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No, Girls Are Not Natural Baby Sitters
'You want Molly, not Tommy?' Why American boys also need experience taking care of children
I've been baby-sitting since I was 12. Parents would call our house and talk to my mom until she passed me the phone, like a baton. Baby-sitting felt like my first step toward adulthood.
But what kind of adulthood? Baby-sitting teaches lessons about women and work that stay with us all our lives. It sends the message that child care is a fundamentally female responsibility. It trains girls for motherhood but not boys for fatherhood, reinforcing the idea that women are "naturally better" in the home.
The teenage baby sitter has been straddling the fault lines of feminism ever since the term gained popularity just after World War II. In her book "Babysitter: An American History," Miriam Forman-Brunell argues that baby-sitting developed as a "method of socialization," a way to give teenage girls some autonomy while maintaining traditional gender roles.
Baby-sitting is hardly a social evil, of course. It's convenient for busy families, it helps young people make money, and it can even be fun. I've watched many kids who now feel like younger siblings to me, forming close relationships with families in our neighborhood. Baby-sitting made me feel needed, trusted and important.
But few parents ever called my house asking for my brother, Tommy. When mothers—or the occasional father—called me for a night when I was unavailable, I would offer to ask Tommy, who was much more responsible. He was obsessed with locking doors and windows and knew all about "stranger danger." "No, thanks," some mothers would say, "but what about Molly?" Molly is our much-younger sister. "We're really desperate."
Tommy shouldn't take it personally. SmartSitting.com, an agency that matches highly educated sitters with New York families, reports that 87% of its sitters are female, while another site, Sittercity.com, is 94% women. Lauren Kay, founder and chief executive of SmartSitting, says that the preference for female sitters comes from the parents, usually the mother, who wants her kids to be with someone who is "nurturing."
Zach Hughes is a 23-year-old Harvard graduate who loves working as a part-time baby sitter for two girls, ages 5 and 6. But he sometimes gets strange looks when he's with them. "It feels like I'm going to get asked by any adult I pass what I'm doing with this little kid," Mr. Hughes says. "I don't see a lot of people like me walking around with 6-year-olds in the middle of the day."
Naveh Halperin, 23, recently graduated from Brandeis University, where he often baby-sat to make extra money. Mr. Halperin says that he never encountered explicit mistrust, but that parents seemed a little less comfortable with him than they would with a female sitter. He felt like he had to prove himself. Today it's the rare family that prefers a male sitter (although some do, especially for rambunctious boys).
Ms. Kay says that men who want to baby-sit through SmartSitting are often faced with a catch-22: They "can't get hired because they don't have any experience, and they don't have any experience because they can't get hired."
Could child care someday go the way of cooking? In the 1950s, everyone assumed that women were better in the kitchen. A famous advertisement for a Kenwood mixer called "the Chef" had the slogan, "The Chef does everything but cook—that's what wives are for!" Most women back then were better cooks than men, but not because they had some secret uterine voice telling them how much paprika to use. Girls knew how to cook because they were trained in the kitchen, and boys never learned because they were never taught.
These days, of course, cooking is gender neutral. The University of Michigan's Longitudinal Study of American Youth found last year that married men are cooking 34 meals a month, almost as many as their wives. Cookbooks and websites are now catering to what Saveur editor Helen Rosner calls the "dudification" of cooking.
What if the same thing happened to child care? Mr. Halperin envisions a time when baby-sitting is no longer considered a girl's job. "If it becomes more of the norm to have a guy baby sitter, then it will become more of the norm to have a stay-at-home dad," he says.
Maybe the future of feminism is less about women learning how to "have it all" than about training a generation of men to help us do it.
—Ms. Alter is a writer in New York City.
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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June 2, 2011 -- The number of people living with HIV continues to rise. That's mainly because of highly effective drugs that allow people infected with HIV to live longer, healthier lives, the CDC says.
But another reason is that prevention efforts and educational programs have helped reduce infections, CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, says in a news release. That news release, dated June 2, 2011, marks 30 years since the first report of the illness that came to be known as AIDS was published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
The CDC says in its MMWR dated June 3 that highly active antiretroviral therapy is effective and that the death rate of people infected with HIV has declined dramatically over the past two decades.
But the AIDS crisis is not over, and Frieden says more resolve is needed to end this epidemic.
HIV/AIDS Still Infecting and Killing People
The new report says that every year about 50,000 U.S. residents are infected with HIV. Half of the newly infected are men who have sex with men. And nearly half are African-American.
In the latest MMWR, CDC researchers say 1.17 million people in the United States are living with the virus and about 20% do not know they are infected.
Among key findings:
- In the first 14 years after the first cases of AIDS were reported in the U.S. in 1981, sharp increases were reported in the number of new AIDS diagnoses and deaths among people 13 and over.
- In 1992, the CDC says there were 75,457 new AIDS diagnoses, compared to 318 in 1981, and that deaths caused by the disease reached 50,628 in 1995, compared to 451 in 1981.
- CDC researchers say AIDS diagnoses dropped 45% between 1993 and 1998, from 75,263 to 41,462. AIDS deaths dropped 63% from 1995 to 1998, from 50,628 to 18,851.
- Between 1999 and 2008, AIDS diagnoses remained stable at an average of 38,279 per year. Deaths caused by AIDS averaged 17,489 per year during that time period.
- The CDC estimates that 594,496 people have died from AIDS since 1981.
According to the CDC, at the end of 2008, 75% of people living with HIV were men, and 65.7% of them were men who have sex with men.
HIV prevalence rates among African-Americans were about eight times that of whites. HIV prevalence rates for Hispanics or Latinos were about 2.5 times that of whites.
Among other key findings:
- People between ages 13 and 24 have the highest percentage of undiagnosed HIV, at 58.9%, compared to 31.5% for people aged 25-34, 18% among people 34-44, 13.8% for people 45-54, 11.9% for people 55-64, and 10.7% among people 65 and older.
- Greater percentages of undiagnosed HIV also were found among men with high-risk heterosexual contact, 25%, and men who have sex with men, 22.1%, than in other categories.
- Greater percentages of undiagnosed HIV also were observed among Asians or Pacific Islanders at 26% and American Indians or Alaska Natives at 25% than among African-Americans at 21.4%, whites at 18.5%, and Hispanics or Latinos at 18.9%.
HIV Infection
Testing can now detect HIV as early as nine days after infection.
Highly active antiretroviral therapy has been effective in allowing people to live longer with HIV.
However, late diagnosis is all too common. In 2008, the CDC says 33% of newly diagnosed HIV cases developed AIDS within a year. These people were likely infected with HIV 10 years prior to the diagnosis, on average. During this time period, they missed opportunities for medical care.
Frieden says in the news release that far too many Americans still underestimate their risk of infection or think HIV is no longer a serious health threat. But he says it is imperative that Americans understand that HIV is incurable and that most infections today are occurring among people under 30, a generation "that has never known a time without effective HIV treatments and who may not fully understand the significant health threat HIV poses."
He says that advances in HIV prevention hold promise for reducing new infection.


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In this chest beats a restless heart, manipulated by a mind full of dreams, tempered by the pressures of everyday life.
Knowing the past, trying to predict the future.
Trying just to live, every single day.
New resolutions formed, the kind that tell you to make the most of the current situation, no matter what. Live the present.
Then pops tells you to put a little money away.
And blow the rest.
Live what's in your heart.
And he's dying of cancer, so the advice is to be believed.
A dyslexic heart thunders in this chest.


