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10 Stories of Impact: LaToya Clement
Sep 18, 2017
"I actually did not set out to do this as a career, but being exposed to the apprenticeship has opened a whole world of possibilities. After 35 years, I finally know what I'm going to be when I grow up."
- LaToya Clement, 2016 Growing New Farmers Program graduate and current Farm Manage for Fresh Future Farms
How can you give?
GIVE ONLINE: lowcountrylocalfirst.org/donate or click the donate button above
GIVE BY CHECK: Checks can be made out to "Lowcountry Local First" and mailed to: 1630-2 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29405
No matter how you give, all donations will be DOUBLED thanks to a generous match provided by the Pearlstine Family Foundation and an anonymous donor.
Why give? So we can do more of this.
This year's campaign is themed, "It Starts with One," and we couldn't agree more. It starts with one. One dollar. One vote. One choice to support what we love most about this place. One choice to #LoveALocal.
Throughout Lowcountry Giving Day, September 19, we will share 10 Stories of Impact from individuals who have been touched by our work in some way over the last decade. We hope these short quotes will inspire you to think about the impact the local movement has had on you. Share your story on social media and tag #LoveALocal.
Now more than ever, the Lowcountry must choose what it intends to become. Will we choose smart, sustainable growth that preserves the unique character and dynamism of our local economy? Or will we watch irreplaceable aspects of the city become virtually undistinguishable from any other city in the US?
Let's keep the Lowcountry LOCAL.


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November 8, 2013 | Revitalizing Downtown San Antonio
Season 3 Episode 342 | 26m 46s | Video has closed captioning.
Mayor Julian Castro continues his goal of revitalizing downtown San Antonio by 2020. This week he appeared at a press conference with leaders of a new organization backed by major businesses. The executive director of the organization and an urban planner who has been working on development in and around downtown discuss the serious challenges they face and offer their plans for addressing them.
Aired: 11/08/13
Problems Playing Video? | Closed Captioning

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to Noventum Foods
We are happy to welcome you on the internet site of Noventum Foods GmbH. Noventum Foods is a customer oriented marketing organisation for food ingredients, with an emphasis on egg products and ginger. Next to attractive pricing, we give an important part of our efforts to quality aspects.
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Direct ContactNoventum Foods GmbH
Sieker Landstraße 120
D-22927 Großhansdorf
+49 (0)4102 46660-0
+49 (0)4102 46660-10
write an E-Mail
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The diversity of products and detailed specifications of the food industry are becoming part of a customer oriented advice. Together with you, we would like to choose the fitting (suitable) solution out of the existing possibilities.
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By using modern dried egg products, planning your production will become easier. Stable quality and storage at room temperature increase product safety. Egg products as a raw material in the food industry can be found in dried, frozen or liquid condition. You will find a selection of our extensive assortment here.
Ginger products
Because of its typical exotic-spicy taste, ginger enjoys an increasing popularity. Whether as a snack, in confectionary or in the Asian Cuisine, ginger is much valued. We import our ginger products directly from the producers and supply our European customers straight from our warehouse in Hamburg. We would be happy to show you more from our selection.


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Match com Reviews 2019 – Do Not Join Until You See This
AdDating Site For Mature Singles Who Are Young At Heart. And millions of like-minded people have come to Match looking for love from the dating app that's home to the largest pool of straight, gay and lesbian singles. Dating sites have revolutionized match making. How do we do it? Our matching algorithm delivers only the single men or women that meet your standards. We will help you reach your relationship goals and help find you like-minded singles. Browse, connect and start your senior dating …. The beauty of meeting and relating online is that you can gradually collect information from people before you make a choice about pursuing the relationship in the real world. With a dating site, you can meet someone even if you have a hectic schedule or live hundreds of miles apart. From online dating tips to first date advice we're here to help you every step of the way! 6 Romantic Date Ideas to Impress that Special Someone. Local Singles · Single Ladies · Singles Near You · View Photos. The general cost of Match.com per month depends on which type of subscription you pick: $20.99/month for 12 months; $23.99/month for six months; $26.99/month for three months. Therefore, you can find someone interesting at any time and ask them out. And we have the track record to prove it: – Match is the #1 destination for singles looking for a long-term relationship – People who use Match are 3X more likely to find a relationship than those who don't – 2 out of 3 Match first dates lead to second dates. Jan 03, 2019 · Match.com is an open dating service where is no limit on who you can connect with, or how or when. Our in-depth match.com reviews will show you all the features of this online dating site and exactly how the features can be used for optimal benefits.
I met my wife of 7 years on Match. Here you will learn how to connect, communicate and find love through articles with tips about love, dating and new relationships. JWMatch is a safe and fun place for Jehovah's Witnesses and Friends to build loving and trusting friendships that can lead to lasting, offline relationships. The best Match.com phone number with tools for skipping the wait on hold, the current wait time, tools for scheduling a time to talk with a Match.com rep, reminders when the call center opens, tips and shortcuts from other Match.com customers who called this number. Having romantic dates is essential to a healthy relationship. Profiles may include up to 26 photos, as well as selected preferences regarding the person they're searching for. AdMeet Women to embrace a new level of Sensual dates. Then Get Matched With Compatible Singles Near You. Latin ladies from Costa Rica and Peru write you. Join Older Dating Online today for FREE and search for a senior dat. I feel that I was too old for the. Arguably the most recognizable name in online dating today, Match.com has been facilitating dates, relationships, and marriages for the last 23 years. All online dating sites differ, but as a general rule, if you start excessively going through any dating site looking for your 100% perfect match, you'll eventually find it more draining that. Find Your Perfect Match · The #1 Singles Search · Start Your Singles Search. Sep 13, 2018 · Jehovah's Witnesses Dating. Latin ladies from Colombia and Peru write you.
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Match.com continues to redefine the way single men and single women meet, flirt, date and fall in love, proving time and again that you can make love happen through online dating and that lasting relationships are possible. Match.com singles are serious about finding love. Match.com, the leading online dating resource for singles. Search through thousands of personals and photos. Go ahead, it's FREE to look! With more dates, more relationships, and more marriages than any other site, Dating Tips on Match.com helps you explore your curiosity about online dating. Match.com is an online dating site that gives you a lot of flexibility in choosing who you contact and a wide search criteria. Tinder is more than a dating app. Find a Date – Start on Match.com Today! You'll Be Surprised Who You'll Find on eharmony. Find True Compatibility · Love That Lasts · Science-based Matchmaking · Happier Relationships. Join, Browse & Chat For Free! Over the years, many people have met, fallen in love, and married. If you seek a partner and have considered using a dating site, you need to. And unlike Badoo and eHarmony, Match is home to the largest pool of personals in online dating — that includes gay dating websites, lesbian dating and plus size dating. Today, 1 in 5 relationships start with online dating. JapanCupid has connected thousands of Japanese singles with their matches from. Join in 60 seconds · #1 Japanese Dating Site · Review Matches for Free. AdThis is the dating site for you. Browse Thousands of Singles Near You. Ad1000s of Relationships Have Started on Match – Sign Up Today & See Pix! Even if we took away all of the deals above, Match would still be more reasonably priced than most other dating sites out there. Over 25,000 new members join Match every day. Why? We make connecting with local singles, dating and finding love easy and enjoyable. Dating advice from our relationship experts here at Match. As the premium relationship app committed to finding people love, our matching algorithm provides single men…. Match.com helped pioneer the online dating industry and now services 24 countries in 15 languages. Match.com give singles the opportunity to express themselves through various free writing sections. With the click of a mouse. We have a sophisticated and accurate match system that helps our members find their matches in an easy way. OkCupid is the only dating app that knows you're more substance than just a selfie—and it's free. Download it today to make meaningful connections with real people. Resultaten ovan observerades bland singlar medvetna om minst en online dating service. The latest Tweets from Match (@Match). The world's largest online dating community. Our mission is simple: to help singles find the kind of relationship they're looking for. Find, Chat, Flirt & Date Other 40+ Singles Near You. Companions For Holidays · Make New Friends · Safe and secure · Search Over-40s Near You. AdFind Singles Located In Your Own Town Right Now. If you're single, chat with lots of like-minded women and men in flirt chat rooms.


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Bouquets by Occasions
Birthday View All
National Boss's Day Flowers
National Boss's Day is around the corner! Wish your boss a happy Boss's Day with a festive bouquet of flowers instead of just a Boss's Day card! Richfield Flowers & Events offers same day and next day flower delivery to Eagan, MN and nationwide!
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Everyone is busy with candy and costumes for Halloween, but what about flowers for Halloween? Richfield Flowers & Events has spooky boo-quets sure to please any trick-or-treater. Halloween flowers and can be delivered nationwide or locally Eagan, MN
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Christmas Flowers
Send Christmas flower arrangements or gifts to Eagan, MN or nationwide with Richfield Flowers & Events. We have a wide selection of wreaths, centerpieces and bouquets for Christmas decoration and Christmas gifts!


