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Erin and I had wanted to go to Iceland for about two years now; Ever since some colleagues of her's went and came back with beautiful pictures and experiences. We tried to go last year, but the plane tickets were too expensive. This year we got them early and had plenty of planning for what we would see.
We took an overnight flight directly from Denver to Reykjavik that left us feeling a bit tired early Sunday morning (May 31). Fortunately the place we were staying let us leave our luggage while we explored the city. After a hearty breakfast and lots of coffee we made our way up to Hallgrímskirkja, a large church overlooking much of Reykjavik. As we were there early, we enjoyed the choir rehearsing along with the massive church organ being played. The acoustics were amazing. The view from the bell tower also provided plenty of great views of the surrounding city.
We continued on through the streets of the city looking in various shops and museums. One of our favorite museums was the 871 +/-2 Early Settlement Exhibit. It had a lot of interactive features that really helped us understand what life was like for the early settlers of Iceland. Finally, after lunch we were able to head back to our guesthouse for a nap before going out for dinner and drinks.
The next morning we were woken up early as our rental car was dropped off at our guesthouse. We were soon on the road to Fljótstunga to see a lava cave. Unfortunately we got turned around and showed up late to the meetup point. We pressed on even though the tour had already left. We were able to go partly into the cave, but there was a gate blocking the rest of it. We were bummed that we couldn't stay longer for the next tour, but we had to move on to our next stop.
Later that day we arrived at a horse-back riding stable in Varmahlíð. Again we were a little late, but fortunately they had waited for us this time and we were soon out on the horses. It was nice to be out in the fields on the horses. They had a smooth ambling gait different from other horses we've ridden previously which was faster than a walk, but smoother than a typical trot. We did a two hour ride which worked out well. By the end of the ride we were a bit cold and a bit sore, but I'm glad we went.
Fortunately on our third day we didn't have to be anywhere at a particular time. Our day had us driving around the Trollaskagi Peninsula to see and experience a different slice of Icelandic life. We started with the Glaumbaer Museum which recreated life in 1800's Iceland with a variety of pancakes and cakes from the period. Our next stop was at a thermal infinity pool where we could swim and relax in warm water overlooking the ocean even though it was cold and raining out. While we had hoped to do some hiking the weather did not improve so we drove on, stopping for a delicious lunch at a house in the middle of nowhere.
In the afternoon we stopped at a herring museum showing the herring industry in Iceland and how people lived in the early 1900's when the industry was in full swing. It reminded me of my dad's parents house as the era-accurate items in the living quarters looked similar to the kinds of things they had in their house. We finished the day in Akureyri which had a nice botanical garden and a beautiful view of the fjord. That reminded me of my mom's parents who I remember traveling in Scandinavia with fjords and botanical gardens.
Our trip was off to a good start and we were looking forward to whale watching the following day. More on that in the next post...


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PostgreSQL, often simply "Postgres", is an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS) with an emphasis on extensibility and standards-compliance. As a database server, its primary function is to store data, securely and supporting best practices, and retrieve it later, as requested by other software applications, be it those on the same computer or those running on another computer across a network (including the Internet). It can handle workloads ranging from small single-machine applications to large Internet-facing applications with many concurrent users. Recent versions also provide replication of the database itself for security and scalability.
In this series:
- Introduction
- Docker's Architecture
- Creating A Custom Image
- .NET Core, EF Core and PostreSQL in Docker
Now, we can see the source code at here
Step 1: Launch a PostgreSQL service container
$ docker run -d --name my-postgres -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=password postgres
This image includes EXPOSE 5432 (the postgres port), so standard container linking will make it automatically available to the linked containers. The default postgres user and database are created in the entrypoint with initdb.
Environment Variables
The PostgreSQL image uses several environment variables which are easy to miss. While none of the variables are required, they may significantly aid you in using the image.
This environment variable is recommended for you to use the PostgreSQL image. This environment variable sets the superuser password for PostgreSQL. The default superuser is defined by the POSTGRES_USER environment variable. In the above example, it is being set to "mysecretpassword".
This optional environment variable is used in conjunction with POSTGRES_PASSWORD to set a user and its password. This variable will create the specified user with superuser power and a database with the same name. If it is not specified, then the default user of postgres will be used.
This optional environment variable can be used to define another location – like a subdirectory – for the database files. The default is /var/lib/postgresql/data, but if the data volume you're using is a fs mountpoint (like with GCE persistent disks), Postgres initdb recommends a subdirectory (for example /var/lib/postgresql/data/pgdata ) be created to contain the data.
This optional environment variable can be used to define a different name for the default database that is created when the image is first started. If it is not specified, then the value of POSTGRES_USER will be used.
Step 2: Make sure the PostgreSQL Docker container is up and running with:
$ docker ps -a
Step 3: Test connection from your host system
Now, we will build an ASP.NET Core MVC application that performs basic data access using Entity Framework. We will use migrations to create the database from our model.
The following prerequisites are needed to complete:
Create a new project
- Open Visual Studio 2015
- File ‣ New ‣ Project…
- From the left menu select Templates ‣ Visual C# ‣ Web
- Select the ASP.NET Core Web Application (.NET Core) project template
- Enter PostgreApp as the name and click OK
- Wait for the New ASP.NET Core Web Application dialog to appear
- Select the Web Application template and ensure that Authentication is set to No Authentication
- Click OK
Install Entity Framework
To use EF Core, install the package for the database provider(s) you want to target. In here uses PostgreSQL. For a list of available providers see Database Providers.
- Tools ‣ NuGet Package Manager ‣ Package Manager Console
- Run Install-Package Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL
"dependencies": { "Microsoft.NETCore.App": { "version": "1.0.0", "type": "platform" }, "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Diagnostics": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Tools": { "version": "1.0.0-preview2-final", "type": "build" }, "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Server.IISIntegration": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Server.Kestrel": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.AspNetCore.StaticFiles": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.EnvironmentVariables": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.Json": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.Extensions.Logging": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Console": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.Extensions.Logging.Debug": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.Extensions.Options.ConfigurationExtensions": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.VisualStudio.Web.BrowserLink.Loader": "14.0.0", "Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore": "1.0.0", "Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools": "1.0.0-preview2-final" }
The PostgreSQL Entity Framework 7 provider can be downloaded as a NuGet package. Add the NuGet package Npgsql.EntityFrameworkCore.PostgreSQL to your dependencies in the project.json file.
We will also be using some Entity Framework commands to maintain the database. So we will install the commands package as well.
- Run Install-Package Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools –Pre
- Open project.json
- Locate the tools section and add the ef command as shown below
"tools": { "BundlerMinifier.Core": "2.0.238", "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Razor.Tools": "1.0.0-preview2-final", "Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore.Tools": "1.0.0-preview2-final", "Microsoft.AspNetCore.Server.IISIntegration.Tools": "1.0.0-preview2-final" },
Create our model
Now it's time to define a context and entity classes that make up your model.
- Right-click on the project in Solution Explorer and select Add ‣ New Folder
- Enter Models as the name of the folder
- Right-click on the Models folder and select Add ‣ New Item…
- From the left menu select Installed ‣ Code
- Select the Class item template
- Enter Store.cs as the name and click OK
- Replace the contents of the file with the following code
namespace PostgreApp.Models { public class Store { public int Id { get; set; } public string Name { get; set; } } }
Create the context for Entity Framework Core
First, create a folder named "Repository" by right clicking on the project and choosing the correct option from the menu. Next, add a class to the "Repository" folder named "StoreDbContext.cs".
Open the file after creating it and add some code to have the class inherit from DbContext like so:
using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore; using PostgreApp.Models; namespace PostgreApp.Repository { public class StoreDbContext: DbContext { public StoreDbContext() : base() { } public StoreDbContext(DbContextOptions<StoreDbContext> options) : base(options) { } public DbSet<Store> Stores { get; set; } } }
Creating the Store Repository Class
In the Repository folder, create a class file named IStoreRepository.cs and replace the existing code with the following code:
using PostgreApp.Models; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Threading.Tasks; namespace PostgreApp.Repository { public interface IStoreRepository { Task<List<Store>> GetStoresAsync(); Task InsertStore(Store store); void Save(); } }
In the Repository folder, create a class file named StoreRepository.cs file. Replace the existing code with the following code, which implements the IStoreRepository interface:
using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Threading.Tasks; using PostgreApp.Models; using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore; namespace PostgreApp.Repository { public class StoreRepository : IStoreRepository { private readonly StoreDbContext _context; public StoreRepository(StoreDbContext context) { _context = context; } public async Task<List<Store>> GetStoresAsync() { return await _context.Stores.ToListAsync(); } public async Task InsertStore(Store store) { _context.Stores.Add(store); try { await _context.SaveChangesAsync(); } catch { } } } }
Add the connection string
The connection string can be added in the OnConfiguring method in the class which implements the DbContext, or via dependency injection in the constructor using the options. The connection string property User ID needs to exist in the database and should have the create database rights.
Open appsettings.json and change its content as follow:
{ "Logging": { "IncludeScopes": false, "LogLevel": { "Default": "Debug", "System": "Information", "Microsoft": "Information" } }, "Data": { "StoreDbContext": { "ConnectionString": "User ID=postgres;Password=password;Server=postgres;Port=5432;Database=POSTGRES_USER;Integrated Security=true;Pooling=true;" } } }
Register the context with dependency injection
In order for our MVC controllers to make use of StoreDbContext we are going to register it as a service.
Open Startup.cs and add the following using statements at the start of the file:
using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration; using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection; using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore; using PostgreApp.Repository;
Now we can use the AddDbContext method to register it as a service.
- Locate the ConfigureServices method
- Add the lines that are highlighted in the following code
// This method gets called by the runtime. Use this method to add services to the container. public void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services) { //Add PostgreSQL support services.AddEntityFrameworkNpgsql() .AddDbContext<StoreDbContext>(options => options.UseNpgsql(Configuration["Data:StoreDbContext:ConnectionString"])); // Add framework services. services.AddMvc(); // Add our PostgreSQL Repository services.AddTransient<IStoreRepository, StoreRepository>(); }
The last updates we need to make are to the Configure method.
// This method gets called by the runtime. Use this method to configure the HTTP request pipeline. public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IHostingEnvironment env, ILoggerFactory loggerFactory, DbSeeder dbSeeder) { loggerFactory.AddConsole(Configuration.GetSection("Logging")); loggerFactory.AddDebug(); if (env.IsDevelopment()) { app.UseDeveloperExceptionPage(); app.UseBrowserLink(); } else { app.UseExceptionHandler("/Home/Error"); } app.UseStaticFiles(); app.UseMvc(routes => { routes.MapRoute( name: "default", template: "{controller=Home}/{action=Index}/{id?}"); }); // Create DB on startup using (var serviceScope = app.ApplicationServices.GetRequiredService<IServiceScopeFactory>().CreateScope()) { serviceScope.ServiceProvider.GetService<StoreDbContext>().Database.Migrate(); } }
This piece is necessary since we're planning to use code-first EF migrations. The "Database.Migrate()" piece is actually responsible for two things:
- Creating the database in PostgreSQL if it doesn't already exist
- Migrating the DB schemas to the latest versions
Entity Framework does not do this automatically, so this piece is necessary.
Setting Up Code-First Migrations
Let's add support for migrations to our project now. Remember in the previous section where we needed to edit the project.json file and added the "EntityFrameworkCore.Tools" JSON to the tools section? This is the part where that step comes in handy.
- Tools –> NuGet Package Manager –> Package Manager Console
- Run Add-Migration InitialCreate to scaffold a migration to create the initial set of tables for your model.
The output should reflect "To undo this action, use Remove-Migration." That means we're good. This option is available because we wired up the appropriate tool in the project.json file. If everything went well, you should have seen a new folder named "Migrations" created in our project along with two files: StoreDbContextModelSnapshot.cs and _InitialCreate.cs.
These files will be used when our application starts up in order to create a DB (on the first run) that is capable of housing our service's state. However, we still need to wire up both these migrations and the actual StoredDbContext within .NET Core's Kestrel engine.
Create a controller
Next, we'll add an MVC controller that will use EF to query and save data.
- Right-click on the Controllers folder in Solution Explorer and select Add ‣ New Item…
- From the left menu select Installed ‣ Server-side
- Select the Class item template
- Enter StoreController.cs as the name and click OK
- Replace the contents of the file with the following code
using System.Threading.Tasks; using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc; using PostgreApp.Repository; using PostgreApp.Models; namespace PostgreApp.Controllers { public class StoreController : Controller { private readonly IStoreRepository _storeRepository; public StoreController(IStoreRepository storeRepository) { _storeRepository = storeRepository; } // GET: /<controller>/ public async Task<IActionResult> Index() { var stores = await _storeRepository.GetStoresAsync(); return View(stores); } public IActionResult Create() { return View(); } [HttpPost] [ValidateAntiForgeryToken] public IActionResult Create(Store store) { if (ModelState.IsValid) { _storeRepository.InsertStore(store); return RedirectToAction("Index"); } return View(store); } } }
Create views
Now that we have a controller it's time to add the views that will make up the user interface.
We'll start with the view for our Index action, that displays all blogs.
- Right-click on the Views folder in Solution Explorer and select Add ‣ New Folder
- Enter Store as the name of the folder
- Right-click on the Store folder and select Add ‣ New Item…
- From the left menu select Installed ‣ ASP.NET
- Select the MVC View Page item template
- Enter Index.cshtml as the name and click Add
- Replace the contents of the file with the following code
@model List<PostgreApp.Models.Store> @{ ViewBag.Title = "Stores"; }
Stores