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Pass rushers expected to turn up pressure in NFC North
When he wasn't walloping a (willing) fan on the fairway of a Lake Tahoe golf course, A.J. Hawk spent the offseason dreaming about hitting quarterbacks – hitting them himself, of course, but also watching his Green Bay Packers teammates terrorize quarterbacks in the NFC North.
Offseason practices provided Hawk and the Packers a glimpse of what might be possible with Clay Matthews on one side of the defense, and newcomer Julius Peppers rushing from the other.
"We've seen it in practice so far, and it should be awesome. When you have guys like that on opposite sides, offensive linemen and quarterbacks hate that. It scares them," Hawk told USA TODAY Sports while preparing to play in the American Century Championship tournament this week in Lake Tahoe where a fan asked Hawk to tackle him. "With a guy like Julius, his physical presence alone is ridiculous."
The division might feature some of the league's most exciting offensive players in the Packers' Aaron Rodgers and Detroit's Calvin Johnson and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, but the same teams' pass rushers will provide some of the most interesting fodder as training camps open this week.
This is after an offseason in which Peppers relocated from Chicago to Green Bay, and Jared Allen move from Minnesota to Chicago as part of the Bears' plan to overhaul their defensive line. The Bears also signed Lamarr Houston from Oakland and Willie Young from Detroit, and used a pair of high draft picks on defensive tackles.
"It's always been really competitive. The NFC North, every team can play, but shifting guys around, jeez, it's going to be even more fun to watch I think," Hawk said.
The old faces in new places certainly add intrigue to the NFC North, a division won by the Packers the past three seasons. But which defense could have the biggest impact?
Former Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher said he expects significant improvement from his old team, in part because of Allen and Houston, and the healthy return of players such as cornerback Charles Tillman. But Urlacher told USA TODAY Sports he's also expecting a big season from quarterback Jay Cutler, which should go a long way to helping the Bears' defense.
"They'll be much better," Urlacher said. "They're going to be scoring a lot of points on offense, so it's just a matter of holding people every once in a while."
In Detroit, Young's move to Chicago left a vacant spot at defensive end opposite 2013 first-round pick Ziggy Ansah – a spot likely to be filled by former Seahawk Jason Jones, who spent last season on the Lions' injured reserve after suffering a torn patellar tendon in September.
And in Minnesota, the Vikings are hoping homegrown defensive ends Brian Robison and Everson Griffen, along with first-round pick outside linebacker Anthony Barr, will be able to replace Allen, who took his 128 1/2 career sacks to the Bears.


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This iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site has almost 1000 years of intriguing tales to tell. Meet the Yeoman Warders, marvel at the fabulous finery of THE Crown Jewels and discover an unrivalled collection of royal army and armour in the iconic White Tower. Explore all the roles this impressive building has had to play throughout the centuries – from medieval palace and fortress to infamous prison and execution site.
Must See Attractions:
White Tower – The White Tower is an enduring icon of the London skyline, albeit nowadays dwarfed by, and in contrast to the modern city. This striking historic building dating back to 1075 today houses the Line of Kings, displaying royal armour, life-sized wooden horses and figures of kings throughout the centuries.
Coins and The Royal Mint – The history of English coin making at the Tower, including Sir Isaac Newton's efforts to rid London of counterfeiters when he was warden of the Mint, and Edward I's harsh punishments for people who tampered with his coins.
Yeoman Warders – Yeoman Warders better known as Beefeaters, entertain the thousands of visitors that come to the Tower throughout the year with their guided tours and immense knowledge of the ancient palace and fortress.
Crown Jewels – The breath-taking world famous collection of fabulous finery and regalia – discover gloriously ornate intricately made Crown Jewels and learn how they have inspired acts of greed, violence and even spawned stories of evil curses.
Medieval Palace – Once a surprisingly comfortable royal home here you will enter the rooms of Edward I and discover life in the opulence and colour of a medieval royal residence.
The Ravens – One of the most famous sites at the Tower, legend has it that if they ever leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall. The birds all have names and very different characters, find out who's who next to their new lodgings on the South Lawn.
Fortress and battlements – Enjoy great views over modern London and the river Thames from atop the well. Groups can explore more of the Tower's battlements giving a sense of what it would have been like to defend the Tower against potential attackers. Along the route enjoy exhibitions highlighting aspects of the Tower's past, including the role the Duke of Wellington played whilst Constable of the Tower.
Disabled Access
Whilst the Tower of London welcomes all visitors, this historic building has places with difficult stairs and passageways and wheelchair access is limited. There are also a large number of steps throughout the Tower with cobbles laid in some of the roads. However, the Jewel House and the Crown Jewels are fully accessible to all visitors.
Toilets: Easy ramped access is available behind the Jewel House.
Wheelchairs: A limited number of wheelchairs are available from the Welcome Centre at the main entrance to the Tower.
The Tower Of London welcomes all visitors and tries to ensure that everyone's visit is successful and enjoyable. Registered disabled visitors are charged the relevant ticket price and carers are admitted free of charge. Wheelchair access is extremely limited: the Tower has cobbled pavements and uneven surfaces. Care should be taken and appropriate footwear worn. Sign language tours are available, and guide dogs are admitted.
In order to gain entry you must present a printed copy of your voucher. Please take your voucher/confirmation to the Group Ticket Window along with photo ID for entrance to The Tower of London.
Please take your voucher/confirmation to the Group Ticket Window along with photo ID for entrance to The Tower of London.


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April 09, 2009
DQS6 Sneak Peek
This week of Spring Break has been great! No schedule, except for Owen's naps - don't want to mess that up :) We started the week with sunshine, however yesterday and today have been WINDY and rainy. Just as well, the colds have been going around with the kiddos - Owen and Emmalie are really congested, and Sophia still has a cough from last weeks ear infection. Just the way this month has gone! I'm so thankful that they are healthy otherwise.
I took all the kids to the dentist this morning - not to bad really! Ella and Em got the full cleaning treatment, while Sophia and Owen sat/laid on my lap while they got checked out. So now Owen is down for a late nap, and I am doing my best to take advantage of this "free time"! I had rented a flick for the girls last night knowing that it was going to be icky out :)
That's where these stacks of fabrics come in! Doll Quilt Swap 6 is in full swing - lots of creative people with beautiful quilts. I'm drooling over each new set of pictures posted.
I've gotten started, but without our usual schedule, it's a little more challenging to sit and create. I read somewhere about a mom getting up at 6 am to create - I can't remember where, it was just last night. . . I do love to create, but would much rather stay up until 2 in the morning than wake early :) But Joe's been making fun of me for staying up late, and I do need a bit more sleep - oh well! It all gets done eventually :)
I've had fun spiffing up this blog too! I would love to create a new banner, but haven't come up with anything that I like better than what I already have . . . so not yet - but don't be surprised when I figure it out!
Also - I was linked too from OnePrettyThing (Thanks again Rachel!) - Welcome everyone coming over! I hope you are inspired and encouraged as you browse around :)
Blessings to you ~ Amy
23 comments:
- SewAmy said...
love the sneak peak.
- April 9, 2009 at 3:07 PM
- jmb_craftypickle said...
Hee hee...Yes , only crazy people get up @ 6 to make stuff!! Seriously, sometimes you just get up and plunge right in and by the time you wake up...you have made something REALLY cool. (Or really weird looking!) I like the look of your swap quilt...very bright and springy, lovely!
- April 9, 2009 at 3:13 PM
- Sarah Greider said...
Amy - Can you share what the name of your fabric is?? I don't recognize it.
Looks yummy!
- April 9, 2009 at 3:18 PM
- Kerri said...
oh, i love your stack!! i can't wait to see more. :)
i hope your kiddos feel better.
- April 9, 2009 at 4:43 PM
- Fee said...
Amy that fabric looks good enough to eat - Can't wait to see what you are turning it into
- April 9, 2009 at 5:36 PM
- Unknown said...
I would love to get up that early - but the problem is that #1 would hear me and think it was time to get up. I tend to stay up late too but I pay for it big time in the tiredness and patience arena.
I LOVE those fabrics - they are such cute bright fun colors!
- April 9, 2009 at 5:36 PM
- SaraVictorious said...
:) Good luck with the doll quilt! I hope it's tons of fun!
I love the pictures of the fabrics and pins all piled up!
- April 9, 2009 at 6:21 PM
- Tipper said...
Glad you all are enjoying spring break-hope all the colds go away for good!! The fabric looks lovely.
- April 9, 2009 at 7:04 PM
- randi said...
What a cute pile of fabrics!
Enjoy the rest of the spring break!
- April 9, 2009 at 9:48 PM
- Abby and Stephanie said...
The Doll quilt swap looks like so much fun. Perhaps the next go round I'll be able to join. Love the fabrics you're using.
- April 10, 2009 at 5:22 AM
- Unknown said...
Love your pretty stacks for your DQ! Also love what you are doing to your blog. I have to say that sometimes I rise early and sometimes stay up late. So I guess I am an in betweener.
- April 10, 2009 at 6:02 AM
- Carla said...
The fabric looks so pretty! Can't wait to see it.
- April 10, 2009 at 6:27 AM
- melissa s. said...
I love your fabric choices, amy! can't wait to see the finished product. hope your crew feels better soon and happy easter!
- April 10, 2009 at 8:32 AM
- Victoria said...
The colors in these fabrics are gorgeous! Hope your little ones feel all better soon!
- April 10, 2009 at 10:07 AM
- Thimbleanna said...
Ooooh, Amy, those fabrics are yummy -- can't wait to see the whole thing!
- April 10, 2009 at 7:47 PM
- Jessica said...
I'm looking forward to seeing the finished quilt!
- April 11, 2009 at 12:24 PM
- Rebekah said...
ooh! I love these fabrics...I miss out on the DQS every time :)
- April 12, 2009 at 7:30 PM
- Zarina said...
I'm like you - prefer staying up late than waking up early to be creative. Even with a cup of coffee (tea) for me, will not be sufficient to really wake me up.
- April 14, 2009 at 1:18 AM
quilt festival online; what a good idea! So creative! once again love your creative photography...love, Mom
- April 14, 2009 at 10:40 PM
- Aunt Spicy said...
Amy, what fun idea to have the Bloggers Quilt Festival! I have loved reading your site and looking at your beautiful projects! I am constantly amazed at how many talented people are in blog land and love all the new blog-links from your blog! Thanks!
- April 17, 2009 at 9:13 AM
- Unknown said...
have been busy drawing a complete design. Transfering what has been in my imagination onto paper whilst baking and a todler circuling is not too easy. plus my drawing is not that great.
As I started piecing the design changed a bit. I am happy witht he progress so far. All that is left on the top is appliqueing the tree,bird and clouds. Then do a border I'm thinking black.
sandy dentist
- April 20, 2009 at 2:13 AM
- Dallas said...
What is the name of the fabric in this post? It's really cute!
- April 26, 2009 at 1:03 PM
- Beth said...
so gorgeous! i too am interested in who designs this fabric please!
- January 11, 2010 at 8:51 PM


