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Kasich Appoints BBS and Building Appeals Board Members
Board of Building Appeals: Neil J. Giering of Garfield Hts. (Cuyahoga Co.) was reappointed for a term beginning Oct. 13 and ending Oct. 13, 2021.
Board of Building Standards: Donald B. Leach, Jr. of Columbus (Franklin Co.), Terence M. McCafferty of Seven Hills (Cuyahoga Co.), Donald R. McIlroy of Circleville (Pickaway Co.), Christopher L. Miller of Dublin (Franklin Co.), John N. Pavlis of North Canton (Stark Co.), Carl Schultz of Delaware (Delaware Co.), and A. Bailey Stanbery of Toledo (Lucas Co.)were reappointed for terms beginning Oct. 14 and ending Oct. 13, 2021.
Historic Tax Credits Axed by House Ways and Means
The time to act is right now! As we have been expecting, the House Ways and Means Committee has removed historic tax credits, during the tax reform process.
We are in a national campaign to Save Historic Tax Credits. Everyone who has used these credits or benefited from these credits needs to act now.
We realize the importance of national tax reform. But we also think the tax credits that work for American communities, which have proven to provide a positive return should be retained.
In Ohio the impact of historic tax credits has been truly phenomenal.
In Ohio 1976-2016 there have been 1,898 completed projects = Total Investment $4,091,824,967
In Ohio 2012-2016 Total Rehabilitation Costs $1,392 billion
In Ohio 2012-2016 historic tax credit projects created 24,616 Jobs
The risk is assumed 100% by the private sector, the credit is not taken until 100% certified completion.
We have seen spectacular results in Ohio's small towns: Chillicothe to Painesville, mid-sized towns Hamilton to Canton, and the biggest cities: Cincinnati to Cleveland economies have been transformed by historic tax credits.
Please Contact
- Your congressman
- Senator Rob Portman
- Congressmen Tiberi and Renacci, members of House Ways and Means Committee
Ask them to put Historic Tax Credits back in, tell your story, tell what you've seen and experienced, let them know this is a vital tool for Ohio. It allows Ohio communities to compete with coast for talent, and investments.
Share this with everyone on your team and with other community members.
To be successful we need full participation.
A good resource for more complex questions is the NTCIC Historic Tax Credit Coalition
USGBC Recognizes OFCC Leadership in Environmentally-Friendly School Construction
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently recognized Ohio for having more LEED-certified K-12 schools than any other state in the country.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the world's most widely used green building rating system.
USGBC, the creators of LEED, honored the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) for assisting more than 300 K-12 buildings across the state to achieve LEED certification. That number makes Ohio the nationwide leader in K-12 sustainable construction, well ahead of second-place California with 121 LEED certified schools.
The recognition was presented to OFCC Executive Director David Williamson at USGBC's Design
Columbus Education Day, held at Ohio State University. Williamson noted that this has been a 10-year process for the commission, which first mandated the use of environmentally friendly design techniques in state-funded K-12 projects back in 2007.
"Our commission has always stressed innovation and new ideas into our program," Williamson added. "We believe that our efforts in this area have yielded both environmental benefits and operational cost savings for public owners in Ohio. We look forward to our continued work with USGBC in this vital area."
Ohio's LEED-certified schools are designed to be more energy efficient, save money and reduce resource consumption. Buildings in OFCC-funded LEED projects are designed, on average, to be 33 percent more energy efficient, reduce potable water consumption by 35 percent, and provide healthier learning environments for children. The 300 school projects have implemented recycling practices that have diverted an average of 77 percent construction waste for each project, meaning that more than 500,000 tons of waste have been kept out of local landfills.
The program also has an economic impact, the commission pointed out: through LEED, the OFCC has spent approximately $1.4 billion to purchase products and materials within 500 miles of each project, thus supporting the local economies.
"Where we learn matters. At the U.S. Green Building Council we believe that children all over the world deserve the opportunity to learn in a green school that sustains the world they live in, enhances their health and well-being and prepares them to be global sustainability citizens," said Mahesh Ramanujam, USGBC CEO & president. "We applaud Mr. Williamson and the OFCC for their commitment to Ohio's students. By prioritizing green schools, the OFCC is leading the way and helping USGBC continue toward our vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation."
In addition to Ohio's comprehensive public K-12 school construction and renovation program, the OFCC guides capital construction projects for state agencies and state-supported universities and community colleges as well.
2020 Tax Commission Issues Final Report: Includes Historic Preservation Tax Credit
The 2020 Tax Policy Study Commission has issued its final report after a two-year review of Ohio's tax system, but those hoping for a set of firm policy recommendations will likely be disappointed. That's because the commission's report comes down to one recommendation: Further study is required.
The bulk of the report's 323 pages consist of copies of public testimony submitted to the commission. The only recommendation contained in the document is that the Tax Expenditure Review Committee conduct a more in-depth study moving forward. (Final Report)
"Although the (commission) heard testimony on the tax credits and expenditures, a more thorough review is needed and is required as part of the permanent Tax Expenditure Review Committee," the report recommends.
Historic Preservation Tax Credit
By Oct. 31, 2016, the group had published its findings on the historic preservation tax credit, calling for stronger reporting and tracking requirements, increased disclosure of how much of the credit will support the proposed project, and regular budget language depicting the total allowable amount of credits that may be authorized during the biennium.
Sen. Bob Peterson (R-Sabina), who co-chaired the panel along with Rep. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), called the commission's work a "great process" that resulted in plenty of information useful during budget talks earlier this year.
"Any time you have a focused look at this sort of information it's helpful." he said in an interview.
Despite the final report's lack of conclusive recommendations, taking the view that the commission accomplished little would be inaccurate, he said. In addition to the final report, the commission released more detailed reports on the oil and gas severance tax and the historic preservation tax credit over the last two years.
"Certainly there's more to do, but I would argue look where the state of Ohio was eight years ago or even two years ago in the budget you'll find substantial changes in (tax) policy," Sen. Peterson said. "It was a great process, a great opportunity to sit down and work with tax policy."
Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire), one of two minority members on the committee, was less impressed with the process.
"I don't think it was as productive as I would have liked it to have been," Rep. Cera said, who added he expected the process would be more closely tied to tax proposals in recent state budgets.
"I thought the thinking was, 'Let's create this commission to look at where the tax policies need to be changed and be prepared for the next budget.' Of course…with the revenue issues and everything, there really weren't a whole lot of tax law changes."
Sen. Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus), the group's other minority member, acknowledged the brevity of the final report but said she agrees that tax policy expenditures need to be thoroughly reviewed.
"These are foregone taxes that reduce our budget revenues, and consequently, the amount of revenue that can be used to provide for the needs of our constituents," Sen. Tavares said in a statement. "Since my time in the Senate, I have advocated for and sponsored legislation and amendments to create a Tax Expenditure Review Committee…. This committee is necessary to ensure that Ohio has a fair and effective tax system."
The expenditure review committee was formed by legislation last session (HB9, 131st General Assembly) and was supposed to begin meeting in June 2017.
But legislative leaders failed to appoint members by the statutory deadline, only doing so in July following prodding from Policy Matters Ohio and subsequent media attention. The group, which has a July 1, 2018, deadline for a report, has yet to meet.
With the new report issued, the 2020 study commission now ceases to exist. The state budget (HB64, 131st General Assembly) that created the 2020 group called for the publication of a final report by Oct. 1, 2017. (See Gongwer Ohio Report, October 22, 2015)
The commission's charge was fourfold: Recommend how to transition personal income tax to a 3.5% or 3.75% flat tax by 2018; explore how to make the historic rehabilitation tax credit more effective; study how to reform the severance tax to maximize competitiveness; and review all tax credits.
Policy Matters Research Director Zach Schiller said he's glad the group didn't move forward with recommendations for a flat tax. But he said the recommendation to shift the burden of discussion highlights the need to get the review committee working.
"I think this has made the work of this new tax expenditure review committee all the more important and it is somewhat and it's unfortunate it hasn't gotten started already," Mr. Schiller said.
Regarding the lack of specific recommendations from the 2020 group, Mr. Schiller opined, "It's better to kick the can down the road than make recommendations that aren't fully vetted, but that said they spent quite a bit of time having a number of hearings and I hope it isn't time ill-spent."
The 2020 panel first met in October 2015, the same day a working group issued a report opining that any change in the Oil and Gas Severance Tax should be based on market conditions.
Special Election Draws Mostly Schools Eyeing New Facilities
Polls will be open in just 10 counties next week for special elections. Of the 11 issues that are set to appear before voters Tuesday, five are school levies or bonds.
Although turnout is typically low for special elections, there is hope that going to the ballot off-cycle could be beneficial for schools, said Van Keating, senior staff attorney for the Ohio School Boards Association.
"They can kind of target and get a lot of interest in what their issue is and perhaps people pay more attention to it because there are not a lot of other issues," he said in an interview.
"It's about the time where kids go back to school so people are paying attention to schools, there is an interest in schools and they're getting involved in schools after summer, so I'd say it's probably a good time of year," he added.
Xenia Community City, Crestwood Local and Clark-Shawnee Local school districts are asking voters to pledge additional dollars to be used for building, renovating and equipping facilities as well as making permanent improvements.
Respectively, the districts are seeking $52 million, $23 million and $37 million bonds for their projects
Mr. Keating said voters should consider bond issues as investments in their school districts because they'll likely be used to fund more efficient buildings and technology upgrades.
"It's important because a lot of schools do need funding for building renovations," he said. "Some of them are experiencing student growth and so they have a need for more space or a lot of the older schools are running into (the issue of) it's kind of hard to keep up with modern technology and wiring."
Meanwhile, Madison-Plains Local Schools is looking to avoid an operating deficit through a proposed additional 5.9-mill, five-year levy set to raise $2 million annually.
Waterloo Local Schools is also asking for an increase to cover current expenses. It has proposed an additional 8.25-mill continuing levy.
Other issues on the ballot include a 0.25 sales tax continuation in Ashland County to operate its jail and an additional 1.8 mills for permanent improvements to the Louisville Public Library.
The latter was set to appear on the May ballot, but it was pulled when residents called for the library's board to consider other options that would eliminate the need for additional funding for a new facility, according to reports.
Renewal levies include those in North Canton, where residents will be asked to vote up or down for emergency medical services, and Minerva Park, which is looking to cover current expenses with dollars raised.
Camden Village ballots will include two renewal levy requests, one for police protection and another for current operating expenses.
Per Ohio law, the entire cost of special elections is paid for by those subdivisions where elections are held.
Legislature to Review Tax Expenditures Like Historic Preservation Tax Credits
A new joint legislative committee charged with periodically reviewing state tax expenditures has been appointed. The Tax Expenditure Review Committee includes Sens. John Eklund (R-Chardon), Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton) and Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), according to the Senate Journal. Representing the House on the panel are Reps. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), Gary Scherer (R-Circleville) and John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake).
The permanent committee, created in 131-HB9 (Boose), will also include the tax commissioner or the commissioner's designee. The representative from the Ohio Department of Taxation (ODT) will serve as a non-voting member.
Tax expenditures are provisions like the Historic Preservation Tax Credit that grant deductions, exemptions and credits to specific activities or groups of taxpayers. Under the act, a provision qualifies as a tax expenditure only if all of the following apply, according to the Legislative Service Commission (LSC) analysis of the bill:
- It could reduce revenue to the state's General Revenue Fund.
- It may be legislatively changed or repealed.
- The attribute exempted from tax would otherwise be included as part of that tax's defined base.
- It is not subject to an alternate tax.
There are 128 tax expenditures that satisfy this definition. The committee must establish a schedule for reviewing every tax expenditure at least once every eight years.
According to the Ohio Revised Code, the committee will review multiple factors to determine the effectiveness of a tax expenditure, including the following:
- The number and classes of persons, organizations, businesses or types of industries that are benefiting from a tax expenditure.
- The fiscal impact of the tax expenditure on state and local taxing authorities.
- Public policy objectives that might support the tax expenditure, which include the sponsor's intent in proposing the tax expenditure, effects on economic development and growth or retention of high-wage jobs in the state, or aiding community stabilization.
- Whether the objective of a tax expenditure could have been accomplished through the use of appropriations.
- The extent to which the tax expenditure is more expansive than intended and creates negative effects or an unfair competitive advantage for its recipient.
- Potential negative effects on a population when terminating a tax expenditure.
The Tax Expenditure Review Committee must prepare a report by July 1 of every even-numbered year while in existence, detailing its findings and recommendations.
Ohio Awards Historic Preservation Tax Credits
The state awarded nearly $35 million in Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits during the last week in June to historic building rehabilitation projects in 13 communities.
The tax credits were distributed among 30 new applicants who plan to rehabilitate 36 historic buildings. The projects are expected to spur over half a billion dollars in private investments across the state.
"Preserving these historic buildings creates opportunities for small businesses and revitalizes downtown's," Development Services Agency Director David Goodman said in a statement. "We're capitalizing on what makes Ohio unique."
Private developers will be able to use the tax credit awards to rehabilitate historic buildings, many of which are vacant and generate little economic activity. Once the rehabilitation is complete, the developers receive the tax credit and the refurbished buildings will drive further investment and increase interest in adjacent properties.
The two projects receiving the largest tax credit awards are the Dayton Arcade-Fourth Street and the Cincinnati Union Terminal, each receiving $5 million credit. The Arcade-Fourth Street project will revitalize a vacant historic public market space as a mixed-use area with housing, performance spaces, and commercial and office space. The Union Terminal project will update the historic building's systems and spaces inside the Cincinnati Museum Center.
Northeast Ohio Leads State in New Historic Preservation Tax Credits
Northeast Ohio leads the state with just under half of all Historic Preservation Tax Credits announced by the Ohio Development Services Agency (DSA) Wednesday as part of its latest round of awards.
Of the 30 projects in six regions of the state selected for the tax credit, a dozen lie in the northeast quadrant, including a $4.5 million offering to the NASA Lewis Research Center, Development Engineering Building and Annex in Fairview Park, Cuyahoga County. The estimated project cost is more than 10 times that amount.
In Central Ohio, the Columbus Dispatch Building at 34 S. Third St., right across from the Statehouse, will also receive a tax credit of $2,228,459 which could go up to $2.9 million if funds become "available through withdrawn applications or project savings." The total project cost is set at $29.1 million.
Overall, Northeast Ohio will receive $15,585,192 in Historic Preservation Tax Credits in the 18th funding round. Including the old Union Terminal in Cincinnati, Southwest Ohio is marked out for $10,407,500; Western Ohio, $5,186,850; Central Ohio, $2,478,459; Eastern Ohio, $713,489; and Northwest Ohio, $609,065.
DSA says the $35 million in total tax credits are expected to leverage private investments exceeding $520 million in 13 communities.
"Preserving these historic buildings creates opportunities for small businesses and revitalizes downtowns," DSA Director David Goodman said in a release. "We're capitalizing on what makes Ohio unique."
Awards will help private developers rehabilitate historic buildings in downtowns and neighborhoods. Once rehabilitated, they will drive further investment and interest in adjacent properties, DSA says.
Developers are not issued the tax credit until project construction is complete and all program requirements are verified.
The full list tax credit recipients can be found here.
2017 Ohio Building Code Finalized
At its May 26, 2017 public meeting, the Ohio Board of Building Standards (BBS) adopted of what will be the next edition of the Ohio Building Code (OBC) (hereafter referred to as the 2017 OBC). The 2017 edition of the OBC will go into effect on November 1, 2017. All applications for a permit submitted on or after November 1, 2017 will be reviewed for compliance with the new OBC and its referenced standards. THERE IS NO GRACE PERIOD.
The BBS approved select rules of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC), identified as Amendments Group XCIII (93) pursuant to Chapters 119, 3781, 3791, and 4104 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC). The 2017 OBC is based on the International Building Code 2015 (IBC), first printing, Chapters 2 to 35 – with Ohio Amendments through April 14, 2017. Publication dates for hard and electronic versions from ICC and Thompson-Reuters are not yet available.
The full text of the approved draft can be viewed on the Board's website at:
While there are numerous changes from the 2011 OBC to the 2017 OBC, some of the specific rules adopted in Chapters 1 through 35 of the 2017 OBC include:
- Updating the provisions for health care occupancies including revisions to the occupancy classifications based on the levels of care being provided, and new definitions for the levels of care being provided.
- Revisions throughout the OBC for better alignment with the 2012 edition of NFPA 101, which is required by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
- Reformatting Table 503 and Chapter 5 provisions for building height and area.
- Expanding the use of exit access stairs and unenclosed exit stairs, including atriums.
- Continuing the use of Chapter 34 for existing buildings in lieu of adoption of the ICC International Existing Building Code (IEBC).
Status of the Residential Code of Ohio (RCO)
The Ohio Residential Construction Advisory Committee (RCAC) recently completed review of the 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) and will begin review of the 2018 IRC once available for recommendation to the Board. It is expected that the next edition of the RCO will be based on the 2018 IRC and be effective mid to late 2018.
Status of the Ohio Fire Code (OFC)
The Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of State Fire Marshal's (SFM) has recently issued the DRAFT of the 2017 Ohio Fire Code (OFC) and associated SFM rules at: http://www.com.ohio.gov/fire/OhioFireCodeInformation.aspx. Further details about OFC rule-related meeting dates, updates regarding procedures for and the status of the OFC update process, and proposed OFC related rule/hearing information can be found on the SFM's website at http://www.com.ohio.gov/fire/OhioFireCode.aspx. No firm adoption date has been established at this time.


