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Collecting, cleaning, displaying, researching, and appreciating TRIVETS and related go-withs!
Over the past several years, I've helped my wife Lynn create books about collecting trivets, stands, and irons. I've taken thousands of photos for her and have developed some expertise on the subject. In this photo, I'm using my Nikon D90 DSLR and light tent to make trivet photos for her most recent book. (Click on the photos to enlarge.)
Do you need a lot of high end equipment and software to make nice photos of your collectibles? Not at all. The intent of this article is to give beginning photographers a few hints that should make their photos much better. If you really get into this (or need an excuse to buy more photo gear), then you can try the high end methods. But that's an article for another day.
Now, please don't take this wrong, but many times collectors send Lynn photos for use in her books or on the web and these can sometimes take quite a bit of touch up to make them look good enough to use. Of course, these come from other collectors, not photographers. They're experts in collecting, not photography. Helping her with these photographs inspired me to write this article to explain the basics of how to make good collectible photos.
So, do you collect something? Would you like to show off your collection with the best possible photographs? Here are some Collectible Photography hints based on my experience as a published trivet photographer.
You may already have a camera that you can use to photograph your collectible items. The original version of this article advised against using cell phones and web cams, and this is still true for web cams. But you can make very nice photos now days with a recent model cell phone.
If you use your cell phone, spend some time learning about its options and capabilities. You'll want to know how to focus up close up and ideally adjust exposures. You may also want to take advantage of things like "portrait mode" (if your phone has it) to blur the background in your images.
If you already have a digital camera, it probably has what you need. Once again, learn how to use it so you can take advantage of all its modes. If you want to get a digital camera, you don't have to spend a fortune – many entry level cameras from major manufacturers will have what you need to make a good collectable photo. Talk to your photographer friends or even the salesperson at the store. Let them know what you're going to use it for. Insist on a model that includes a macro (close-up) mode.
These are the two main things that contribute to a good photograph – sharpness and exposure.
Several things can make your photo blurry (unsharp): The resolution of your camera, focus issues, or motion blur are some examples.
Does your camera have enough megapixels? Like I said, most modern cameras do (6 MP or more). The more megapixels your camera has, the larger you can display or print your photo. Here is an example of a low resolution photo.
Your camera has picture quality settings. It allows you to change a setting and use fewer megapixels and / or higher compression when you take photos – in order to save space. If you want the best quality photo, you don't want to save space. Make sure you understand how to select the highest resolution and highest quality settings on your camera, and use them for collectible photography.
Here is the same image as a high resolution file. Much more detail is visible due to the greater resolution.
Is your photo in focus? Most digital cameras will indicate when they are in focus by beeping or briefly changing the color of the focus icon in the viewfinder. Is the right thing in focus? Make sure you have the focus icon on the point where you want it to be.
Here is an example of an out of focus photo (the camera was too close to the trivet):
If you're having problems with focus, are you too close? Cameras have a minimum focus distance. If you move your camera any closer, your photo won't be in focus. If your camera has a macro mode (usually indicated with a flower symbol), use it for close up shots.
And here is a second photo, but this time it's in focus because I used the camera's built in macro mode:
Motion Blur
A blurry photo can also be caused by motion. If your hand isn't t steady, any shakes can transfer to your camera and blur your shot. To eliminate this, make sure image stabilization is turned on if your camera has it. You can also steady your camera with a tripod (you might want to look for something called a Gorilla Pod – it works well with small cameras) or rest it on something stable.
Motion blur looks a lot like a focus problem, but sometimes you can tell the difference because with motion blur the image will streak in one direction.
You can also use your camera's flash if it has one or increase the sensitivity of the sensor (look in your manual for how to change the ISO settings). This will reduce the amount of time that the shutter is open and therefore reduce the amount of motion blur in the photo. Note: Be careful not to increase the ISO too much, as this can lead to increased noise in your photo (speckles).
What can make your photo too dark or too bright?
Most modern cameras do a pretty good job of auto exposure. If your photos are too dark or too bright, first check to make sure you're using auto exposure mode.
Too Dark
If your photos are too dark, you may just not have enough light. Turn on more lights in the room, go outside, or use your flash. You can also increase your ISO as discussed above.
Too Bright
If your photos are too bright, your flash or the sunlight may be overpowering the sensor. Try turning the flash off or taking your photo indoors. Did you remember to reset your camera's ISO to normal after you changed it last? If the ISO setting is too high your photos could come out too bright. Finally, are you making photos of dark objects against a dark background? This can make a camera overexpose. Try switching to a white background and see if it works better.
Finally, you can adjust the brightness level of your photos a little bit on the computer. Get a program like Photoshop Elements and learn how to use the levels tool. As you can see, improper exposure can greatly affect the appearance of your collectibles and is a very important part of making good photos.
There are a few other things that can make your collectible photos better.
White Balance
Sometimes the white balance of a photo can be off and this can create a color cast – making things look too blue or reddish. If this is happening to you, check that your camera is set on auto white balance. Using the flash can also help with this, since it may overpower the other light in the scene and provide a known white balance for your camera. You can also correct this to some degree in Photoshop. One helpful hint: If you use a white background for your photos (I usually use a piece of white felt), this can make it easier to correct the white balance in your software, since you'll have a known reference to use. If you still have problems you'll need to control the lights you use or learn about custom white balance. Both of these are a bit beyond the scope of this article.
The white balance in this photo is way off, distorting the colors of the trivet:
And this is what it looks like when the color balance is correct. Quite a difference yes?
Shiny or metallic objects are often difficult to photograph too. Light tends to reflect straight back to the camera, making portions of the object way too bright. To help with this, use large, diffuse lighting and carefully position the collectible and the lights to reduce the reflections. An example of diffuse lighting would be from a window out of the direct sunlight, or the light tent I use, shown in the first photo. You also need to be careful about any objects reflected back in the surface of your collectible. Having you or your camera show up in the object could distract from the beauty of your collectible.
Composition is how the subject of your photograph is placed within the frame. The way you compose your photos can make a big difference in how they are viewed. Do you want to show off a single object in great detail? Or do you want to show it in context with similar collectibles or as it's displayed in your home? Think about this as you're getting ready to make your photos. Try to exclude everything from your photos except what you want to photograph. Simpler is often better.
OK. Now you've got some great, sharp, well exposed photos showing off your collectibles. You can share them with friends, post them on the Internet, use them in on-line auctions – and your things will look better than ever! And if you enjoy nature photography, you're invited follow my ongoing Blog, Central Florida Photo Ops. Now go take some photos!


text: I am a rural sociologist, working as an NGO activist since 1977. Instrumental in initiating National Development Foundation an NGO which facilitated organising and mobilising people's organisations to renovate ancient minor irrigation reservoirs in the dry zone of Sri Lanka for cultivation and ecological enhancement. An action research practitioner and a PRA follower who believe empowering people, especially women, for democratic good governance. Served as an exco member of the Asian Cultural Forum on Development (ACFOD), which was having consultative status with FAO, ECOSOC and UNICEF, and was elected as the Coordinator of ACFOD in 1998 and was based in Bangkok. Have worked with hundreds of NGOs and was the founder Secretary of the National NGO Council of Sri Lanka. At present active in sharing social, economic, political, cultural development and environmental information through Asian Network for Culture and Development which was founded for the purpose. A facilitator in institutional capacity building and HRD.

subset: commoncrawl


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Help Index > Export list via USB
Step 1: Lanuch the app, choose and enter the list you want to export. Then tap the button on the bottom-left corner.
Step 2: Tap Export List.
Step 3: Tap USB.
Step 4: Wait until the export file is saved in the File sharing folder successfully.
Step 5: Access the export file in iTunes.
1. Connect your iphone to your computer via the Dock Connector USB cable.
2. Launch iTunes and go to the Apps tab for your iPhone. Scroll down to the File Sharing section at the bottom of the window.
3. From the left column of the File Sharing section, select All-in-1 List app.
4. From the right column, select the export file you want to transfer. Click the Save to… button. Alternatively, you can drag the desired document to any Finder location.
5. The last step is to wait. There will be a several second lag, as iTunes prepares to do the transfer. Finally, iTunes initiates a sync and the selected file is copied to your computer.