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"Promise me you won't let them take me back into hospital," you said. You had already been twice, two stays of one week each.
"I promise you," I said.
The next morning, when I drove you to the doctors, I mounted the pavement to get as close as I could to the entrance because I didn't think you could make the walk.
In the waiting room, people looked away.
"You've got to get straight to the hospital," the Doctor said, shocked.
"No," you said and you looked at me with those eyes.
I still feel wretched about it, three years down the line. Not as wretched as you, obviously, but fairly wretched.
We seemed to dance into the entire thing, unaware.
"I'm thinking of getting the snip," you announced.
"Great!" I didn't think twice. We have four children between us. I had heard it often enough: "If he didn't want children, then he should have got a vasectomy."
We didn't want any more children, so he was getting a vasectomy.
You can't say we weren't logical people.
You had an appointment to request the procedure and then a stupid counseling one and I say stupid, because in retrospect it was. It was intent on evaluating our children, our marriage and the possibilities of reversals and not actually addressing the issue: what happens when a vasectomy is ballsed up.
"About 1 in 1,000 men experience pain afterward." The myths and realities of vasectomy. NY TIMES.COM.
I was breastfeeding the baby the morning you skipped off, gave me a kiss, making your faux-scared face. I remember thinking: Is it worth it? I'll be menopausal in maybe seven, eight years, but I saw your snip as an act of love, for me, for our relationship. Besides who doesn't like condom-free sex?
So you went. The Doctor said, "I only do this as like to keep my hand in the surgery side of things…" This sent tremors down your spine, but your pants were already off.
The Doctor cut a capillary and there was a lot of blood.
"There will be more swelling than normal," the Doctor said.
"Meh," you shrugged, telling me. "It should be fine."
This was the beginning of our adventures in bollocks care.
"Following a vasectomy, complications are rare." NHS choices website.
After two or three days, you were aching, worse than aching. You carried on working, walking to the station like a cowboy on ice. I insisted you saw another Doctor and you picked up your first round of antibiotics. So far, so normal, apparently – yes, an infection. Yes, very, very common.
Despite the drugs, you were still in pain. We tell ourselves, "It will get worse before it gets better." It gets a lot worse and shows no sign of getting better. Days pass and you can't sit down, you can't stand up, you can't even talk: everything is eclipsed by the world in your trousers.
At A and E, they put you on a drip and argue among themselves. One doctor estimates, "maybe three in ten vasectomies have 'complications'. The surgeons are keen to get in there. "Resist," the non -surgeons tell you. "Don't let them cut you open again. It's like using a sledgehammer to crack ummm."
"I won't," you say. "I just want to go home."
Eventually, I am allowed to take you home. The speed bumps are killers.
"Ignore any scare stories that seem to be a favourite joke topic for some men." Patient.co.uk
Two or three days pass and the pain gets worse again. This time, you're even more reluctant to go back: you don't want to be cut open by the scissor-happy surgeons, sniggered at by the nurses. You don't want to lie there, depressed in air-tight wards with nothing to contemplate but lunch and jokey Finbar Saunders cards.
One night though, the pain is even worse. I offer to call the ambulance, half expecting you not to agree. But the pain is eviscerating and you do. The ambulance man makes sympathetic faces and offers you gas and air. For a crazy moment, I think Jesus, he couldn't be, could he? You are crawling the walls. I know women who say about men dismissively, "they don't know how it feels to give birth…" I saw then, that you did have an inkling.
Off you went, my darling, and I stayed home with the children. They were picking up the new language they hear me using on the phone or at the school gate: "What's wrong with Daddy's tentacles?" they ask. "What are swollen gonads?"
That second week in hospital is horrendous. You're on morphine. You can't sleep. Your neighbours groan all day long. I tout around for babysitters. When I manage to get in to see you, one nurse takes me aside, "Was the vasectomy your idea?"
"No," I say.
"Thank God for that," she says.
I think you would have forgiven me, but I don't think I would have ever forgiven myself.
You come home. You're ok for a few days and then…the agony begins again.
Once again, we try rationalising it away. Maybe its your pants. The weather. The way you are sitting. But its really bad. You decide to give up on state – you believe that the private system, a private consultant will cure you. We get an appointment for Monday morning. It is Thursday night. It is also Bonfire night and you are determined you aren't going to go to the hospital with all the drunks and burns.
You develop a fever. You had been reading 'Suite Francaise': a World War Two book and you were delirious. Later you told me, you didn't know what was real and what wasn't. You thought nazis were coming. "Are the babies safe? Look after them," you kept saying.
I called NHS direct. I told them you refused to come to hospital. I said you were cold but the house was boiling.
"What's his temperature?"
I had lost the themometer.
"Pretty high?"
"Do not let him wear more layers."
I go upstairs. Under the blankets, you are wearing a fleece, a jumper and a t.shirt. You are freezing: your teeth are chattering.
"Take that jumper off," I say.
You won't.
I called my sister. "Take him in tomorrow."
"He won't go." I say.
"He will when it's really bad," she says.
"He'll be dead when it's really bad."
You send me to the chemist for "anything that will stop it hurting." I tell the pharmacist what's happening. "You need to go back to the hospital," she says. I buy some sudacreme. The children call it super cream. I pull back the covers to apply it. One of your testicles has swollen to about six times its size. The skin had to stretch so much to accommodate it, so that it was now cannon-ball black. I did not murmur. I did not flicker. I was an actress playing a nurse.
"It's awfully…big," I whispered.
I rushed downstairs to doctor google: I find gangrene and septacema.
I thought you were going to die in the night.
You won't go to the hospital but you agree to the doctors, and I break my promise, of course I do. You want to go back home first and I am annoyed. I think you are going to resist or you just want to faff around but you say, "Just give me some time…"
So I drive home and an hour later, take you back to the hospital and you say, "Don't bring in the children." I leave you walking off to your new home, a stooped bandy legged figure. In three weeks you've aged thirty years. My broken hero and I have never loved you so much or been so frightened for you.
It was an abscess. The first nurse yelped, "Oh My God!" when she saw it. So the surgeons did get their moment in the sun – although they made you wait another day first, (a car accident jumped your queue).
We don't just want you home anymore. We want to rewind back to the moment you skipped off to the Doctor who wanted "to keep his hand in." We want to do it all over again. We want to not do it.
Over the next six weeks, you lie on the sofa and nurses whirl in and out daily to "pack the wound." Oh, the indignity. I used to say, "there isn't a health care worker in the area who hasn't seen my bits."
Now you can say, "snap."
Over the next six months or so, your poor tired testicle gives up the ghost and painfully, dies. And you join that exceptional man in history: Hitler, although yours is not, so far as we know, in the Albert Hall. Your immune system is low, you catch everything going, your back is covered with spots and you contract MRSA. You're out of balance now, jeans are out the question, you have a lop-sided gait and subsequently develop bad knees.
A friend's husband goes for his vasectomy and he goes, gulp, to the same doctor. And the same doctor tells them it only goes wrong if people take a bath or ride a horse, or do something ridiculous straight after.
I am furious. You did absolutely nothing wrong.
In that terrible time of hospital visits and pain, I heard of men whose vasectomies had led to long term nightmares, of chronic pain, lost sex drives and other issues. But men are uncomfortable talking about it – it is embarrassing – and I feel uncomfortable even writing this, because we all want men to be more involved in contraception, right? And talking about vasectomy problems doesn't fit in with the important message that men should take more care of their sexual health.
But it still needs airing.
We are part of a minority, we know that. But no one knows the numbers of people who are affected by post-vasectomy complications. Other friends go ahead and get snipped and it does all go well. We were just terribly unlucky. Half of me, thinks thank god for that, but the other half thinks, not fair, not fair, not fair.


