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Using Mint.com to budget my expenses
As the daughter of an accountant, I grew up hearing about the importance of managing my money responsibly. Furthermore, as a student with very low (or rather, a non-existent) income, I am forced to be very strict about what I can and cannot spend money on. Unfortunately, I've always resisted making concrete budgets for myself to stick to, instead telling myself "Yeah, I'll try to cut my spending."
This casual approach to saving was working for a while (I think?), but my "yeah, I'll try to spend less" mentality now seems evaporate as soon as I pass a charming coffee shop and realize I need that $4 latte. Since I know that my self-control can sometimes be a little weak, I've decided that I need to take action to start developing the "saving habit" my dad has been telling me about my whole life.
Just this weekend I made a profile on Mint.com, and I'm already very impressed with the website's functions. Now I can set exact budget amounts- not just per month, but also within each category of spending: clothes, food & drink (subdivided into coffee shops, restaurants, groceries, etc.), general shopping, etc. Mint.com will allow me to identify spending trends and to identify areas of my spending where I could be cutting back.
The issue with the site that makes some people hesitant to sign up is that when creating a profile, you need to enter your bank account user name and password. They ask for this information so that every time you swipe your card, the information is automatically sent to Mint.
There has been much talk about this system and whether it makes Mint.com an insecure place to house all your banking information and financial history. A NYTimes article came out a few years ago on the topics, and they assured users that the safety system seems secure. If you're curious about the nitty-gritty details of Mint.com's encrypting, check out the NYTimes article here.
Mint.com also has a mobile app – Mint.com Personal Finance. It's a super easy to use app that streamlines and simplifies your financial data enough so that you can check your current balance and budget on-the-go. That way, as soon as you feel tempted to wander in and purchase that new Lululemon tank, you can pull up your info and maybe think twice about making that purchase.
Six Secrets to Smarter Decision-Making
"The single most important factor in determining your health is not your parents, or even your environment. It is the quality of decisions that you make every day." – Dr. Daniel Amen (child and adult psychiatrist, self-help advisor, author and medical director of the Amen Clinic)
Let's face it: we all know what foods are good for us, we all know we need to exercise, we all know we should quit smoking. We are bombarded with information and advice about how to get healthy. The problem is not a shortage of information. It is implementing it in our own lives on an everyday basis.
In fact, an eight-decade long study found that the single largest biological factor linked with longevity was conscientiousness. What seems like our permanent state of "health" is, in large part, the consequences of a lifetime of decision-making. We might tell ourselves that we'll make better decisions tomorrow, but bad decisions quickly turn into bad habits. And as we age, the consequences become more and more magnified.
The question then is, how do we help ourselves make better decisions? We all know what we should be doing, but we often act in contradicting ways.
I find that my moments of poorest judgement come when I am in a weakened mental state. Have you ever noticed that you tend to make the laziest, most unwise decisions when you are tired, starving, cranky, stressed, or intoxicated? In these states, reaching for that donut may seem like the only thing that will help you get through your day. It is so easy to justify bad decision-making to ourselves, especially when in the short term, it may be easier or more fun than the alternative. Unfortunately, if we tend to indulge our cravings in this way, we might be asking ourselves 3 months down the line, "Where did those 5 lbs come from?"
There are several steps we can take to prevent ourselves from falling into these weakened states in the first place (in order words, ensuring that our brain is well-equipped to make the best possible decisions):
- Keep your blood sugar stable. Eat high quality, small meals four to five times a day.
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep daily. Six or less hours of sleep decreases blood flow to vital organs, particularly the brain.
- Eliminate toxins. Heavy drinking or drug use will impair your judgment, making you more likely to do things you might not normally. Not to mention, the carbs from alcohol probably aren't going to make those fitness goals any easier.
- Lose weight. Did you know that the more weight you put on, the smaller and less efficient your brain becomes?
- Meditate. A UCLA study published in March 2012 found that meditators have larger amounts of folding in the brain's cortex than non-meditators, enabling them to process information more quickly.
- Worry a little bit. The Longevity Project also found that those with the "don't worry, be happy" philosophy were a little more inclined to slack on their health than those who worried a small amount.
The type of temporary satisfaction we seek by indulging our cravings or weaknesses may provide pleasure in the short-term, but before you reach for that bag of potato chips, ask yourself if the subsequent guilt and regret is worth it.
Design your morning routine to inspire creativity
I had coffee with a friend of mine a couple days ago, and he said something that really resonated with me. He told me that when he first wakes up, he tries to immediately engage in something creative before doing anything else. He hypothesized that doing so would launch your mind into a creative mode.
Those first moments upon waking seem to be crucial for setting the tone of your day. Unfortunately, many people wake up and as we sip those first sips of coffee, we mindlessly scroll through our Facebook newsfeed, turn on the news, or scan the flood of emails that came in during the night. These kind of activities, though at times necessary, can have a dulling effect on the mind.
Try refraining from these activities for at least 15 minutes upon waking. Use those quiet moments of alone time in a mindful, constructive way. It may be as simple as writing 10 words concerning your intention for the day. I once read a book called The Artist's Way where the author, an artist, advocated writing three full pages of stream-of-consciousness blabber in your journal before doing anything else. She said you should routinely empty your mind of all its residual junk in order to make room for new information and fresh ideas. My friend said he usually sketches or writes something. I have experienced the same therapeutic , mind-cleansing effect when I run or do yoga first thing in the morning.
Before you go to bed tonight, think about how you would like to begin your day when you wake up tomorrow. Then, lay out physical reminders that you'll won't be able to see past. Turn your laptop face down. Set your journal or sketch pad out on the kitchen table. Place your running shoes in front of your bedroom door. Roll our your yoga mat at the foot of your bed.
Don't let yourself begin your daily routine until you have engaged in your creative activity. Or more specifically, identify one aspect of your routine that you enjoy doing. Personally, I hate the feeling of having not showered yet. Because working out is a priority for me, I don't allow myself to shower until I have done some kind of physical activity (running, yoga, etc.). For you, if you derive satisfaction from checking your email, don't allow yourself to do so until you have completed your "creative" action for the morning.
I challenge you to try this for several days in a row, and see if it alters your mindset upon waking up. In my experience, doing so allows me to approach my day with a clear, focused mind.
The Early Morning Routine
I strongly believe that I could not have made it through my first two years at Stanford without the early morning habit. At the beginning of freshmen year, I was constantly exhausted, underslept, and irritable. It was difficult to focus during the day because of all the activity around me. When I tried working late at night, I produced low-quality work.
I haven't always been a morning person, but I slowly made the transition using simple tricks, tools and habits. I now wake up around 5 a.m. every morning, and those early hours are the most productive of my day.
A typical morning looks something like this:
5:00 a.m.: The alarm rings.
5:20 a.m.: Work-out clothes already on, I brew my coffee, cook an egg/feta/spinach omelette or whatever else I might be craving.
5:30 a.m.: I sit down with my breakfast and give myself at least five minutes to focus on my food and coffee. This intentional eating, coupled with a clear effort to set my intention for the day, sets a mindful and purposeful tone for the next few hours. I look over my schedule for the day, prioritize my work, and then begin, starting with the most important items first.
Note: I try to refrain from checking email/facebook/texts until around seven. No email needs a reply this early anyway. These early hours are the time for me to be alone with my work, without distraction. To reduce any kind of temptation, I usually set SelfControl for an hour and a half, having added Facebook, Gmail, etc. to the blacklist.
7:00 a.m.: Having already completed an hour and a half of completely focused work, I open my email and respond to anything pressing.
7:20 a.m.- 8:30 a.m.: This is the time I set aside each day for either yoga, running, or meditation. This time is essential for me to approach my day with a clear, stress-free mind.
8:30 a.m.: I shower, get ready, and head out the door.
By the time most of my peers are just waking up, I've already conquered a significant portion of my work. Additionally, instead of resenting my 9 a.m. classes for having dragged me out of bed, I am well-prepared. Rather than being groggy, I am focused and alert.
Of course, the one downside of this schedule is that I get tired earlier in the evening. Because I don't always want to go to bed at 10 p.m., I usually take an hour-long nap between classes at some point in the afternoon. This re-energizes me for the rest of the day and enables me to work or socialize late into the evening.
Making Exercise a Daily Habit
It's very easy to tell ourselves excuses to explain why we can't get active. In order to transform exercise from a chore into a daily habit, there are steps we can take to work exercising into our daily schedules and hold ourselves accountable.
- Write down a measurable goal. When I first started, my goal was to be running 3 miles a day by the end of the month. I wrote it down on a post-it note and stuck it to my desk. When I woke up every morning, I made sure I did at least one thing that day to be moving toward that goal. If you don't write it down, you are more likely to change it half-way through.
- And don't make it unrealistic. Although it's tempting to be ambitious, set a smaller goal first, and then go from there. Setting a goal you know you simply won't have time or energy for will only lead to disappoint and shame rather than feelings of accomplishment. The association with positive emotions is more likely to propel you forward.
- Be specific about the daily routine. Instead of just saying that "I'll run," I say, I'll run three miles on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and two miles on Tuesday and Saturday.
- Tell people about it. Broadcast your goal. This is one of the many ways you can hold yourself accountable. If you succeed, you can brag about it.
- Set a time of day when you will work out regardless of the conditions. Mine is 7:30 a.m. If you have more free time in the evening, make it then. I just find that morning works particularly well for me because I will squeeze in all my work that I need to do with whatever time I have left in the way, but it's doesn't necessarily work the other way around. But whatever your time is, make sure that the habit is consistent. If you do it right after you wake up, do that everyday. If you do it before dinner, do that every day.
- Don't make it torturous. If you not feeling well, if you're sore, etc., you don't have to kill yourself that day. Even if you're only going for a walk, just make sure you're still doing something, no matter how small it is.
- Recruit a work-out buddy. Talk to a friend the night before and say, "Let's meet at ___ time to ____ (run/walk/go to a gym/etc.)." You then can't back out because you would be letting someone down. You are held accountable to someone other than yourself.
- Be prepared. If you are travelling, there is no need to leave your running shoes (or whatever else you may need) behind. I can't tell you how many times I've done my morning yoga routine on a hotel floor, or how many times I've woken up before everyone else to go for a run. You can exercise wherever you are. A new location doesn't necessarily mean a new routine. I have a friend who carries tennis rackets, golf clubs, and a swim suit in his trunk at all times.
- Log your efforts. I right it down on my calendar, you might choose to use an app, a google doc, a diary, etc. I find it incredibly rewarding to look back and see how consistent my efforts have been and if and where I may have improved (I used to be able to run no more than a mile, now I'm running at least 3 daily).
- Add variety. I get tired of doing the same thing every day, as do most people. Right now, I'm alternating my morning exercise hours like this:
Monday – Trail-running/Meditation
Tuesday – Yoga
Wednesday – Gym (Treadmill running/weights)
Thursday – Yoga
Friday – Trail-running/Meditation
Saturday – Hiking
Sunday – Anything goes.
"I don't have time to work out…" and other excuses we tell ourselves
I don't have the right equipment, the right shoes, the right shorts, the right sports bra.
I just showered, I don't want to get sweaty.
I'm so out-of-shape I'll make a fool out of myself.
The gym is too far, I don't want to waste time driving.
I need to send emails.
I haven't eaten yet. I just ate.
It's too early. It's too late.
It's too hot. It's too cold.
I'm tired.
I've had a long day.
I don't look good in my work out clothes.
I only have a half an hour, it's not enough time.
My iPod isn't charged.
It's a Saturday morning, the gym will be too crowded.
Do any of these sound familiar? Acknowledging that you set up these barriers for yourself is the first-step. Abolishing them is the next. The solution is not to wait for the perfect time, but to understand and deconstruct these mental blocks.
"I wish I could go for a run/to the gym/to yoga class, I just don't have time." Especially at school, this is my go-to excuse. I've found that in a society where "busyness" has become an indicator of drive and ambition, being too busy to squeeze in even the smallest activities ("I have no time to sleep," "I can't even sit down for a meal.") is simultaneously a complaint and a bragging point. Though I may actually be busy, I find that sometimes I consciously or unconsciously add more items to my plate in order to feel less guilty about not being active.
When I tell myself I can't work out because I have too much to do, I'm hiding under my work. It reality, it comes down to a matter of prioritization. Can I sacrifice the 30 minutes I spend on Facebook over the course of the day? Can I work with more focus and efficiency to free up time in the evening?
I challenge you to listen to the excuses you tell yourself and question them. Where are they really coming from? How can we reframe our thinking in order abolish mental roadblocks we set up for ourselves? Will there ever be a day when all conditions are perfect: when we are in-shape enough to not feel embarrassed or in adequate about running, when we will be well-fed, well-rested, have the perfect gear and the perfect weather? Most likely not.
TEDTalks for Changing Habits and Keeping Motivated
I don't know what I did before TEDTalks. I can't imagine anything more convenient, more inspiring, and more accessible than 20-minute-or-less videos from some of the world's greatest thinkers.
Here are some of the talks that I've found the most interesting. If you have a few minutes, please give these a listen. You won't regret it.
To remind you why not being productive isn't always unproductive, Stefan Sagmeister: The Power of Time Off:
An inspiring talk by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver on how we can improve America's eating habits from the bottom-up, Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food:
Considering becoming a vegetarian, but not quite ready to take the plunge? Graham Hill: Why I'm a weekday vegetarian
On shedding material possessions to make more time, space, and money for yourself: Graham Hill: Less stuff, more happiness
On rethinking success: Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler philosophy of success
Simple reminders to find happiness in the everyday: Matthieu Ricard: The habits of happiness