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Friday, 11 July 2008
Imaginary Pregnancy Signs
Cannot believe I am taking my temperature each morning. I am so over it!! Is my body really that foreign to me that I don't know when I ovulate? It must be. I feel like my body and I are individuals, maybe even strangers. My head is starting to spin thinking about all the new things I'm trying this month on top of the old things; taking temperature daily, keeping excel spreadsheets of daily temperatures, checking my cervical mucous for stretchiness, using sperm friendly lubricant, taking liquid vitamins full of fish oil and folate, visualisation techniques and moonstone crystals in my bra. The list goes on and on. However I'd much rather stick a thermometer in my mouth and take vitamins than insert a needle into my arm daily or have horrid medical instruments in my vagina!
The dreaded 2WW begins. I started recording my EPS (early pregnancy signs), although I quickly rename this to IPS (imaginary pregnancy signs) after visiting TTC forum again. Women in there are nuts, as am I!
5DPO; pains in lower pubic region.
6DPO; frequent urination but my intake of fluid remains the same.
11DPO; notice a 'dark' change in nipple area.
13DPO; Craving ice-cream. Must be pregnant!
14DPO; Buy a HPT on the way home from work but too scared to do it. Hate seeing the blank white space where a 2nd line should appear. I talk myself into waiting til the following morning should my temperature still remain high. That way more of the pregnancy hormone is built up in my system.
15DPO; Wake up at 4am with cramps. Visit the loo and say "Hi" to AF once again. Is it too early for comforting Sauvignon Blanc?
Posted by Stalking a Stork at 14:19
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Are "Mental Disorders" Bad?
In my two earlier posts on the DxSummit.org site, I called for the creation of The Classification and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Concerns (CSM). In the first of my earlier posts, I pointed out in some general ways the various reasons why the CSM would be more practical and consistent with the principles of science than the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). In my second post, I explain how the CSM addresses the following concern about the DSM:
The DSM purports to be, first and foremost, a diagnostic manual. But the DSM uses a descriptive approach that attempts to be neutral with respect to theories of the nature and cause of the various "disorders" that it describes. Therefore, referring to the DSM as a "diagnostic" manual is contrary to reason.
In today's post, I explain how the CSM addresses the concern that the DSM promotes the simplistic notion that the experiences to which it assigns a mental disorder label are "bad" experiences.
"Mental Disorder" as Something Bad
In physical medicine there is general agreement between the doctor and the designated patient as to what is bad. If I go to my doctor and express a concern and he or she runs some test and then tells me I have a broken bone, I contracted yellow fever, I developed a cancerous tumor, or I have ingested a toxic substance, my doctor and I will almost always be in agreement that something bad has occurred. In contrast, when it comes to mental disorders there is a history of great disagreement between people about whether or not the expressed concern indicates that something bad has happened to the designated patient.
Doctors used to diagnose slaves who ran away as having a mental disorder. Did slaves who escaped to freedom believe there was something wrong with them? I don't think so.
Many gay people preferred to view their sexual preference as a difference, rather than a mental disorder. Such denials by gay people that there was anything wrong with them led many psychiatrists to insist for many years that this was even more proof that "homosexuality" was indeed a mental disorder.
I just asked a group of people who have been provided the so-called diagnosis of Asperger syndrome how they felt about being viewed as having a mental disorder. Most told me that they despise it and view themselves as having some differences that often provide a degree of benefit.
The experience of depression may be the result of some events that are viewed as bad. At the same time, there are many narratives in which creative people, as they experience sadness, anguish and tears, find that these experiences deepen their concerns, deepen their search for understanding, and from this come valued outcomes.
Often people who are labeled as having schizophrenia believe there is nothing wrong with them but their family members disagree. And people "diagnosed" with bipolar are often ambivalent about their pattern of experiences, feeling that it is more aptly construed as an artistic temperament that opens doors to creativity while acknowledging rough periods as well. The concern model used in the CSM, in contrast to the mental disorder model used in the DSM, makes no assumptions that the underlying experience that leads to an expressed mental health concern is bad.
The problem of pathologizing human experiences was perhaps most eloquently expressed by William James over one hundred years ago (Rubin, 2000).
In The Varieties of Religious Experience, each time an experience is described by someone in pathological terms, James (1902/1961) quickly points out that whereas such terminology can suggest that the experience is all bad, it might actually lead to some valued fruits. Thus, James discusses individuals who view themselves as "healthy-minded." These individuals believe that those who worry are "morbid-minded" and "diseased" (pp. 78-114). James responds to this name calling by stating that those referred to as morbid-minded have argued that "the world's meaning most comes home to us when we lay them most to heart" (p. 116). After describing the argument between the so-called "healthy-minded" and the "morbid-minded," James then states:
In our attitude, not yet abandoned, of impartial onlookers, what are we to say of this quarrel? It seems to me that we are bound to say that morbid-mindedness ranges over the wider scale of experience, and that its survey is the one that overlaps. The method of averting one's attention from evil, and living in the light of good is splendid as long as it will work. It will work with many persons; it will work far more generally than most of us are ready to suppose; and within the sphere of its successful operation there is nothing to be said against it as a religious solution. But it breaks down importantly as soon as melancholy comes; and even though one be quite free from melancholy one's self, there is no doubt that healthy-mindedness is inadequate as a philosophical doctrine, because the evil facts which it refuses positively to account for are a genuine portion of reality; and may after all be the best key to life's significance, and possibly the only openers of our eyes to the deepest levels of truth. (p. 140)
Now, let's jump from James's day back into the present day. The first article that appears in this month's American Psychologist is titled, "Professional Psychology in Health Care Services: A Blueprint for Education and Training." (Health Service Psychology Collaborative, 2013). In its abstract, we are informed that an inter-organizational effort "was initiated to address mounting concerns related to education and training for the professional practice of psychology (p. 411, my emphasis).
Please note in the above quote the use of the words "address mounting concerns." We see here that this team of professionals interested in Health Service Psychology had no need to first make up some mental disorders to help them to come up with some recommendations to improve what has been going on in their field of interest. Similarly, there is no need to pathologize human experiences for mental health practitioners to address the concerns of individuals who come to them for assistance.
With the CSM, we can address a concern that mental health clients express without first insisting something is bad or wrong with the client. Even if we were to find a biological difference that is correlated to a specific concern that is expressed by a minority of individuals, this would not make the concern a mental disorder. Republicans express some different concerns than Democrats. If the majority of Americans belong to the Democratic Party and we find a clear biological difference in the brains of Republicans when compared to most Americans, this would not mean, according to the CSM, that all Republicans have a diagnosable mental disorder. We could address their concerns just as well without first resorting to such name calling.
The expression of mental health concerns are tools. A hammer is a tool that can be used to drive in nails in the construction of a life-preserving shelter or to bludgeon an innocent person to death. A car is a tool that can be used to rush a child to an emergency room so that life-preserving treatment can be administered in the nick of time, or it can be used to tragically end a prom night. Similarly, mental health concerns can be used for good or evil. It is time that our profession fully recognizes this, and the creation of the CSM would help us to do just that.
Health Service Psychology Education Collaborative. (2013). Professional Psychology in Health Care Services: A blueprint for education and training. American Psychologist, 68, No. 6, 411-426.
James, W. (1902/1961). The varieties of religious experience: A study in human nature, New York: Macmillan.
Rubin, J. (2000). William James and the Pathologizing of Human Experience. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 40, 176-226.
About Jeffrey Rubin
Jeffrey Rubin, PhD, has taught conflict resolution at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, as well as at other institutions including clinics, correctional facilities, and public schools. Additional professional roles over the years have included counseling and school psychology evaluations. Dr. Rubin publishes a weekly blog titled Name Calling, Insults, and Teasing: A Guide to Anger, Conflict, and Respect that features suggestions for working through conflict and supporting respectful relationships (drjeffreyrubin.wordpress.com). His professional journal publications include "William James and the Pathologizing of Human Experience" and "The Emotion of Anger: Some Conceptual and Theoretical Issues." He has also authored several novels, including A Hero Grows in Brooklyn and Fights in the Streets, Tears in the Sand.


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Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Extreme Measures
Chapter Analysis of Extreme Measures
Click on a plot link to find similar books!
Plot & ThemesTime/era of story - American "wild west" era Forbidden/mismatched love? - Yes How mismatched? - poor loving rich Making a living subplot - Yes Making a living: - attempting to get higher position
Main Male CharacterProfession/status: - business executive Age/status: - 20's-30's
Main Female Character- 20's-30's Profession/status: - accused criminal
SettingUnited States - Yes The US: - West
Writing StyleAccounts of torture and death? - no torture/death What % of story is romance related? - 70% Focus of story - equally on him and her How much dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Books with storylines, themes & endings like Extreme Measures
|Nobody's Darling by Teresa Medeiros
|Thunder on the Plains by Rosanne Bittner
|Coming Up Roses by Alice Duncan
|Beneath a Silver Moon by Deborah Schneider
|Flame by Connie Mason


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Monday, 18 June 2012
Honduran Baleadas
I love Mexican Quesedillas and this Honduran version is a delicious variation on that type of meal! Homemade tortillas filled with refried beans, sour cream and feta cheese - yummy! And the tortillas are surprisingly easy! I have included the overall recipe and then below is the recipes for the tortillas and homemade refried beans!
Taste - ****
Speed - **
Repeat - Yes!
Assemble Baleadas
adapted from whats4eats
serves 2
1 x quantity of refried beans
4 tortillas
Sour Cream
70-80g feta cheese
1. Scatter 1/4 of the refried beans over one half of a wrap, scatter with 1/4 of the feta and drizzle with sour cream. Fold over and repeat with other 3 tortillas
2. Enjoy!
Homemade Flour Tortillas
adapted from whats4eats
makes 4
1 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2-3/4 cup of milk
1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl
2. Stir in 1/4 cup milk
3. Add oil
4. Continue to ad rest of milk until you have a smooth but not sticky dough (I used just over 1/2 cup in total)
5. On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth
6. Leave to rest for 30 minutes
7. Weigh dough and divide into 4 equal sized pieces
8. Roll out very thinly (as thin as you can! - about 1/16")
9. Heat a frying pan (dry). Add tortilla and cook for about a minute on each side until puffed and browning
10. Repeat for all tortillas
Refried Beans
recipe adapted from Good Food
serves 2
1/4 onion , finely chopped
1/2 garlic clove , finely chopped
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
200g kidney beans , rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1. Fry the onion and garlic until softened
2. Add the cumin seeds
3. Add the kidney beans, paprika and a splash of water and heat through
4. Using a potato masher, mash the bean mixture whilst it is still in the pan until you have a rough puree
(If you prefer your food spicier, up the paprika here!)
Love Rebecca
Linking up to a selection of these great Link Parties
2 comments:
Sounds like a great meal to me! I love quesadillas, too, and can't wait to try this version. Pinned! :)ReplyDelete
My daughter is the quesadillas queen, can't wait to show this to her! I've never made the refried beans from scratch but I think we'll have to give it a try, your instructions make it sound easy! Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for visiting Heron's Crafts! I love receiving your comments - and try to answer to all comments received by email! Have a great day!
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Welcome to the IIT Career Services website and thank you for taking an interest in the success of your student. Below are some examples of ways that you can get involved.
How Can I Help with My Student's Career Goals?
- Encourage your student to a Career Services coach and attend workshops starting their first year on campus and to explore a variety of career fields and occupations.
- Discuss your experiences in school and the job world, your successes, and learning moments, as well as your experiences with interviewing, networking, negotiating, and furthering your career.
- Do you have friends or family members in your student's field of interest? Help arrange informational interviews in related career fields.
- Take the time to initiate conversations with your student about career-related issues and challenges, and listen to their points of view.
- Know that career exploration is just that -- a journey in which we may change directions as we discover our true passions, interests, and talents. Support your student in discovering and mapping out his or her goals and aspirations, both personal and professional.
Give a Job - Recruit Our Students
If your company or organization is interested in hiring Illinois Tech students and alumni, register for a free Handshake account. You can post an unlimited number of jobs and internships as well as search resumes from our diverse student body. Email email@example.com for more information. If you or your company is interested in recruiting Illinois Tech students, visit our recruitment page.
Get Involved!
If you are interested in volunteering at the Career Services office, please contact us. We value collaboration with professionals of all industries and so will our students.
Join our Parent Network
If you are interested in getting monthly news and updates about events around the campus, you can learn more about Illinois Tech's Parent Network on the Office of Campus Life website and you can sign up for Tech Connect, the Parent Network Newsletter, here.