 Create New

 Id	 Name
 @foreach (var item in Model) {
  @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.Id) 	  @Html.DisplayFor(modelItem => item.Name)
 }

We'll also add a view for the Create action, which allows the user to enter details for a new store.
- Right-click on the Store folder and select Add ‣ New Item…
- From the left menu select Installed ‣ ASP.NET Core
- Select the MVC View Page item template
- Enter Create.cshtml as the name and click Add
- Replace the contents of the file with the following code
@model PostgreApp.Models.Store @{ ViewBag.Title = "New Store"; }
@ViewData["Title"]
 <form asp-controller="Store" asp-action="Create" method="post" class="form-horizontal" role="form">

 <input asp-for="Name" class="form-control" />

 <input type="submit" value="Create" class="btn btn-default" />

 </form>
The Program.cs file
We ended up with the following code for the Program.cs file. The interesting part is the UseUrls() which I didn't have while trying to make it run with Docker, then it wasn't bound to the right network, and the application wasn't accessible outside of the Docker container.
Now, we will change its content as follow:
using System.IO; using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting; using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration; namespace PostgreApp { public class Program { public static void Main(string[] args) { // Get environment variables var config = new ConfigurationBuilder() .AddEnvironmentVariables("") .Build(); // You need to add these lines for accessing outside of Docker var url = config["ASPNETCORE_URLS"] ?? "http://*:5000"; var env = config["ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT"] ?? "Development"; var host = new WebHostBuilder() .UseKestrel() .UseUrls(url) .UseEnvironment(env) .UseContentRoot(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()) .UseIISIntegration() .UseStartup<Startup>() .Build(); host.Run(); } } }
Each Dockerfile is a script, composed of various commands (instructions) and arguments listed successively to automatically perform actions on a base image in order to create (or form) a new one. They are used for organizing things and greatly help with deployments by simplifying the process start-to-finish.
In root of our app, create new file with its content as below:
FROM microsoft/dotnet:1.0.0-preview2-sdk # Set environment variables ENV ASPNETCORE_URLS="http://*:5000" ENV ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT="Development" # Copy files to app directory COPY . /app # Set working directory WORKDIR /app # Restore NuGet packages RUN ["dotnet", "restore"] # Open up port EXPOSE 5000 # Run the app ENTRYPOINT ["dotnet", "run"]
- Line 1: FROM directive is probably the most crucial amongst all others for Dockerfiles. It defines the base image to use to start the build process. It can be any image, including the ones you have created previously. If a FROM image is not found on the host, docker will try to find it (and download) from the docker image index. It needs to be the first command declared inside a Dockerfile.
- Line 4+5: The ENV command is used to set the environment variables (one or more). These variables consist of "key = value" pairs which can be accessed within the container by scripts and applications alike. This functionality of docker offers an enormous amount of flexibility for running programs.
- Line 8: The COPY instruction copies new files or directories from and adds them to the filesystem of the container at the path .
- Line 11: The WORKDIR directive is used to set where the command defined with CMD is to be executed.
- Line 14: The RUN command is the central executing directive for Dockerfiles. It takes a command as its argument and runs it to form the image. Unlike CMD, it actually is used to build the image (forming another layer on top of the previous one which is committed).
- Line 17: The EXPOSE command is used to associate a specified port to enable networking between the running process inside the container and the outside world (i.e. the host).
- Line 20: The ENTRYPOINT argument sets the concrete default application that is used every time a container is created using the image. For example, if you have installed a specific application inside an image and you will use this image to only run that application, you can state it with ENTRYPOINT and whenever a container is created from that image, your application will be the target.
Building an ASP.NET Core Image
Step 1: Open the "Docker Quickstart Terminal" from the start menu.
After a few seconds your Docker terminal should be ready. We can run the docker images command to see all the images:
$ docker images
Step 2: Build an image from a Dockerfile
We always have the dockerfile for our custom ASP.NET Core ready to go, we need to convert that dockerfile into the image by running the docker build command. Let's have a look this build command:
We'll change current path to project root:
$ cd /D/VS2015/Docker/PostgreApp/src/PostgreApp/
and ensure that Docker can see our project directory:
$ ll
We'll check the directory listing of the root directory of a typical Linux file system by using:
$ ls
So lets take a look how we can build and run our docker image.
$ docker build -t postgre-dotnetcore .
Check the image has been created correctly and is present in our Docker machine:
$ docker images
Okay cool, our image ready to run.
Now the next we're going to do is we are going to fire up a PostgreSQL database, and we're going to give it a name and any time we want to link a container to another container simply give it a name and then we can reference it by that name.
$ docker run -d --name my-postgres -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=password postgres
Alright, Lets run docker ps, and there we go, we can see that is now up
Containers can be linked to another container's ports directly using -link remote_name:local_alias in the client's docker run. This will set a number of environment variables that can then be used to connect.
We need the docker run command to build container, then we're going to link it again the postgre database.
$ docker run -d -p 5000:5000 --link my-postgres:postgres postgre-dotnetcore
So lets run off to the browser, and we'r going to add port 5000, and then we go.
Now, we can see the source code at here
As a result, Docker provides a great way to containerize so that we don't have to install anything we don't want. Also we can go in, stop the containers, remove them, and then remove the images.

