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so there's a bit of a story with this dress.
i'll sit for a moment while you recover from the shock. 😉
a little more than two years ago, my mom was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. after (what turned out to be the first of several rounds of) treatment, we celebrated the end of the protocol by going for a long weekend to paris.
i'd only been sewing for a few months at the time but had spotted this gem on etsy and snatched it up, even though it was much too small for me and i had no idea how i would alter a pattern with no bust darts. it was in my "pattern pal" etsy app when my mom and i wandered into tissus reine in montmartre on a busy saturday morning. most people know tissus reine from the season 3 project runway paris episode, but i had barely heard of it–i think i had looked up paris fabric shops on google and come across a few good blog posts, all of which mentioned reine.
- Fabric Shopping in Paris, Sew Stylish
- Fabric Shopping in Paris, Fehr Trade
- Fabric Shopping in Paris, Quarterlife Lifestyle
- Fabric Shopping in Paris, Studio SKB
[N.B. – reine, and the other shops up in the montmartre fabric district, is decent enough, i suppose, but at the end of the day i was underwhelmed. the denim and the liberty are all i brought back from the trip.]
so there we were on a packed saturday morning in the middle of montmartre, my mom perched on what can only be called a husband's chair by the front door of reine while i wander around the store looking for something special. obviously the table of liberty fabrics was a problem. i settled on some pelagia and moved on. i kept pulling up my list of pattern photos, trying to find a combo that combined the vintage look with what i kept describing as "whimsy."
it was my mom that picked out the denim as a crazy interpretation of simplicity 2099. and there it sat on a hanger in my closet for over a year while i tried to figure out how i could make it fit. i tried the threads article on grading, but was completely overwhelmed by the fractions and the math. it took me 3 or 4 hours to redraft the pattern this way.
finally, this past august, i had a chance to make a moulage. i knew that this would be a great test of how the moualge could work with a commercial pattern and a possibly one-time opportunity to get this pattern properly fitted.
i described to kenneth and susan what i had planned for this odd pattern and odd fabric and had the satisfaction of seeing their bemusement turn into actual excitement. kenneth asked me, but what do you plan to do with it? i said, "embroidered denim with leather accents. shorten the skirt above the knee. knee-high leather boots and a leather bomber jacket."
even kenneth had to agree that sounded pretty hot.


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Why the H do we build intolerance?
boring part – Each step in a bodily process requires its own enzyme to get the job done. Digestion – has its own enzyme. Breaking down glucose – has its own enzyme. Our livers filtering good from bad – two enzymes, one for good one for bad…..probably.
interesting part – The more we use a specific enzyme, the more of that enzyme we produce. So if you take adderall every day, the enzyzme that breaks it down will think, "Hey, I'm doing this a lot, I should get more workers." Then the adderall is broken down quicker, having less effect. Hence, intolerance.
As opposed to someone who has never taken adderall and doesn't yet have the Adderall Breaker Downer enzyme (is what I like to call it), then the effect is unaffected.
I asked Neil (my Professor) if we make more of this killer enzyme to attack the thing because it is a foreign substance we keep putting into our body and our body is trying to get it out faster. He said, "Nope. That's just how it is."