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Last Saturday, my friend D. and I did a hike in the shadow of the big mountain, the one you can see from the city. I hiked to this waterfall once before, with S. and N., back when they had to ask me if seven miles was going to be okay, and I wasn't sure. (I was fine that time, even back then when I was new to hiking, and now seven miles is just a nice afternoon hike.)
I had just made the gluten free decision that morning, so I snarfed some rice/beans/roasted peppers concoction at the trailhead, and we started off.
Half a mile down the trail, I realized that I'd left my iPhone in the car. Not just in the car, but I'd left it right between the two front seats, where it was 1. visible to anyone passing (and this trailhead comes with a warning of car break-ins) and 2. in direct sunlight (and this was a 95+ degree day).
We turned around. And sure enough, there in the very hot direct sunlight was my roasting phone.
I put it in my backpack, and off we went, again, over the same ground.
We took the longer way to the falls, because it promised to be prettier, and it was very pretty. We strode through woods. We meandered along creeks. We passed under a high cliff of white rock.
The waterfall was as fairy-ish as I remembered, all silvery sparkles down a rock wall. We sat in the cool shade with snacks (the only ones I could eat were nuts, so I ate a lot of almonds and walnuts). A woman took a picture of us in front of the falls, but she knelt down to get the whole falls in, and we looked like chipmunks from that angle. (I did, at least. I will not speak for D.)
As always, I forgot to drink enough water, and by the time we got back to the city and went on a quest for cold drinkables (it took four stops before we found a coffee place open on a Saturday night), I could feel the dehydration kicking in. Someday I will learn to drink enough water, but that day is clearly not now.

subset: commoncrawl


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Under Pressure
Carl Honore
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Format: Paperback
The parent screaming from the touchline at an eight-year-old to make an overlapping run; the pregnant mother playing Mozart to her unborn baby; the rigid schedule for babies, which develops into an agenda of activities for a young child - all these are familiar instances of hyper-parenting. With the pressure growing all the time for children to get into the best schools and universities, or to develop their nascent talents and become the next Tiger Woods or Williams sister, it has never been more difficult to be a child. In Carl Honore's brilliant follow-up to In Praise of Slow he makes an impassioned call for parents and teachers to allow children to grow up at a slower rate. Too often children today are burnt out by the time they reach their teens, thanks to a combination of tests and organised activities that fill their every waking moment. Where is the time to join their friends and play, or simply to sit and daydream? Surely there is something wrong with a parent who sends their child to see a psychotherapist after she comes third in a spelling bee in a New York school? Especially when that child is only six.By sifting through the latest scientific research and interviewing experts and families around the world, Carl Honore shows why parenting does not have to be a cross between a competitive sport and product development and why childhood does not have to be a rat race. Under Pressure will inspire readers to ease off, trust their instincts and find the natural balance between doing too much and too little for children. If we all managed that, perhaps our children would be allowed to have a childhood worthy of the name. Under Pressure shows how 'slow parenting' will benefit both the child and the parents, and ensure that we are developing a new generation of children healthy in body and mind.
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Fear and Loathing in Puerto Rico (Like That's Original)
With Depp playing the thinly veiled Thompson role of reporter Kemp and Withnail and I writer/director Bruce Robinson handling those same duties here, The Rum Diary ends up being a pretty good film. It also works in a narrative sense, something that other Thompson adaptations and homages have failed to accomplish. It may have helped that the source is a straightforward novel and not something from Thompson's mature phase of gonzo journalism.
The Rum Diary is shaggy and a bit unfocused, but it also achieves moments of anarchic humour and social commentary as it looks at the stranglehold of American businessmen on Puerto Rico's affairs in the late 1950's. Kemp, drunk and occasionally disorderly, is initially apolitical when he's hired by a Puerto Rican daily as its horoscope writer (!). But things change.
Depp is fine and controlled (maybe a bit too controlled) as Kemp. Michael Rispoli's Sala, a newspaper photographer, is Kemp's rumpled, sweaty, well-meaning guide to life on the island. Giovanni Ribisi plays a perpetually drunk, perpetually crusading reporter who fills Kemp in on what's really going on in between belching fire and hallucinating. Aaron Eckhart is the Ugly American Sanderson, looking for real-estate deals and fencing off beaches from the natives who needs those beaches to fish and catch lobsters. Sanderson's wife, played by Amber Heard as a dissatisfied trophy wife, soon becomes a love interest for Kemp.
The newspaper, corrupt at the top, won't report on anything worth reporting; Sanderson wants Kemp as a glorified brochure writer to help seal a real-estate deal. Voodoo, drugs, and fist fights will soon result. Expensive hotels will rise where once people lived. Americans will flock to Puerto Rico to gamble and...go bowling? And Kemp will finally figure out what he's supposed to write about, and why, and most importantly how. Do you smell that? It's the smell of bastards. Also the truth. It's the smell of ink. Recommended.
Posted by Jonathan Stover at 10:32 AM
Labels: aaron eckhart, bruce robinson, hunter s. thompson, johnny depp, puerto rico, the rum diary, withnail and i
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For many people, the older we get the further we tend to find ourselves from those we care about the most. Whether you've moved provinces on the trail of a great new job opportunity or you're spending a year working abroad in the UK or Australia, you'll be grateful to know that even if you're on the other side of the world, it's easy to stay in touch with the people you love.
With so many options for communicating with friends and family online, it's difficult to know where to start. You can keep up to date with the latest exploits of your friends through social networks which are fantastic for staying informed of even the most mundane, everyday detail. You can chat with your parents online through fantastic VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol – programmes that allow you to speak with one another online for free. You can check in with your partner through a video chat if you're spending a few days away from home on business and you can even stay in touch with colleagues via instant messaging, which is a fantastic way to have a conversation and keep track of everything that's been said for future notes.
The internet has opened up such a huge world of communication that it's almost made the world we live in feel smaller. Now that people can log on and chat with just about anybody in just about any country, culture and community it's as if the whole world has opened up to us and anything seems possible. When you think about it that way, using the web to stay connected with family and friends hardly seems like a difficult task, does it?
By far, one of the best technologies on the web is the ability to have instant conversations with the people you care about the most. You can chat using your voice, or have a video chat which combines video and voice, or video alone, or utilize instant messaging for a text-based conversation – all of which occurs in real time so you get to benefit from a live conversation. When you hook up to a VoIP or video chat connection and realize that speaking with and even seeing the person you're chatting with is almost like having them right in front of you, you'll quickly realize just how far this technology has come. So why not give it a try today and see how you can stay in touch despite living abroad?


