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Direct Data Credit and Debit Accounts
Data Credit Account can create/record Raw Data, whilst Data Debit Account can read the Data that Owner decided to share and exchange. For more detailed information about how the Direct Data Debit (D3) System works, see section "Sharing and Direct Data Debits" at the end of this document.
Creating Accounts
To create a new User, the API request body should contain a new User ID, email, pass (password, which is bcrypt-hashed as application developers would request the paltform provider to create an account on their behalf) name and role. Role can be defined as dataDebit or dataCredit. The special owner and platform accounts can only be created at the time of creating a HAT and can not be added/replaced/disabled later. The API request should then be posted to /users/user endpoint.
Enabling/Disabling Accounts
The owner enable or disable any Direct Debit Account. To do this, they should make an API request using PUT to /users/user/UUID/enable or /users/user/UUID/disable endpoint to enable or disable the account respectively. Note that the API request body should be left empty and that UUID is a Universally Unique Identifier used for userId.


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Quick Link
Houston, Texas and Green Companies
From High-Tech operations like web hosting to green building methods, Houston stands proud.
Houston, Texas is a beaming example of a large metropolitan city that stands proud. The city is among few others leading the way in green building and other environmentally friendly initiatives. Indeed, high-tech industries support initiatives such as "green" building methods, energy conservation, sustainable, and environmentally friendly operations.
Houston Goes Green
For starters, driven by a strong passion and commitment to sustainable design and operation, Houston is a dense urban center that participates in environmentally-friendly practices. Additionally, Houston offers vast access to public transportation, facilities for cyclists, parks that maximize open spaces with procedures to manage storm water in -place, and notably–Houston web hosting. However, this is just the beginning. Houston is notorious for its hot, humid weather and Houstonians realize that cool indoor air requires lots of energy.
Additionally, data center, SoftLayer, located in downtown Houston, recently partnered with Green Mountain Energy. Due to the desire to purchase renewable energy for their Houston and Dallas data centers, the partnership took place.
Data centers for web hosting are notorious for using tremendous amounts of electricity to cool their premises. Because data centers house thousands of web servers and equipment which generate heat, the power required to keep data centers cool is greater than other high-tech operations.
Data Centers and Carbon Emissions
See, Data centers are the second largest emitters of carbon emissions in the United States. Although the airline industry is the single largest contributor of carbon emissions, however, its forecasted to change in the year 2020. At that point, data centers being the single largest contributors of carbon emissions and the airline industry slipping to the second spot on the list.
Web hosts are scrambling to utilize data centers that are more energy efficient. They do so not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because corporations worldwide demand it. Business owners and corporate executives are looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly. This includes green building and hybrid vehicles for corporate transportation, to VOIP telephone systems.
Additionally, a company's web site is no exception. The move toward environmentally friendly green web hosting is attractive to business owners for many reasons. Accountability and the desire to weave sustainability into their corporate culture are prevalent.
Building Green in Houston
Due to the overwhelming support of the city government, the drive to build green in Houston has not only emerged but is gaining momentum. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000, the LEED rating systems exist through an open, consensus-based process led by LEED committees.
LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification. A building, home or community can receive this coveted award. These structures were designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health. These areas include sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
LEED Certification
Credits for building in the following areas improve a building projects move towards LEED certification:
- Sustainable Sites – Credits allocated for the site's location in a dense urban center and access to public transportation.
- Water Efficiency – Efficient irrigation systems, recycling groundwater, and use of high tech, highly efficient rest room fixtures are important green features.
- Energy and Atmosphere – Enhanced HVAC refrigerants and air conditioning units, securing power from green sources such as solar panels and other efficient technologies are used to heat water and generate electricity on-site; and buildings are being designed to reduce summer solar heat gain.
- Materials and Resources – Construction materials for city Houston parks have been recycled for use in future projects.
- Indoor Environmental Quality – Buildings monitor the lighting and air conditioning levels. Additionally, buildings allow maximum access to daylight and views for natural sources of light.
Driven by a passionate commitment to sustainable design and operation, corporate ventures are working to obtain LEED certification.
Why Go Green in Houston?
Green technology is simply a responsible business practice. Whether it be green building or green web hosting, environmentally friendly corporate practices offer numerous business benefits to clients who utilize the latest in green technology and improve a corporation's culture.
Yes–America's Energy Capital, Houston, is Going Green
The city changed its energy codes for buildings. Additionally, Houston, Texas is America's biggest municipal buyer of renewable energy. Indeed, over a third of its power is coming from Texan wind farms. Houston is going green.
Quality in Green
In closing, it is as clear as a cloudless Texas day that companies who observe environmentally-friendly, green practices "get it". See, customers, vendors and the public take note of a company's "responsibility factor" when it comes to the environment.
Serving global enterprises, with a strong focus on community development in Texas, Houston brands are moving toward green. These practices include the overwhelming support of city council, the Mayor, and large environmentally friendly accreditation's.
Houston web hosting, green building, and wind energy is home in Texas. You will be, too.

subset: commoncrawl


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This article was originally published on the Okta developer blog. Thank you for supporting the partners who make SitePoint possible.
I've danced the JavaScript framework shuffle for years starting with jQuery, then on to Angular. After being frustrated with Angular's complexity, I found React and thought I was in the clear. What seemed simple on the surface ended up being a frustrating mess. Then I found Vue.js. It just felt right. It worked as expected. It was fast. The documentation was incredible. Templating was eloquent. There was a unanimous consensus around how to handle state management, conditional rendering, two-way binding, routing, and more.
This tutorial will take you step by step through scaffolding a Vue.js project, offloading secure authentication to Okta's OpenID Connect API (OIDC), locking down protected routes, and performing CRUD operations through a backend REST API server. This tutorial uses the following technologies but doesn't require intimate knowledge to follow along:
- Vue.js with vue-cli, vue-router, and Okta Vue SDK
- Node with Express, Okta JWT Verifier, Sequelize, and Epilogue
About Vue.js
This tutorial covers two primary builds, a frontend web app and backend REST API server. The frontend will be a single page application (SPA) with a homepage, login and logout, and a posts manager.
Okta's OpenID Connect (OIDC) will handle our web app's authentication through the use of Okta's Vue SDK. If an unauthenticated user navigates to the posts manager, the web app should attempt to authenticate the user.
The server will run Express with Sequelize and Epilogue. At a high level, with Sequelize and Epilogue you can quickly generate dynamic REST endpoints with just a few lines of code.
You will use JWT-based authentication when making requests from the web app and Okta's JWT Verifier in an Express middleware to validate the token. Your app will expose the following endpoints which all require requests to have a valid access token.
- GET /posts
- GET /posts/:id
- POST /posts
- PUT /posts/:id
- DELETE /posts/:id
Create Your Vue.js App
To get your project off the ground quickly you can leverage the scaffolding functionality from vue-cli. For this tutorial, you are going to use the progressive web app (PWA) template that includes a handful of features including webpack, hot reloading, CSS extraction, and unit testing.
If you're not familiar with the tenets of PWA, check out our ultimate guide to progressive web applications.
To install
vue-cli run:
npm install -g vue-cli
Next, you need to initialize your project. When you run the
vue init command just accept all the default values.
vue init pwa my-vue-app
cd ./my-vue-app
npm install
npm run dev
Point your favorite browser to
http://localhost:8080 and you should see the fruits of your labor:
Extra Credit: Check out the other templates available for
Install Bootstrap
Let's install bootstrap-vue so you can take advantage of the various premade components (plus you can keep the focus on functionality and not on custom CSS):
npm i --save bootstrap-vue bootstrap
To complete the installation, modify
./src/main.js to include bootstrap-vue and import the required CSS files. Your
./src/main.js file should look like this:
// The Vue build version to load with the `import` command
// (runtime-only or standalone) has been set in webpack.base.conf with an alias.
import Vue from 'vue'
import App from './App'
import router from './router'
import BootstrapVue from 'bootstrap-vue'
import 'bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.css'
import 'bootstrap-vue/dist/bootstrap-vue.css'
Vue.config.productionTip = false
/* eslint-disable no-new */
new Vue({
el: '#app',
template: '
components: { App }
Add Authentication with Okta
Dealing with authentication in a web app is the bane of every developer's existence. That's where Okta comes in to secure your web applications with minimal code. To get started, you will need to create an OIDC application in Okta. Sign up for a forever-free developer account (or log in if you already have one).
Once logged in, create a new application by clicking "Add Application".
Select the "Single-Page App" platform option.
Continue reading %Build a Basic CRUD App with Vue.js and Node%
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Secretary Anson Tebbetts / Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
This week the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Boston regional office announced that the Vermont Agency of Agriculture has made significant progress toward meeting the state's water quality goals.
In a letter to the Agency dated April 2nd, EPA regional administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn noted, "Your staff have clearly been working hard to get new programs off the ground, rapidly award large amounts of new funding to priority phosphorus reduction projects, ramp up inspection programs and establish the new comprehensive tracking and accounting system. The many milestones that have been completed reflect this excellent progress."
This independent review means Vermont's farmers, partners and the Agency are on the right track. In fact, the Agency of Agriculture met all of its milestones with a perfect score; 14 out of 14. Benchmarks cited by the EPA as part of the Agency's multi-year plan include a full revision of statewide rules for agricultural land management, training and certification for those who apply manure to the land, an increase in targeted conservation practices, and visiting every farm in the Missisquoi Bay watershed to better understand the land practices with a focus on education, outreach and inspections.
Dunn added "We commend the state for all the good work completed to date... thank you for your commitment to restoring Lake Champlain."
This encouraging report is part of a larger accountability agreement put in place by the EPA to monitor Vermont's water quality progress. In 2016, after Vermont passed Act 64 of 2015 (the State's Clean Water Act), the EPA established phosphorus pollution limits for Lake Champlain. These limits, termed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements, include a set of milestones the State must reach. To ensure the requirements are being met, the State must report to EPA each year. In response, the EPA delivers an annual report card that evaluates the State's progress.
Agricultural water quality is a program that the Agency will continue to build upon. With leadership, Vermont's farmers, watershed groups, and federal and state partners are all pulling together in the right direction. The work is not easy but with commitment, focus and collaboration our water quality efforts are expanding, and these programs and accomplishments are catching the eyes of stakeholders nationwide.
To view the EPA Report Card visit, http://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/ag/files/EPA Report Card 04.03.18.pdf.