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CommanderCast 159A – SDCC with an Angel
August 3, 2014
Hello everyone and welcome to Commandercast Episode 159! We're your weekly source for Community, Strategy, and Technology, hosted on MTGcast.com and our homesite: Commandercast.com! This week William, is joined by Calvin, JT, Hayes, and The Angel of GatheringMagic.com Heather! This week's Commandercast was so massive it needed a to be split into TWO DIFFERENT SHOWS!!! I Hope you're ready for a double dose of Commandercast!
This post is all about the news from WotC from the San Diego Comic Con! We talk about Khans, Wedge colors, the new Commander Product, and more! But if that doesn't hold your interest,check out the other episode from today where we talk about Planeswalkers!
All content and all you have to do is click the Ib!!
Commandercast Episode 159
July 31'th 2014
JT – Commandercast Staff Member
Hayes – Commandercast Site Editor
Heather – Gathering Magic Author of 20 Tweets
Favorite Commander This Week:
JT – Kozilek, Butcher of Truth (lols)
Hayes Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
Heather – Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Email sent by Donovan aka D0su, former Commandercast Admin
FTV: Annihilation
Khans of Tarkir
- Speed vs. Cunning
- Wedge themed!
- Wedge Names:
- Mardu – Kaalia
- Temur – RUG
- Abzan – Junk
- Jeskai – AMURICA
- Sultai – BUG
Commander 2014
- Mono-colored Decks
- 15 new cards per deck
- Highlighted with a Pre-Mending Planeswalker
Community: Planeswalkers
They get ridiculous in one on one (and absolutely break limited), but what about in multiplayer or even yet, Commander? Which ones hold their own and which one are over hyped for the panic button they slam?
Strategy: Looking at the Super Friends deck
Technology: The Chain Veil
Among other things, we'll talk about different cards that help you fight against and with, the Super Friends deck, highlighted by discussion on the recent new addition: The Chain Veil.
Other Planeswalker tech: Inexorable tide
William – Email: Commandercast(at)gmail(dot)com // twitter: (at)Commandercast
JT – Email: khaoskontrol(at)hotmail(dot)com // http://www.animericashow.com
Hayes – Email:Hayesthehayes(at)gmail(dot)com // twitter: (at)hayesthehayes
Heather – Email: angel(at)gatheringmagic // twitter: (at)revisedangel
If you want to message Commandercast be sure to check out our Facebook page. You can also tweet us (at)Commandercast or email us at Commandercast(at)gmail(dot)com. You can check out our tumblr at Commandercast(dot)tumblr(dot)com.
Thanks to everyone who contributes to our site, you're all wonderful people. Thanks to Judson and Calvin for manning our facebook page. Music for our show is the "X meets Heavy Metal" series by 331Erock. We'll see you next week with more community, strategy, and technology. Until then, LET'S GET IT!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


text: NFL Europa 10/24/2012 See All News The National Football League fielded a professional football league to grow the game on a global scale. The league underwent numerous name changes during its 15 seasons of existence. It began as the World League of American Football to World League to NFL Europe and then NFL Europa. Teams from across the globe competed in NFLE during the league's history from the early 1990s through 2007. The following is a listing of all the NFLE teams and years of operation. Amsterdam Admirals 1995-2007 Barcelona Dragons 1991-92, 2003 Berlin Thunder 1999-2007 Birmingham Fire 1991-1992 Cologne Centurions 2004-2007 Frankfurt Galaxy 1991-92, 1995-2007 Hamburg Sea Devils 2005-2007 London Monarchs 1991-92, 1995-1998 Montreal Machine 1991-1992 NY/NJ Knights 1991-1992 Ohio Glory 1992 Orlando Thunder 1991-1992 Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks 1991 Rhein Fire 1995-2007 Sacramento Surge 1991-1992 San Antonio Riders 1991-1992 Scottish Claymores 1995-2004 Back to news


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(Vienna, 18th November 2014) Figures from Austria's biggest health survey show that 41.8 per cent of Austrian women and almost as many men (41.6 per cent) go for a preventative check-up at least once over an observation period of three years. The survey of 15,500 participants was carried out by Statistik Austria and analysed by MedUni Vienna.
"This shows that it is just not true that men are fundamentally doctor-dodgers," says Anita Rieder, expert in social medicine and Head of the Centre for Public Health at the MedUni Vienna ahead of International Men's Day on Wednesday (tomorrow). "And it puts us in a very good position internationally in comparison with countries with similar preventative healthcare programmes too. The negative attributes that are continually attributed to men's health do nothing to suggest ways of improving men's health and only help perpetuate clichés; they were also criticised in the recent European report on The State of Men's Health in Europe."
Men's health priorities unchanged over 15 years
In 1999, the city of Vienna published the world's first report on men's health, in which Professor Rieder played a leading role. The term "men's health" has become firmly established since then. 15 years later, the priorities are still very similar: there are too many early deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as accidents and respiratory diseases such as COPD. "The lost years of life and associated shorter life expectancy for men are also very strongly linked to socioeconomic factors. This is particularly clear for lung cancer and other smoking-related tumours, but it also holds true for fatal industrial and traffic accidents."
Getting men involved earlier
There is still a need to get men involved with preventative healthcare at an earlier stage: preventative check-ups are offered in Austria from the age of 18 onwards and become more extensive with age. In younger years, the focus is on risk factors for cardiovascular disease, obesity, smoking, diabetes and a healthy lifestyle; later, cancer screening programmes, such as those for bowel cancer or checks in cases of suspected prostate cancer are included, although in the latter case there is still need for scientific debate around offering early diagnosis investigations to all men over a certain age, even without symptoms.
Says Rieder: "Compared to the number of early prostate cancer diagnoses, there are still too many disadvantages to the test for men. It is always important to discuss with a doctor whether, when and how often the so-called PSA test should be carried out for early diagnosis in each individual case." There is a need to aim for continued development of the test as well as better recommendations, so that a more satisfactory early diagnosis programme, comparable to mammography screening for women, can be offered.
Women are also automatically engaged in the Austrian preventative healthcare system at a much earlier stage: "Children and families, family planning and the Mother-Child Passport mean that they come into contact with the system earlier". Increasing the number of healthcare activities available in the workplace and workplace health promotion schemes could be a step in this direction for men.
"While men's health has improved somewhat in the last 15 years, there are still risk factors and diseases that can often be recognised early, and prevented," continues the MedUni Vienna expert in social medicine. "There should also be more focus on mental health because men and women are equally affected by mental illness and stress, yet the issue is often predominantly associated with women's health."
(Vienna, 18th November 2014) Figures from Austria's biggest health survey show that 41.8 per cent of Austrian women and almost as many men (41.6 per cent) go for a preventative check-up at least once over an observation period of three years. The survey of 15,500 participants was carried out by Statistik Austria and analysed by MedUni Vienna.


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These raw brownies have seriously changed my life! I am a complete chocaholic and this recipe allows me to whip up a healthy, delicious brownie in less than 10 minutes. Which means that there is zero reason to resort to grabbing a mass-produced, cocoa powder, refined sugar, E-number packed chocolate bar off the supermarket shelf. As if you needed any more perks, these brownies are actually good for you!!!
Raw cacao is the unprocessed form of chocolate, full of antioxidants, and contains happy hormones that also act as a natural aphrodisiac; dates are packed with dietary fibre; pecans contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids and are a source of plant-based protein in this recipe; and maple syrup is simply a natural sweetener that is a much better alternative to refined white sugar. These brownies melt in your mouth and have a wonderful chewy, goo-ey consistency. I like to gobble them up with a big portion of my Banana Nice-Cream to make myself feel like I'm eating the most luxurious, decadent, naughty dessert, when really I am just feasting on delicious goodness. I have fallen in love with these brownies because they are so quick & easy to make, and don't require any cooking. They are also great to make for friends & family; no one I have ever made them for can believe the ingredients list and they provide the perfect example to show people how amazing healthy food can taste.
- 15 medjool dates
- 100g chopped pecans (optional)
- 3 tbsp raw cacao
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- Banana Nicecream (optional) (to serve)
- Pit the dates.
- Place the pecans in a food processer and blend until broken & fine.
- Add the dates, cacao & maple syrup and blend.
- Spread the mixture on to a flat surface (plate or tray).
- Place the brownie in the freezer for 1 hour to set.
- Once set, cut into squares and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Enjoy!


