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CMLL NJPW (SAT) 01/18/2014 Korakuen Hall [enuhito, Keeping the Spirit Alive, LuchaWorld, NJPW, Strong Style Spirit]
***CMLL NJPW FantasticaMania 2014***
Attendance: 1900
1) Máximo b Taichi, Jado
9'35" Comedy triangle match. Milano took the kiss from Maximo and had to be helped to the back again – then returned during the match. Taichi had Maximo in the testicular claw, but Maximo powered out (?!?), kissed Taichi and wrapped him up in a casita for the win.
2) Shigeo Okumura & Yujiro b Rey Cometa & Stuka Jr.
6:57. Marcela helped give flowers to the tecnicos before the match. Mima was the rudos. Cometa survived nearly getting broken by Yujiro on the outside to hit the Brillo Cometa. (Yujiro generally had problems with working with Cometa & Stuka.) Mima took a superkick from Rey Cometa. Cameras had trouble keeping up with the action. Stuka had Yujiro set up for the bomb splash, but Okumura hit him with a chair and Yujiro eventually beat Stuka with Tokyo Pimpis. Stuka challenged Okumura to a mask vs hair match, but that went nowhere.
3) Niebla Roja, Rey Escorpión, Vangellys, YOSHI-HASHI b Fuego, Kushida, Tiger Mask, Titán
8:56. Black Cat (Kuroneko)'s wife gave a speech before the match. Fuego danced even more than usual coming to the ring. Comandante accompanied Vangellys. Niebla Roja has a shoulder taped up. Comandante turned the match for the rudos, and swatted Titan with a belt a few times. Good if chaotic match. Vangellys beat Fuego with a huge german suplex.
4) El Desperado & Máscara Dorada b Bushiroad & Volador Jr.
8:13. Volador continues to wrestle in his mask. Volador & Bushiroad did the stereo dives off high places. Desperado beat Bushiroad with his El Guitarra del Angel finisher. Volador unmasked while Dorada was hyping up their match for tomorrow. In post match interviews, Desperado talked about having learned from Dorada & Volador in Mexico – and then claimed he was born in Mexico to a Japanese father, so that's why he can speak Japanese.
5) Shinsuke Nakamura b Rush
10:18. Expected hard hitting good match. Nakamura blocked the Rush Driver three times before hitting the Boma Ye for the win.
6) Hiroshi Tanahashi, La Sombra, Naito b Ishii, Okada, Último Guerrero
19:42. Good match. Great sequence with Okada & Sombra near the start. Guerrero Special on Sombra for the win. Ishii & Naito fought after the match.
7) Mephisto b Mistico [MEX LH]
14:05. Mephisto is champion. Fourth defense. Sombra was Mistico's second, Okumura was Mephisto's second. Mistico landed the SSP to the outside, but Mephisto escaped the flying short armscissors and beat Mistico completely clean with a super Devil's Wings.
Mephisto winning the main event is a genuine surprise. The tour had been shaping up as a coronation for Nueva Era Mistico, only for him to lose at the most inopportune time. Mistico II increasingly seems less like CMLL's hope for a great new star and more just a opportunity to keep the Mistico name alive for marketing and merchandising reasons. I'm still surprised this loss happened, so CMLL's not as far along that path as WWE got with Sin Cara, but this is not a match result that happens if they've got really big plans for Mistico.
(unless this is a long play setup for Mistico vs Mephisto for the masks, I guess, but it didn't at all feel like that.)
Nakamura vs Rush was the best match to me on the show and from the iPPVs so far, though other people liked the semimain better. The tease of Sombra/Okada during the early portions of that match was a lot of fun. I think that singles matches happens sometime in '14, in one of these two promotions, provided Sombra gets past Ultimo Guerrero later today.
Titan was more over than his position in his tag match. Fuego's entrance seems to be getting over – even though we can't hear on iPPV, the people in the crowd and those watching on SamuraiTV seem to enjoy it a lot. I could see him being the required CMLL mid table rep for NJPW's Best of Super Juniors. (NJPW's chairman mentioned they're talking to CMLL about 1 or more luchadors for that tournament.)
Marcela and Comandante appearing were nice touches, though I'm not sure most of the people watching realized who Marcela was when she was in the ring before the second match. (I think the Japanese woman with her might have just been her challenger on Sunday, but I don't think I've seen her unmasked before.) CMLL women have been in Japan at the same time of FantasticaManias before and I think they've sold merchandise at the show, but this is the first time anyone but Mima's been able to participate.
The next iPPV, the final show of the tour, takes place at noon Sunday in Tokyo. That's 9pm Central. It's another $15 uStream iPPV, with Sombra/UG, Dorada/Volador and some good tag matches – it should be the best overall show of the trip. I'll be running a live chat here and live results in some fashion. The preshow should start around 8:30 pm, and the chat will be up around then.
CMLL (FRI) 01/17/2014 Arena Mexico [CMLL, LuchaWorld]
1) Canelo Casas & Disturbio b Molotov & Sensei
Rudos took 2/3.
2) Misterioso Jr., Puma, Virus b Pegasso, Sagrado, Tritón
Rudos took 2/3.
3) Princesa Sugheit b Estrellita [lightning]
Estrellita came to the ring in a nun disguise, and stripped to reveal a domantrix outfit. Sugehit got the win in 6:48 with her pendulum backbreaker submission.
4) Delta, Guerrero Maya Jr., Super Porky b Ephesto, Euforia, Pierroth
Ephesto replaced Gran Guerrero on Monday. Tecnicos took 2/3. Porky worked against Euforia and Maya against Pierroth, keeping Pierroth and Porky away from much interaction.
5) Averno, Rey Bucanero, Terrible b Blue Panther, Diamante Azul, La Máscara
Tiger was originally announced, but replaced by Averno on Monday. (Tiger rode the tourist lucha bus instead.) Rudos took 2/3.
6) Atlantis, Shocker, Valiente DQ Felino, Mr. Niebla, Negro Casas
Negro fouled Shocker for the DQ.
Estrellita losing to Sugehit is the most newsworthy note from the show. It wasn't a newsy show, just killing time for a week. Edit: The big news from the show was the announcement of Dos Leyendas – it'll take place March 21st.
There's a poster floating around hyping Sin Cara in Auditorio de Tijuana on 03/01 for Baja Stars Wrestling. El Martiente has it there, but it's been floating around Twitter too and I'm fairly certain it's legit. It is the original Mistico using his WWE name (which non-TV indies in Mexico can safely get away with doing .) This would be his first announced appearance in Mexico post-WWE, only no one's officially said he's post WWE.
Edit: Argenis retweeted someone saying this is a fake.
That match will almost certainly not be Mistico I's first match back in Mexico. He's announced the first anniversary show for his gym will be on 02/01 and I expect he'll wrestle on his own show. Mistico is expected to wrestle a lot of indy dates, even if (when) he signs with AAA; there's lot of money in Mistico's first appearance back in various places.
IWRG's announced Sunday shows will now start at 5:30 pm. These changes don't seem to stick for too long, but there earlier Sunday shows are easier for families. It might mean the Sunday tapings will air more often air on LAS/AYM.
CMLL (TUE) 01/21/2014 Arena Mexico
1) Shockercito & Stukita vs Mercurio & Pequeño Olímpico
2) Dragon Lee, Pegasso, Star Jr. vs Cancerbero, Hechicero, Raziel
3) Tritón vs Ephesto [lightning]
4) Black Panther, Cachorro, Valiente vs Felino, Puma, Tiger
5) La Máscara, Rush, Titán vs Mephisto, Misterioso Jr., Virus
6) Blue Panther vs Negro Casas
Card reshuffled greatly on Friday.
Out: Metatrón, Oro Jr., Robin, Disturbio, Hijo del Signo, Hooligan, Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa, Brazo de Plata, Boby Zavala, Pierroth
In: Dragon Lee, Star Jr., Hechicero, Ephesto, Cachorro, Black Panther, Tiger, Titan
Generally more attractive card. Panther/Casas is a big match, trios champs team up now in the semimain, and Panthers/Casas feud continues. Second match looks like the TV debut for Star Jr. and Hechicero – their first GDL match did not air on 52MX.
CMLL (FRI) 01/24/2014 Arena Mexico
1) Hombre Bala Jr. & Súper Halcón Jr. vs Guerrero Negro Jr. & Herodes Jr.
2) Goya Kong, Marcela, Silueta vs Dalys, La Seductora, Princesa Blanca
3) Máximo, Stuka Jr., Titán vs Dragón Rojo Jr., Misterioso Jr., Rey Escorpión
4) Diamante Azul vs Euforia [lightning]
5) La Sombra, Rush, Shocker vs Averno, Mephisto, Negro Casas
6) Máscara Dorada, Mistico, Volador Jr. vs Niebla Roja, Reaper, Último Guerrero
Everyone's back, so things can start happening again. Volador & Sombra are on the same card and not booked together; after their match in Tokyo, I'm starting to believe that's just going to be the status quo going forward and there's no angle that we should be waiting for here. Plenty of Volador and Reaper, though. (Or is the trios title program hinted at two weeks ago coming back?)
Shocker and Negro Casas pick up on the main event foul this week. Tercera could be good. Opener can cause a shake up in the Arena Coliseo Tag Team rankings.