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Traditions are ever changing rather than something that is frozen time, traditions is something that grows with the tides and is based on memories we carry with us – ie it nothing eternal!
In Sweden we have an odd Christmas tradition, though I guess have started to fade, to watch the Walt Disney Christmas special at 3 o'clock in the afternoon at Christmas Eve. This year Disney has recut part of the program concerning the Disney short film Santa's Workshop (1932, Silly Symphonies series), removing a few clips that can be interpret a racist or at least discriminatory for some viewers – I have no problem with this, in actuality I applaud it – but some have problems with this claiming all should be as it always have been.
This is if course stupidity as nothing is as it once was. A common picture of a traditional Christmas table is a whole pig with an apple in its mouth, though few if any does this anymore. Most of us in Sweden has kept part of this tradition alive though with our Christmas ham. Other changes are more local or personal, I for example wants champagne to my Christmas dinner and will complement that with some Georgian qvevri wine this year thanks to the EWBC-trip earlier this year – just because I believe it will be a match made in heaven.
When looking back there are many things that have changed, though I guess there are still many that do remember or think of baby Jesus at Christmas most in Sweden don't – at least not much, it's all about food, family and friends. As I was thinking of this I remembered an old Swedish book; Glimpses from the private life of a Stockholm family during the 1890s (Glimtar ur Stockholmskt privatliv på 1890-talet) by Hedvig Svedenborg (1931). In this book a chapter describes a Christmas at a wealthy family in Stockholm just a few generations away.
It starts with a phrase we all heard our grandparents or such mutter; Christmas is not as it used to be.
This is about the Tamm family who lived in Stockholm in the 1890s. There are many things that actually isn't all that different but there are also several things that have changed. One thing that I guess most do but don't consider a tradition is to take a bath now and then. At this time though the family took a traditional Christmas bath, at the "public" bath at Malmtorgsgatan. The bath symbolized the start of the Christmas weekend for the Tamms.
They had, just as we do, a Christmas tree with decorations, presents and sweets. From the description I would guess several of us would recognize some these as well: almonds, raisins, figs, jam, saffron cake and candied nuts. What differs is who presented the gifts, in those days Santa Clause was still in his infancy, it was the Christmas goat. He still has a place in our Swedish tradition but few know of his past glory. The Christmas goat is part of old traditions, where young people walked from farm to farm performing small acts or singing songs around Christmas. The Christmas goat was a figure that could be sinister, so you had to treat him good, if you weren't good the Christmas goat would butt you. After a while he also began to give presents to good children and finally he got replaced by by Santa Clause during the end of the 19th century and early 20th century.
Traditions is something that changes over time, we keep some parts, add some and subtract others so that it fit our needs and wants.
This Christmas I want qvevri wine and will have it a great bottle from Vinoterra, I believe I want one for the next as well, ie an add on to my Christmas traditions 🙂
Happy Christmas to all!


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Playtex Personal Cleansing Cloths Tub - 32 Each
Playtex Personal Cleansing Cloths Tub - 32 Each
- Size: 32 Each
- Manufacturer: PLAYTEX
Close dispenser firmly after use to retain moisture. After cleansing, simply flush or dispose of wipe in trash receptacle. For best flushability, flush one at a time. When empty, refill container with refill pack.
Water (Aqua); Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract; Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract; Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice; Tocopheryl Acetate; Proylene Glycol; Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate; Polysorbate 20; Disodium EDTA; Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate; Potassium Sorbate; Citric Acid; Fragrance (Parfum)
For external use only. Do not apply to broken, irritated or itchy skin. Keep out of reach of children, except under adult supervision.


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James Harden and Rockets agree 'biggest contract extension in NBA history'
The Houston Rockets have handed superstar James Harden a new deal which reports claim is the biggest contract extension in NBA history.
James Harden and the Houston Rockets have agreed a four-year contract extension which ties the All-Star to the franchise through the 2022-23 season.
The Rockets guard's new deal with the organisation was announced by team owner Leslie Alexander on Saturday.
According to ESPN, the supermaximum deal is worth a whopping $228million and is the largest contract extension in NBA history.
"Houston is home for me," Harden said. "Mr. Alexander has shown he is fully committed to winning and my team-mates and I are going to keep putting in the work to get better and compete for the title."
Previously, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry had the biggest contract extension after he recently signed a four-year deal worth $201m.
OFFICIAL: Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander announced the team has signed @JHarden13 to a 4-year contract extension. https://t.co/KRAX5FsPDX pic.twitter.com/o0KRTcEsvT— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) July 8, 2017
Once the extension starts in 2019, Harden will start earning $37.8m, with his annual salary going up to $40.8m, $43.8m and $46.8m over the next three seasons.
Harden has earned his huge deal - he averaged 29.1 points, 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game while helping the Rockets secure the third seed in the NBA playoffs last season, ultimately coming second to Russell Westbrook in the MVP voting.
CONGRATS!!!! To hell with the ball, lemme hold some pic.twitter.com/i4M1iVzCID— Chris Paul (@CP3) July 8, 2017
Houston, who had a 55-27 record last season, have also made the playoffs in each of the five years Harden has been on the team.
Harden's new team-mate Chris Paul was among the NBA stars to congratulate him on Twitter, with reports suggesting the Rockets will now push hard to trade for New York Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony.


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Have you ever wonder who is the first to sign up for Facebook account since the Facebook.com is launched? Would they ever taught that Facebook will be as big as what it is today?
Check them out, 10 person who sign up for Facebook, before anyone else did ever realize the existence of the Facebook.com on that day.
1.Mark Zuckerberg (Id No4)
The first account ever created (of course) he is the creator anyway.
2.Chris Huges (Id No 5)
Zuckerberg friend and roomates, Co-founder of facebook, he became famous after he help to create Barrack Obama websites, eventually the website plays a big role in Obama Campaign for president.
3.Dustin Moskovits (Id No 6)
A friend and also Zuckerberg roomate, he own 6% of facebook share, making him the youngest billionare so far.
4.Arie Hasit (Id No 7)
He is also on of the Zuckerberg best friend, he often seen hanging out with Zuckerberg, now works as Israel Armed Force Spokesman.
5.Marcel Geoges Leverdet II (Id No 10)
He is not quite famous enough to talk about, the only source says that he woks on facebook.
6.Saleio (Id No 11)
He works at facebook.
7.Chriss Putnam (Id No 13)
He is one of the site engineer at that time
8.Andrew MCollum (Id No 26)
One of Zuckerberg friend, he is the first graphic designer for facebook, the facebook logo F you often see, is design by this guy.
9.Collin Kelly (Id no 27)
One of Zuckerberg classmate.
10 Mark Kaganovich (Id No 28)
Also a friend of zuckerberg, and attends hazard, he is the founder of labmeeting.com a social network similar to facebook.com but for scientist.
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yep i love it and i have a ton in my backyard!!xo,LuLu
So pretty. One day when I'm all grown-up and actually have a dinner with place settings, I'll have to remember this. Ha.
So pretty, I think this and the pear was my favorites and so easy!XOKristin
i love comments! let me know you stopped by for a visit!


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Our waitress was a hipster of the type you only see in Italy and Spain, no tattoos but quite a few piercings, a bit more hippy than hipster. There's something more real about European hipsters, I know they are just … Continue reading
Tag Archives: British
The Ledbury – 127 Ledbury Road, London W11 2AQ
Unfortunately The Ledbury is in West London's Notting Hill, a haven stricken with phony rich pricks. We didn't do the tasting menu as my dining companion and I were both hungover and just weren't up for it. This is not … Continue reading
Elliot's – 2 Stoney St, London SE1 9AD
Elliot's is right by Borough market, their approach is to cook the best of the market, meaning the dishes are seasonal and mostly British. The Squid, Cauliflower and Curry Butter was just delicious, this to me is what British food … Continue reading
Bull & Last – 168 Highgate Road, London NW5 1QS
Even though I'm a Guardian reader I don't spend much time in North London. So when a friend whose opinion I trust recommended the Bull and Last myself and three freinds decided to give it a try one Saturday afternoon. We started … Continue reading
Rochelle Canteen – Arnold Circus, London E2 7ES
Rochelle Canteen is in an old school yard in Shoreditch, the school building itself seems to have been taken over by New Media hipsters and their design businesses. It was a really beautiful day in London so it was fantastic sitting outside … Continue reading
Golden Union Fish Bar – 38 Poland Street, London W1F 7LY
Nice chips and tartare, the batter on the fish is too thick and heavy. Not bad.
Un Cojón!
Boundary Rooftop – 2-4 Boundary Street, London E2 7DD
London isn't the best city for Rooftop bars, firstly it isn't that pretty to look at, particularly East London, but mostly it's because the weather is awful and unpredictable. On a freezing September night I find myself at the Boundary Rooftop wrapped in two woolen blankets eating dinner, this may have influenced my whole experience.
Starters: King prawns (advertised as Langoustines) have a nice BBQ flavour to them, served with mayo, yawn. The Nicoise salad is disappointing, dry flavourless tuna accompanied by just as bland olives and tomatoes with barely any vinaigrette.
Main: Steak with bone marrow and chips, the steak and chips are acceptable, the bone marrow is not, it's over seasoned so tastes mostly of salt.
Dessert: The Pavlova is rock hard completely inedible, the worst pavlova I have ever eaten.
Our waiter was great and very accommodating of a large annoying group. But the food was just awful.
Sin Cojones!