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Monday, 23 December 2013
Posted by Megan Keith at 17:31:00
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Wednesday, 11 December 2013
The Not So Grinchy Giveaway
To spread the festive cheer me and a few mates, yes I'm an Aussie that's how we talk, have got together to give you...
The Not So Grinchy Giveaway
Prizes on offer:
Amazon gift cards - $25, 2 x $10, $5
Starbucks gift card - $25
2 Paperbacks
6 ebooks
Signed bookmarks
The generous contributors:
Posted by Megan Keith at 09:00:00
3 comments:
Don't miss out!
Posted by Megan Keith at 00:30:00
1 comment:
Monday, 9 December 2013
Read Tuesday is like Black Friday but for books.
For one day only authors around the globe are reducing their prices for one massive sale.
You can find out more info here:
Here are the links to purchase the Finding My Way series at the discounted price of $1.99 (US) or $12.50 for paperbacks, this Tuesday December 10th:
Finding My Way
And Eraser is still available at the everyday low price of 99c
Posted by Megan Keith at 18:14:00
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Labels: Crossroads, eraser, Finding My Way, FMW series, sale
Thursday, 5 December 2013
BOOK REVIEWS ~ The Heaven Hill Series by Laramie Briscoe
If you like books that are action-packed with hot, tattooed, biker, alpha males and steamy sex scenes then this is the series for you! Heaven Hill is a Motorcycle Club involved in illegal activities who all consider themselves to be one big family. Each book focuses on one club member. The first three books of the series have now been published with another five novels and two novellas promised.
What I've enjoyed most about this series so far is that each book has a well-rounded conclusion, no cliffhanger, and leaves you with a hint of what to expect from the next one. Even though the stories involve a lot of different members of the club, the focus is generally on two particular people per book while still giving you insight to all of the other characters. Not written from any particular point of view but rather you get to be inside everybody's heads. You get to engage with every facet of the story – a very clever style of writing.
Meant to Be
The characters sprung to life from the very first page and I felt for each and every one of them, even Lauren, Liam's mother, who I first deemed evil, once in her head I could sympathise with her.
William Walker Jr aka Liam is a good guy with a good heart that was kind of forced into this way of life by his father. It's all he's ever known and even when he doesn't always agree with what goes down he is loyal to his club and its members. He is the Vice President and proud of that.
Denise is a single mother who had twins at a young age and has struggled ever since. She is in financial strife and takes on an extra shift at work to cover for Liam's sister, a decision that changes her life forever.
Liam feels a fierce protection over Denise from the moment they meet. I loved that about him. He always tried to do the right thing by her. He opens up his home and his life to her and her kids. It's really heart-warming to read.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this story - it will keep you guessing. Be prepared for action and suspense and plenty of steam! There are also some truly horrible and scary moments in this book too that will keep you turning those pages.
Denise gives Liam the peace he needed, but didn't know he wanted, in his life. I loved this story! And the ending was perfect!
Out of Darkness
Meredith, the young, career-driven reporter we met in Meant to Be is no longer. In her place is Meredith the rape victim. This book starts off in a very dark place. It is raw and gritty. The rape that Meredith endured was horrific and recovering from that is not easy.
Luckily she has a fierce protector in Tyler. He is a badass but at the same time he is hiding a heart of gold. He keeps Meredith safe, while giving her time to adjust and work through her demons. I love that he gave up her bed and a good night's sleep for her time and time again, just to make sure she was okay.
I love Tyler! He is my favourite out of Laramie's men! He is a warrior and he cares so deeply for Meredith, which is something he's never had before. He is also sexy as hell and has a wicked sense of humour! Who wouldn't want a giant of a guy like Tyler looking out for them? He is the definition of the 'knight in shining armour.'
I thoroughly enjoyed uncovering Tyler's past and watching the relationship between Tyler and Meredith grow. This book was even HOTTER than the first one. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Loved it!
Losing Control
First off, I've got to say, Jagger Stone is a wicked biker/rock star name! Jagger has the swagger and the hotness that all the girls' want a piece of - He can sing, he's tough and he is extremely good looking. He also only has eyes for Bianca. I found him to be a bit of contradiction, on the one hand he was good with the ladies but on the other he had trouble asking Bianca out. I guess this was because she was different - even if he didn't realise it right away.
Bianca is focused and driven, wanting nothing more than to achieve her teaching degree and get her life started. But she is also lonely and broke. So she takes Jagger up on his offer of dating while she pays of her car repairs and she is surprised by him. Jagger is so much more than she ever gave him credit for. Their attraction is a slow burning one, but when they do get together – WOW!
Of course this wouldn't be a Heaven Hill book without drama and action, mystery, intrigue and kick-ass bad boy moments. I loved it! And I loved Jagger, but Tyler is still the one for me.
Purchase Links
What I love most about this series is that you get to re-visit with each character in every book. Each book ends with a hint of what to expect from the next one without having a cliffhanger. I highly recommend you get on board with this series, particularly if you are a fan of Sons of Anarchy. I cannot wait for the next instalment!
Contact Laramie
Posted by Megan Keith at 10:09:00
1 comment:
Labels: Laramie Briscoe, review
Sunday, 1 December 2013
BOOK REVIEW ~ Guard My Heart by AJ Summer
Title: Guard My Heart
Author: AJ Summer
Genre: New Adult Romance
Series: Tainted Hearts #0.5
Cover Designed By: Cover to Cover Designs
Bound by birth - Separated by consequence
Guard My Heat is book one in the Tainted Hearts Series. It follows the twins Kyle and Mia through seven days that changed their lives forever.
NOTE: This book contains mature and sensitive content and is not suitable for readers under 18.
My Review
First of all, how awesome is that cover? If it doesn't make you want to read it then the blurb should. Seven days. So much can happen in a week. Follow first Kyle and then twin Mia's story in this unique tale.
This book absolutely blew me away! The characters are real and the circumstances in which these two live are totally relatable. This book has a bit of everything; sweet young love, edge-of-your-seat drama, heart-stopping action, twists and turns, delectable poetry.
You will feel for these characters, their fears, their turmoil, their heartbreak. They will also make you smile with both swoon-worthy moments and ones of humour.
"Who needs a black belt in karate when you have a fan belt in kick ass right?"
I instantly fell in love with Kyle. He was sweet and kind, with such love and dedication to his family that he was willing to make the biggest sacrifice of all. His heart is in the right place and I couldn't help but root for him. I just wanted him to get the girl and live the normal life he craved so much. The heart-pounding action that happens in his part of the story had me on the edge of my seat and continually guessing.
"You are not alive. Your heart beats because that is what your brain
tells it to do.
tells it to do.
Your lungs expand because that is what is required to continue existing.
You are not in control. Terror."
Mia is heartbreaking. Her poetry is beautiful. And her troubles and insecurities, though understandable, are sometimes shocking. She's hurting and has no confidence in herself. Until seven days that changed it all.
"I look into brown eyes filled with love and lust. I'm drowning in a sea of melted chocolate and sex. Fuck! Why haven't I married this girl yet?"
Jase. What can I say? At first he is all mysterious but Mia breaks through to him and as the story progresses we get to visit inside his head too. And wow! What a guy! He is perfect for Mia and exactly what she needs. He is hot and sweet too!
I really cannot say much else without giving too much away. You have been warned - there is no happy ending. There is a cliffhanger, but having said that the story still feels complete. I'm usually looking for a HEA in the books I read but for some reason I was totally okay, more than okay – I was perfectly satisfied, with this ending.
This is AJ's debut, though you wouldn't know it from the quality of the writing. The perfect flow of words and her use of imagery makes for a truly breathtaking read. If you are looking for something a little different then this is it! It is dark, gritty, full of raw emotions but has its sweet moments too. I HIGHLY recommend you read this. I am desperately waiting for the next book, which I am told isn't too far away.
This is AJ's debut, though you wouldn't know it from the quality of the writing. The perfect flow of words and her use of imagery makes for a truly breathtaking read. If you are looking for something a little different then this is it! It is dark, gritty, full of raw emotions but has its sweet moments too. I HIGHLY recommend you read this. I am desperately waiting for the next book, which I am told isn't too far away.
AJ Summer lives in a dusty little town in South Africa.
She married her high school sweetheart and has three kiddies. One special little boy and two beautiful little girls.
She loves getting lost in the reading world and writes her own poems.
And even though she once wrote a story about a little mouse who lived in a tower made of cheese, she has never pursued writing until now.
Guard My Heart is her debut novel and the first in the Tainted Heart series. Book two will make an appearance shortly after.
She married her high school sweetheart and has three kiddies. One special little boy and two beautiful little girls.
She loves getting lost in the reading world and writes her own poems.
And even though she once wrote a story about a little mouse who lived in a tower made of cheese, she has never pursued writing until now.
Guard My Heart is her debut novel and the first in the Tainted Heart series. Book two will make an appearance shortly after.
Contact the Author
Posted by Megan Keith at 15:52:00
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Wednesday, 20 November 2013
One very lucky author
A ground-breaking event is happening next year. The Sydney Author Event 2014 is set to be the largest book signing of its type to be held in Australia. Mark your calendars for November 29. It is going to be epic!
Here is the list of authors announced so far:
Here is the list of authors announced so far:
Raine Miller
Cassia Leo
Rachel Brookes
Karina Halle
Monica Murphy
Jillian Dodd
Cassia Leo
Rachel Brookes
Karina Halle
Monica Murphy
Jillian Dodd
The event is open to both Australian and International artists. Best Sellers as well as little known authors like me. Yes me! I am also one of the authors that has been invited. It is an absolute honour and a privilege to be included in such a monumental event! And to be amongst some of my favourite authors. I am in awe that this has even occurred! If someone had of told me a year ago that I would get such an amazing opportunity, I so would have laughed in their face! Hell, if they had of told me three weeks ago I would have.
And this awesome list is only the beginning! I have been told that there are to be more announcements coming soon. I cannot wait!
Of course, this wouldn't be happening if it wasn't for some very dedicated women at Delphi Rose, A.K.A. The Book Harlots Review, Confessions From Romaholics and Natasha is a Book Junkie.
Posted by Megan Keith at 12:06:00
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Labels: book signing, Kylie Scott, R. K. Lilley, Raine Miller, SAE
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
BOOK REVIEW ~ Try by Ella Frank
Title: TRY
Author: Ella Frank
Genre: M/M Erotic Romance
Release Date: November 12, 2013
Series: Temptation #1
Try – verb: to make an attempt or effort to do something or in this case…someone.
Sex. Logan Mitchell loves it, and ever since he realized his raw sexual appeal at a young age, he has had no problem using it to his advantage. Men and women alike fall into his bed—after all, Logan is not one to discriminate. He lives by one motto—if something interests you, why not just take a chance and try?
Sex. Logan Mitchell loves it, and ever since he realized his raw sexual appeal at a young age, he has had no problem using it to his advantage. Men and women alike fall into his bed—after all, Logan is not one to discriminate. He lives by one motto—if something interests you, why not just take a chance and try?
And he wants to try Tate Morrison.
Just coming out of a four-year marriage with an ex-wife from hell, a relationship is the last thing on Tate's mind. He's starting fresh and trying to get back on his feet with a new job at an upscale bar in downtown Chicago.
The only problem is, Tate has caught the unwavering and unwelcome attention of Mr. Logan Mitchell – a regular at the bar and a man who always gets what he wants.
Night after night Tate fends off the persistent advances of the undeniably charismatic man, but after an explosive moment in the bar, all bets are off as he finds his body stirring with a different desire than his mind.
As arrogance, stubbornness and sexual tension sizzles between the two, it threatens to change the very course of their lives.
Logan doesn't do relationships. Tate doesn't do men. But what would happen if they both just gave in and…tried?
My Review:
This book hooked me in from the very first page. Having had a taste of Logan in Edible I was more than happy to have some more! Logan is a sexy smart-mouthed asshole that you cannot help but love. He is quick-witted and charming and oh so very determined to get his way!
Logan is instantly taken by Tate and aggressively pursues him. There were times in this book I expected Tate to punch Logan's lights out for his crude and forceful ways. In fact, even I wanted to! Tate does put up a good fight though and makes Logan work very hard. And that's no surprise as he has never had an interest in men before now.
I love Logan and his dirty mouth though I have to say I love Tate even more! He is sexy and sweet, humorous and cheeky. I connected with Tate probably more than, I think, I have ever connected with a male character before. I felt his hesitation and confusion, his worries and insecurities.
Tate's battle is a huge one. Being attracted to Logan goes against everything he has ever believed in.
"Cause I can't stop wanting you and you're a GUY. I don't like guys. Ugh, I don't understand
why I'm… shit… no one I know will understand."
There is no need to imagine just how hard a time Tate is having, as reading this book I felt what he was going through, it was very realistic. I am a huge fan of Ella's writing. She has a way of weaving a slow burn between her characters that builds into a massive explosion of heat leaving you reeling. I have read and enjoyed a few different 'male on male' sex scenes in the past but this is the first time I've read a full novel dedicated to it. I am so glad that Ms. Frank was the one to pop that cherry!
It's surprising that this book is Ella's first 'try' at M/M erotica because she goes at it like a pro (pun intended)! The descriptions of what each character feels both physically and emotionally, really connected me to the moment. What I found interesting in this was the aggressiveness between the two. How quick they were to say 'fuck you' and turn on one another. And also how sexually driven they were - totally unafraid to say what they wanted in the heat of the moment.
"Now, stick your tongue in my mouth and feel me."
"You're one sexy motherfucker when you're turned-on, you know that?"
"So are you."
The story was told with a sense of humour also…
"What do I need to get you into my bed?" Logan asked boldly.
Tate couldn't help the laugh escaping his mouth at Logan's directness. "A vagina?"
Having not read the genre before it surprised me just how much of a turn on it was. The sexual tension is off the charts, and the power of two sexy alpha males together was insanely HOT! I'd go as far as to say that this book contains some of the HOTTEST, EXPLOSIVE sex scenes I have ever read! Though it wasn't just about sex, there really is a fantastic, romantic story here too.
I honestly could not find fault with this book and am giving it FIVE SEXY-HOT STARS! I cannot wait for more of Tate and Logan's story in book two, TAKE.
"You'd be surprised at what I might do when asked to try."
Logan stroked his slippery palm up Tate's engorged length, watching his face go from sexual torment to one of pure, unadulterated lust while his hips moved, driving his cock through Logan's fist.
"Open your eyes," Logan demanded as he continued to pump his hand up and down.
Tate's brown eyes opened, catching on his, and Logan could tell that he'd finally let go of all thoughts and was just feeling in this moment.
"Fuck yes," Tate rasped, right before he cupped Logan's face and tackled him backward onto the bed.
Purchase Links:
Author Bio:
I am the author of the Exquisite Series, including Exquisite, Entice and Edible. I also released my first Erotic Novel, Blind Obsession in March 2013.
I'm a happily married woman and mother to a crazy cat. I've been writing ever since I fell in love with falling in love, and I credit that to my Nan, who handed me my first romance novel.
Currently, I reside in the Southern portion of the United States.
I'm a happily married woman and mother to a crazy cat. I've been writing ever since I fell in love with falling in love, and I credit that to my Nan, who handed me my first romance novel.
Currently, I reside in the Southern portion of the United States.
Author Contact Info:
Blog Tour Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by Megan Keith at 15:33:00
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Labels: Ella Frank, giveaway, review, teaser
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Top 10 Westside Stories of 2017
2017 Year in Review
What an incredible year it has been for Westside Community Schools! We have reasons to celebrate in academics, athletics, the arts, citizenship and service, community, and more. It's tough to narrow down our Top Stories of 2017, but we did it with the help of social media/website stats and input from our District leaders, teacher and students. What was YOUR favorite Westside story of 2017?!?
#10 Westside Swimming Honored With Dominant Dynasty Award
- Story reached 13.6K on Facebook
- This fall, the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation selected the Westside High School Swimming programs of 1973-1988 to receive the Dominant Dynasties Award for 2017. Westside earned national respect under the direction of Hall of Fame Coach Cal Bentz, a legacy further fueled under longtime coach Doug Krecklow, now in his 38th year coaching Westside Swimming. Click here to read more.
#9 Westside Middle School Teacher Named National German Educator of the Year
- Story reached 14.5K on Facebook, 4.1K on Twitter
- Colleagues, parents and students past and present all shared success stories and well wishes with WMS Teacher Ginger Starks Yoble, after she was named the 2017 K-8 Outstanding German Educator by the American Association of Teachers of German. This national award is given annually in recognition of innovative teaching, extraordinary talent and exceptional leadership in the German teaching profession. Click here to read more.
#8 Westside High School Hosts 2016 World Series Trophy
- 14.1K on Facebook, 7.2K on Twitter
- Westside High School was host to the 2016 World Series Trophy in February, thanks to Chicago Cubs Owner, Nebraska Governor, and Westside Alum Pete Ricketts! Hundreds of fans waited in line to snap photos with the iconic trophy, and our Warriors baseball players, staff members and community leaders were given VIP access during the event.
#7 Westside Boys Basketball Coach Brian Nemecek Steps Down
- Story reached 15.2K on Facebook, 8.9K on Twitter
- After 21 years guiding thousands of Westside student athletes, Varsity Boys Basketball Coach Brian Nemecek announced in March he would step down from his coaching duties. Current players, alumni, colleagues and journalists from across the Metro and beyond shared their memories of 'Nemo's' time on the court. Mr. Nemecek continues to teach Social Studies at Westside High School; former assistant Jim Simons is the new Warriors Boys Basketball Coach. Click here to read more.
- "It was impressive to see the the student athletes Coach Nemecek affected during his tenure. Quality Coaches make a difference in our students' lives and community. Thank you, Nemo." – Dr. Enid Schonewise, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
#6 Westside High School Named an ACT Exemplary School
- Stories reached 26.5K on Facebook
- Our students and staff have worked hard to make ACT preparation and success a top priority and it shows! In March, Westside High School was named an ACT Exemplary School and this fall, WHS scores remained above the state average! Click here to read more.
#5 Paddock Road Elementary named National Blue Ribbon School
- Stories reached 45K on Facebook
- In September, Principal Scott Becker announced to his students and staff that the U.S. Department of Education had chosen Paddock Road as one of only four Nebraska schools to receive the prestigious Blue Ribbon distinction for 2017. Governor Pete Ricketts and Miss Nebraska later visited the school to congratulate staff and students in person; they were greeted by Neji, a special needs student, in a heartwarming video that has reached more than 23,000 people and counting online. Click here to watch!
- "The Blue Ribbon Award is one of the more prestigious awards that a school can obtain. This is a huge honor. The day after the school got the award, I happened to be at Paddock. I wanted to congratulate the principal and teacher leader but they were nowhere to be found. They were in a side room with a team of teachers examining data and looking for ways to get better. I guess this explains why they won the Blue Ribbon Award!" – Dr. Mark Weichel, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning
#4 Westside DECA Sets Records, Helps Community, Builds Partnerships
- Stories reached 43K on Facebook, 9K on Twitter
- Westside DECA was simply on fire in 2017! The business program at Westside High School announced a new groundbreaking partnership with Nebraska Furniture Mart, joined forces with several community businesses to help hurricane victims, and sent a record-breaking 51 students to the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California. Click here to see KETV's special feature on Westside's new School of Entreprenuerial Thinking, set to open in January!
#3 Westside ATSC Wows Music Fans Across Country
- Stories reached 53.9K on Facebook, 14.3K on Twitter
- Westside's ATSC (the Amazing Technicolor Show Choir) has been nothing short of unstoppable in 2017. Members performed with Kenny Rogers at the Ralston Arena, a National First Runner Up finish at the 2017 Heart of America in Atlanta, and a record breaking 5 Grand Champion finishes in the 2017 season. Video previewing ATSC's 2017 program produced by WHS alum Mitch Francis has reached more than 15,000 people and counting (click here to watch). ATSC will host Premiere Night to kick off the 2018 season on January 3 at Westside High School!
#2 Westside Middle School Staff 'Goes Extra Mile' For Special Needs Students
- Stories reached 62.2K on Facebook, 10.7K on Twitter
- Last April, Westside Middle School parents and students stood and cheered as Hayden Sommer, a student with Autism, finished a race thanks to the help of Special Education Teacher Keery Wolf, who ran alongside Hayden, and Special Education Para Tamara Welch, who had worked with Hayden all year. Video of the race reached nearly 50,000 on Facebook alone (click here to watch!), and in August, Welch was named a 2017 Nebraska Paraeducator of the Year.
- "This particularly stands out to me as does Sunset's field trip to see two of its students participate in the Special Olympics. Another school district in the state likes to remind us that "all means all" when it comes to public education, meaning that as public school systems, we're working to get the best out of all our kids no matter with what challenges they walk into our buildings and no matter what is going on outside of them. I've seen so many examples of our educators shooting for this standard this year that it literally brings me to tears. The compassion, passion and sense of mission throughout the District is special – and our folks should be saluted for living that every day. I've seen it in action at Sunset, Westbrook, Swanson, Hillside and WMS all in the last six weeks, and I'm pretty sure I would have seen it in all the others had I been fortunate enough to step through their doors. What an honor!" – Adam Yale, Westside Board of Education Treasurer
#1 Westside Sparkles Program Shines Spotlight On Special Needs Students
- Stories reached 64.1K on Facebook, 17.4K on Twitter
- In January, Westside's Mitch Francis (Class of 2017) produced a video featuring the Sparkles, a program empowering special needs students to learn cheers and participate at Westside athletic events alongside our Varsity Cheer members. The video, and this program, united and inspired thousands, including many at neighboring schools who have similar programs. To date, the Sparkles feature is the most watched video EVER on Westside social media, reaching an estimated 60,000 people. Watch for (and cheer for!) our Sparkles at Basketball games throughout the Spring! Click here to watch!