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SXSW 2012: Bobcat Goldthwait's 'God Bless America' is No 'Network'
by Jeremy Kirk
March 11, 2012
Thank God for Bobcat Goldthwait. While many other directors are culling together banal statements — sometimes not even a statement — and hack representations on how they think the world should go, Goldthwait is saying something. What he says isn't always said subtly. More often than not, it's said in the most unflinching, some call it abrasive, ways imaginable. When Goldthwait isn't subtle, his art suffers for it. Case in point, God Bless America, a film ten times more interesting than the cliched image pushing we so often get with today's filmmakers. Even when Goldthwait speaks off key, his voice is a welcomed departure from the norm.
Joel Murray plays Frank, an everyday man who is fed up with the world. He listens to his ignorant neighbors bickering, listens to their snot-filled baby screaming at all hours of the day. Frank wants something to change, and, when he is diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor, he takes the shock to his world as a sign that he has to make that change himself. Enter the shotgun. Enter the pistols. Enter the killing spree Frank goes on to take out the worst the world has to offer. No one is safe. Not "American Idol" contestants. Or judges. Not members of the Westboro Baptist Church. Not even people who say "Namaste" are safe, as Frank so casually throws out. His killing spree gets him spotted by a teenage girl, Roxy, played by the adorable but eccentrically exciting Tara Lynne Barr. The two embark on a cross-nation journey that expels the more culturally devoid inhabitants of the world.
It's not hard to see where Goldthwait was going on this one. He, like Frank, is fed up with reality TV stars. He's fed up with flipping TV channels at 3 in the morning and coming across "16 and Pregnant." Goldthwait is clearly up in arms about what goes for talent in this country these days, and it's not difficult to side with him. There's a poison in the water, and it's slowly eating our world—the cultural world, at least—from the inside out. California teens are bitching that their new Lexus is silver instead of black, while poverty and hunger saps the life from third world countries. We live in a world where more know the name William Hung than Joe Biden.
Goldthwait is sick of the world as it is, and his fantasy includes taking a pump action to the society's cultural face. That's clearly what Frank represents, Goldthwait acting out his every sickened desire to kill the useless off, while the workers of the world keep it moving. It's justifiable enough. If you see something that's killing the world as you know it, you should kill it in return, cast it out entirely and make sure no piece remains. It wants to be Network for a society that remembers when MTV played music. Only God Bless America, with all its harping and speechifying, is no Network, and Bobcat Goldthwait, for all of his rough-around-the-edges originality, is no Paddy Chayefsky.
God Bless America is a series of seeing the most disgusting people born to this world, people who want fame and celebrity without the time and effort that used to come before it. We see them. We recognize them. They're not that shrouded in Goldthwait's fiction, a scary indication that he might not want the rest of his story shrouded in fiction, either. No, I don't think Bobcat Goldthwait would ever take a shotgun to Britney Spears, but you can't help but wonder what might happen if morality and consequences went right out the window.
God Bless America is a scary film. It shows us the worst we have to offer, throws a mirror up in front of our "Toddlers and Tiaras" and makes us question how far we're willing to let it go. But Goldthwait's film, the worst of the worst shown in rapid succession, is so glass-half-empty that it's unwilling to take the real artists of the world into account. Granted, God Bless America is a film about the worst, but it speaks a message that could be dangerous without that optimistic padding, the prolific and profound creatures of our culture who make you think, challenge you with their art, and have something to say. If Goldthwait was willing to throw that mirror up in front of himself, he'd see things aren't that bad. Or, at the very least, they're not bad enough not to tolerate.
Jeremy's SXSW Rating: 6.5 out of 10
7 Comments
Cant wait to see it.
Patrick Foster on Mar 11, 2012
Westboro Baptist Church spreads its hate through picketing in our streets, provoking attacks, with abusive language and flag desecration, attempting to create a confrontation. This is not a church, this is a hate group. This is not about protesting, freedom, or God. They are in it for the money and the press; this is a family law firm. They are not a "church." It is a scam. They go after anything that can get them in the news. This is a family of lawyers using this "god hates you" thing to make money. It is time for this scam and the hate to end. The church has received money from lawsuits and legal fees. For example, they sued the city of Topeka several times in the 1990s(this show has been going on for years). WBC received $16,500, and is pursuing another $100,000, in legal fees for a case won in court. The WBC is considered a nonprofit organization by the federal government, and is therefore exempt from paying taxes! Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church is shown admitting on camera that her oldest son was born out of wedlock. Hypocritical Phelps-Roper's vocal condemnation on strangers having sexual congress outside of marriage while she herself was guilty of the same. They are NOT what they say they are!! THEY ARE NOT A CHURCH!!!
8811081 on Mar 12, 2012
This review doesn't make any sense.
dont on Mar 14, 2012
" . . . things aren't that bad. Or, at the very least, they're not bad enough not to tolerate." Um, excuse me but, yes, they are.
Jules on Mar 18, 2012
"God Bless America is a series of seeing the most disgusting people born to this world, people who want fame and celebrity without the time and effort that used to come before it." Yeah, because the worst people in the world are reality TV stars. The tragedy about a film like this is that actually gives merit to the idea that American culture (or lack of it) actually ranks on any kind of real scale of badness or evil. It's granting import to the ridiculously unimportant.
Keith on Mar 23, 2012
I'll reserve my opinion until I see this movie, though the trailer seems catered to anyone with an appreciation for a culture outside the pro forma "pink slime" fed to the lowest common denominator. With shoot-em-up vengeance films a staple of American culture, and a hotly sought import in other gun-happy countries, there is room for a fantasy about a vigilante going after the people who exemplify the worst impulses of our growing culture of egoism. Go Bobcat Go!
Quink on Mar 27, 2012
Bobcat Goldthwait, who I thought was dead, has written and directed one of the best films you'll probably never see, GOD BLESS AMERICA. I found it on Charter cable's OnDemand movie listings under "Indies & Independents" yesterday afternoon. It's actually the story of my life. Really. I mean it. People who know me would think I was playing the lead character. He goes on a guiltless killing spree after getting fed up with America and it's continuously monotonous bullshit. Speaking of an American Idol-like show he'd flipped past while watching TV the previous night, he tells a co-worker, "It's the same type of freak show attraction that comes along every time an empire starts collapsing." Yeah, that's me. See this movie. Bobcat's writing is brilliant and sarcastic as hell and will put a big fat smile on your face.
Digitalhowie on May 1, 2012
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Monday, August 31, 2015
Watermelon Hello
For my final project as a Guest Designer for The Kraft Journal Challenges, I let this week's Watermelon Challenge theme influence my choice of colors for this card and for the image I used. The card base for this Flip Card is a piece of Lunch Bag Kraft Cover Weight Cardstock. I first saw this fun fold on YouTube in this Flip Fold video by France Martin. The digi image was colored with Copic markers and die cut before being double matted on red and green cardstock. Instead of using patterned paper, I stamped the red cardstock in a random pattern with red ink and then randomly made lots of white dots all over this panel. The sentiment was stamped on a tag and tied with pieces of Red Baker's Twine and Dark Green Baker's Twine.
The black scalloped circle frame was accents with Enamel accents. As you open the card, the image panel rotates to flip through the front opening and be visible on the inside.
There is room inside for a message. This finished card is standard A2 size.
Cardstock: The Kraft Journal (Lunch Bag Kraft Cover Weight Cardstock), Bazzil (red, green), Georgia Pacific (white)
Stamps: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps digi (Kiwi Koala's Watermelon), Mark's Finest Papers clear stamps (Dogwood Blossoms), Flourishes clear stamps (Berry Sweet Frame)
Ink: Versafine (Onyx Black, Crimson Red)
Tools/Embellishments: The Kraft Outlet ( Red Baker's Twine and Dark Green Baker's Twine), Stickles (Star Dust), Spellbinders dies (Standard Circles Large and Small, Petite Scalloped Oval Large), Stampin' Up tag punch, Uniball Signo white gel pen, Ranger Enamel Accents (white), Gelly Roll black gel pen
I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Hiding in My Craft Room Challenge #214 - Freestyle
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Pile it On Challenge #84 - Friends/Friendly Hello
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #108 - Use at least one die cut
Clear it Out Challenge - Fancy Fold + A Die Cut
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards Challenge #98 - Use a Sentiment
Crazy 4 Challenges - Use a tag
Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge - Anything Goes
Get Creative Challenge #22 - No Printed Paper
Incy Wincy Designs Challenge - Anything Goes
One Sweet Challenge - Use a New to You Technique (I've never made this card fold before nor have I made my own background my combining stamps and gel pens)
Thanks for visiting with me today. I have really enjoyed my time as a Guest Designer at The Kraft Journal and am sorry to see it end. I would like to thank Babette for the opportunity and the rest of the team for making her feel so welcome.
11 comments:
- Pia S said...
This is a fun different fold! I really like how you made your own patterned paper, it looks great and suits the water melon theme of the image just perfectly!
- August 31, 2015 at 11:39 AM
- Laura W said...
This is adorable. Love the card fold. Thanks for joining us at the Clear it out challenge blog. Check in tomorrow for our new challenge/winner :)
- August 31, 2015 at 1:12 PM
- Tina said...
super cute...thanks for sharing at pile it on
- August 31, 2015 at 9:23 PM
- Sue's Paper Crafts said...
Cute card, wonderful design, color combo and cute image. Thank you for joining us this week at HIMCR.
Sue - HIMCR DT
- September 1, 2015 at 12:17 PM
- Andrea Beecroft said...
Just gorgeous Stephanie a beautiful flip card and thank you for sharing it with us over at Outlawz Thursday Twist. Hugs Andrea DT
- September 1, 2015 at 7:16 PM
- Patricia St Martin said...
Stephanie, Love all the views with the pictures. Thanks for sharing the video. Love the cute image, the way the card opens. Thanks for joining us at Twisted Thursday.
Hugs Pat♥
- September 1, 2015 at 7:55 PM
- Teresa Kline said...
hello Stephanie! super cute card, the cool design is super fun, fabulous coloring too! so glad you played along with us at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge!
sparkle & shine *~*
- September 1, 2015 at 9:50 PM
- Karen C said...
This is adorable! Love the flip cards! So glad you shared with us over at Incy Wincy Design's Anything Goes challenge!
Karen C
- September 1, 2015 at 10:38 PM
- aussie aNNie said...
Stunningly beautiful creation, lovely sentiment to for our current challenge...hope to see you next challenge.xx
{Chocolate Coffee and Cards DT Member}
- September 3, 2015 at 6:40 AM
- Angie said...
Neat card & cute digi image! Thanks for joining us at Get Creative Challenges! Angie-Owner
- September 6, 2015 at 7:09 PM
- RitaK said...
A colourful and fun card. Thanks for joining the ATSC. Hugs Rita
- September 14, 2015 at 10:54 AM