subset: commoncrawl


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Eurocarves aren't just the best way to take out skiers, they are also the funnest way to style up your plain, boring old toeside carve.
(Narrating/Riding: Duncan Mainland. Filmed At: Whistler Blackcomb)
Step 1) Get Low
Before trying a Eurocarve, you should be comfortable cruising around on both your toe and heel edge. Ideally, carving these turns by getting low and adding pressure through your turns.
Get loe, get loe, get loe, get loe.
- On your toe edge, get as low as you can.
- Grab your heel edge with your front hand.
- Lean forward until your rear hand is just touching the snow.
Riding low like this will get your body comfortable on the extreme point of your toe edge. Once you have mastered this carve, you will be able to go full Euro.
Step 2) Learn The Lay Down
The higher you are, the farther you will fall. That's science b*tch! Try this on the flats to get the feeling of a Eurocarve and how to do them safely.
Position 1
- Lay down flat from the position in Step 1.
- Flex your abs, and keep your back straight.
- Keep your weight on your toe edge and your forearms.
Position 2
This will teach your body how to transfer your weight more forward than you ever have.
Step 3) Go For It
Once you've got the feeling of a Eurocarve and are comfortable getting a deep toeside carve, it's time to Euro. The only difference here from a deep toeside carve, is you need to extend your body on to the snow. And remember, grab onto the cuff of your jacket to stop some of the white stuff getting in.
Once you've got it all on lock, just go for it!
We agree, it is a super weird motion, but it's worth it! After enough times getting snow in your jacket, you'll improve your riding and start stomping the Eurocarve.
Want even more Snowboard Addiction trick tips, delivered straight to your inbox?
Alex McCann
Snowboard Addiction
Our Goal Is To Improve Your Riding!


text:
Exploring ideas, and the world, one drawing at a time.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
3 million
This week, I reached the milestone of 3 million views on Flickr.
That's a lot of looking.
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Noona's founder Hannah Bae sharply infuses touchstone Korean flavors into creamy ice cream. While the toasted rice is a fan favorite with a following all its own, the black sesame, and turmeric and honeycomb are just as wonderful.
- Eater NY, November 2017
When you hear about an ice cream flavor that's named "Sweet as Bae," you might think that Hannah Bae, the ice cream maker and founder of Noona's Ice Cream, is just as whimsical and fluffy. But this ice cream master is calm, grounded, and motivated by a deep sense of love and family.
- Korean American Story: Not Your Average Series, December 2016
Fellow ice cream enthusiast and popular Instagrammer Diane Sooyeon Kang, of A Korean Girl Eats, couldn't say enough about Noona's Ice Cream.
"I grew up eating toasted rice (Noo-Roong-Ji) and I never thought about making it into an ice cream flavor. When I tried it, I could definitely taste the toasted rice that I grew up with — but the fact that it was in ice cream form, and the texture was so creamy and smooth — it shows how Korean food is progressing," Kang said. "Now, there's a lot of refinement to the type of cuisine that I grew up eating."
- CBS Local, October 2016
Hannah Bae's Korean-inspired ice cream. Her newly formed company of just four months, Noona's Ice Cream, was serving up some seriously inventive flavors. The one that made me the most slap happy? Definitely the Toasted Rice. The minute it hit my lips, my tastebuds did a little happy dance. It was so toasty and creamy - two things I wouldn't normally pair together. It was sweet but not overpowering because the nuttiness of the rice really came through. Hannah told me it's because she slowly toasts premium rice and then steeps it into fresh organic cream. Hold on, just have to wipe up my drool.
- Petrone on the Rocks, October 2016


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When you need a good laugh: "Listen to Your Mother"
"Listen to Your Mother," a national touring comedy show featuring local authors writing about motherhood, is back on the stage this weekend.
This year's Austin show features cast members Lane Buckman, Lisa Caldwell, Lee Hovland, Tonie Knight, Elizabeth Jayne Liu, Brooke Meabon, A'Driane Nieves, Leah Nyfeler, Shelley Oswald, Lisa Owen, Jill Robbins, Crystal Valentine and Leigh Ann Torres.
You can find the show 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday at the AT&T Conference Center. Find tickets and information here.
It benefits Hand to Hold, a nonprofit that supports families who have had children in the neonatal intensive care unit and/or a medically fragile child. I wrote about that organization's founder in February. Read that story here.


text:
A rainy day post
Plaid Tea Cozies
Vegetable Knitting Patterns
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Get up early to go to the Farmer's Market before the crowds.
Have another cup of tea.
You are loved.
It will be okay.
at 12:47 PM
2 comments:
- Elizabeth Switzer said...
you are most definitely loved. and it will certainly be okay. xo
- June 6, 2010 at 9:11 PM
- shanna said...
love you. it's going to more than okay.
plaid tea cozies?
- June 7, 2010 at 9:24 AM
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What is the supplement ZMA?
ZMA is a scientifically designed anabolic mineral formula. It contains Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate plus Magnesium Aspartate and vitamin B-6, and is an all-natural product that has been clinically proven to significantly increase anabolic hormone levels and muscle strength in trained athletes.
An increase in exercise can lead to the loss of vitamins and minerals, making it particularly important for bodybuilding due to the blood sugar level rises and urination increases, increasing the loss of magnesium, zinc, B12, B6, folic acid, and many other nutrients.
What are the benefits of taking ZMA?
Obviously, the main benefit from increasing testosterone levels is increased strength and muscle mass. Users of ZMA have often reported the following effects:
- Increased muscle mass
- Increased strength
- More energy
- Increased libido
- Elevation of mood (testosterone has been used to treat depression)
- Deeper and longer sleep
What is the scientific evidence supporting ZMA?
There is a large amount of evidence supporting ZMA. Recent studies have shown that Zinc and Magnesium are often deficient in athletes and supplementing with ZMA can increase testosterone levels by up to 30%!
Lorrie Brilla, PhD, a sports performance researcher at Western Washington University, recently reported that ZMA significantly increase free testosterone levels and muscle strength in NCAA football players.
These ZMA study results were presented by Dr. Brilla on June 2, 1999, at the 46th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle, WA, and were published in the official ACSM journal, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol. 31, No. 5, May 1999.
Lorrie Brilla reported that:
"A group of competitive NCAA football players who took ZMA nightly during an eight-week spring training program had 2.5 times greater muscle strength gains than a placebo group. Pre and post leg strength measurements were made using a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer." The strength of the ZMA group increased by 11.6% compared to only a 4.6% increase in the placebo group.
"The muscle strength increases may have been mediated by the anabolic hormone increases in the ZMA group. The ZMA group had 30% increases in free and total testosterone levels compared to 10 percent decreases in the placebo group… The ZMA group also had a slight increase in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels compared to a 20 percent decrease in the placebo group. This study shows that anabolic hormone and muscle strength increases can be induced in already strength-trained athletes by using a novel zinc-magnesium preparation."
What is the proper dosage for ZMA supplements?
ZMA supplements come in pill or capsule form. It's typically taken once to twice daily, prior to training and on a empty stomach before bed. Dosages may vary between products, always follow the instructions on the label.
ZMA supplements and side effects?
ZMA is made from all natural ingredients and has no known side effects. It is safe for both men and women.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Dancers from Adell's School of Dance performance/competition team recently held a fundraiser that raised money for their team while supporting their community. The fundraiser was successful and resulted in an impressive donation of $4,430 to Niagara Hospice, while also raising much-needed funds for the dance team to offset the cost of costumes, workshops and competition fees.
The dancers sold Mighty Niagara Discount Cards to their families and friends. The cards, offered by Niagara Hospice, offer discounts to local restaurants and businesses and are sold by local organizations as fundraisers while a portion of each sale is donated back to Niagara Hospice.
The dancers began with 400 cards and quickly sold out, requesting more cards to sell. A total of 886 cards were sold.
Stephanie DePadre, who has two daughters on the dance team, coordinated the fundraiser along with Adell's School of Dance owner Adell Manarino.
"At Adell's School of Dance, you learn more than just dance. Our passion is contagious," Manarino said. "All of our dancers played a big part in selling the cards and raising money for hospice."
The Mighty Niagara Discount Card fundraiser is an opportunity to raise money for schools and organizations while benefiting Niagara Hospice. For information about the fundraiser, call Maureen Rizzo at Niagara Hospice at 716-280-0728.
Niagara Hospice has provided end-of-life comfort, care and support since 1988 to more than 25,000 Niagara County individuals and families faced with terminal illness. No one is ever denied hospice care due to inability to pay. For more information, visit www.NiagaraHospice.org or call 716-HOSPICE.