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Meat Mopper
- 249
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- Joined Jun 5, 2007
A friend of mine had a peach tree removed from his yard. I wanted it to burn in my outdoor fire pit. Was wondering if anyone has used it to cook with. I dont wanna ruin a nice butt. Thanks
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subset: commoncrawl


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Today was one of the jewels of Tuscany.... Siena. A beautiful medieval town that looks today just like it did 700 years ago. A tight cluster of narrow streets and buildings, it's alive with locals and tourists alike. And the shopping!!! Lots of beautiful high end merchandise to spend money on.
We were lucky, only in the months of September and October do they uncover the inlaid marble floors. They are something to see so plan your trip accordingly if you want to see them. We were also allowed into the library where there are brightly colored frescoes that have never been retouched, and they're as vibrant today as they were when first painted. The outside facade is in black and white marble and these white marble statues adorn the outer edges above the doors. Another definite must see when in Italy!!
"Duomo of Siena" © Kathy Dunham 2009


text: Titanic Dubs – 31st September 2017 – Belfast 2 Oct 2017 8v_chris Blog A great end to the show season, a very chilled out day and one last get together before the wild winter sets in and we are all resided back to the garage from whence we came. Great friends in a great location, and to top it off, it did't rain! Tags:Belfast, Iceberg Ahead!, Titanic Dubs


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The event was held in the Regent Sanur. The client wanted to have lavender as the main color while incorporating purple, blue, pink colors and a touch of white. They liked the lavender cool water roses and didn't mind me mixing it with purple vanda orchids. I liked orchids but even though I am living in a tropical island where orchids are found, they are expensive as it is difficult to grow them. I am particularly fond of Vanda orchids because they are especially nice looking orchids and not too expensive. My favorite combinations :-).
Thank you Bali Pixtura to letting us taking the pictures they had shot for their blog here. I have used them together with my own pictures.
The bride's Bouquet was a mixture of off white avalanche roses, lavender cool water roses, purple vanda orchids, pink roses, blue hydrangeas, Momosa berries and leaves, wrapped with off white satin ribbon around the stem and pinned with a white pin. The bridesmaids were wearing the same composition but smaller than the Bride's bouquet.
In the welcome area, we had centerpieces, a welcome sign in a white washed frame, a money box and a guest book from the client.
The winds was particularly strong that day and we had difficulties placing things. Some of the flower petals inside the glassine sheet cones were blown off, the centerpiece for ceremony fell down and swept away from our white table and we finally decided to put the flower petals on the aisle at the last minute. But at the end, everything came together beautifully.
Once ceremony was finished, all guests moved to the cocktail area while the hotel staff and everyone else shifted the place as the dinner area in one hour. Each of of the round tables for the guests were decorated with three different types of clear glass vases and metal lanterns with candles.
Long tables for the bridal party were decorated with long centerpieces with their two ends of trailing leaves spreading out on both sides.
Last but not least are the other details such as ring pillow made from blue hydrangeas, two smalls floating candles in the small pond near the dinner area, seating arrangement cards hanged at the white washed frame, white rattan wicker ball hanging over the each dinner table and fairy light decorated the tree.
Wedding planner: Wedding Acts


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So you want to start blogging for money and making your blog a business? You want to earn some money from it and have it be a "real deal" vs an expensive, time consuming hobby? Here are 5 ways to turn your blog from "entertainment" to "business" without losing yourself. [Read more…] about 5 Ways to Make Your Blog Your Business
How To Build Multiple Sources of Revenue as a Blogger
I frequently talk about how entrepreneurs should create multiple sources of revenue to ensure stability. This is especially true for us "bloggers". This industry has ups and downs, peaks and valleys in terms of revenue and opportunities, so to ensure you have enough coming down the pipe to fill your pond, you need to vary your sources. If you rely too heavily on just ONE, chances are it may dry up.
So. . . what do I REALLY mean by that?
Sales specific, you should be playing in each of these "catchments" to ensure a continuous feed of opportunities. [Read more…] about How To Build Multiple Sources of Revenue as a Blogger
The Honest Truth About Blogging Income
Obviously, I am a blogger. But more than a blogger, I am also a business.
I love to write, to share my ideas and stories and support my industry partners. And I love that I can do it as a job. From home. With enough time to still have a life.
10 Steps To A Blogging Business
I started blogging with the intention of monetizing. I went in with a objective of making money blogging and had no interest in following the "rules".
I had previous experience in digital marketing, networking and writing.
I pounced.
When it came down to it, my success, and ability to turn a penny on my digital assets, came down to just a few key things. [Read more…] about 10 Steps To A Blogging Business
What NOT To Do To Build Your Blogging Revenue
5 Key Ways to Increase Your Blog Sales RIGHT NOW
Ahh, I know we all do "this" for so many heartwarming reasons. Some are here to change the world, inspire greatness, or provide useful education.
Others want to make you laugh (or cry) or fight for a cause.
No matter your reason, after hours, days, weeks, and years of plonking yourself down at the keyboard and spewing your brilliance on the screen, you start to think about what you are getting back.
[Read more…] about 5 Key Ways to Increase Your Blog Sales RIGHT NOW
How To Email A Brand
Again and again I get asked, but HOW do you actually write a pitch email? To me, it comes very naturally, my goals being to open the door to conversation, share what I have to offer and ensure they are interested in purchasing my services. [Read more…] about How To Email A Brand
Assessing Your Digital Accounts for Fake Followers
In marketing, while size and reach are very important, the quality of followers is JUST as valuable. Passing off "fake" numbers will only get an agency, or influencer so far. To have longevity you need to show true conversion, and that can only be done with real influence.
As a blogger (or a brand account) you can knowingly or even UNknowingly commit some of these illegitimate actions that will create an inauthentic foundation for your brand. It can make you seem "bigger" and "better" than you are, but in the end will lead to your demise. You will NOT be able to convert at an accurate % with an account filled with spam. [Read more…] about Assessing Your Digital Accounts for Fake Followers


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Eucalyptus & Mint Bath Bomb
This a great unisex bath bomb if you're feeling a little under the weather, or are wanting relief from sore muscles, or a headache. Our essential oil blend of Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Spearmint has anti-inflammatory and stress relieving properties and can help to clear sinuses. This bomb contains Kaolin and French Green Clay, which softens the skin while helping to detoxify and purify pores. The Grapeseed Oil lightly moisturizes the skin without leaving a greasy residue in the tub, and it is also rich in Vitamin E.
- Toxin-free
- 100% Natural, Plant Based Ingredients
- Pure and Sustainable Wild-crafted Essential Oils
- Vegan
- Handmade with Love in Small Batches
Directions of use:
Fill your tub, drop in your bath bomb, climb in and relax!
Citric acid, Sodium bicarbonate, Epsom salt, White kaolin clay, French green clay, Grapeseed oil, Essential oil blend (Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Spearmint), Witch hazel, Spearmint leaves.
6 Month Shelf Life


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Subscribe to PortalGuard's Quarterly Newsletter for News & Updates on the Latest Release! Click to Subscribe
You have received a Customized PortalGuard User Interface Package and Want to Put it in Place.
Follow the steps below to install a custom UI package received from a PortalGuard Technical Support Engineer.
REV. 11/2018 | PortalGuard


text: Organizational Mission and Vision The administration of ports as well as commercial maritime affairs of the country.The construction, completion, and development of buildings, repair yards, and related equipment in ports and their utilizationThe preparation, formulation, and enforcement of port, maritime, and commercial shipping regulations according to respective lawsThe regulation of pilotage subject to the approval of the Supreme Council of the OrganizationThe administration of loading, unloading, and handling of cargo in port areas and warehousing in the ports of the country where the Organization has a department or branch.The administration of telecommunication networks (radio, telegraphy, telephone, teletype, etc.) at sea and on land for making contact with vessels and affiliated ports as well as preparation and supply of related equipment in collaboration with the Ministry of Post, Telegraph, and TelephoneThe full control of coastal and commercial shipping and striving to develop them and providing the safety of traffic and coastal shipping activitiesThe administration and operation of navigational lights and buoys to secure the safety of maritime trafficThe registration of Iranian commercial, cruise and other vessels and implementation of related regulationsGranting technical certificates of competency, maritime certificates, and other certificates to seafarers and vessels according to related regulationsThe collection of port and river duties and charges for loading, unloading, warehousing, and other port dues usually collected by PMO or other governmental organizations on behalf of PMOPutting into effect the Iranian Maritime Law and performing the tasks laid down in the law establishing the PMO and other related lawsDetermining the method and rate of utilizing port facilities and equipment as well as moveable and immoveable properties of the organization and implementing the decisions taken subject to Supreme Council's approvalConducting studies and researches on maritime and port affairs as well as commercial shippingThe preparation and formulation of the next year's plans as well as long-term plans to be implemented after approval by the Supreme CouncilEvaluating the draft of international agreements and contracts related to port and maritime affairs, and commercial shipping in order to present them to the relevant authoritiesMembership in international organizations related to port and maritime affairs subject to approval by the Supreme Council and the Islamic Consultative AssemblyParticipation in international conferences and meetings concerning port and maritime affairsThe determination of Free Trade zones, if necessary and formulation of regulations and conditions of their use subject to the agreement of the Supreme Council and approval by the Islamic Consultative AssemblyThe control of railways from the point of entry to the point of exit from the port, and dispatching wagons and locomotives to open storage areas and shedsThe establishment of a training institute for pilots or those who engaged in commercial shipping, and sending students abroad to study in specialized courses which the organization deems necessaryIssuing permits to construct berths or other installations and equipment while approving the relevant plan and reserving the right to monitor the construction and operationIssuing permits to establish offices, seafarers' clubs, restaurants, warehouses and other necessary facilities based on the request of authorized persons. The organization, taking into account its capability at ports, can lease out land for the construction of the above-mentioned facilitiesTransferring some of the tasks of the organization to the qualified private sectorsTaking measures to reduce freights of transporting cargoes to Iranian ports, and expediting the process of loading and unloading cargoes, and reducing the waiting time of vessels to support the economy of the country.