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Climbing clematis vines (Clematis spp.) ramble over fences, creating a living wall of lush foliage and large flowers. Clematis comes in both short-growing and vine varieties, with the vine types better suited for growing along your fence line. The vines grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 11. Prepare your fence to support the vines and plant them from healthy root stock in late winter or early spring when the clematis is still dormant.
Break up the top 24 inches of soil along the base of the fence with a spade. Mix in a 4-inch layer of compost to improve aeration and drainage and add nutrients.
Screw eye bolts into the top and bottom of a wooden fence, spacing the bolts 6 inches apart horizontally. Add a row of eye bolts at either end of the fence running vertically, spacing these 6 inches apart. String galvanized wire through the eye bolt openings, forming a grid with 6-inch square openings. Chain-link fences do not require wiring to support the vines.
Plant the clematis vine transplants along the base of the fence in the prepared soil so the top of the root is 2 inches beneath the soil surface. Spacing varies depending on the variety, but most types require 3 to 5 feet between plants. Cut back the newly planted vines to a 12 inch height to encourage branching and even coverage of the fence.
Spread a 2-inch layer of mulch over the soil after planting to keep the roots cool, retain moisture and to suppress weeds. Replenish this mulch annually in spring.
Water clematis immediately after planting to settle the soil. Continue to water once weekly, supplying about 1 inch of water each time. Clematis grow best in evenly moist soil, so your bed may require more frequent watering in hot weather or if the soil dries quickly.
Guide the growing vines onto the fence if they don't begin climbing on their own. Tie the vines loosely to the fence or support wires with cloth ties. The vines send out tendrils that anchor them to the support when they begin to actively climb, so they won't require any further tying.
Sprinkle 1/2 pound of 15-5-5 fertilizer over every 50 square feet of clematis bed each spring, keeping the fertilizer 6 inches away from the base of the plants. Water after application so the nutrients soak into the soil.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi, I am Rebecca Finneran with Michigan
State University Extension. After a long hot summer, gardeners are
probably thinking to themselves, "Why would I put a lot of time into investing
into my lawn for the fall?" But smart gardeners know the
best-dressed lawns begin in Fall. If fertilization is on your dance card
then you're on the right track, but don't forget about a resource that might be staring
you right in the face: your tree leaves. On those slightly dewey mornings
during October, elevate your mower deck to the highest
setting, and set out on your merry way crossing over the leaves once or twice. Usually this
can occur once a week, but if there's a heavy wind you may find
yourself mowing twice in one week. After one to two passes with the mulching
lawn mower or even a regular lawnmower tiny little pieces a leaves will still
be left on the surface of the ground. These over time will sift down around the
turf particles, and provide essential nutrients for your
plants to grow later on next summer. So here's another smart tip: if you have
a bagging mower you could also alternate between
mulching the leaves into the turf one week, and then collecting those brown
leaves to use as mulch in the landscape beds and vegetable gardens for the next week.
After several years of research, Michigan State University turf grass scientists
started seeing not only the benefit back to the lawn but– what? –no weeds! The tiny pieces will eventually sift down through the turf and provide future weed control, and essential
nutrients that can save you money and time. Come spring you won't even notice the
tiny leaf particles! So if you want a recipe for a luscious
lawn throw the rake away! Smart gardeners know that it starts with mulching leaves into the
turf. For more information on a wide variety of Smart Gardening articles or to find out about Smart Gardening classes and events visit www.migarden.msu.edu. That's www.migarden.msu.edu.