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The hand surgeons at the Fishers office treat patients from Carmel, Anderson, Noblesville and Fishers Indiana.
To schedule an appointment at one of our offices, call us direct at (317) 875-9105 or toll free at (800) 888-HAND. You may also call the office directly using the numbers below.
Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center
St. Vincent Medical Center Northeast
13914 Southeastern Parkway, Suite 201
Fishers, IN 46037
(317) 653-2446


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The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has installed the Unit 2 Steam Generators at the Barakah nuclear power facility
The two SG units, made of stainless steel, have been manufactured at South Korea's Doosan Heavy Industries, which is part of ENEC's Korean Prime Contractor Consortium. The generators were shipped to Barakah in Abu Dhabi and installed in the Unit 2 Reactor Containment Building.
ENEC CEO Mohamed Al Hammadi said, "This is an important milestone in the continued progress and delivery of ENEC's second unit, which is scheduled to come online in 2017. As with all of our work at Barakah, I am proud to see the team continue to deliver these significant achievements with safety, quality and performance as top priority at all times."
The steam generators act as heat exchangers, where the water carrying the heat generated from the nuclear reactors is used to convert demineralised water into steam. This mechanism keeps the water in the reactor and turbine separate. The steam generated is then used to spin a turbine that drives a generator to produce electricity. Each of the steam generators contain numerous tubes that carry heated processed water at high pressure. These tubes are made of an alloy composed of nickel, chromium and iron, making them corrosion-resistant even at high temperatures, revealed ENEC.
ENEC officials have also stated that additional piping connection work will take place over the next six months to connect the generators to the Unit 2 Reactor Vessel, turbine generators and a condensor, in order to allow water and steam to pass in and out as needed for the production of electricity.
Alain Charles Publishing, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London, SW1W 0EX, UK
T: +44 20 7834 7676, F: +44 20 7973 0076, W: www.alaincharles.com


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Spinal conditions can be just as unique as the people who are living with such conditions, meaning treatment options aren't always the same for everyone. While spinal conditions likely to respond to more conservative treatments like OTC medications or a little rest really don't require a second opinion, there are some spinal conditions that tend to require some extra input before deciding on a treatment.
Non-Specific Lower Back Pain
If you've been diagnosed with non-specific lower back pain, treatment options are likely to vary widely from one specialist to the next. It's a good idea to make an effort to narrow down the cause of your back pain, which may be related to some forms of cancer or other conditions having nothing to do with your spine. Seeing one or more doctor in this case can ensure proper treatment options are presented.
Disc Herniation
When diagnosed with disc herniation, it's a good idea to seek a second opinion if spinal surgery becomes an option. This is especially true if you've been diagnosed with a "possible herniated disc" without any confirmation from an x-ray or MRI.
If fusion surgery of the spine is discussed, you'll definitely want to seek a second – or even a third – opinion since fusion surgery to maintain the stability of the spine following the removal of a damaged disc(s) is major surgery with potentially serious side effects.
For conditions like scoliosis and kyphosis (abnormal curvatures of the spine), a second opinion is certainly an option, but not usually required if it's clear that the curvature of the spine is worsening and causing chronic pain.
Other Considerations
Regardless of your spinal condition, however, it's a good idea to consider a second opinion if:
- You have lingering doubts about any recommended surgery
- You feel that there are other treatments that may help including non-traditional remedies like acupuncture that your doctor isn't willing to recommend
- An experimental spinal treatment is recommended and you'd feel more comfortable with traditional options
- You have other medical issues that may be affecting, or possibly complicating, your spinal condition that aren't within your doctor's areas of expertise
If you're seeking a second opinion for your spinal condition, reach out to The Spine Institute Center for Spinal Restoration and schedule an in-person consultation with Dr. Hyun Bae, a conservative spinal surgeon in Santa Monica that specializes in minimally invasive and non-fusion treatment options. Call (310) 828-7757 and schedule your consultation today.


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Star Trek TNG Garden Gnomes
Hat. Pointy. Small.
- Choose Picard, Riker, Data, Worf, or Borg
- Made from durable cast polyresin, which will last for years
- A ThinkGeek exclusive!
Hat. Pointy. Small.We here on Earth, don't need to travel to Risa to experience the beauty of nature. And, unlike the crew of the Enterprise, we don't need a hydroponics lab (or a holodeck) to grow a garden. Adorn your own garden or container plants with a ThinkGeek-exclusive Star Trek: The Next Generation garden gnome or two. Or, if gardening isn't your thing, the gnomes make excellent companions at your desk or dining table. We hear they are also fun at parties, perhaps in your own personal Ten Forward.
Similar to the Star Trek:TOS set of gnomes, there are five TNG gnomes to choose from. The text on each base reads:
- Picard – Engage!
- Riker – Set beard to stunning
- Data – My neural pathways have become accustomed to your sensory input patterns
- Worf - ghIqtal (To the death!)
- Borg – We are the Borg, resistance is futile.
Product Specifications
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Garden Gnomes
- Officially-licensed Star Trek: The Next Generation merchandise
- A ThinkGeek exclusive
- Choose from Picard, Riker, Data, Worf, or a Borg
- Reenact your favorite TNG scenes
- Perfect for yard art, garden companions, indoor décor, or party decorations
- Could be used as a paperweight for your next Star Trek fan fiction
- Materials: Durable cast polyresin
- Dimensions: Riker, Borg, and Worf are 9.5" tall, Picard is 8" tall, Data is 10" tall
- Weight: ~1 lb. each


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Blades vs. Edmonton Oil Kings -- measuring-stick game
The Saskatoon Blades (2-4-0-0) are back it tonight for a road game against the Edmonton Oil Kings (3-2-0-0), where they'll be looking to put a miserable 10-1 loss to the Swift Current Broncos behind them.
Before last night's trouncing, 19-year-old wingers Brent Benson and Jessey Astles spoke about using the game against the Oil Kings — last season's WHL champions and a pre-season favourite — as a measuring stick for their own performance.
"It's going to be a big game for us," Benson said. "Obviously they had a good team last year and they have a lot of guys coming back. It's a tough building to play in.
"They're very high-paced games against that team," said Astles, who scored his first goal with the Blades in last night's loss. "They basically have the same team as last year. They have a lot of skill with good defencemen. I'm sure it'll be a good game."
Like the Blades, who are 0-3 at Credit Union Centre, the Oil Kings have had their struggles at home.
Although they're 2-2, the Oil Kings have lost their last two games at Rexall Place. According to the Edmonton Sun's Robert Tychkowski, that's something they didn't do at all last season when they went 29-5-1-1 on home ice.
"It's kind of seems like that for us too," Benson said. "It's the start of the year and we're not playing consistent hockey right now… You want to elevate your game, but in this league anyone can beat anyone. But for sure, you always want to knock off a top team."
Added Astles: "I want to get in there and wear their defencemen down and cause turnovers. That's basically what my line is out there for — to cause a raucous and produce energy."


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Located on 200 acres near Batesville Indiana this is a family owned winery. For Indiana Native & Founder Tom Ertel, Ertel Cellars Winery is a dream come true.
Tom's nephew, Dusty Hoff, has primary responsibility for maintenance of the vineyards and assisting the master winemaker.
Tom's sister, Patti (Ertel) Hoff, is responsible for the business office activities.
(l to r) Tom Ertel and Brian Ahaus. Brian joins Ertel Cellars Winery with 15 plus years experience of winemaking. His wines have won many awards.
We invite you to tour our cellars, enjoy a meal, raise your glass in celebration...and return often.
Sign up for our Email Newsletter
© 2007 Ertel Cellars Winery


text: Using the Trailer Equipment Guide, learn the standard size and weight capacity for each type of trailer and determine which one is right for you. From Dry Vans, Reefers, Containers, Tankers, Hoppers, Flatbeds, and Drop Decks, we have it all outlined in this guide. Download the Trailer Equipment Guide and contact one of our brokerage sales representatives by phone, fax, e-mail, or social media for questions and free freight quotes. (This guide is offered as a reference tool only).