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By George Parker III, special to Land Line
The "Liberty and Justice" military tribute truck owned by OOIDA Member Tom Liegel and wife Billie was easily the most photographed bobtail at Guilty by Association's 2015 truck show. More than 4,000 square feet of vinyl covers the 2007 Kenworth T2000 with patriotic images ranging from the War of Independence to Iraq war photographs of relatives recently, and currently still, deployed with the Army.
Thomas shared the task of researching and collecting pictures with Billie for more than six months before a design was finalized and their vision was actually realized. It's clear a deep respect for family military service is one of the driving forces behind their tribute. Images of military headstones for Thomas's grandfather and great uncle are perfectly fitted on each side mirror, and give the whole presentation a quiet respect the Leigel family feel that all veterans and service members deserve.
It's easy to see why the truck evokes strong emotions - telling the American story of 10 wars and her brave men and women who fought them in a vast panorama of color that takes time to fully appreciate and absorb. LL


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My Reviews of the Best Coffee Grinders in the UK 2017
A lot goes in to making the best cup of coffee. The two things we can control are the grinding process and the brewing process. We rate and review some of the best coffee grinders for home use in the UK market in 2017.
The Verdict: Coffee grinders
Taking all into account you can't beat the model from Sage. The super slick LCD interface and gorgeously modern appearance are supplemented by the vast choice of settings, which puts this grinder head and shoulders above its rivals, with an aromatic arabica in hand.
Types of Coffee Grinders
For those of you shopping for your first coffee grinder, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different types that are available for purchase. Those types are electric burr grinders, electric blade grinders, and manual grinders.
Krups Burr Cup Coffee Bean Grinder
For perfect coffee, too much grinding is as bad as too little – only just right will do. This electric Burr Coffee Grinder from Krups guarantees a uniform grin while retaining all the flavour and aroma of the beans, for the perfect brew.
Best Hand Coffee Grinder 20– Reviews of the Best Manual Coffee Grinders
A good cup of coffee is not easy to come by, and if you are a lover of all that is coffee you are probably picky about your grinds.


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NLP – Neuro Linguistic Programming
We offer two levls of NLP course. The standard 4 day Practitoner level and the 6 day Advanced (Masters) level.
Both of which may be completed by Home Study.
The 4 day attendance course is included in the Clinical Hypnotherapy course – across 2 weekends a month apart. You can read about it by following the link at the bottom of the page.
Master NLP Practitioner; Neuroscience NLP
6 Day attendance plus some home study
This incredible NLP Master Practitioner course takes you from basics to master very quickly. It will cover all the basics of the 'standard' 4 day NLP programme with Master NLP stuff too. But it is delivered with all the neuroscience and evolutionary psychology behind what is happening. This will allow you to the use processes better as you will know what is going to happen and for your client to understand what is happening to them.
All of the below will be explained in terms of neuroscience. It would be very useful to have completed the Light Your Brain Up – Basic Neuroscience course. It is not compulsory but highly recommended.
Content and Structure
For this NLP Master Practitioner course you will receive a set of DVD's of a live 4 day NLP Practitioner course. This is to be watched prior to attendance as it will teach you the basics of NLP. I will be spending the attendance time in supercharging you to a highly skilled Advanced Master Practitioner with not only the knowledge of an NLP Master Practitioner but also the real Neuroscience behind how it works.
I am not going to list in detail all the NLP processes covered – a list most of the topics is given below. Right at the end of this page is one process that is incredibly powerful.
- Rapport
- Representational Systems
- Advanced Sub-modalities
- Goals
- Well Formed Outcomes
- Perceptual Positions
- Parts Integration
- Time based Re-Patterning
- Language and Influence
- Quantum Linguistics
- Taking control of your thoughts, emotions and behaviours
- Take control of your beliefs to empower yourself
- Discover the Incredible power of Anchoring
- Reframing
- MetaPrograms and Values
- Advanced Strategies
- Advanced Behavioural Modelling
- Personal Breakthrough Sessions
- Guided 'Trance-work'
- Other Elements
Please follow this link


text: Kobe Bryant told SLAM that the Raptors could have won championships if Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter stayed together in Toronto. For the first time since 2000, former Raptors Charles Oakley, T-Mac and Vince sat down to talk about what was and what could have been. McGrady, for one, thinks Toronto would've beaten the Sixers in 2001 and advanced to the Finals if he was still a Raptor.


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Hey hope you are having a nice Easter break.
I've gotten quite a few mails lately asking me different questions regarding my technique for painting. Sorry if I didn't reply, I'm sure I intended to, but then something flashed somewhere...
Anyways I don't really have go to methodology, or a tutorial (yet!) but there are a lot of small tricks that I use. Many stems from art tutorials/videos/blogs I've found online, there is so much great stuff out there just waiting to be found.
Here is a small collections of sites/videos I really enjoy and felt I learned from, hope you might find something you can use!
Arne Art Tutorial
Probably my fav art tutorial, its so simple and to the point. I keep coming back to it.
Temple of the Seven Golden Camels on Composition
Mark Kennedy's Blog. Can't get around this guy. His entire blog is goldmine -full of diamonds on fire.
Paul Richards on concept art
Paul shares great insights to concept art, its an awesome read.
Paul Richard's ThumbWar tutorial
Because you want MORE from this guy!
Rad Sechrist blog on drawing
Rad is a storyborder at Dreamworks, this blog is not storyboards tho, but has great example drawings that reads so well, its super simple but it explains things way better than most books I've seen.
Matt khors 'Ctrl Paint' videos on photoshop painting
Tons of great tips on using Photoshop, I think I've learned another little short key, or technique every time I've watched one of his videos.
Feng Zhu draws everything and explains it, at the speed of Feng Zhu
Massive Archive of videos, so much to learn. I especially enjoyed his videos on mechanical design.
man.. I know I have tons more lying around.. I might update this as I scavenge through my bookmarks!
Also no post without some drawing or painting.


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5 ft 10 in Pumpkin Seed
The Pumpkin Seed is the Swiss army knife of surfboards. It blends design elements of a fish with the performance characteristics of a pin tail resulting in maximum versatility. From small, gutless surf to high speed tube riding, this board can handle it all. The wide contemporary nose and relaxed rocker make this board paddle fast and accelerate out of the hole like a jack rabbit on roids. The single to double concave bottom and dynamic rail profile further complement the rail to rail performance and versatility. Essential for any quiver. Team tested and approved. Available in a variety of sizes to accommodate a broad range of rider weights and abilities. Designer: Doug Haut Features: Matte Finish: less surface friction = faster acceleration Cruise Missile Concave: single to double concave bottom Tail: Round Squash Rocker: Low Construction: PowerLyte Fin Boxes: Futures Recommended Fins: Futures EA Optimum wave height: Knee to Head High
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On Saturday 2006-09-16 10:36 +0100, David Woolley wrote: > > > the constraints of Web-compatibility) requires doing two passes over the > > table, the first for non-column-spanning cells and the second for > > Are you sure you mean two, rather than three; don't you need to an additional > pass to actually render the text into the finally chosen width? I'm discussing intrinsic width calculation; rendering at the final column widths, if they change, is another pass. However, with incremental rendering of long tables, they may remain constant across many of the updates. > Also, other than that it doesn't require author education to enable, does > this really gain you much compared with table-layout: fixed? In fact, as > it is a change in algorithm, won't you still have the author education > problem that I suspect is the main reason that table-layout: fixed is > almost never used, as you will need to retain the current mode as default. No, since both options are within the constraints of Web-compatibility. Some browsers currently do one and some the other. -David -- L. David Baron <URL: http://dbaron.org/ > Technical Lead, Layout & CSS, Mozilla CorporationReceived on Saturday, 16 September 2006 21:53:30 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Monday, 2 May 2016 14:27:26 UTC


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MND Scotland invites the South African MND / ALS Community) to raise awareness by getting closer to your creative side. Join in and send your poetry to be part of 'Verses of the MND Community' an online awareness raising publication that will go live on the 21st of June, Global MND Awareness Day.
Find out more by visiting the MND Scotland website.