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Listen carefully. I am 54 yrs old and I have lived my life…done everything I've ever wanted to do including six years military and kicking some very destructive habits. I have no regrets and nothing to gain–or lose–by bullshitting anyone.
Franklin Roosevelt took our beloved country off the Gold Standard in 1933, opening the door to 'funny money'. Paper money without gold to back it up. Prior to 1933 paper bills had a statement on them saying "this note is legal tender for all debts public and private and can be redeemed for LAWFUL money (caps mine) at any Federal Reserve". In 1934 the second part was omitted. From that point on the only bills that could be exchanged were specifically designated "gold certificate" or "silver certificate". These were rare in their day and scarce as hen's teeth today. Now the Powers That Be could artificially inflate their already considerable wealth by simply printing more money and the presses ran 24/7. Still do.
In school I was taught that as unfortunate as WW2 was, on the upside it brought our country out of the Great Depression. Uhhh…lets look at a couple of facts.
(1) Joe Citizen couldn't afford luxury items during the GD but he couldn't afford them BEFORE either! The Wall Street crash largely impacted those who had amassed wealth.
(2) We were still for the most part an agricultural nation. Joe could and did grow or raise the majority of his food and made or bartered for many of the items he needed. Money was convenient but not necessary for his survival.
WW2 took droves of fine young men off the farms and into combat. It took women (and everyone else that was able) out of the home and made them factory workers. "The Grind" (9 to 5) was born.. This is the world the men fortunate enough to survive the war came home to. We were now and industrial nation, indeed an industrial world. Wholly and completely dependent upon that 'funny money' I was talking about. How convenient! This new system had a cleaver disguise. It was called The American Dream. We were programmed not only to accept it but in fact pursue it.
Make no mistake–the Powers That Be have a GLOBAL AGENDA and always have. Money is digits on a computer screen, nothing more. I got news for you. Vote any way you like for whoever you like it doesn't matter, they are all puppets, every single one. THAT IS HOW THEY GOT THERE!! You think they are going to bite the hand that feeds them? JFK was the last real president we had. Whatever else you can say about him, he was not intimidated by power & wealth–he was FROM power & wealth and was not about to do the puppet string thing.. He took his oath of office to heart and honestly did the best he could with what he had to work with. Little brother Bobby was his Attorney General and the people responsible for fleecing our country were going to be held accountable, Bobby was passionate about this. No ifs, ands or buts.The Powers That Be couldn't stand it! The world was changed forever that day in Dallas in November 1963. It change again in 1968 when it looked like Bobby was headed to the White House. Every president since has his Puppet Master. Guess who?
BOTTOM LINE. The System is so far advanced I don't see it being successfully being reversed. Wake the fuck up, people! We are only here for a short time anyway. Our world was perfectly designed by an Intelligent Creator, we screwed it up. To say anything less is to say we are meaningless, coming from nothing and going nowhere.
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. We may not be able to change the world we are in but neither are we obligated to accept it. Disconnect yourself from the system we were programmed into as best you can and connect to Intelligent Love. This is the ULTIMATE agenda! A New & Living Way…
Take THAT, Suckers. YOU CAN'T!
Take THAT, Suckers. YOU CAN'T!
One of my favorite quotes is from A. Einstein shortly before his death in 1955. He said,
"One thing I have learned in a long life is…all our science–against reality–is primitive and child-like." I couldn't agree more.
Read More Alternative News at: Good News Communications
The WORLD Men and Women Fortunate Enough To Survive WAR came Home To


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Ref: BelBou50565
Apartment for 3 guestsName/Address: Roulotte Coccinelles
Image disclaimer: It is the responsibility of the hotel chain and/or the individual property to ensure the accuracy of the photos displayed. Dream Home Shop is not responsible for any inaccuracies in the photos.
You want a change of scenery? But you also want to enjoy a comfortable ride and have access to different equipment in order to have a nice holiday? Then n 'go ahead and book a trailer in the field "Ti bou Refuge". Trailers include all the amenities: kitchen with microwave, bathroom with shower and washbasin, toilet, TV and DVD, etc ... Enjoy a romantic night in his room alcove ... A child? No problem, he can sleep on the sofa bed in the living room. In addition, you have access to various facilities such as a sauna, a jacuzzi, a small restaurant and shop local, gym, terrace with barbecue , ... and you can admire the aniamux domain: the donkey Belfius and the goat Juliet ...
LayoutCovered waggon: (Open plan kitchen(microwave), Living/bedroom(Single sofa bed, Double bed, TV, DVD player), Bathroom(shower, washbasin), WC) loft, sauna(shared with the the owner and other guests), jacuzzi(shared with the the owner and other guests), tanning bed / solarium(paid), heating(electric), garden(shared with the the owner and other guests), parking, fitness equipment
RemarksThe interior of the accommodation can differ slightly from the pictures. However, the level of comfort is as described
- Deposit: € 200 (To be paid in advance, not on site, refunded 7 days after departure)
- Cleaning: Mandatory: € 25
- Pets: Max. 1; free of charge
- Bed linen: For rent, € 6 p.p./Stay
- Bath towels: Included
- Kitchen linen: Included
- Electricity: Included
- Gas/Oil: € 5/night
- Wifi: Free (Near the accommodation)
- Catering: Lunch possible; Dinner possible
- Breakfast: € 9/person/night
- Jacuzzi: € 15/hour
- Tanning bed: € 15/a time
The position on the map may not be accurate
No info provided


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Two things in life I really enjoy, whips & camping! Some weeks ago, Lucy Haynes from Camp Augusta in Nevada City, CA contacted Noreast Whips about purchasing some whips to help teach some teens the fun activity of whipcracking. We were glad that they contacted us, ordering 7 whips in all. The whips were 6 foot, 12 plait models in black & various highlight colors. Lucy was kind enough to send me some pics of the event, showcasing some photos of the teens & whips in action. Thank you Lucy for the pics & for giving us the opportunity to send you some whips.
Camp Augusta is a small, personable, non-profit summer camp based in Nevada City, California which has been in existence since 1931. Here's a brief synopsis of the camp from Lucy Haynes:
We run all kinds of fun and skill-based activities, from high ropes to archery, whip to aerial silks, crazy canoeing to ninja training! Our campers are aged between 8 and 16 – many of whom return summer after summer, and our counselors hail from all over the world….England, Australia, Kenya, Germany, New Zealand, Holland and South Africa to name but a few.
For some reason, the photo above appears twice. If you click on the left photo, a separate photo will load. Something in the writer program I use to upload blog posts got tangled.
"To reclaim and foster the beauty, wonder, awe, potential, and innocence of childhood."
That philosophy becomes more important to me the older I get. Thank you to Lucy Haynes & Camp Augusta for the pics, and also for supporting Noreast Whips.
For more information regarding Camp Augusta, go to www.campaugusta.org.
~Thanks For Reading,


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Unabashed Leftist Fanatic Steve Alexander, photographed by my local daily newspaper,
The Meriden Record-Journal
as I was interviewed about my pending Obamaque over the summer
to celebrate the President's 50th birthday. I remember being in almost
as just as good shape as our awesome incumbent when I was 50.
Just 4 years ago.
I hope to lift weights, run, swim laps and hike again soon.
But I'll never be able to make a jump shot like Barack.
No way, no how.
McCartney gets 50% credit contractually, but as usual John Winston Ono Lennon
was ahead of the pop music curve when he wrote this tune lampooning psychiatry:
Doctor Robert
by Unabashed Left on Thursday, October 20, 2011 at 5:12pm.MY LATEST MEDICAL UPDATE
Those who have been along for my ride for a while know that I've had repeated medical concerns for a few years now, which ultimately placed me on Social Security Disability, Medicare, Medicaid, Public Housing and Food Stamps, for all of which I am eternally grateful and working my butt off to return to independence with considerable success (I am a full time Grad Student now at Hartford Seminary, working there and working for myself as a writer/journalist—with all my friends' support of my Unabashed project). I had radiation last year for an endocrine illness, had pneumonia, with underlying 200/100 BP, and a 102 temp. I've had symptoms galore, and recently pain in an extreme manner.
I'm pleased to report that Dr. Surani Fernando of Endocrine Associates oversaw the successful radiation treatment which has concluded. I've been to other specialists and have had some relatively minor treatments, successful for the most part, for smaller issues.
I wound up adoring my chiropractor and her practice, and it works for oodles of folks,
but not on the case of my particular spinal malfeasance. :(
Late last month I started having an exacerbation of a 15 year chronic problem with spine pain, and more recently y spasmodic attacks which were threatening to compromise my ability to perform my work and class assignments. The folks at the Seminary, including my new boss, Director of Administration Rose Lezak, my professors and my new friends there have been extraordinary in their concern and support for me through this recent difficulty.
I went to a physiatrist who ordered x-rays and a spine MRI. The Radiology detected stenosis, nerve damage, soft tissue damage and a bone spur on my lower spine. But the headline of this spinal MRI was a peripheral view of my left kidney, and the radiologist and the physiatrist as well as my new primary care were concerned to find a multitude of tumors on that kidney, including one considerably larger and potentially threatening one. I have a history of 50% loss of functioning in my kidneys bilaterally (50% loss in both the left and in the right). I have a nephrology (kidney) appointment scheduled and a CAT scan will be the most likely first step, followed by a biopsy if called for.
I wouldn't wish my spine as it is currently constituted upon anyone.
Well, let me get honest.
Anyone who doesn't belong to a political party that begins with a
ends with an
and has an
in the middle.
The late Robert Palmer loved his doctor. To tellya the truth I'm kinda tired of 'em.
He sings:
Doctor DoctorMeanwhile, I visited a spine surgeon at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford yesterday, and I will be having surgery during the holiday break in December on my spine to fuse my 4th and 5th vertebrae. I will likely be hospitalized for a night or two, and the likelihood is that I should be fit to return to school and work in January without missing a class. A friend is actually undergoing similar surgery tomorrow with the very same surgeon, so I will find out how she does, but she's spoken glowingly of this surgeon, and my research and experience yesterday bears this out.
I admit to concern about my kidney situation, but am reserving any serious concern until a diagnosis and/or course of treatment is established. My concern is that with 50% loss of functioning in the right kidney already in place, any further loss in the left could cause a need for dialysis (which is usually only necessary in cases where the kidneys' total functioning loss is at 80% or so).
I am most grateful that friends here in CT have already stepped up to offer support when I may need it, and for the GOVERNMENT MEDICAL INSURANCE (NOT OPTION, GOVERNMENT MEDICINE) which is the only reason I'm able to begin the end of my disability at all, and get my medical needs met. And I am grateful to my God for giving me the opportunity to generate income and support by studying Him, advancing what I perceive to be important principles he espoused, and for His sacrifice on the Cross. Just my humble feelings, I appreciate, admire, respect, and love those of other faiths, of my agnostic friends and my atheist gallery of amigos/as. Prayers, {{{hugs}}},
No worries, nobody's got it better 'n me. Some points to ponder. I couldn't work full time and take care of myself without taking advantage of the Social Security that was set up under Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt when I was declared 100% disabled by my own physicians and by the government medical people as well in January 2007. 6 months later I was eligible for Medicare, also sponsored by a Democratic President. I tried working part time, but wound up sicker and had to leave that position. So now I was without any income except my SS Disability and officially in poverty according to federal and state guidelines. So I now qualified for Food Stamps and Medicaid also signed into law by Democratic Presidents. Recognizing that my disability would be very long term, and having a change in marital status, my poverty status now qualified me for the public housing for the elderly and disabled in my home town, subsidized by grants written into law by a Democratic President, and basic essential improvements required for keeping the buildings open (removal of asbestos, etc) with TARP money paid to local contractors and Housing employees, signed into law by Barack Obama.
I started my writing project last year when I realized that it made me feel better, and then realized I could make some money at it. sitting down. I made some major changes in my life plans to accommodate my handicaps, and applied to Hartford Seminary where financial aid, signed into law by both Democrat and Republican Presidents has enabled me to attend and to begin working there under a work study program signed into law by a Democratic President. I have 100% GOVERNMENT INSURANCE, AND NEARLY 100% COVERAGE FOR ALL MY MEDICAL NEEDS AT PRESENT, NOT GOVERNMENT OPTION NOR PRIVATE SECTOR WALL STREET MEDICAL INSURANCE. With the help of a social safety net we've built over time as a nation I WILL get better and WILL no longer require public assistance soon. Of that I am certain. The myth that those of us who require the help of these programs are lazy and just want to 'hang out' IS a myth, and I take exception to any right winger who suggests otherwise. I've spent most of my life in a career dedicated to working with disabled public beneficiaries who, much like everyone else, strive for the most part for maximum independence, freedom and individual as well as community accomplishments. I've been working my a$$ off since going on disability to accommodate my new disabilities in life so that I can pursue a different and even more exciting and productive line of work and lifestyle. And I appreciate my legions of liberal friends who work tirelessly daily in order to ensure that myself, and all of us have these opportunities. Shut up Tea Party. Be quiet Wall Street Greedsters. Pay YOUR fair share millionaires and billionaires. Guess what? We're setting up in eyeshot ofya. We're occupying your area until you realize that "There But For The Grace Of God, Go I!"
So don't worry about me! I'm hooked up. I have my Medicare and Medicaid, and friends & friends who are family who are with me every step of the way. My love to all who have given help and support, who have offered to as this surgery approaches and the other pending medical matters, to God and to the elected officials who have the willingness to stand up to greed. Especially, thank YOU Mr. President Obama. Let's re-elect this dude, otherwise you WILL find yourself up the creek without a safety net sooner or later. ;o) ♥ Peace please....


