simple as per our design. You can place in coil gun very quick and in easy way.
Our machines are equipped with latest technology furthermore managed by the qualified professionals. They have proven experience in the industry.
Coil nails are used as fasteners to be driven into wood or metal work piece. High strength, excellent durability, smooth edge, can withstand high impact and simple to fix are qualities of offered products. Also, Customize Point Coil Nails are available in different length, finish, thickness. We are also able to customize the coil nails and also have facility to supply OEM's.
Our passion is listening to client's ideas and thinking through solutions and coming up with creative designs. Most importantly moreover we keep it simple and quick. Our supply network started from Faridabad, Haryana. All type of payment options are available i.e. Offline and furthermore Online. Most Importantly Customer Satisfaction is our aim.
We also produce regular sizes and length coil nails at the Best price and best service. Our aim is to create value for our customers according to their needs. We are capable to complete big size orders on time and as per needs.
Clients can picks up the material from our factory in IMT Faridabad. You can ask us for delivery at your place. We delivers the products all over India.
Coil Nails supplier in Assam, Maestro in Nails & Nailers – If you Need of coil nails For this, you need to contact or write us.# Let's Talk +91 9911930222, +91 9811950222, +91 8882006777, +91 9818863690
Like Us on Facebook.
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Also Check Out more website blogs here
Coil Nails Manufacturer and supplier in Assam


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RX-Safety Unveils a Fresh Collection of Stylish Prescription Safety Glasses, Now Available Online for Enhanced Eye Protection with a Modern Twist
05/02/2024- Middlesex, NJ: RX-Safety, your reliable eyewear companion, is thrilled to present its newest masterpiece—a captivating collection of Stylish Prescription Safety Glasses. Seamlessly merging fashion with function, these glasses not only provide eye protection but also add a contemporary flair to your style. In a world where personal expression meets unwavering safety standards, RX-Safety's Prescription Safety Glasses stand out as a beacon of innovation. This collection transcends the conventional, seamlessly merging contemporary design with unparalleled eye protection, delivering a product that caters to the discerning tastes of the modern individual.
Fashion Meets Function: A Paradigm Shift in Safety Eyewear
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RX-Safety has consistently been at the forefront of innovation in safety eyewear. The Prescription Safety Glasses collection represents a culmination of years of research, design, and engineering, resulting in a product that not only meets but exceeds industry standards. At the core of RX-Safety's success is a customer-centric philosophy. The brand understands that eyewear is a personal expression of identity and vision. By prioritizing customer needs, RX-Safety has established itself as a trusted partner in providing eyewear solutions that go beyond mere functionality. RX-Safety stands as a beacon of excellence in the eyewear industry, consistently delivering cutting-edge solutions that redefine safety and style. With a legacy built on innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction, RX-Safety continues to lead the way in providing eyewear solutions for the modern individual.
To delve into the world of RX-Safety's Prescription Safety Glasses and explore the full spectrum of designs, please visit the RX Safety Website.
About Us:
Rx Safety is an American manufacturer of affordable prescription safety glasses and performance eyewear. A family-owned and operated business with a state-of-the-art digital ophthalmic lab and an online store providing affordable, top-of-the-line prescription safety glasses, sunglasses, and performance eyewear on the market. All the safety glasses always meet or exceed the ANSI Z87+ standards for high impact, to be safe and secure while working in any kind of hazardous environment. Besides standard safety glasses, we offer a broad selection of prescription shooting and tactical glasses, prescription youth sports glasses, fishing glasses, and motorcycle glasses designed and tested to meet our high standards. As an authorized distributor of Wiley X, Bobster, ESS, and BodySpecs, Rx-Safety.com offers a full line of prescription safety glasses straight from the manufacturer at wholesale prices.
Contact Detail:
Company Name: RX Safety Glasses
Contact Person: Ryan Phillips
Email: Send Email
Address: 123 Lincoln Blvd, Middlesex
State: NJ 08846
Country: United States
Website Url: https://rx-safety.com/
Source: www.PRExhibition.com


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By Tiffany Hsu
December 5, 2013, 2:39 p.m.
Rallies over fast-food wages continued into the afternoon Thursday, with roughly 100 people congregating on the narrow sidewalk outside a McDonald's restaurant in Silver Lake.
Many of the protesters were repeats from a morning event outside a McDonald's in Florence. This time, with the sun out, they vigorously hollered slogans such as "What do we want? 15! When do we want it? Now!"