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Author has written 25 stories for Romance, Young Adult, and General.
Breathtakingly Gorgeous is also posted on my FF.net account if anyone happens to stumble upon it and thought it's been plagiarized. :D
Plagiarized Works
- Breathtakingly Gorgeous by ArShi90 on india-forums.com []
I've contacted the web but this website is annoyingly confusing to navigate. She's also plagiarized other authors (the list can be seen here)
ask.fm/xoxluurve -- FAQs
found.eventually (18)
JaneBarrie (6)
Lilith Rei (16)
MadameLeQueen (16)
Pinkamoo (48)
rosieroo (21)


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TestCollections HP2-B112 Questions are updated and all HP2-B112 answers are verified by experts. Our product comes with free 90 days update so you will always get latest HP2-B112 questions. You can download HP2-B112 products instantly right after purchase
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text:
Taynuilt Trees
Bareroot native tree nursery in Taynuilt, North Argyll (seed zone 106). All stock is grown outdoors, from locally collected native seed. Hardy, high quality trees and a friendly personal service. Hedging, amenity or forestry trees. No order too small, islands or mainland. Nursery inspections welcomed by appointment.
Tel: 01866 822591 Email: email@example.com
Address: Taynuilt Trees, Keepers Cottage, Taynuilt, Argyll, PA35 1HY


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I love tote bags. Love them and need them. I always carry a tote bag with me in my purse/handbag (what ever you want to call them). I also love leopard print. And the saying: Love, Rage & Liberation. And I love Pippi Longstocking. So this tote bag is next to perfect.
And yes..that is my foot in the picture
I thought the back needed a little something, so I added an applique heart. Kinda cute, right?


text: Portal Brasil – Rio de Janeiro – 25-26 July 2010 || The fourth meeting of BASIC country Ministers on climate change took place in Rio de Janeiro on the 25th and 26th of July 2010. H.E. Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Acting Minister of External Relations of Brazil, H.E. Izabella Teixeira, Minister for Environment of … Read More →


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"Star Wars: Rebels" 2.7– Stealth Strike (8.5 out of 10) – Based on characters and situations created by George Lucas; Starring: Freddie Prinze, Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Taylor Gray, Steve Blum, Tiya Sircar, David Oyelowo; Rated TV-Y7, Aired on Disney XD 11/25/15.
This review contains spoilers.
"Stealth Strike" is the latest episode of "Star Wars Rebels" and it's a lot of fun. Ezra volunteers to accompany Sato on a mission but en route they are pulled out of hyperspace by the Empire's prototype Interdictor Cruiser.
Sato, Ezra, and the crew of their ship are captured aboard and Hera sends Kanan, Chopper, and Rex as a team to go rescue them.
The episode is a standard "Star Wars" rescue plot, replete with Stormtrooper disguises, bridges with no hand rails, Imperial super-weapons, and a bunch of Imperials too arrogant for their own good. It's equal parts, suspenseful, humorous, character building, and intriguing in how it advances the overall state of the galaxy. Seriously, the closest thing I can conjure this episode feeling like is "A New Hope," but in ways it's more rich because it has so much more story behind it for us.
The relationship between Kanan and Rex is something that adds such a wonderful dynamic to the show since the last time Kanan interacted with Clones, they were hunting him down in the wake of Order 66. Forcing him to face that fear of betrayal with Rex and melt back into some of his old Jedi habits is good for him. For Rex, it's a chance for him to prove his worth and loyalty to a cause that betrayed him.
For Ezra, he's coming into his own as a Jedi and a leader, but because of his age, he's constantly being under-estimated, which works to his advantage.
One of my favorite things about this episode was that they brought Interdictor Cruisers into the canon. These were some of my favorite ships in the old West End RPG and it delights me to no end to see them paying so much respect to that original world building. This really is the "Star Wars" universe I'm most familiar with and I feel very much at home here.
The effect of the Interdictor was truly stunning as well, that rainbow kaleidoscope effect, as the ships were being pulled out of hyperspace, is truly beautiful to look at, but what was even cooler was the explosion that destroyed the whole ship. Joel Aron's crew is doing some of the best work of their lives on the explosions for this show and they just keep getting better.
More than that, I love how this episode illuminates what the Empire is up to as they wait for the Death Star to complete its construction. They aren't sitting around, hoping to keep all the systems in line, they're coming up with all kinds of nasty little toys to oppress the galaxy.
And that makes me wonder if we'll see the Imperial Senate on this show in the days before Palpatine dissolved it. I'd really love to see that, though somehow I doubt it, unless it's through the eyes of Bail Organa and the context of the Rebellion. But, you never know, maybe Mon Mothma could show up here sooner or later. Or Ackbar. Or any other number of luminaries of the Republic we've not yet seen.
For the nostalgia of this episode and the spinning wheels of thought about the galaxy this episode sent me toward, I'm giving it an 8.5. It was funny, well paced, and meaningful.
And it had probably one of the best set up and timed jokes in the series. The set up? Kallus telling Admiral Titus not to underestimate Ezra Bridger. The pay off? Kallus jumping into the sector to find everything destroyed, save for a single escape pod containing Admiral Titus.
Brilliant. Simply brilliant.
Season 2 Scorecard:
- The Siege of Lothal (10 out of 10)
- The Lost Commanders (7.5 out of 10)
- Relics of the Old Republic (8 out of 10)
- Always Two There Are (8 out of 10)
- Brothers of the Broken Horn (8 out of 10)
- Wings of the Master (8.5 out of 10)
- Blood Sisters (7 out of 10)
- Stealth Strike (8.5 out of 10)
Season Average 8.18 out of 10
Previous Post: 'Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur' #1 Review
Next Post: 'The Good Dinosaur' Review


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Improved interface. Mostly good malware removal. Good results from independent labs. Decent spam filter. Minor effect on system performance.
Complete malware removal required third-party assist. Poor malware blocking. Retro firewall defaults to no program control. Rudimentary new parental control system.
Bottom Line
This suite has some good points. The labs like it, it didn't put much of a drag on the test system, and malware cleanup was mostly good in my tests. However, other sub-par components make it a poor choice.
A lot has changed since I reviewed version 4 of ESET's security suite in early 2009. However, there aren't a lot of differences to note in ESET Smart Security 5 ($59.99, direct; $79.99 for three licenses). It does include a kind of parental control now, but its antivirus didn't do nearly as well at protecting a test system from attack by my current collection of threats.
Similar Products
In version 4, ESET offered a simple interface and an advanced interface, as well as a very complex advanced setup. Version 5 has removed the advanced interface and tamed the advanced setup, to a degree. Most users will only need to open advanced setup on advice from tech support.
Uneven Antivirus
The suite's core antivirus protection is exactly the same as that provided by ESET's standalone antivirus. I'll summarize my findings here; for full details please read my review of ESET NOD32 Antivirus 5 ($39.99 direct, 3 stars).
Some problems installing and scanning with the product were solved by running a full scan in Safe Mode. However, one persistent threat triggered a request to reboot for full cleanup over and over, endlessly. Tech support only managed to fix this problem by using a third-party cleanup tool.
Overall ESET detected 88 percent of the threats and scored 6.5 points for malware removal, the same as AVG Internet Security 2012 ($68.99 direct for three licenses, 3 stars). It detected all of the scareware and rootkit threats and scored 9.5 for scareware removal and 6.7 for rootkit removal. Norton Internet Security 2012 ($69.99 direct for three licenses, 4.5 stars) scored a perfect 10 for scareware removal and an impressive 8.9 points for rootkit removal.
For an explanation of where the score numbers come from, please read How We Test Malware Removal.
ESET Smart Security 5 malware removal chart
ESET turned in a poor performance in my malware blocking test. One identified threat managed to install and run despite repeated attempts by ESET to stop it. Its overall score for malware blocking and its breakout scores specifically for rootkit blocking and scareware blocking were all either the worst or second-worst among suites tested with my current malware collection. For an explanation of how I derive these scores, see How We Test Malware Blocking.
ESET Smart Security 5 malware blocking chart
ESET's technology rates better with the independent antivirus labs, especially those that use static tests of its ability to recognize thousands of inactive viruses and other malicious files. All of the labs I follow do test it, and its results overall are good. For an explanation of how I interpret the different types of tests, see How We Interpret Antivirus Lab Tests.


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share:Remind Me
- 22 year-old Margaret Kerry (who measured 35-25-36) was the real-life model for Tinker Bell.
- Although original author J.M. Barrie is credited, this is the only major film version of "Peter Pan" which does not use any of his original dialogue. Even the live-action musical versions use Barrie's original dialogue.
- Kathryn Beaumont, who provided the voice for Wendy, also performed the live action references. In an interview, she said she had to hold out her arms and pretend to fly for all the scenes requiring it.
- In compliance with the tradition of the stage version, the same actor, Hans Conried, performed the roles of both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook.
- The melody for "The Second Star to the Right" was originally written for Alice in Wonderland (1951) for a song that was to be called "Beyond the Laughing Sky".
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5 Reviews
Fill up with AlpineAire's hearty Spaghetti Marinara with Mushrooms after a long day backpacking. It's quick to make, easy to clean, and has a warm tomato and herb sauce that's simply delightful in cold weather.
- Spaghetti marinara
- Tomato and herb sauce
- Sliced mushrooms
- Item #AIR000H
Tech Specs
Gearhead Help
Tech Specs
- Reviews
What do you think about this product?
Have questions about this product?
I guess it was edible
- Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer
Tasted like garbage. I was hungry and will damn near like any thing but this was psuhing it
So so
- Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
It seems like a common theme with backpacking food. If you use the recommended water amount, it turns into a soupy mess. This is no exception on the Spaghetti Marinara. It could be much better if you don't douse it.
Just eat it.. you're in the mountains.
so good
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
i loved this in the Grand Canyon it was really easy to prepare
the noodles are like macaroni i will get this again. I like it better than the mountain house...
- Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
I ate this for one meal while backpacking the West Coast Trail. It wasn't my favorite but wasn't bad.