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For some reason, pink has become one of my favorite colors. I pride myself on being a tomboy and pink was always too girly-girly for me. Or so I thought! Recently I purchased a home and to my
Recently I purchased a home and to my surprise, my bedroom wanted to be pink. And I say wanted because I always wait to let the walls tell me what color they would like to be. (I hope someone else out there can relate to this. Lol.) I found the warmest pink that is reminiscent of an art deco boudoir. I also purchased some amazing pink velvet curtains for the living room. They look perfect against the muted lavender walls there.
So now that it's fall must we let go of pink; a color usually associated with spring and summer? Let's not!
Below are five fun, fashionable ways to hang the heck on to pink this fall.
ONE. Cozy Sweater and Jeans
J. Crew is on to something this fall with this comfy oversized sweater and slim crop stretch pant. I wore the gray pair on an episode of Criminal Minds recently and they are super comfortable. (You can catch me on that episode November 15th.)
TWO. Pink Velvet Kicks
How about a pair of vegan velvet slip-ons. Velvet is huge this season. And what better way to incorporate pink and the velvet trend? This pink sneaker dresses up and down. And what's even better; this smoky pink is a wonderful neutral.
|This Ulla Johnson suede is casual lux. Cool with a long maxi skirt or bootleg jean.
|Feeling a bit more girly? Dress up a legging or compliment your favorite pencil skirt with this velvet, Steve Madden, ankle strap heel.
THREE & FOUR. Something Pink for Your Wrist
|For a peek of pink go for this Patek Philippe watch in a raspberry pink.
|Or try a bold bangle in pink. This is my personal lucite bangle. I mix it with silver or gold depending on my mood.
FIVE. Rock Some Pink Tights!
You can't get any fresher than rocking a pink tight with your favorite fall mini. Courtney's tights are Gucci. But if you're like me, you'll end up in Target or on Amazon before you find yourself shopping at Gucci. (Not that it won't happen but let's get the kids through college first!) So check out these I found on Amazon.
What are some ways you'll be rocking pink this fall? Inspire us!


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A look at the Wolverines' 2018 regular-season schedule, which opens at Notre Dame on Sept. 1, and finishes at Ohio State on Nov. 24. Video by Ryan Ford, Detroit Free Press
ROSEMONT, Ill. — Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel is in the process of finalizing a new contract for men's basketball coach John Beilein.
Manuel, speaking with reporters on Tuesday at the Big Ten headquarters, echoed Beilein's sentiment from Monday that the conversation is going well and he's excited for the future with regard to a new deal.
Asked if he's in the process of working on any type of extension for football coach Jim Harbaugh, Manuel said he's not at present time.
More: Pay college players? Jim Harbaugh weighs in at legal aid benefit
However, he's told both coaches in clear terms that he'd like them to be at Michigan until they opt to retire from coaching.
"I love my coaches across the board, love those two guys (Harbaugh and Beilein) in particular," Manuel said. "I'm extremely pleased with where we are from a staffing standpoint. Jim and John are two people that I would love to see retire at this institution (when they) retire from coaching."
Beilein, 65, received a contract extension through 2020-21 back in 2015, bumping his pay up to $3.37 million annually. Though after leading the Wolverines back to the national title game last season, Manuel has maintained that he'd like to extend Beilein's deal for as long as he'd like to coach.
Beilein was No. 9 nationally in salary last season, third in the Big Ten behind Ohio State's Chris Holtmann and Michigan State's Tom Izzo.
Harbaugh is about to enter year four of his original seven-year deal. His original base salary was $5 million annually, though U-M increased his total compensation by way of a life insurance policy that added an additional $2 million to his yearly earnings back in 2016.
His total compensation last year, with bonus money, was $7.004 million, third-highest nationally behind only Alabama's Nick Saban and Clemson's Dabo Swinney.
His current deal would expire in 2021. And while Manuel says there haven't been any firm talks on a longer extension, he's committed to keeping the 54-year-old Harbaugh at Michigan for the long haul.
Harbaugh's original U-M contract was put together by then interim athletic director Jim Hackett, though Manuel was the AD when Michigan finalized the deferred compensation addendum in 2016.
"I don't want Jim to go anywhere either. He's got four more years (on his deal) at this point, but Jim also knows how I feel about him," Manuel said. "We've had great conversations and I don't want him to go anywhere either."
Harbaugh is 28-11 in three seasons at Michigan. Beilein is 248-143 in 11 years with two Big Ten regular season titles, two Big Ten Tournament titles and two Final Four/national title game appearances.
Contact Nick Baumgardner: email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter nickbaumgardner. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!