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You are here
Yemen rebels on defensive after strike takes out leader
By AFP - Apr 24,2018 - Last updated at Apr 24,2018
The late Saleh Al Samad (left), a senior Houthi official who was killed by a Saudi-led coalition air strike last week, sits behind a bullet-proof glass during a rally marking the third anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni conflict in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 26 (Reuters photo)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen's Houthis suffered a major setback with the killing of their political chief in a Saudi-led air strike, analysts say, in a signal of Riyadh's determination to pursue its military campaign against the rebels.
Saleh Al Sammad, the head of the Iran-backed Houthis' main political body, died on Thursday in a strike in Yemen's western province of Hodeida.
He was the most senior Houthi official killed since a Saudi-led coalition launched its intervention against the Shiite insurgents in March 2015, after they seized control of large parts of Yemen including the capital Sanaa.
Analysts say that despite renewed efforts to find a negotiated solution to the conflict, the latest strike shows not just Riyadh's willingness to continue on the military path, but the coalition's increasing effectiveness.
"There is no other option at this stage," says Mustafa Alani, an analyst at the Gulf Research Centre. "The Houthis are not flexible on the political settlement and — people are not noticing — there is real progress on the ground for the coalition."
While not often in the spotlight, Sammad was no minor figure. As head of the Houthis' supreme political council, he was in effect the president of the vast areas of Yemen under rebel control.
"This is certainly a key setback," says Adam Baron of the European Council on Foreign Relations. "With regards to targeting Houthi leaders, it represents the biggest hit for the coalition so far — and suggests their intelligence capabilities are improving."
Increasing pressure
Sammad was killed along with six others in the strike, which the Houthis' overall leader, Abdulmalek Al Houthi, said "won't go unanswered".
Another Western expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, says Sammad was a "reasonable" person who had taken part in peace negotiations and that his death is "a setback for prospects for productive talks".
Alani says the hit was part of a trend of targeted strikes by the coalition, with at least 25 field commanders also recently killed.
"It is important," he says. "Those people always have a way to protect themselves and their movements are always top secret because they know they are being targeted. So it is an achievement."
Much international attention has focused on the coalition's air raids, which have been criticised for hitting civilians.
A strike on a wedding on Sunday that rebels blamed on the coalition killed at least 23 people.
But Alani says coalition forces — who include Saudi and Emirati troops in support of pro-government fighters — have also been making discreet progress on the ground.
"There are not big victories but they are slowly moving towards four major cities in Yemen," he says, including Sanaa, Saada in the Houthis' northern heartland, the economic capital of Taez in the southwest and the Red Sea port city of Hodeida.
The Houthis in the meantime have intensified ballistic missile attacks into Saudi territory, including several intercepted attacks on Riyadh.
Alani says this is a sign of the increasing pressure on the rebels.
"They are now in a purely defensive position on the ground. They are just trying to maintain their control and there are problems. So the easiest way is to fire missiles... to answer to the pressure on the ground."
Hope for peace talks?
The coalition is backing forces loyal to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi who was forced into exile by the Houthi advance. His hold on the country is tenuous and there have been suggestions Hadi could be forced out, but for now Riyadh and its allies seem content with their ally.
The Houthis suffered another setback last year with the collapse of their alliance with ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was gunned down in December following accusations he was ready to strike a deal with Saudi Arabia.
Yemen's civilians meanwhile continue to suffer through one of the world's most devastating conflicts. More than 10,000 people have died since the start of the Saudi-led intervention and tens of thousands have been wounded.
Widespread shortages of food and medicine — in a country already among the poorest — have caused what the United Nations has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
A new UN peace envoy, Briton Martin Griffiths, vowed earlier this month to make a new push for peace, though all previous efforts at negotiations have failed miserably.
Alani said the latest developments on the ground could finally give some hope of progress.
"He might have more chance now than his predecessors. The Houthis are feeling now they are losing the military battle.... With increasing military pressure, they will be ready to compromise politically."
Related Articles
SANAA — Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels on Monday confirmed carrying out a prisoner exchange with Saudi Arabia and said they were open to negot
DUBAI — Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh said in an interview broadcast Friday he had rejected "millions of dollars" Saudi Arabia off
SANAA, Yemen — A Saudi-led coalition air strike has killed dozens of Yemeni rebels, including two commanders, state media said on Saturday,
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[mawr-uh-lahyz, mor-]
verb (used without object), mor·al·ized, mor·al·iz·ing.
to reflect on or express opinions about something in terms of right and wrong, especially in a self-righteous or tiresome way.
verb (used with object), mor·al·ized, mor·al·iz·ing.
to explain in a moral sense, or draw a moral from.
to improve the morals of.
Also especially British, mor·al·ise.
Origin of moralize
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for moralize
Contemporary Examples of moralize
No big surprise In 2nd, Mr. Moralize But who should take a curtain call?
Historical Examples of moralize
It is easy for persons with plenty of money to moralize on the shortcomings of others.A Woman Intervenes
Robert Barr
If I do not moralize as I go along, I shall not have a chance to do it any where else.An Old Sailor's Yarns
Nathaniel Ames
They were not here to moralize—they had something else to do.The Trail of a Sourdough
May Kellogg Sullivan
Here we might moralize if we had the room, but moralizing is out of the question.The American Family Robinson
D. W. Belisle
So he watched the woman gravely, and began to moralize with all his might.A Simpleton
Charles Reade
(intr) to make moral pronouncements
(tr) to interpret or explain in a moral sense
(tr) to improve the morals of
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
c.1400, "expound or interpret spiritual or moral significance," from Old French moraliser and directly from Late Latin moralizare, from moralis (see moral (adj.)). Related: Moralized; moralizing.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper