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"Attucks Archival Ajents"
Digital Vector Drawing
Mensah's work explores a surrealistic abstract world referenced by the digital age through the application of hard-edged, geometric patterning. Transparent layering established through color theory and analysis sets a tone that deconstructs painting techniques, making visible the process of applying layers. The figures, superimposed with elongated, angular necks, may be a reference to Amadeo Modigliani's stylization through portraiture capturing unique qualities of the subjects, revealing elements of their personality.


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How much is your property worth to you?
For all the discussion of emergency funds and disaster preparedness that goes on in the personal finance blogosphere, I rarely, if ever, read anything about protecting yourself from property crime. Perhaps because it's an unpleasant subject, perhaps because many people have never experienced it, but I don't hear a big conversation about the subject in PF discussions.
And yet, for many of us, a sizable portion of our accumulated wealth is in our property — from family heirlooms to everyday items to tools of the trade, our possessions are assets in our personal balance sheets. We work hard, save up, shop smart, and we get stuff we use, enjoy and value.
Yes, owning less stuff means there is less stuff to lose, but let's be practical for a moment — not everyone can sleep on the floor of an empty apartment and call it a home. So please, let's not go there, and let's just stick to the subject of securing whatever it is we have, whether it's a living room full of family treasures or a small trunk with less than 100 items. Even if you're a minimalist, your stuff is worth something to you. How do you protect it?
Insurance is not always enough
Since the robbery of my business storage, I've been having conversations with other people, including other business owners, about their experiences with theft. In many cases they were compensated by insurance, but not always to their satisfaction. When your insurance pays actual cash value rather than replacement cost, depreciation applies. The check for your stolen top-of-the-line laptop from two years ago might only let you buy a junk computer when it finally arrives.
Also, in many cases, theft policies do not cover "mysterious disappearance," meaning that, if something simply vanishes without evidence of a crime, you might not be covered. This is the norm with inland marine policies, but it also may be part of your home insurance. Check the fine print and make sure you're protected if your pricey tablet suddenly grows legs and walks out unnoticed after entertaining visitors.
Additionally, many home or renter's insurance policies will limit, by default, coverage for things like jewelry. For valuable items like your grandpa's watch or hobby equipment or that budding art collection, you usually have to add a rider where you specify the items covered. A photographer friend of mine has one as an addition to his homeowner's insurance for his professional equipment.
Locks: use all of them
This survey in Apartment Therapy shows that about 12 percent of respondents leave their doors unlocked. That shows a lot of trust in humanity. In an ideal world we should be able to leave our keys in the car and sleep with doors and windows open, but we don't live in an ideal world, and it only takes one instance of having an unwanted visitor to damage your trust and potentially much more.
However, just because you have a lock on your door it doesn't mean it's any good. Even if you lock your doors at all times, common locks can be easily picked or bumped. Do a search for "bump keys" and you'll quickly find how, for a measly $3, you can purchase a master key that will open your door in seconds. This is a new trend in breaking and entering, and I'd recommend upgrading your locks with a model that's bump-resistant as soon as you can.
I recently replaced my cheapo deadbolts with commercial-grade deadbolts and cylinders. Expensive, and not impossible to force open, but it adds a level of security to my doors, and it's cheaper than my insurance deductible anyway. I went a little overboard, but you don't have to.
Not all doors are created equal
Just briefly to say that you can have a great lock, but if your door and/or frame are flimsy it's almost the same as nothing. Also, you should watch this unintentionally hilarious video which nevertheless is not just funny but also pretty cool at the same time (if you like this kind of stuff):
No need for such extremes of course, especially under normal circumstances, but you get the idea. Get solid doors.
Alarm and monitor
Of course it's nice to alert you or the neighbors when someone is trying to break in, but it's much better when the alarm actually reaches the police or a professional service so they can send a patrol car, isn't it?
Finding a good option took me a bit of research because GRS reader Babs had mentioned that alarm companies are something of a racket and have contracts "full of fine print." Indeed, some time ago I had an alarm tech come over and offer me a "free installation" that required a two-year commitment and all manner of potential shenanigans, and I said no, thank you. (As you know, I HATE consumer contracts.)
So, here comes this alarm company that offers wireless self-installation. You pay for the hardware and they monitor the alarm for a very reasonable no-contract fee. Funny thing, it features Dave Ramsey on the website (probably because alarm contracts are such a scam, people need reassurance from Mr. Frugality). I swear an oath that I'm not shilling and I'm not getting any free product and I have no economic interest in saying this, but I'm putting in my order soon. Do you know of any other you could recommend?
An added safe
Let's face it, most people don't need a bank vault, but my locksmith swears by heavy safes that weight 600lb or more. "Don't bother with the small ones," he told me, "they carry those away."
If you have a monitored alarm system, all you might need is to delay the criminals while the police arrive. So even a cheap gun safe that's anchored to the wall will add a layer of protection to your valuables (but my locksmith swears by the heavy, fireproof stuff).
If you don't have the space, of if you rent your home, a bank safe-deposit box might be a place to keep important objects or documents or extra cash, provided you can wait for the bank to open.
K-9 security system
When I was a little kid our house got robbed. So my dad bought a German Shepherd. We didn't get robbed again for the next several years.
Then, the dog got an incurable disease and was "sent to a farm, to live with nice people." And we got robbed again. Twice. So, we got another German Shepherd and, once again, no robberies.
You see the pattern. Dog = no robbery. No dog = robbery. Of course there is the feeding and the cleaning up after and the exercise and the vets and training all that, which isn't small labor or expense, when done responsibly, so this is not for everyone, but it's an option.
Of course I was just talking to someone who had dogs and got robbed anyway — the dogs were in the front and the tool sheds with all the pricey gear were in the back.
No system is perfect, but we can try — yes? Please share your strategy and tactics!
Author: El Nerdo
Maximiliano "El Nerdo†Nérdez has been, at various times, scientist, dishwasher, professor, circus performer, politician, farmer, door-to-door canvasser, and fugitive from justice. He made a living as a freelance artist and small business owner. He is interested in the philosophy and psychology of financial prosperity because (he claims) "it's all in the mind." El Nerdo does *not* live in Portland (OR or ME), and he remains incognito in order to protect the innocent.