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How to build a habit – and have the adventure you deserve.
Bad news, I'm afraid. The year is marching on – which means you really should be cracking on with That Thing and That Other Thing that you said you really want to achieve by year's end.
And – are you?
Maybe it's saving money for a dream adventure (perhaps one of these?) by skipping your pricey morning beverage at Starbucks for half a year. Maybe it's steadily pushing your body harder and harder, so you can get fit enough to tackle anything. Maybe it's a creative project or qualification you've always wanted under your belt.
Whatever that resolution for 2018 it is, this is where it gets hard.
January 1st was easy. Possibilities were endless.
January 2nd was…retrievable. Reality creeping in, but still time.
January 7th was your second chance to get your weekly routine nailed down, so there was still hope.
But by now, well over a third of us have dropped out – with nothing but months of miserable self-recrimination and regret to look forward to.
So, let's stop that kind of thinking. It's ego-driven, self-abusing garbage that does exactly nothing to solve the problem.
Go read this from a professional adventurer about mental flabbiness (it'll give you exactly the kind of kick you need right now) – and then come back. (We've got work to do.)
Ready? OK.
Here's the real story you need to drive you forward:
You don't need superhero willpower.
You don't need an unbroken string of perfect home-runs.
All you need is a habit that truly works.
Here's how you start making one.
Rule 1: Forget Willpower
Anytime you start beating yourself up for not having the self-control to build a habit – you're probably assuming that willpower alone is the right tool for the job.
Not the least bit true. Not even close.
It doesn't matter how motivated and committed you think you are – you're still going to forget stuff.
It's too much pressure to learn something and turn it into a habit on your first try (and in fact, that's not how we learn anything. Repetition is how things truly stick).
Instead, create reminders. Use your phone to tell you when it's time to practice your new habit. Instead of assuming you'll remember your money-saving resolution when passing Starbucks, set an alarm to remind you to make a coffee before you leave the house in the morning.
Or, attach it to something you already do without thinking – say, by putting your toothbrush inside your favourite coffee-cup.
Make it so you can't get through the day without being reminded of that habit (ideally multiple times).
That will work better than willpower ever could.
Rule 2: Reward Yourself Every Time
Your brain is smart. It wants you to be happy, and have a life filled with delicious, slightly unwholesome pleasures. (Naughty brain.)
Therefore, if you try to build a habit by replacing a pleasurable bad habit with a less pleasurable good one, you'll have a fight on your hands (or more correctly, behind your eyes).
Since your brain sees your new habit as a fun-destroying enemy to be slain, it cannot be trusted to remind you of the importance of that habit, and remind you of the times you should be doing it.
(Go back to Rule 1, above. That's partly why willpower doesn't work.)
But your brain can be fooled. It can be won over.
Or more correctly, it can be bribed.
If you find a way of rewarding yourself, every time you successfully complete that habit, you will make your brain prefer it to the old one, because it's getting at least as much fun from it. It will suddenly want to help you with your new habit.
(This is why replacing an existing pleasure is much, much easier than simply denying yourself of it.)
Let's say that Starbucks-skipping habit is to save money for a rock-climbing trip, which you're totally obsessed with.
(Hey, we can totally understand that urge.)
Your reward, then, could be getting to work a bit earlier than usual – which is possible because you didn't spend any time in Starbucks – and once you arrive, you binge-watch rock-climbing videos on YouTube until it's time to start work, while enjoying the satisfaction of knowing you're one day nearer that goal, thanks to the money you just saved.
(Of course, you'll still need morning coffee. That particular habit is one of the hardest to break. So that's why you need to find a much less expensive source of it that still delivers the required caffeine kick. Remember: replace, don't deny.)
Also, how are you putting that money aside every day? Use a piggy bank, so you can give it a shake every morning and feel it getting heavier – or if you're a spreadsheet nerd, use your work computer to track your progress. Feel that progress. Make it a real pleasure.
Replace a pleasure with a reward. Measure your progress. And repeat.
This is how you build a rock-solid habit.
Rule 3: Make It Easy To Stick To
Journalist Charles Duhigg wanted to start running in the morning, to counteract his sedentary and donut-fuelled daily routine in the offices of the New York Times. He quickly found that waking up with the intent to go for a run was virtually impossible – the bed was too warm, the run was too intimidating, and he just turned over and went back to sleep. Problem definitely not solved. He wanted to build a habit, but just didn't know how.
To fix this, he made a new deal with himself. Screw the habit for now. He decided he didn't have to go for a run. All he had to do was wake up and put his running shoes on.
That was all. If he still felt sleepy, he could take them off and go back to bed. Totally allowed.
In fact, as he said in his bestselling book The Power Of Habit, the act of putting the shoes on was usually enough to get him awake enough to decide to go for a run – but the habit that triggered it was far easier than the run itself, so he was always capable of sticking to it.
Make it so easy you'd feel stupid not doing it.
"I don't have the time to get fit!"
Right now, 2018 is really starting to kick in. The craziness of the holidays is being replaced with the even-more-craziness of normal life, and you may be finding it difficult – or even impossible – to stick to your training plans for that big adventure you're planning to take later this year.
This is where you're allowed to cheat.
Yes, there are only 24 hours in every day – but some of that time can be 'hacked', so you can squeeze in the physical activity you want to be doing.
The guiding principle is pretty simple:
If you can do it while exercising, do it while exercising.
Here are three examples that have worked well for us.
(a) Walk To Work
Motorists in the UK spend more than a day every year stuck in traffic – with London being the worst city for it (if you commute by car in London, you're losing up to 3 days a year).
Is there an alternative where you can use that time to get fitter?
If your workplace is only a few miles away, the solution is easy – give yourself some extra time in the morning, buy some good walking shoes, plug your headphones in (here are some excellent things to listen to) and walk the whole way at a brisk pace, maybe aiming to beat your previous time so you get a good sweat on.
If work is a lot further away, is there somewhere enroute where you can park the car for the day that still gives you a good walk to work and back?
Or how about using public transport to go to work on Friday, giving yourself a long, leisurely walk home with the whole weekend to recover? (This is the idea behind the Walking Home For Christmas charity fundraiser.)
(b) Use Your Kettle-Time
Electric kettles take between two and four minutes to come to the boil. For most people, that's time spend pottering around the kitchen, not doing very much at all.
Aha, says the exercise-hacker.
Two minutes is enough time to do a dozen push-ups. It's enough time to gently stretch every muscle in your body – and it's enough time to push your muscles to their absolute limits.
How many times do you boil the kettle, mornings, evenings and weekends?
That's how many mini-workouts you're missing every day.
(c) Commit Using Others
It's easy to break fitness-related promises to yourself, because it's only you that's negatively impacted by ignoring them (which isn't quite true, but we'll gloss over that for now).
However, when it means breaking a promise to others, there's way more pressure to stick to the plan.
(After all, when are we brave enough to speak to others in the way we speak to ourselves?)
Exercising with your partner is an obvious choice – but if you have a young member of the family, how about giving them some extra time outdoors, burning off some of their youthful energy and making you scramble to keep up?
If you have a dog – how about a run on the beach with them, three times a week?
(And if you don't have a dog, who else does? Any elderly neighbours that would love you to take their dog for a run, every now and again?)
4. Become An Expert At Failing
Ever said the following to yourself?
"This time I'm never giving up!"
Sorry. It's BS.
You're always going to give up at some point. Or come so close to giving up that you're going to lose all your momentum, and properly give up next time, really soon from now.
The good news is: certain types of giving up are absolutely normal – and a sign you're successfully building that habit in the right way.
If you want to build a habit, it isn't about instantly beginning a perfect, unbroken run of successes from now until the end of time. It's actually about the exact opposite. It's the result of a long series of glorious screw-ups.
So as usual, you're beginning an imperfect, frequently broken run of successes and failures (even if you're trying to avoid admitting that to yourself, since it feels like defeatism) – except, here's the key difference that separates success from a completely broken habit. This time, temporary failures won't stop you.
Temporary failure is inevitable. And it's temporary. So ultimately, it doesn't matter.
What really matters is getting back up and trying again, every time you fall short of expectations, break a promise to yourself (making it an unrealistic promise to yourself, let's face it), and end up falling off the wagon in some way.
Remember learning to ride a bike?
Clamber on – wobble alarming – fall off – shriek inconsolably as blood runs down your leg from your grazed knee – parent dabs TCP on the painful area – and you clamber back on.
And after a while, after a lot of wobbles, crashes and TCP, you're riding a bike.
Why do you think life is any different when you're an adult?
To build a habit, you have to understand failure in a brand new way. The way professional adventurers (also known as serial failurists) understand it.
From now on, failure is not a sign you're not cut out for this adventure lark.
It's not a sign you're weak. It's not about being incapable, or lazy, or worthless. It's none of those things.
Here's why.
When you give up on something, there's always a trigger that has nothing to do with you as a person. You don't quit because you suck. You actually quit because getting out of bed felt like too much effort that morning, or it was raining so you didn't feel like going for that seemed so easy when the sun was shining, or you got hooked on Netflix and couldn't get off the couch…and so on.
These have nothing to do with who you are. They're just things you did.
The trigger (aka. the thing you did) was the reason why you quit – so it stands to reason that avoiding that trigger, or finding a way to counteract its effects on you, is how you don't quit next time (and how to build a habit over the long term).
It's exactly that dumb a solution.
And it has nothing to do with you as a person.
– Getting out of bed too difficult? Okay – how much sleep are you getting? How easy are you making it to get out of bed? How about trying that Charles Duhigg trick with the shoes, or something else that's super-easy to stick to, but taking just enough time to wake you up properly?
– Raining outside? Okay – how about having a backup plan for when it's raining? Say, an hour at the local swimming pool, or a rainy day exercise routine you can do at home?
– Getting hooked on TV shows? Okay. How about doing a workout while you watch? Remember: If you can do it while exercising, do it while exercising. So! For every episode of something, give yourself a target of [x] reps of something, [y] reps of something else, and so on. (Let's face it – exercise is really boring. There's a reason we put the radio on when we're ironing clothes or washing dishes. That's why you can't stop watching Netflix – your brain likes being stimulated. So feed it!)
Every failure is an opportunity to change that trigger and improve your habit so it works better – but only if you treat that failure as what it really is – an opportunity for course-correction and habit-strengthening, so you're less likely to fail next time.
Do that enough times, and you will run out of ways to fail – and this habit is yours for good.
However you plan to train for your adventure activities this year, now is the time to get started – not a couple of weeks before you go, fuelled by panic and self-disappointment (ahem, speaking from bitter experience here).
All the time you need is there for you, every single day.
So go bend the rules, build a habit you can be proud of, and totally make it yours.
– The Rug & Rock Team


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Ta Som is a small sanctuary at Angkor. It was worked toward the finish of the twelfth century in the rule of King Jayavarman VII. It is found north east of Angkor Thom and east of Neak Pean. The King devoted the sanctuary to his dad Dharanindravarman II (Paramanishkalapada) who was the king of Khmer Empire from 1150 to 1160.
There is a solitary hallowed place situated on one level and encompassed by laterite dividers. The enormous fig tree overpowered the East Gopura entrance giving you the best spot for photography. If you go to visit the sanctuary early in the day, it gives a decent photograph chance of a tree developing around the entryway.
Samath Angkor Guide


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The reliability of Honda vehicles is excellent, but required maintenance such as brake pad replacement, rotor replacement, oil changes and belt replacement is critical to keep your vehicle running for many years to come. A small investment now will pay dividends in the future.
Phone – (814) 455-1090
Text – (814) 806-2550
Fax – (814) 295-8189
Email – firstname.lastname@example.com
Tiffany Harrell – Office Manager
Harrell Automotive is Open Monday - Friday 8am-5pm. We service and repair all makes and models. Our friendly staff is here to answer all your questions, 814-455-1090.


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Fall River, MA Community Association Management
Fall River, MA has a population of approximately 89,420 residents and is one hour from Boston. Fall River is unique because it has a large concentration of immigrant families from Portugal, which has established incredible restaurants and bakeries there. There are several great sites to enjoy including Lizzie Borden House, Freetown-Fall River State Forest, and the USS Massachusetts BB59. Fall River is an ideal place to live that has a small close community and is still close enough to Boston to pursue corporate opportunities. This is why so many families view Fall River as an excellent place to live.
Association Management and Self-Managed Communities
HOAs are common all over the United States, Fall River included. Even though HOAs substantially increase property values, they require a great deal of work to ensure they operate efficiently. The amount of attention HOAs require varies depending on their total overall size. Neighborhoods that have hundreds of homes usually require additional attention to manage issues related to maintenance, financial requests, and residential complications. Conversely, smaller communities have a tendency to become self-managed. Both the larger and smaller communities have something in common in that they are not easy to manage alone. In addition, HOAs are able to substantially improve their management practices through outsourcing their management needs to a management provider with substantial industry experience. This is where Clark Simson Miller can be a great deal of help to you! Our Remote Management Services will assist your HOA regardless of its overall size and particular requirements.
HOA Management Solutions in Fall River, MA
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In order to learn more about how Clark Simson Miller can make a substantial difference in your community's finances and efficiency, please don't hesitate to reach out to us today by calling 865.315.7505 or contact us online so that you will be one step closer to simple and affordable association management!


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In 1968, The furniture company San Giacomo was born. In 1985, the company opened up to the European market with the establishment of San Giacomo International and in 1988 started selling to the U.S market with the division of San Giacomo North America. The combination of functionality, quality, materials, and prices make San Giacomo one of the best selling furniture companies in all of Italy.
The Star handles are lacquered to match the unit and they also match the width of the units they run across. Once again Sangiacomo blends the aesthetic qualities of a bold mark with its function.


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Dr. Girish Pathak is a General Physician and a Homeopath in Chinchwad, Pune. He currently practices at Shreeram Homeopathic Clinic, Chinchwad, Pune. He completed his BHMS from SKH Medical College, Beed, 2007 and his MD- Medicine from SKH Medical College, Beed, 2010.
Dr. Girish Pathak expertise in Infectious Diseases, Health Screening for Men and Women, Fever, Travel Consultations and Vaccinations, Preventive Medicines, General Illness, Diabetes, Childhood Vaccinations, Consultant Physician and many more. He is a member of Central Council of Homeopathy and is registred under 43641 Maharashtra Council of Homeopathy, 2007.
Request an online appointment with Dr. Girish Pathak and consult him live on OyeHelp.com


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The last of the LCB's exam pieces: the opera. Not having the right tray size became quite a bit of a bother. I had to double the recipe and bake three sheets of jocunde sponge, which I then halved, hence the abundance displayed here. I also made an extra sponge sheet for a mini opera specimen- my contribution to the our family's weekly boardgame session. Sadly I didn't do too well and, if not for my brother's momentous botch at the end of our game of Container, I would have placed last. A certain feeding of false information during the game caused significant misvaluation of our bids; it surely had a part to play in our fail. Anyway, due to the extra mini-opera, the fillings are spread a little thin.
For anybody who is interested, the opera consists of three layers of a dense-ish almond enriched sponge, a filling of coffee buttercream and of ganache, all liberally soaked in coffee flavoured imbibage and topped with a chocolate glacage. The ingredients are expensive, and you do get a lot of opera, so each cake costs £20.
glacage, remember the accent (!!), and try keep from squashing in the edges of the cake.