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Convincing shoppers to click on your PPC ads is just the beginning, and the hard work in planning your search marketing campaigns and producing compelling ad copy can be wasted if your landing page doesn't do its job.
By clicking on your PPC ad, a shopper has expressed an interest in your site and products, and so landing pages need to continue the work of the ad, providing the information needed to find out more about products, and enough persuasive elements to convert visitors into customers.
Landing page aims may differ according to products sold and campaign goals. For most retailers, landing pages are likely to be designed to convert visitors into buyers, but other pages may be about driving visits to physical locations, perhaps through appointment bookings. It could also be designed to collect customer data, perhaps to build up an email database.
While a well-designed landing page ensures a smooth transition from the ad click and helps the customer, a bad landing page can leave customers confused, wondering how to find the product they clicked an ad for, or how to purchase it.
Conversions are key, but landing pages also affect Quality Score, a metric used by Google and Microsoft. Landing page experience is a factor in Quality Score, and this can impact future ad placements and bids.
In this article, I'll look at the types of landing page to use with PPC campaigns and some key best practices and tips to optimise your landing pages.
What type of landing page should you use?
The type of landing page you choose will depend on ad type and campaign goals. There are a couple of possible options here.
Firstly, you could direct visitors who click on ads to a product or category page that is relevant to the ad. Or, you could design a landing page which is designed to be used with a marketing campaign, or especially designed for visitors from PPC ads.
Landing page choice can also depend on the search terms you're bidding for, and what suits these visitors best. For broad search terms, it may be more relevant to show existing category pages.
For example, when people search for a generic term like 'TVs' this indicates the stage they're at in their product research, and that they may want to see the entire range of TVs on offer. In this case, most of the brands bidding on this term send shoppers to the product category page, from where they can start to browse the range, narrow options, and check out individual product pages.
For a more specific term – the exact make and model of TV for example – it would be wiser to send customers straight to the product page as the use of this term indicates that they have a clear idea of what they're looking for. Sending them straight to product details removes potential distractions.
If you use existing landing pages this can be a more efficient and cost-effective approach, as it does not involve any extra design work. They can also be more effective from an SEO perspective as they are a permanent part of the website and can also rank organically for product searches. One potential problem with using existing pages is that they can be less focused on the conversion than custom landing pages.
Product pages are of course designed to sell the product in question, but they also function as part of the general browsing journey on a site, so visitors may look at multiple product pages while browsing.
For this reason they're designed to help people browse the site and check out their options, with clear site navigation and promotion of different product options.
In the case of a dedicated landing page, the visitor has clicked an ad to see it, and the retailer has paid for this click, so it's more focused. This can mean a more stripped down approach, with pages showing CTAs only for the product and site navigation options removed to avoid distraction.
They can also be adapted for a specific campaign, with copy, images and products designed to fit in, carrying on imagery from TV ads for example.
Tips for landing page design
Once you have decided on the keywords to target with your PPC campaign, and the types of landing pages that are suitable, there are several elements to consider next.
1. Relevance of landing pages to the ad
Landing pages must be relevant to the PPC ad that the visitor has just clicked on. It needs to match their expectations. If it doesn't, then the visitor will wonder whether they're on the right page.
So, if they've clicked on an ad for a Dualit toaster, they need to see the product name and image when they land on the page, as well as price and other details.
This ensures a smooth transition from ad to landing page and avoids the risk that they'll leave the site straight away.
2. Think about the length of landing pages
There's no right or wrong answer here. The best performing page length can depend on the type of product, the target audience, and the goals of the campaign.
In a nutshell, the landing page needs to be long enough to sell a product or service effectively, but not so long that it detracts from the user experience and deters visitors.
A longer landing page has some key advantages. It allows more space and room to convey the different features and benefits of a product, and therefore more chance to convince customers to buy.
For this reason, it can work well for more complex products which require more thought from shoppers. Amazon does tend to do this on most product pages, though Amazon may be the exception here.
Shorter landing pages have the advantage of brevity, and can convey a product's features and benefits in a few simple points. This can speed up the decision process and lead to more conversions, though the potential drawback is that customers could have unanswered questions about products.
3. Clear calls to action
A good landing page should leave customers in no doubt about where they need to click to buy a product, book an appointment, or whatever action you want users to take.
Some general tips for a good call to action:
- Easy to find. If users have to spend any time looking for it, it isn't doing its job. It should be in a prominent position, while multiple CTAs can be used for longer landing pages.
- Stand out from the background. This is often about a mixture of size and colour. It should be big enough to spot, while it can help to choose a colour that contrasts with the rest of the page. There's no right or wrong answer here, but the color should help to make the CTA stand out.
- The words used on the actual CTA should make it clear what will happen when the user clicks – 'add to basket', 'buy now', 'begin your quote' etc.
4. Keep distractions to a minimum
The purpose of a landing page is to convert, so it makes sense to remove any elements which aren't helping towards that goal.
Images and content should be used carefully, providing just enough to help the user make their decision and not distracting them with too much information.
Many sites choose to remove navigational elements so that customers are focused on the page. This can work and does make sense with 'one product' sites like ipsy. The flip side is that it can leave customers at a dead end if they decide not to buy.
5. Build customer trust
If a landing page appears untrustworthy this can deter shoppers. This is something that is especially important for smaller businesses that may not be well-known to the shopper arriving via a paid ad.
Trust can be conveyed in a number of ways. The look and feel of a page helps, if it looks professional and is easy to use, this is a good first step. In addition, sites can add user reviews, press mentions, customer testimonials and messages about secure payment to help reassure customers.
Here, Riverford prominently displays its Trustpilot review score to show that it's trusted and valued by previous customers.
6. Loading time
Landing pages need to load quickly to be effective. Users may become frustrated with slow loading pages and may leave before it finishes loading. Compass research found that bounce rate increases to 50% when a page takes an extra two seconds to load.
In addition, page speed is a Google ranking factor, and something which is also taken into account as part of Quality Score.
7. Test and improve
No landing page is ever perfect, so they should be continually tested and improved to optimise performance.
Elements such as page length, placement of CTAs, page copy, images and more can all be tested and tweaked to find the best balance.
8. Think about mobile users
With mobile web use up at around 50% in many sectors, your landing pages must work for mobile visitors.
They need to load quickly, be easy to read, and forms need to be mobile friendly to maximise ROI from mobile visits.
You can turn mobile to your advantage, making forms easier to complete by serving up the most appropriate smartphone keyboard, adding mobile payment shortcuts, and even using phone numbers as a CTA if you're looking to drive store visits or appointments.
In summary
Landing pages are an important aspect of any PPC campaign and in this article, I have outlined some of the key areas to consider to maximise performance. A well-designed landing page which delivers on the promise of the initial ad can make a big difference to your results.


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Herb Pharm Dandelion Extract Alcohol Free
Product Details
- Brand: Herb Pharm
- Product Code: dandelion-extract-alcohol-free-HPH-4-oz
- Quantity per Container: 4 Oz
Cleanse and Detoxify with All-Natural Dandelion Extract
Dandelion may be just a weed to many, but to many more, it's a food source, as well as an herbal way to support optimal overall health and wellness. Rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, iron, and a host of other important nutrients, dandelion has been used for thousands of years as an all-natural, chemical-free pathway to better health.
Herb Pharm's Dandelion is an all-natural herbal liquid supplement that is made from whole dandelion plants to provide optimal support for cleansing and detoxification.
Product Details:
- Contains the root, leaf, and flower of dandelion plants that are Certified Organically Grown on the Herb Pharm farm
- Completely free of alcohol and gluten
- Best when used between meals
Other possible benefits of dandelion include the following:
- It promotes digestion, stimulates appetite, and helps balance beneficial bacteria in your G.I. tract
- It may help enhance your liver function by getting rid of toxins and working to replenish important electrolytes
- Dandelion provides powerful antioxidant protection against free-radical damage and may help slow the aging process in your cells
- It promotes healthier blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- It may also support an improvement in immune system health and function
Make the right choice to give yourself a healthy boost. Choose the convenience of Herb Pharm's Dandelion today, and see the difference it may be able to make for you. Order now!
Nutrition Facts
Supplement Facts
Servings (0.7ml) per container: about 168
0.7ml contains:
Dandelion whole flowering plant extract 807mg(E)
---(Taraxacum officinale)(O)(F)
Other Ingredients: certified organic vegetable glycerin, distilled water.
Contains NO: alcohol, GMOs, gluten. USDA Certified Organic.
(O) Certified Organic
(F) Fresh (undried)
(E) Extraction rate 560mg herb per 0.7ml.
Dry herb / menstruum ratio: 1:1.25
Recommended Use:
Adults: Shake Well Before Using. Add 1 full squeeze of the dropper bulb to 2 oz. of water or juice, 2 to 4 times per day. Best taken between meals.
If you are pregnant or nursing, please consult your healthcare professional before using this product. Keep out of the reach of children.


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When standard allergy medications don't help, your allergy symptoms are severe, or you want to stop taking medications, immunotherapy may be the solution you need. Katie Marks-Cogan, MD, FACAAI, and Raffi Tachdjian, MD, MPH, FAAAAI, at Clear Allergy expertly administer immunotherapy to speed up the process and relieve your symptoms sooner. To learn more about immunotherapy or to schedule an appointment, use online booking or call the office in Culver City, California.
Immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, is commonly administered using an injection, but that's not the only option.
In some cases, Dr. Marks-Cogan and Dr. Tachdjian may prescribe sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), which is in the form of a tablet that dissolves under your tongue or in the form of a droplet placed under your tongue. SLIT, however, is administered on a different schedule than allergy shots.
Immunotherapy provides long-lasting relief from allergies because it desensitizes your immune system. Your therapy begins by injecting a very small amount of an allergen into your body. You'll get just enough to stimulate your immune system, but not enough to cause a full-blown allergic reaction.
Dr. Marks-Cogan and Dr.Tachdjian administer allergy shots or SLIT following a regular schedule. With each treatment, you get a higher dose of allergen.
As the dose gradually increases, your immune system naturally builds up a tolerance to the allergen, so your allergic symptoms decrease.
Immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots follows two phases. In the build-up phase, you receive a gradually increasing dose of allergens 1-3 times a week to build up to your maintenance dose. The build-up phase can last anywhere from about a month to 3-6 months, depending on whether you choose cluster immunotherapy or the standard build-up.
During the maintenance phase, you'll get allergy shots once every 2-4 weeks. This continues to build your tolerance.
Allergy symptoms will likely improve during the first year, but optimal results come over time. By the second or third year, most people are fairly desensitized, so they stop having significant allergic reactions.
Immunotherapy may be a good option if other methods of treatment aren't effective in relieving your allergy symptoms. Dr. Marks-Cogan and Dr. Tachdjian perform in-office skin testing to determine the cause of your symptoms. They may recommend immunotherapy for:
Immunotherapy can also be effective for relieving symptoms of indoor allergies to dust and mold and for reducing sensitivities to pet dander and insect stings. The doctors may also recommend immunotherapy as part of your treatment for allergic asthma.
If your current treatment doesn't help your allergy symptoms, it may be time to try immunotherapy. Call Clear Allergy or book an appointment online.