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Carl has a wealth of experience to offer clients dating back to 1987, progressing from a mutual fund license, to an IIROC license, as well as the ability to offer insurance solutions via his life and accident and sickness license. In 1993 he earned the Chartered Financial Planner designation which later became known as the Certified Financial Planner designation. Throughout his career Carl has been a leader in seeking better solutions for his clients, which eventually led him to become a Private Market Specialist, complementing his insurance solutions and offering his clients institutional quality portfolios.
As a dealing representative with Pinnacle Wealth Brokers, Carl does what he has always done, except now he has more tools to help his clients. Carl listens carefully, then offers appropriate advice. He delivers added value with sound tax and estate planning ideas and insurance solutions that make sense. Aside from meeting clients, Carl meets with issuers regularly to keep up to date with their products. Continuing education is also important so that he can be on top of relevant issues that can help provide solutions for clients.
Carl enjoys time with his family, wife Carla, son Nicholas and his wife Karen, granddaughter Mia, and son Daniel. Carl can never get enough time to spend at the cottage with family and friends, just relaxing, or biking and golfing in summer or skiing in winter. Carl and his wife have enjoyed a variety of vacations both overseas, on the seas, and throughout North America. Carl was an avid hockey player, having played varsity at McMaster University. He also coached hockey and baseball, and taught power skating. He plays the saxophone, and has taught high school business, as well as Adult Education in Financial Planning


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Game information
- Game title: Mini Golf
- Category: Sport Games
- Game ID on Flash Game: 3000
- Game author: Great Live Games
- Total hits of the game: 52110 times
- Best screen resolution: 750 x 550 pixels
- Game instructions for Mini Golf:
Mini Golf is a sport game on flash-game.net in which you will play golf in mini maps. You can use your mouse to adjust the angle and power and then click to shoot the ball. Mini-golf classic is played on a nine-hole course, ranging from easy to quite difficult. 3 easy (par 2), 3 fair (par 3), 3 difficult (par 4). The golf is to complete the nine holes in the fewest number of strokes. You will have 20 seconds to put. To start a hole, you should place the ball anywhere inside the starting tee by moving the mouse and clicks the left button to put the ball down on the selected spot. To putt, click and hold on the ball, then move the mouse in the opposite direction of the intended target. A dotted line shows you the direction the ball will take and with what speed. Let go of the button and the ball is struck. The player score is recorded on the scorecard on the right side of the screen. Try it now.


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Exodus 5 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional
"Don't continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves. But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before and do not reduce it. For they are slackers – that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our G_d.'" Exodus 5:7-8
The World is out for itself. Make no doubt about it. To the World (and Worldly leaders), people are nothing more than resources. They are merely a means to a selfish end.
Pharaoh had one thing on his mind, and that was productivity. Because he was solely focused on the product of their labor, Pharaoh failed to recognize a key factor in the Israelites' productivity: their spiritual health.
In that sense, Pharaoh is not very different from many employers in today's work force. This "slave mentality" towards employees was especially true of the Big Bosses of generations past, in the era of the Great Depression. Theirs was the generation of workers who had to fight against the industrialist giants, and formed the labor laws and unions that protect work environments.
For such employers, you & I are expendable assets. We are like gasoline in a car's tank or an air filter in a home HVAC. When the tank runs dry, or the filter gets soiled, you just refill & replace. What is most important to the heartless machine operator is that the car runs, and the air flows. Who cares about the wellbeing of "expendable parts"? But isn't a machine comprised of the sum of its parts? Therefore, every part is integral to the performance of the machine.
The truth is, YOU are not expendable. You are EXPENSIVE! You are of such great worth to the L_rd! In the eyes of G_d, people are not disposable resources, do His bidding. G_d loves us, not for what we can do for Him. To Him, we have a value beyond our productivity. He doesn't need us, but He WANTS us. And His desire to use us is simply because of His great affection towards us.
How much does G_d love us? He gave His life for us. (Micah 5:2, John 3:16)
We don't cry-out and worship G_d because we are "weak slackers", as Pharaoh alleged. We cry-out because G_d created us with the expressed intent that we worship Him! He designed us to worship and He invites us to enter into adoption as Sons and Daughters through our belief in His "Son", Messiah Yeshua.
Bob Dylan once sang, "You gotta serve somebody." If the choice is between the "Pharaohs" of this World, and the L_rd G_d, should we even have to think twice?.
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Thursday, March 6, 2014


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While men and women may have the same skin types, conditions, genetic factors, stressors and environmental assaults that affect the skin, men's higher testosterone and lifestyle choices create differences unique to men's skin. Some factors keep...View more
Seven Tips for A Perfect Shave
How does your skin feel after you shave? Chances are your skin may feel irritated, look pink or tight, or worse, it bears razor bumps, nicks or ingrown hairs. The good news, it doesn't have to be this way. Shaving strips the protective barrier of...View more
Best Ingredients for Men's Skin
Whether you are male or female, it's important to carefully select grooming products with the right ingredients. Due to men's unique skin characteristics and shaving concerns, men must additionally steer clear of certain ingredients found in most...View more


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PROJECT TYPE: Bar Build
LOCATION: Audi Field
Leverage the ongoing MLS & DC United team partnership to highlight Heineken as the premium beer of choice amongst fans at the brand new Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
Design state-of-the-art Heineken bar venues to elevate the fan experience at the new stadium and create increased visibility on the field level, as well as in the open air, by introducing two distinct concepts – the Heineken MVP Club and Heineken Rooftop Bar.
Both footprints allow Heineken to weave its branding into the stadium seamlessly via custom designs that added two very distinct, yet authentic atmospheres to the stadium. The Heineken Rooftop Bar provides a unique, birds eye fan viewing experience and boasts an internally lit LED field facing channel letter sign, vibrant graphics and Heineken branded all weather furniture. While the Heineken MVP Club combines a VIP ambience for guests along with a viewing platform so that fans never miss a second of action via a sleek design that houses a custom-built, internally lit Heineken bottle wall, an elevated black and green aesthetic complete with green LED lighting, dynamic Heineken branding and luxurious furniture throughout.


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by Kevin Sylvester
Thank you for visiting Buffalo Sports Page and sampling our content. We hope you are enjoying all that we offer, whether it's written stories, columns, podcasts, or our radio show on WECK 1230 AM/102.9 FM. There is more to come as we get into the NFL season, college football, NHL, MLB playoffs, and, well, everything!
Our contributors have a wealth of experience in their respective disciplines, and we're proud to have them on our team. Each and every one is excited about Buffalo Sports Page, and its growth. That growth will be fueled by our partnerships and support from you as a subscriber.
How It Works
We have been asked about the subscription model, how it works, the benefits, and why it exists. Becoming a subscriber is easy to do through our secure merchant services account right here at Buffalo Sports Page. Click on the Upgrade button in the premium window and follow the steps. The benefits are explained, one of which is a $5 credit to our store(for annual members), great to use on new OnCore golf balls or some cool BSP gear. There will be special member opportunities (ex. the chance to join our fantasy football league) throughout the year. We know you love to comment on stories, and that's for members too.
Being a premium member gives you full access to the site. Our featured stories, videos, and podcasts are open to everyone, thanks to our Press Box Partners-OnCore Golf, AXA Advisors, and Hamburg Overhead Door. Be sure to mention BSP when you use their services. All of the articles, opinions, and analysis will not be open access. There will be things you'll miss if you're not a member. We currently have three options for your convenience. You can test us out free for a month and then pay $3.50 to continue. You can also take advantage of a discount and get the annual plan for $27.50. Planning on a long life? Grab the lifetime plan for $136. All prices include sales tax.
This Is Not a New Concept
Subscription fee for content? Yes. This may seem like a new concept, but it's truly not. Odds are you have been subscribing or paying for content for quite some time. You pay for ESPN, MSG, and the other sports channels on cable, Direct, or Dish. It's included in your monthly fee, you just don't see the specific breakdown, or it's hard to find (ever read your cable bill?). Have a Netflix or Hulu account? You're paying for content. Subscribing to the newspaper, whether in print or online, is paying for content. Same idea here, just less expensive!
Everyone Else Is Doing It
Maybe not everyone, but there are similar sites that have either just launched (bostonsportsjournal.com), been the trailblazer (dkpittsburghsports.com), or will be coming along for the ride with us. A radio station in Cleveland is even charging a fee for podcasts on their website (http://www.thelandondemand.com/?platform=hootsuite). I wish them success. Great content from good people costs money to create.
We ask that you consider becoming a member. You'll be supporting the contributors dedicated to producing great sports content. Thank you.