The protests are a continuation of rallies held this summer to raise support for a $15-an-hour minimum wage for quick-service workers. Cashiers, drive-through operators and other employees — along with union representatives and community supporters — are also agitating for the right to unionize and the ability to strike without backlash.
At the McDonald's on Sunset Boulevard, an informal poll showed roughly as many organizers and supporters as workers. Cars blared at the crowd; at one point, the group funneled inside the eatery and directed their megaphones at the workers manning their stations behind the counter.
Michael Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma," wrote an email earlier Thursday to members of advocacy group MoveOn.org, arguing that today's meals seem cheap to consumers because they're blind to hidden costs such as the exploitation of food and farm workers.
"As a society, we've trapped ourselves in a kind of reverse Fordism," Pollan wrote. "Instead of paying workers well enough so that they can afford good, honestly-priced products — as Henry Ford endeavored to do so that his workers might afford to buy his cars — we pay them so little that the only food they can afford is junk food destructive of their health and the environment's."
But in Sabrina Schaeffer, executive director of the Independent Women's Forum, said in a statement that raising the minimum wage "could backfire on those workers by reducing employment opportunities."
"People often assume that employers have huge profit margins and could easily pay more but don't because they are mean-spirited," she said. "That's just not the case. Most franchises operate on very small margins. That's why we have recently seen fast-food restaurants react to new healthcare mandates by reducing their workforce and cutting back workers' hours."
This week, the right-leaning Employment Policies Institute said it analyzed Census Bureau data from January 2012 through October 2013, focusing on fast-food workers who would be affected by a wage increase to $15 an hour — about 2.5 million workers, according to the group.
EPI concluded — conservatively, it said — that 460,000 jobs would be lost in the quick-service industry if a $15-an-hour wage becomes a reality. California would lose more than 50,000 jobs, the most of any state, according to EPI.
Separately, consumer perception tracker YouGov BrandIndex measured reputation scores for major fast-food chains between early 2010 and the start of December. Brands such as KFC, McDonald's and Wendy's began suffering declines halfway through this year.
McDonald's and Taco Bell have received mostly negative feedback from respondents for nearly four years, while consumers are neutral on KFC, according to YouGov.


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VILLAROCHE, France — 18 June 2014 — CFM International has initiated ground testing of the first LEAP-1B engine at Snecma (Safran) facilities in Villaroche, France. The testing launches a two-year program that will culminate in engine certification in 2016 and entry into commercial service on the Boeing 737 MAX airplane in 2017.
The LEAP-1B engine, which is the exclusive powerplant for the 737 MAX family, fired for the first time on June 13th, three days ahead of the schedule set when the program was launched in 2011. After a series of break-in runs, the engine has been operating smoothly and has reached full take-off thrust.
"We are really excited to have this engine on test. Now that we are running at full power, we can really see what it is capable of," said Cédric Goubet, executive vice president for CFM. "All of the testing we have done to date has validated the technology choices we made and we look forward to the LEAP-1B expanding our knowledge base. Our team has done a fantastic job of keeping this program on schedule and, with each day, our confidence growths. The LEAP engine will deliver everything we have promised and more."
The engine will be on test for the next several weeks, during which CFM will verify its mechanical operation, its operability (stall margin), engine starts, and further validate the advanced technologies incorporated in the engine, including the woven carbon fiber composite fan, the Twin-Annular, Pre-Mixing Swirler (TAPS) combustor, ceramic matrix composite shrouds in the high-pressure turbine and titanium aluminide blades in the low-pressure turbine.
"The LEAP engine is a really exceptional motor; we are thrilled with everything we are seeing," said Allen Paxson, CFM executive vice president. "The reason we chose such an aggressive maturation and certification schedule is to wring out any issues and solve them long before the engine ever enters a customer fleet. What the plan has also done is validate our philosophy of extensive component and rig tests well in advance of full engine testing. We had thousands of hours under our belt before we ever assembled the first engine. This engine is right where we want it to be."
This LEAP-1B engine is part of the most extensive ground and flight test certification program in CFM's history. The total program, which encompasses all three LEAP engine variants, includes 28 ground and CFM flight test engines, along with a total of 32 flight test engines for Boeing, as well as Airbus and COMAC. Over the next three years, these engines will accumulate approximately 40,000 engine cycles leading up to entry into service. By the time this engine enters service, CFM will have simulated more than 15 years of airline service with 60 different engine builds.
CFM officially launched the LEAP engine, which is the company's first all-new centreline engine in nearly 40 years, in 2008. The engine was being designed to bring double-digit improvements in fuel efficiency, emissions and noise, while maintaining the legendary reliability and low cost of ownership of its predecessor, the ubiquitous CFM56 engine family.