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|976 Shoppers Row, Campbell River, British Columbia, V9W 2G3
|Len Gagnon
Knowledgeable People Passionate About Your Personal and Professional Success! Monk Office develops business solutions to help make you more efficient and successful. Monk Office provides all your office supply needs - from Computers, printers, networks, software, repair and rental, scanners, fax, to all your furniture needs, to office design and business partnerships from the ground up. If you need something copied such as business cards or help with ergonomic design and solutions to make your workforce more efficient and productive, WE ARE HERE TO HELP. We are your one- stop- personal- business- needs store. No charge delivery plus the option to shop by phone, web, fax or in person at our store allows you to make the most of your day. Monk Office, The Helpful Office People.


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Spielberg 33/33: Episode 28 - War Horse
In the lead-up to Ready Player One, we are going through each film directed by Steven Spielberg. Matt (@TheRealMattC) is your host, Marcelo (@MarceloJPico) is your ombudsman, and Will (@SilentDawnLB) is your guest for this episode, in which they all discuss the 2011 film, War Horse! They talk about homages, Hiddleston, and of course, horses! Enjoy!
Don't mind the insects crawling all over you or the tiny video cameras monitoring your every move… listen to this.
What better way to start a romantic comedy podcast than with Nora Ephron.
Talking making podcasts and two gothic romance movies.
The real magic mailbox was the friends we made along the way.
It's the role you didn't think you wanted Keanu Reeves to play, a wise orthodontist.
Who is Mulan II blame for this one?
Marcelo watches WWE's Royal Rumble 2019, and Marcus is his guide through the whole thing.
Keanu in an underappreciated comic book movie? The devil you say!
You're a podcast listener, Harry.
And that 'something' is this podcast episode we're giving you.