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Edison Events, Coupons, Reviews!
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My daughter attended British Soccer Camp held on the field of a middle school on Capitol Hill in DC and had a great time making new friends, picking up some skills and enjoying the sport. As a bonus, her camp took place during the 2018 World Cup Soccer tournament.
She has played on soccer teams since she was 4-years old or so and more recently, she's shown to have some skill and talent at the sport. Therefore, my husband has been keen on taking her and her big brother to our local college soccer fields for training. He, himself, is a fan of soccer, or football, as they call it in his native Trinidad and Tobago (and the rest of the world. heh. heh.)
That's why I was excited about the opportunity from the camp for my little girl to attend the camp in exchange for this review.
Each day, I'd drop her off and she got with her age group team, and was taught drills, skills, and new techniques. Her coach, Casio, was actually from Brazil but taught the camp with an Irish coach. For three hours daily Monday thru Friday, they taught two groups of about 10 kids in each group on the field.
Each day, the coaches took the players through progressive series of skill building practices from unopposed, to opposed, game related and finally into a game.
She also came home with homework: to find and wear a specific team color the next day, to design a flag of one of the World Cup teams and to mimic the design of a World Cup Team (hers was Germany) on a white T-shirt. We had a great time designing the shirt together at home.
Overall, she learned a lot and really enjoyed the experience. I could tell that she had picked up some new tricks and honed her skills some during the week. I'm glad she had an opportunity to attend and I will be sending her back next year, perhaps for the full day camp!
For the most part, they had great weather though the last day it rained all day which put a damper on their finishing ceremony where they each got certificates. The kids were still very excited about wrapping up a great week.
Consider signing up your kid for the remaining camps this year or next!


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Welcome to our website. We look forward to putting our mortgage services to work for you!
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This site is not authorized by the New York State Department of Financial Services. No mortgage loan applications for properties located in the state of New York will be accepted through this site.


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In order to become better leaders, people typically focus on improving their weaknesses. But now, research is showing that developing your strengths is actually more effective.
John Zenger, Joseph R. Folkman, Robert Sherwin, Jr., and Barbara Steel—authors of the book How To Be Exceptional: Drive Leadership Success By Magnifying Your Strengths—believe that working on strengths dramatically improves one's leadership skills and leads to more successful business interactions.
"If you concur that leadership is a set of skills and not a body of knowledge or a personality type, then learning leadership skills probably has much in common with learning any other set of skills," they say.
Here are some tips they provided on improving leadership strengths:
1. Have humility. The authors believe that humility, or humbleness, is a difficult strength to improve on, but will make a good leader in the long term if mastered.
"It is difficult to come up with a plan for improving humility, and often leaders would write something like 'just be more humble' or 'don't be arrogant.'" Try exercises in and outside of the workplace where whenever someone describes a scenario or situation they're in, you put yourself in their position. Do this over and over, and being able to relate to others will come more naturally.
2. Identify the behaviors that should be developed. "We propose a model with three important filters for identifying a behavior that could be expanded for strength. We label this the CPO model, where C stands for 'competence (how effective you already are with this skill),' P for 'passion,' and O for 'organization need.'"
3. Ask for feedback. This will allow you to let your guard down and embrace open-mindedness. Good leaders should always welcome suggestions.
"A key competency of any successful leader is the ability to continually gather, accept and respond to feedback. Data collected from thousands of respondents on the coaching behavior of their boss confirm that asking for feedback is the behavior on which these leaders received the lowest single scores. Yet, when we look at the willingness of a leader to ask others for feedback, we find that there is an excellent overall leadership effectiveness."
4. Take a behavior modeling class. An extremely powerful formal development process for teaching many leadership skills is behavior modeling. This technology utilizes video clips that show managers handling difficult situations well. The course content explains the key action steps that were being followed. The bulk of the learning process involves participants practicing and rehearsing these skills with one another.
5. Try cross-training. Once you've developed a particular skill to a high degree of competency, it's time to look at sharpening other skills which are complementary to the primary strength, such as communication or technical abilities.
"When athletes aspire to become more than just casual participants in a sport, they often turn to cross-training. Aspiring runners take up cycling, swimming, and weightlifting. Our favorite example is a football coach who scheduled several of the lumbering lineman to take ballet lessons in an attempt to make them more conscious of their footwork and acquire more agility."
Samantha Cortez writes for Business Insider, focusing on careers, growing start-ups, and social media. She has written entertainment pieces for the New York Daily News and retail design features at 20/20 Magazine.
Photo credit: Thinkstock


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Join Berwyn's Talent Network
Join Berwyn's Talent Network
SCORE | Chicago Free Business Counseling SessionsName: SCORE | Chicago Free Business Counseling SessionsDate: December 26, 2019Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM CSTWebsite: Request your appointment here!Event Description:SCORE | Chicago is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) that offers business counseling to:
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Sessions are available at 9:00am, 10:00am, and 11:00am by appointment only.
Online registration required. Register here.
If interested, bilingual counseling is available at Morton College on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 1:00pm-4:00pm.


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James R. Chiles
Photo: © Peter Michael, Photo Gallery
About the Author
James R. Chiles trained in a two-seater helicopter as part of his research for this book. His first book, Inviting Disaster, was named a Best Book of 2001 by Amazon.com and was made into a four-part series for the History Channel. He lives in Minnesota.