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PDF printable version of Federal Government Delivers Funding for New Medical Research Discoveries (PDF 93 KB)
Joint Media Release
The Hon Tony Abbott MP
Prime Minister
The Hon Peter Dutton MP
Minister for Health
The Federal Government has announced more than $559 million in funding to help Australian health and medical researchers generate new health discoveries.
The funding will support 963 grants across three National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) research support schemes and five fellowship schemes.
The investment in these innovative projects is aimed at finding better treatments for many common diseases such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and cardiovascular disease as well as finding new ways of tackling mental illness, dementia and indigenous health.
The Federal Government is committed to ensuring that Australia remains a world leader in medical research.
Investing and supporting medical research is one of the best long-term investments in health that a government can make.
Ongoing, long-term funding of medical research improves quality of life and life expectancy and, at the same time, takes pressure off the hospital system.
Australia is among the top five countries in the world in producing scientific articles per capita and in the past decade alone, Australia's health and medical research sector has produced three Nobel Prize winners.
It is only through sustained investment that we can retain our scientific talent, generate health discoveries and fully reap the benefits of health and medical research.
Medical research is an essential part of the Federal Government's plan to build a more diverse, world-class five pillar economy.
This round of funding includes 652 project grants worth $423.5 million and will support investigator-initiated research projects in clinical, biomedical, public health and health services research.
Six partnership projects worth $4.5 million will support researchers and policy makers to identify tailored, evidence-based solutions that improve health practice. Twelve European Union Collaborative Research Grants worth $4 million will also support Australian researchers working in multinational research collaborative projects.
In addition, 293 fellowships totalling $126.9 million will help to build a strong cohort of future researchers.
For information on NHMRC grants awarded to successful researchers: www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants/outcomes-funding-rounds
23 October 2013


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You may have seen the official announcements of Ubuntu 13.04 this week, or our coverage of it, but the analysis of this new version of the popular Linux distribution just keeps on coming. One of the most important things of all to realize is that the Ubuntu Server 13.04 release that became available this week includes capabilities based on the "Grizzly" release of the populuar OpenStack cloud computing platform, and deepens Ubuntu's relationship with OpenStack.
The Grizzly release of OpenStack includes a lot of new functionality designed to make tasks such as image management, object storage and identity management easier. Mark Shuttleworth has been very vocal about close integration between this OpenStack release and Ubuntu Server 13.04, and he spoke about it at OpenStack Summit. Canonical is also focused on intergating Ubuntu Server with the next release of OpenStack, "Havana," which is slated for October.


text: If you are trying to remain paperless as I am you are always looking for very mobile scanning solutions that make digitial copies of text documents to bring into your PC. The Gadgeteer has reviewed the DocuPen R700 Handheld Scanner which is just such a device. The nicest feature of the DocuPen is the ability to use it by itself, the on-board flash memory means you can scan many pages with just the scanner and then upload them all at once to the PC. Check out the review for the entire scoop.


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I can't believe that in some parts of the country summer vacation is over! Here in Michigan, school doesn't start until the day after Labor Day, so we've got another month. But then again, it doesn't really get warm here until July.
We don't really have a front porch - just a small area next to our front door where we have a cement bench.
|White Phlox
|Endless Summer Hydrangea
|Echinacea (cone flowers)
|Balloon flower and purple Phlox
I know some have had a really hot summer and are looking forward to cooler temps but this week our average high will be less than 80 degrees and it's wonderful. I hope this weather lasts another couple of months!
Have a great day!
love and blessings~
"Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it." Genesis 2:15
I'm joining these linky parties: andersonandgrant, posedperfection.com, theessenceofhome, frenchcountrycottage, .impartinggrace


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Having a food saver machine has been a god send. When chicken goes on sale I buy the large family pack and split it up according to our needs. Walmart has the food saver for a decent price and I think it pays for itself over time. They even carry the replacement bags.
While I was going for the chicken, another woman was next to me and she spoke that chicken is about all she can afford so when it's on sale she stocks up. The packs had 4 or 5 or 6 boneless and skinless breasts in them according to the weight of 3 pounds or more. She picked up 4 of them to add to her cart and while I was picking up one for myself, she grabbed a 5th package. That may seem extreme, however she was shopping smart based on her families needs and their budget. It's what we all need to do.
For this recipe I split the large breasts from end to end and pounded them down to a cutlet.
- 4 chicken cutlets
- 3 small squash (zucchini and or yellow summer) - cut 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 bag wide egg noodles
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 small onion - minced
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. olive oil + a touch more
- 1 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground mustard
- 1/4 tsp. sage
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- If you are using pre-done cutlets you don't need to pound them down. If you are splitting the breast you need to remove silver skin and tendons as well. Be sure to rinse your chicken under cold water and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides of the cutlets with the spice rub. You should have enough for four pieces of chicken. Set aside.
- Prep your squash, onion and garlic. Put the squash in a bowl and set the onion and garlic aside on your cutting board.
- Get a skillet hot over medium high heat and add in the olive oil. Add the squash to the pan with a touch of extra salt and pepper. Saute the veggies until they start to get some color. Shake the pan and flip the squash to turn while sauteing. Takes about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic to the squash, stir and saute for a minute or two. Transfer this to the bowl you had the squash cubes in. Cover and keep warm.
- Put the skillet back on the stove over medium high heat and add in the butter and just a touch more olive oil.
- Saute the chicken quickly about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
- De-glaze the pan with the broth and stir to get all the good bits up.
- Add the vegetables back to the pan with the chicken and cook about 3 minutes more until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are warm.
- Serve with egg noodles.
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Cost: approximately $7.19, feeding four for $1.79 each
There's just enough flavoring on the chicken from the spice rub to make it tasty without being overbearing and all of those spices in the rub work really well together. Caramelizing the squash makes it more flavorsome. Overall this was an easy and delicious weeknight meal made with simple and inexpensive ingredients.


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Climate-related risks to African agriculture are highly contextual. Climatic conditions are changing in diverse agro-ecological environments throughout Africa, and populations are being affected by, and responding to, these changes. The paper describes how climate change risks in African agriculture are mediated by multiple factors, ranging from the availability of physical resources through policy contexts to the role of culture. Consequently, support to adaptation needs to be complemented with research that can generate contextual information to inform adaptation policies, strategies, and measures. Interventions need to go beyond just technical fixes such as the development of new crop varieties, and must be based on an understanding of how different factors interact in a complex manner to drive risks and results in specific contexts to diverse outcomes.
Topic: climate change, agriculture, vulnerability, impact, adaptive management
Geographic: Africa
Publication Year: 2017
Source: Climate and Development 9(5): 383-398
Altmetric score:


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Lynn, Mass. – The Fisher College baseball team took on Rivier in their annual fall double header on September 17 at 11:00 a.m. The Falcons dominated the Raiders in both games outscoring them 28-4 on the afternoon. Fisher is now 2-0 in their young 2017-2018 season.
Game 1
Zach Leblanc shut down Rivier in the first inning 1-2-3. Senior centerfielder Cody Mercier started the game off with a single to right field and advanced on a throw for the Falcons. He then advanced on a passed ball to come within 90 feet of scoring. Angel Perez Vargas hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Mercier and put the Falcons up 1-0 in the first.
The Falcons were quiet for the next inning until Mitchell Lundholm doubled to right center and Mercier touching the plate again to go up 2-0 over the Raiders. Newcomer Joshua Rogers then doubled to left center scoring Lundholm; 3-0 Fisher.
Rivier got on the board in the top of the fourth inning, but Fisher retaliated with three runs of their own to take a 6-1 lead. Leblanc shut down the Raiders for one more inning before the Falcons tacked on three more runs for a 9-1 lead.
Matt Trotta came in for two innings of relief, but the Raiders were able to add a run before Fisher tacked on three more completing the game with a 12-2 victory.
Game 2
Fisher brought their momentum from the first game into their second game of the day taking the victory from the Raiders 16-2. The Falcons scored in every inning of play.
Yamil Delgado got the start on the bump for the Falcons shutting down Rivier in their first three innings at the plate.
Fisher jumped on the board in the first inning with two runs, added another in the 2nd to take a 3-0 lead. The Falcons added five runs in the third to take a quick 8-0 lead over the Raiders.
In the top of the third inning, the Raiders added two on the board to cut the Falcons lead to 8-2. With Delgado getting into some trouble on the mound, George Gali game in for 2/3 of an inning and shut down Rivier. Norberto Ceballos came in to finish the game on the rubber for the Falcons, not allowing another run for the Raiders.
Fisher however added eight more runs to finalize the score 16-2 in seven innings.
Lundholm paced the Falcons offensively going 5-for-7 at the plate with one walk. Bibovic, Mercier, Perez Vargas, Haydell Alicea, and Jake Sharpe also contributed for the Falcons 28 runs on the afternoon.
Fisher will have a scrimmage against Salem State University before they head down to Puerto Rico for the Roberto Clemente Cup.


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Writer/producer Raelle Tucker and writer/director Jeremy Podeswa talk career and how premium TV gets made.
First-time feature director Anthony Maras on his approach to the tricky subject matter, the doco that inspired the film, rehearsals and getting suitably stressed performances, plus more.
Former Scripted Ink Head of Development Tim Pye on screenwriting in 2019 – thinking internationally, practical tips, and the pros and cons of SVODs.
Top End Wedding's Miranda Tapsell speaks from Sundance about being empowered to write the stories she wants to see.
Writer, producer and showrunner Dominic Minghella on the highs and lows of creating TV such as Doc Martin, Robin Hood and US series Knightfall.
GLOW writer and co-executive producer Sascha Rothchild dishes out advice on writing in this wide-ranging interview.
Claudia O'Doherty on the webseries that led to Trainwreck and Netflix's Love, and the Australian show that's bringing her back home.
In January, Screen Australia will host Paolo Bertolin from the Cannes Directors' Fortnight Selection Committee to pre-select titles for the May 2019 festival.
Executive producer Nathan Ross talks about working with like-minded creatives on projects such as Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects.
Director James Wan on Australian crews, locations and the importance of story.
Through our annual grant program, the HFPA helped non-profit group Australians in Film to support IndigenousLA, a program to bring Indigenous filmmakers to Hollywood for the first time, to expand their career.
Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Luke Davies on his approach to writing, the complexity of adapting Beautiful Boy, and life after Lion.


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New type of outpatient cataract treatment
Present days for Astana and other region citizens' cataract surgery on the outpatient basis is available in MCH PAA RK.
Treatment is done by means of minimally invasive surgeries of phaco on an outpatient basis.
Arrangement and patient referral to surgery is simple and accessible, though patient is not put on Portal of Hospitalization Bureau.
1. About cataract surgery, you can come to ophthalmologist consultation on a free basis to surgical department №3 in our hospital (block A3, 6 floor).
2. Ophthalmologist examines you, does ultrasound of the eye, and gives you consultation list and list of analysis for surgery preparation.
3. After that ophthalmologist makes referrals for tests.
4. With the analysis results, you are coming back to the department for follow up and in the absence of contraindications; appointment for ambulatory operation is made.
5. In the day of surgery, you have to come in the morning fasting with referral to ambulatory operation to the department of primary care ophthalmologist.
6. After surgery patient stays two hours in recovery room.
7. After recovery room patient is examined and send home with recommendations of ophthalmologist, next day comes back for check-up.
8. Further assessment made in policlinic according to the place of residence.