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Hours before the opening ceremony in Salt Lake City, a list of 27 athletes who have tested positive for drugs was made public.
The out-of-competition tests were carried out on 3,639 athletes from all sports from more than 75 countries over the past 10 months.
Positive sanctions were taken against only 16 athletes.
The World Anti-Doping Agency, which carried out the tests, highlighted the fact that less than 1% of the tests were positive.
Drugs crackdown
3,639 tests
1,621 winter athletes 27 positive results
16 sanctioned
One official warning
Six cleared on medical grounds
Four results still under analysis
"As the results show, the fact is the opposite of the myth that all athletes cheat," Wada chairman Dick Pound said.
"We hope to have the cleanest Olympics ever and the message to athletes is 'you can run, but you can't hide'.
"Any athlete with an IQ above room temperature should now realise they can be tested anywhere and at any time, in and out of competition.
"We don't just want Olympic winners, we want clean, Olympic heroes, and a level playing field for all."
Most of the 27 athletes from 18 countreis who failed drug tests had already been announced.
Of the seven that were scheduled to take part in Salt Lake, only one - Russian skier Natalia Baranova-Masolkina - turned up and she was refused accreditation.
Wada, an international agency with no association to any national sports bodies, is the International Olympic Committee's primary weapon in the global fight against drug cheats.
IOC President Jacques Rogge has made the fight a top priority and is confident the actions will prevent any further positive results.
"The message to the athletes is very clear. We want to protect the clean athletes and we want to kick out the cheats," said Dr Rogge, who is presiding over his first Olympics.
Wada was critical of the case of the Latvian bobsledder Sandis Prusis who will compete despite testing positive.
The IOC tried to prevent Prusis from competing after the International Bobsleigh Federation reduced his two-year suspension for taking steorids to three months.
Prusis appealed to the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) which ruled that the IOC could not overrule an international federation's decision, thus allowing him to take part in the 2002 Games.
"That loophole will be closed in November," Dr Rogge said.
Swedish ice hockey player Mattias Ohlund escaped with an official warning and will compete at the Games.
Wada's role in Salt Lake will be that of an independent observer of testing procedures, which will then fall under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee.
The agency will monitor the testing procedures and will sit in on discussions on sanctions for cheating athletes.
They will also promote a new programme - The Athlete's Passport - in which athletes will agree to undergo tests anywhere, at anytime and allow them to be made public.
The eventual goal is to create a single anti-doping code that will be embraced by the IOC and all Olympic countries ahead of the Athens Games in 2004.


text: What is zSkillers? zSkillers is, and has been since the beginning of old school Runescape, the largest skiller clan, for level 3s and 10hp pures. The clan was founded by Zamight who now runs this website, and the clan itself is run by its two co-leaders myself and Dig, with the help of many other valued administrators and moderators. We host regular events, engage in productive conversations, and generally have a damn good time as part of the zSkillers community. What is zCombat? Due to zSkillers' popularity, we found many players with combat joining the zSkillers clan chat to talk. Wishing to have a place for themselves, zCombat was spawned from zSkillers, as a sister clan. We share the same forums, and they indulge in all sorts of combat related activities. If you or your other account has combat, I suggest you check our their clan chat. Why should I join zSkillers? Good question! If you're a level 3 skiller or a 10hp pure, this is the place for you. We run a well moderated clan chat, in the sense that we're quick to kick any spammers or people obviously trying to start arguments, but lenient enough that we can take a joke so you still enjoy being in the clan chat. We run a weekly skill competition where clan members compete to gain the most xp in a certain skill during the week. Gp prizes are given out to the top 3 players, and so far the average weekly prize pot has been just under 9m gp, so there is some serious bank loot to be made. On the efficiency side we are no slouch; there are more maxed skillers in our clan chat than all others combined; the first 10hp pures to reach 99 in each combat skill (including slayer) are part of us; the top 4 total levels for level 3s reside in our clan chat, as well as the #1 ironman skiller and #1 ultimate ironman skiller. On top of that, we run all sorts of events; most recently we've had a pvp competition vs zCombat in the tournament worlds, played hide and seek and similar games for gp prizes, and in the past we've even managed to kill the wilderness boss Callisto, using only rings of recoil! How do I join? Create an account on this website. It will need to be approved by an administrator before you can access any other part of the forum. This is to prevent spammers or anything malicious on our wonderful website. Head to the "Applications" section at the top of the forums and click on the "zSkillers" board (or just click here). The thread stickied at the top of the page will explain how to apply. Basically, if you have 10hp with 750 total level or 10m total xp, you can apply! Make a new thread on the applications board and ust copy and paste the application into your own thread, fill it out, and an administrator will approve your application, and you will receive your 1 chevron (banana) rank in the clan chat. That's it! You will also gain access to a VIP zSkillers-only section of the forums. How do I get higher ranks in the clan chat? Ranks are based off of your total level or total xp, with your time spent as a ranked member. A complete list of ranks can be found here. You do not need to apply for higher ranks, just inform a gold star in the chat and we'll promote you. However, if a gold star is offline or too busy to promote you at the moment, you can simply post in the rank up thread and we'll get round to it. Why can't I talk in the clan chat? The chat is sometimes in rank-to-talk mode, which means you will need a smiley rank or above to be able to talk. This is primarily to re-establish a proper sense of community in the clan. Due to our popularity, the chat would often become hectic, and difficult to hold a conversation without it derailing. Those with a rank in the chat have proven to us that they wish to get involved in our community, and not just treat the place as if it were some sort of reddit-based moshpit of nonsense. I'm a ranked member, but I cannot see the zSkillers-only section of the forum. Why? Oops, one of the admins forgot to give you access. Never fear! Simply ask one of the gold stars in game, or if they're offline/busy post in the access thread and we'll sort it out. What are the weekly skill competitions, and how do I take part? The weekly skill competitions are 7 day long xp gaining competitions of a single skill, and the top 3 most xp gained each week win gp prizes. They are usually happening all the time! If you are ranked in the clan chat (1 banana or higher) you should be automatically entered each week. If you cannot see yourself on the competition page, post on the clan highscores thread, then we will add you to our own clan highscores and to the entrants list for every skill week. Do we have a teamspeak server? Yes! The address is "zskillers.com". Do we have a home world or a home bank? Our home world is w305, so you should skill on this world unless you require the use of another world, such as w309 for Wintertodt, or finding an empty world for certain activities. However, if you're training a bankstanding skill such as crafting, herblore, fletching, or even cooking or firemaking, you should use Zeah beach on w333. This is the universal multi-clan skiller home bank, where level 3s from all clan chats train their bankstanding skills at. So why Zeah beach? The primary method of training slayer on a level 3 account is via the use of genies and books of knowledge from random events. There are many places around runescape that are what we call "no random zones", in which you cannot get random events. The vast majority of banks are no random zones, the only exceptions we've discovered are the rogues den and the bank chest on the south coast of Zeah. Since Zeah beach is both quick to access and a left click bank chest, we chose this bank as our home bank. The fastest way to get there is by putting your house in kourend, then teleporting there and running south. How do I find out how long I've been in the clan for? As far as ranks go, we go off the date you signed up for the forums. You can find this date by clicking on your name at the top, then clicking "Your profile page" and the date should be on the left hand side. Alternatively, the date you joined is under your name and avatar on every post you make.


