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Archive for January 18th, 2010
Breaking New Year's Resolutions Right On Target
So earlier today I was at Target and noted that in the store's seasonal section, right next to all the New Year's get-in-shape-for-2010 stuff, there were several employees setting up Valentine's Day chocolate/candy displays.
Now that I think about it, why DO we give chocolate and candy to our lady friends just a month and change after many of them make New Year's resolutions to fit in that two-piece swim suit by June? Say, I think I just found a kick-ass excuse…
Can't We All Just Get Along?
So yesterday I opened up the USA Weekend insert thingy in my Sunday fishwrap and found this stupid "How Open Minded Are You?" quiz. Oh this will be fun.
Answer each question with a score of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning never, 3 sometimes and 5 always. Simple enough.
1. When I hear a point of view that opposes mine, I keep an open mind, listen with empathy, ask the person to elaborate and try to understand his point of view.
My score is 2. Problem is I don't give a shit what other people think. I usually like asking the "why" question after someone tries to make a point, but that's because of my phat interviewing skillz. I don't listen with an open mind. I hear your opinion. Yay. Unless it's a VERY RARE instance, I don't give a rat's ass what you think. I also hope you feel the same about me.
2. When I hear an opposing viewpoint, I can express it so well that the person tells me he thinks I understand, even if I don't agree.
My score is 4. If I may go back up to the previous question, I know most of the time why somebody thinks the way they do. A few weeks ago my assistant was talking about the Muslim Wookie Fucker and how he's disappointed her in a number of ways. I asked why. She gave her reasons and that was that. I disagreed with a lot of what she thought were charming qualities about the Non-Dialect Negro, but I knew why she felt the way she did. And I didn't say anything detrimental to her opinions. After all, I was on a fact-finding mission, not looking for an argument. OK, now I'm getting off course.
3. I value and appreciate the chance to work with people who have different perspectives and backgrounds.
My score is 1. I don't give a fuck about your perspective and background. I want to work with people who get the job done. I'm only on the third question, but I'm willing to bet this is the worst question of the lot. Good God, what a stupid fucking question. I've been told more times than once that, "you need to learn to work with others." My response? "Well those others need to learn how to work." Never got a response each time after I lobbed that rocket.
4. I am open to learning new knowledge and skills from others, and I actively seek out diverse opinions.
My score is 3. I won't hesitate to suck up game from someone, but I don't "actively seek out diverse opinions." I'll meet this question in the middle.
5. I accept that two people can disagree and they both can be right — and that they still can get along with each other.
My score is 4. I think the first part of this question is a bit of gobbledygook, but I don't necessarily disagree with it. And I fully agree with getting along. Shit, most of the people I've known during the course of my life have been the political opposite of me and we get/got along great. As long as you know you're not going to change the mind of the other person, and as long as you don't get butthurt over any insults, then there's no problem.
6. People I live and work with will say I respectfully share my opinions without being offensive.
My score is 2. I'm an asshole. Because of this I keep my mouth shut at work.
7. When disagreements or tension arise in a relationship, I do my best to try to find a solution that will be beneficial to both of us.
My score is 2. I don't find a solution that will be "beneficial" to both of us. I find a solution that's right. There have been times in the past when the better half was dead wrong on something and versa vice. I didn't look for a mutually beneficial solution. If I was wrong I was wrong. If Mrs. kkk was wrong then she was wrong. Why do I roll like this? Because when a situation pops up in with the better half is TOTALLY in the right, and I support her, she knows my feelings are genuine and that makes her stand her ground that much more — at least until she starts feeling guilty.
8. I look for role models who can best help me to learn respect and admiration for others.
My score is 1. Fuck role models.
9. I am open to new experiences and am willing to try new things (such as new food, music, cultural activities, etc.).
My score is 2. The only thing I could say I try is music. I'm indifferent to food. Cultural activities? LOL.
10. I try to be good-humored, even in difficult situations.
My score is 4. If you can't laugh at yourself you can't laugh at others.
So how well do you get along with others?
45-50 Excellent. You should be commended. You have a significant respect for and appreciation of the differences in others.
40-44 Very good. Although you show a healthy amount of respect for others and their point of view, you could work to improve your skills to be even better.
30-39 Fair to good. You generally keep an open mind, but you still have trouble in some instances.
10-29: Poor. You tend to be closed to the differences in others. You need to work on having an open mind.
Want to know the best part of this retarded quiz?
Mrs. kkk scored 22.