In 2011, Boeing selected the LEAP-1B as the sole powerplant for its new 737 MAX, extending a more than 30-year relationship. CFM has been the only engine provider for the 737 aircraft family since the 737 Classic entered service in 1984.
The foundation of the LEAP engine is heavily rooted in advanced aerodynamics, environmental, and materials technology development programs. It will provide double-digit improvements in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to today's best CFM engine, along with dramatic reductions in engine noise and emissions. All this technology brings with it CFM's legendary reliability and low maintenance costs.
About CFM International
CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE, is the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines, has delivered more than 26,000 engines to date. The LEAP-1B-powered Boeing 737 MAX has had one of the most successful program introductions in history, garnering more than 2,000 aircraft orders to date. For more information, visit us at www.cfmaeroengines.com or follow us on Twitter @CFM_engines.


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Wall Paintings Depicting Crusader Period
The nuns of the Saint-Louis Hospital, near the old City of Jerusalem, have recently uncovered a series of nineteenth century paintings depicting the Crusader period in their basement storage areas. Because the paintings are "like murals from the times of the Crusaders" according to Amit Re'em, district archaeologist of the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA), they are of interest to the IAA, who have been helping the nuns to clean and preserve the paintings before they are displayed to the public. The hospital, named after King Louis IX of France, leader of the Seventh Crusade of 1248 CE, was completed in 1896 and the basement was decorated by murals showing the works of the Crusaders in Jerusalem. The paintings are of historical interest but as they are not antiques themselves, the IAA has no budget to assist in preserving them and the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, who staff the hospice and care for terminal patients of all religions, are actively seeking funds to help them to preserve these interesting and historic murals.
Lead Seal of 12th Century Found Near Monastery
The seal was found in the Bayit Vegan area of Jerusalem in a rescue excavation of a Byzantine period farmyard, under the direction of Benjamin Storchan and Dr. Benjamin Dolinka of the IAA. The site had been abandoned after the Byzantine period and resettled during the Crusader and Mamluk periods, and appears to have been a farmyard belonging to the monastery of Mar Saba on the Nahal Kidron outside Jerusalem. The seal is an extremely rare example and depicts the bust of a bearded saint, who holds a cross in one hand and the Gospel in the other, and around it is the inscription, Saint Sabas, in Greek. Other artifacts found depict the daily life of the farm, while the seal, or bulla as it is called, would have been affixed to a letter to ensure that it was not opened by an unauthorised person. After authentication and recording, the seal was presented to Theopholis III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, on whose property it had been found. He noted its importance for the history of Christianity in the Holy Land.
Educational Centre in Grand Hall of Temple Mount Tunnels
In early June a new educational centre was opened under the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem, connected to the tunnels running alongside the Kotel, the outer Western Wall of the Temple. The area is delimited by tall arches standing on stone pillars and is surrounded by an Herodian staircase, a section of a Roman roadway and a Mamluk bath-house, showing the variety of periods that constitute this part of underground Jerusalem. The excavated area will become an educational centre for Jewish history and the elaborate excavation and preparatory work have been funded by Zvi Hirsch Bogolyubov, a Ukrainian billionaire living in Dnepropetrovsk and London, who wanted to demonstrate his love for Israel.
National Park World Heritage Site
The complex of caves in the Beit Guvrin-Maresha national park, south-west of Jerusalem, has been accepted as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO at its recent meeting in Qatar, where it was described as "a city under a city" formed by man-made caves, hollowed out of thick layers of soft homogenous chalk, in a series of historical periods of some two thousand years from the Iron Age to that of the Crusaders. The caves, which started as quarries, were later converted to craft centres, places of worship, bath-houses, tombs and hiding places. The site will be the 8th Israeli World Heritage Site. At the same meeting in Qatar, UNESCO included the early agricultural terraces of the village of Battir in the West Bank in the list of World Heritage Sites and also that of World Heritage Sites in Danger, in the name of the Palestinian Authority.
Stephen Gabriel Rosenberg,
W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem


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Here's a few things you might have missed this week:
Terry Eagleton's description of A.C.Grayling's plan for a new college of the humanities as 'odious' is fairly typical of a certain strain of left-ish outrage (though, as we know, Eagleton has a personal animus against Grayling, Dawkins, and their 'old-fashioned Whiggish rationalism'). As Max Dunbar writes: 'From far left reaction you would have thought that Lord Voldemort himself had risen from his Horcruxes to set up a Slytherin Academy of Pure Evil (with Dark Arts BTec)'. And Max agrees that, certainly in Eagleton's case, 'there is an ideological thing going on':
Grayling and Dawkins, another lecturer at Evil University, are hated by Eagleton and similar far left academics, because they stand up to the religious right. Eagleton's big objection to Evil University is apparently that there will be no theology department, and that Tariq Ali will not be able to get a job there.