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Thursday, May 31, 2007
I love good, fast service & shipping!
So anyway I just wanted to say WHOO HOO, thank you Tiger Direct. DH will install my fan tonight and I'll be back in business. I've been working in the studio creating since I don't have the computer for a distraction (wow, what a concept!) and I have some pictures of some fun things I've created for Etsy.
In the meantime here's a small collage of flowers in my yard that I put together a couple years ago. Enjoy!
Monday, May 28, 2007
Computer Withdrawal
When I awoke this morning my sweetie told me my fan had burned out. (I personally still think HAL had something to do with it because I work him so hard). And of course the closest town being an hour away and not real large, we could find no fan to fit my computer. NO FAN!!! No fan = no computer!
There is one place I'm going to try tomorrow, a computer repair shop that of course, being a holiday, was closed today. But if he doesn't have one I'll have to order online and I'm probably looking at a week before I'm back up and running.
I'm already suffering withdrawal symptoms. So, how are you able to post this on your blog you ask? Well, we have his and her computers and I'm borrowing sweetie's...until he kicks me off. :-) But all my images are on my computer, and of course, Murphy's Law being what it is, I came home from fan shopping to find I have a sweet customer on Etsy who placed an order and I can't get to the images to print to ship to her. ACK!!
I can get to our personal photos on sweetie's computer so I'm doing the only thing I can do without access to my computer and my images...I'm posting pictures of my Graciekitty.
These were taken last year when I was redoing the computer room. I happened to walk into the room and there she was sitting on top of my ladder studying that ceiling fan pull.
I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend!!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
I'm going to cheat...just a little
1. I intensely dislike mayo, put mustard on my sandwich and spread it from edge to edge! Put mayo on anything I order in public and I will gladly send it back.
2. This Oct I will have been in my current home for six years. It will be the longest I've lived in any dwelling in my entire life.
3. I've lost 25 pounds since January and haven't felt deprived. And I'm proud of it!
4. I've been an ex-smoker for fifteen years now and I'm proud of that also!
5. I met my husband in a dance club. He had a blonde sitting in his lap but it was the brunette who captured his heart. ;-)
6. I used to have a malted milk ball addiction and to this day I don't dare pick up a bag because I can't stop at just one.
7. I have a fear about anything happening to my hands or my eyes that would stop me from being able to create.
O.K. that's it, for better or for worse. :-)
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
New Designs for Etsy
I did get a couple new designs done so that's something! I'll be listing them on Etsy. Last week it seemed every time I listed a collage pack it was gone but I listed a blue and a pink last night and tonight I have a neutral to list so maybe there will actually be some in my shop.
Romantic Keepsake Box (& a little surprise inside for the purchaser)
Paris Mini Notecards (blank inside)
Monday, May 14, 2007
ZNE Design Challenge for May
And here are mine
Thursday, May 10, 2007
New Book, Collage Packs
I have started adding co-ordinated Collage Packs to my Etsy shop. I have more to list but everytime I've put one up it has sold quick. Believe me, that's not a complaint! :-) I'm just saying if you travel on over to my Etsy shop and don't see any it's because it sold. With Etsy I've found it's better to not list everything at once or your listing gets buried very very fast. I've been told to list a few at at a time. So, it may take me a bit to get the Collage Pack inventory built up. Here are pictures of some that have sold and some that are still to be listed. And don't worry I'm making more! ;-)
New Altered Book Listing
I have a new altered board book on Ebay. Another book dedicated to sisters. I just can't help myself. I so enjoy being a sister. These pictures are the front and back cover. Every page is done using my new digitally designed papers of which you can find in my Etsy shop. (I still have more to list). And you can check out the listing on Ebay to see the inside pages :-)
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Teaching and a Faux Finish
My friend Liz is moving to a new studio (she teaches decorative painting) and wanted something special done to a wall in the new studio so I stayed an extra couple days and she helped me do a sandstone faux finish. I love this finish, it's very versatile depending on what color glaze you apply on top. Here's a couple pictures of the finished wall. The color is actually a bit more yellow than these are showing.
See all that wonderful light and space! I told Liz I was envious! ;-) By the way she inheirited those two behemoth desks from the former tenant and it took 3 of us and some of those sliding pads to budge them even a couple feet. My word, I've never met such heavy desks!
Monday, May 7, 2007
Grand Opening ~ Shabby Cottage on Cafe Press
And of course as in all things, this shop will grow and evolve beyond what it is at this moment of it's birth. But I will stay true to my love of vintage and collage. Below are just a few teaser designs you will find at Shabby Cottage. Right now I think I stand at about a dozen different designs on all kind of product, from tote bags, to journals, to mousepads, and yes, the inevitable t-shirts and hoodies.
So please Come visit my store on CafePress! and think about me at gift giving time. (Raising eyebrows Groucho Marx style) ;-)
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Word of the week
I began thinking about things that brought me comfort. They really aren't big things, or expensive things, and many times they're not even things. So, since I was just tagged I thought I'd approach the word comfort by listing some of those things that give me comfort or I take comfort from. :-)
* Coming home from an out of town trip and climbing in my own bed at the end of the day.
* Coming home from out of town and having my husband hug me and say "I missed you."
* Walking around my house after I've just given it the Olympic cleaning it so needed and everything is so neat and clean. (mind you, I'm not saying it lasts!)
* A good medium rare steak/roast and baked potato with sour cream
* Just about anything chocolate
* Climbing into bed at night when the sheets are fresh from the laundry, a nice rain is falling on our tin roof and I have a good book in my hand
* A book so good I feel like I'm living inside it and not just reading it
* A cup of hot chocolate and buttered toast when it's cold outside
* Tomato soup and crumbled crackers
* My cat laying on my shoulder purring in my ear, my dogs hugs and kisses
* My yard after it's just been mowed
* An unexpected long distance phone call from a good friend
There's more, but I've bored you long enough. Sometimes life is just good isn't it?!
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Tagged on my Birthday
I like the idea. it sounds fun and as MaryAnn of Backwoods Creations so aptly put it "it promotes a connection and community". And we ALL need that...don't we?!
So, here I go with my 7 random facts (hmmm, thinking as I'm writing):
Today's my birthday. I turned 55. I'm not sure how I got here. Yesterday I was a mere 30!
I hate to drive... but of course I can't afford a chauffeur
I'm a sentimental fool who weeps at the drop of a hat
I love mornings but I'm not a morning person
I don't do well in the midst of chaos
I would secretly love to be one of those people on What Not To Wear who gets a total makeover
I've never gone a week without a book to read since I was in the fifth grade
Well, that didn't take to long. Hope I wasn't to boring. And now it's my turn to tag 7 people. :-)
Loudlife - Laurie Blau Marshall
Keep Your Panties On
Kris Hubick ~ Retro Cafe
Altered Kat
Eccentricities Studio
Kristin Chadwick Creations
Images by Kim ~ Mixed Media Collage Artist
Hopefully they'll all take it in good fun. ;-) And I'll be back with another posting and some pictures. I've been trying to get caught up after an out of town trip.


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Learning Loft Educational Programs
The St. Gabriel Learning Loft Preschool is a Christ-centered, comprehensive preschool that offers a loving experience to help transition your child into the world of education.
Our highly qualified teachers receive training to keep current with new concepts in the field of preschool education. This is then translated into the classroom setting so your child will be exposed to various ways to express creativity, methods of learning and play.
In our centers-based curriculum, students learn through active exploration and interaction in a hands-on environment.
We use the Ohio Department of Educations Early Learning and Development Standards. These include:
Time to be determined dependent on enrollment.
Optional Spanish is available for parents to register their children at an additional cost. This fun and interactive class is taught by Jecci Garcia Moncada Research shows that learning a second language at an early age can be very beneficial. The Spanish Program is offered to the 4 & 5 year old students. The class is taught half-hour once a week before or after the preschool class. During the class children learn Spanish through playing and singing. They also make crafts and practice writing skills with the Spanish alphabet.
Learning Loft Daily Schedule
Learning Loft students can expect to follow this general daily schedule:
Circle Time
Reading stories, reviewing activities for the day, theme for the day, finger plays, songs, religion, and prayer
Discovery Time
One on one academic activity with teacher, math or literacy activity, art project, writing center, building center, table work
Gross Motor Time
Great room, outdoor activities, dancing, tumbling
Snack Time
2nd Circle Time / Science
Experiment / Directed Activity
Spanish (optional)
St. Gabriel Catholic Church
9935 Johnnycake Ridge Road
Concord Township, OH 44060
School Phone: 440-352-6169
Week Day After School Hours: 440-354-7843 (until 6 pm)
Learning Loft PS Phone: 440-354-7574
Fax: 440-639-0143