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Friday, July 10, 2009
Posted by Rot at 2:32 PM
Labels: abs7172, flickr.com, masks, photography, trick or treat
6 comments:
- Black Friday said...
wow...that is a lot of masks lol
- July 10, 2009 at 2:39 PM
- JHMDF said...
There is a little bit of everything up there!
- July 10, 2009 at 4:53 PM
- Steve Ring said...
That might be Zeezos, our local magic shop. But it definiti3ely looks like it's from 1992 because it has HW Bush Clinton and Gore masks.
- July 10, 2009 at 8:04 PM
- Baxter King said...
Reminds me of when I was a little kid...looking through the local Halloween store...or flipping through the back of a fangoria magazine. Here's some more...
- July 10, 2009 at 9:22 PM
- Jason-v said...
WOW! Some DP classics in there!
- July 10, 2009 at 10:22 PM
- Doryen said...
It's time! Put on your masks and watch the Magic Pumpkin! Don't forget to stick around for the special give-away!
- July 11, 2009 at 3:12 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter
Old Cucumbers Need Green Paint
Following this, the hidden guard disappeared in an instant. Fan Tian Man let out a long sigh and said with concern: "Imperial brother, can this matter be done?"
"It must succeed." Fan Tian He coldly said: "Each of Da Shun's princes has looked at the throne for many years. Which of them has not looked for a support to rely on. How could the master behind that person's back be willing to let go of my Gu Shu."
"But…" Fan Tian Man was still worried, "Didn't father emperor say that Gu Shu must maintain its current status, and we must not participate in Da Shun's battle for the imperial throne? How come elder brother has forgotten?"
Fan Tian He reached out and patted her head for a while, "Is this something that you can choose not to participate in so easily? Think about the new report that we have received. Zong Sui has gotten close to Prince Yu, and the person behind Qian Zhou is Prince Xiang, I believe. Now, that general has set his eyes on us, all that remains is Gu Mo. Sooner or later, they will not be able to escape."
Back in the Feng manor, Feng Jin Yuan was kneeling in front of the matriarch in the matriarch's bedroom in Shu Ya courtyard. He explained his reasoning to the matriarch: "Mother, the Feng family can't continue to remain without a head wife. But after looking all over Da Shun, who has a status that can compare with eldest princess Kang Yi? If I take ten thousand steps back, one could be found, but can you not sympathize with son this time? Son and Kang Yi are both happy. Mother, can you not look at this and agree with son's request?"
The matriarch's expression was serious. Looking at the son kneeling before her, she could neither curse nor beat him. In the end, it was she who had decided to bring Kang Yi into the manor. The interactions between Kang Yi and Feng Jin Yuan was something that she had seen, and they had filled her heart with joy.
But the events that followed truly caused her to feel regret. She had originally thought of finding an excuse to send Kang Yi back to the posthouse. After the 15th, they would leave the capital as special envoys. With such a great distance between the two countries, Feng Jin Yuan would no longer yearn for her.
But she never thought that the prince of Gu Shu would suddenly come and instigate matters. This caused Feng Jin Yuan to take the initiative to make the situation clear.
"Jin Yuan, you must know that the princess of a foreign country is not someone like Yao shi or Chen shi. Her position is lofty, and she has power. Will you be able to support her in any situation?" The matriarch spoke bitterly: "Moreover, she also has a child. Those are two princesses. How do you want for the other children in the manor to continue living?"
"Mother has been able to interact with Kang Yi for a few days. Could it be that you are still unable to see how dignified, stable and magnanimous she is? Son trusts that she will definitely treat the other children of the manor with just as much love as Ru Jia. She will not allow any of the children to suffer grievances."
"Is that so?" The matriarch quietly snorted, "The matter of the lanterns today was already a pretty great grievance. What else are you wanting?" Upon mentioning this, she became quite angry. Even Bu Bai Qi was able to bring elder madam Bu out to look at the lights, so why was the son that she had raised only worried about his love life? Kang Yi had not even married into the family, yet she was already so favored. Not to mention the children, even she, as the mother, would end up being forgotten.
Feng Jin Yuan quickly explained: "That was all son's fault. It is unrelated to Kang Yi. Also, didn't Kang Yi promise to provide compensation? If a foreign country's eldest princess said that she would protect them, how grand of a promise is that! Mother!" His expression became serious, as he lowered his voice, adding: "In truth, son is not just considering these things."
The matriarch gave him a blank look, "Then speak. What are you thinking about?"
Feng Jin Yuan said: "If it were not for the matter with Gu Shu today, son would not have been too invested in this matter. After all, marriage between two countries is a large matter. It would always require the Emperor to agree. But now that Gu Shu has already spoken up, if we allow Qian Zhou and Gu Shu to be joined by a political marriage, that would be equivalent to placing Da Shun in vice between the two. Once the two countries join together, Da Shun would face two dangers at once!"
The matriarch furrowed her brow and suddenly felt that what Feng Jin Yuan had said made a good amount of sense, but she still felt uncertain: "Will the Emperor agree?"
Feng Jin Yuan saw that the matriarch had spat out an agreement, and he became filled with joy, "Mother, if the Emperor agrees to this matter, there will be no need for Da Shun to be worried about a political marriage between two other countries. Son will not mention this matter any further. If the Emperor agrees, mother should understand that son bringing eldest princess Kang Yi into the manor is truly for the sake of removing a great worry for the Emperor!"
The matriarch heard this and actually became moved. She had clearly been opposed to this just earlier; however, she nodded this time: "Yes! You are sharing a burden with the Emperor. You are a person of merit, especially when it comes to such grand matters. Thinking about it, only our standard first rank prime minister's manor is worthy of the eldest princess of Qian Zhou. Jin Yuan, you have done well." Saying this, she personally helped Feng Jin Yuan up. She then advised him: "When you go into the palace tomorrow, you must talk to the Emperor properly about this. You must clearly lay out the pros and cons then see what the Emperor thinks. Either way, we will do as his Majesty desires."
Feng Jin Yuan nodded fervently, his heart soaring with joy.
At the same time in Jin Fu courtyard, Kang Yi sat under a wintersweet tree in the middle of the yard and thought about some things. She did not wear much, and she did not even have a Winter coat on. The servants that had been sent from Tong Sheng pavilion tried to give her one many times, but she had refused each time. In her words, Qian Zhou was covered in snow and ice for the entire year. The Winters in Da Shun were already considered warm.
Ru Jia sat across from her, her arms reaching across the table. Trying to reach Kang Yi, she said: "Mother's meaning is Gu Shu coming to ask for marriage is something that someone else had ordered?"
Kang YI frowned but did not nod, but she did not shake her head either. Instead, she only quietly said: "Because Qian Zhou and Gu Shu are truly too far apart, there had practically never been any communication. The prince from Gu Shu said that he had seen This one many years ago on the border of Qian Zhou, but how could that be? The border area of Qian Zhou had always been a closely guarded important area. Even if a person from Da Shun were to appear, they would be secretly reported and transferred, much less a person with such distinct features as a person from Gu Shu."
"Then Fan Tian He was lying?" Ru Jia frowned and asked: "Why would he tell this sort of a lie?"
Kang Yi was also pondering this question. After thinking for a while, she suddenly asked: "Say, him coming to ask for marriage this time, who was the most instigated?"
Ru Jia tilted her head: "Mother is saying… uncle Feng? I heard that Uncle Feng will be going into the palace tomorrow to speak to the Emperor of Da Shun about this marriage."
Kang Yi nodded, "That's right. If the prince of Gu Shu did not suddenly act out this play, the Emperor would not agree to this marriage. But now that Gu Shu had taken this step, for the sake of not allowing Qian Zhou and Gu Shu to become united through a political marriage, the Emperor will definitely sanction a marriage between me and your uncle Feng."
"Then that prince from Gu Shu has come to help us!" Ru Jia was a little puzzled, "Does mother know him from before? Why would he help us? Or perhaps this means… he is one of Prince Xiang's people?"
Kang Yi smiled bitterly, "Silly child, you don't understand. How could this be considered help. This is clearly seeing the Feng manor as an abyss of misery, and they're pushing me into it. The prince of Gu Shu definitely is not aligned with Prince Xiang. In fact, it's the opposite. I fear that they may be the enemy, and they have prepared for a fight."
Ru Jia smirked, "Then isn't that perfect. Either way, mother has already decided to get married to uncle Feng. Ru Jia also likes him a lot. Who cares if he pushes us or not. It will be good if we can accomplish our goals."
"That's true." Kang Yi let out a long sigh, "This one needs to take a look, just how much ability does the humble county princess Ji An have. The person in the background wishes to use county princess Ji An to have This one fall into a trap, and This one will not do as they desire."
The next day, when Feng Jin Yuan entered the palace to meet with the Emperor, and he just happened to see the prince and princess of Gu Shu greeting the Emperor. The Emperor, as the third party ruler, naturally could not be biased towards his own people, and he could not allow Qian Zhou to be united with Gu Shu through a political marriage. Thus he said: "On this matter, let us hear what eldest princess Kang Yi has to say!"
What could Kang Yi say. That afternoon, she personally entered the palace and met with the Emperor. She wanted to get married to Feng Jin Yuan, and she wanted to represent a promise from Qian Zhou to never betray Da Shun.
The Emperor was very happy, as he personally sanctioned the marriage. He also set the 26th of the first month as the day of their wedding. For Kang Yi, with her status as the eldest princess, getting married was considered the greatest honor for Feng Jin Yuan.
The Emperor spoke up, and Kang Yi was no longer permitted to reside in the Feng manor. Because they would be marrying back into the family, there was naturally no need to pack up their things.
"Prime minister Feng returned to the manor alone. He was smiling so hard that he was practically incapable of closing his lips." Back in Tong Sheng pavilion, Huang Quan was in the middle of explaining the situation of Feng Yu Heng, "I heard that the Emperor even set a date for the grand wedding. It will be on the 28th. Thinking about it, there is not much time. Perhaps the Feng manor will become much busier."
Feng Yu Heng was feeding Zi Rui snacks. The chips that she had pulled out of her space caused Zi Rui to feel amazed. He had never eaten such a strange thing before. Feng Yu Heng told him: "After the 15th, you will be returning to Xiao Zhou, right!"
Zi Rui raised her head and asked her: "Wasn't it said that father's wedding will be on the 28th? Can't Zi Rui stay and watch the ceremony?"
Feng Yu Heng looked at him blankly, "What ceremony is there to watch? He himself is disrespectful, so how could he ask his children to be filial."
Huang Quan also said: "Just leave it to Princess Ru Jia to be filial to him!"
Zi Rui thought a little and felt that his sister was very reasonable, thus he nodded and said: "Then Zi Rui will listen to what elder sister said. This sort of ceremony is fine to not attend."
"Un. This time, we will have Ban Zou send you off. We absolutely must not allow anything to happen again." She asked Huang Quan: "Has there been any news from Xu Jing Yuan's side? How many people from the Chen family have been captured?"
Huang Quan said: "There were not many captured in the capital. Because the other provinces are celebrating the new year, reports have not yet returned. We can only wait for a few more days for the results. Young miss, how about this servant sends young master back to Xiao Zhou this time. If Ban Zou is not here, this servant will truly not be at ease."
"I can assure you that I will not leave the capital before Ban Zou returns. Is that enough? It's fine. In the worst case, I can just borrow another person from Xuan Tian Ming."
Only then did Huang Quan relax, but she did not forget to remind her: "Then young miss must not forget to go borrow people from his Highness… Forget it, this servant will go talk to him about it tomorrow."
Feng Yu Heng was speechless. Was she so weak that she left her servant feeling uneasy? Huang Quan had clearly looked at her with admiration before the new year, so why had she returned to normal immediately after returning to the manor?
After playing with Zi Rui for a little longer, she had Qing Ling bring the child back to rest. Suddenly, a black shadow flashed past, and Ban Zou stood in front of her.
"After the prince of Gu Shu left the palace, he returned directly to the posthouse. All of his movements have remained within the posthouse. Nothing of note has happened. But before he entered the capital, he had contact with Bu Cong."
"Bu Cong…" Feng Yu Heng's eyebrows knitted together. She did have some understanding of Bu Cong, but she also did not really understand him. After all, the memories from the younger times belonged to the body's original owner. She was unable to uncover too much information. Moreover, the changes in Bu Cong had been extremely large. They were large enough that she almost did not recognize him last time.
"Last time, Bu Cong's horse nearly injured young miss. It can be seen that this person is lacking in discipline." Huang Quan did not have a single good impression of Bu Cong, especially since she knew that Bu Cong had once asked for Feng Yu Heng's hand in marriage. Since then, she found that person to be even more repulsive. "He is just a general, yet he goes to interact with a foreign prince. Could it be that he is going to rebel?"
Feng Yu Heng laughed, "He does not have the ability to rebel. The Xuan family's country has been around for over 300 years. In the eyes of the citizens, it has already become ingrained in their hearts. Is this something that a humble general like him can uproot?"
Ban Zou picked up on this and said: "Since he is not thinking of leading a rebellion himself, there is someone behind him providing him with power."
"That's right." Feng Yu Heng picked up a chip that Zi Rui did not eat and placed it in her mouth, "The Bu family's young miss, Bu Ni Shang, was once engaged to the fourth prince. I fear that the fourth prince will not be able to avoid the responsibility for this. Ban Zou, continue to keep an eye on them. To have helped Kang Yi marry into my Feng family, I want to see if the tree that the prince of Gu Shu is leaning on provides good shade to cool off in."
TN: Title means to pretend to be something you are not.