subset: commoncrawl


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Application Professional Services
3RP is a leading provider of Oracle consulting services. 3RP offers in-depth experience in the design, architecture, implementation, deployment, optimization, and management of Oracle technology and applications solutions.
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Ideating and Prototyping the School Design Lab
The School Design Lab @ Educate78- Blog Series
Blog Post #3: Ideating and Prototyping the School Design Lab
In the third post in a multi-part blog mini-series, Carolyn Gramstorff, Director of Educate78's emerging School Design Lab, continues to share her journey to launch the Lab through the lens of the design thinking process. If you haven't already, check out Carolyn's earlier insights from the Empathy and Define phases of her design work.
Please join us in an interactive design process shaped by your insights and ideas! After all, this School Design Lab belongs to Oakland's public schools across all 78 square miles of our city. Who better to inform and shape it than you?
In my last blog post I attempted to make sense of the many engagements I had conducted in my initial empathy/inquiry phase of designing a school design lab for Oakland. In that post I proposed ten key principles for our work to equitably transform public education in our city through redesign.
These simply complex notions include a deep understanding and operationalizing of:
- Resources
- Systems Thinking
- Empathy
- Talent
- Community
- Clarity
- Complexity
- Strategy
- Execution
- Process Orientation
Applying the contractor's rule of thumb- Pick Two: time-money-quality
Understanding that school design requires thoughtful systems redesign
Keeping the "end-user" front and center
Cultivating strong leadership, because it matters…a lot
Engaging the community for this will make or understandably break this work
Being clear about what we mean when we say "design"
Keying on personalization to support the multiple pathways to quality and innovation
Using cohorts flexibly and when this configuration makes sense
Understanding that design and planning is important, but execution and implementation is critical
Building schools and systems where a high quality design process becomes a part of the organization's DNA
So that's the seemingly simple part – defining the principles.
But as we all know, it is always easier to be a Monday Morning Quarterback than to actually play the game. It's true in the simple game of football (just ask Cam Newton). And it is especially true in the complexity of education, equitable systems change, movement building, school design, and teaching and learning…all of which are related to the work we are doing here in Oakland and beyond.
While it is fantastic that we have laid out these principles above, what really matters is seeing if we can actually use these to actually build a school design lab that actually supports school designer who can actually create and then actually implement high quality schools here in Oakland.
How do we do this? We prepare to build something and test it.
Ideating: Pivoting Towards Prototyping
So how do we move from a set of principles to actuality? This is indeed huge and complex challenge.
Design thinking's challenge is to find the simplicity in complexity, creating solutions that are both beautiful and functional, improving the quality of experience for the "end user", and creating solutions that serve the needs of people.
In our design process, after synthesizing inquiry into our Oakland School Design Principles, we further distilled this thinking into three key questions that drive our prototype:
How can we apply these principles to build a school design lab prototype that will:
Maximize Resources
Enables us to maximize our resources while learning about the support needs of schools/designers working at varying stages of a school design process and in different sectors of the public school community?
Develop and Provide Supports
Develops and provides thoughtful, nimble, flexible, responsive, results-oriented, implementation-focused supports to a diverse range of school designers?
Iterate on Success
Iterates on successful past practices and lessons learned from Oakland's successful small schools and high performing locally grown charters?
To help us to take the next steps towards an actual program, we considered lots of options: a resource center, an interactive technology solution, weekly seminars, paid full time design fellowships, partnership development with community organizers, city-wide design challenges, maximizing coaches, partnering with leadership development programs, building playlists, and more.
Moving Towards a Model: The Prototype
After months of inquiry, distillation, and ideation we have landed on a prototype that we'll be testing and improving on over the next six months.
The Educate78 School Design Lab has three important components – the school design fellowship, the design line, and a series of jam sessions.
Each of these components is crafted to support school designers and guide the work of high quality school design here in Oakland.
The Fellowship
One of the most unique feature of our fellowship is its level of personalization.
Most school design incubators and accelerators use a cohort-based model that starts the designers at point A and moves them through a time-bound fellowship to point B at the same time. In these cohort-based models, school designers are recruited from a certain education sector (charter or district). These designers are then required to attend seminars at regular intervals (usually weekly to bi-monthly), where they receive the same content based on some form of a leadership development and school design scope and sequence along with smaller proportions of coaching to focus on the specific needs of the individual leaders.
Our Educate78 School Design Lab, however, is aligned to a new personalized learning format. As a personalized learning model, our fellowship:
- Intentionally recruits and seeks to learn from a diversity of designers in varying contexts – including re-designs of existing schools, replication of high quality schools, and innovative new schools from both the district and charter sectors
- Allows varying entry and exit points of the design process. For example, some designers have entered the fellowship in their first year of operation, others are starting with us at the very beginning of their design process, and all points in between
- Uses personalized action planning, resource allocation, and coaching/consultation – based on a rigorous set of outcomes for each design phase – as the mainstay of its programmatic model
- Requires demonstrated competency to move from one phase of design to the next
- Provides different levels of coaching and investment based on the design phase and requires fellows to demonstrate successfully execute of key benchmarks and competencies in order to move from one phase to the next
In order for a personalized format to work, however, in additional to excellent coaching and human support, our designers need a number of important resources, such as clear outcomes, formative assessments process, tools to support their project management, and exemplars of high quality school design. These needs drive the second component of our prototype – the Design Line.
Design Line
Every great designer needs more than inspiration, motivation, and great human supports. Invariably, all designers need a good set of tools to support them in their creative process. The Design Line is our solution to create and provide our school design community with the resources and tools that they need to master an understanding of high quality public school design, apply and develop that understanding and ultimately implement and operate a high quality public school design.
Over the next six months, a team of school design coaches, consultants, and partners will be hard at work prototyping a variety of tools and playlists that we will test and use in our fellowship.
So far we have drafted some foundational framework.
School Design Lab Foundational Framework
- Our eight domains of high quality school design that frame important through lines in all five phases of our design process. These include mission and vision; educational program; curriculum, instruction, and assessment; climate and culture; talent and human capital; systems and operations; governance and decision making; and strategy.
- A set of key design outcomes for each phase and domain of design.
- A self assessment that is aligned to each phase and domain of design that tracks a designer's current knowledge/understanding/experience with a given outcome as well as his/her completion of a key product or process associated with this outcome.
- An outcomes based action planning tool.
- A playlist template
As our coaches work with our fellows to identify key focus areas for their school design work, they will support the creation of action plans and custom-built playlists which will, over time, populate the content within the design line. In addition, we'll work with specific partners to develop other resources to be used by our fellows and within the open source resources we intend to provide over time.
Stay tuned to future blog posts where we'll share some examples of these resources for your review, input, testing, and iteration.
Jam Sessions
While personalized learning is a key component of our program, we also recognize that building and supporting a deep and wide community of designers is critical to our success in helping to transform public education in Oakland. We know that meaningful and authentic community engagement in this field is not just nice – it is absolutely necessary.
As a result, the third key component of the School Design Lab prototype is what we call Jam Sessions.
Our Jam Sessions will play a key role in many aspects of our work. They will:
- Support our fellows and other key stakeholder in their learning, shared understanding, and skill building in key topics related to high quality school design
- Provide a mechanism to support community voice and participation in the school design process
- Build a community of practice to support effective school design
Jam Sessions will take many forms – from school visits to learning about quality and innovative practices and design challenges around shared areas of learning/interest to seminars and intensive boot camps to bolster skills development in a design team.
We intend to make our Jam Sessions available not only to our Fellows, but to educators, families, youth, and community members from across the city. Stay tuned to our Jam Sessions home page for upcoming events that you can participate in.
On to Testing
With the prototype in place – we're ready to mobilize testing. Over the next six months, we'll be intensely testing the viability of this model. We hope you will continue to join us on this journey – through our blog posts, jam sessions, and more, as we rapidly learn, fail forward, collect data, tweak, twist, and move forward on this journey. We can't wait for the adventures that lay ahead.
Hang on…because here we go!