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Location, talented crew recipe for success at Atlanta studio, says 'Raising Dion' producer
Walking around EUE/Screen Gems Studios' Atlanta lot, Bob Phillips sees the past — and the future.
As a Georgia native, his memories of the 11-stage, 33-acre studio complex range from exploring what was then Lakewood Fairgrounds as a boy to his first production job in the basement of what is now Stage 1.
And as the line producer for the upcoming Netflix series "Raising Dion," hosted at EUE/Screen Gems in Atlanta, he knows why productions will be coming to the studio for years to come.
"I walk between the stages and see the past, the present and the future," says Bob, who spent months onsite for the nine-episode series about a young boy with multiple superpower abilities. "There's a great sense of history here that is sentimental to me personally. Professionally, I know you can't top the prime location. There are a lot of stages around Atlanta now, but the location of EUE/Screen Gems can't be beat."
Born in south Georgia, Bob began his production career in the 1980s, and has worked on locations around the world. In addition to "Raising Dion," Bob's recent projects include Amazon's "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan" and "Banshee," the Cinemax crime series. He also worked as a line producer for "Valkrie," the 2008 Tom Cruise movie about an assassination attempt on Hitler.
Bob's connection to EUE/Screen Gems goes back to his time as production manager for the television movie "Sophie & the Moonhanger," shot at EUE/Screen Gem's Wilmington, NC, stages in the mid-1990s.
Currently living in Topanga, CA, Bob has watched Georgia's film and television production industry mature during his decades of work.
"Atlanta is one of those places where you can show up and find just about anything you need," says Bob, adding that he found local governments easy to work with for permitting. "The crew and team you need are right here in Atlanta. There's so many really, highly skilled and experienced department heads, and the grip and electric crews were among the best I've ever worked with anywhere.
"There's world-class crew right here in Georgia."


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Rachel Uwa is a creative educator, human, artist, and founder of the School of Machines, Making & Make-Believe. Her background lies in audio engineering and VFX compositing. Her biggest desire is to see people living the lives they dream of living rather than the one they feel they ought to. Rachel is also leading Be Bold(er): An Online Creative Mentorship in the month of January. We asked her about what it means to be bold, how we can cultivate boldness, and what it means to her and her creative practice.
The online mentorship deals with the idea of boldness. Why is this such an important topic in relationship to one's work and one's self?
At some point I remember reflecting on education and thinking half of what we're learning when we take a class is confidence, and that it's really one of the most important things in regard to one's self and work. But then I realised, 'Oh wait, I'm wrong! The most important thing isn't actually confidence, it's courage!' Confidence is doing something we feel perfectly capable of doing. Courage is not feeling confident and yet doing something anyway! To me, being bold is about putting courage into action, and that's exactly what I want to help people with!
I did it because I couldn't not do it. That's what being who you are feels like. Being bold is just a step in the process. But an important step.
One could say that we have a lot of conflicting signals about engaging with boldness: Be bold, but don't put yourself in "danger". Be bold, but don't be perceived as being egotistical. Do you think this has affected our relationship with and ideas about boldness? What's to be done?
I don't think being bold has to be drastic or necessarily have to draw on ego. But yes, I suppose it can be tricky. I think the idea is more that being bold leads you to being more comfortable being fully who you are (because you've tried things and you now know what those experiences feel like). I shared a story on Medium some time ago. In it, I'm talking about a really bad situation I saw someone in and how I made a decision to do what I could to help. I didn't do what I did to be bold or purposely put myself in a dangerous situation. I did it because I couldn't not do it. That's what being who you are feels like. Being bold is just a step in the process. But an important step. I think we get there when we're ready, when we (finally) feel comfortable with ourselves.
How does mentorship come into play in this? How can mentorship foster boldness?
I think mentorship is super underrated! Having someone we trust to talk through ideas with, to help us look at things from all angles, and really get to the bottom of something, is super invaluable! I think I've always had older people around me who've helped steer me in positive directions. I've just lived through a lot and learned things and I want to give back while I still can! I'm seeing too many brilliant creative humans doubt themselves. And I feel called to help change this.
If every human had five people in their lives they could turn to who believed in them and supported them fully, I think we would see a worldwide human revolution!
What's an example of you engaging with boldness in your everyday life that affected your work?
I think working in male-dominated industries (audio, VFX, technology in general) where I didn't see people who looked like me, but chose to pursue careers in those areas anyway. Starting my own school might also be seen as a pretty bold move. Following my own path rather than the ones parents and society typically try and lead us down has been my norm rather than an exception, so I've got many years of bold practice under my belt!
Do you think boldness is catalysed from key moments, or is it something that grows through regular, intentional practice?
Definitely like anything, it's a practice! I think we often think if we hear something once and make some action, that's enough. But it's an ongoing process and we need to be reminded and take action often in order to keep our practice up! I encourage micro-dosing on being bold, being micro-bold, if you will. But it's important to have reasons for doing it, just being "bold" for boldness sake isn't really the point. It's doing so with intention!
I know so many brilliant humans doing brilliant, even enviable, work. And yet, self-doubt and fear is alive and well in their minds and really holds them back. Well, enough of that!
What attracts you to the topics that this workshop is concerned with? Why do you think we as people and/or creators/technologists should be engaging with them?
Creators and creative people often have gigantic crippling waves of self-doubt. It's shocking! I know so many brilliant humans doing brilliant, even enviable, work. And yet, self-doubt and fear is alive and well in their minds and really holds them back. Well, enough of that! We're capable of so much but we hold ourselves back way too often. I've been there before, I know how cruel we can be to ourselves. But luckily, I also know we can learn to appreciate who we are and our experiences of life and use that to be kinder to ourselves. Life can be better than what we let it be, so why not try! I also think there's nothing like a supportive community. If every human had five people in their lives they could turn to who believed in them and supported them fully, I think we would see a worldwide human revolution! We need to know what good relationships feel like and seek more of them! So that's the kind of atmosphere I'm going for!
Be Bold(er): An Online Creative Mentorship takes place online, Tuesdays, Jan. 22, 2019 - Feb. 12, 2019 7pm-10pm, CET.
16 January 2019


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October 3, 2015
Living In Your Purpose: Connecting What You Want, Say & Do
The well know quote by John C. Maxwell reminds us that, "Change Is Inevitable. Growth Is Optional." Growth may be optional, however, it is necessary to live life to the fullest.
Coy A. Garrett, M.A., CEO of Coy's Care Consulting & Coaching understands Change, Growth & the Obstacles that hinder us from living fully in our purpose, reaching our goals and overcoming challenges.
Living In Your Purpose: Connecting What You Want, Say & Do™ will uncover * Your Purpose * Your Purpose Blocks * How To Remove Your Purpose Blocks * How To Engage Others To Support Your Purposeful Growth *
Saturday, October 3, 2015
10am - 2pm
302 N. 6th Street San Jose, CA 95112
Registration $40.00 (Includes Morning Snack, Materials & Lunch)
In Coy's Care' Women's R.E.T.R.E.A.T.™
This Signature Event takes participants through a personal R.E.T.R.E.A.T.™ providing them with
Self Discovery, Renewed Self-Love and Increased Productivity.
This signature event can be customized for your Group, Corporation or Non-Profit.
Connect With Coy and provide the details of your specific needs in the 'Message' box.
Join the Coy's Care Community
Copyright © 2015
Coy's Care Consulting & Coaching.
Webmaster C.Hash.Pierce Designs
Coy Archie Garrett, M.A.
Certified Professional Coach


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By System
Solutions by System
On-site solar systems directly reduce the amount of electricity a facility draws from the grid, including "peak" usage.
Installing rooftop solar unlocks the value of unused square footage, and prolong a roof's usable life. Rooftop systems directly offset energy consumption, typically during peak hours of the day when a facility's energy usage is highest.
Solar canopies installed over parking lots have become increasingly viable. Like rooftops, parking facilities are typically non-revenue generating real estate. We've designed and installed some of the nation's largest canopy systems, helping numerous customers unlock value.
Many of the nation's largest energy users are constrained by their ability to physically host solar energy systems. We tackled this challenge years ago, and became pioneers in off-site commercial solar development in the process. Since 2011, our team has developed over 350 megawatts of projects located away from our customers' facilities, providing them millions of dollars in aggregate savings.
Community Solar:
Community Solar installations allow both commercial and residential customers to participate in the financial savings offered by off-site solar systems.
For organizations who consume large amounts of power, a wholesale solar power contract can be ideal. Electricity generated from utility scale systems can be "wheeled" from one power node to another, even if hundreds of miles apart. The result: users located in metropolitan areas can purchase fixed priced solar contracts from systems located in rural areas, hedging their electricity pricing exposure in the process.
Solar systems are excellent at reducing a facility's energy consumption during the day, but cease to operate after sunset. Solar power stored by batteries can be dispatched at targeted intervals to reduce usage during early evening hours when electricity often costs the most. Additionally, batteries can be configured to provide back-up power to critical systems, or utilized to participate in ancillary services markets to help balance transmission systems.
As witnessed with solar panels, the technology and economics associated with batteries have both rapidly improved over time. Additionally, numerous markets are offering financial incentives when battery storage is combined with solar installations.
Contact us to learn more if battery storage makes financial sense for your organization.