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[ Home ] [ The Power ] [ Character ] [ Campaign ] [ Downloads ] [ Links ] [ News ]
[ Blight Creature: Deer ] [ Blight Creature: Spiny Grizzly ]
Blight Creature: Spiny Grizzly (Bear, Brown) (by Vish Singh)
Large Blight Creature
This is an
example of a brown bear mutated by the influence of the Blight. There
are many variants, however, this particular strain (spiny
grizzly) has developed
tough spines along its body and mottled, green-brown fur over its
yellow-brown skin. It has also developed the bloodlust common to all
creatures of the Blight, generally attributed to their proximity to
Shayol Ghul.
The mutant
brown bear resembles, and follows the patterns of, a typical
brown bear. However, it is quicker to anger, more
predatory and more territorial than its common brethren, and will fight
to the death if challenged. The creature is large, and denser than the
more common brown bear, sometimes weighing nearly a ton and a half. A
rearing spiny grizzly can attain heights as great as ten feet.
The spiny grizzly fights with a terrible strength, enhanced by its
bloodlust, increased strength, dexterity and its hardened spines,
detailed below.
The creature is such a ferocious and terrible opponent that it will
continue to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.
creature has one or more layers of spines on its body that it
may bring to bear in combat or when enraged. Whenever an
opponent makes a successful strike in melee combat, the creature
may make a free attack of opportunity with its spines (Base
attack Bonus) that does 1d6 + 6 in damage.
[ Home ] [ The Power ] [ Character ] [ Campaign ] [ Downloads ] [ Links ] [ News ]


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Data & statistics on Household type distribution Household type Adult group Lone Adult – 41391 results
Language. English only please... for now.
Phrase search. You can use double quotes to make phrases (e.g. "mobile phones").
Booleans. You can use a plus '+' to make a word mandatory, or a minus '–' to exclude it (e.g. +gas –oil production)
Vocabulary. We have only limited synonyms - please try different words in your query.
Questions? Please email us: helpdesk [at] zanran [dot] com


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So, I know it's been a while, but I'm back in action!! (I'm surprised I still know my password, lol)
I really got the inspiration to come back by my coworker, Eric, wanting to learn more about me with his never-ending questions; and my line sister Monique. Her blog is really good and since I don't get to talk to her as often as I would like, I feel that I get a sneak peak into her life 🙂
Currently, I'm working in Indianapolis, IN with a military defense company being a Logistics Specialist. It's really cool to know that what I do helps others in the military and thus is helping our country. We have the typical 'cubefarm' setting, but it leads to interesting convo, or some good drama-filled eavesdropping!!
I have a great boyfriend, Corbin. He's in graduate school back at home. It's been working pretty well with the relatively close distance. He came down this past weekend and we did the Indy Canal Walk and the Indy 500 Bump Day. Saturday was perfect weather for the canal walk with him and my 14 week old/3 month old puppy, Cooli O. Sunday was a REALLY hot and humid 88 degrees. We stayed for a while and would run in and out of our air-conditioned pavillion.
My family is really good back at home. My brother is doing really great work as a photographer. My parents are usually doing their retired thing of activities with AKA's or the Mason's. I love going home to visit, but I'm glad I'm grown and out of the house doing things on my own.
I'm going to the Maxwell/Jill Scott concert tonight, eek! But I don't really know either of them all that well, but I'm sure it'll be a good time. In another post, I'll have to update on the past year and my natural hair!!


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Style present or most recent trend is to design a swimming pool with infinity-edge pool. Infinity-style swimming pool is making a very broad look extends to the horizon with no edge or boundary. This pool design inspiration comes from Bali, Indonesia is modeled after the design of the terraced rice fields. Infinity pool designs are now widely used in hotels or villas in the world famous example:
Golden Triangle Resort – Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Pure 's Villa – Ubud, Bali.
Kandalama Hotel – Dambulla, Sri Lanka.
Alila Ubud Hotel – Bali, Indonesia.
Sheraton Waikiki – Hawaii.
Rangali Island – Maldives.
Divi Little Bay Beach Resort – St. Maarten.
Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino – Singapore.
Hope can be your inspiration …..
March 20th, 2012Posted in: Ideas, Swimming Pool Designs


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OBO, a small company in Palmerston North, has become a world leader in field hockey equipment. Most Olympic hockey goalkeepers, including from New Zealand's Black Sticks, wear the company's gear.
OBO founder Simon Barnett has never played field hockey himself. However, with a daughter on New Zealand's under-17 Junior Olympics team, he was understandably keen to find her the safest, strongest equipment around. With typical Kiwi chutzpah, Barnett put together his own product development lab.
A major challenge in hockey equipment is to make gear that can protect the human body from high-speed balls (up to 160 km/h) but still allow the wearer to move with instinct and precision. Simon's team spent weeks testing as many brands of helmet as they could get their hands on in their Antipodean Collider. Using this collider, they filmed balls being fired at the helmets at lighting speed.
With their understanding of how different materials protect different parts of the body, they combined high-density foam with a polycarbonate chassis to create protective headgear and helmets. Their boldly designed OBO headgear has taken the hockey world by storm and made goalkeepers the least injured players on the hockey field. Next up, they plan to tackle cricket and softball gear, while always improving their hockey equipment.
Useful link
Find out more about OBO.
If a hockey ball is travelling at 160 kilometres an hour and there are 13,000 field hockey goal keepers on the planet, how many of them will look like this?
The answer is none. They should all be wearing helmets. Simon Barnett has never played field hockey before, but he has a soft spot for goalies, including his Junior Olympics-competing daughter. Thanks to his OBO range, goalies are now the least injured players on the hockey field.
This is closed cell foam, it's made in Christchurch, it's the base of many of our hockey products. It's very light, it's very durable, it protects like nothing else on earth and it's got great colours as well.
It's hard stuff to protect the human body from ball speeds 160 k's an hour but still let them move. So when you play sport if you hesitate even for a moment, just a fraction of a second, you then can't play the game that you're demanded to play.
With most Olympic hockey goalkeepers and the Black Sticks now wearing OBO kit, OBO and its goalies have raced to the top of the game.
But where hockey kit was falling down was in head protection. OBO began research to design better penalty corner defensive gear.
The goalkeepers are in charge of the short corner and the defenders are there to help them. If someone can put something on that protects just the front of their face rather than the whole head, it's lighter, it's quicker to put on and take off. And they are totally focused on what they are facing which is the ball coming straight at them.
So with funding support from the Ministry of Science and Innovation, OBO built a research laboratory including what they called the Antipodean Collider.
The laboratory we set up has got an air cannon and I can fire either hockey balls or softballs, speeds between about 8 metres a second and 45 metres a second, which is the top sort of speed that any ball sport is producing.
The first part of the actual design process was to get as many of the competing or existing products as we could get, and I tested those. I spent weeks firing balls at them seeing how they broke. Looking at the high-speed videos, seeing how they reacted to the forces.
As a father you stand on the sideline and watch people play these games and once I realized how much damage it can do to the human face, I was shocked by that. And it was a real motivator in terms of getting out there and doing something better to enable people to play the game they love, but do it in a safe way.
Two years design work lead to unprecedented protective results.
This is the 'Face Off'. It's got a strong poly carbonate outer chassis to keep the ball off the face. Inside it's got high-density foam to absorb the impact. It's even got removable sweat pads so you can keep it nice and clean.
We understand now what different materials do to protect different parts of the human body for our other hockey products. So it's been a huge step forward for us. It enables us to know really accurately what the hell is going on.
OBO are now developing new full helmets for the goalie but there's no shortcut to making it work.
This is a rapid prototype, once we've put it on the players they said it was too passive, it didn't have the aggression that they needed as goalkeepers. So $20,000 worth of work in terms of play and time down the drain.
Once the sport psychology sorted OBO will make molds for helmet sizing and then go into production, while also expanding in other directions.
We've conquered field hockey goal keeping but we recognise we can do quite well in protecting the human face so that gives us opportunities of field hockey, in cricket and in softball. That's a lot of people.
The small team from Palmy are already the world's largest supplier of hockey goal equipment, and with the strength of their ongoing innovation work, eventually no one will mind a shot to the face.
This is part of the Innovation Stories series produced in partnership with the Ministry of Science and Innovation, it featured on TVNZ 7 during the Spotlight on Science + Innovation month in August 2011.


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A new indy ref campaign starts today in what looks like it will be a two year fight between a largely left wing grassroots movement dismayed at getting a right wing government they never voted for against the establishment in a battle to win the hearts and minds of the people.
But don't panic it won't be Scotland going through the gruelling and all consuming process (not yet anyway) it will instead be the most populated and influential state in the whole of the United States of America.
But the team organising the campaign were obviously inspired by the magical time that was Scotland in 2014 as they have based their logo and campaign on that lead by then First Minister Alex Salmond and his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon.
The Yes Scotland campaign was of course ultimately unsuccessful, losing to the No side by a margin of 45-55, but the way it galvanised it's base support and got so many of the working class communities registered to vote and interested in politics has clearly left an imprint over the Atlantic.
Although they were less impressed by, the ironically successful, Brexit campaign and have distances themselves from that and the name "Cali-exit" which they refuse to use.
The Yes California movement yesterday received the green light to begin the campaign to see the sunshine state go it alone after California's secretary of state Alex Padilla cleared a potential ballot measure that could see the state's constitution amended.
Spurred on by an intense hatred of Donald Trump and a feeling of unfairness over the disproportionate voting system that seen the state of 38 million people, and who voted for Clinton by a historical landslide of nearly 5 million more votes that eventual winner Trump, dictated to by states like Idaho and Arkansas that are minuscule in comparison through the crazily unfair electoral college system .
But they still have a few hurdles to get over in order to get freedom on the ballot.
First of all the Yes California team have to collect 585,407 valid signatures from registered voters by July 25th this year.
If they succeed, a vote to amend the state's constitution will be included on a 2018 ballot, which, if approved, would open up Californians to have a referendum on full independence from the United States in 2019.
And if President Trump continues as he has started it's hard not to see many Californians feel they have no choice.
It certainly could never be argued that California, the most populated state, home to Hollywood, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills and San Francisco and with an economy of $3 trillion that would take France and the United Kingdom jointly held spot as the 5th biggest economy in the world behind only USA, China, Japan and Germany.
Los Angeles alone is the fourth most visited city in the world and only behing New York, London so the threat of losing that alone will be enough to make some in the Whitehouse wake up in a cold sweat never mind the importance of the multi-billion dollar home of the entertainment industry in Hollywood.
But only time will if the influence of Yes Scotland's campaign will resonate with people in the mansions of Beverly Hills and Hollywood as much they did with the people of Easterhouse and Castlemilk.
Even if they pass the first stage and actually manage to get the choice on a ballot it will give them unprecedented power to hold the Trump administration to the fire as they wont want to risk losing such a huge chunk of their economy.