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Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2013 Review
Posted February 20, 2013on:
I'm on my lunch break in work, so here goes with a quick & snappy review of Vogue Knitting's Spring/Summer 2013 issue. I know I skipped the Winter issue, but I don't think it's worth going back to it at this late stage.
As usual, you all know I love this magazine and this is intended to be a light-hearted review of the patterns. All pictures are taken from the Vogue Knittingwebsite.
First up is a section called Sheer Magic. Describes as "breezy seafoam, airy lace: its a fashion fusion as refreshing as spring itself". Hmm. Evocative images float in my head. Will it live up to it?
The first pattern is a tunic type top. I don't have much to say about it really, except it's plain in front and lacy at the back. While I like the stitch pattern, I don't fancy the thought of my bra straps being on show, or the drafts it would let in. Also, it's weirdly saggy just at the hips. Where every girl needs extra baggy-ness.
This next top is a bit meh. I've seen this type of garment countless times before. The batwing sleeves are not my cup of tea to be honest.
This cardigan is all kinds of wrong. The length is just in the in-between place, neither long nor regular length. I think the placement of the colour stripes is also drawing the eye to the hips in a bad way. But. The sleeves. What? The armholes start just above the garter stitch hem! Wtf is that. With the lacy holes, all you'd need is a gust of wind and you'd take off like a flying squirrel!
This next pattern is nice. Lovely stitch and the colour is lush. No complaints here, except I hope that butterfly doesn't poo on the models shoulder.
This next one looks to me like it's trying to be all things to all people. Vintage? Check. Lacy? Check. Stripy? Check. Short? Check. Nice? Fail.
This one is just odd. The back is string vest man. (See previous reviews for string vest man in all his "glory") The front is a regular cardigan. So which is it? Lacy summer or autumn cardigan. Maybe it has a split personality. In which case I should knit this.
And so endeth the magic section, with possibly the most magic pattern of all. A string dress. Oh yes. Behold. It's just, it's like, it's, oh hell. I'm actually speechless. All I can manage is hahahahaha.
Moving on swiftly to the next section, Optical Illusion. It's like a 60s disco. Geometric black & white. The first offering is a dress that, in fairness, if I was 16 again and a size -4 I'd wear it.
This "jumper"? Hell no I won't go. VK seem to love risking kidney infections among their knitters. I don't know where you live, but spring here is cold. Like scrape the ice off your car in the morning cold. If I wore this? Not only would the entirety of Dublin die laughing, but I'd be in the nearest hospital peeing razor blades from an infection.
Oddly, I like this next one, with some reservations. 1. It appears to be knit in mohair, that fibre so beloved by VK. 2. It has no sleeves. I don't do no sleeves. 3. Well ok, I can only come up with 2 at the moment. It has possibilities.
I refer you back to my comments on the first pattern in this section. Also, I think this'd make a nice cardigan. Hmm.
This is mega lol. What is it? Is it a top? A tunic? A sack? I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's not flattering.
This next one reminds me of that famous dishcloth pattern, the ballband dishcloth. I'd probably end up drying the dishes with it, or washing the cooker top.
What is this. These next 2 patterns are an ensemble. I use the word ensemble in the loosest sense. The cardigan is all sorts of fun fur madness and the "top"? What is that. It's like someone started a sweater, got bored after a few inches and decided to call it a boob tube. Wrong. So wrong.
Oh look! A nautical but nice sweater. I'm bowled over. Or should that be I'm thrown overboard?
The next section is called Dynamic Duo, two patterns from Tom Scott and Anna Sui. The first one is what appears to be a cowl with a hole down one side so you can wear it as a cowl with a hole down one side. Super weird.
Once you get back off the floor from laughing at the state of the models dress, this cardigan is ok I suppose. Apart from the lack of any sort of shaping. The sides hang at the strangest of angles. Maybe its not so ok after all.
Let's move on to Parlor Pastels. I don't know about you, but here in Ireland, the parlour was the nicest room in the house that you were never allowed into as it was kept only for visitors so you could pretend your whole house was this nice, when instead it was a filthy heap of kids, laundry and dirty dishes. I'm not so confident about this section. Never mind the pastels part.
The first pattern is ok I suppose, I'm shocked! Worn over your swimming togs on holidays only, though. I wouldn't leave the house wearing this as any kind of a covering up garment. Although, a camisole underneath would be nice. Hmm. Maybe I'm liking this more & more.
Omg omg omg bobbles. On the hips!!! *runs away*
Yawn. Boring.
I like the stitch pattern, but another batwing sweater. What is this trend? Is it that designers have forgotten how to do armhole shaping?
This is nice, even if it is another see through top. The colour doesn't help it either. It reminds me of world war 2 vintage wear. Pretty.
Oh god. A hoodie. With no sleeves. And it only buttons down half way. Another garment with an identity crisis. Why on earth would you want a hood if you've no sleeves? Surely the hood is for warmth? Unless you're a bank robber who wants to look chic while you hold up the local branch on wages day. The seam in the centre of the hood is all kinds of bad too.
Second last section now, Cotton Soft. This first wrap would be a great introduction to lace knitting, it'd knit up in no time in such bulky yarn.
Why wasn't this bag in the optical illusion section? It'd fit better there. Anyway, it's a black & white bag. That's not felted, so you'd better put some strong lining in there.
A clapotis top. Drafty. Useless. Yawn.
The final section is 6 different types of collars by Louisa Harding. Why? I suppose if you've ever seen the tv series Cranford, you might want to make one. One of the characters lost her collar and it was eaten by a pig. They had to wait until it was "recycled" so they could wash & reuse it. I'd rather knit one of these than do that.
That's your lot! Hope you enjoyed it! I've an Interweave Knits review to do next. In the meantime, good knitting!
10 Responses to "Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2013 Review"
I love these. They crack me up. Fashion is so funny!
What are those collars? Even Vague's high fashion model looks alarmed. Maybe Granny's antimacassar grabbed her round the neck whilst she was sitting, unsuspectingly in the armchair.
I love your reviews Sinead. (Go back and do WInter…goan goan, you know you want to!)
Love the flying squirrel!
Hi! I just stumbled across your blog and I LOVE it!! 🙂
Do you know where you can buy the Vogue Knitting magazine in Ireland? Do you get yours shipped from the US? I was going to order it from the website, but they were going to charge $18 for shipping…
OMG! You are so funny!
I totally agree with your description 🙂
I have just found your blog and will follow!
I kept looking for your winter review:) anyway, thanks for the spring – as usual I'll skip this one. spring/summer issues rarely do it for me… I am not a squirrel, nor am I 6 and want to wear a collar. I hate vintage for the most part, don't do hoodies without sleeves and so on… nope, spring/summer is still a no-go…
all the best from another hp knitter:)
great review, made me laugh hard. I'm re-thinking my subscription to VK, this issue was a major yarn. But Knits is also getting TIRED and dwindling numbers of patterns every issue.
your reviews are lol. flying squirrels aside, I would like to make the "batwing" lace sweater shown above the squirrely cartigan but I don't want to spend the money on the tencel yarn. Do you have any suggestions for a substitute yarn that would hang nicely in this lace pattern?