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Exhibitions & Conferences
Boasting floor to ceiling windows, views of our water feature and the Solway Coast, the Atrium is a fabulous space for an exhibition. Equipped with a state of the art video wall and full audio, the space can be transformed to suit your needs with all equipment installed and ready to use.
The 204 seated Auditorium boasts digital surround sound and a large projection screen. All lighting can be coordinated to match your event, company branding or to create the right atmosphere that you want to achieve.
Stationary microphones and wireless microphones are available to broadcast all voices. The acoustics boast superb sound which adds to the experience. All presentations can be live-streamed on to the video wall in the Atrium to extend the viewing audience. Video conferencing, streaming to other conference rooms and additional seating are also available upon request.
We are able to expand our space by hiring a marquee to add additional exhibitor space which is connected to the Atrium. This is fully lined, with heating and electrics and can even have windows to allow the view of the water feature to be remained.
We have hosted a range of conferences and exhibitions highlighting our versatility include;
- n-eboc15 (a BECBC two day conference for over 400 delegates per day)
- Sellafield Ltd Excellence Day and Supplier Forum (a one day conference for over 400 delegates)
- West Cumbria Dyslexia Exhibition (a weekend exhibition to showcase new technologies for people with dyslexia)
- Workington Model Railway Exhibition (annual public exhibition showcasing a range of layouts)


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Giving the U.F.O. Group A Shot at Persuasion
By CHRISTOPHER LEHMANN-HAUPT
Published: June 5, 1995
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE FOURTH KIND Alien Abduction, U.F.O.'s and the Conference at M.I.T.
By C. D. B. Bryan
476 pages.
Alfred A. Knopf.
Alfred A. Knopf, the publisher of "Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind," is about as mainstream and respectable as a publisher can be. The author, C. D. B. Bryan, has written estimable histories of the National Air and Space Museum and the National Geographic Society. The book's main event is the so-called abduction study conference from June 13-17, 1992, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the direction of David E. Pritchard, a physicist there, and John E. Mack, the Harvard psychiatrist.
So even a complete skeptic is inclined at least to consider what Mr. Bryan has to report. While the very notion of the book remains incredible, more trustworthy circumstances under which to entertain it are hard to imagine.
|The two submitted book cover designs. the one on the right would be chosen
As Mr. Bryan reports, he attended the five-day conference, took extensive notes, talked to the participants during breaks and over meals, and followed up with "postconference interviews," some of which involved sitting in on hypnosis sessions with witnesses who claim to have been abducted by aliens.
If one boils down their testimonies to a single archetypal event, what they experienced involved first a sense of foreboding, the sighting of bright lights in the sky and the stalling of the cars they happened to be driving; then an awareness of missing time, a feeling of acute anxiety and the discovery of cuts or gouges on their bodies.
Later, under hypnotic regression, they recalled being wafted into spaceships by small gray beings who communicated telepathically with them and performed medical experiments, often involving sex.
Understandably enough, the reader's mind boggles at these reports, and one feels some sympathy for the committee at Harvard Medical School that recently criticized Dr. Mack, the co-chairman of the conference, for his research on subjects claiming to have been abducted.
You naturally reject the logic of their testimony: that creatures could appear out of nowhere in craft that defy the laws of matter. You wonder why these aliens show up more in English-speaking countries than in the rest of the world, and why, if they are clever enough to travel through different dimensions of time, they would want to breed with humans or perform countless experiments on them. And you look for flaws in the witnesses, presuming them to be publicity-seeking nuts who are likely to be repressing some sort of childhood sexual trauma.
|The Japanese translation
But Mr. Bryan's report anticipates these objections. Perhaps the case for the believers is best summed up in what Dr. Mack calls the "five basic dimensions" of the abduction phenomenon, which he summarizes this way:
"1. The high degree of consistency of detailed abduction accounts, reported with emotion appropriate to actual experiences, told by apparently reliable observers.
"2. The absence of psychiatric illness or other apparent psychological or emotional factors that could account for what is being reported.
"3. The physical changes and lesions affecting the bodies of the experiencers, which follow no evident psychodynamic pattern.
"4. The association with U.F.O.'s witnessed independently by others while abductions are taking place (which the abductee may not see).
"5. The reports of abductions by children as young as two or three years of age."
The effect of reading Mr. Bryan's book is far from enlightening. Rather one experiences it with the outlook of someone reporting an abduction: although one senses it is happening, one still doesn't believe it.
Nor does it help that Mr. Bryan's text is disorganized and repetitive, and shows signs that it was written hurriedly ("Budd Hopkins has arranged for Carol and Alice and I to attend one of his support group meetings after dinner that Friday"). And once you've read a couple of abduction accounts, you might as well have read them all.
So you race to Mr. Bryan's final chapter, titled "Various Theories." Here you are not much reassured to learn that some theorists consider alien abductions a phenomenon to make us aware of "other realities; further, that it is during, or within, some sort of overlapping of these realities that alien abductions occur." Others believe alien abductions to be a program to raise human consciousness of the earth's ecological needs, taught us by creatures from another dimension.
Still others support the speculation of C. G. Jung in his old age that U.F.O.'s might be "materialized psychisms," or, as Mr. Bryan puts it, "actual physical or paraphysical objects created by the collective unconscious."
Finally, the closest approach to a rationally acceptable explanation is a theory that physical abuse in childhood somehow makes people sensitive to electrical disturbances in the brain's temporal lobe. Such disturbances can produce "dream states" or "psychical seizures" in which people mistake fantasies for reality. Yet believers insist that memories of sexual abuse are more likely to be a screen for abduction than the other way around.
Mr. Bryan himself comes away from his experiences benignly skeptical. He writes that he "would like to believe" in some of the creatures he heard described, but that "I cannot honestly say I have come across any hard evidence of their presence." With his somewhat rambling report, he persuades you in the end that something very odd may be happening and that, as believers like to say, the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. But that's about the sum of what you get from this strange and disturbing book.


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"Doncha wish your hor fun was smooth like me,
Doncha wish your ngar choy was fresh like me,
Sang the all-girl LiT performers, half of what made up Low Ngai Yuen's The Girl From Ipoh musical drama, which was performed from the 9th – 13th November 2005. I happened to catch the performance on the final night with my boo, parents and brother Vince + girlfriend Jo. Pentas 1 of KLPAC was packed. I wondered if it was the strength of the play or the attraction of the gorgeous Carmen Soo who brought in the eager numbers. Joanne Kam Poh Poh and former Miss Malaysia Elaine Daly were amongst the audience.
[ad#Google Adsense]
The girlies from LiT opened with a medley, polished but perhaps slightly over-amplified over the sound system before Carmen appeared as Wong Mei Lee – a not-quite-Chinese Chinese girl from Ipoh. Her story began oddly enough, with her mention of sexual harrassment and abuse from her primary school teacher. Yes, the dude with the big black hose.
Fast-forward some years, Mei Lee assumes her identity as Hollie, the banana, as Malaysians would call it. Westernised Chinese. White on the inside, yellow on the outside. Daughter of a hor hee (noodles) seller, Hollie later uproots to the big city of Kuala Lumpur to further her studies. This is where her real adventure begins, her search for identity and true love. And her thoughts and dreams vivid in her mind are exposed through music and different characters and her love interests played by Tony Eusoff and Season Chee.
I wouldn't even attempt to write a real review, which you can probably read off Kakiseni.com; or perhaps catch the sypnosis here. But at the interval, I had already felt a tad disappointed and somewhat annoyed. No doubt there were flashes of brilliance with Swee Keong who played Hollie's father and the comical Tony, who played several characters. Sadly, I felt, there was an over-use of LiT. Musical sequences were too long and draggy. Instead of being highlights, they competed for attention with the main cast and actor, interrupting the flow of the story even more. Ultimately, it became boring. Is it a musical? Is it a drama? Is it both?
The singing was above average (being a LiT fan, I've to say I've seen better from them) but overall distracted the main story, which didn't quite come together well in the end. An interesting concept really, the whole play revolving around her thoughts, the music in her head, her search for love and identity. But in the end fell short where execution was concerned.
But I have to say it again, Swee Keong stole the show. His intensity was genuine and real. And Tony, without being biased, provided the laughs, despite his brief 15-minute appearance. Carmen, played her sweet, naive role well, although can't be described as brilliant.
In the end, The Girl From Ipoh, despite its many flaws, was still entertaining in a feel-good sort of way. It was funny and lightheaded in spurts and provided some drama as well. Could have been a whole lot worse, in Pygmalion proportions! Didn't think it deserved the standing ovation that some quarters showed it after the encore, but not too shabby an effort.
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Several times over the years, I have started to keep a personal journal. Each time, the effort has failed, if one considers continuity of production to be a mark of success. All I have to show for my attempts at journal-keeping is a small collection of incomplete volumes and the knowledge that, unlike Ralph Waldo Emerson or Virginia Wolff, the world will never come to know me through daily jottings in some leather-bound chronicle of my life. It may be just as well -- I've been known to say and write things I later came to regret.
So I've turned my attention away from keeping a journal towards keeping a blog! Perhaps I just need an audience, or the fantasy of an audience, to stick with it. Journal-keeping is like talking to yourself on paper. Blogging feels more like a conversation, or at least one side of it. Even if my ramblings prove to be nothing more than a one-sided conversation, I can at least imagine that there may be someone out there reading it.
Moreover, blogging seems a more promising vehicle for expressing my views than the collection of unpublished letters to the editor and unanswered memos to public officials that clutters my filing cabinets. Of course, as a preacher, it's unlikely that blogging can compete with the power of the pulpit and the satisfaction it brings. It does, however, give me somewhere to preach the other six days of the week. Stay tuned!