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Scotland and Afghanistan are both searching for their first win of the 2015 ICC World Cup and will do battle in Dunedin from 2200 GMT tonight.
Scotland's previous matches have been against New Zealand and England and they failed with the bat in both innings; bowled out for 142 and 184 respectively. They should, however, have the crowd on their side. Edinburgh in Gaelic roughly translates as Dunedin and there has been a significant wave of immigration into the city from Scotland in the past. It gives the place a Scottish air and the city even has its own tartan.
The two sides are evenly matched on the field, with Afghanistan ranked slightly higher in the associate pecking order. Scotland captain Preston Mommsen, though, chose to focus on the last time the two sides met when the Afghans were bowled out for just 63 in the UAE.
"We take a huge amount of confidence from that game in Abu Dhabi, huge psychological advantage, I think," Mommsen said. "We had a clear, clear strategy and tactic against them, and I'm pretty sure that we'll resort to the same formula."
Afghanistan, meanwhile, will expect to win and usually receive support wherever they go. They are already deemed the second best associate behind Ireland and will want to live up that reputation. A strong showing against Sri Lanka followed their World Cup debut match against Bangladesh.
Strengths and weaknesses:
Scotland's strength is their experience of conditions which should be similar to that found in the UK, and their professional set-up. They have Grant Bradburn as coach and former England captain Paul Collingwood as his assistant so their fielding should be a strong point.
The fifth bowling option was a noticeable weakness against England, with Richie Berrington, Matt Machan and Kyle Coetzer conceding 73 runs from 10 overs between them. The top-order has also failed in both games so far, with Calum MacLeod certainly due a score to justify the immense talent that was showcased at Durham in last season's NatWest T20 Blast.
Afghanistan have the best pace attack in associate cricket, with Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran and Dawlat Zadran strong enough to test most full members. All three have genuine pace, with Shapoor adding variety with his left-arm angle of attack. The spin bowling cupboard is also well-stocked. Samiullah Shenwari will bowl leg-spin and skipper Mohammad Nabi his off-breaks.
The main weakness is a tendency to implode with the bat, especially at the top of the order. Javed Ahmadi, Nawroz Mangal and Afsar Zazai are still waiting to make their first decisive contribution of the tournament, as is Najibullah Zadran further down the order.
Team news:
Scotland have batsman Hamish Gardiner, all-rounder Michael Leask, and seam bowlers Rob Taylor and Safyaan Sharif as the players who didn't feature in the match against England. Gardiner played against New Zealand and got a duck so is unlikely to force his way in again yet. Taylor also played against the co-hosts, but was left out for Alasdair Evans, who impressed against England. Leask could feasibly force his way in at the expense of Freddie Coleman if the Scots wanted to add another bowling option but an unchanged eleven seems most likely.
Probable XI: Kyle Coetzer, Calum MacLeod, Freddie Coleman, Matt Machan, Preston Mommsen (captain), Richie Berrington, Matthew Cross (wicket-keeper), Josh Davey, Majid Haq, Alasdair Evans, Iain Wardlaw.
Afghanistan have been dealt a blow with the news that Mirwais Ashraf has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament after picking up an injury in the defeat to Sri Lanka. He has been replaced in the squad by wicket-keeper batsman Shafiqullah, who could yet displace Zazai in the eleven. Aftab Alam, though, is almost certain to take Ashraf's place. The top-order remains an area of concern. Usman Ghani is a real option as a replacement for Ahmadi or Najibullah.
Possible XI: Javed Ahmadi, Usman Ghani, Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Nabi (captain), Shafiqullah (wicket-keeper), Aftab Alam, Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran.
A very cool start will give way to a relatively cool day, with temperatures peaking at around 17 degrees Celsius. However, the chance of rain is almost non-existent, while it should be mostly sunny. The pitch should again favour batsmen as many have so far this tournament. Swing is the most likely weapon for the bowlers, meaning that the toss could be important given the fragility of both sides' top-orders.


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Ikea in Indonesia
IKEA Company was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. The name of IKEA is originally formed from the first letter of the founder's name and the names of the property and the village where he grew up. At the beginning, IKEA produced and sold simple things (such as pens, wallets, table, pictures frame, watches and jewellery) in the base of low price. The production of furniture in IKEA began during 1947 and in 1955 IKEA Company started to design its own furniture. Based on the company's motto "Well designed and affordable quality furniture for everybody," IKEA has been able to grow into fame company
IKEA is known as the biggest furniture company in all over the world. The specialization of IKEA is producing modern and stylish furniture but in inexpensive price. Nowadays, there are about 220 stores of IKEA in 33 countries and most of them are placed in Europe while the rest are in United States, Canada, Australia and Asia.
Despite the modern style and design of the furniture, IKEA has also been known for its easy self-assembly. This means that the products of IKEA are designed to be assembled by the customers themselves rather than being sold pre-assembled.
Although IKEA originally comes from Sweden (produces Swedish style home furniture), the owner of the IKEA concept is a Dutch company, which is k known as Inter IKEA Systems BV. So far, the operator of the majority stores in all over the world is done by the IKEA Group, private companies which are owned by a Dutch foundation. From the total of 220 IKEA stores in 33 countries, about 180 of them are run by the IKEA Group and the remaining stores are run by other operators outside the IKEA Group.
The format of IKEA
IKEA is known as a huge blue box with few windows. The design of IKEA is practically arranged "one-way" line in order to guide the customers to travel nearly all parts of the store before getting into the cashier or the way-out. The order of "one-way" line in IKEA stores involve going through the furniture showrooms first, continue to the house wares of market- hall and then to the place where customers can pick up the flat packs products as seen in the showrooms, then finally to the cashier. In my opinion, with this strategy IKEA has successfully arranged as efficient as possible in order to become representative in the customer's point of view.
Even though I think that what IKEA has been doing is very good system, some customers feel the disadvantage from the long "one way" line. They are demanding to be able to travel through the store in shorter way in case that the customers have already known what they want to buy. Recently, it has been introduced shortcuts between sections in some IKEA stores, so that customers are able to make the travel in store efficiently.
General Mission of IKEA
The general mission of IKEA is to offer a broad range of home furnishing items with good design and function, good quality and at low prices so that the customers can easily afford the products. The target of the company is customers who is searching for value good in reasonable price and is willing to do extra work such as transporting the items to their own home and assembling the items by themselves. Come along with that, the success of IKEA has been reached by keeping the manufacturers cost down. This is done by packing the items produced compactly and arranging them in the storage carefully in order to reduce the storage space during and after the distribution process.
Building IKEA in Indonesia
Nowadays, the IKEA concept has proven to be a success in many countries. IKEA, in fact, is one of the biggest store chains that exists in the world. Currently, there are more than 20 stores scheduled to open in several countries during 2006.
In my opinion, Indonesia would also be a perfect place to start IKEA Company.
Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world which is located between Indian Ocean and...
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May 7, 2009
By Brooke Adams
The Salt Lake Tribune
Safety Net Committee » Coordinator says word is spreading.
In the first three months of the year, 80 people sought help from the Utah Safety Net Committee with problems ranging from a purported kidnapping to domestic violence and allegations of sexual abuse.
In the first three months of the year, 80 people sought help from the Utah Safety Net Committee with problems ranging from a purported kidnapping to domestic violence and allegations of sexual abuse.
Pat Merkley, coordinator, said the calls for help have grown as word of services available through the committee has spread -- and trust has built that religious affiliation is not an issue.
"This last quarter was the highest victim-services hours and numbers we've had," Merkley said.
Merkley shared the latest tallies at the committee's monthly meeting in Salt Lake City. The committee, funded by the Utah Legislature, provides outreach services to polygamous communities in Utah and Arizona.
Between January and March, Merkley and caseworker Chelsea Gambles worked with 457 people in one way or another. The largest contact came through training sessions provided to two communities -- the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Apostolic United Brethren.
They also provided family, individual or group counseling services to nearly 100 people.
Merkley said victim services included counseling a family where a disciplining situation with a teenager escalated into a physical altercation, assisting four women who left polygamous relationships, and helping a plural wife in an abusive situation get a protective order against her husband.
All fundamentalist Mormon groups were represented by those who sought help.
"This is no different than any other community I've worked with," she said. "Problems are problems. I am not claiming that the victims are different or that they are any more than any other population. I hope we can continue to maintain their trust, knowing that we will respectfully work with them."
During the quarter, Merkley also ran three support groups for women who have left or are still in polygamous relationships. Merkley took over management of the committee last summer. It had previously been overseen by the Utah Attorney Generals Office.
I have to tell you though, I LOVE the series "Big Love".


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Today, this is done all the time. I get desperate appeals in my inbox every day – for money to pay for campaign expenses – usually to buy advertisements.
This is not thought of as buying votes – but it sure looks that way to me. You pay your money, you get your votes.
This is backed up with some sophisticated Software based on Machine Learning. The Computer learns about you (and lots of people like you) and then gives this valuable data to whoever pays for it.
Does this involve some ethical conflicts? It sure does!
Some people chose to deal with this (not an easy choice) – but most sweep it under the rug – that can hardly cover all the stuff under it.
This causes a problem – but only temporarily – people (and some very important people) decide all this crap does not exist! Zingo! It all goes away!
At one time, all this manure was spread on the land – to fertilize it. This new method is much easier – no labor is involved at all – but no fertilization occurs either.