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Archive for May 2013
Decree opening the Mary Help of Christians Theology Seminary
The fiftieth anniversary of the elevation of the See of Lingayen Dagupan to the rank of a Metropolitan Archdiocese on February 16, 1963 gives us a blessed opportunity to thank the Lord for the gift of the Christian faith in Pangasinan first planted in our soil in 1571 by the Augustinian friars. Since the establishment of the first Dominican mission in Binalatongan in 1587 which stands until now, to the creation of the Diocese of Lingayen in 1928, the grace of God has been overflowing in Pangasinan.
With the opening of the Mary Help of Christians Minor Seminary in 1929 and the establishment of the Mary Help of Christians College Seminary in 1985, the vineyard of the Lord continues to enjoy a rich harvest of dedicated and pious ministers at the service of this particular Church. In order to foster more priestly vocations so that the needs of the ordained ministry may be met for generations to come (CIC Canon 233) and in response to the collective prayerful discernment of the clergy and the people of God that a theology seminary be opened within our archdiocese, by virtue of the authority granted in me by the Code of Canon Law, we hereby decree the opening of the
Mary Help of Christians Theology Seminary
in Barangay Palapad
in the municipality of San Fabian
in the province of Pangasinan.
The theology seminary shall have a Charter of Priestly Formation in the spirit of the Updated Philippine Program for Priestly Formation of 2006.
Our vision in priestly formation is primarily depth in spirituality with Christ-like zeal in pastoral ministry, rooted in academic excellence within a communion of love in priestly brotherhood and incarnated in our Pangasinan history and culture.
With the prayers of the Blessed Mother of God whom we lovingly invoke as Mary Help of Christians, we invoke the blessings of Jesus the Good Shepherd upon this theology seminary.
Given this twenty fourth day of May in the year of the Lord two thousand and thirteen, Feast of Mary Help of Christians, and the first year of Pope Francis as Supreme Pontiff
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan
Attested by:
Monsignor Rafael Magno Monsignor Oliver E. Mendoza
Vicar General and Chancellor Founding Rector
Priests with Mary, the Helper
The Spirituality of the Alumni Priests of the Mary Help of Christians College and Theology Seminaries
I have a confession to make. I had very little knowledge about and devotion to Mary with the title Help of Christians. I invoked her in the litany with this title. I knew the Salesians have a strong devotion to her but that was it. Coming to Pangasinan, with the high school and college seminaries both named after Mary Help of Christians, I felt the prompting within me to know more about the devotion and love her with this title. With the new theology seminary still carrying her name, I cannot remain distant from Mary Help of Christians.
The invocation of Mary the Helper is older than the definition of Mary the Mother of God. It was first attributed to Saint John Chrysostom in the year 345 who called Mary, the Helper (Boeteia in Greek) while Mary was invoked as Mother of God only by the year 431 in Ephesus. The icon that we now call Our Lady of Perpetual Help is the early depiction of this devotion to Mary the Helper.
Mary the Helper was invoked in the barbaric invasions of the Ukraine in the eleventh century and at the battle of Lepanto against the Ottoman empire. The defeat of the Muslim Turks in Lepanto was attributed to Mary the Helper. The victory of Pope Pius VII against the invasion of Napoleon was attributed to her likewise.
The Biblical Roots
Mary the Helper! And helper of whom?
Mary was the helper of God. She helped God accomplish His plan to save the world. It does not mean that Mary is stronger than God. It does not mean that God is feeble and helpless. In the audacity of God, He sought the politely begged for the "yes" of His creature to pursue His plan.
God cannot be lacking in courtesy for us. He reverences our freedom to choose and decide. Mary was the helper of God. At the house in Nazareth, Mary said yes to God and gave Him permission to make her womb the temple of the Son for nine months. At the annunciation of the angel, Mary became the Helper of God. Atop Calvary, Mary at the foot of the cross of Jesus continued to help Her Son in his last agony. Mary the Helper is source of consolation when the hour of Jesus had come.
At the wedding in Cana, Mary pursued her mission to be a helper not only of men but of peoples–believers or unbelievers, friendly our hostile, fervent or indifferent. She helps them all. She helped the couple threatened by the embarrassing scenario of running out of wedding wine. Even before they could ask, even before they saw the problem, Mary was there to say to her Son "They have no wine". If we just make the first move to invite her, she will always take care. She will help without being asked. She will help even before we see our need for help. She is helper of peoples.
Finally at the Upper Room fifty days after the resurrection, Mary prayed with the apostles and the Holy Spirit was sent forth appearing as tongues of fire. Mary is Helper of the Church in prayer. Mary is Helper of the Apostles. Mary is Helper among the disciples invoking the True Helper, our Advocate and Paraclete the Holy Spirit. Mary helps priests be more like Jesus. Mary helps bishops, successors of the apostles, become more apostolic. Mary helps us in all our Upper Rooms of expectations for better times. If we invite her, she will join us in praying. If we pray with her; if we trust with her; if we obey with her; if we stand courageously with her; she assures us of her loving help.
Spirituality of Mary the Helper
With our seminaries all placed under her mantle as Help of Christians, what kind of priests must our seminaries produce? Only one is wished for—that all priests be helpers–humble helpers, holy helpers, well prepared helpers.
That every priest is a helper and not a master and lord is clearly laid out by Church and gospel teachings. The helper priest is only a steward and therefore must be accountable and grateful. The helper priest must be like Mary the Helper of God in pursuing the mission of Jesus. It is the priest's mission but the mission of Jesus. It is not the priest's opinion but the will of Jesus. It is not the priest but Jesus who must shine. The priest helper of God must be humble and obedient, trusting and generous. Pope Benedict XVI said "This audacity of God who entrusts himself to human beings; who even though he knows our weaknesses, considers us capable of acting and of being present in place of him; this audacity of God is the truly great reality which is hidden in the word "priesthood". That God considers us capable of this, that he calls men to his service in such a way and so from within, binds them to himself. (June 11, 2010).
The priest we envision to have must be a helper of humanity. Humanity is created in the likeness of God. Helping and loving humanity broken, wounded and bleeding yet hopeful, loved and beautiful is the only way to Jesus. We cannot love God and ignore humanity. We cannot believe in God and be cynical of the goodness that God has planted in every human heart. We cannot worship God in altars of marble and golden chalices and yet allow the hungers and pains of humanity not to disturb us into action. When we bow our heads and close our eyes in fervent prayer before the awesome presence of God, we must, in the same breath, open our hands to help and open our hearts to welcome humanity. The help that humanity needs from the priest is not just food for the stomach but even more food for the soul. Man's search for meaning must be satisfied in the Lord and it is every priest's duty to proclaim this.
Finally, every priest must be only and always a helper of the Church. He helps the Church to pray. He prays for and with the Church. How is this helping the Church to be done? Let us allow Saint Peter to admonish us "This is to be done with courtesy, respect and clear conscience". (I Pt 3:16). Courtesy is meekness. It is the meekness of the beatitudes. It is the meekness that Paul describes in these words "A servant of the Lord is not engage in quarrels, but has to be kind to everyone, a good teacher and patient. He has to be gentle when he corrects people who dispute what he says, never forgetting that God may give them a change of mind so that they may recognize the truth" (2Tim 2:24-25). Coherence of life with what we proclaim is integrity. The Church has been hurt a lot by priests who fail in moral integrity. We can only be true helpers of the Church by being holy priests. Shame for sin is a gift that every priest must retain. This shame for sin is reciprocated by God with His tender mercy and compassion. It is not a shame leading to despair but a shame with hope in the Divine Mercy.
The Powerhouse of the Priest Helper
Our formation towards being helper priests is founded on order a essay the daily Eucharist. It is the source and summit of our priestly formation. The Eucharist can fall victim to monotony and boredom. Its practicality and relevance is oftentimes questioned by churchmen who advocate for social engagement because our mission, so they say, is only to make this world a better place. Nevertheless, offer the Eucharist everyday as an act of love for God and the cosmos, as an act of help for world in great need of intercessors.
The best help we can offer the Church and humanity is to pray. Fidelity to prayer specially the Liturgy of the Hours is a mandate of our priestly vocation. Beyond the call of duty, the Liturgy of the Hours is our way of helping those in need although we might not be able to meet them in our lifetime. From the Annunciation to Cana to the Upper Room, Mary helped the Church by talking and listening to God. Talking to God and listening to Him is our task as helper priests.
Finally, the power of the priest is not shown forth from the pulpit or the altar. When the priest kneels down confessing his sins, he helps the Church and humanity regain holiness; a kneeling penitent priest is powerful As we help our flock at the confessional absolving them from their sins, we must not forget that the confessional invites us first to kneel as penitent so that we can credibly sit down as merciful confessors.
Mary Help of Christians
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians,
how sweet it is to come to your feet
imploring your perpetual help.
If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children,
how can you, the most loving of all mothers, forget me?
Grant then to me, I implore you,
your perpetual help in all my necessities,
in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations.
I ask for your unceasing help
for all who are now suffering.
Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners.
Grant through your intercessions
many vocations to the priesthood.
Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians,
that having invoked you on earth,
we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.
Saint John the Evangelist Cathedral, Dagupan City, May 24, 2013
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan
Sunday Mass for every Barangay!- Pastoral Directive for Barangay Empowerment
My dear brothers in the priesthood:
The faith of our people is vibrant and strong. The flock of the Lord is a blessing of infinite consolations for us their shepherds. Our parish churches and selected barangay chapels are filled with people on Sundays athirst for the Lord and seeking to express their love for God. While there is great reason to believe that the faith is alive and strong in our archdiocese, the truth must be told that there are still many more communities deprived of the Eucharist on Sundays, the day of the Lord, due to their distance from the pastoral centres and due to the lack of priests.
This deprivation of the Eucharist is leading to an alarming spiritual malnutrition which on many occasions our people fill up by attending Sunday prayer fellowships of other sects. Attempting to reach out to the Catholic communities in far barangays, many priests have started the pastoral practice of celebrating Masses on weekdays to fill the thirst for Sunday Eucharist among the barangays. But the truth need be told that the Sunday Eucharist occupies a primordial place in our Catholic life.
It is true that, in itself, the Sunday Eucharist is no different from the Eucharist celebrated on other days, nor can it be separated from liturgical and sacramental life as a whole…But because of its special solemnity and the obligatory presence of the community, and because it is celebrated "on the day when Christ conquered death and gave us a share in his immortal life", the Sunday Eucharist expresses with greater emphasis its inherent ecclesial dimension. It becomes the paradigm for other Eucharistic celebrations (Dies Domini, 34)
Among the many activities of a parish, "none is as vital or as community-forming as the Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist" (Dies Domini, 35)
This light-and-shadow situation must be addressed so that the present thirst for the Sunday Eucharist may not worsen into a widespread spiritual desert. It can also result in the waning of appreciation for the primacy of Sunday in our Catholic life (cfr. Dies Domini, 5). Because nature abhors a vacuum, our absence in the barangays can result in unimaginable spiritual harm to the flock of the Lord which, if not remedied now, can take generations to reverse and heal.
I am inviting my brother priests especially those in the ministry of Catholic education and members of team ministries to avail of the privilege granted by archdiocesan laws to celebrate two Masses on Saturday evenings and four Masses on Sundays. I admonish all priests to use this privilege fully by going to barangay communities and offering the distant poor the Body of the Lord on Saturday evenings and Sundays. It is considered liturgical abuse to use this privilege to accommodate special groups of the Catholic faithful in exchange for monetary gain.
The perennial complaint is that "the people are not coming to our Masses so we might as well not go". It is time for us to be missionaries in spirit and disposition. We cannot just demand that the people be there when we are there. We have lost them by our long absence. The time has come for us to reach out patiently and recover their lost faith. The Sunday afternoons and evenings cannot be relaxed moments for a good pastor of souls. We must initiate a schedule of barangay Masses even on Sunday afternoons and evenings so that the poor, the marginalized and the distant may have an opportunity for Sunday Masses weekly. The children and the youth must be the favoured recipients of our pastoral presence in the barangays.
By a unanimous vote of the Board of Consultors, all the vicars forane were mandated to prepare new clusters of barangays to become pastoral stations eventually to be created as parishes within the year. After consulting the priests and lay leaders in the vicariate, the vicar forane can recommend which cluster may take the priority pastoral attention. The primary criterion will be the openness of the Catholic faithful in the area to become a parish. The material sustenance of the priests may be provided by the Chancery for the first year of creation, in case the community lacks material resources. It is not necessary to have a big church as a pastoral centre. Modest living quarters for the priest to live within the mission community will be enough.
The only goal is to strengthen the base communities. The strength of the parish is not in overflowing Sunday crowds; it is rather in the vibrant distant barangays where the life of the parish truly shows. If the barangays are weak and cold, the Church is sick and bleeding. The poor cannot afford to go to our centres. We cannot leave them in the periphery. The Sunday Mass must be brought to them every Sunday.
Big and expansive parishes do not help nurture the faith. Faith will be impersonal and pastoral care will only be token ministries. We must create new pastoral centres. Small is beautiful. Small is the way to greatness. Strengthening the small is the only way to survive and stay relevant as a Church.
I plead with you brother pastors to take this vision to heart and adopt it as yours. We cannot allow the times to reduce us to be functionaries and temporal administrators. We are pastors first and foremost. Let us regain the shepherd's heart when we were ordained.
May Saint John Marie Vianney set our hearts on fire again!
Sincerely yours,
Archbishop of Lingayen Dagupan