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Your Myrtle Beach Vacation can be complimented with a variety of events, festivals, attractions, amusements and things to do throughout the Grand Strand area.
61. Waterpark View Family Suite w/Queens in the Palms Building (Sleeps 6)
A two-room, one-bath option located in the Palms Building, with a private balcony or patio overlooking the Wahoo Water Park. One room is a bedroom with two queen beds. The second room is a living room/kitchenette combination with a pull-down double wall bed. Located on the west side of ocean boulevard with no view of the ocean. All Sea Mist accommodations are non-smoking. Sleeps up to 6 people. Pet friendly. wpsuqp


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Our commitment to sustainability
Accelerating global progress towards a more sustainable future.
Committing to carbon negative by 2030
By 2030, Microsoft will be carbon negative. By 2050, Microsoft will remove all of the carbon it has emitted since it was founded in 1975.
Areas of focus
We focus on the areas where we can have the greatest impact, which include carbon, water, waste, and ecosystems across all the work we do.
We've operated carbon neutral since 2012 and are working to undo the damage from carbon emissions by committing to being carbon negative by 2030. By 2050, we will have removed all the carbon Microsoft has directly emitted since it was founded in 1975.
Products, services, and devices
The investments we make in sustainability carry through to our products, services, and devices. We design our devices, from Surface to Xbox, with emphasis on eco-friendly materials. Our cloud and AI services help businesses cut energy consumption, reduce physical footprints, and design sustainable products themselves.
Customers and partners
We're committed to making our technology accessible and available to everyone. We've invested $50 million in AI for Earth, a program focused on putting AI in the hands of those working on the front lines to address sustainability challenges.
We use our voice to speak out on public policy issues that will be critical to reducing humanity's carbon impact, initially in four areas: research on carbon, removing regulatory barriers, market-based incentives, and consumer empowerment.
Doubling down on sustainability
Learn about our raised ambition and newly established sustainability roadmap.
AI for Earth
AI for Earth is a Microsoft program that helps people and organizations solve environmental challenges by increasing access to AI tools and education opportunities.
Our global impact
Find out how we have invested our carbon fee around the world for sustainable outcomes.
Our progress by the numbers
Reduced company emissions by 15.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Directly purchased more than 1.6 gigawatts of new wind and solar energy.
Every year recycled nearly 10 million kilograms of consumer e-waste.


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I am feeling really grateful on this long weekend. For an extra day with my husband home from work, for time with family and friends, for beautiful weather (finally!) and for children who feel good and are behaving themselves.
My boys and I sat out back for a long lunch on Saturday and it gave me time to gather some lavender from my late Summer crop--to be honest, everything in my "garden" (i.e. my weed farm) is totally overgrown and neglected, and I haven't harvested any lavender this year yet. But I got enough from this second blooming to make a couple of small bundles. Aren't they sweet?
I hope you've had a great long weekend too!


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The holidays are a time for taking a minute to step back and appreciate our loved ones, family, and friends. Unfortunately, spending time with the ones we care about can sometimes come with a hefty price tag. Many popular Christmas break destinations that offer activities for everyone in the family to enjoy can cost thousands of dollars, and there is no reason to go into debt or use a title loan to fund your holiday fun.
This isn't necessarily true of all holiday activities though, and with a little creativity and effort, you can have a great time with loved ones without going broke in the process. As a general rule, going out of town for the holidays will almost always cost you more than staying home, but even the expense of traveling can be minimal with good planning and preparation.
This is a great way to spend a day together, and it's guaranteed to make your house smell like the holidays. Best of all, it's an activity that everyone in the family from grandparents to young kids can help with. Cookies, pies, pastries, and other desserts can be as much fun to make as they are to eat, and at the end of the day, you can put them out for a family meal or even invite some friends over to share in your bounty. There are thousands of recipes online if you need inspiration.
In many parts of the country, this tradition dates back to the 1950's. A great way to spend an evening together is to pile everybody in the car and drive around neighborhoods looking for the best and brightest light displays you can find. Just about every town in America has a certain number of homes or even entire neighborhoods where the residents go all out with decorations and lights. Make it a game and have everyone in your family rank each house like it was a game show or beauty pageant.
If you have kids, it's never too early to teach them that the holidays are as much about giving as getting, and one of the best ways to do that is by volunteering. There are plenty of places in your local area that are most likely looking for help giving back to the less fortunate this holiday season. A simple online search should produce more than a few options for you and your family.
Another way to give back besides volunteering is by putting together a care package for soldiers serving overseas. Organizations like the USO or Support Our Troops are more than willing to help you and your family put together a care package to let our service members know that they are appreciated, especially during the holiday season.
In this day and age, there's really no reason to incur the expense of buying holiday decorations. Instead of going to the store this winter, have the whole family sit down and use their creativity to make new decorations. Nothing gives your home or your Christmas tree personal touches like homemade ornaments and decorations.
New England is one of the areas of our country with a rich and storied history, and many historical landmarks are hiding in plain sight. Use the time over Christmas break as an opportunity to explore the historic landmarks in your area. The National Register of Historic Places and your local Historical Society are great resources for finding interesting attractions in your area to explore with your family.


text: For Zaandam-based Dutch designer Dirk Vander Kooij (1983), new ways of developing design are as interesting as the new design itself. Kooij continuously challenges known methods of production, sometimes by looking back to older technology. While attending the Design Academy in Eindhoven, when he also interned at Ingo Maurer, Kooij was the first person to succeed in 3D printing a large object—a series of chairs using the concept he calls "endless prototyping," achieved during his graduation assignment. The "endless" process involves using a low resolution machine to build the design layer by layer. Once a prototype is finished, Kooij endlessly reprograms it to perfect the process. Kooij is particular about his choice of material, predominantly reusing plastics or, in the case of the "All Material Table," using it raw.


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Proposal is a moment in your life that will be always remembered as one of the happiest memories, (depending of course on the answer of your beloved one).
One way of popping up the big question is to do it during a holiday trip. Japan is one of the most beautiful and charming countries of the world and a perfect country to have your surprise proposal trip. With cities like Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto, the land of the rising sun offers a great and diversified palette of choices. Let's go through those cities and the options they have to offer for your memorable proposal.
1 – Tokyo Proposal
Tokyo is the largest and most populated city in the world; you will be having the greatest fun of your life. One of the most marking qualities in Japan is its safety. Even with a large population of more than 12 million people, you will be able to walk anytime, anywhere without feeling anxiety or frustration due to the late time or being lost. In fact one of the most beautiful experiences I ever had on my first visit was getting lost in Shibuya one of the most famous and entertaining districts of Tokyo.
Proposing your beloved one in the capital city of Japan can be done in many original and unforgettable manners and we will be there to help you. You can do it while wearing your favorite Cosplay costume characters in Akihabara, the heaven of manga and anime lovers. If you prefer a more traditional way to do your propose, Asakusa will be a perfect place, you can stand in front of Sensō-ji's Kaminarimon gate, which is Tokyo's oldest, and most significant temple, your beloved one will be amazed and hopefully the response will be a firm "Yes".
More options includes Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Sky Tree, while watching the sunset from the observation desk, the view and experience are guaranteed to be unforgettable.
2- Osaka Proposal
What make Osaka so special is its warm and funny people, its mixture of old and new architecture and, of course, its delicious finger licking food. As soon as you land in Kansai airport you will feel straight away the charming and enchanting city power. Osaka is full of joyful and unexpected surprises, and everywhere you go you will manage to make new friends, local playmates and funny encounters. As a tourist you will be surprised by the way people start talking to you in local restaurants and Izakayas.
You can organize your proposal in one of the endless city sightseeing locations.
Dotonbori is the beating heart of Osaka and one of the most visited attractions in Japan, you can drop on your knee and open the ring box in the middle of Ebisu bridge after displaying a big "Will you marry me" sign message on one of the huge luminous screens surrounding the entire area. You can as well choose a more romantic and private approach and arrange your proposal inside the Umeda Hep 5 Ferris wheel or from the observatory decks available in Umeda Sky Building or Tennoji Abeno Harukasu, the tallest building in Japan.
Of course locations like Osaka castle or Shitennō-ji temple will be perfect as well for your proposal if you prefer more traditional and historical spots.
3 – Kyoto Proposal
Original capital of Japan for more than a thousand year, Kyoto is the place to visit if you really want to experience the Japanese traditional culture. With seventeen locations listed as UNESCO World Heritage, the city is endlessly discoverable. You will be amazed by the amount of temples, parks and museums available to visit. You can organize a day trip to Fushimi Inari shrine and offer the ring surrounded by thousands and thousands of Vermilion Torii gates expending for a total distance of four kilometres into the mystical mountain. The beauty of nature, the endless perspective and the orphic atmosphere will make your companion speechless…, hopefully after saying yes.
Another option will be to make your big proposal while wearing Kimonos, (easily rented or bought from several shops all around the city) in Gion district one of the most traditional and perfectly maintained cities in Kyoto, the well preserved traditional Japanese architecture district will make you and your beloved one, feel like you went back hundreds of years into the past for a historical proposal.
All these options and more are easily organised through Kansai Concierge. So if you are visiting Japan with the intention of getting engaged, please let us know. We will be delighted to help you go through booking, scouting and scheduling your perfect proposal trip. We can personalize, arrange and advise you through the entire big event. Save your time, avoid any unexpected event. Kansai Concierge will help you make your dream come true and have the best memories of your life.