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AltcoinTech Stories
IOTA (MIOTA) Tests The Tangle To Prove It's The Only DLT That Actually Matters
After a tough year of research & development, the Berlin-based non-profit, IOTA Foundation managed to pull a series of development protocols allowing the German IoT-focused Foundation to reach a point where it will be interacting with global industrial, banking, and governmental leaders in order to upscale the way machines interact with each other, perform payments using MIOTA, IOTA's native digital currency, as well as act on their own, using the Internet Of Things as their network, without mortal interference.
Blockchain technology is currently sitting on the verge of technological advancement. Every single industrial sector is now doing its research on how to implement this disrupting tech in order to take their production process to the next level, eliminating transaction fees and time, while having the ability to distribute confidential corporate data securely, cheap, or in IOTA's case literally feeless, and of course, instantly.
After years of intense research, and diplomatical battles with various academic, media and tech industry representatives, IOTA finally manages to leave all that behind, proving their allegations regarding Tangle's functionality and security wrong.
According to a recent announcement, IOTA Foundation's Research & Development Departement conducted a series of simulations to test Tangle's performance under various circumstances proposed as "lethal" to the network by various legal entities, including MIT's Digital Currency Initiative (DCI), and UCL's Center for Blockchain Technologies (CBT).
"We analyze the Tangle DLT (distributed ledger technology) using both analytical tools and numerical simulations. Recently, IOTA Researcher, Alon Gal, published a blog post about confirmation rates in the Tangle where he discussed the weighted-walk based consensus mechanism. Likewise, Professor Serguei Popov and his Ph.D. students published an article about the equilibria in the Tangle. You can read the two-part blog post explaining their findings here and here." – Bartosz Kuśmierz
The latest blog post by Bartosz Kuśmierz, member of IOTA Foundation also contains a research paper discussing the results of numerical simulations of a continuous-time model of the Tangle.
Why is this important?
Despite the fact that MIOTA managed to maintain a strong +170% during the latest surge upwards, the latest, undeniable facts that Tangle is really capable of supporting the entire vision of IOTA's initial white paper, is probably the basic component for this historic moment for IOTA.
Unlike most blockchain-powered platforms, IOTA's own network, the Tangle uses a slightly different approach when it comes to DLT, using a protocol called DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph), where there is no need for miners to confirm the transactions taking place within the network, the Tangle has infinite scalability unlike Bitcoin and/or most of traditional blockchain-based protocols, and it is probably the one and only digital currency with its own network that has literally 0 transaction fees.
That makes it the perfect match as for the platform the upcoming machine economy should be using for maximum efficiency.
The set of tests designed to simulate the Tangle under various circumstances, including network pressure tests, reliability and security tests, as well as other tests that proved everything ever conspired against IOTA or its functionality completely wrong if not irrelevant from the beginning.
"Q" or Qubic brings smart contracts to the Tangle.
One of the main reasons IOTA's community remained faithful to the project all these years is Qubic, or simply Q. The most anticipated project of the Foundation is now live and working.
Q brings smart contracts to the Tangle, meaning that third-party companies could create reward, token, digital economy systems within the Tangle, which offers the ability to have infinite transactions with the lowest delays possible, with literally 0 fees.
In opposition to Ethereum-based ERC-20 smart contracts, the Tangle does not require you to issue a token and/or have a price for it. You could simply use the Tangle to distribute confidential documents in an instance, with maximum security, and 0 fees, as the government of the Netherlands already does.
For the first time, IOTA is able to combine 3 different aspects of their foundation, distributed ledger technology, and their own network, the Tangle, Oracles in Qubic and next-generation smart contracts, the Internet Of Things (IoT), to create real-life use cases that can be adopted by every modern smart city and beyond.
Let me know your thoughts on IOTA and which industrial sectors do you think it will affect in the immediate future?
Reporting for Tech News Leader, Ross Peili


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Main course
Amberjack Fish, Roe Deer With Cherry And Jerusalem Artichoke Sauce
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Creative sushi recipe with roe deer, amberjack fish and artichoke sauce, by the famous Italian chef Moreno Cedroni
For the roe deer sushi
- Roe deer filet 500 g
- Thai marinade 250 g
For the salsify
- Salsify (black root) 100 g
- Extra-virgin olive oil 30 g
- Thai marinade 100 g
- Thyme To taste
For the Jerusalem artichoke sauce
- Jerusalem artichoke 600 g
- Fish broth 450 g
- Extra-virgin olive oil 200 g
- Garlic 4 g, minced
- White pepper 1 g
- Salt 6 g
For the black sesame
- Black sesame seeds 75 g
- Soy sauce 25 g
- White vinegar 25 g
- Extra-virgin olive oil 25 g
For the cherry sauce
- Cherries 500 g, cleaned
- Water 175 g
- Sugar 120 g
- Lime juice 3 g
- Lemon juice 10 g
For the amberjack fish
- Amberjack 200 g
Info box
- Preparation time
- Cooking time
- Recipe category Main course
- Recipe yield 4
- Recipe cuisine Italian
Roe deer sushi
Vacuum pack the salsify with oil and a thyme branch, cook for 45 minutes at 85°C.
Once cooked, cut first in oblique slices, then julienne and marinate in the Thai marinade for 24 hours.
Prepare the sauce by dicing the Jerusalem artichoke into 3cm pieces, then immerse in boiling water for 7 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare a soffritto of garlic and oil and add the drained Jerusalem artichoke along with the salt, pepper and fish broth.
Bring to a boil and then mix in a blender for at least 3 minutes.
Pass the mixture through a sieve.
This should give you about 1 kg of sauce that may be diluted with 30g water for each 100g of sauce.
Black sesame
Toast the black sesame seeds and place them in a container with soy sauce, vinegar and olive oil.
Cherry sauce
Prepare the cherry sauce by cooking all the ingredients together for 5 minutes then acidulate it with the lime juice.
Amberjack fish
Cut the fish into thin slices, about 20g each, and the roe deer into thin slices about 5g each.
Complete the dish
Place three slices of amberjack fish and three slices of roe deer and dress it with the Jerusalem artichoke sauce and a pinch of salt.
Decorate the dish with black sesame seeds, the candied salsify, cherry pieces and cherry sauce.
pentester12345 said on


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BBC Kinyarwanda hosted a forum to discuss the allegations made by Dr. Theogene Rudasingwa implicating Kagame in the 1994 shooting down of the then President Juvenal Habyarimana's plane. Invited were three distinguished presenters: Noel Twagiramungu, a human rights activist and a PhD candidate at Tufts University; Janvier Forongo, head of Ibuka, an organization representing Tutsi survivors and Etienne Masozera, a former head of Ibuka.
The forum was characterized by the mixture of heated diatribes and some reasonable reflections. Despite the shortcomings, I think it is promising that such conversations are being held. Similarly, it is regrettable and shameful that there is no space in Rwanda to advance such debate due to severe constraints on free speech.
It another impediment against our desire to overcome the vicious cycle of violence.
Do Rwandans have a right to study and reflect on their history? I think very few people would disagree. Are there some dogmatic truths about Rwanda that are immune to inquiry? I think the answer is in the negative. The history of the genocide is still young, it is not a saturated field and new information keeps emerging. How can we say that it is a closed file? Why would contributing to such a debate be construed as criminal?
I raise these questions because they are part of the shadow that follows every debate of Rwanda's history. Much of the BBC's debate actually circled around these questions.
Janvier Forongo, who was the first to speak, did not address Rudasingwa's claims directly. Instead, he discussed the broader question on whether the genocide would have happened with/out Habyarimana's death. On his part, Forongo believes it would. His evidence is based on the fact that Tutsis were victims of killings repeatedly since 1959. He argues that targeting of Tutsis as a people precede Habyarimana's death.
Now, most and in fact perhaps all of the points Forongo makes are valid and reasonable. However, Forongo's excellent exposition of Rwanda's history has nothing to do with Rudasingwa's claims. Rudasingwa (himself a Tutsi) is not denying Tutsi victim-hood—the very reason why he took up arms to fight Habyarimana's government. Neither is he denying that the genocide was planned. His revelation hinges on one historic fact: the April 6th assassination of Habyarimana. He argues that Kagame is responsible for this attack; and more importantly, that he did so with full knowledge that such an event would trigger mass killings (of Tutsi).
Etienne Masozera, while also maintaining that the genocide was prepared in advance, admitted that the killing of the Habyarimana was the final straw. He also sought to make a distinction between the historical attacks against Tutsi people throughout the post-independence period and the 1994 genocide. He argued that the previous attacks were not systematic i.e. carried out throughout the country. He sees the murder of Habyarimana as an important historical event that needs to be understood, in order to add perspective to Rwandan history. I found his position to be sensible, although he was much to my disappointment also unable to weigh in on the validity of Rudasingwa's claims.
Noel Twagiramungu stated the importance of a dispassionate analysis on Rwandan history. In particular, he cautioned what he regards as heavy reliance on emotions rather than reason. I agree with this. I think, individual experience, clouds us from having a collective sense of history. Of course, Masozera is also right that we should learn to let individuals tell their personal suffering—rather than seeking to tell the story on their behalf. An important addition, I think, is that a balance will need to be made between the personal experience and the collective experience. Otherwise, as far as building history goes, we remain doomed.
However, unless you are among those who shot the fateful missiles or were among those planned/witnessed the event, your experience is of little value in regards to this matter. Rudasingwa's testimony is important because of his past credentials. Otherwise, no one would be paying attention to his claims. I wish Kagame had been called in to respond. But the man is contemptuous of debate, especially with people who "don't belong in [his] league". And, apart from Rick Warren and Tony Blair, no one does. Will he ever respond to Rudasingwa's claim? It depends. Circumstances change and so does history. For now, we will have to wait.
Lastly, some of the attacks advanced by Forongo are simply a reflection of intellectual laziness. To claim that Rudasingwa is revealing this information in order to "feed his belly" is disingenuous. Forongo insists that Rudasingwa is in the pay of Habyarimana's family. What might be credible is Masozera's observation that Rudasingwa's testimony might be motivated by a desire to revenge against Paul Kagame's regime. However, for anyone to take Forongo's outrageous claims seriously, he will need to back them with evidence. Otherwise, many Rwandans will treat his portrayal of Rudasingwa as malicious character assassination.