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Stappj coffee soda is made in Italy by the Di Iorio Beverage Company. Di Iorio was established by Filippo Di Iorio in 1896 and is run today by the third generation of Di Iorios. This soda company has gotten to be quite well known as it utilizes top of the line innovation and a cautious regard for the environment. Impressively, Di Iorio can actually create one million five hundred thousand bottled beverages in a 24-hour time span.
Where did the name of Stappj come from?
Despite the fact that the name seems to have a Scandinavian ring to it, it actually has no association with anything Scandinavian. This name is really the Molisan (Southern Italian) colloquial variation of the Italian "stappa", signifying "uncork".
How does it taste?
Stappj's products are quite famous for having an extremely powerful flavor. Some believe it's due to the mineral water utilized; while others think it is because of packaging strategies that are more than a hundred years of age.
Other Interesting Facts about Stappj
The area where the industrial manufacturing facility is located has quite extraordinary significance, as it's rather close to very high quality mineral springs in Molise.
The bottles of Stappj are 180 ml (6 oz) in size.
Reviews from Across the Web of Stappj
"They almost have an alcoholic taste yet they are quite clearly a hybrid of coffee and soda."
"This stuff has the most unusually astonishing blend of coffee and cola."
"To me it just tastes like sweet fizzy coffee. The ingredients are quite clearly coffee, sugar and carbonated water and frankly that's all I can taste."