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ACA Endorses Child Protection Plan
The Child Protection Plan developed by Kanakuk Kamps has received the American Camping Association's Educational Endorsed Program designation.
Educational Endorsement means that the program has been reviewed by a qualified panel to verify that the goals, learner outcomes, presenter qualifications, and evaluation requirements are relevant for this educational program.
Continuing education credits (CECs) are available for this endorsed program.
Rick Braschler , author of The Child Protection Plan and director of risk management for Kanakuk Kamps said, "We are pleased with the ongoing development of the Child Protection Plan in an effort to prevent, detect, or respond to child sexual abuse in a camp setting.
"The Child Protection Plan is unlike any safety system out in the market today for camps in that it provides nuts and bolts solutions and is field ready right off the shelf."
The plan is a comprehensive safety system for the prevention, detection, and response of child physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse in youth-serving organizations.
The goal of the plan is to establish a road map to equip organizations with a systems-based plan for safeguarding youth, detecting perpetrators, and sustaining the organization.
The CPP Seminar is an eight-hour session for the purpose of training organizational leaders on the methodology, content, and strategies necessary for implementing the CPP.
Participants will learn about abuse awareness, case studies, outdated information, tactics, CPP goals, implementation strategies, and self-assessment process.
They will receive sample forms, training content, a full color workbook, and a writeable CD.
For more information or to register for a seminar near you, visit ACA Events or www.camphow.com , or contact Thecia Dixon at 417-266-3267 or email@example.com .


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Christmas Crackers
By Scott Wilson
Word Count: 93
"I used to like Christmas when I was younger, right up until the unfortunate incident we now call The Christmas Cracker." Juliet said to her best friend Mary.
"What happened?"
"Well, it all started like a typical festive season. The entire extended family made it up to Mum and Dad's for the weekend. It was the first time the Christmas holidays fell on a Thursday and Friday in years."
"Yeh, I know what you mean. It is so hard getting annual leave at my work over Christmas. Everyone in my office put in for leave twelve months ago and the bitch of a boss only got around to approving them the first week of December. No one could plan anything."
"It used to be us parents got first choice for school holidays, like
Christmas and Easter. Not anymore. I don't know why single people or
couples without kids would want to have holidays when the kids are
out of school anyway."
"Bastards like my boss are so selfish and self absorbed they don't
even realise it is important for parents to spend these special
occasions at home with their kids."
"Well, that's why it was such a big thing. All of us up at the oldie's place for Christmas. Now, I wish we didn't all make it that year. The kids are petrified of Christmas these days."
"That's horrible."
"It was. I'll never forget the screaming, the blood, and smell of burning hair and flesh."
Juliet took a tissue out of her bra and dabbed the corner of her eyes, careful not to smudge the mascara. She sniffled, stuffed the tissue back in little cocoon, and regained her composure.
"Dad was so happy we could all make it. He was quietly dying of lung cancer and knew he probably wouldn't see his children together again, unless it was through a drug-induced stupor from a hospital bed. He was right about that, but for the wrong reason."
Mary put her arm around her best friend, seeing the tears well up in her eyes again.
"You don't have to tell me about it if you don't feel up to it yet."
"No, I want to talk about it. You have been my best friend since high school and I haven't told you exactly what happened yet. It's been six years now."
Mary rubbed Juliet's arm reassuringly, then brushed her long black hair from her face. Juliet forced a smile and patted Mary's hand softly.
"We sat down at the table in the garage to say grace and have our traditional seafood lunch. Always had to set up three fold-up picnic tables in the garage to fit everyone in, what with five couples and twelve children. The seating arrangement was the same whenever we got together like this. Mum and Dad at the end of the first table, closest to the door to the house. My older brothers, Ron and Charles, sat on opposite sides with their wives. Bec, my younger sister, and I sat at the next table with our husbands, and the children all sat together at the last table. Thank goodness for that at least. None of the children were close enough to feel the heat
from the explosion, or to be hit with any of Ron's face when it blew up."
"Struth, Juliet. What happened? Were you sitting next to him?"
"No, I was next to Charles, across the table from Ron. It was the Christmas crackers. The one on the table in front of Ron had Dad's name on it. Dad would have held it out and both Mum and he would have died from the explosion."
"Both of them? But didn't only your brother Ron die?"
"Yes, but his wife lost her right hand and eye when the Christmas cracker went off. If it was Mum and Dad pulling it, the shock from the injuries would have killed both of them, the paramedics said. As it was, Ron caught the full force of the explosion in his face and chest. He got the larger part of the cracker when he pulled on it with his wife Marge. The cracker flung back right into Ron's face."
"How did it do so much damage? They only have a tiny bit of gunpowder in them to make a small popping noise. It shouldn't have exploded like it did?"
Juliet pulled the tear-moistened tissue out of her bra again to dry her eyes.
"The police said it looked like it was loaded with gun powder and buckshot. Like a huge shotgun shell or something."
"Why would someone do that to a Christmas Cracker?"
"Ron did it. He was the oldest son and was supposed to get the biggest share of the inheritance out of us kids; He had a huge debt to pay off with some dodgy loan shark who was going to kill him if he didn't pay up by New Year's Day. The kids must have moved the crackers around before diner when they were helping Mum set the table. Ron ended up with the one he booby trapped for Dad. It would have remained a mystery if Ron's wife didn't tell the cops everything when she was doped up on morphine."
"What a bastard, how could you do that to your own father?"
"I know. In front of twelve children and on the most precious holiday for young children. Bastard killed himself and the mystery of Father Christmas at the same time."
Christmas Crackers
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Submission Guidelines
The Fringe is open to submissions of poetry, flash fiction and short stories of any genre. Stories accepted will be published online in our Ezine and also in the monthly pdf magazine.
We are also open to submissions from artists for inclusion in the magazine.
Submissions should be in RTF format or in the body of the email. Send email submissions only to email@example.com
Currently we only offer payment for one story selected as the feature story in the monthly pdf magazine only. The successful author will be contacted to organise payment via paypal for a $5AUD payment. Authors of other accepted stories published on the webzine and in the pdf copy will receive a copy of the pdf version of the mag the story appears in.
We are open to unpublished and previously published stories up to 40,000 words in length.
About The Fringe Magazine
Here at The Fringe Magazine we publish Short Stories, Flash Fiction, Poetry in all genres and reviews of books, roleplay games, music and movies.
Our variety seems to be hiting the mark with over 100,000 views of our Online Magazine with a good spread across all articles.
Our variety seems to be hiting the mark with over 100,000 views of our Online Magazine with a good spread across all articles.?xml:namespace>From surveys we've conducted, our readers are like most people and enjoy reading all kinds of books, both fiction and non-fiction.
With over 350 readers visiting our site each day, we listen to the voice of the masses and try and procure books in all genres to review. To date, we have reviewed over 600 books, including; non-fiction reference, music, art, photography, gardening, cooking, Self Help, architecture, design, biographies and roleplay games.
We also review fiction in all genres; Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Horror, Crime, Thriller, Comedy, Western. We also publish Author Interviews, Paintings, Sketches, Art Work, Art Work by Susie Wilson, and non-fiction articles. The only thing you won't find at The Fringe Magazine is a bad review, if we don't like something, we won't put up a review at all.
You will also find music and dvd reviews and the occasional interview with musicians and actors.
- ► 2011 (753)
- ► 2010 (403)
- ► 2009 (214)
- A Whisker and Tail
- HOORAY: Christmas Crackers
- HOORAY: The cover of Darkness
- Billy Bad Boy
- The Cover of Darkness
- An Unexpected End
- The Field
- Plan D
- A Nice Bunch
- Grave Disorder
- Theorkrane the Great
- Garsein
- The Wizard
- The Chimney
- HOORAY: Black Bullets
- HOORAY: Bushranger Blues
- HOORAY: My Legacy
- HOORAY: The Lift
- Caught Somewhere In Time
- Christmas Crackers
- Noise Pollution is a Matter of Opinion
- The Lift
- ▼ November (22)


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|May 31, 2011
New JEOL Stage Navigation System for SEM and EPMA
|(Nanowerk News) JEOL offers a new point-and-shoot navigation system that makes finding precise locations on a sample both fast and easy for SEM and EPMA users. The Stage Navigation System combines Stage Navigation Software with an externally-mounted 3 Megapixel CMOS color digital Stage Navigation Camera that functions as a low magnification optical microscope. The external camera eliminates the need for a dedicated port on the electron column. The user simply records an image of the sample, sends the image to the SEM, places the sample on the sample stage, then clicks on the recorded image to specify the area of interest. The software automatically positions the stage with pixel-precision to the exact area of the sample to be examined.
|The very first SAXS data measured av beamline 911-4 at MAX-lab, Lund. In the bottom left corner the result of the azimuthal integration of the measured data is plotted, intensity, l(q), vs. q. The measurement was made on Lupolen. Measuring time 60 seconds.
|SNS Software
|The JEOL Stage Navigation Software, optional with any new generation JEOL tungsten, LaB6, or field emission SEM and EPMA system, makes it easy to select a precise area of a sample to image at high magnifications. It can be used in conjunction with a CCD camera, or with the standalone SNS Camera.
|SNS Camera
|The externally-mounted SNS camera is secured on a camera base and can be located anywhere convenient to the lab. The docking stand simulates the JSM-6XX0 series and FEG Series stage and is dovetail holder-compatible. The camera features 3, 4. 5, and 6" selectable fields of view and uses a high frequency variable light source. A transmitted polarized illuminator for geological samples is also available. The camera functions between any combination of JEOL SEMs and EPMA systems with licensed software.
|Source: JEOL (press release)
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This section contains 565 words
(approx. 2 pages at 400 words per page)
From the perspective of an unnamed Narrator, this chapter is told in third person. Bride has decided to find out why Booker owes money to someone. She arrives in a seedy side of town where the taxi driver refuses to wait for her to conduct her business inside. She is at Salvatore Ponti's Pawn and Repair Palace. Upon entering Salvatore watches her closely and asks her to call him Sally. When she shows him the bill, he remembers Booker well, "Picky guy, real picky."
Bride is surprised that they are holding a trumpet and a pinky ring for Booker. When he was there he had only asked for the trumpet, the man tells her, but then they threw in the ring. They explain that he left a forwarding address to a Q. Olive in his "hick" hometown of Whiskey, CA. The...
(read more from the Part Two, Chapter 1 Summary)
This section contains 565 words
(approx. 2 pages at 400 words per page)