It is 'odious', 'repugnant', 'parasitic', 'hypocritical', a 'travesty', a 'money-grubbing' scheme, and 'it would be better all-round if its doors never opened'. Wow. What is it? A whorehouse? A Satanic church? A junk-food chain that specialises in feeding fat straight into children's veins via a drip? In fact it's a proposed new London-based university, called the New College of the Humanities, which says it will teach students the best of literature, culture and history for a fee of £18,000 a year. And yet judging from the unhinged coverage, you could be forgiven for thinking that someone had proposed opening a Ratko Mladic fanclub in Islington.
As Tony Blair said, in his interview (£) with the Times this week: 'Let a thousand flowers bloom!...Should it be right that people come forward with new ideas and new concepts? Of course.'
In the same interview, Blair was fairly dismissive of the nascent 'Blue Labour' movement: 'I'd be worried about indulging a nostalgia...The way the Labour Party wins, is if it's at the cutting edge of the future, is if it's modernising. It won't win by a Labour equivalent of warm beer and old maids bicycling'. Alex Massie agrees, and is suspicious of what he sees as the anti-liberalism of 'Blue Labour' and 'Red Toryism' alike: 'The spiritual renewal Glasman and Blond seem to think is necessary is, one suspects, a scolds' agenda that's the antithesis of a liberal live-and-let-live approach.' My own response would be more ambivalent, but I think Massie is probably right to conclude that Glasman and Blond - and cultural pessimist John Gray, with whom he associates them - are responding to something 'jittery, sceptical, distrusting and coercive' in the public mood.
Also on the future of Labour and the left, Paul Anderson's reflections on being a 'Labour reformist libertarian socialist' in a cold climate are well worth a read. Though generally in favour of self-organisation and 'do-it-yourself socialist initiatives', Anderson sees the priority now as defending the social-democratic state:
In an ideal world, I'd like to see co-ops running the local buses and democratic housing associations controlling most rented living spaces – but in the absence of a revolution, which isn't on the agenda, the only context in which it could happen would be a big, generous, redistributive social-democratic state that taxed the rich and used the proceeds to forge a more equal and democratic society. I want that state, I want it now, and I want it more than I want my windows cleaned by a profit-sharing workers' collective.According to Nick Cohen, the fortunes of the Left aren't going to revive until it cuts its ties to the 'disastrous and hypocritical ideology' represented by the likes of Ken Livingstone. Reflecting on Ed Miliband's unsuccessful attempt to get Jewish voters to support Livingstone's mayoral candidacy, Cohen writes:
I do not know what subterranean currents swirl in the Livingstone psyche, and have no particular desire to find out. But ever since he embraced Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the grim theologian who advises the Muslim Brotherhood, he has provided on the record evidence of his political predilections. Livingstone is a candidate for public office who is happy to engage with men who are not only antisemites, but support wife beating, the execution of gays and the murder of Muslims who exercise their right to change their faith or abandon religion completely.On the subject of pseudo-leftist fondness for authoritarian extremists, Michael Deibert wonders if the indictment of Ratko Mladic for genocide will cause those - like Chomsky - who denied Serbian war crimes to undergo a change of heart:
With Ratko Mladic, predator and killer, now in custody, Noam Chomsky, Tariq Ali, Arundhati Roy and the others who have sought to deny justice to the victims of Bosnia's killing fields should apologize to those victims for working so long to make the justice they sought less, not more, likely.Don't hold your breath. And in case you thought that far-left attempts to explain away tyranny and genocide were a thing of the past, take a look (if you can bear it) at this disgusting reaction to the arrest of Mladic by spiked online's Mick Hume. I told you I didn't like linking to them.


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Very often, it is easy for all of us to look around at NESEA events — BuildingEnergy Conferences, Pro Tours and/or BuildingEnergy Bottom Line gatherings — and see how the mission of our organization is being lived out by the palpable sense of community that is created when we all share, collaborate and learn together.
But in the magic that results from this sense of community, a deeper magic has taken root. Through connections made at a shared booth at the 2017 BE Conference, four regional passive house organizations decided, over breakfast, that it was worth exploring how they might continue the conversation of collaboration among their organizations.