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Read about us below, view the team members or see us in action
Design Team
The Design team is where work on the robot begins. They use CAD software to design parts in a 3D environment and assemble them to create a robot. Students learn these skills in classes at school and through team participation. The team makes prints of the parts to be made so the Build team has exact measurements to use for all the components that need to be manufactured. The Design team also creates a Bill of Materials, which is a competition requirement.
- "I joined Robotics because it is a fine club with great people, and I hope to use the skills I learn here in my future occupation." Drew Craven
- "I was told there was cake." Michael Zitta
- "I thought it would be cool to learn a new skill and also I like seeing ideas be finished." Caitlyn Grier
Build Team
The Build team manufactures parts and builds the robot. Team members have a variety of top-notch fabrication and construction skills, including welding, drilling, and shaving. Students learn these skills in classes at school and through team participation. Components are made from metal, wood, and plastic. The build team turns our robot from a computer model into a material thing.
- "Interesting after school activity, sounded like a great use of time" Michael Grier
- "I joined robotics because I like engineering and I joined build because I like to work with my hands." Madeline Dale
- "I joined build because I had prexisting skils in building things." Cooper Strebeck
- "Robotics is the place for me because ever since I was little I enjoyed working with my hands and building things." Logan Pechtel
Electrical Team
The Electrical team is responsible for creating the nervous system of the robot by using wires to connect motors and sensors to the main controller. The controller acts like the brain, into which the programmers' code is loaded. Wires act like nerves and motors like muscles. Sensors are used to allow the robot to determine position when running in autonomous mode. Students learn the necessary skills on their own or through team participation. Very few, if any, of the skills are taught in classes at school.
- "I always liked electronics" Kyle Vanderweide
- "I was interested in building the bot and attending competitions." Brad Hoose
- "I joined the team because I plan to have a future in electrical engineering." Emma Schmidt
Programming Team
The Programming team creates the spark of life in the robot using C++ code, which students learn either in class at school or through team participation. The programmers' code tells the robot what to do in the numerous situations it may encounter, whether operating in manual or autonomous mode (competition rules require both). The code tells motors when to activate, and this combination of motor activations allows the robot to move fluidly. The code also gets values from the sensors and uses those values to tell the motors how much to move. Programming team members act as the drivers in the competition.
- "It teaches me things that are useful for my future." Maanasa Bommineni
- "I like programming because it teaches me things they don't teach in schools, and I like the experience." Mark Washington
Marketing Team
The Marketing and Communications team develops the team business plan and marketing strategy and handles both internal and external communications. During competition season, the team applies for awards, and develops a strategy for marketing our team as an important part of overall game strategy. A student communications director is in charge of issuing team emails, and regularly updating our social media presence. They organize fundraising activities and apply for grants. They promote the Lakeshore Robotics Team and FIRST through presentations to sponsors, and conduct community outreach activities. They also advise the Website team on content for the team website. Finally, the Marketing and Communications team interacts with the media, providing articles for the school district newsletter and community newspapers as well as handling radio interviews.
- "I joined the marketing team because I believed it would be a great experience with learning computer skills and other useful skills needed in future careers." Dana Conard
Web Design Team
The Webdesign team is in charge of designing, developing, and maintaining our website, which is a critically important internal and external communications tool. They work closely with the Marketing and Communications team. Their goal is to create a website that looks professional and is user-friendly. Team members update information and provide interactivity using HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript. The website is both an external face of the team and an internal communications hub for the team.
- "I joined the webdesign team because it offered powerful insight into the career I plan to pursue." Jacob Margherone
- "I thought it'd be cool to join a club" Ashley Jarria
Contact Info
Phone:School phone number: (269) 428-1402
- Jon Woodard (Ext. 2162)
- Brad Smith (Ext. 2153)
Snail Mail:Lakeshore High School
5771 Cleveland Ave
Stevensville, MI 49127
Contact Form
Contact FormName:


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Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Zibbet Finds
10 comments :
Well said. I love Zibbet for both selling and buying. Wonderful items are found there. I write the Fantastic Five for Zibbet and in my search for items to feature, I find wonderful things that I absolutely love, but many of the photos just are not clear enough to use.ReplyDelete
Welcome to Zibbet, glad you found us.
It's quite sad because if they would have better pictures the things that they make would sell!ReplyDelete
Hmm, maybe my next one will be taking some of the bad pictures, trying to fix them and then show.
zibbet is awesome. glad you found it.ReplyDelete
I think there are bad pictures on each site.....c'est la vie. their loss.
good luck with your shop!
Glad you found and like Zibbet. Etsy is done for me. And as was said, there are bad photos all over....it's a steep learning curve for many.ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for finding and including me on your blog!!ReplyDelete
Wow! I'm so happy you found Zibbet! A lot of shop owners are just starting out and need to improve on their pictures! They will grow and learn with time, and if not....well maybe they just weren't meant to sell online! I know I still need to improve some on some of my pictures...LOL!ReplyDelete
I have 3 Zibbet shops, and I absolutely love Zibbet and the community feels like home. Everyone is so nice and friendly and generous with their knowledge on selling. We all help each other out! Thank you for doing Zibbet Finds...that's AWESOME!!!
Hi there, Nice blog. I am both a seller and a buyer on Zibbet. I've tried Etsy, but prefer Zibbet. Much more unique talent on Zibbet. Lots of generic, massed produced looking stuff over on Etsy. It all looks the same. Love the items you featured from Zibbet.ReplyDelete
I just wanted to thank you all for the response I've gotten from this post! Amazing!ReplyDelete
And I've planned on doing a Zibbet Find every Monday :)
Thank you all again!
Exciting that you have found Zibbet - we're so glad to have you browse thru our shops.....and hope that you will continue to visit and encourage us in any way that you can, regarding better photogs! For some of us, that is a struggle, but we are daily-learning! Thanks again for checkin' us out!ReplyDelete
Thank you, thank you for including me in your lovely blog!!! Yay for Zibbet! I am quite new on Zibbet & hope to get all my work loaded on soon. Thanks again x Trace - Gretel GirlReplyDelete
Thank you for taking your time to comment! I try to answer all of the comments but you can as well reach me on twitter @tafraises


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Happy, Happy Birthday Selena!
To celebrate Selena's 20th birthday I want to share with all of you Cute-rs 20 facts about her.
1.) Selena made her television debut at age 7, on Barney and Friends, where she met her best friend, Demi Lovato.
2.) Selena and Demi starred in their own YouTube show called "The Demi and Selena Show".
3.) Selena is the youngest ambassador to UNICEF. She was first appointed when she was 17.
4.) She is named after the singer Selena, who died three years after her birth.
5.) Her favorite actress is Rachel McAdams.
6.) She turned down a role in High School Musical 3, claiming it would be a better opportunity for someone else and that she wanted to try more "mature" roles.
7.) She likes eating whole lemons, even putting salt on them.
8.) She was attached to a Lizzie McGuire spin-off called Stevie Sanchez, but it was never picked up.
9.) She loves pickles, so much so that she'll eat it with popcorn and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
10.) She traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of a UNICEF mission.
11.) She owns five rescue dogs.
12.) Her mom had her at 16 years old, and raised her as a single mom.
13.) She has a major crush on Shia LaBeouf.
14.) She drinks olive oil to protect her voice.
15.) She used to wear a purity ring that said "true love waits," but it has since disappeared from her finger once she started dating Justin Bieber.
16.) She has a bohemian-inspired clothing line, Dream Out Loud, available at Kmart.
17.) She got into some hot water with PETA after painting several horses pink for her "Love You Like A Love Song" video.
18.) She's a real smarty. Science — specifically the earth sciences, studying with the "layers of the Earth" — was her favorite subject in school.
19.) She recently broke up with her band (the "Scene") to focus on her acting career.
20.) Her upcoming movie, Spring Breakers, marks her first role in a mature movie, tackling subjects such as sex, drugs, booze and jail.
Again, to Selena Gomez, Happy Birthday!


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Winery Türk, Stratzing, Austria"Our greatest gift is nature"
We have learned to listen. We observe, react and cultivate. With one goal; to bring the character of our loess, bedrock and conglomerate soils directly and impressively into the glass. This requires a lot of tact and experience, which we bring in and build upon day after day. We do our best to do our very best with Grüner Veltliner. A variety with a wide and expressive taste profile, served in styles from a light-bodied aperitif to the strong-mineral climax of a full-bodied wine of the evening.
Spring mood at winery Türk – A movie
See how the vintage 2018 was born.
97 points by Wine Enthusiast
November 11, 2018. For our Eiswein vom Grünen Veltliner!
The purest scent of ripe apricot on the nose unfolds in even more spectacular fashion on the luscious palate. The flavors are carried by the immense, ...