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We're here to help companies prepare young talent for 21st century leadership, and have created practical inspiration and instruction in Emotionally Intelligent Leadership in a highly engaging game based format – Kevin Allen, Founder of Planet Jockey
Austin, Texas (PRWEB) March 09, 2014
Planet Jockey, a pioneer in emotionally intelligent employee engagement, launches its new Leadership Game at SXSW Interactive. Emotionally intelligent leadership lessons, taken from the C- suites of some of the biggest companies in the world are embedded in a highly engaging break through simulation game play. New leaders are given the experience and wisdom of successful leaders to prepare them to lead effectively in a format that they resonate with.
"We're here to help companies prepare young talent for 21st century leadership, and have created practical inspiration and instruction in Emotionally Intelligent Leadership in a highly engaging game based format." says Kevin Allen, Founder & Chairman of Planet Jockey and best selling author of the "Hidden Agenda, A Proven Way to Win Business and Create a Following" and just released, "The Case of the Missing Cutlery- A Leadership Course for the Rising Star," upon which the game is based. "All scenarios are drawn from experiences I have faced along with top leaders in the field. It even includes quest appearances in the game by top industry figures."
Planet Jockey offers companies an entirely new solution for developing their emerging talent that increases their emotional intelligence, improves engagement and provides them with mentorship from business leaders and peers. Every question and every scenario is drawn from real world situations encountered by Fortune 500 leaders. Planet Jockey is a leadership development suite, delivering a complete employee engagement system that includes:
The Planet Jockey Game: a multi-level, reality-based leadership training game that puts players in the CEO hot seat. The challenge: lead a troubled organization by applying emotionally intelligent techniques to build a high-performing team, give them purpose, deal with setbacks and rally the company to success. Players will be guided along their journey by video mentorship and management insights from real executives, in their own words.
The Jelly Pond Mentorship Forum: an online community for all players where thought-provoking and practical business questions can be posed and answered with advice from peers and a panel of executive mentors.
The Planet Jockey Video Library: A complete archive of Game videos on demand for users as well as multi-subject video tutorials delivered by Kevin Allen for "in the moment" reference and support.
Planet Jockey designed and developed the Leadership Game Suite, with user experience and technical execution led by UK-based digital agency Cyber-Duck. Software design company Ocasta Labs led the technical execution of the Jelly Pond mentorship forum. The game logic, data processing and CRM system were developed based on Laravel 4, a PHP-based MVC framework.
Planet Jockey will be exhibiting at booths 1342 and 1344 of the SXSW Interactive Trade Show from Sunday, March 9th to Wednesday, March 12th. For press inquiries and to schedule interviews with Kevin Allen during SXSW, please contact Cristina Bacon at (212) 500-2030 or cristina(at)planetjockey(dot)com.
About Planet Jockey
Planet Jockey is an employee engagement company that specializes in gamified learning and collaborative mentorship platforms that offer companies an entirely new way to engage and prepare rising stars for positions of leadership. For more information visit http://www.planetjockey.com and follow @planetjockey.


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It is highly desirable to replicate a natural silk spinning process in an industrial setting. Natural silk fibers produced by silkworms and spiders have exceptional mechanical properties, which so far have not been matched by artificially produced silk. Furthermore, most of the artificial spinning technologies involve extremely high temperatures and pressures, as well as hazardous solvents. Spider and silkworm silk, on the other hand, is spun at room temperature, low pressures, and uses only water as a solvent.
Although a lot is known about the biological mechanisms involved in the natural silk spinning process, a major roadblock toward the creation of a biomimetic spinning system has been the inability to fabricate fluidic structures on the same size scale as the silk gland (10-100 μm in a large spider).
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a biomimetic silk gland using the latest advances in microfabrication and microfluidics. The system captures the geometrical features of the native silk gland, and it uses a porous material allowing mass transport in and out of the silk solution during flow. Similar to the native spinneret, the biomimetic spinneret can alter the pH of a solution flowing through it. This invention opens the way towards replicating natural silk production in an industrial setting, and producing native-quality artificial silk.


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Add paw paw trees to landscape to help attract butterflies
After having been the director of the National Butterfly Center in Mission, my vision of nature was transformed. I could see more clearly the importance certain plants played in the sustainability of pollinators. I would urge you — as a gardener, a home-school teacher, or a science teacher looking to add more zip to your STEM requirements — to visit your local public garden during butterfly season.
A couple of days ago, my walk around the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center at Georgia's Callaway Gardens reminded me of one of the most beautiful native butterflies in the Eastern United States, the zebra swallowtail. Twenty years ago, I filmed it during a TV project and had begun to think I might never see it again.
The zebra swallowtail is not endangered, but like the monarch, it has a pretty rigid diet for the caterpillar stage. That diet is the paw paw. In other words, no paw paw leaves, no zebra swallowtails. Fortunately, there are several species in the wild; the one known botanically as Asminia triloba has the widest range.
Growing up in Abilene, I sang the song "Picking up Paw Paws" like many my age did. We bent over, probably an exercise, and put them in our pocket. No one knew what a paw paw was — most likely neither did the teacher. That day filming the zebra swallowtail, I learned personally. I ate my first paw paw. Holy wow! How great was the taste. And the fragrance from the cut-open fruit was an olfactory extravaganza; it reminded me of all the Caribbean fruit combined. Incredibly though, this was a native.
In fact, the paw paw is our country's largest native edible fruit. George Washington treasured the chilled fruit, and my guess is you will, too, if you ever get to experience it. The paw paw belongs in the Annonaceae or custard apple family. There are a lot of these fruits in the tropics, along with the handful of species in the United States.
So, this day in Callaway Gardens, where I am taking photos by the hundreds, there it was. The zebra swallowtail flitted around, supping on lantana — and about 30 feet away, there it was a 10-foot-tall paw paw tree. Build it and they will come.
As I looked at the photos, admiring how beautiful this butterfly was, I remembered a rare butterfly that showed up at the National Butterfly Center that looked similar: the dark kite. The butterfly, much more prevalent in Mexico and South America, is indeed related to the zebra swallowtail and has to have this same family of custard apple to survive.
The species of paw paw, Asminia triloba, is native from East Texas to Florida and along a line from Nebraska east to New York. This is great news for gardeners who want to plant a tree. To do so will allow you to teach your children and grandchildren about our heritage, eat some tropically delicious fruit and relish in the exotic beauty of perhaps our most stunning butterfly.
Norman Winter is a horticulturist, garden speaker and author of "Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South."


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LEXINGTON, OHIO (August 13, 2017) – Dakoda Armstrong has his sights set on putting his No. 28 JGL Racing team in the season ending playoffs and no time is more crucial than the present. The New Castle, Indiana stepped up his road racing skills and steered his No. 28 WinField United Toyota to a 10th place finish in the running of the Mid-Ohio Challenge at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
"This was definitely a good day for us," said Armstrong. "Our No. 28 WinField United Toyota wasn't too bad and I continue to learn more and more on the road courses. I was able to avoid any trouble on the track and that proved very beneficial to us. Honestly, I am not sure how I missed that last big wreck – we joked that maybe it was my "ninja like" skills that helped me dodge it. Regardless, at the end of the day we had a top-10 finish and that is what we needed."
Dakoda would start the 75-lap race in the 28th position as a result of his qualifying effort earlier on Saturday. As the green flag flew, Armstrong would slowly move forward in the field while reporting that the track seemed a little greasy but his No. 28 WinField United Toyota wasn't too bad. With some of the leaders pitting early before the end of the first stage, Dakoda would finish the stage sitting in the 11th spot.
The second stage would find Dakoda struggle a little with his No. 28 WinField United Toyota and ride just outside the top-20. With the second 20 lap stage being caution free, Armstrong would take care of his car while finishing in the 20th position at the end of the stage.
The remaining 35 laps of the race would see things turn to typical wild road course racing with multiple major wrecks on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Armstrong was able to gain valuable spots on the track during these incidents as he kept the nose of his No. 28 WinField United clean. As the checkered flag flew, Dakoda would earn his third top-10 finish of the season.
"It got wild out there late in the race and we were just fortunate to able to steer clear of any trouble," added Dakoda. "That allowed us to put ourselves in position for a good finish and equally as important – a good points day."
The 10th place finish kept Armstrong sitting in the ninth spot in the NASCAR XFINITY Series overall driver standings – 26 points behind eighth place.
Armstrong and his JGL Racing team will next head to Bristol Motor Speedway for the running of the Food City 300. The 22nd race of the NASCAR XFINITY Series season will be Friday August 18th and can be seen LIVE on NBC Sports Network at 7:30 pm ET. It can also be heard on Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM Channel 90.


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Rebecca Anderson talks about selling up to stepping into a new career starting Chaos & Harmony.
Chaos & Harmony creative director Rebecca Anderson and her husband sold everything and moved to Italy so Rebecca could learn to design shoes. On their return Rebecca built a business that stands out. Find out how far she's come and how she stays one step ahead.