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I mostly followed the pattern completely. However, the piping was my own addition. It slowed me W A Y down and required me to unpick more than once! And even I sewed a sleeve on inside out. Apparently I was a bit distracted?!
Next, I attempted the MADE men's dress-shirt to little girls dress tutorial. The most annoying part of this tutorial is the lack of a pattern piece. It's fine to not include a pattern piece in a tutorial, but all users should beware that it's then a 50-50 chance that your end result will be similar to the tutorial's end result. Anyway, this is actually the second one I made, all in one day! The first one was too narrow. This one is going to be too short. It will have to be a tunic, which will require some leggings. Not exactly what I was hoping for in a summer dress. But whatever, it's about learning and growing, right?! I'll get it finished today.
My goal with KCWC was to sew two things each day. Had I not messed up my sizing on the first shirt dress, I might have actually reached my goal. Since I have left over "homework" from yesterday, I'm not so sure that I'll get two more things made today. We'll see! I better get out to the sewing garage. I hope you're getting things done too.


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Sugar cravings. Bloating. Burping. Gas. Diarrhea. Constipation. Indigestion. Heartburn. Runner's Trots. Colds. Sickness. Anxiety. Frequent fatigue. These are signs of impaired gut health, and if you're experiencing these, you are not alone.
If you're not experiencing any of the above, don't stop reading just yet. Your gut is often referred to as "the second brain" and/or "the missing link."
Keeping it healthy is important for everyone—not just those with digestive issues or disease. Working with our clients we find that even those who do not complain of a single digestive concern and have never had a "sweet tooth" can be struggling with reaching their goals (especially weight loss) due to impaired gut health.
Thanks to years of following diets (consuming an excess of processed carbohydrates and sugar), rounds of antibiotics as a kid, or consuming conventionally raised meat and dairy products full of hormones; most of us have impaired gut health.
What is GUT Health?
The term gut health covers digestion and absorption of food, immune status, and the state of well-being. It is the cornerstone for optimal health and the avenue through which nutrients are absorbed, assimilated and incorporated into the body.
Gut health is associated with every other process, system, organ and cell in your body! Your gut is where your metabolism starts, food is digested, nutrients are absorbed, neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) are made and the fighting grounds that keep foreign invaders are at bay.
About 70% of your immune system is located in your gut and your gut is a barrier to toxins and pathogens.
Keeping all of that in mind Hippocrates once said, "All disease begins in the gut."
Normally we don't pay much attention to our gut health, which is unfortunate because Hippocrates was right, your digestive system may be the single most important factor in your health.
Whether your gut is healthy or unhealthy will determine how your digestion functions, how likely you are to have cravings, how energetic you feel, and how well your immune system works. When it comes to evaluating your health or beginning a new nutrition program, the most critical and often overlooked starting point is the gut.
If your gut health isn't up to par, even the most nutritious foods may not be broken down or absorbed properly, so while it is important to make the best food choices possible, it is just as important to be in the proper state to digest that food. The goal for gut health is to create an environment where gut bacteria are living in harmony and taking care of us as they should.
Sheaths of neurons line the entire gut — this is so extensive that the gut has been coined "the second brain." Gut health and brain health work in tandem, affecting one another. There is a continual exchange of chemical messages between the two systems.
You may already be familiar with this. Maybe when you are nervous or stressed, you get nauseous or an upset stomach. Conversely, problems in your gut can impact your mental health, and lead to anxiety or depression. Gut health is essential to maintain both physical and mental well-being.
What wreaks havoc on the gut?
The things that contribute to poor gut health include, but are not limited to the following:
- Refined carbohydrates
- Processed Food
- Antibiotics
- Chronic stress
- Chronic infections
5 Steps to Healing Your Gut:
- Keep your sugar intake low. Refined carbohydrates, sugar and processed foods create an environment in your gut flora where bad bacteria thrive. Strive to get your carbohydrates from veggies and fruits and have plenty of protein and healthy fat at your meals. The Manna Diet can help you to eat a healthy diet and also curb the food cravings.
- Include fermented foods on a daily basis. Fermented foods are naturally high in favorable bacteria. Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yogurt and kombucha are a few good ones.
- Supplement with probiotic, Digestive Enzymes and glutamine. Nearly everyone can benefit from supplementing with a good quality probiotic, especially if you are not including fermented foods.
Probiotics boost the good bacteria in your gut. Digestive enzymes help to break down certain foods like protein, starches and sugar to be absorbed by the body. When Digestive Enzymes don't do their job, you tend to have certain food allergies.
Glutamine is an amino acid (a building block of protein), which helps to rebuild and maintain the structural integrity of the thin lining of the digestive tract. Together, the combination of probiotics, Digestive Enzymes and glutamine promote healthy intestinal lining and proper digestion by rebuilding that intestinal lining and restoring the good bacteria.
When on an antibiotic, our general recommendation is at least 4 capsules of the Manna GUT Support per day for the duration of the antibiotic and 2 weeks after.
- Manage your stress. Because your gut is intricately linked to your state of mind, stress affects your gut health.
- Don't let food sensitivities go unchecked. For some people, food sensitivities and/or allergies may increase inflammation and damage to the intestinal tract.
The BIG FIVE food allergens are: gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and nuts. This may seem obvious, but if you know you have a food allergy or sensitivity, completely avoiding the food is better for your gut.
By implementing these strategies, you can rebuild, repair and support your gut, which in turn gives you energy, a strong immune system and will help to make weight loss much easier.


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Canon MAXIFY MB5050 Driver Download
Canon MAXIFY MB5050 Driver Download-The novel quick cell multifunction PC printer connected to small works on applying real gloats. It provides for you ADF, two-sided stamping, control with respect to utilize degrees, furthermore advanced cell and additionally foriegn online connectivity.Crucial Features:Quick MFP connected to small practices effective utilizing peculiarities for you to substance, have a short take a gander at furthermore fax furthermore printing.Not basically any keeping out: Quick First-Print furthermore printing rates in regards to 15 ISO sites and moment. inside color and besides 23 ISO net sites and minute.
Canon MAXIFY MB5050 Driver Download, Inside freebie free ofcharge airlineMaking and furthermore encoding through LAN and also Wi-Fi by means of COMPUTER SYSTEM, Mobile telephone, Capsule furthermore Impair ServicesInside the homes incorporated electronic record feeder for roughly 50 sleeping material and moreover report dish for more or less two hundred and fifty beddingAlong together with uniquely replaceable XL inks for you to printing around 3, 500 website pages and additionally 1, 500 SW color websitesHigh-quality papers because of Two HIGH DESCRIPTION Resilient inks, extraordinarily streamlined connected to stamping association documentsProposed month-to-month printing amount two hundred and fifty to 1500 net websitesUser-accommodating operation by means of this sort of huge 7. 5-inch shade touchscreen screen.
Canon MAXIFY MB5050 Driver Download
System Requirements And Compability:
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Please open device drivers that you have downloaded:
- In the device driver you make sure the device you are trying to install is not already registered from previous attempts to install. If the device is discovered by highlight it and remove it from the Device Manager to prevent conflicts during installation.
- After Device Manager looks Ok/Yes reboot computer.
- As new hardware installation wizard computers should appear if Windows detects the new hardware to use this wizard You must be able to demonstrate the Windows folder that contains your driver CD, floppy disk, or folder that contains the file that you downloaded.
Give you the printer driver and scanner for Canon MAXIFY MB5050. Please click the download link to download the driver you want. In addition, you can check the compatibility of the driver that will be in harmony with your OS.
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Saturday, November 9, 2013
MFT November Release Countdown - Day 3
I used the super sweet new Doodle Garden You're the Coolest stamp set to create my wintery card. The November Product Launch is on November 12th at 10pm EST in the MFT Boutique.
I started with a Sweet Tooth card base then added a layer of Kraft. I used the Snow Drifts Die-namics to cut out the snowy hill she's standing on. I've missed a couple of recent Wednesday Stamp Club sketches so I'm playing catch-up. This card uses MFTWSC149 for the layout.
I stamped the girl from Doodle Garden You're the Coolest with Memento Tuxedo Black onto X-Press It Blending Card and coloured her with copic markers. Then I fussy cut around her and the snow balls (which are a separate stamp included in the set) and mounted her on foam tape for dimension. On the Sno Cone layer behind her I used Darling Dots stamped with Sweet Tooth Pigment Ink to add the look of falling snow.
For the tag I used the Howdy Frames Die-namics to cut out the circular tag from Sweet Tooth, then stamped the sentiment using Black Licorice Premium Dye Ink. I secured it in place with some Hemp Cord.
On the inside I stamped another sentiment from Doodle Garden You're the Coolest and added another trio of snowballs.
Be sure to hop over to the MFT Blog for a list of today's participating designers and for the amazing prize info!!
Here are the supplies I used:
(note: links to the new products will be live after November 12th at 10pm EST)
Thanks for stopping by!
17 comments:
- Debbie Nelson said...
Cute card with great colors!
- November 10, 2013 at 5:34 AM
- TaraG said...
OMGosh, Karen this is SO sweet...LOVE this new DG girl...she is SO COOL :) Love your beautiful colouring too!
- November 10, 2013 at 6:21 AM
- Lisa H. said...
awwww! she is soooo adorable, Karen. love the snowhill and dots in the background.
- November 10, 2013 at 7:50 AM
- Tracey said...
Karen, this is just beautiful!!!
- November 10, 2013 at 7:51 AM
- Heather Jensen said...
She is super sweet and colored to perfection. :)
- November 10, 2013 at 8:07 AM
- Colleen said...
Cute card and nice touch with the snowbank
- November 10, 2013 at 8:34 AM
Adorable sweetheart, love the sketch too!
- November 10, 2013 at 9:58 AM
- Leslie said...
She is beyond cute and to watch her come to life was priceless😀!
- November 10, 2013 at 10:15 AM
- Mary Gillmarten said...
Karen, this card is cute, but she brings back memories to me of snow fights with my brothers! She looks positively innocent -- but you can see she is stock piling a little arsenal, preparing for her battle! Wonderful memories! Would love to send her to my brothers! :)
- November 10, 2013 at 12:56 PM
- wendy said...
Fabulous card Karen ...your coloring is amazing!
- November 10, 2013 at 3:50 PM
- Shari Czerwinski said...
Great card, love the snow! Thanks!
- November 10, 2013 at 4:23 PM
- Janelle said...
Very cute. Your coloring is amazing and I love the snowing background.
- November 10, 2013 at 4:52 PM
- Dana White said...
Kar she is super sweet. The polka dot background is perfect
- November 10, 2013 at 5:42 PM
- Sandra said...
nice card - love the dimension.
Sandra ltb
- November 10, 2013 at 6:49 PM
- butterfly843 said...
Such a pretty card
- November 10, 2013 at 7:15 PM
- Felicia - Scrapper in the Making said...
This is Soooo Nice & I love your coloring. Beautiful!
- November 10, 2013 at 11:38 PM
- Tammy H said...
She's a beauty. Love the "falling snow" background.
- November 11, 2013 at 12:41 AM