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Every now and then I get an e-mail with a link to an amazing house. Recently, I got an e-mail from Pam and I could tell from the excitement in her voice, this was going to be a fabulous house…and it was! One look and I was totally smitten. So much charm and so not like the cookie-cutter homes we often see today.
This storybook home dates back to 1901 and was designed in the Gambrel style which basically refers to the style of the roof. Per Wikipedia, " A gambrel or gambrel roof is usually symmetrical two-sided roof with two slopes on each side. The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle, while the lower slope is steep. This design provides the advantages of a sloped roof while maximizing headroom inside the building's upper level and shortening what would otherwise be a tall roof."
What gives this house its storybook quality? Is it the gambrel roof, the window boxes overflowing with flowers, the rock construction, the oval window, the beautiful windows, the cupola over the guest cottage or is it everything all working together?
I love this entrance so much! Notice the dormer windows above the arched front porch with its pergola design, the fairytale cottage windows on either side of the entrance-of course sporting lots of red geraniums, the corbels running just along the roof line, the ivy growing up the rock wall and the wonderful stone path leading to the front door. Love those planters on either side of the front walkway, too. This goes so far beyond curb appeal, I don't even know what to call it! 🙂
Here's another charming area outside the home. Not sure if this is outside the guest cottage that's on the property or another entrance somewhere off the main home.
Beautiful backyard…
Gorgeous gardens!
I think that may be the guest cottage we see down below with the cupola on top.
Let's go inside and take the tour!
Just inside the front door you'll find a multi-level staircase…love all the twists and turns. Also love that entry table! A cute little door takes advantage of the storage space under the stairs…so smart!
The living room…love the ceiling design and arched doorways! The charm continues inside of this beautiful home!
I'm not sure where this room is in the home. It has lots of cottage charm doesn't it?
I wonder if this is the keeping room or hearth room off the kitchen.
This home has an amazing kitchen…love the coffered ceiling!
Beautiful island…love how it's different from the kitchen counters which appear to be marble. I bet that's a 2 drawer dishwasher beside the sink.
Looks like the stone pizza oven is fired up and ready for action. The ceiling actually appears to be arched in this photo. Love that! I love the cabinetry although I think I'd prefer glass where they have the fabric.
The fabric looks so different in this view of the sink, maybe they changed it for a more neutral color. I like the flooring we see in the above photo, too.
I bet there's a sub-zero refrigerator hiding under there, what do you think? It's kind of designed like an old ice box, isn't it?
The dining room…beautiful chandelier!
This home has 6 bedrooms and the master suite is amazing with two separate baths.
Another bedroom…love the high ceiling. How many times have I said "love" in this post? Can't help it!
This bathroom appeared on two sites decorated two different ways…
This is definitely one of my favorite rooms in the whole house. Wow!
I love everything about it, the ceiling, the window seats of both sides of the room, the beautiful windows, the paneled walls…it's just gorgeous!
The workmanship in this home is just amazing!
This must be the office for the Lady of the house, definitely has a feminine feel. Update: I missed the doggies…several folks pointed them out in the comments. Soooo cute! Love their little built-in bed and it looks like they do, too.
This home has a theater and can you just imagine that starry ceiling when the lights are turned down low for a movie?
The wine cellar…
Hope you enjoyed the tour of this amazing home.
Leave you with this image of it in winter. ~~~Sigh~~~
You'll find additional photos of this house HERE and HERE where these photos were found.


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D. Gray-man: Lenalee Lee 05
Here's another character idea for you guys, and the anime is making a comeback too!
Lenalee's anti-Akuma weapon, known as the Dark Boots, enable her to run at high speeds, jump great heights, walk on water, create whirlwinds, and use sound wares as footholds. At one point, Lenalee had an encounter with a Level 3 Akuma, which forced her to evoke more power than she could handle. With her life in danger, her Innocence became a crystal, protecting Lenalee from harm. This behavior was previously unheard of in Innocence.
Introducing Japanese cosplayer, Might (舞斗)! I love her action shot of Lenalee! It looks like she was caught mid air by a high speed camera!
Please support Might through her Archive page, and remember to join our Giveaway! Thanks to Arianna for sending this in!
via Cosplay Holic http://ift.tt/OvGTeG
July 12, 2016 at 03:48AM


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Sneak Peak Introduction! Our Stella Pedicure Chair will debut in 2013 for today's nail spas and salons. Features a jetless pedicure sink and fully integrated wing back pedicure chair that adds elegance, sophistication and partial privacy allowing for either solitute or social settings. Available in custom finishes and fabrics to fit any decor.
We love your feedback…let us know what you think!
For special inquiries contact our sales team at 866.880.7750.