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Vigilant Reports
Despite the Doom and Gloom pt. 5 : My 2016 Holiday Post
Wow. 2016. Saying that it was a bad year would be the most unoriginal thing one could say. But, seriously, it was a bad year. 2016 was, all at the same time, sad, divisive, horrifying, worrying and confusing. It left many with a foul, disgusting taste in their mouth combined with a sense of dread for things to come. Fortunately, there is more to life than what happens through the noise amplifier that is mass media.
I could go on for a long time about how 2016 annoyed the heck out of me, but I won't. Because, in the grand scheme of things, what happens in mass media is ultimately unimportant. Us getting caught up in the fear, the anger, the turmoil and the confusion of world events is what "they" want. Mass media amplifies all of this destructive energy and forces the masses to bathe in it. People that are scared, hateful and confused can easily be manipulated, and this is happening right now.
The Vigilant Citizen is about the exact opposite. It is about understanding what is toxic around us and rejecting it. Ultimately, it is about focusing on what is truly important in life.
The global torment of the past year might actually have a silver lining. Indeed, faced with ugliness of recent events, many will feel a need to be more "self-centered" … but in a good way. Instead of giving attention to power-hungry psychopaths, they will want to pay attention to those immediately around them. They will look for a deeper connection with friends, family and anybody that can bring more joy and warmth to their lives. They will have further appreciation for things that are still pure, beautiful and wonderful.
Although mass media wants us to believe that everything is spoiled and corrupted, that is simply not the case. The same timeless things that were revered and cherished thousands of years ago are still here today. We are made to be in nature, to bask in its beauty and to be in tune with its harmony. We are meant to inhale fresh air and to enjoy the sound of birds chirping. We are meant to reflect on life to the sounds of fire crackling and of water flowing. We are meant to admire the night sky and to contemplate the stars.
We are meant to translate this beauty and harmony into love and care towards others. We are meant to seek deeper truths, to discover spirituality and to express ourselves through artistic creation. In short, we are meant to be fulfilled, awakened and enlightened human beings.
Unfortunately, everything in mass media goes in the opposite direction. It is about replacing beauty and harmony with fear, dread and confusion. It is about unbalancing the mind and debasing the soul.
Do not let "them" have this power over you. Do not allow their sick mindset to poison your existence. This year, I've published several articles exposing the horrifyingly sick mindset of the elite. I cannot yet comment on why I had to remove some these articles from the site, but I can confirm that there was nothing "fake" within them. Like a worm slithering in dirt, the elite fears being exposed to the bright light of truth. It causes it to dry up and die.
Although some sick people might be in power for the time being, their time will come. In the words of the immortal Johnny Cash, God's gonna cut 'em down. Meanwhile, our time on Earth is short and precious. Will you spend this time fearful and cowering or will you work on becoming the fulfilled, awakened and enlightened person you were intended to be?
This is what being a Vigilant Citizen is truly about. So please take advantage of this holiday season to fully connect with what is truly important in life. Hug your loved ones, help those in need, read a good book, cook a great meal, enjoy nature, pet a dog, play an awesome tune on the trombone and yell at a tree. Because, despite the doom and gloom, the beautiful truth of this world is right there. You just need to look in the right direction.
To all Vigilant Citizens around the world, thank you for reading and thank you for your support. Have a merry Christmas, a happy New Year and I will see you in 2017!
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Thanks for an awesome website, VC. You're doing an amazing and extremely important job running this website. I'm deeply grateful for your efforts (I also keep directing people to your site). 'The Vigilant Citizen is about the exact opposite. It is about understanding what is toxic around us and rejecting it. Ultimately, it is about focusing on what is truly important in life.' Yes, you continue to maintain a positive attitude and a high level of decency in your posted articles here. This is the way forward! 'To all Vigilant Citizens around the world, thank you for reading and thank you for your support. Have a merry Christmas, a happy New Year and I will see you in 2017!' I'm skeptical towards Christmas at this point and won't be celebrating it in the usual way this year. Christmas, as it is commonly celebrated today, is nothing more than an elite orgy, in my eyes, full of materialism and superficiality. I'm all for enjoying the company of loved ones and celebrating the miracle of life but I think I'll find another way and time to do so, now. I've seen a website citing Bible paragraphs that fairly strongly suggest the Bible… Read more »
Yeah you're right I agree with that.
Christmas is NOT a pagan feast! They want you to think so, they want to dirt it through materialism and make you think it is the solstice of my a-s but ITS NOT. Its the Birth of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST that they want to erase from our hearts and from our thoughts, from our lives, from our calendar. Morevover the Holy Catholic Churc has ALWAYS publicly communicated, announced that all of our catholic celebrations were placed upon the pagan calendar to STOP pagan people to celebrate heir false ridiculous gods of papers and worship the true God made man our Lord Jesus Christ and finsh to convert the last reluctant pagans to the true religion and refrain them of going to hell that was expecting them! You see that's the opposite once again!! Thaty want you to think that it does not exist! They want you to feel borred of celebrating! They want you to celebrate Santa instead of Our Lord! SO we MUST all resist and celebrate the birth of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST in the most fragile being that is a BABY inside the poorest cowshed, he has offered himself to us!!! So, Let 's praise the… Read more »
Jesus was not born on DEC 25th that's the lie they want you to believe. It is a pagan celebration.
Thank you. It says no where in Scripture that Jesus was born on 12/25.
Luke 2:8-14 is solid proof Jesus wasn't born in December, but in a much wamer season of the year.
Also, Jesus isn't God, is God's son, as he stated in John 14:28, the Father is greater than him.
Jesus IS God, part of the Trinity.
Dude, I think John 1:1 says very clearly that Lord Jesus Christ is God. Just like as the Holy Spirit is God. please read this carefully. also read Romans 10:9-13 and you will see there that Jesus is the Lord. blessings
John 1. John 14 cannot be against John 1. God is Jesus is the Son is the Father. The Son telling what he is in relation to the father does not imply separation with the father, simply because separation does not cross dimensional borders. To tell something separate from something else they must adhere to the same topological space. The son and the father are in two different dimension. Just like your dream and your self are. Are you separate from the things you are dreaming? nope. But all the things in the dream appear separate from each other and YOU ARE NOT EVEN THERE. One describing the dream says the dreamer is greater than me. Does that make him separate? The difference is that God can make up free willing creature, while the dream is more of a symbolic echo of brain works in classifying knowledge.
I know you guys are american and tend to lack of any kind of education. But our Lord was born in Palestine, not in the Rocky Mountains! Its still kind of warm in that period of year, mates… LOOOOL
"I know you guys are american and tend to lack of any kind of education."
Hey Antoine: f--k you, and go eat a bag of dicks.
Well he was not given the best education ever, either.
OTOH the monkey at the typewriter has a point.
I thought it was more important that Jesus died for sins? Why celebrate His birth when He is and always has been? It's His death and the reason He died that is more important than His birth. The catholic church confuses everything…
The catholic church has no right to stop anyone from doing anything….even God doesn't stop people from doing what they want. The church is supposed to be about telling people about the Good News…not gaining wealth and power for itself by deceiving people into believing it's lies.
Actually, biblically speaking, it is important to remember the Saviour's birth because He was born of a virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit. One needs to know in whom they say they believe, or they don't really understand the sacrifice and who Jesus was. Not saying His birth was at one time of the year or another, but i don't believe in acknowledging other supposed "gods". If one chooses to celebrate the Saviour's birth at a time traditionally holy to some other "god", and even chooses to kill a tree and delightedly hang baubles on it, i am not going to condemn them.
No where in the bible are we told celebrate Jesus Christ's bday. He tells us to REMEMBER Him through communion only. Christmas is a pagan holiday…the Catholic sun God Mithra is born on the 25th dec. Along with every other sun god throughout history. Ra the Egyptian sun his is too born on the 25th December and the list a on.
I do find it interesting though that vigilant citizen is not very vigilant…. as he exposes darkness and Satan's works yet speaks about following new age teaching….be it pantheism or panenthiesm. What's the point in exposing Satan's deeds on this site yet follow another luciferian religion called new age?
There appears to be this thing called the "truth movement" yet few in this movement are actually genuine Christians. The truth is not biblical truth…instead it's a truth that the same time tells lies.
You cant expose Satan using one hand but on the the hand follow new age teaching. That's called a false teacher.
> No where in the bible are we told celebrate Jesus Christ's bday
The bday is not known with certainty, but we celebrate the BIRTH not the BDAY.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
So, the friggin' Army of God went down to salute His coming into the world and we are not supposed to remember and celebrate? Is it not the second most important event after the resurrection?
You might argue about the choice of the day, picking one position.
1. 25 dec is tainted by being a pagan fest
2. 25 dec is a good symbolic fit for remembering the birth of Jesus
3. 25 dec is cultural appropriation of a pagan fest
I have no hesitation picking 3 WE STOLE THE SOL INVICTUS, U MAD PAGANS? And it is not even breaching the commandment about stealing, since we are RETURNING IT TO THE OWNER OF EVERYTHING.
Sola scriptura, baby.
I do not comment on posts as a personal preference however your comment caught my eye, it is very true indeed, I'm glad you looked into what Xmas is all about and research the origin & practices behind it (Winter Solstice & Saturnalia) , do not let anyone confuse you with it's just for the kids, time to get together with loved ones, God knows my heart positive momentum to continue to live in sin because he does in fact: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9 & There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 16:25 So those are examples out of the bible showing us that God does know our heart and ways and we need to follow HIS laws which are written & sure. I tell my family about the evil history of Christmas which is nowhere found in the bible it is PAGAN, and that it is not Jesus Birthday and they prefer to continue with the deception, a matter of fact he was born around PASSOVER not EASTER because that's a pagan holiday as… Read more »
You are 100% correct that Christmas is a pagan holiday. It is actually a rooted in paganism, and specifically the Roman "Saturnalia" festival, which is rooted in older pagan winter solstice celebrations. What happened is that the Roman Catholic Church (which is totally apostate and corrupts the true message of God in MANY ways) just took the pagan festival and put "Christian" themes on it. The Messiah was probably born in the fall, and around the Passover. And when you look into Christmas, it is actually very sinister and evil. The god "Saturn" is actually SATAN. "Saturn" is just one of Satan's many other names. Many modern-day Satanists worship Satan using the name "Saturn". And this sounds somewhat "crazy", but the focus on "Santa Claus" is sinister. "Santa" is an anagram for Satan (ie, rearrange the letters in the name "Santa" to get "Satan"). "Santa" (or Satan) is a COUNTERFEIT of the Most High. "Santa", like the Heavenly Father, claims to be omniscient (all-knowing), eternal, giving good gifts, etc. As for Easter, it is also 100% pagan in origin. The name "Easter" refers to the ancient pagan Babylonian goddess "Ishtar" , who was the goddess of fertility. This is the… Read more »
Beta Kitten Alert: Poor Mariah Carey had a major meltdown on Dick Clark's 2017. She &/or her team says her performance was 'sabotaged' & that it was a 'lipsynch fail' but anyone who watched the botched performance on TV could also see that Mariah was not making sense & had to often be propped up by her dancers for balance while trying to do the routine. Yipes.
Merry Christmas – by the way, I am reading the end of The Book, and we win!
thank you for your thoughtful insightful articles. 2016 was actually a really good year for me personally and I hope everyone limits the amount of television and talking heads they consume and "guard your gates" as my pastor always says. Be aware of subminimal messaging and propaganda.. if you are "woke" it cant harm you (as much) with hold your judgment until you have adequate information and over all Love more… God Bless
So beautiful – thank you for all of your tireless work. This moved me to tears. It's so true, what you wrote, as always… but the hope and light and love will win when we ALL have the heart to wake up.
Merry Christmas, VC! Thank you for all the work you do, I really appreciate it. You have taught me so much and opened my eyes to so many things. May you have many blessings from God. Cheers.
Wow, what a great, uplifting, truthful article.We may have Evil all around us but we have to remember God is always in Control. If we pray and look to God, not Google, not athlete or celebrities ,God, The Great I Am, will protect us!!!!!
Thank you VC for your contribution to God and humanity. Been a follower for about 8 years and you never disappoint. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too!!
"I cannot yet comment on why I had to remove some these articles from the site"
WTF VC that's kinda worrying.
Anyway, the message you give in this article is a heart-felt synthesis of what you do in every single word you've written since I started reading this website 8 years back.
Thanks for the effort and passion you pour in your writing, I can feel it every time.
Merry Christmas VC! Love your articles real eye opener. Keep up the good work. God bless you and your family
Happy Holidays to you & yours, VC. Here's to you getting your site & forums fully functional again. As you said, don't let the bastards get you down. A Merry Yule to all Vigilant Citizens out there!
Well said! 🙂
George Michael sacrificed for the solstice, or just a terrible coincidence? This remains to be seen.
Thats exactly what i thought as soon as i heard
How ironic he died on xmas when his symbolic song last christmas was playing
Could be natural death due to drugs or whatnot but i am afraid not
Absolutely! Right on to all of the above, and a Merry Christmas to you, too, VC. Thank you for all of your work on this site through 2016 and before. Definitely the purpose of revealing what the "elite" are up to is precisely to dispel the fear and confusion they are trying to cloud us with. Thank you for being and providing an excellent resource to dispelling that fear, waking people up, and encouraging those who are coming around.
I want to add my thanks for your courage & insight, blessings beautiful brother. What a light you are & how sorely needed. Don't ever stop fighting the good fight; you're inspiring, saving & educating many <3
2017 and 2018 are going to be the worst years for the economy collapse even worse than 2008. So we really need to be ready for what is coming. Hunger, pain, mass rituals, wars and riots all over the USA and Europe. I really hope people keep getting awareness about what is really going on socially and economically so we can get over this dark stage and start creating a better reality for our family and friends. Because family is the most important thing, you can have in your life, is what gives hope to our ruined world to start getting better. Stay close to your family and protect them against the evil system.
I wish all of you citizens, a better new year 2017! Good luck.
thank you for everything
This 3d life is so much easier to navigate when you come to realize that it is all an illusion meant to help us grown and evolve spiritually. When you 'die" you wake up from the illusion and quickly realize that all your anxieties and fears were completely unfounded and illusory. This is the truth I have come to find after years of following the rabbit hole, and was further proven to me recently when my grandmother passed 10 days ago, and said just prior to leaving earth, and essentially bouncing back and forth between this world and the next, how fascinating and beautiful the whole experience was, and how her only frustration was due to not being able to document what she was experiencing for others to read. We can literally manifest heaven on earth when we collectively realize that all of our fears are illusory, and that love is the only truth.
Check out the book To Hell and Back by Maurice S. Rawlings
Good will always overcome evil. ❤
Sadly, they realize that and are trying to create and wreak as much destruction as possible.
From the Book of Hollywood 🙂
In reality good will overcome evil IN THE END. So, while I HOPE you are more accurate than me, be vigilant and prepared.
Jesus is the only way to endure this garbage! I'm sorry if that offends anyone, but truth is truth
Dear VG,
First I would like to thank you for all your enlightning articles. I hope us woke people will stay on being positive and keep hope. For it is so that our time is yet to come. I wish all of you well. Godspeed! 😉
If I could make a suggestion: don't be nice. Go beyond, let us promote good leadership, and ourselves up as great examples. Let us bring the best in the youth, encourage men to become available dads, promote healthier environment for women. Support and create pluralism through communities and uphold a better quality of life for animals, nature and everything else that our offspring can benefit from! Good practice starts with us! PS don't be useless opinionated tourist… Do something!