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This article is from my January 2016 Newsletter. To Read the Entire Newsletter, please click here and please remember that ALL of this information is copyright protected! Thank you!
Start Your Year off Right with Feng Shui
The New Year is a time for letting go of the old and making way for the new. It is a time of cleansing, healing, and hope. In order to start the year off right, we must assess what is and is not working in our lives, let go of what no longer serves us, cleanse our own energy and the energy in our homes, and put forth our intention for the year to come. Here are four very important steps that will help you make 2016 your best year yet!


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The Herald
Vuso Mhlanga Review Correspondent
Zimbabwe is about to implement a new education curriculum which will, among its core objectives, facilitate development and empower students to be self-reliant.
At this point, an education curriculum model spearheaded by Jehovah's Witnesses, with traceable and measurable results, becomes pertinent. The Witnesses print socially relevant evangelical and educational material in many Zimbabwean languages.
Few people are acquainted with the educational work undertaken by Jehovah's Witnesses possibly because of the prejudices people circulate about the religious organisation.
The Witnesses are known as a fairly widespread organisation with their main Zimbabwean branch in Westgate.
They are active in the area of Bible educational work, but it is also insightful to note that they have sponsored a comprehensive education programme aimed at educating the whole person.
The education is tailor-made for the learner's specific needs and a student can learn at his or her own pace, free of charge.
An individual can learn using the language he is comfortable with, as materials are printed in virtually all the languages spoken in Zimbabwe, including English , Shona and Ndebele.
Marginalised languages such as Chichewa, sign language, Chitonga, Ndau, braille are also used in the evangelistic and educational materials.
They have practical and accessible literature for the youths, married couples , the old, and address virtually all aspects of being ; physical , spiritual and emotional.
The Witnesses believe that education should help a person to acquire work skills and habits such as honesty and industriousness, and help one to benefit emotionally, and to find meaning and purpose in life.
They also subscribe to the notion that education should not be merely theoretical, but help one for day-to-day living.
The approach taken by the Witnesses toward education and the values they attach to Education is aptly captured in one of their publications, "Jehovah's Witnesses And Education" wherein they quote "The World Book Encyclopaedia": ''Education should help people become useful members of society.
It should also help them develop an appreciation of their cultural heritage and live more satisfying lives''
The Witnesses have endeavoured to do so. Among their ranks are young ones who have benefited from the education offered in the Kingdom Halls of Jehovah's Witnesses, as their places of worship are fondly known.
Simple in design, but efficient , the Kingdom Halls serve as centres of Education and reference because of their comeliness, in sprawling communities where dozens of these centres are erected.
The mainstay education component that has helped many youths is The School Programme that has helped many in honing skills in public speaking and heartfelt , clear and fluent reading.
Every week the school is conducted and a qualified teacher gives helpful, balanced and progressive counsel to the learners.
The learning include theory in the different aspects of reading and writing, fluency, modulation , use and observance of diacritics (that is punctuation elements that include use of the period, exclamation marks, parenthesis, and other elements of punctuation)doing research, posture, dress and grooming, use of gestures and others; but much of the curriculum is hands-on practical education.
The student on the school programme is given an aspect to work on, say, reading with warmth and feeling, he practices beforehand and comes and present the assigned material before the audience.
Many who were apprehensive of public speaking have benefited through constant practise. Others also have battled with stuttering and shyness. They have learnt to be natural and the environment does not nurture competition, but learners do encourage each other.
Without the skills of fluent reading and good study habits, school may be a nightmare for many students, but the school curriculum has helped many to take a positive view toward their learning as evidenced by this observation in "Questions Young People Ask , Answers That Work": ''It's hard to be motivated to do well in school if you have a negative view of learning.
"So try to see the big picture. Seeing the value of ploughing through certain subjects may not be easy. Why? Because not everything in your curriculum may seem relevant — at least now. Still, an education in a variety of subjects will enrich your understanding of the world around you," the book says.
That may resonate with the New Curriculum blue Print that will shape the education landscape of the nation from 2016 onward.
In primary school, more subjects were introduced that include science and technology, sport and Heritage studies. That is a comprehensive package of beneficial education.
The Witnesses though have long been doing that. They have long stressed on the need for inculcating skills among youths, especially the skills of a practical trade on which to subsist , such as carpentry, Para-legal studies, construction, painting and so on, taking cognisance of an ever-shifting job market constantly affected by new technological trends.
The Witnesses have taken great pains in endeavouring to do so, using every method to that end; radio broadcasting, television, and the prominent and rich website called jw.org.
In the realm of culture, the youths have a lot to learn. For one thing, they are taught to cultivate a positive self image of themselves and to appreciate their roots and their heritage that may be reflected in a multiplicity of ways such as, dress and grooming , mannerisms , song and dress.
Since the Witnesses stream from a multitude of cultures, everyone including youths is taught to be inclusive, while cognisant of his or her unique being, and to build the fact that no race is superior to the other.
It is common cause that at the International Convention of the Witnesses held in August 2014, in Harare, where delegates came from lands afar , including Europe and The Americas , the unity which obtained there was outstanding, especially in a world which attaches undue importance to exclusivity.
The national educational blueprint also attaches importance to youths to undergo a specific period of learning and acquiring life skills, where learners are expected to go for attachment.
This gives learners a feel of what the real world looks like. The other objective is to imbue among learners a sense of pride and accomplishment, which is a special ingredient in a youth if he or she is to develop a balanced emotional make up, and if he is to build a sense of responsibility and well-being.
The Witnesses have long stressed the importance of involving youths in reasonable but fulfilling work. So parents of Witnesses have been urged to involve their young ones in the cleaning of the Kingdom Halls, at home and in Bible education for which they are also beneficiaries.
The education Programme undertaken by the Witnesses has also focused on parents. Yes, parents have homework too. They have a role to play in the education of their kids and are reservoirs of much needed emotional insight and support. They also have material prepared for them that help them to take care of their needs and equip them with knowledge that enables them to understand their children.
For instance, parents are urged to work with the teachers of their children and create synergies of symbiosis.
A case in point is the instruction for parents to regularly commend their children. They should commend the whole person and avoid flattering comments like,'' You are a natural genius.''
This kind of comment may stroke their vanity and make them believe that they are better than others and that they do not need to put any effort in order to succeed. That poisonous mentality works to no good for the learners.
So far this article has focused much on the youths, but the Witnesses have also educated married couples.
In a land where divorce is on the gallop, they have material that touch on the heart of many issues leading to divorce that include; financial matters incompatibility, emotional problems and imbalances, according respect to the other mate, and dealing with the extended family.
A seasoned lawyer, Mr Obert Gutu with over 25 years of legal practise writing in The Herald of Monday December 28, 2015, blamed alarming divorce figures on the declining role of religious institutions.
Among the Witnesses though divorce is not so widespread. True, Witnesses are people with their own follies, but the education they receive strengthen their marriages especially when they take to heart to the admonition to be unselfish and generous and dealing with each other.
The education system advocated by the Witnesses is over-arching and holistic; as they have helped many to repair their lives and to shed off destructive habits and dispositions such as, alcoholism, smoking, envy, jealousy and consuming hatred.
They have also visited prisoners and helped them to see a better future beyond stealing and to acquire a positive work ethic even when they are still behind bars and chains.
As the nation stand poised to experience a new education blueprint, the example of the Witnesses education which seeks to educate the whole person is a beacon of inspiration.
Vuso Mhlanga, the writer, writes in his own capacity and his ideas do not represent those of any organisation. Feedback ; [email protected]


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