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3-4 years of relevant experience
knowledge and experience in the BDD framework
Experience in developing Automation scripts using Selenium and JAVA
Experience in developing Automation Cucumber
scripts using QTP /UFT
WinfoGlobal has expertise in developing applications for Mobile and HandHeld Devices on... different types of platforms and environments. We have capabilities on most popular smartphone platforms such as Android, iPhone, iPad, Symbian and Windows Mobile. We deliver unique applications with innovation and quality, on-time and within the budget. Read full description


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Against the Day
Posted by A Great Liar
Under the relentless Sun, a little boy was down on his knees, and with his trembling finger drew what looks like the letter U, with the tip of his finger fumbling, trailing imprints of a deeper hue on the sandy surface.
The letter was done, if not too well done, and the little semblance of memory stored, bit by bit, though as yet a beginning.
Satisfied, the boy gets up and continues to walk the aimless path, with the breeze of the ocean against his fair skin. A wary soul in a middle of a land that did little to comfort him, his mere consolation being that name the boy held close to his heart, a name from the past that he had sworn to immortalize till the end of time, against all odds.
And against the call of the deep now at hand, beckoning him, asking for the final remittance for the life as yet held unaccountable.
Zakaria, the boy heard the call of the dead, the wind carrying his name, hissing, speeding through ... that dreaded whiz of the thousand ghosts in unison bringing chill to his bones.
Time is not an enemy, he told himself repeatedly, time is not a friend, and began to pace faster. Behind him, the thousand footsteps of fear growing distant, allowing for a temporary respite, if not an outright reprieve.
Few paces further, now running a little short on breath, he halted and went down on his knees, fighting the tremor that has by now become a part of his soul, refusing to let go, and his little boy's hand swaying in protest against the soft land, leaving yet another imprint, a single letter, a faint but beautiful whisper to withstand the finality close at hand.
And as soon as he was done, the boy heard the wind closing in again, that roaring raving thing gone mad, covering the distant in haste with the progress of the boy on the temporary standstill, ripping through time and space with its sole emotional derivative being that of a predator for its prey; no love lost between them.
Zakaria was on his feet again, skinny legs galloping on a damp surface, now racing once more against the ghostly waltz.
Men greater than Zakaria have feared and eventually lost to the harrows of the Deep, faces before him who have looked for too long into the infinity of the mother ocean, spoken to the very souls of their ancestors from the long past, till each one of them at last joined the infinity within, embracing the roaring waves masking the quiet within its deep.
They all float down there, down the bottom of the sea where time doesn't fly and future doesn't breath down your neck, whispering no lies.
The deep would bring all things to naught, the little boy knew, remembering the thousand faces of the dear ones lost, smiling, crying, in love and in anguish, in youth or in old age, each one of them eventually lost to the ocean, and wishing if only there was a little magic in this world.
And with the end drawing nigh, the little boy with blue eyes found himself running short of time, the strength of the living slowly leaving him and the entire universe shrinking, eager to pinpoint all its destructiveness against that unfortunate ingénue.
And as the day drew to a close, the little boy cried like he had never cried before, his heart storming its way to a grief strangling him, a grief that wasn't quiet but had no sound.
The tears flowed, uncontrollably and the breathing became irregular with time, the boy breathing heavily, in and out, in and out, as the soundlessness of death tightening its grip.
The tears blinded his vision as the boy lay face down on to the shore, barely able to move, his fingers now mere limp, numb and drained of will, lay half buried within the wet surface, with no letters drawn, no semblance of the memory stored, as our boy was not made of steel anymore; never had been.
He felt the void growing around him, as the ghosts finally caught up with him, now whirling him to the deep, where it lay in wait for all things great or small.
And as the world grew smaller right before his eyes, Zakaria wished if only there was a little magic in this world still, or if only the dreams were not made of clay, till he felt the thousand cold needles of the first wave, and the growling hands of the sea to follow.
Till all that was sound and all that was sight, in conscious remains as conscious subside.
[Do leave a comment, it matters...]


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Today I'm talking with Pierre Orsander, a Malmö-based entrepreneur who we've actually written about a number of times. Today he's launching Worki – a weekend project to help people more easily find relevant jobs.
Whilst jobs is a notoriously tough market, Pierre does seem to have some cool ideas – choosing to place all of the focus on user experience and simplicity.
Pierre tells me that key features include: embeddable job ads, direct optimization for search engines and well presented statistics on applicants, views etc.
The problem however, is that inevitably, recruiters and employers will go with the service that provides the best leads – so Pierre has a challenge on his hands.
Hi Pierre, tell us a little about the project and where the idea came from?
The project started a few weeks ago, and the idea came out of the blue. It all started when I was drinking a coffee and thinking about how there should be an easier way to search for jobs. About an hour after, the idea was set, and I kew how I wanted it to work, and started working on it right away.
Tell us about the team and whether this is a full time or side project?
The team currently consists of me, and… well, thats it for now. It's a side project that I will have to see what it evolves too, and what response I will get on it. The main reason is to get people to rethink how applying for jobs and applying people should work.
Competitive space, no doubt. How do you stand out?
There are a lot of competitors in job-boards. A lot of times, companies even have their own system where you apply for jobs within their system. Problem is, you have to register for a lot of different sites. My hope is that through a simple experience get people to use Worki and make it a simpler experience both for them and for the people who apply.
What makes Worki so unique is that it provides a new sleek and simple interface that works a lot different than current job-boards do today, which often follow the same standards.
What are the next steps?
The next steps for Worki is to get a lot of companies to add jobs and from there people creating accounts to apply. Since I'm trying to reinvent how applying to jobs work, it's really important for Worki that people create accounts to apply for the jobs available. That is why I'm launching a beta of the service right away, to get a lot of important feedback from both companies and users on how to make it better.
Normal users can register today and companies can sign up for the waiting-list for a Publisher account to ensure to give a smooth experience for everyone.
For the service i have an internal roadmap of features and fixes to do. But more of that is coming soon!