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Group selection refers to the process of natural selection at the level of the group. Groups are collections of individuals that affect each other's fitness. Group selection partitions the effect of selection into 'within‐group' and 'between‐group' components. When between‐group selection is strong relative to within‐group selection, highly altruistic behaviors may evolve.
Keywords: group selection; altruism; trait group; predator inspection


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S2E3 What To Eat In Romania (& Bucharest)
* Ancient Foods Of Romania - 2 dishes that have probably been made in the region for at least 2,000 years and are still hugely popular today.
* What To eat in Romania - our top picks for must try foods when you visit Romania
* We head out to the farm to try an authentic Romanian pork dish that honours the sacrifice of the pig
* Plus a Romanian dessert that will make your tastebuds sing with joy!
Full show notes @ https://www.foodfuntravel.com/romaniapodcast
The full article includes more than 40 foods and drinks to try in Romania.


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Monthly Archives: July 2014
Wednesday – the Forbidden City
Up early for our first joint outing. We were off to the Forbidden City. It was still raining when we left and my heart sank at the thought of putting my mac on over bare arms in the steamy atmosphere. In the event the storm had cooled things down and the humidity was a lot less.
We arrived at Tiananmen Square in drizzle and heavy greyness. Mao Tse Tung's picture still looks out over the Square from the Gate of Heavenly Peace (!?) the outer building of the Forbidden City. Today the Square is edged with flowers and full of Chinese families keen to be photographed on such an iconic spot with only the military presence indicating any evidence of the location's sinister history. It was a bit surreal in the murky light.
In the 'heyday' of the Forbidden City there was a walled passageway that stretched out into what is now the Square.
Apparently Mao considered knocking the Forbidden City down but was persuaded not to. Maybe someone had the foresight to realise what a money spinner it would turn out to be in the future! So much for idealism!
The palace complex that is the Forbidden City is said to be the largest in the world. Everything is giant sized. My particular memory from my previous visit was the size of the gold studded doors and time has not made them any smaller. They are huge!
As we passed through the Gate of Heavenly Peace, we entered what is a comparatively small courtyard before passing through the Gate of Supreme Harmony which leads into a much larger area complete with streams and marble bridges. All around the place are the big copper and brass vats which in past times formed the palace's fire defences. Full of water they were covered with blankets during the winter and when it was very cold a fire was lit underneath them to prevent them freezing over.
As an aside, walking around in the heat it is very difficult to visualise the fact that Beijing gets extremely cold in winter. The lake area where we were staying apparently ices over to the extent that people ice skate over them and the moat around the Forbidden City (which is huge) freezes.
With our Chinese guide to explain the buildings, the palace protocols and answer questions we toured the site. The names of the big gates, palaces and halls fascinate me – the various Halls of Harmony (Supreme, Middle and Preserving), the Complete Palace of Peace and Longevity, the Gate of a Heavenly Purity and the Thousand Year Pavilion. It is all so exotic,
I am currently reading the life story of the Empress a Dowager Cixi and it was really interesting to visit the Forbidden City against the background of her life. Cixi started life as a concubine and quite a long way down the pecking order, but then produced the only son of her particular Emporer which lead to her being effectively the power behind the Chinese throne for more or less the rest of her life. An amazing woman who never came out of the two royal buildings – the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace – she could neither read nor write well but she is accredited with putting in place the basis for modern China. She certainly had a lot of ups and downs and looked to be something of a Queen Victoria figure – who reigned at a similar time.
We saw the Emperor's royal suites and Cixi's rooms, various offices, the gardens and the harem where all the concubines lived. Apparently the concubines all had a number and the Emperor turned the tablet over with the number of the concubine he wanted that night and the young lady concerned was delivered naked ( for fear of assassination!), foot bound and gift wrapped In a gold cloth. Lovely!
A very interesting three hours later we emerged through the north exit gate and took the bendy bus back to the hotel. What a contrast!
We lunched at a very tiny cafe across the road from the hotel. I had dumplings and Keith had soup. We both had more than we could eat and with water it cost for us both the equivalent of £3.50! Dinner proved equally cost effective with a veritable banquet of dishes (including Peking duck and drinks) for £8.40.
Tomorrow we set off on the truck….
Tuesday – the adventure proper begins and we meet fellow travellers
We decided to visit the Museum of China as we were not required to meet with our fellow travellers until later in the afternoon. As we were preparing to leave we met up with Peter a lovely, laid back Australian chap who was also with the Odyssey party. He asked if he could join us on our excursion and off we went! A taxi took us to Tiananman Square and we we emerged from its air conditioned loveliness to the blanket of heat and teeming humanity that was the centre of Beijing on a warm school holiday day in July. Phew!
We found the direction of travel required and headed up the side of the Square with the Forbidden City ahead. There were lots of police and military types about, far more than I remember when I was last hear nearly 20 years ago to walk the Wall. Far more people too. Thousands of Chinese tourists – a real sign of changing times! There is a feeling of good times about – nearly everyone we saw looked affluent and well dressed and heavily laden with all sorts of technical looking equipment.
The Museum of China is housed in a new massive building that takes up about half one side of the square. The British Museum would eat its heart out for the queues of people waiting to get in. However, it was all very efficient and after about half an hour of shuffling we were swallowed up into the building like our fellow 'queuers' and we hardly touched the sides! Entry was free on presenting our passport and what a hoard of riches were on display. It is all beautifully set out. We enjoyed the Ancient China in the basement that included artefacts from the Silk Road and ancient maps that showed China as the centre of the world. Indications that the 16th century missionaries who drew them were keen to play to their commissioners! I guess it was a healthy way to keep your head on your shoulders!
It is quite amusing to have rarity value! Several times older family members were seen encouraging their embarrassed offspring to come and demonstrate their ability to say 'hello' to us and others were found to be surreptitiously taking photographs with us in them! There is no accounting for taste!
We returned to the hotel to gather ourselves for the inaugural meeting of our travel group. There are 11 of us. Australian Peter, already mentioned, an old friend of his called Helen from Alice Springs, two other ladies, Wendy and Sarah (originally from Whitstable!) from Sydney, Diane from New Zealand and Barry, Ken and Elizabeth from Canada. Our two crew, a couple called Emma and Simon, from the UK and for the Chinese section (about 5 weeks) Jason our Chinese guide. We met in a nearby restaurant and after all the 'who are you' stuff and some basics about the trip (we have been advised that it is not a holiday!) we tucked into an excellent meal chosen by Jason and got to know each other a little better. I will save the pen pictures until I have had the opportunity to know them more, but suffice it to say that all of the travellers are of about the same age with many thousands of travelling miles under their belts. Elizabeth and Ken are considerably younger.
We adjourned to a bar and sat outside drinking beer and exchanging tales and then went to bed content that there were going to be interesting times ahead.
And then a major storm started which rumbled around most of the night. Apparently now is the time of the year for the majority of the rainfall to occur and they had a good helping over night!
On the move…..
Monday and the move to The Huguosi
We had heard there was a big farmers market in the vicinity and decided to go and have a look prior to moving out of the Hutong to the hotel where the trip starts from on Tuesday. We were therefore out by 8.30 and joined the early morning activity round the lake.
The market was great. A large covered area where vegetables, spices, meat and fish were on sale. It throbbed with activity. Discerning housewives doing their shopping for the family, older people with much smaller bags and chaps with huge amounts of stuff who I decided either had very big appetites, had large dinner parties to cater for or ran restaurants! Such was their food mountains that they carried off on the back of bicycles or barrows.
Our return journey was not quite so straightforward. We missed the lake altogether! However we were soon back on track and back at the Hutong condensing our luggage into our bags. Already no small feat although not one item has been added.
There had been a discussion about how we were going to get ourselves to the hotel as the Hutong alleyway did not accommodate cars and the hotel is about two kilometres away. A taxi was definitely not an option! As our bags do not have wheels as they would be dangerous when getting them on and off the truck, the combination of weight, distance and heat was not an attractive proposition in terms of carrying them! Our hosts came up with the solution of their goods trolley. Hmmm . Pride and falls come to mind……
So we took off with our trolley which to add to the drama only had three wheels! It was a long trip – or it seemed that way! After we got out of the maze of hutongs we were onto the open and very busy road, vying with cycle powered rickshaws, motorised tourist rickshaws (rather like those used in the film Oklahoma but without the horse!) and of course cars! Great.
Anyway, we got there and were both privately relieved to find that the only thing to welcome our rather ignominious appearance was the truck (it is official – it is a truck!) which was parked neatly on the hotel forecourt with a similar monster next to it, the property of Dragoman Tours. Keith checked in and I sat outside guarding our loaned trolley – you never know who might want to steal a three wheeled trolley in down town Beijing on a Monday lunchtime!
We then had the walk back with said vehicle to return it to the Hutong. By now it was 12.30 and the heat and humidity were at their height. By the time we had returned and set out again for the Hotel I was ready to do murders for a beer…..! In the absence of said beer I just got very snarly.
Things calmed down in the afternoon and having come across none of our soon to be compatriots we dined alone in a very brightly lit and noisy Chinese cafe.
Sunday – the bag arrives :-)))) and views of Beijing
Another early start, this time accompanied by the master of the house, Ian. Ian is 25 and until recently taught English to primary school children but has decided to try his hand at being a tour guide. Never people to miss an opportunity – we volunteered to be 'guinea pigs'.
We left the house by turning left out of Gladys Garden (new territory for us!) and found ourselves in local land, with the local green grocer having set up shop round the corner!
Some of the Hotung area is on the Chinese tourist guide route and we passed large groups of them visiting one of the houses which has been opened up as an attraction. Apparently there used to be many more than there are now but as part of a drive for modernisation some families are being encouraged to move out and we were to quite a lot of evidence of this during our walk.
I saw a lovely old Chinese saying written on a wall: 'There are 3,600 hutong with names and as many without names as the number of hairs on an ox.'
We moved out of the Hutong area, crossing the wide thoroughfare marking one of the ring roads that form a major part of the grid system upon which the city is based. We eventually arrived at Jingshan Park, a much larger green area than yesterday's Behai Park. The meticulous gardens were very colourful and there were several choir groups practising, so e of them quite large with their music accompanying as we puffed up the steps of Coal Hill to reach the top and the amazing views of the city. There is a Buddhist temple on the top with Buddha looking out on the amazing sight of The Forbidden City laid out before him. The view was well worth the climb! Apparently the hill was formed by the earth excavated to make the Forbidden City moat. It must have been some moat!
We descended to enjoy further activity in the park – dancers, singers, flag wavers all totally, taichee groups and individual. All totally unselfconsciously went about their particular 'thing'.
During our walk Ian told us something of his parents history. They had met in Canada studying ancient classical art and his father followed his mother back to China. Her father had married an English woman and both had been imprisoned during the cultural revolution for being intellectuals and intermarriage. Ian's grandfather had been imprisoned for 4 years. His wife had been in solitary confinement for much longer. Both of their parents had been missionaries. David's parents were also missionaries
While we talked we left the park and meandered back through a street of local artisans and the Drum and Bell towers, two enormous buildings, the originals forming part of the Mongol capital. The drum and bell tower used to be the timekeeping devices of the city with drumming and bell ringing marking the passing of the day. The bell tower is a enormous hexagonal red building, a landmark which I found later could be seen from the roof of our Hutong. Looking at the map, both are on a line forming the northern axis with the Forbidden City in the centre and south of that Tiananmen Square.
We then walked back to the house to find the dreaded bag had still not arrived. Leaving our hostess to await it's arrival, we took Ian and David, our host, off to lunch. Choosing was left to David and we enjoyed a feast of very different dishes including an 'interesting' combination of celery and tofu shaped (and tasting) like straw. I don't think that particular dish will go down as one of our favourites! We drank beers, but David gave us a sample if his preferred beverage. A raw spirit, 56 % proof.
It was definitely time for a siesta after this as the temperature had risen to 96 degrees. When we arrived at the house – alleluia! – the bag had arrived. Thank goodness! There was no indication of where it had been. I was just very relieved to get it back!
At last some fresh clothes, lighter shoes (I have been wearing walking boots since I left London on Thursday!) and some toiletries!