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5 Questions for Junku Nishimura « Flickr Blog.
I love that Flickr Blog's "Five Questions" has begun to veer into a decidedly Japanese direction, at least for now. The previous, current, and next photographers are all Japanese, and for me, seeing their depictions of Japanese scenes, and/or images taken with a Japanese sensibility, really adds a flavor you cannot, do not, get anywhere else.
I do sort of wish they'd ask less technical questions (if you could use just one camera for the rest of your life, which one would you use?) and more about the images themselves, etc. … I would love to someday get chosen to answer Five Questions, but I would not have an answer for that first one at all.


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Mar 15, 2017
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (WLCSports.com) - The Wisconsin Lutheran College softball team suffered its second and third straight defeats on Wednesday, falling 13-0 to Cornell College in 5.0 innings and 7-3 to Mt. St. Joseph at the Rebel Spring Games at the Osceola County Softball Complex.
- Scores: Cornell College 13, Wisconsin Lutheran 0 (5 Inn.); Mt. St. Joseph 7, Wisconsin Lutheran 3
- Location: Osceola County Softball Complex, Kissimmee, Fla.
- Records: Wisconsin Lutheran (2-6), Cornell College (7-2), Mt. St. Joseph (7-3)
- Cornell College scored early and often in the early going against the Warriors. The host Rams scored four runs in the first inning on four hits and added another in the second. WLC escaped even further damage by turning double-plays in each of the first two innings.
- The Rams broke the game open in the third with five runs on six hits for a 10-0 lead. They added three more in the fourth and the game ended via run-rule after 4 and 1/2 innings.
- The Warriors had at least one runner on base in four of their five innings at the dish, but couldn't plate a run across.
- Karah Ritacco (Chicago, Ill./Trinity) had two of the Warriors' seven hits in the game. Taylor Bjork (Horicon, Wis./Horicon) gave up five runs (four earned) over 2.0 innings in the circle for Wisconsin Lutheran.
- Mt. St. Joseph plated a first-inning run on a two-out double for an early 1-0 lead.
- The Lions scored four more two-out runs in the second inning, but they were of the unearned variety as they benefited from three Warriors miscues in the field.
- After a solo homerun in the fourth, the Warriors scored twice in the fifth on a RBI groundout from Sam Humphreys (Jackson, Ohio/Jackson) and a throwing error from the Lions' catcher.
- WLC closed the gap to four runs in the sixth when Savanah Frank (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) drove home Abby Mahsem (South Milwaukee, Wis./South Milwaukee) with a RBI double to center.
- Wisconsin Lutheran was retired in order in the seventh for a 7-3 final score.
- Frank and Kaitlyn Robison (Andalusia, Ill./Rockridge) each collected three hits in the game for WLC, which finished with nine for the game. Frank battled for 7.0 innings in the circle, throwing 131 pitches and allowing just two earned runs.
- Tirzah Sisneros was one of five Rams players with two hits. She added three RBI and scored a run. Haley Harmon scattered seven hits over 5.0 shutout innings to pickup the win.
- Katie Hoelmer went 4-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored in game two for the Lions. Danielle Nichelson gave up two earned run on nine hits over 7.0 innings in the circle.
- Wisconsin Lutheran concludes its trip to the Rebel Spring Games tomorrow when it faces Loras (4-0) at 10:15 a.m. CST and Utica (3-3) at 12:30 p.m. CST.


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A Maxicare Health Plans employee and an unemployed San Diego man have been indicted in connection with a failed attempt to embezzle $7.5 million from the Los Angeles-based health maintenance organization earlier this year, federal officials said Wednesday.
The 24-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court in San Diego charges Henry Salas Ramirez, 43, of Redondo Beach and Jerry L. Sanders, 45, of Chula Vista with transportation of stolen funds, entering a bank to commit a felony, wire fraud and scheming to defraud a bank.
Ramirez, who was released on bail, is a Maxicare supervisor who "had access to computers that are used to issue checks to Maxicare vendors," according to Steve Peterson, a deputy U.S. attorney in San Diego.
A Maxicare spokesman Wednesday declined to comment on the case.
Money Recovered
According to the indictment, Ramirez used a company computer to issue checks that were deposited in Security Pacific Bank accounts opened in San Diego by Sanders. Most of the money subsequently was wired to a bank in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, according to a spokesman for the FBI.


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Inspired by a co-worker who is a young newlywed I created this quick and easy enchilada sauce. For years I have always had the ingredients readily available in my kitchen to make my homemade enchilada sauce. It never occurred to me that someone wouldn't have 3 different dried chilies in their pantry to cook with at every whim. Forgive me, I'm old….so a young woman who I work with said she had everything to make some enchiladas for dinner except for the sauce and she didn't want to go the market. Of course the first thing I asked her was, didn't she have some in the freezer? Silly me. I thought for a minute and then told her I'm sure you could make a pretty good sauce with regular ingredients and spices you have at home. After a bit more time of thinking I gave her a rough draft of this recipe. I had never tried it, but she did and said it was a bit runny but it worked. So tonight I decided to work on the recipe and fine tune it. So here you have it, my homemade Enchilada Sauce, quick and easily made with the young new cook in mind. No stove top cooking, prepare in a blender or food processor and use directly from there. Really simple. Thanks Tricia for the inspiration.
Ingredients: enough sauce for 1 dozen enchiladas
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
- 1 Tb tomato paste
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley, (make sure you crush it between your fingers)
- 1/2 tsp dried cilantro, (also make sure you crush it between your fingers)
- 1/2 tsp sweetened powered cocoa
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Using a blender or food processor add all of the ingredients except the milk and cornstarch. Using a fork, whisk the cornstarch into the milk until completely dissolved then add the other ingredients. Process until the mixture is smooth. That's all there is, now pour or spoon over your enchiladas before baking.


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I just went back and read some of my old letters, and wow, have things gotten easier. No wonder I sometimes feel a bit lost in the vast of the expanse of the weekends these days, wondering what I'm supposed to be doing with myself. I think it's because I spent more than three years dealing with your constant needs and, now, all of a sudden, you seem to know how to do everything by yourself. Gone are the days when you refused to do things for yourself. Now, you insist on it. You would sooner drag a 50-pound chair down the stairs, so you can stand on it to reach the light switch, than have me turn on the light for you. If I did flip the switch, you would demand that I turn it off immediately so you could do it yourself.
Now, I park the car and, seconds later, you have taken off your own seatbelt, opened the door and jumped out. After all those years of leaning over to unstrap you, it feels like a miracle. You clear your own dishes from the table and wash your hands without help and deal with your own potty needs. And you dress yourself with no intervention from me. You are adamant about choosing your own clothes. In fact, anything I might suggest you wear is rejected on principle. You have very strict wardrobe requirements. Stretch pants only. Anything even the slightest bit scratchy or tight is rejected. Turtlenecks are out of the question. You have not yet come to understand the concept of matching, so you make some interesting fashion statements. Some days, I wish I could pin a sign on you that reads, "She picked this outfit, not me."
These days, you seem to need me most as a social director. Ever since our beach vacation, when you spent the week happily playing with other children, you have made constant requests for playmates. "Can I go to XXXX's house?" you ask, hopefully. You don't understand the dynamics of invitations and childcare trades. So I spend my weekends trying to navigate those trades. It is a lot of pressure, but I manage to find a playmate for you almost every weekend. This is probably one of my least favorite things about parenting right now, but I do it because I love you. And because if I don't, you will hound me all weekend to watch movies.
So much for my dreams of a child who prefers spinach salad to candy, who doesn't know who the Disney princesses are. You have become a glutton for dessert and movies. You pick at your dinner and then devour huge bowls of ice cream. If I would let you, you would sit and watch movies all day long. But, despite it all, you seem to be turning out OK. You are joyful and adventuresome and affectionate. You love to play games and dance with me in the living room. You love to laugh. You love camping and hiking and sailing and swimming and being outside. You are game for just about anything. And you can find fun absolutely anywhere. A few weeks ago we took you to a party, and when we arrived, we realized you were the only kid. A bunch of adults were standing around talking and sipping drinks, and my heart sank, thinking you would be miserable and we would have to make a quick exit. But before long, you disappeared. I realized you had introduced yourself to a group of people sitting on the deck. You were telling them stories about our vacations. You served cookies to most of the guests, shoving them into their hands whether they wanted them or not. You danced to the music. When we told you it was time to go, you begged to stay longer--and I am sure that many of the guests were sad to see you go.
In a world that often feels scary and hard, you are my shining light of happiness.


text: Construction works for Shanghai Disney Resort began with the installation of the first steel column at the resort's theme park. The moment that marks the start of vertical was recorded in video. The theme park will open in 2015 and is rumured to include an Enchanted Storybook Castle – the largest and most interactive Disney castle.