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If I have heard one constant in law enforcement lore in the 30 years I have been working in local media, it is that, perhaps with the exception of a large and active gang or organized crime task force in place, it is virtually impossible for local police to have a serious impact when it comes to reducing the homicide rate.
So pardon me if I laugh out loud, and call BS while I am laughing, at Richmond County Sheriff's Lt. Calvin Chew's quote in Monday's Augusta Chronicle article where he claims the department has done just that. Or does he?
"A homicide is never predictable," said Richmond County sheriff's Lt. Calvin Chew, "but being involved in the community is helping decrease the numbers."
Well Calvin, which is it?
The Bianca Cain Johnson article goes on to list the year's homicides one at a time and, in doing so, shows a pattern that helps prove the long-held belief that when it comes to most murders, unless you have a police officer visible to the killer in question, there is no way to stop them from occurring.
But for the moment, let's pretend that Chew is right. A change in tactics has caused the murder rate to drop a whopping 42 percent. That means almost half the murders that occurred last year were the result of poor policing and bad policy. It also means that Sheriff Ronnie Strength was not just an old-fashioned lawman, it means that he was so backwards in his thinking and approach that dozens (and maybe hundreds) of people were needlessly murdered under his watch.
Sorry folks, I cannot allow those words to stand unchallenged in a column bearing my name. It is just too silly a notion to entertain.
Keep in mind, 95 percent of the agency stayed intact after Richard Roundtree became the new sheriff, and the man who is now over the violent crimes division, Major Scott Peebles, was said to be the guiding force behind homicide investigations for the last few years anyway.
There were a few high-profile incidents in the last year that could have easily resulted in multiple homicides that, just by pure dumb luck, did not. Two episodes off the top of my head that were actually caught on video, recall gunfire erupting in crowded areas, one in downtown Augusta, another in a south Augusta neighborhood, that by the grace of God did not result in serious injury or death.
There were other close calls, such as the vicious attack of the young couple on the Riverwalk, that could have easily added to that total. Again, grace of God/dumb luck, take your choice.
The overwhelming majority of murders are spur-of-the-moment events that rarely could be prevented by anything other than the incarceration of the person responsible for crimes he/she committed earlier in their lives. That is the best way the legal system can reduce the murder rate. Of course you have domestic/family disputes which also account for a large chunk of the overall murder total every year, and that is also almost impossible to prevent from a law enforcement standpoint. If Adam and Eve couldn't stop Cain from killing Abel, what chance does Roundtree, Strength or any other lawman have to do the same?
Sheriff Roundtree has done some very good things in his first year, but bringing down the homicide total is not an accomplishment he or his people should be touting.
They have very little control over it, and if someone tells you different, they are either lying to you or repeating someone else's lie.


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Real Boxing Apk – brings you the most exhilarating, no holds barred fighting action ever seen on Android, Real Boxing's incredible graphics have been optimized for devices that are powered by the Nvidia Tegra 3 processor to take you closer to the action than you ever through possible.
Featuring ultra realistic motion capture from real boxers plus amazing graphics from the powerful unreal engine 3, you will see sweat and blood fill the air and you will feel every hook, jab and upper cut in Real Boxing, the most exciting boxing game yet on Android.
The amazing unreal powered graphics and motion capture create astonishing levels of realism. Watch sweat and blood fly with every punch and see your opponent;s face taking injuries, then relish the slow motion action replay of your greatest KO's.
Fight in atmospheric arenas with authentic commentary See the flash of camera bulbs, hear and feel the roar of the crowd like you are really there.
Take on career mode over 30+fights and three belt titles to conquer. Fight over 20+ opponents with their own unique and adaptive fighting styles then train your boxer with mini games including skipping rope, heavy bag and mini bag. Also play KO and Clinch mini games during a round for an energy boost.
Unlock new equipment, extra opponents and clothing. Customize your fighter's appearance like hairstyle, skin color, tattoos and clothing.
Real Boxing v1.8.0 Apk
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I have a new 'workspace'. Behold:
One where the toddler cannot grasp any number of cords and play giddy-up with them. Or pull down the flap on the printer, stash away some food, and retrieve it several hours later.
The old set-up had been cramped for a while. And I kind of said in a workspace safety audit review I did earlier in the year as part of my graphic design course, that I'd purchased a new cabinet that meant operating the printer (which had been basically at floor level) was now ergonomic.
It was the first piece of flat pack furniture I've assembled myself. Being married to a fitter means I'm generally relegated to unfolding the instructions, which never get read, passing tools/screws/'the f***en top bit' and bearing audio witness to streams of obscenities flat pack projects inevitably elicit.
Granted, the table needed a bit of expert touching-up once the fitter arrived home. Gratifyingly, he resorted to power tools for the adjustments.
All in all, I'm happy with the result. Of course it remains to be seen whether it leads to any increase in the amount of work actually done.


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We've been keeping you updated on this for a while now, but the day has finally come. Rory McIlroy is the newest Nike athlete and will join (or replace) Tiger Woods as the face of Nike Golf. Judging from the video, Woods isn't going anywhere but the 23-year-old McIlroy hasn't even hit his prime. At least that's what the swoosh is counting on considering the $200-$250 million he reportedly is set to make under a 10 year contract.
Take a look at the first ad staring Woods and McIlroy and read what they had to say about it here:
The 60-second spot, produced by Wieden and Kennedy, is set to air from Wednesday, January 16th to Monday, January 21st on ESPN and The Golf Channel in the United States, on TSN in Canada, and on Sky Sports in Europe. The "No Cup is Safe" piece showcases the athletic competitiveness, remarkable talents, and playful attitudes of the two best golfers in the world.
"I really like the ad," said Woods. "It shows the fun side of us and I had a good time shooting it."
"I'm genuinely excited about the first Nike TV ad I will be appearing in as a Nike athlete," said McIlroy. "The theme of the ad is really cool and it's a great way to kick off my career at Nike."
McIlroy and Woods are captured on the driving range lightheartedly taking turns to one-up each other by making amazing shots into a variety of different cups. The viewer is reminded that these two Nike Golf athletes can excite, engage and perform like no others in the sport today. While the ad displays their playful manner, it also conveys the competitiveness between two of the best golfers in the world.
RELATED: McIlroy Cuts Ties With Sponsor, Moves One Step Closer To Nike
RELATED: Rory McIlroy Spotted With Nike Golf Clubs


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Happy International Rabbit Day! Here's the bunny of our house! https://twitter.com/awkwardsoul/status/381851208962437120/photo/1
being fed a treat, as he's pretty cranky looking today. Something about kale not being on sale, so I didn't buy any for him. Or maybe today is the day bunnies gather to plot against the humans.
Anyways, having this tea for breakfast while I check on the scheming bunny. Nice and burnt caramel taste today with a tangy sweetness. Yum! For some reason, I'm getting more cravings for black tea.