First step forward was an open invitation from passivhausMAINE for PHMA, CTPH and VTPH to gather at their annual meeting planned for June in Portland. Maybe it was the promise of summer and the allure of the location, but participation among all the passive house organizations was solid and included many NESEA faces, but also, a broader circle of professionals from the passive house community.
Emboldened by the turn-out and enthusiasm to explore what might be created by collaboration, an idea was hatched to consider co-sponsoring a conference on passive house for multifamily projects the following year. Questions regarding the locale, venue, and other aspects were all left in the air, "TBD", by continued dialogue.
As 2017 drew to a close, emails started to circulate and ask, in earnest, should we/can we do this, and if so, what would collaboration among our organizations look like? Someone came up with the notion that a collaborative effort made us worthy of an official title, "The New England Passive House Consortium". If that doesn't sound like an entity that can organize a conference, I don't know what does! We exist in real life as we exist in language. We had our marching orders.
On April 6th of this year, the NEPH Consortium welcomed an at-capacity crowd of attendees and sponsors to the inaugural New England Passive House Multifamily Conference at the Alnoba Retreat Center in New Hampshire. The day was filled with dynamic presentations and conversation as attendees gave their rapt attention to a cadre of speakers from within the region and also from Philadelphia, Seattle, Maryland and Virginia. Enthusiasm, energy and engagement were in abundance.
I couldn't help but notice the diversity of the crowd. Not surprisingly, familiar NESEA faces were present serving in organizational roles, as presenters, sponsors, or attendees, but the circle had widened to include the community of multifamily developers and representatives from state financing and regional non-profit housing agencies, along with their network of peers and professionals from engineering, design, energy modeling/rating, and general/specialty contracting.
Looking back, there are many aspects of that conference to celebrate and one of my favorites is thinking about NESEA's mission to advance the adoption of sustainable energy practices in the built environment. Witnessing that mission come to life among a broader and different circle of professionals was a thrill. And all of this unfolded as a result of the opportunity to share a booth and meet for breakfast at NESEA's BE '17 conference. The circle is complete and has grown larger at the same time.
What lays ahead for The NEPH Consortium? Ideas are already percolating for our second annual meeting to be held in Boston this summer.
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Fall means apples either for snacking or for making apple pies and tarts. For my first apple tart of the season I put a thin layer of marzipan on the bottom before adding the sliced apple halves. For extra crunch and sweetness I drizzled a little almond flavored caramelized sugar all over the baked tart. Very very yummy.
For this recipe, I suggest to use only sweet apples because there is very little sugar sprinkled on top. I used Honey Crisp, they're sweet and don't become soggy.
Apple Marzipan Tart
1¾ cups pastry flour
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, diced and chilled
6 tablespoons ice water
1 cup marzipan, homemade or store-bought
6 medium Honey Crisp or Fuji apples
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons coarse raw sugar
1 tablespoon butter, shaved
topping (optional)
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
- Prepare crust: Put flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor, pulse to combine. Add the chilled butter and pulse for a few seconds. Add ice water 2 tablespoons at a time. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic film, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Roll dough into a 14-inch round and ease into a tart pan with removable bottom. Press the dough gently onto the sides of the pan; there should be a 2-inch overhang.
- Flatten and roll the marzipan to fit the bottom of the pan and place on the crust.
- Peel, halve, and core the apples. Slice the apple halves, leaving the slices in place and with a knife or offset spatula, transfer halves onto the marzipan, arranging to fit the pan. Dot with the shaved butter. Fold the crust overhang over the apples. Sprinkle all over with both sugars.
- Place the tart on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove tart from sheet pan and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.
- For the caramel: In a small skillet, heat the sugar until melted and golden in color. Turn the heat off and stir in the almond extract. Immediately drizzle all over the apple tart.
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ cup water
8 ounces blanched almonds
8 ounces icing sugar
1 tablespoon pure almond extract or rosewater
extra icing sugar
- In a small pan, heat the sugar, light corn syrup, and water until sugar has dissolved. Boil until candy thermometer registers 235°F. Let cool slightly then transfer into a measuring cup.
- Place the nuts and icing sugar into the bowl of a food processor and process until nuts are super fine. With the processor running, slowly add the syrup and almond extract until it gathers into a ball.
- Dust work surface with icing sugar. Transfer almond paste on the work surface and knead, adding more icing sugar as needed, until smooth and pliable. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate until needed.


text: What is your evaluation of the effectiveness of the U.S. health care system in the context of delivery, finance, management, and/or sustainability? What are the issues that prompted a need for health care reform? Support your answer with a credible data reference. Do not use a reference already used by another student.