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The landscape is like taking mega B-12 shots. I photograph for my painting reference and to inspire me with colors and textures. I did even visit one quilt store and leave a chunk of change there. My goal is to start some landscape quilts this year after dithering about techniques and fear of starting. I have lots of ideas.
|View from McCauley Mtn.
|Chair lift to top of McCauley Mtn.
Enchanted Forest Amusement Park in view
|Top of McCauley
|Tiny plants at top of McCauley
|The chair lift
|Not me in the canoe, but we rented one like this and
traveled on the Moose River
|Train Ride in open air car
|Grandson watching for deer out the open air car
|My all time favorites- the water lilies-
sorry for the overexposed flower


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The classical Middle Eastern parsley salad in its (almost) traditional version. For a more spicy and posh version, with cinnamon and all-spice added, check out Saveur's version. Our approach wanted to stick to the original, but there is still, indeed, a twist ( a mischievous and bald move I might add when dealing with lack of an ingredient). To keep it short, the stores were out of fresh mint leaves. And the recipe called for bulgur wheat soaked in warm water. So.... we soaked it in a strong mint tea.... :D... and were amazed of how much the wheat tasted like the real thing. And mixed through the salad, almost no one would suspect almost anything ;). And, given the Orient's long and astonishing tradition with tea brewing, we might even cheekily add that our version is even more traditional than the ones who soak the wheat in plain water.
Returning to the terrific salad, it should be pointed out that it's packed with vitamin C, some fiber and the lovely flavors of lemon, caraway (also known as Persian cumin or meridian fennel) and mint. One extra bragging point (except the mighty ingeniousness of the tea-soaking technique) is the fact that in spite of their spice-centered enhancing of the recipe, the people from Saveur totally missed the caraway fruits part. Not that we wouldn't admire them a lot but... the more we do, the prouder we feel about this. :)
Ingredients: (serves 2)
- 1/2-3/4 lemon (to squeeze juice from)
- 2 ripe tomatoes (150 g)
- 1 ratio of fresh parsley (100 g)
- 2 handfuls (6-7 tablespoons) wheat bulgur (found quite often in supermarkets at the seeds, cereal and natural products shelves)
- 3-4 fresh green springs of green onion
- 4 mint tea-bags :D
- some salt
- 2 teaspoons caraway fruits (which are usually called seeds but it's wrong)
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
So, first thing's first. Brew some extra strong mint tea by placing 4 tea bags in 500 ml hot water. Leave it covered. Next, chop the parsley and green onions and put them in a bowl.
Next, uncover the tea and place in it the 2 handfuls of bulgur wheat:
You may leave the tea bags inside too. Also, during the time you'll tend to the other ingredients and let the grain soak, if you notice the tea has gone too cold and the bulgur is still hard you may reheat the whole pot and let soak some more.
Next, sprinkle some salt and squeeze the lemon over the chopped greens:
Then, start chopping the tomatoes as finely as possible:
Transfer over the parsley and mix well (and yes, at this point we spread the salad between two bowls because one wasn't enough any more... and yes that thing in the bottom right is the camera's string :D):
Check seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Add the olive oil and mix well. Check the bulgur, it should be softened enough to eat by now. Drain it (the tea is still good you shouldn't throw it away, it even matches the dish). Add it to the salad (and marvel into its mint taste :D):
Then, add the caraway fruit:
Make sure both the wheat and caraway are equally divided between ratios (if preparing in separate bowls if your kitchen equipment is as limited as ours):
(yes, we did it again - with the camera string :D)
Mix again and it's done. And lovely. Dig in!
P.S: Look how wonderful the different consistencies are:


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