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Pirlo responds as Ronaldo again criticised for ducking in wall for Parma's free-kick goal
Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo admits that he has a decision to make on Cristiano Ronaldo's ongoing presence in defensive walls after seeing the Portuguese spark another ducking storm.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored 97 goals for Juve since joining from Real Madrid, while his presence is often needed in defensive walls, given his height and frame.
The 36-year-old has, however, faced criticism of late for an apparent reluctance to commit fully to blocking dangerous free-kicks, with Porto firing beyond him to claim a notable Champions League scalp and Parma drilling over Ronaldo's head in a Serie A outing on Wednesday.
What has been said?
Juve hit back to claim a 3-1 win over Parma, with Alex Sandro stepping up as an unlikely hero as he bagged two goals, but much of the post-match discussion focused on Ronaldo.
Pirlo was quizzed by Sky Sport Italia on whether he will need to remove a superstar performer from wall duty after seeing him duck under an effort from Gaston Brugman.
The Bianconeri boss said: "Unfortunately these things happen, we will evaluate what to do in the next matches and whether to put him in the wall."
Did Cristiano Ronaldo duck in the wall for Parma's goal vs Juventus? 😳 pic.twitter.com/u84YLCr58u— Goal (@goal) April 21, 2021
Pirlo's take on the Super League
Inevitably, given the events of the last few days, Pirlo was also quizzed on the Super League proposals that Juve figured prominently in.
Andrea Agnelli had been heading up those talks, but a project that had been in the pipeline for some time has collapsed in on itself following a fierce backlash from players, supporters and sporting organisations.
Pirlo said when asked for his take on the Super League, which saw 12 teams initially sign up to be founder members: "Agnelli explained what was happening, but that the most important thing was to secure a place in the top four to qualify for the Champions League."
He added on the closed-house format of a breakaway league that would have seen Juve face no threat of dropping out of an elite competition: "I already spoke about it, so did the president and the director.
"We all know the same things. Something has to be changed on the European level, because the ideas that were proposed were good ones, but we are also open to other suggestions and will respect the rules."
Further reading
- 'Wrong to take Ronaldo? Never!' - Agnelli defends Juve's decision
- 'Ronaldo will not come back to Real Madrid' - Perez
- 'Ronaldo's never been a leader & never will be'
Editors' Picks
- Cristiano who?! Portugal winners, losers & ratings as Ronaldo replacement Ramos hits historic hat-trick in Switzerland rout
- Spain are out! Winners, losers and ratings as Hakimi becomes a Morocco hero with history-making World Cup Panenka
- Jose Luis Chilavert: The goalscoring Bulldog that redefined the role of goalkeeper
- World Cup 2022 Power Rankings: Portugal surge ahead of Qatar quarter-finals


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Location: Budapest, Hungary
Square Footage: 23,000
Bedrooms & Bathrooms: 7 bedrooms & 10 bathrooms
Price: €11,000,000 or $14,262,930
This newly built Contemporary/modern style mansion is located in Budapest, Hungary. It features approximately 23,000 square feet of living space on 3 floors with 7 bedrooms & 10 bathrooms.
The 1st floor features a 2-story foyer with glass staircase, elevator, formal living & dining rooms, gourmet kitchen, home office, 2 guest bedroom suites, 2 powder rooms, snooker room and an indoor swimming pool.
The 2nd floor features the master suite, 3 additional bedroom suites and a laundry room.
The lower level features a billiards/game room, home theater, gym, subterranean garage and a large spa complete with sauna, steam shower and a bathroom.
Outdoor features include terraces, swimming pool with separate spa and a summer kitchen with bathroom.
It is listed at €11,000,000.


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Launch of an innovative Savings and Credit Cooperative
After three years of active support for the creation of 130 women Village Savings and Loans Associations within the district of Sironko, in Eastern Uganda, Seeds steps up a notch and now launches the transformation of those groups into one major Savings and Credit Cooperative. This second step will prove to be as pragmatic as it is essential to the social and economic developments of the rural communities with whom we've been working for the past years. We are setting sail for a new dynamics: combining the development of individual savings and loans with shared and needed business ressources.
As we stay true to our way of proceeding, this new dimension finds its source at the community level. The project is indeed the fruit of many discussions with the implicated actors, meaning both the representatives of all VSLA groups as well as with our local partner, NEW Foundation. No need to emphasize on the degree of enthusiasm that envelops this innovative project, which should be constituted of no less than 4600 members.
The first advantage of this «cooperatisation» will be its very nature: the solidarity between its members and their shared economic and social development. Should we not forget that it was the crisis that gave birth to cooperatives in Europe. Those were designed in order to rebuild our agriculture in the post-war period, and previously to face the terrible agriculture crisis in the end of the XIXth Century. Because every crisis spurs rapprochements, mutualisation and solidarity. Yes, Uganda does not know crisis per se. However the symptoms of its economic and social problems look similar enough.
Definitely a promising project. Launching it in a few days, we'll keep you posted!
#Uganda #Socialbusiness #Sacco #Cooperative #Socialenterprise


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Silverbacks Lacrosse Recruiting program operates under the Delaware Lacrosse Academy and has been in existence since 2008. In the past 9 years, we have had over 190 players graduate from our program with players at every college level. We are committed to helping players reach their potential and assist families through the admissions and recruiting process from start to finish. All our coaches are college graduates and have had played college lacrosse. Also, our coaches have to be actively coaching at a high level. Our Summer teams practice twice per week to give the most opportunity for improvement and advancement.
Our mission is simple – "Development" of the entire athlete. Our philosophy as a coaching staff helps with the learning curve and the greater understanding of playing at a higher level – "Teach Not Tell". Playing at a faster and higher level combined with college level techniques helps players to read game situations, make assessments and decisions and apply proper, learned technique to instantaneous reactions that are practiced and refined within the program. We want our players to know everything they can about all aspects of the game. Better understanding equals a shorter read and react time creating the ability to play faster.


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The Best Recipes That Use Fresh Tomatoes
It's your last chance to take advantage of summer's bounty - delicious tomatoes!
On-the-vine, heirloom, grape - green, yellow, orange or red - there are so many wonderful ways to use one of summer's finest fruits. I love tomatoes not just because they are pretty, juicy and succulent but because they are uber healthy too. I always feel good about feeding my kids (and myself) a source of lycopene out of something other than the ketchup squeeze bottle.
Here are just a few ideas for tomatoes, now perfect and in season, keep scrolling for a whole gallery of recipes featuring Summer tomatoes.
Grill 'Em Up: Shish Kebab
If you can take the heat then head outside. I love skewering sweet grape tomatoes along with beef and mushrooms. This great kosher shish kebab recipe was designed for indoor use year-round but don't miss out on grilling outside if you are able.
Fresh Sliced: Mozzarella and Tomato Stacks
Beat the heat with fresh sliced tomatoes and mozzarella. There are just a few ingredients so let's get them right. In season perfectly ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and good quality, mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar are key. I was introduced to this perfect Italian starter when I moved to NYC. My college roommate Ro could not get enough of this dish and she would order it whenever we went out to eat.
In a Salad: Italian Tomato Salad
This super-simple Italian tomato salad is great for entertaining indoors or out. I serve it as part of the fish course on Shabbos or as a side for a BBQ. It's done in a snap looks beautiful and tastes even better.
While Summer fresh tomatoes are amazing raw, they are also incredible when cooked on the grill or stuffed or roasted. Browse through all our favorite recipes featuring incredible tomatoes.
The Best Ways To Use Your Summer Tomatoes
What's your favorite way to enjoy tomatoes in the summer? Leave a comment and let me know.