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Posted on Dec 23,2014
The diamond may be the most important component of an engagement ring but without the ring setting, all you'll have is a loose diamond. The ring setting is the foundation of the ring, the base that will hold the diamond in place, which is why you should give it just as much importance as the gemstone you'll be placing on it.
There are many different styles of ring settings and it can be overwhelming to choose especially if you're not sure what the recipient wants. Most people buy ready-made rings and don't really bother to research the different kinds of settings available. After all, if a ring looks good, you don't really have to know what type of setting it is. However, if you want to make it special and you want to explore all your available options before you purchase the first ready-made ring you find, knowing the different kinds of settings can prove valuable to your search for the perfect ring.
Top Engagement Ring and Wedding Ring Settings
The Prong Setting
The prong setting is, without a doubt, the most popular ring setting today. Commonly seen on solitaires, the prong setting is characterized by either four or six prongs/claws enclosing the diamond. The prong setting is notable for allowing maximum light to enter the diamond in different angles. It is the most optimal setting for maximizing the brilliance of a diamond. It also makes the center stone look bigger. The prong setting is not only the perfect backdrop for a diamond but it also offers adequate protection as the claws protect the diamond from chipping or falling off, which can be a problem with daily use.
Prong settings are flexible and can be used for most diamond shapes. It is commonly seen on round brilliant solitaire rings but it is also used alongside a variety of ring settings and styles, including pave rings, three-stone rings, and channel rings.
Channel Setting
Channel setting is commonly used alongside prong setting for engagement rings. The center stone is usually set in a prong setting and the side stones are set on a channel setting. A channel setting is characterized by two lines of metals holding a row of diamonds or gemstones in between. There is no metal separating the gemstones from each other.
Channel setting is also popular in wedding rings with diamonds, particularly in eternity rings. The setting gives adequate protection to the stones while allowing adequate brilliance.
Pave Setting
Pave setting is another popular setting option for engagement rings. It is characterized by a row of small stones set very closely together. Unlike channel set stones, pave set stones have tiny beads of metal separating them from each other. For engagement rings, it is common to have a center stone set on a prong setting alongside pave set accent stones. Pave setting is also used widely in eternity diamond wedding rings.
Micro-pave setting is a variation of the pave setting where smaller stones are set closely to each other.
Bezel Setting
The bezel setting is also fairly popular in engagement rings. It is best for fancy shape diamonds like heart, triangle, and octagonal diamonds, as it emphasizes the shape of the diamond. In a bezel setting, the stone is surrounded entirely with a thin piece of metal. Not only does it offer extra protection for oddly shaped diamonds but it also helps emphasize the shape of smaller diamonds. It is perhaps one of the oldest settings for jewelry and is commonly used in engagement rings, as well as pendants and earrings.
Tension Setting
The tension setting is a slightly more modern option compared to the aforementioned ring settings. In a tension setting, two bars of metal hold the diamond in place. Unlike other settings, the tension setting does not offer as much protection for the diamond but it does offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to style. Tension set rings come in a wide-variety of styles and are commonly used in contemporary ring designs.
Illusion/ Cluster Setting
Illusion and cluster settings are sometimes used interchangeably because both are made of several smaller stones that make up one big centerpiece. In an illusion setting, smaller diamonds are set close to each other to create the illusion that they are one big stone instead of several small stones. A cluster ring is similar but a larger center stone is usually clustered with smaller stones to create the illusion of a bigger diamond.
Wedding ring settings are typically more straightforward than engagement ring settings because the stones used on wedding rings are a lot smaller. Some wedding rings are even just made up of plain precious metal without any gemstones.
Women usually choose a matching setting for their engagement ring and wedding ring so that both rings complement each other when worn on the same finger.
Regardless of the setting you choose for your engagement ring and wedding ring, the most important thing to consider is your personal style. Wedding rings don't always have to match so the couple can express their personal styles individually.Diamond Engagement Rings | Tagged Classic Diamond Settings, Diamond Engagement Rings, Ring Settings
Posted on Dec 22,2014
Engagement rings are special but it's the wedding band that will really be worn most of the time. While most women wear both rings on a daily basis, many also choose to just wear their wedding bands for practical reasons.
Most women prefer to have diamonds on their bridal rings and understandably so, as diamonds can really make the band sparkle even when worn alone. Even women who prefer a simpler band design often choose to add a few small diamonds on the band as accents. When choosing diamond bridal rings, it's important to choose not only in terms of style and aesthetic value but also durability, especially since you'll be wearing your wedding ring everyday.
If you're looking for the perfect diamond bridal ring to suit your lifestyle, you might find inspiration in the following styles:
Eternity Rings
Eternity rings are one of the most popular options for women because they complement solitaire engagement rings well. They are also just as beautiful when worn on their own. The ideal setting for eternity rings are either pave or channel because these settings provide extra protection for the tiny diamonds in between and are ideal for daily wear. However, some women prefer prong setting because they allow maximum brilliance for the diamonds. Eternity diamond rings are also symbolic of the commitment of marriage.
Round brilliant diamonds are often used for eternity rings but princess cut diamonds and emerald cut diamonds are also quite popular in many modern eternity ring designs.
Half eternity rings are also quite popular. Instead of a full circle of diamonds like in a diamond eternity ring, half-eternity rings only have diamonds on the face of the wedding band. It's a cheaper option compared to eternity rings because half the amount of diamonds are used unless you opt for bigger stones.
The half-eternity band style is ideal for bigger stones because diamonds are only used on the face of the band, making it more comfortable and practical for everyday use.
A curved diamond wedding band has a slight curve in the face of the band to accommodate the main stone on the engagement ring. The curved design makes it so that when the wedding band is worn with the engagement ring, the main stone can sit nicely around the curved area. These rings are designed to complement the engagement ring and are often custom-made to suit the proportions of the stone on the engagement ring. Most bridal ring sets also come with curved wedding bands.
Wedding bands embedded with diamonds are suitable for those who don't want too much sparkle on their wedding bands. These are also suitable for men because they are much more minimalistic than wedding bands completely studded with diamonds. The number of diamonds can be anywhere from one (placed at the center face of the band) to ten or more (dotting the circumference of the ring).
Some couples prefer to buy bridal sets (i.e. the engagement ring and wedding band are purchased together in a set) to ensure that they complement each other. Although for proposals, it may not always be recommended to purchase a bridal set unless you're absolutely sure that the answer is "yes" and that the style is something the bride-to-be will not want to change. However, if you are purchasing the engagement ring with your partner, then diamond bridal sets are a great option especially since they are usually sold at a cheaper price than if you buy the rings separately.
There are some couples that prefer to get matching wedding bands to make the rings more symbolic. Most matching wedding band sets aren't exactly similar, as the bridal ring is often designed to look more feminine and typically carry more diamonds than the groom's ring. Although, there are also a lot of wedding band sets that are designed to look exactly the same, as some couples prefer to wear the same ring.
There is a wide-variety of diamond bridal ring styles out there and if you can't find exactly what you have in mind, you always have the option to have your wedding band custom-made to suit your exact design preferences.Diamond Engagement Rings | Tagged Bridal Rings, Diamond Engagement Rings, Diamond Rings, Diamond Wedding Bands, Ring Settings, Vintage Diamond Rings
Posted on Oct 30,2014
While most people prefer classic engagement ring styles like round brilliant or princess cut solitaire engagement rings, others are more particular about the style of their rings. It's natural to want to own something that is unlike anything found in the market. This is why many couples prefer to have their engagement rings custom-designed to suit their individual tastes and preferences.
There are many unique diamond engagement rings in the market, some feature intricate metalwork paired with unique diamond shapes or cuts and look more like wearable art than jewelry.
From uncommon metals like tungsten to unusual band designs featuring lots of intricate patterns, there are many different techniques and styles you can employ to create a truly unique engagement ring. It's inspiring to see the diversity of engagement ring styles out there.
Cuts of Unique Diamond Engagement Rings
When it comes to unique diamond engagement rings, people are more likely to experiment with the setting rather than the diamond cut or shape. This is because the setting can easily be changed but the diamond itself is not always easy to replace.
However, if you are in the market for a less-than-common diamond cut or shape, then you may want to consider the following options:
The Triangle or Trillion
This is a diamond shape rarely seen on engagement rings but can be a stunner when set on the right band and stone setting. While finding a perfect triangle cut is not always easy, there's a wide-variety of triangular diamonds available online. Setting a triangle diamond on a pave band and a three-prong setting creates a good balance between classic and unique. For a more subtle design, you can set the diamond on a solitaire setting with a bezel stone setting to provide added security to the stone.
The Marquise
Marquise diamonds offer an advantage when it comes to visual size. Since the diamond is narrow and elongated, it typically appears bigger than it actually is. The marquise is a modified brilliant cut and as such, it is notable for its excellent brilliance. This cut is suitable for those looking for a unique alternative to traditional brilliant cuts like the round brilliant cut or the princess cut.
The Hexagonal Cut
The hexagon is another unique and interesting cut for diamonds. Popular in the 1920s, this is a great option for those looking for something unique for modern standards. To protect the corners, set it on a hexagonal bezel stone setting or a 6-prong setting. You can also experiment with art deco-inspired bands to give it a vintage appeal.
Styles of Unique Diamond Engagement Rings
A popular trend for unique engagement rings is combining different fancy color diamonds on one ring. A blue center diamond paired with colorless side stones makes for a good combination. Some styles also feature double halos surrounding a center stone for extra flair. Black diamonds also go well with a tungsten band and with white accent stones for contrast.
Most unique diamond engagement rings found in the market experiment with the setting style rather than the diamond. Tension settings are great for creating a unique ring that puts emphasis on the stone. Although tension settings are generally less safe than prong settings, they offer a great alternative to the more common four-prong or six-prong diamond engagement rings.
A unique alternative to yellow gold is rose gold. It offers a rustic but feminine appeal than cannot be found on more common options like white gold, yellow gold, or platinum. For a unique engagement ring style, you can opt for a rose gold setting and have the band custom-designed to add vintage-inspired patterns like filigrees and floral patterns.
When it comes to creating a truly unique ring, there isn't a set pattern or trend you should follow. Just work with your jeweler to have it designed the way you want. However, it is recommended that you still stick to classic diamond cuts, as they are easier to work with and are generally easier to find. After all, it's easier and cheaper to have the setting custom made compared to having a custom diamond shape cut to your exact preferences.
Unique Diamond Engagement Ring Sizes
Sizes are pretty standard for most diamond engagement rings. In the US and in Canada, sizes come in a range from 5 to 13. However, there are different sizes in other countries like the UK and France so if you're shopping abroad, make sure to have the exact measurements of the recipient's ring finger ready.
If you are buying a ring with intricate metal work on the band, it's best if you have the size right when you buy the ring or have it designed because it's often harder to resize ring bands with patterns on them. You might end up having to cut the pattern or worse, ruin the pattern when you have it resized.Posted in Diamond Cuts, Diamond Engagement Rings | Tagged Black Diamonds, Diamond Cuts, Engagement Rings, Floral Diamond Ring, Hexigonal Diamond Ring, Marquise Diamond Ring, Rare Diamonds, Ring Settings, Triangle Diamond Ring, Trillion Diamond Ring, Unique Diamond Ring Designs
Posted on Jul 14,2014
There's nothing quite like a solitaire engagement ring setting to emphasize the beauty and brilliance of a diamond. It is one of the most popular styles when it comes to engagement rings because of its classic appeal and elegance. Many women prefer the solitaire style because it suits just about any diamond shape.
If you've chosen to propose with a diamond solitaire engagement ring, you've made the right choice. Not only is it one of the safest options if you're not sure about the recipient's style preference but it is also the easiest style to find in jewelry stores and other venues.
Choosing the perfect diamond solitaire engagement ring can be a daunting task especially with the number of options available to you from different venues. The key to finding the perfect ring is setting some parameters before making a purchase. Shopping around online and viewing different styles will allow you to make a much more informed decision when it comes to the stone and the setting of the ring. Below are some factors to consider aside from the 4Cs (carat, color, clarity, and cut) when buying a solitaire engagement ring:
Stone Shape
Since a diamond solitaire engagement ring only features one diamond, the shape of the stone is one of the most important things that you should consider. It is best to have this aspect set before the buying process begins so that you won't be overwhelmed with the number of available diamond shapes once you do start to view rings.
Without a doubt, the most popular stone shape for solitaire engagement rings is the round brilliant. Over half of engagement ring purchases are round brilliant solitaires. Since a solitaire setting puts special emphasis on the stone, you'll probably want to choose a stone that has exceptional brilliance. Brilliant cuts like the round brilliant and princess cut are excellent options. Other brilliant cut stone shapes include oval, cushion, heart, and marquise.
The beauty in the solitaire style is that it suits just about any stone shape available even step cuts like the emerald cut and the asscher cut so it really is just a matter of style preference. If you are unsure about the style preference of the recipient, the round brilliant would be the safest option for a diamond solitaire engagement ring.
Stone Setting
Another important factor when choosing a diamond solitaire engagement ring is the stone's setting. This aspect goes beyond aesthetics, as you'll also have to consider functionality (i.e. whether the setting will be able to hold the stone safely even with everyday use). The type of stone setting you choose will depend on its size and its shape.
The most popular stone setting for round brilliant solitaire engagement rings is the prong setting because it is not only practical but also minimalistic in design, giving the stone extra emphasis. Prong settings usually come with either four or six prongs (tiffany setting) but for diamond shapes like the heart, a three-prong setting is ideal to emphasize the shape of the stone.
Another popular setting is the cathedral setting, named as such because the arches that hold the stone resemble the vaulted ceilings of old cathedrals. This stone setting is ideal for smaller diamonds, as it offers the diamond more visibility, making it look bigger in size.
Modern stone settings for solitaire engagement rings include the bezel setting and the tension setting. While the bezel setting is more popularly used in earrings and pendants, it has gained popularity for engagement rings as well, particularly for round brilliants and square cuts like the radiant cut or emerald cut.
For the perfect diamond solitaire engagement ring, you might want to consider choosing a loose stone and then choosing the setting separately instead of buying a pre-designed ring. This will make it easier to design a ring that would suit the recipient's personality and preference.Posted in Buying a Diamond, Diamond Cuts, Diamond Engagement Rings, Types of Diamonds | Tagged Buying Diamond Rings Online, Diamond Cuts, Diamond Engagement Rings, Diamond Rings, Ring Settings
Posted on Apr 02,2014
Most people often want to know how much their engagement ring is worth regardless of whether they are planning on selling it or not. However, getting an accurate answer to this question is even more important if you have plans of selling it. The more information you know about the quality of your diamond engagement ring, the easier it would be for you to determine if you are getting a good price from a buyer.
There are many different factors that determine the value of a diamond engagement ring, the most important factors being the 4cs (Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat) of a diamond. It is worth noting, however, that these are not the only factors that are taken into consideration when valuing an engagement ring especially if you want to determine how much its resale value will be. Listed below are some of the factors that determine the value of engagement rings:
Appraisal Value
If you have a GIA Report or an IGI certificate, it'll be easier for you to determine what it is worth. However, if you don't have a certificate, you might want to have it professionally appraised.
Even with a certificate, if you have a high-value diamond, you might still want to get a professional appraisal so that you have an idea of how much its resale value will be based on current market prices.
It is worth, noting, however that professional appraisals can cost a lot of money and they don't always guarantee that you'll get a good price for your diamond, as price offers still depend on the buyer. Buyers don't always follow the appraisal report especially since some appraisals grade diamonds higher than their actual value. Professional appraisals are recommended for high-value diamonds to protect the interests of the seller.
Rapaport Value
Most diamond buyers make offers based on a diamond's Rapaport value. Rapaport diamond reports set the industry standard of diamond prices for consumers. These reports are published weekly.
Buyers often offer about 50% to 60% of a diamond's "Rap" value initially and just increase it from there. Pawnshops usually offer less than 40% of the "Rap Value". Online diamond buyers offer the most but their purchase offer is based on both the "Rap" value as well as their own appraisal of the diamond. This is why getting your own appraisal for smaller diamonds don't always pay off, as most buyers base their purchase on their own valuation of the diamond.
Brands can add a lot of value to a ring. Engagement rings bought from jewelers like Tiffany's or Cartier can significantly raise the value of an engagement ring. Most dealers are willing to pay 70% or more of a ring's value if it is from a big brand name.
Ring Setting
Since you'll also be paid for the setting, you also have to take into account the market prices for precious metals. The value will be based not only on the weight and purity of the metal but its current state taking into account wear and tear if they are not going to melt the metal.
There are a lot of factors that influence the prices of diamond engagement rings, which is why it's not always easy to get an estimate of how much you can sell it for. If you want to protect yourself and get a fair price when you sell your engagement ring, it's best to do your research. It's better if you have a GIA report or IGI certificate along with the most recent Rapaport report so you'll know whether the price is right or not.
For more information on the pricing of engagement rings, along with reviews of online diamond buyers, check out our diamond selling page for more information.Posted in Sell Diamond Rings, Valuing Diamonds | Tagged GIA Report, IGI Certificate, Rapaport Value, Ring Settings