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Family of accused Mequon teen in sex assault case speaks out
The family of a teenage boy charged with having sex with a Homestead High School classmate will fight the charges.
Gregory Rounds' aunt, Sabrina Loving, said her nephew is still trying to process everything he's been dealing with in the past few days. Rounds faces a felony sex assault charge for an incident that happened between him and a 14-year-old girl during a Homestead High School basketball game.
Loving said what happened between the two teens shouldn't be considered a crime.
"He did not force her to do this, and I believe that it was consensual from previous encounters with this young lady that I had spoken to my nephew about," Loving said.
According to a criminal complaint, Rounds allegedly asked the 14-year-old girl to perform a sex act in a car in the school parking lot.
The girl and her family approached police in March, where she told officers she agreed to the sex act with the high school junior.
Loving said her nephew has told the family he did not force himself on the girl, and has texts and Facebook messages from the girl since the incident wanting to see him again.
"I've seen the messages. I've seen them myself. I mean, how is this forced when not only did you do it willingly the first time, but you want to do it again?" Loving said.
The Ozaukee County district attorney said the law required him to issue a felony second-degree sexual assault charge since Rounds is 17 and the girl is 14. Under state law, anyone under 16 cannot consent to sex.
Rounds' family said the teen's future is now in jeopardy.
"Greg is a good kid. All children make mistakes," Loving said. "He's a good kid. He tries hard. I don't know anything about her, so I can't doubt her character either, but at the same time, these were two teenagers."
The 14-year-old girl is not being named by police, and only her initials appear in the criminal complaint.
Rounds' family is in the process of hiring a lawyer. The teen is expected in Ozaukee County Court in April.


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ttp://youtube.com/Hfq9cmEs6PQ&hd=1 Good news, everyone! Darkstalkers is being re-released!
Bad news, everyone! It looks like complete garbage.
Due out in "early 2013" on XBLA and PSN, Darkstalkers Resurrection is actually a bundle containing two games: Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge and Darkstalkers 3.
It's got the stuff you'd expect (and even some new features), like online play, tutorials and a spectator mode, but what's dragging the whole thing down is how the game looks.
Like many other re-releases from the 90s, Darkstalkers is stuck in a weird place in terms of its resolution and aspect ratio, meaning it's yet another game Capcom has seen fit to bestow with "HD graphical filtering".
In other words, "crimes against eyeballs". You appear to have two visual options: play the game in widescreen with an atrocious smearing effect destroying the game's visual style, or play it in its original pixellated form, only with an enormous (and gross border) and weird CRT filter effect. Both styles can be seen in more detail below (there's three shots to accommodate the size difference between the two games in their "original" modes).
Um, how about this: can we just have the original visuals with, if need be, a black border? Thanks.
Update - Good news! Seems I completely jumped the gun on this one, and you can turn the filters and effects off. Phew! Sorry about that!


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Richard Lloyd of Tesla, who previously published a widely-reported estimate of 2 km for the UMLACA/Volcano's range, and confirmed the Syrian Army's report of a rebel CW store in Jobar, has recently published an analysis of the sarin rocket trajectories.
However, there are a few obstacles before this could be used as evidence:
- The base is beyond the UMLACA/Volcano range. The report does not provide any explanation why a range beyond 2 km is considered (which was previously defined as the "upper possible range"). In any case, our more detailed model puts the upper limit at 2.5 km.
- Air force Intelligence is an Internal Security and Counter-Intelligence service. It is not involved in military operations, rocket artillery or chemical warfare. More specifically, this facility seems to have civilian cars parked outside and no military equipment.
The problem with this scenario is that it doesn't provide any significant military advantage over the alternative of driving the trucks directly from the nearby highway into the field. It of course still doesn't explain the many other discrepancies with such a scenario.
- The wide distribution of impact sites could not have come from random dispersion around a single target, implying multiple launchers.
The estimate of this blog is that a single launcher was used, each time rotated to a different azimuth. It is unclear why this simpler explanation is ignored.
- The range of the chemical Volcano is longer due its smaller mass.
This blog's model has already examined this and found the difference to be negligible, since the lower mass also results in lower resistance to drag force, which in this case has significant effect on range.
Conclusion: The Air Force Intelligence facility near the launch location could have provided some cover to a government operation, but since it is beyond the Volcano range, its contribution is negligible compared to the alternatives. Therefore, this finding, while interesting, does not have significant implication on culpability.


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At Quail Park, We Believe that Each Person Should Live in a Place for Optimum Joy
Whether you are looking at an active Senior Lifestyle Community, considering Assisted Living, or helping navigate Memory Care for a loved one, Quail Park is there for you. Our Residents embrace the highest quality of life and opportunity for engagement in each of our community types. Living in place is a term we thrive by, as each person we come in contact with is a part of our core mission – to provide people with what they are looking for in the Senior Care Continuum, while breaking the standards of what many have come to expect.
Resident Directed Care is at the Core of Everything We Do
Our Residents drive what services we provide every day. Our goal is to strive to meet all residents' personalized choices in the delivery of team interaction and care. Our Residents and Family Members know that they have options, choices, and warm Team Members to assist in every situation. We fully support and encourage many avenues for Residents and their Family Members to provide welcome critical feedback, which allows us the opportunity to continually improve our services and amenities.
The Team Members You Come In Contact With
It is our ongoing goal to be the employer of choice, which allows us the opportunity to select The Only Place to Be of Team Members in each location. Our dedicated and compassionate Team Members at our Communities and Offices know that being cohesive in the workplace can create magic in the delivery of service in the eyes and hearts of everyone we come in contact with. Hiring the top leaders in each respective field has given us the unparalleled ability to create programs that help nurture the current needs and future growth of each person who works with us.
Social Responsibility in and to our Communities
It is our common goal at Quail Park to work together with local organizations and community Leaders to maximize our footprint at each location! Yes, Maximize! We want our Residents, their Family Members, and our local partners to live the experience of engagement between Quail Park Communities and the greater community we serve. Whether it is volunteering for local community give back programs, making dog treats for local animal shelters, raising funds for charity or identifying and supporting all families of choice, we are committed to visibility and support.
No Margin, No Mission
As a business, we have an obligation to meet the expectation of our Partners, Investors and lending institutions, and we do so ethically and conservatively. It is our goal to continue to set the bar high, and attain the best possible level of confidence in the Quail Park Family of Communities and services.
› Contact Us today to schedule a tour or request more information.


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There's new Canadian trailer for "Scream 4" out on the tubes that's chock full of new clips and magic. How you can tell it's Canadian is because they dubbed in a bunch of "aboots" and instead of a knife the ghost faced guy is running around with a bottle of maple syrup. Subtle, I know.
"Atrocious" is a new Spanish found footage flick which doesn't look to far off from your "Paranormal Activity" and "Blair Witch Project". Of course it is a lot more caliente, but that goes without saying. That's the only ignorant thing I'm going to say about the new trailer though, I already filled my daily quota with the maple syrup thing.
Jennifer Love Hewitt is going to direct a new movie called "Wait Till Helen Comes" which focuses on a family that move into a house that use to be a church and discover a ghost. They then whisper creepy things to the ghost like "hey ghost, you sure are spooky, want to go into our new hot tub?". Ya know, because Hewitt has another show called "The Ghost Whisperer". Get it? Comic gold!
There's been enough one sheets for "Hobo With a Shotgun" to choke a camel but I'm a sucker for the old school grindhouse looking type posters so here's this new one. I'm not sure if the film is ever actually going to be coming out but posters are cool, so we'll just keep going with that.
Aww that's so cute! A toddler in Florida recently called 911 to get the message that his father was being bad to Santa. The story takes a turn for the worse though when the boy was arrested and is now serving 3 to 4 in a maximum security prison for the false alarm call. On the bright side, his little tear drop tattoo is to die for.
Let this be a lesson to you kids, don't mess with the substitute teacher! Because if you get a nut job like this one you may end up getting punched in the face when he gets fed up with you and the rest of the 8 years olds throwing spit balls.