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Like I've said many times in the past, giveaways are a lot of fun - I love giveaways. So, what better way to celebrate the holidays than by hosting a giveaway? This will be the biggest giveaway I've done with six prizes up for grabs to six different winners.
I'm giving away 2 hardback books (Rook by Sharon Cameron and To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, 2 paperback books (Sharps by K.J. Parker and Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore), 1 DVD (Oblivion (2013), and 1 book on CD (Wishing Well (Doctor Who: New Series Adventures #9) by Trevor Baxendale.
This giveaway begins at 12a.m. on Wedesday, December 16th, 2015 and closes at 12a.m. on Friday, January 1st, 2016. Each winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond with their mailing address and their top prize choices.
Happy Holidays and may the odds ever be in your favor!
Giveaways are the best, thanks for hosting one!ReplyDeleteReplies
You're very welcome! Good luck!Delete
Thanks for informing me of your giveaway, first time I have entered one. :) Thanks for hosting!ReplyDeleteReplies
You're very welcome - thanks for entering! Best of luck!Delete
Quite a few great wishes on your wishlist! I hope you find a few of them at your door from Santa!ReplyDelete
I loved To All The Boys I've Loved Before. It would be cool to win a hard copy! :DReplyDelete
Great Giveaway!Replies
Thanks! Good luck, Giovanna!Delete
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!! :)ReplyDeleteReplies
You're very welcome! Good luck!Delete
Thanks for putting on the giveaway. I really like the selection.ReplyDeleteReplies
You're very welcome! Fingers crossed!Delete
Fantastic giveaway with great options! Happy Happy New Year!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thanks for entering and good luck!Delete


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Thanks for visiting the Athrey Lab website!
Scientific research is increasingly inter-disciplinary and collaborative, and its a great time to work with colleagues, students and scholars who come from various backgrounds. I describe myself as a naturalist first, and then as a geneticist, and going back to natural history has always informed my approaches to my research. I am fascinated by the idea of what genetics can tell us about how things work inside and all around us. My broad interests are in using genetics to illuminate biological processes at various levels – from the cellular to the organismal to the population level. A major objective of my research program is to use the knowledge generated through research to enable solutions for real world problems – novel tools to fight diseases, to help define practices and models for sustainable agriculture and conservation.
Please check out the "News" page on this website to find the latest, and the 'Positions' page to check for student and postdoc opportunities.
For a list of software, blogs and journals that I recommend, please visit my links page.


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Media Watch: UFC's Possible Relationship with WSOF
By Jesse Heitz
Seldom does the MMA world feature conspiracy theories, yet it appears that one is definitely brewing. Such a term is not meant to be at all derogatory, nor am I saying that such things are entirely unfounded in our sport. I suspect that nothing could be further from the truth.
In the past week, Zach Arnold of fightopinion.com posted a piece on the possible link between the UFC's parent company Zuffa and the World Series of Fighting (WSOF). In the article Arnold argued in essence that the WSOF is "in bed" with Zuffa. In the aforementioned article Arnold stated,
"WSOF is a promotion founded by Sig Rogich, Nevada's top political fixer. A top ally to Senators Harry Reid & John McCain. A top family friend to Marc Ratner (lifelong friend) and Lorenzo Fertitta. Ratner was Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission when Lorenzo was a commission member before buying the UFC. Rogich is the former Chairman of the NSAC. Rogich was the one who was front-and-center at a presser in Washington D.C. to tout the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo brain study for fighters. While attending that presser, John McCain and others were parroting that there isn't need for federal oversight & regulation of MMA. No Ali Act required, huh?"
Now I get that at least on the surface something might look a bit off regarding the recent happenings between these two supposed rival MMA promotions. Certainly, a wide open corridor between the two companies as far as fighters are concerned may seem a bit fishy, but is it? Have fighters never traversed promotions with regularity, continually seeking the best deal possible? Have fighters never been cut, then returned to their former promotion when they have a career turnaround?
Don't get me wrong, there's been an inordinate amount of traffic between these two promotions lately with the likes of Andrei Arlovski, Jon Fitch, Jake Shields, and Melvin Guillard, and moving seamlessly from one to the other. It may very well be that there's some connection between Rogich, Ratner, and Fertitta, yet none of this necessarily means there's any professional cooperation going on between them. I fully understand that it's highly unusual that Ray Sefo, the President of the WSOF, would appear on "The Ultimate Fighter 19" as a striking coach.
Perhaps Zuffa is using WSOF as its "minor leagues" so-to-speak, as it did with its other promotional holdings such as Pride, Strike Force, and the WEC. Yet, if memory serves, Zuffa was quite transparent regarding its other holdings, so I'm not entirely sure why they would stray so off their historical path, particularly given that such a path led them to the popularity and financial promised land.
To be fair, Mr. Arnold may very well be correct, time will certainly tell. However, his recent pieces all cover the UFC, with several produced this very week alleging some form of corruption, or at a minimum, less than honest dealings. If you ask me, we need a bit more evidence before we indict Zuffa on what amounts to MMA racketeering.


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Archive: Judge rips apart Ky's gay marriage case
- Heyburn stayed the ruling until the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decides gay-marriage cases.
- Heyburn rejected the notion that traditional marriages contribute to a stable birth rate.
- Heyburn in February had ruled that Kentucky must recognize gay marriages performed in other states.
In striking down Kentucky's ban on gay marriage, a federal judge Tuesday rejected Gov. Steve Beshear's argument that the ban is needed because only opposite sex couples can procreate and maintain the state's birth rate and economy.
"These arguments are not those of serious people," wrote Senior U.S. District Court Judge John G. Heyburn II.
"Even assuming the state has a legitimate interest in promoting procreation," Heyburn wrote in a 19-page opinion, its lawyers never explained how the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage has "any effect whatsoever on procreation among heterosexual spouses.''
Heyburn stayed his ruling, putting it on hold pending the outcome of gay marriage cases from four states that are to be argued Aug. 6 at the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Those include Heyburn's ruling in February that Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
Beshear, his lawyers and spokesman declined to respond Tuesday, other than to say the state will appeal, as they did the February ruling.
In their brief in that case, the private lawyers Beshear hired after Attorney General Jack Conway refused to defend the law also cited the argument that the same-sex marriage ban is justified because it encourages procreation by same sex couples.
In a 19-page ruling, Heyburn said he recognized that many Kentuckians oppose same-sex marriage for religious reasons, but added, "In America, even sincere and long-held religious beliefs do not trump the constitutional rights of those who happen to have been outvoted."
Gay rights advocates hailed Heyburn's ruling while opponents of same-sex marriage, including U.S. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., condemned it.
Dan Canon, one of the lawyers for the pair of gay couples who won the decision, said it "forcefully lays to rest that Kentucky's anti-gay marriage laws were based on anything but invidious discrimination."
Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, said the Kentucky ruling "underscores that America — all of America — is ready for the freedom to marry, and the Supreme Court should bring the country to national resolution as soon as possible."
But Martin Cothran, an analyst for the Family Foundation, which led the fight for Kentucky's 2004 constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, said the decision "is another indication that we are no longer a nation of laws, but a nation of judges."
And McConnell, who was been criticized by some conservative Republicans for supporting Heyburn's nomination to the bench in 1992 by President George H. Bush, said: "The people of Kentucky voted to enshrine in our Constitution that marriage in our state is between one man and one woman. I support that position.''
The ruling continues an unbroken string of decisions in which federal judges have struck down rules prohibiting gay marriage, which is now legal in 19 states and the District of Columbia.
The case was brought by two couples: Timothy Love and Lawrence Ysunza, who lived together for 34 years and were denied a marriage license on Feb. 13 by the Jefferson County Clerk's office; and the Rev. Maurice "Bojangles" Blanchard and Dominique James, who have lived together for 10 years and were cited for trespassing when they refused to leave the clerk's office after being denied a license on Jan. 23, 2013. A jury later convicted them of trespassing but fined them only one cent.
Heyburn held that the ban on gay marriage violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law and that there is "no conceivable legitimate purpose for it."
The plaintiffs claim that the state's constitutional amendment and a similar statute enacted in 1998 deny gay couples benefits awarded to same-sex ones. Those include lower income and estate taxes; leave from work under the Family and Medical Leave Act; the ability to adopt children as a couple; and "perhaps most importantly, the "intangible and emotional benefits of civil marriage."
Heyburn noted that Love's emergency heart surgery had to be delayed last summer to prepare documents allowing Ysunza access and decision-making authority for Love.
In a news conference at the law offices of one of his attorneys, Shannon Fauver, Blanchard said that he was elated by the decision. Love said, "I never thought I would see this day in my lifetime, but I'm glad to be part of it."
He said he and Ysuna refused to go to another state to get married.
"Why should we have to go elsewhere," he asked. "We are Kentuckians. We love Kentucky."
Asked about Beshear's decision to keep defending the ban, Blanchard denounced the governor, likening him to Alabama Gov. "George Wallace standing in the schoolhouse door blocking black children from coming inside."
Blanchard said he began fighting for the right to marry after a gay member of his church was hospitalized and his partner was shuffled from one hospital official to another for three hours before finding out that his lover had died.
In a statement, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville, said the ruling "affirms once again that there is no government interest in discrimination against same-sex couples. I am proud our Commonwealth has joined the growing list of states recognizing that the right to marry applies to all citizens."
Heyburn ruled that gays are a "disadvantaged class" and deserve protection similar to women in equal protection cases. That in turn required the state to show that Kentucky's gay marriage ban is "substantially related to an important governmental object."
But he ruled that even under a less demanding standard, lawyers for Beshear had shown "no rational relation between the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the commonwealth's asserted interest in promoting naturally procreative marriages."
Since Heyburn's February decision requiring Kentucky to recognize gay marriages, eight federal judges and one federal appeals court have invalidated state laws banning gay marriage.
Asked about their marriage plans, Blanchard said he and James hope to be first in line if and when the stay is lifted, while Love said he and Ysunza will wait.
"We don't want the same anniversary as everybody else," he said.
Reporter Andrew Wolfson can be reached at (502) 582-7189.


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Vote for the Institute for Advanced Study for ND Day and be Eligible for Maxim Kantor Painting!
Give and Vote for the Institute for Advanced Study as part of the 2nd annual Notre Dame Day celebrations and be eligible to receive a painting of Our Lady by Maxim Kantor, internationally-known Russian artist and Director's Fellow at the NDIAS this semester.
Tune in to the live broadcast at 11 am on Monday, April 27th on http://notredameday.nd.edu/ to watch Maxim Kantor create the painting of Our Lady LIVE. You can become eligible to receive Maxim Kantor's painting by sending the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study an email at email@example.com, following us on twitter @NotreDameIAS, or voting for us on Notre Dame Day.
Originally published by Grant Osborn '06, '09M.F.A. at ndias.nd.edu on April 24, 2015.