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Erigeron multiradiatus in Valley of Flowers
Erigeron multiradiatusis a hirsute annual herb of height 20 to 40 cm. LEaves are sessile, obovate and acute at apex, toothed at the upper part. Flowers heads are dark purple. Ray florets are dark or pale purple and Disc florets are yellow.
The specific name is multiradiatus because of radiating florets.
English Name
Local Name
|Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
Flowering time
|August to September
|In grassy slopes, waysides of agricultural fields
|Whole plant is used as a brain tonic and for the treatment of renal disorder and stomachache.
Location in the Valley of Flowers
|This is on the flowers which are available in September also when most of the other flowers are in their last phase or already matured. You can see Erigeron Multiradiatus very easily at various locations in Valley of Flowers. Starting from the entry gate to the Pushpawati River bed you can find this flower every where specially in the month of September (first half).
Following are some of the pictures of the Erigeron multiradiatus,hope you will like them all. If yes do not forget to comment or share with your friends.
Expand your search of Flowers!.
We have made a database of more than 140 flowers found in Valley of Flowers and nearby areas; you can find flowers according to timing, location, color, availability and size of flowers. You can use one or more filters given below to get desired search results.
Flower Size
Flower Availability
Flower Location
Can senior citizens visit valley of flowers?
Senior citizens also want to come to this heaven on earth but they are confused about whether they can do it or not. We have been taking senior citizens to the valley of flowers. There are options of helicopter and ponies to skip trekking.
Valley of flowers trek itinerary
Detailed itinerary for valley of flowers trek explaining the day wise altitude gain, distance travelled, mode of transportation available and time required to travel between different destinations. Guidance on various options available to skip trekking between Govindghat and Ghangaria.
Valley of flowers Tour Packages
We also provide packages for trek to Valley of flowers. If you wish to come with us you can visit this page to see our offers and departures to the valley in upcoming season.
Valley of flowers Photo Gallery
We have been going to valley for many years and have lot of pictures of the valley of flowers and our groups, they are classified in various galleries like flowers gallery, birds' gallery, earlier groups gallery, landscapes and many more, just surf through our galleries to have a virtual tour to valley of flowers.
Things to carry for trek to valley of flowers
When you are on a trekking tour you should know what are the things to carry for the trek. We have many years of experience and based on that experience we have made a list of things to carry for trek to valley of flowers.
How to Reach Valley of flowers
It is important to know before starting the trip that how to reach valley of flowers? How many days are required for the trip to the valley? Distances between various points and time required to travel between them.
Frequently asked questions About the Valley
Can senior citizens visit valley of flowers?
Senior citizens also want to come to this heaven on earth but they are confused about whether they can do it or not. We have been taking senior citizens to the valley of flowers. There are options of helicopter and ponies to skip trekking.
What type of shoes is appropriate for valley of flowers ?
When you go for trek you should wear appropriate type of shoes so that your main concentration is on trekking and enjoying nature. We have seen that shoes of many people breaks while trekking and sometimes people develop blisters.
Minimum age to visit valley of flowers
Whether kids can do the trek to Valley of Flowers or not? What is the minimum age requirement to visit the valley of flowers? Please read this full page to get the answer to this question. Couples with young children willing to visit valley of flowers can go through this page.
Number of Days required in seeing Valley of Flowers
Minimum number of days recommended going for trek to Valley of Flowers. Why we need an extra day for the trip. Read full report with pictures of the valley.
How difficult is Valley of flowers trek.
Trek difficulty of the Valley of Flowers trek. Vital statistics are given here. How much altitude is to be gained every day while trekking? How much distance is to be covered every day? What is Fitness level required for the trek?
Valley of flowers after floods.
Valley of flowers has witnessed a massive flood in 2013. We were the first to report that the flowering area of the valley is totally intact. Now the valley of flowers has become again accessible and all the treks and bridges have been reconstructed.


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Author: Ivy Larson
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
- 2½ cups raw pecans
- 6 medjool dates
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons organic extra virgin coconut oil (such as Barlean's)
- ¼ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons millet flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until well-blended. Use clean fingertips to press mixture evenly onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie dish.
- Pre-bake crust for 10 minutes. Remove crust from oven and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes before pouring in the filling.


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Gas cleaning
New and strict pollution regulations in metallurgical plants worldwide are restricting particulate and acid gas emissions to extremely low levels. Because of that, sulphuric acid plants are being installed to remove and utilise S02 in gases resulting from the roasting of sulphide ores, smelting of ores, and burning or regeneration of spent acid or acid sludge from petroleum refining. To prevent the formation of 'black' or contaminated acid and to protect the catalyst beds from fouling and plugging, wet electrostatic precipitators are utilised to clean the off-gases before entry into the acid plant. The acid plants that must handle impure sulphur dioxide gases such as those emitted from metallurgical processes like ore roasters, flash smelters, and spent acid regeneration, require the removal of acid mist and residual dust and fume before the gases enter the drying tower.
Conventional scrubbing systems (wet or dry) are generally not effective in controlling submicron emissions, consisting primarily of acid gas mists, submicron particulates and condensed organics. Wet electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), because of their ability to generate multi-staged charging and strong electrical fields in a wet, cooled atmosphere, have proven effective in cleaning the flue gas.
The Beltran wet ESP
As a result of considerable research and development, Beltran Technologies, Inc. custom designs and engineers a unique wet electrostatic tubular precipitator. The Beltran Wet ESP in most cases is a vertical-flow hexagonal or rectangular tube type precipitator.
Typically the flue gases enter at the bottom and flow upward through the precipitator. There are generally two sets of spray headers, whereby the first set continually
cools and saturates the flue gases, if necessary. The second set of spray headers are at the top and directly below the collector, which wash the collector and electrodes. These are operated on a periodic, as needed basis.
The multi-stage tubular precipitator consists of a series of ionising sections and a collection section. The discharge electrode is in the form of a rod or tube with a number of sharp corona generating discharge points. Various collecting tube geometries have been utilised over the years, the most common being the round. The square configuration and/or the hexagonal shape is chosen because these geometries are much more space efficient than the round shape, and produce a greater collection efficiency in a given volume.
The Beltran wet electrostatic precipitator uses solid ionising rods instead of wires. Also, the unique electrode design allows for generation of a corona field 4 to 5 times more intense than standard wet or dry ESPs. This higher current and field strength results in higher particle migration velocities that translate into a higher efficiency or reduced collector area-Solid particulate matter and mist droplets that enter the electrostatic section are charged by the high voltage and current produced by the electrode and collected on the grounded plates. Most of the particulates are flushed down into the bottom of the housing.
Controlling acid gas mists
Gas cleaning
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