After a snooze I adjourned to the house roof which gave a good view over the surrounding rooftops and showed how closely the houses of the Hutong are crammed together. There is no sign of the alleyways from up there, just roof tops butting up to each other. There was also evidence of a lot of pigeon fanciers! Many of the roof top areas had cages of pigeons and there were swirls of them overhead. Nevertheless it was very pleasant up there with lots of breeze albeit hot!
We decided no more eating was required and instead strolled round another part which to date had not been explored. It took us to the most western tip where the bars were a lot less raucous and the cars much larger.
Deciding we deserved a beer – we also found the prices considerably more expensive. It was £9 for two bottles of Hoegarden beer! That'll teach us! Darkness comes down very quickly and we wandered back past all the fisherman much better equipped in this area with little green lights on their floats!
Another day over!
on Thursday
The Garden of the Hutong and the lake
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Returning to the office after the holidays can be tough, especially if you were traveling to distant locations during the break. To help ease you back into the work week, we're featuring our Nomadic Picnic collection of dishes. We like to think the variety of flavors from around the world will help satisfy your wanderlust—as well as your appetites.
Our Nomadic Picnic dishes are inspired by some of our favorite, and perhaps less celebrated, food destinations around the world. Each lunch comes with a variety of small dishes inspired by the foods you find in each region. They're not exactly the same as what you'd have on vacation in one of these locales, but we hope they transport your tastebuds to a happy place during lunch.
The Levant is generally considered to be an area of the Eastern Mediterranean encompassing the countries of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Israel. Areas of Northeastern Egypt, Western Iraq and Southern Turkey are sometimes included in this area. It's been the crossroads of the world for millennia, a melting pot of cultures, religions and food.
Saint George Maronite Greek Orthodox Cathedral and the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque in Beirut, Lebanon.
If you're looking for historical architecture and design, the mosques, churches and temples of the region offer amazing stonework, tilework, mosaics and frescoes. It's visual evidence of the continuous migration of peoples in and out of the region. Along with these people came their food. Spices from India and the East were brought here along with olive oil and seafood from the Mediterranean. They've been woven together in a rich tapestry of food unique to the Levant.
Spices for sale at a bazaar in Jerusalem.
The Levant and Mesopotamia are widely considered to be the birthplace of agriculture. Stories of farming and herding in this region go back thousands of years. A visit to the farmlands of the Levant is like stepping back in time. Technology has not changed much about the way the people raise animals and grow food. The warm and semi-arid climate allow for wonderful local produce that make its way to city centers. The term farmer's market here is quite redundant, as the open-air markets in cities like Beirut, Tel-Aviv and Amman overflow with produce from the countryside.
Terraced gardens in the Zarga River Valley near King Talal Dam in Jordan.
In addition to bountiful fruits and vegetables, the Levant is known to be the birthplace of all modern forms of wheat. Because it has such a long history with wheat, bread is a very important part of Levantine cuisine. We typically think of pita when we think of the bread of this region, but Markouk is another popular bread which is unleavened and thinner.
Markouk, a traditional unleavened flatbread, being cooked on a Saj, a type of convex frying pan used to cook pita as well.
If your tastebuds are left wanting to explore the Eastern Mediterranean, order our Picnic in the Levant for lunch! It features marinated lentils, hummus, dairy-free cheese spread, and all-you-can-dip accompaniments of cucumber rounds, carrot sticks, grape tomatoes, and gluten-free crackers.
Like the other larger, metropolitan Japanese cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, Osaka has its own collection of high-end, Michelin-starred restaurants. But in Osaka, what really makes the city an amazing food destination is its street food and fresh seafood.
Osaka is situated on the Osaka Bay, adjacent to the Harima-nada Sea, the Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Needless to say, the city has access to perhaps the largest variety of seafood on the planet. The seafood is fresh and here its prepared thousands of ways. From simple grilled skewers found in izakayas, to the famous battered octopus balls called takoyaki, to the most pristine and elegant sashimi, it's hard to find a better place for seafood.
Seafood stall at the famous, 170-year old Kuromon Ichiba Market in the Chuo ward.
Dōtonbori—known for it's Blade Runner-esque feel—is the main neighborhood to find great food and nightlife. With its bright neon lights and hoards of people, the energy of this neighborhood makes it a must-see, and the numerous street food stalls make it a must-eat destination.
Dōtonbori in the Namba district of Osaka, at night.
Street foods you must try while in Osaka include the takoyaki, or battered octopus balls, fried and served with brown sauce and Kewpie mayo. Okinomiyaki is a type of savory pancake that can include seafood, pork or mochi, and topped with whatever you desire.
Ramen is another must-have, although it is much more of a fast-food experience than the sit-down style often found in the U.S. For a break from the hustle of the street stalls, check out an izakaya. These pub-like establishments serve yakiniku, which are small pieces of meat or seafood skewered and grilled over wood or coal. You can also find yakiniku and kushikatsu (panko-coated skewers) at street stalls too.
Takoyaki and yakiniku being prepared at a stall in Dotonburi.
Of course, there are other things to do in Osaka, other than eat. You can go to Koshien stadium where the Hanshin Tigers, the pride of Osaka, play for the city's die hard baseball fans. Osaka Castle is another must-see attraction, especially in Autumn or Cherry Blossom season.
Osaka castle in the beginning of Autumn.
If you're feeling inspired by the fresh seafood and convenient street food that make Osaka an amazing food destination, a Picnic in Osaka is a bento box lunch that lets you sample the flavors of the city. This box features a classic Asian noodle salad, shrimp tossed in a miso dressing, edamame pods, sesame-seasoned broccoli, and a square of green tea and yuzu pound cake.
For many who have not traveled in the American Southwest, Tex-Mex may conjure up the idea of heavy, saucy and cheesy mountains of food. If you're anything like us, this is not a bad type of food. We love the saucy cheesy stuff. But this is not the only food to be had in this diverse landscape of New Mexico. Like many great cuisines, the heart of real Tex-Mex is its regional ingredients and the people who use them every day.
The Taos pueblo in northern New Mexico.
Tex-Mex is a relatively young cuisine compared to the well-established culinary cultures of Europe and Asia. The food of the American Southwest combines Native American and European—mainly Spanish—traditions, and continues to be reshaped as new generations help the cuisine evolve.
Native American Zuni tribe playing drums during ceremony in New Mexico.
Tex-Mex started taking shape as a standalone cuisine once Texas became part of the United States in 1845. The food was based on the homecooking of Mexicans living in Texas at the time. Known as Tejano people, they blended their Native American ancestors' mastery of local ingredients, like corn, beans, and chiles, with Spanish cooking techniques and imported items like rice, wheat, and cumin.
San Miguel de Socorro Spanish mission.
As the new Americans of the Southwest started breaking from Mexican traditions, the standard favorites we know today began their rise to popularity. Chile con carne was introduced in the 1880s, the rice and beans combo platter debuted in 1900 and Nacho's Especial (later shortened to Nachos) was invented in Northern Mexico and brought to the U.S. around 1943.
Chile ristras at a market in New Mexico.
Santa Fe could be the home of the most Tex-Mex/Mexican-American/fusion dish of them all—the green chile cheeseburger. Everywhere from fine-dining establishments and down-home eateries all serve these spicy, juicy burgers. Other items to sample on a visit would be cheese enchiladas with chili con carne, fresh tortillas and breakfast tacos. You should also take this opportunity to establish what side of the long-lived debate you belong to: Is red chile sauce or green chile sauce better? (Personally, I can't choose sides and get the "Christmas"—or both red and green sauce)
Green chili cheeseburger at Santa Fe Bites. Photo credit: eater.com
As the appreciation for traditional Mexican cuisine grew in the U.S., in the Southwest itself, it's hard to say whether Tex-Mex and Mexican can be separated from one another. For example, Mole Poblano shows up on the same menu as Nachos. It seems that food knows no boundaries, and culinary osmosis will happen regardless of country borders. As long as local ingredients are honored with great recipes and people who care, authenticity will always come through.
Get a dose of the American southwest for lunch today with a Tex-Mex inspired Picnic in Santa Fe. This build-it-yourself lunch box comes with shredded chicken, southwestern bean & corn salad, black bean hummus, and flour tortillas. Oh, and the best part—a spiced Mexican chocolate cake.
The nickname "land of the midnight sun" doesn't conjure up thoughts of scrumptious food right away. But like many places in the world with extreme climates and challenging landscapes, the people of Norway get creative and make amazing food from seemingly very little.
For many years the food of Scandinavia was not well known. We knew of Swedish meatballs thanks to Ikea, the concept of a smorgasbord and various types of cured and smoked fish. The overall impression was of a bland foodscape due to a limiting climate. But over the last couple decades, the cuisine has enjoyed increased notoriety after a 2004 meeting of Scandinavian chefs in Copenhagen rebranded the region's food as New Nordic cuisine. They set out on a mission to elevate the perception of Scandinavian food, celebrating traditional dishes with hyper-local ingredients and modern techniques.
Since then, chefs like Magnus Nilsson of Sweden and Rene Redzepi of Denmark, have been creating uncompromising, modern Nordic food in their Michelin-starred restaurants. For some time, Norway was missing its top chef, but in 2012 Esben Holmboe Bang, and his restaurant Maaemo in Oslo, became the first 3 Michelin-starred restaurant in Norway.
Esben Holmboe Bang at Maaemo in Oslo. Photo credit: munchies.vice.com
Although New Nordic cuisine has helped to galvanize the pride that Scandanavians have in their food traditions, distinctions between the countries remain. In Norway, a young chef named Christopher Haatuft is breaking away from the pack to work on a new style of "Neo-Fjordic" cuisine that's Norway-centric. He's elevating the traditional staples of Norwegian food, fish and potatoes, with new techniques and borrowed ingredients. Yet even with all the critically-acclaimed haute cuisine, simple, rustic cooking using local ingredients remain most important to Norwegians.
The sidewalk cafe scene in Oslo.
Norway's climate and extremely long winter shape the agriculture dramatically. Seafood is a staple of Norwegian cuisine due to its proximity to the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and the Atlantic.
Smoked fish—a staple of Norwegian cuisine.
During the short summer growing season, the sun is out for 18 hours per day, producing extremely flavorful fruits, vegetables and grains. Rye, potatoes and berries are prized ingredients for Norwegian cuisine. Rye bread and potato salad are close to the hearts of many Norwegians, which is why you can still find these simple dishes in cafes around Oslo.
Indulge in the delicious Norwegian noms of the Picnic in Oslo box for lunch. This bento box features sunflower seed rye bread, smoked salmon, sliced cucumbers, capers, diced red onion, and dill creme fraiche sauce for you to build your perfect bite.
With so many culturally rich cities in Italy, it's hard to make the case that you should go anywhere else besides the epic cities of Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan.
But you'd be surprised how some of the most memorable trips happen when you visit those off-the-beaten-path towns. Nothing can be more true in the case of Treviso.
Piazza dei Signori, the main square in the older section of Treviso.
With its picturesque landscape and medieval historic sites, Treviso is the capital city of the province that bears the same name, located Northwest of Venice in the region of Veneto. What it lacks in metropolitan cityscapes, it makes up for in gorgeous, provincial scenery and a romantic vibe. The city is not as popular as its neighbor Venice, but it does have small canals, excellent cafes and a quieter, more relaxed atmosphere.
A small neighborhood canal in Treviso, Veneto, Italy.
Being in the North of Italy, the city enjoys the seafood from the Adriatic Sea, the cheeses of Parma, the balsamic of Modena, the cured meats of Bologna, and the wines and pasta of Tuscany. It even has a type of radicchio that bears its name.
A variety of desserts and Aperol spritz at a cafe in Veneto.
Then there's the Tiramisu, which has recently become a hotly debated dessert. For years, Treviso was known to be the birthplace of Tiramisu, as it was storied that the dessert was created in a restaurant there in the 1970s. In 2017 however, the neighboring region Friuli Venezia Giulia to the Northeast petitioned the Italian government to grant it ownership over Tiramisu. What does that mean, you ask? It's just like how sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France is the only one that can legally be called champagne. Balsamic vinegar is another example that can only be called "authentic" if the grapes were grown, and the balsamic produced, in Modena, Italy. Naples made the same case for pizza and many regions in Europe have been petitioning the EU to grant exclusivity to their indigenous food and drink. It's seen as a way for consumers to easily identify what is truly authentic versus an inspired replica.
Tiramisu is a layered combination of mascarpone, espresso-soaked savoiardi (lady fingers) and cocoa powder.
Regardless of who made it first, Tiramisu is one of those desserts that's typically always tasty, wherever you are. But sitting in a piazza in Treviso, savoring the espresso-soaked pastry and mascarpone, it's hard to say there's any place better for Tiramisu.
Tiramisu, in any piazza in Italy, is awesome.
If your tastebuds want to mangia in Northern Italy for lunch, our Picnic in Treviso box is an assortment of rustic Italian favorites including roasted red onions, peppers, and butternut squash, a pasta salad with roasted tomatoes, garden herbs and parmesan, and a piece of Tiramisu for dessert.