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It's possible to extend the well known cross product between two vectors in $\mathbb{R}^3$ to $n-1$ vectors in $\mathbb{R}^n$.
Let $\vec{v_1}, \vec{v_2}, \dots, \vec{v}_{n-1} \in \mathbb{R}^n$ and $\vec{e}_1 = (1, 0, 0, \dots, 0)^T, \vec{e}_2 = (0, 1, 0, \dots, 0)^T, \dots, \vec{e}_n = (0, 0, \dots, 0, 1)^T$ be the unit vectors of the standard basis in $\mathbb{R}^n$. Then we can define the a "cross product" in $\mathbb{R}^n$ by the following determinant:
$\vec{v}_1 \times \vec{v}_2 \times \dots \times \vec{v}_{n-1} = det\ \begin{pmatrix} v_{1,1} & v_{2,1} & \cdots & v_{n-1,1} & \vec{e}_1\cr v_{1,2} & v_{2,2} & \cdots & v_{n-1,2} & \vec{e}_2\cr \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \vdots\cr v_{1,n} & v_{2,n} & \cdots & v_{n-1,n} & \vec{e}_n \end{pmatrix}$
In theory it's easy to compute the determinant by cofactor expansion along the last column, but i'm wondering how one would do this in practice. Computing the $n$ minors on their own seems like a lot of overhead to me and i guess it's not very stable.
Edit: As turned out later, the following system of equations is wrong! Furthermore the approach is not used to compute the cross product but an orthogonal vector with arbitrary length.
The only approach i've found on this topic is in the code of qhull. But unfortunately it's quite obfuscated and there aren't any helpful comments. I figured out that there the problem is adressed by solving the following system of equations:
$A * \vec{x} = \vec{b}$
$A = \begin{pmatrix} v_{1,1} & v_{1,2} & \dots & v_{1,n}\cr v_{2,1} & v_{2,2} & \dots & v_{2,n}\cr\vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots\cr v_{n-1,1} & v_{n-1,2} & \dots & v_{n-1,n}\cr 0 &0& \cdots & 1 \end{pmatrix}$
$\vec{b} = \begin{pmatrix}0\cr0\cr\vdots\cr 0 \cr sgn(det(A)) \end{pmatrix}$
$sgn(x) := \begin{cases} +1 & x \geq 0 \cr -1 & x < 0 \end{cases}$
It's clear that the first $n-1$ rows are enforcing $\vec{x}$ to be orthogonal to $\vec{v}_1, \dots, \vec{v}_{n-1}$ but i can't get the origin or meaning of the last row. Furthermore i guess this approach is problematic if $det(A) = 0$ (e.g. if vectors are parallel to a standard unit vector).
So my questions are:
- How is the last row deduced and what is its meaning?
- Are there other approaches that are faster and/or more stable?


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Our organ project is next in line for Stephen and Carol Russell.
We stopped for a quick look at Russell Organ Company on November 5 .
There was a drawer with pieces cut out for some of our pipes.
A few of our pipes have been rolled.
Pipes are made of several different materials.
This is our blower, made in Germany.
The pipes will be "tuned" (wrong word "voiced" maybe) on this device.


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Plastic Garbage Bags – Tuff Bags – Contractor Bags
LDPE /HDPE garbage bags are disposable plastic garbage bags used to carry and dispose solid waste. These plastic garbage bags are used as liners to prevent the receptacle from getting coated with waste. At ANS Plastic, we provide these garbage bags made of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high density polyethylene (HDPE). These garbage bags are lightweight, durable, and help reduce odor emanating from garbage. We also provide contractor trash bags, which are ideal for clean-up jobs, as well as commercial and residential garbage collection purposes.
Showing all 7 results


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If you were a Bounty Hunter would you?
Create your own armour? Copy anothers but edit and improve it?
Would you?
Have a Blaster? A machine gun? Flamefrower? Shotgun? Rifle? Grenade Launcher? Rocket Launcher? SMG?
Would you have a?
Jet Pack? Wrist blaster? Wrist flamefrower? Wrist Grenade launcer? Grappeling hook? Retractable knife?
What coulor?
Blue? Green? Red? Black? Yellow? White? Purple? Orange? Silver? Gold? Invisibility suit? Glow in the Dark orange? Glow in the Dark Green?
Would you?
Work for the republic mostley? Sepratist? Jabba? No one?
By Laurence Carolan


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Marland C.
Hi, my name is Marland and I am a rising senior at San Mateo High School. For my starter project, I made a Minty Boost portable phone charger and for my main project, I made an RC tank controlled with a PS2 controller inspired by this website.
Here it is:
This is my Bill of Materials
During my time at this program, I had lots of fun working on my own project while learning about Arduino. As someone who has never programmed before, this project was an engaging introduction to coding. Throughout this project, I ran into many difficulties. The most time consuming problem was with the code, which I spent a week on. I was trying code from all over the place but it turned out to be a pretty straight forward issue with few changes and I ended up learning a lot of what my code does. Another issue during this project was things breaking which taught me to troubleshoot and find the source of the problem. Originally, I was mainly interested in the mechanical side of engineering but at this program I have developed more interest in electrical engineering and computer science.
Final Video
For my final video, the goal was to have a sensor in the front The code I found was for the ultrasonic sensor which makes it read distance and prints it into the serial moniter. All that I had to do was to insert a portion of the sensor code into my code from milestone 2 so the tank would go backwards if the sensor senses anything under a certain distance.
Accomplishing this milestone was pretty strait forward but it was still a good learning experience. Modifying this code was my first experience with an if else statement. I also learned more about what certain parts of my code do such as the lines that determine speed and direction.
This is my schematic
Here is my final code:
This is my Bill of Materials
2nd Milestone
My second milestone is to be able to control the tank with a wireless PS2 controller. The tank can now go forwards, backwards, and turn left and right wirelessly. While working on this milestone, the code portion was the toughest part for me. Hooking up the wires were simple enough though. For the code, I started off by putting in code from other peoples' previous projects into my Arduino but all their code and never worked for me, they had different parts or their code was too long. After wasting more time than I should have, I looked at the code from the one on the instructable and learned what the numbers meant on my new Arduino . Some were the pins in which the PS2 receiver connect to and some were the pins on the Arduino which were supposed to correspond to speed, direction, and brake. I changed some of those numbers in the code to fit my wiring and information I found and it finally worked. That was the last time I blindly shove code into my Arduino.
This is my code
1st Milestone
My first milestone is to get the tank moving autonomously. The goal was to use the arduino and motor shield to have the tank be able to go forwards and backwards and also turn left and right. I was able to achieve the goal by slightly changing the code I found. For this tank to work, the code in the Arduino controls the motors to turn either forwards or backwards.
Right now, the AA battery pack is not enough to power the tank sufficiently. I used an additional portable charger so that the tank would run fast enough. The tank will use 2 power sources for all future improvements so that it will run well.
During the first milestone, I learned how to control motors and how to put code into Arduino to make the tank perform tasks. I have had zero previous experiences with any coding so this was pretty interesting to me.
Starter Project: Minty Boost
For my starter project, I made a portable phone charger powered by two AA batteries, the Mintyboost. The device charges your phone while being compact enough to fit inside a mint tin.
Doing this project guided me through soldering my first components onto a board. I also learned the purpose of inductors, capacitors, diodes, resistors, and boost converter chips. The soldering portion of the project was pretty straightforward for me, I just had to make sure to not ruin the circuit by flipping any polarized components and to not accidentally melt together any solder on the back. For me, the most difficult part of this project was researching and learning about what each of the components did. I thought it was cool to see how different components worked in order to charge a phone.
The video explains what each of the components do.


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My great-grandmother, who is ninety-five years old, recently sent me a photograph of herself that I had never seen before. While cleaning out the attic of her Florida home, she came across a studio portrait she had taken about a year before she married my great-grandfather. This picture of my great-grandmother as a twenty-year-old girl and the story behind it have fascinated me from the moment I began to consider it. The young woman in the picture has a face that resembles my own in many ways. Her face is a bit more oval than mine, but the softly waving brown hair around it is identical.
The small, straight nose is the same model I was born with. My great- grandmother's mouth is closed, yet there is just the slightest hint of a smile on her full lips. I know that if she had smiled, she would have shown the same wide grin and down-curving "smile lines" that appear in my own snapshots. The most haunting feature in the photo, however, is my great-grandmother's eyes. They are an exact duplicate of my own large, dark brown ones. Her brows are plucked into thin lines, which are like two pencil strokes added to highlight those fine, luminous eyes.
I've also carefully studied the clothing and jewelry in the photograph. Although the photo was taken seventy-five years ago, my great-grandmother is wearing a blouse and skirt that could easily be worn today. The blouse is made of heavy eggshell-colored satin and reflects the light in its folds and hollows. It has a turned-down cowl collar and smocking on the shoulders and below the collar. The smocking (tiny rows of gathered material) looks hand- done. The skirt, which covers my great-grandmothers calves, is straight and made of light wool or flannel.
My great-grandmother is wearing silver drop earrings. They are about two inches long and roughly shield-shaped. On her left wrist is a matching bracelet. My great-grandmother can't find this bracelet now, despite our having spent hours searching through the attic for it. On the third finger of her left hand is a ring with a large, square-cut stone. The story behind the picture is as interesting to me as the young woman it captures. Great-Grandmother, who was earning twenty-five dollars a week as a file clerk, decided to give her boyfriend (my great-grandfather) a picture of resell.
She spent almost two weeks' salary on the skirt and blouse, which she bought at a fancy department store downtown. She borrowed the earrings and bracelet from her older sister, Dorothy. The ring she wore was a present from another young man she was dating at the time. Great-Grandmother spent another chunk of her salary to pay the portrait photographer for the hand-tinted print in old-fashioned tones of brown and tan. Just before giving the picture to my great-grandfather, she scrawled at the lower left, "Sincerely, Beatrice.
When I study this picture, react in many ways. I think about the trouble that my great-grandmother went to in order to impress the young man who was to be my great-grandfather. I laugh when I look at the ring, which was probably worn to make him jealous. I smile at the serious, formal inscription my great-grandmother used at this stage of the budding relationship. Sometimes, am filled with a mixture of pleasure and sadness when I look at this frozen long-ago moment. It is a moment of beauty, of love, and-?in a way-?of my own past.