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Now that two different sites are off the table for a potential Major League Soccer Stadium; the question is what is next for David Beckham?
"The only city land left for the city to do any kind of deal will be the Marlins Stadium, because in the 2007 original footprint, there was a soccer stadium beside the baseball stadium," Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado said.
Plan A for the stadium was at PortMiami. However, stiff opposition from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and other interests pushed back against that plan. The Miami-Dade County Commission eventually pulled the possible site completely out of the equation.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Plan B was the site at Museum Park, the FEC slip. The plan called for filling in the boatslip, creating a new park in the area, and building a 20,000 seat stadium next door to the AmericanAirlines Arena. Both plans would have created what Beckham wanted, a stadium on the water.
As recently as last week, Beckham told NBC 6 that he was finding some support for the stadium site at Museum Park.
"There was a few of them that actually said, 'Hope you get the stadium. Looking forward to the stadium being downtown," Beckham said last Friday.
By Tuesday, the Museum Park/FEC slip was confirmed to be a no-go. Mayor Regalado, who along with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez suggested the site to Beckham, said he and the Miami City manager had determined the stadium shouldn't be built at the FEC slip site.
Some residents in the downtown area pushed the city to not bend it for Beckham at the expense of the community overall.
"Downtown, ten years ago, was a wasteland, and the City worked very hard to get a bunch of people to move down here, and we did," said Dalia Lagoa, president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance. "Because we bought into this concept, and we were sold on the vision that we would have a museum and a beautiful park."
The plan for the stadium now is in limbo. While Regalado suggested a site near Marlins Park, the Miami Beckham United group said it will take some time off to weigh more options for a stadium and location.
Once a site is eventually selected, he stadium is expected to cost upwards of $250 million and will be privately financed.


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About Us
18 January 2016
Public Consultation on Draft SIAC Arbitration Rules
The Singapore International Arbitration Centre ("SIAC") is pleased to announce the opening of the public consultation process on its draft revised Arbitration Rules 2016 (the "draft Rules").
The revision of SIAC's Arbitration Rules takes into account recent developments in international arbitration practice and procedure, and is aimed at better serving the needs of the businesses, financial institutions and governments that use SIAC. The draft Rules were produced in consultation with the SIAC Court of Arbitration Rules Revision Executive Committee working with various Court sub-committees involved in key areas of revision, composed of leading practitioners from all over the world, and chaired by the President of the SIAC Court of Arbitration, Mr Gary Born.
SIAC greatly values feedback from its users (parties, counsels, arbitrators) about the quality and efficiency of SIAC arbitration. SIAC encourages users from around the world to provide their comments on the draft Rules. Mr Born commented on the release of the draft Rules: "We look forward to working with our users and keeping the SIAC Rules at the forefront of arbitral practice."
The draft Rules include new joinder, intervention and consolidation provisions, revisions to SIAC's emergency arbitrator and expedited procedure, and new provisions requiring tribunals to commit to a schedule for the closing of proceedings and subsequent delivery of draft awards. SIAC will also soon be releasing a set of draft Investment Arbitration Rules for public consultation.
Singapore International Arbitration Centre
32 Maxwell Road #02-01
Maxwell Chambers
Singapore 069115
Fax: +65 6224 1882
SIAC remains committed to meeting the highest standards of excellence that parties have come to expect, and to further improving the quality and efficiency of SIAC-administered arbitrations.
For more information please contact:
Singapore International Arbitration Centre
W: www.siac.org.sg


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Nonqualified plan(redirected from Nonqualified Plans)
Nonqualified plan
A retirement plan that does not meet the IRS requirements for favorable tax treatment.
Nonqualified Plan
An annuity or pension plan that one buys individually rather than through an employer. Nonqualified plans are not subject to the same restrictions as qualified plans. As a result, withdrawal penalties are smaller or non-existent, and one may continue to make contributions to a more advanced age (sometime until the annuitant is over 80). In the United States, specific restrictions on nonqualified plans are set at the state level. The IRS does not regulate them; as a result, contributions are not tax-deductible, but earnings still are.


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The price of gas is fast approaching the $4 a gallon level nationwide. Already in the state of Illinois, average gas prices even went beyond that psychological level — hitting $4.03 for a gallon of go-juice.
Aside from Illinois, three other states already have gas prices above $4 — California, Alaska and Hawaii.
Across the U.S., the national average as of Tuesday was $3.79 per gallon, which is up 23% from January. The Energy Information Administration in its April short-term energy outlook, warned there is a 33% chance that the national average would reach $4 in July.
The peak of regular gas price was on July 17, 2008 at $4.11, according to the Oil Price Information Service.
We're already stockpiling petrol here at the Jalopnik bunker.


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One of the side effects of the fall of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's regime is that archaeologists can now explore parts of the country's past that were long suppressed, starting with the lost cities of the ancient Garamantes civilization.
Satellites and aerial photographs have revealed evidence of over a hundred fortified farms, villages, and towns - many with castle-like structures - in the southwestern deserts of Libya. These structures date back to between 1 and 500 C.E., meaning they predate the rise of Islam. Largely because of that very fact, these sites were all but ignored during the late dictator's rule.
Archaeologists from the University of Leicester have used all this aerial data to identify as much as they can about the so-called Garamantes people, who are otherwise known purely through Greek and Roman sources. They've already discovered "the mud brick remains of the castle-like complexes, with walls still standing up to four metres high, along with traces of dwellings, cairn cemeteries, associated field systems, wells and sophisticated irrigation systems." As project leader David Mattingly explains, it's the equivalent of someone visiting England in 2011 and discovering all the medieval castles for the very first time.
Dr. Martin Sterry explains how the Garamantes once built a flourishing civilization out of the arid Sahara:
Satellite imagery has given us the ability to cover a large region. The evidence suggests that the climate has not changed over the years and we can see that this inhospitable landscape with zero rainfall was once very densely built up and cultivated. These are quite exceptional ancient landscapes, both in terms of the range of features and the quality of preservation."
The archaeologists had been working in the field earlier this year when the Libyan revolution started, which forced them to evacuate. They hope to return to the sites in the near future, but for now the satellite imagery is doing a remarkable job telling the story of the Garamantes, who were often painted as brutish nomads and troublemakers by their Greek and Roman contemporary.
As Professor Mattingly argues, these sites have already proven that that was far from the truth:
"In fact, they were highly civilised, living in large-scale fortified settlements, predominantly as oasis farmers. It was an organised state with towns and villages, a written language and state of the art technologies. The Garamantes were pioneers in establishing oases and opening up Trans-Saharan trade.
"It is a new start for Libya's antiquities service and a chance for the Libyan people to engage with their own long-suppressed history. These represent the first towns in Libya that weren't the colonial imposition of Mediterranean people such as the Greeks and Romans. The Garamantes should be central to what Libyan school children learn about their history and heritage."
Via the University of Leicester. Map copyright 2011 Google, image copyright 2011 DigitalGlobe.


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The Original Contemporary School Chair - Stripe 30
Product Description
We are delighted to be stocking these beautifully designed and manufactured chairs by Scott & Taylor. These vintage style chairs are based on an iconic retro design but built to suit modern requirements. Over engineered, just like the originals, these chairs are incredibly practical and of the highest quality.
Choose from natural steel or four powder coated colours.
- Industrial Style 22mm Tube Steel Frame
- 12mm Laminated 'A' Grade Beech Ply. Sustainably Sourced - FSC certified
- Sustainably Sourced - FSC Certified Beech
The tubular steel frames together with the laminated ply backs and seats are manufactured in the UK in the same traditional manner the originals were back in the 1930's -1960's. Each chair then has its contemporary stripes hand-painted on and is lacquered and assembled to order.
Stripe Colours:
Garden City*
Seat & Back:
Rich Mahogany
Natural Steel
Clear Powder Coated
Width 46cm
Depth 52cm
Height 82cm
Seat Height 46cm
Made to Order
Please allow up to 28 days for each chair to be made and prepared for shipping.
Standard pricing for original chairs: £185.00.
Stripes: £215.00


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A couple of weeks ago we covered the launch of the 7900GTX and 7600GT and noted that for the 7900 series the architecture itself hadn't really changed but the clock speeds did. The 7900 GTX enjoys a healthy boost in performance over Nvidia's elder flagship card, the 7800GTX 512.
Finally, armed with a pair of 7900 GT's we take a look at the "sensible" high end of $300. For the current market this should be considered the sweet spot of 3D gaming cards. The reason being that the specifications of the 7900 GT are the same as the 7900 GTX aside from the clock speeds. This is very similar to situation of 6800 GT and 6800 Ultra from just a couple of years ago and as we'll see in this review is a very good thing.
Since we've already covered the core architecture in the previous reviews let's jump straight to the specifications.
The 7900 GT is to be priced at around $300 for cards running reference speeds. As you can see the reference speeds are slightly faster than the 256MB 7800 GTX so you should expect similar performance at a much lower cost.
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