text:
Application Architect - 12 month contract - Brussels - €400-€450
Role: Application Architect
Duration: 12 months
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Rate: €400-€450
Montash have just secured a partnership with one of Europe's leading development houses for a large-scale programme which will see them bringing in over 20 contract resources before Xmas this year and more headcount next. To apply for any of these roles you MUST be an EU citizen and able to commit to a minimum of 12 months.
- Provide leadership regarding architecture and guide the team in charge of project activities
- Research of modern technologies across the technology stack
- Support Enterprise architecture for client and support the architectural vision for client
- Development of architecture and design of information systems
- Review of the architecture of existing systems and support analysis (maturity assessment, organisational structures, information systems portfolio, enterprise business processes and Corporate Data flow analysis)
- IS costs/benefits analysis
- Design and development of component architecture
- Follow up of the implementation
- Data analysis and data modelling and technical interface between the project leaders and the team
- Production of software architecture documents and analysis and integration of different information systems
- Progress meetings and meetings with the users
- Playing a part in the testing, the deployment, the evaluation and the reporting.
- Vast experience across SOA / Structural Funds (Jobs, Growth, Investment)
- Good knowledge of Application design, modelling tools, Object Oriented Programming languages, Enterprise Architecture, Relational DBMS and business process analysis
- Experience in web technologies (Vaadin, Activiti, JPA, JMS, Spring, HornetQ, Hibernate, Ergonomics)
- Knowledge of tech such as - web-services, message oriented middleware, service oriented bus
- Good redaction skills.
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- Experience in dealing with fast changing technologies used in application architecture and design
- Participate in multi-lingual meetings with effective communication skills.
To apply for this job, please forward your CV to email@example.com or call me directly on 0208-017-7766


text:
#neverliberal #nevermarxist
Senate Democrats who have long-fought Republican attempts to shut down the government over budget disputes are now threatening to do exactly that. Democrats said they will block any attempts to include President Trump's proposed border wall – or other far-right agenda items – in the $1 trillion spending package expected to be announced this week. And, they said, they are not opposed to shutting down the government if Republicans insist on including it.The warning letter, written by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other top Senate Democrats, was addressed to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. It warned against funding the U.S.-Mexico border wall and other "poison pills" that could be hidden in the budget plan—such as defunding Planned Parenthood, rolling back environmental regulations and allocating additional funding to the Pentagon. "We believe it would be inappropriate to insist on the inclusion of such funding in a must-pass appropriations bill that is needed for the Republican majority in control of the Congress to avert a government shutdown so early in President Trump's Administration," the letter read, addressing the bipartisan budget agreement reached in 2015 that set spending levels for defense and non-defense programs.http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/13/senate-democrats-threaten-government-shutdown-amid-trump-budget-wishlist.html
I think it would be great if Democrats shut down the govt. If i were Trump i would do absolutely nothing and just announce all programs dems are shutting down. I would be happy if they shut down the govt for months.
They seem to forget they do not have the Majority in the house or the senate and with the Reid rule lurking in the background, their filibuster rights could be striped at a moments notice!I say let them shut it down. Force their hand! after a week or so invoke the Reid rule and be done with them! If they want to obstruct to that level, let them! The American people will demand they step aside, the Reid rule will be brought out and once out will continue to plague the senate dim's for the next 4 years!!
One thing I would make sure was known in advance of a dim shutdown is that federal pay will not be retroactive when the shutdown is over! Let the dim's eat that!#2 would be to make sure the memorials stay open!Remember all the great sound bites of the dim leadership when Republican made that threat? This could be a real fun time!!
...now if we can only get the DEMS to hold their breath until they get their way!
Donations to political campaigns from Federal employees reach a whooping 90% for the Dim party in this last cycle! If I was Trump and the republican leadership I would make no bones about telling the Dim's to go for it! And as I already posted I would make sure EVERYONE knows there will be no compensation for any time off caused by the shutdown!To do this right they need to get in front of that now so there is no confusion as to who is responsible for their loses if the dim's go through with their threats!


text:
War thunder?
Barbedwire Studios
War thunder?
Not at all, the opposite in fact,
DCS with the Bf109K module
That murican pilot sure had a bad encounter day :D
Mastering Bf109 usually means flying up and down to keep energy. At least in Il2 Sturmovik series. I sometimes go to turns, since I find up and down kinda boring.
Decent speed, decent turn rate, decent armament, superior climb - that's Bf109.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.
the 109 in DCS.


text:
Union Golf Outing: August 25, 2016
Local 3315 will be having its annual golf outing on August 25, 2016, at Eaglewood in Itasca. This was the place where we held our outing last year and all had a great time. The outing includes 18 holes of golf with a cart, lunch at the turn, dinner and drinks.
Check out the resort's website at www.eaglewoodresort.com, for directions and available amenities. We have access to the pool and can rent bowling alleys if there are any takers.
Members who do not golf can come for drinks and dinner. Please respond to the email below to RSVP.
Non-union members must pay $50 at the door to participate.
Please contact Mark Douglass at 26th and California to reserve your spot for golf and/or drinks and dinner at firstname.lastname@example.com
If you have a foursome, then please list all names when you respond. The deadline is 8/19/2016. (When responding please use your personal email, not your county email.)


text:
Top5 is always seeking experienced consultants and industry executives that maintain in-depth, hands on experience across both the Enterprise Transformation and high tech, ERP technology areas.
Our ideal candidate will have consulted for a Big4 firm to leading companies in industries such as Public Sector Finance, HR and Procurement, and Private Sector Telecommunications, Financial Services, Healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and High Tech.
Top5 advises senior executives within core functions for our clients, including Finance, IT, Operations, Sales, Manufacturing and Network organizations.
Our clients tell their peers and colleagues about us - in fact, over 90% of our business comes from repeat clients and referrals.
- Our practitioners have led over $3 billion of ERP, technology, telecommunications and outsourcing related products and services
- 90% of our practitioners have worked for a Big4 firm, have advanced degrees or have held senior level executive positions in Fortune100 companies
- 100% of our practitioners have specific successful experience in the design, implementation and operations of complex, large-scale ERP, Shared Services, Managed Services or Systems Integration efforts larger than $50M
Top5 is distinguished from other consulting firms by the experience and caliber of its people, its unwavering commitment to the highest quality of project delivery, and its agile, entrepreneurial spirit.
At Top5 our single focus is to match the needs of our clients with the industry's best Enterprise Transformation and IT professionals. We consistently deliver on this promise by aggressively selecting and recruiting personnel who are in the top 5 % among their peers.
Practitioners have the opportunity to address the most complex client challenges that leverage not only cross-industry best practices, but also their personal hands on experience gained in their careers.
Top5 offers a diverse entrepreneurial environment with opportunities that surpass those typically available in larger consultancies.
Top5 is committed to maintaining a diverse workplace and recruits executive level consultants and practitioners from a wide variety of professional backgrounds and industries.


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Welcome To Heath Farm
Join us in the beautiful English countryside for a rural break you won't forget.
Heath Farm offers you style, luxury and stunning natural beauty in a matchless location, deep in the glorious heartland of South East England. On our small, working, family-run farm there are three luxury self catering cottages to let. The cottages share the land with free range chickens and a flock of Beulah Speckleface sheep. Whether you're staying for a holiday, or renting a cottage for business or for any other reason, we guarantee you'll find Heath Farm to be a very special home from home.
The Holiday Cottages
Our traditional barn, which once housed a milking parlour and stables, has been imaginatively converted into three well designed holiday cottages where every attention has been paid to quality, comfort and contemporary convenience. With sunny terraces, fully equipped modern kitchens, generous bathrooms, DVD and Freeview, superb quality furniture and sumptuous sofas, armchairs and beds, these cottages have everything you could possibly need for a top class self-catering holiday.
The three cottages can be rented together, which is the ideal solution for parties of wedding guests or other large groups. All properties are single storey and the two larger cottages suitable for people with limited mobility.
Luxury and stunning natural beauty in a matchless location, deep in the glorious heartland of South East England.