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|Course 302: The Balance Sheet
|Assets, Liabilities, and Equity--It All Equals Out
One of the most important things to understand about the balance sheet is that it must always balance. Total assets will always equal total liabilities plus total equity. Thus, if a company's assets increase from one period to the next, you know for sure that the company's liabilities and equity increased by the same amount.
Let's now take a deeper look at the various sections of the balance sheet. Although there are potentially many more specific line items that we could cover, we're going to stick with the most common, and in our opinion, the most important sections that investors should be aware of.
Next: Current Assets >>
|Learn how to invest like a pro with Morningstar's Investment Workbooks (John Wiley & Sons, 2004, 2005), available at online bookstores.
|© Copyright 2015 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. Please read our Privacy Policy.
If you have questions or comments please contact Morningstar.


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It resembles an experience in a summer camp: you wake up at night and everyone seems to be asleep, just as you feel in the mood for a deck of cards.
I have read a number of posts during the past five years of blogging which said that the English-language Chinese blogosphere was dead. Those who have written this in the past may not write it anymore, because they don't blog anymore – not about China, anyway. This would seem to suggest that the sphere is now dead and that therefore, there's nobody who can say so now. The dead can't know that they are dead.
EastSouthWestNorth, the arch bridge blog from Hong Kong, isn't dead – there are still updates about Chinese sources at its top. But the last entry was in December last year, about Nobel Prize for Literature laureate Mo Yan.
The China Beat came to an end in July last year, and I didn't even notice. Chinageeks most recent post dates back to February this year.
MyLaowai, once a great blog that pioneered a rather irreverent perspective on China, is only a shadow of its own past. Few posts, fewer comments, and the ones that do appear there keep me from commenting – it's not my kind of company.
Generally, those who keep posting usually get rather few comments – that even seems to be true for Beijing Cream, kind of a tabloid for big and small news from China. King Tubby, a man with a blog of his own, but not that much about China, revived the idea – or illusion – of an existing sphere in December last year, but it wouldn't last. (Some of the comments his posts caught may or may not be an indication why it wouldn't.)
I realized how calm the sphere has become when I looked at the list of bloggers I interviewed and that I wanted to interview in this BoZhu series. Most who I asked had agreed to an interview and saw it through, nobody flatly declined, and in a few cases, it didn't come to pass.
I don't think the sphere is dead. But it is hibernating. It will come back to life once in a while, when something "big" happens in China, but it will never be as lively as it was around 2008. One blogger, Foarp, suggested that the sphere lost much of its activity between 2006 and 2008, when China began to comprehensively block the foreign blogs.
And then, there's Twitter. To quite an extent, it seems to have replaced blogging – when it comes to the sphere, anyway. It is microblogging where the division between the sphere and its topic – China – becomes most apparent.
It wouldn't need to be so, C. A. Yeung suggested in an interview in 2011. The difference between the two groups of bloggers could be bridged.
I'd happily participate in bridging the gap if this was still a sphere of blogs in the first place. But nothing on Twitter or Sina Weibo seems to last, most of it looks both chaotic and boring, and I doubt that I'll ever become a microblogger in this life. Next life, something still hipper (and still more boring) will have replaced the microblogs.But I'm wondering: are there still active English-language Chinese blogs?
If so, please drop me a link. My kind of blogging doesn't depend on "company", but once in a while, it would be refreshing to read different perspectives, and to have discussions there.


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The Question of the Week for the week of October 5th, 2015 asked you: Have you ever sold a car that you regret selling?
You voted and now here are the results!
[visualizer id="58427″]
The cars regrettably sold include:
1952 Oldsmobile Convertible 88
1956 Ford Fairlane 2-door hardtop
1959 Chevrolet Impala 2-door hardtop
1969 Ram Air 4 Trans Am
Datsun B210
1970 Dodge Challenger
1972 Vega
Sunbeam Alpine


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Nature Bits for December
I'm sure you are all as busy as I am this month...perhaps some of you are much busier! Rather than post an entire issue of Wild Monthly for December, I'm throwing together a few topics that are amusing me right now...
My mother, God bless her, has a problem. There are slugs invading her home (during sluggish weather). They come in, she claims, through a small hole at ground level, and slither and slime around her carpet, leaving unsightly stains. Personally, I'm skeptical; I have never seen this happen, and, while I do not doubt that slugs can and will come into a house, I cannot imagine that they are doing the damage my dear mother claims they do. It has, nevertheless, become a bit of a joke in our family. The kids often ask my mother how her slugs are doing, and we spend time with her trying to devise ways to keep the slugs out of her house (all successful, we figure, as we have never actually seen them).
And now, with Christmas coming on, the kids have the annual quest for the ultimate gift for grandma. This year, they have chosen a picture book called One Smug Slug . In an effort to pair something silly with something practical, my son decided to add a tube of caulk to the gift. We looked and looked, and though most caulks come with a long-lasting guarantee, none was labeled slug-resistant.
In Springfield Massachusetts, there is a floating island, and it is owned by the Diocese of Springfield. Really. You can read a bit about it here. It seems to me that this should be a great learning opportunity for the students at Cathedral High School, where the pond and island are located, for science classes, but also for literature and theology. Imagine being able to show your students a floating island while reading C. S. Lewis' Perelandra!
Those of you in the northern climes have probably already put out bird feeders (see a build-your-own kit for kids) and suet cakes (we buy them by the case), but have you thought about taming birds to sit in your hand? It's easy to do with chickadees and titmice, and sometimes other birds will land just to see what all the excitement is about. Get started with Hand-feeding Wild Birds. I have been doing this for 17 years (gasp) and it still thrills me every time a tiny bird trusts me enough to take a sunflower seed from my hand.
And as the fly-by season winds down, take a last migratory bird hike. A few weeks ago, things were looking very busy in the sky, when we saw white pelicans, night herons, widgeons, and many warblers passing through. Black birds, which tend to fly in mixed flocks of grackles, red-wings, and cowbirds, flew into our neighborhood with enough noise to make us cover our ears! If you have not done so, you might want to check out project feederwatch at Cornell University.
The weather is still fairly warm here, and we have been hiking a bit. It has been warm enough for camping, but many campgrounds are closed for the season. Instead of camping, we have been looking at equipment. Fall and early winter are great seasons for learning orienteering, since one has the clearest view through the woods. General hiking rules apply this season, as in all seasons. Don't forget water and a flashlight, even if you think you won't be gone long. Circumstances change very quickly in the woods, and the light does not last long as the days get shorter. Those of you in southern climes (or northerners who think ahead) might want to pick up some camping supplies off-season. This year, I found a bargain on two-man tents, which can fit a bunch of little ones or a mom and a few kids. Or, it could be a great tent for backyard tenters.
Don't forget to look up! Marvelous Mars is looking great! Get some books and a telescope on a clear night and find it in the southeastern sky. Need more info on great books for astronomy for kids (including one written by a Vatican astronomer)? Check out my newly-updated Astronomy page.
And finally, for those of you who might be stuck in the woods without a match, flint, or bow-and-drill, you might want to check out an alternative method...Science Kit has a nice boxed kit called "oxidation of glycerin" that starts a fire with potassium permanganate and glycerin (with parental supervision...or maybe with parent doing the demonstration). Just add the two ingredients, and you have a fire! A bit of kindling, and you'll be cooking in no time. The kit has enough of the ingredients for quite a few demonstrations.
Have a blessed Advent and a Merry Christmas!!
Back to Wild Monthly


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Update: This may not work anymore, or may not work for new users of this app. I know we've hit out sending limit on our free account for a local meetup, so test and proceed with caution.
Recently, we wanted to create a Slack group for a meetup group in our city. We also wanted to auto-send Slack invites to folks so the admins didn't have to.
Everyone (especially devs!) love Slack, and we're on it all the time. One of the best ways we can keep in touch outside of the meetup (meetup.com doesn't really have a good interface for chatting with group members in between meetups) is to make sure we're able to communicate and ask questions here between meetups.
One of the bummers (and great security features) about Slack is that you have to send people an invitation to join the group. Well, what if we just want something a little more automated?
After googling around, I found several solutions and some API references for this.
Currently, the easiest solution to get up and running with was here:
Literally, you can just click on the "Deploy to Heroku" button, enter some credentials, and voila, you have an app that will auto-send slack invites.
Here's the launched app:
I looked at another app here, but it didn't seem to work right out of the box:
I'm sure this was just user error on my part, but wanted to note it here.
Here are a couple more API references and notes on trying to do this kind of thing, including some undocumented API endpoints.
If you're looking to get Slack going for a community group, and you'd like to automate the initations, I'd recommend this approach.
Eventually, when we get a Madison WordPress Meetup site set up, we'll move this functionality into a plugin and make the API calls from there. For now, even though the app is on Heroku's free tier, this will work just fine.
Nate Finch
Photo by Javier Molina on Unsplash