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Advocacy/Community Engagement
Advocacy Efforts
On September 30, Congress failed to reauthorize funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), leaving millions of families in a state of uncertainty. California will exhaust its CHIP funds at the end of this year. California's families cannot wait. The continued uncertainty puts at risk close to 2 million children and pregnant women who currently rely on CHIP in California, as they would stand to lose coverage if Congress does not act. Legislators on both sides of the aisle agree CHIP is a critical investment for children's wellbeing. Yet, despite bipartisan support, the program faces an uncertain future.
Millions of American families who depend on CHIP should not be left to stress about the future of their children's health coverage. Funding for CHIP is an easy victory for lawmakers and a win for the of children in California and the nation. Congress needs to take action now.
Act Now!
California's health centers, children's groups, and health advocates have joined forces to highlight the urgency in funding CHIP and the community clinics and health centers. Administered together as Medi-Cal in California, Medicaid and CHIP have helped ensure a historic 97% of coverage for the state's children. CHIP provides health insurance for nearly 9 million kids nationally — and roughly 2 million in California alone. California's community health centers treat 6.5 million patients – one-third of which are children.
Read an OpEd written by Louise McCarthy, MPP, president and CEO of the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County & Mayra E. Alvarez president of the Children's Partnership on the urgency in funding CHIP and the community clinics and health centers.
Support CHIP and CCHCs- Let your Member of Congress know delayed action harms children and families!
- Use the graphics below to tweet to your Representative and urge them to #ExtendCHIP, #ProtectOurCare and #KeepKidsCovered!
STAY CONNECTED – Follow us at Twitter @KidsPartnership Facebook fb.com/KidsPartnership and Instagram @KidsPartnership
Community Engagement
The Children's Partnership has been partnering with education and community partners to host a series of community forums to connect with families and respond to questions and concerns about their child's health care, including questions related to immigration. Since January, The Children's Partnership and partners have held over 25 Let's Talk community forums and have talked with over 900 families!
Check out our pictures below of our events throughout the State:
SHARE YOUR STORY – Tell us how ACA, Medicaid, and CHIP is working for you and your family.
STAY CONNECTED – Follow us at Twitter @KidsPartnership Facebook fb.com/KidsPartnership and Instagram @KidsPartnership
Receive the latest updates on our work and to stay informed on upcoming events and opportunities to engage.


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The three private contractors who assess people for disability benefits have been accused of failing to meet the government's own quality standards, according to a damning report by MPs.
They say failures in the process have led to "untenable human costs" to claimants, as well as undermining trust in the system. Disability groups said the companies were being paid millions of pounds in taxpayers' money for a "very poor service indeed".