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Rosanne Haggerty
Rosanne Haggerty founded Community Solutions to end national homelessness. She believes every community can combat homelessness by sharing innovations, and replicating solutions that work.
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"I often see a lot of nods when I say that our premise is that what is needed are new ways of working collaboratively and efficiently...that it's not about more money, but about getting better results for people with the resources we have."
If anyone knows about eradicating homelessness, it's MacArthur Genius Rosanne Haggerty, who built NYC-based Common Ground into the largest developer of permanent supportive housing in the country. Rosanne is now taking what she's gleaned from over 20 years combatting homelessness to the national level with a Common Ground's spinoff, Community Solutions.
Rosanne knows what works, and what doesn't, and she has the data to prove it. She know that if it's broken, you fix it, and once you've fixed it, you replicate that solution again and again. She hopes to end homelessness by bringing proven, replicable innovations that help public systems deliver cheaply and effectively. The organization's efforts are focused on "tipping point" communities where homelessness is most prevalent, and effective solutions can have the widest impact. The innovations Community Solutions develops can then be shared nationally to accelerate the pace of change.
It's about more than just building homes. "Creating new affordable housing is expensive and takes years," says Rosanne. "The 650,000 people homeless in the United States at any given time need solutions that work immediately." Community Solutions partners with community leaders, public agencies, non-profits, property developers and health and human services organizations to create practical, scalable, and cost effective solutions.
A cornerstone of their national efforts is the 100,000 Homes Campaign, an unprecedented attempt to leverage national organizations and local communities to collectively house 100,000 homeless people by July of 2013. Community groups can teach each other what works and what doesn't, and so far, it's working: 150 community groups are already sharing notes. In two years, Rosanne and her team of social entrepreneurs have identified community solutions that have already helped over 20,000 people out of homelessness; only eighty thousand to go.


text: The Open Leaf Wrapped Macrame Pendant has a center cabochon of approximately 25 x 30 mm set in a simple fiber bezel. On each side of the cabochon is a matching fiber "vine" with leaves of varying colors which compliment the the focal cabochon. These "vines" and leaves then entwine around the neck cord. The colorful leaves are knotted from silk embroidery floss.. Each pendant/necklace is slightly different from the other. The neck cords are 20 inches long half hitch twisted sennets in the same color nylon cord as the bezel and "vines". The neck cords fasten with a magnetic clasp.


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LOWELL, MA – More than 115 school superintendents, police chiefs, fire chiefs and elected officials from Middlesex County joined Middlesex District Attorney Marian at the Superintendents and Chiefs Breakfast. This annual event, held this year at UTEC in Lowell, brings staff from the district attorney's office together with educators, law enforcement and community leaders to collaborate on students' safety, juvenile justice and crime prevention strategies.
"The Superintendents and Chiefs Breakfast presents an important opportunity for bringing together educators, police and fire chiefs as well as legislators to discuss innovative initiatives to intervene with children before they become involved in the justice system," said District Attorney Ryan. "Partnerships like Project CARE, which works to provide mental health services to children who experience trauma, as well as our juvenile diversion program, which offers an alternative to prosecution, are examples of the proactive measure that the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and Middlesex County educators are implementing to keep students safe and healthy."
District Attorney Ryan took the opportunity to discuss the work of the Middlesex District Attorney's Office in encouraging students to make safe and healthy decisions, addressing topics including opioid and substance misuse and its impacts on children and adolescents, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office's Juvenile Diversion program, designed to work with first-time juvenile offenders as an alternative to prosecution and educational initiatives like the Cut-it-Out program, a training for cosmetology students, including those at vocational high schools, that educates future aestheticians to recognize the signs of domestic abuse.
(NOTE: The above press release and photo are from the Middlesex District's Attorney Office.)
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