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WOOOOOOOOO! It's finally that time of year again! The Showcase of the Immortals! The Granddaddy of Them All! The Super Bowl of Pro Wrestling! The only day of the year it's a little more socially acceptable to admit as a straight guy you really love watching oiled up guys piledrive and perform small packages on each other! Seriously though, wrestling (Wrestlemania in particular) has become big business since the WWF changed to the WWE and went public as a company. Every year, stars from film, sports, tv and music have thrown their hats into the ring to become part of the occasion. It's become a bit surreal that the biggest star in the biggest match on the card this year, The Rock, has come full circle as a wrestler/actor/wrestler in his metamorphosis as an entertainer. The same can be said to a somewhat lesser degree for Chris Jericho, who's challenging for the WWE title this year after appearing on Dancing With The Stars, hosting the game show Downfall on ABC and fronting the international hair metal band Fozzy.
I prefer Chris Jericho to the Rock, but not because he's not as well known or whatever. It's because he's an awesome technical wrestler. My favorite wrestlers have always been the best in-ring competitors rather than the talkers. Hell, I don't even care if a guy's mute if he can convey the psychology of a match through his actions. I cried when Chris Benoit died, and I still miss him despite the horrible shit that he pulled. I've got the Hitman symbol tattooed on my shin, because it's hardcore and it's where Bret Hart would have got it. I unapologetically had "Thank you Shawn" as my facebook status after HBK was retired by the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 26. Michaels and Jericho are both pretty complete as entertainers in and out of the ring, though. And Bret, Lonesome Dove sucked ass, but you tried and you'll always be my favorite. Guys like CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan Danielson (yes, I know, it was intended) are still my favorite to watch based on their in-ring ability.
Speaking of in-ring ability, if you consider yourself a purist in terms of wrestling, Wrestlemania weekend is the absolute best weekend of the year for indie wrestling. It's almost overload, in fact. Ring of Honor, my favorite promotion who both the WWE and TNA have pilfered tons of talent from (including both the current WWE and World Heavyweight Champions), still has a ton of great guys like Davey Richards, El Generico, Kevin Steen, Eddie Edwards, Jay Lethal, etc. They also still have a great tag team division that they put time and energy into, unlike the WWE. ROH ran a two day (!) iPPV called the Showdown in the Sun. It was 20 bucks for two 3 to 4 hour shows hosted on Friday night and Saturday morning, respectively. Way better than a 2 for 20 at Applebee's and less fattening. Comedy/absurd promotion Chikara Pro also had a crossover match on the second ROH show. Another great indie company called Dragon Gate USA had a pretty incredible deal going on Friday night to try and bring in prospective viewers. For $1.99, you could watch a live iPPV with their best talent such as Low Ki, Sabu, AR Fox, Sami Callahan, Richochet, etc.
All these smaller promotions, including TNA (or IMPACT, or whatever the hell they want to be called nowadays), all orbited around the mack daddy Wrestlemania in Miami this weekend. A hardcore wrestling fan could drive no more than 50 miles in any direction in Florida from Thursday to Tuesday this week and watch a different promotion live every day. That's pretty nuts and pretty special if you like getting a taste of different flavors of technical, comedy or entertainment driven wrestling. Plus, you can catch Ron Simmons, Yokozuna, Mil Mascaras, Mike Tyson and Edge as new inductees into the WWE Hall of Fame along with Ric Flair getting inducted for the second time with the Four Horsemen while being an active wrestler in TNA, which proves he truly transcends all the red tape of wrestling political bullshit. But, of course, we all know what brought us to the dance. So I'll summarize the card for Wrestlemania 28 and give my predictions in a nutshell:
1. Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix (C) and Eve: First off, who cares?!! This match is inserted merely to take a piss. Second, where the hell is Kharma and/or Natalya? One of them should be taking Beth's title tonight. Third, a celebrity doesn't lose at Wrestlemania! Babyfaces take this one.
2. Cody Rhodes (C) vs. The Big Show for the Intercontinental Title: Cody's coming into his own as a talker and a wrestler. Big Show is an agile big guy who makes people smaller in stature but higher in profile than himself look better at Wrestlemania. He does it every year. This year will be no different.
3. Randy Orton vs. Kane: Both these guys bore the hell out of me but are proficient in the ring for what they do. I believe Kane is in the twilight of his career right now and is merely being used to elevate other talent at this point. I just wish he was lifting up somebody other than the 2 guys who couldn't possibly use any more pushes, Cena and Orton. Orton definitely wins this and I hope this thrown-together feud is finished after tonight.
4. Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny: So this match decides whether John Laryngitis or Teddy 'Apparently Not All Black Guys Can Dance' Long takes control of both Raw and Smackdown and based on that alone, it doesn't matter who's on what team, Team Johnny takes it. This match basically lets anyone who's healthy and the company feels is deserving get their entrances and spots in on the big night. Expect Kofi Kingston to do something spectacular, Dolph Ziggler to bump like a mofo and Santino Marella to poke somebody in the head while wearing a snake sock on his hand. Oh, and David Otunga will be the greasiest dude ever, unless the Miz over-applies his fake tanner again.
5. Daniel Bryan (C) vs. Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Title: As you can probably tell from the picture, I'm a huge Bryan Danielson fan. He was my favorite wrestler in ROH and I think he's a tremendous badass character who could be the next Chris Benoit if given a harder edge in the WWE. That being said, he's Daniel Bryan in the WWE not Bryan Danielson. He's a chickenshit heel and Sheamus is a monster of a good guy. I expect an entertaining match but Bryan isn't getting out of this with the title. I just hope in my heart of hearts they tweak his character and he gets the belt back sooner or later.
6. CM Punk (C) vs. Jericho for the WWE Title: Should be the match of the night, but if you like good wrestling you already know that. Unless Jericho is sticking around the wrestling world for awhile, Punk takes this one. I would love to be wrong and see Y2J win the title and stay for a bit.
7. Undertaker vs. Triple H in a Hell in the Cell match with Shawn Michaels as special guest referee: If for one second you think Undertaker will lose this match, you are either still a young child and/or mentally retarded and still think that wrestling is not predetermined. Notice I didn't say fake. I hope this match serves to set up an HBK/HHH double super ultra retirement extravaganza at Wrestlemania 29 next year.
8. John Cena vs. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson: This is what all the hoopla's about. If you never have watched and never will watch wrestling again, this is being billed as the biggest match of all time. Bigger than any Hulk Hogan match, even the one against the Rock. I hate both of these guys and always have. I hope they beat each other to death. John Cena's going to win because he's the face of the company and Rocky's passing the torch. I don't care who wins and can't believe the amount of hype this surely piss-poor wrestling match is getting.
Well, that's all I have to say about that. It's after 3 in the morning and I have to get around to drinking scotch whiskey all night long and dying behind the wheel. They've got a name for the winners in this world, I want a name when I lose. This is Deacon Blues, signing off.


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Saturday, December 27, 2014
Molly Weasley's King's Cross Sweater, Sorcerer's Stone
The first time Harry meets Molly Weasley, she is wearing this amazing fair isle cardigan. From these first scenes, Molly's knit wear speaks to her desire to use every scrap, her love of color, and especially her fondness for the handmade.
A Ravelry search left me with no links to a pattern for this exact sweater,but the construction appears to be a basic seamed cardigan with an afterthought button band.
Image Source: Home of the Nutty (some images were cropped)
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Violent Acres never minces words, a rarity in the hot-air filled blogosphere. This post expresses better than I ever could why I'm so burned out on the 'holidays'. For 25 years I played the game, to the point that the first twinkling lights make me cringe with dread at the coming work and expense. No decorations, no gifts, no fancy food at my house this year--and it is a delicious relief.
"We've been watching too many commercials, people. Slick advertising has convinced us that buying things for each other is the only way to show our love. In our mass hysteria to pick out the very perfect gift, we've forgotten the true measure of our relationships is how we treat each other...
...I want people to keep their money, pay their bills, and enjoy a holiday season without the stress of New Year's debt. I want them to realize that their presence in the lives of those they love, through good times and bad, is worth far more than any possible gift they could buy. I want them to get out of this trap they seem to be in where presents are either insults or validations of their personal relationships."
So many of you have given me a gift of true friendship this year, and that will keep me warm long past New Year's. Thank you!


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Over the next few days, Indy continued to eat well eating the satin balls. I could tell she was starting to put on a little weight. She still was having problems holding her urine. I was so afraid the MRSA had spread.
Carla and I talked about it and it was decided it was time to go to the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. MRSA is something that takes aggression and a little extra knowledge to deal with. So a referral was called in to UGA. Indy was set to go there on September 28 .
On the Wednesday before she was to go to UGA, I came home to what seemed like a different dog. She had held her urine while I was at work and seemed to feel SO much better. She even grabbed a bone and was chewing on it. This was big! It seemed the antibiotics had finally kicked in. The MRSA was the cause of her kidney/bladder problems. It was SO good to see her feeling better. Although feeling better, a trip to UGA was still very necessary.
While waiting to go to UGA, we all made the best of Indy feeling better. Here are some shots of her enjoying her time outside.


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Property details
Brief description
Beach/water: Sandy beach in approx. 9 km, Sea in approx. 9 km
Bedroom/s: 4
Floor space: 140 m²
Next village/town: Center Óbidos in approx. 8 km, Lisboa in approx. 80 km
Number of persons: 8
Pet: Pet allowed
Pool, private use
Room/s: 5
Type of property: detached house
Detailed description
Equipment: satellite TV; radio; internet access Wi-Fi (payment); washing machine; no heating option; storage room (external access only).
Furnishing: holiday standard, friendly, with much wood, tiled floor, wooden floor.
detached house, 8 people, 5 room/s, 4 bedroom/s, 2 bathroom/s, approx. 140 m², 1 floor/s, renovated 2015.
Room layout
Bedroom 1: Additional information: direct access to sanitary no 1. queen-size bed.
Bedroom 2: queen-size bed.
Bedroom 3: sofa bed and pull-out bed, exit to terrace.
Bedroom 4: 2 x single bed.
Dining area: in the living room.
Kitchen: Kitchen/ cooking equipment: 4 gas rings, oven, microwave oven, dish-washer, combination fridge-freezer, coffee machine, toaster. open to the living room.
Living room: furniture suite, fireplace (insert), exit to terrace.
Sanitary 1: bath, double washbasin, WC.
Sanitary 2: bath, WC.
Access/parking: parking on the estate.
Estate: (private use): approx. 2000 m², closed plot (hedge), with plants, lawn, palm trees.
Outdoor facilities: (private use): terrace (roofed), further terrace, furnishing provided (garden tables, benches), barbecue.
Pool: (private use): 10.0 x 5.0 m, open throughout the entire season, curved shape, salt water pool care. Pool area: tiled, 4 sun loungers, 2 sunshades, shower, external shower, WC.
Beach/waters: Sandy beach in approx. 9 km, Sea in approx. 9 km
Next village/town: Center Óbidos in approx. 8 km, Lisboa in approx. 80 km
Shopping: Next shopping possibility (Amoreira und Vau) in approx. 2 km


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Jever Pilnser
75It's a bit of a one-trick pony, with that resoundingly dry, hoppy finish the key to its success, but this is always a
worthwhile option among German pilsners.
A salt on the senses (Beer & Seafood)
Beer can make a great accompaniment to salty seafood. Ben McFarland reports