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Custom Built , 1 Owner Home. Corner View Lot [ Reigate and Lakefield ] Jenish Design with lots of windows, 4 Bedrooms plus Den Upstairs. Oak Kitchen with Granite Counters. Floor to Ceiling Rock Fireplace in Living Room. Floor to Ceiling Brick Fireplace in Family Room with Wet Bar. Huge Walk out level back yard. 2 Car Garage Attached off Main Floor. Basement Features over 2000 sqft of Garage and Workshop, room to park a total of 9 cars or two 2 car garage and room for development in basement, also has 2 pce powder room. A Bright and Spacious Home with Gorgeous Mountain Views plus a Green Belt & Robert Burnaby Park across the Street. A beautiful residential neighbourhood to raise your family. Mins to Lakeview elementry, short bus ride or mins to Burnaby Central Sec. Close to bus transit. Mins to Shabolt Centre, Burnaby Winter Hockey Club, Eight Rinks, Burnaby Lake Arena, Bill Copelands and CG Brown Pool. Mins to Deer Lake Park. 7 mins to Metrotown Shopping.
Doris Gee & Phil Moore
Doris' roots are Asian, a heritage she shares with a large number of her neighbours in the Vancouver and Burnaby areas. That's an important reason why they feel comfortable working with her when the time comes to sell or buy a new home..Read More >>

subset: commoncrawl


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#ICYMI: EmpireLifeMag.Com Launch Party Panel Discussion
A very integral part of the May 1st Launch Party was the dynamic panel discussion. The Empire Life team handpicked the...#EmpireStateOfMindMay 12, 2015
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Empire Life Salutes Our Mompreneur, Amanda Battles
Mompreneur, Amanda Battles, Empire Life Magazine Creative Director, Owner of House of Battles and Mom to the kindhearted Kingston and magnificent Mason. On being...BeingMay 10, 2015
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Mompreneur, Ashley Wilson, EmpireLifeMag.Com Business Contributor, Creative Brand Strategist & Perspective Stylist , Owner of Sacred Rebel and Mom to the lovely Luna. On...BeingMay 10, 2015
Empire Life Salutes our Mompreneur, Isoke Karamoko
Isoke Karamoko, Executive Editor of EmpireLifeMag.com, Image & Business Contriver, Owner of Cosmo-Fashionista and Perfecting Style and mom to the zealous Zoë On being...BeingMay 10, 2015
Empire Life Salutes our Mompreneurs!
It's no secret that moms mean business. They are expert multi-taskers! Maintaining the household, running the errands, facilitating the car pool...BeingMay 10, 2015
Empire Insight: Meagan Lyles, Founder of The Powerful Women
Our Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Asia Horne had the great pleasure of sitting down with Meagan Lyles, Founder of The Powerful Women....#EmpireStateOfMindMay 4, 2015


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This is the second part of the quiz based on 1,000 Years, 1,000 People: Ranking the Men and Women Who Shaped the Millennium (1998) by Agnes Hooper Gottlieb, Henry Gottlieb, Barbara Bowers and Brent Bowers. They came up with their own list of nominees, and then asked many others to contribute their lists of nominees. Finally they came up with what they called a BioGraph which consisted of five categories – each with a maximum number of points – by which they rated the nominees. The five categories, as well as the maximum number of points available in each are: Lasting influence (10,000 points), Effect on the sum total of wisdom and beauty in the world (4,000 points), Influence on contemporaries (2,000 points), Singularity of contribution (3,000 points), and Charisma (2,000 points). And finally they combined the point scores in each of the five categories and ranked the nominees accordingly. The highest possible score was 24,000, but no one got it.
Below you will find 25 clues concerning the identities of people listed in the book. Keep in mind that everyone listed had some tie to writing. It might have been their main occupation, or might have been the outgrowth of thinking or research they did in their occupations. I will also include the points that each received, and their ranking. I will start about half way down the list and move to the very top.
In addition, at the bottom of the quiz you will find a list of 10 people who almost made the list, but didn't.
You will find the answers to the quiz on my Quiz Answers page.
- This 19th century French sci-fi writer wrote books about men who traveled beneath the earth, beneath the sea, and even to the moon. He influenced such writers as H. G. Wells, Ray Bradbury, and Arthur C. Clark.
- She is possibly the best known victim of the holocaust. She lived in Amsterdam and is known for the diary she kept while she and her family were hiding from the Nazis. She died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp the year WW II ended.
- He was the son of former slaves. He managed to get a good education and to found a black university in Alabama that is very well known. He and W. E. B. Dubois were at odds concerning how black men and women should act in order to progress in a white dominated society.
- She was a prominent British novelist during the first half of the 20th century, a feminist, and a prominent member of the Bloomsbury group. She wrote the novel Mrs. Dalloway, and gave a series of lectures which became a nonfiction book called A Room of One's Own. She battled mental illness through much of her life, and finally, in despair, filled her pockets with rocks, and drowned herself in a river.
- He is often called the father of the essay. In life he was a wealthy Frenchman who had thoughts about many, many things – including friendship, how to live, and even cannibals – and wrote about them over many years. He would often go back to previously completed essays and revise them to reflect his changing thoughts.
- Her 1962 book, Silent Spring, had a tremendous impact on how we think about the chemicals we use to control pests – both plants and animals – and on the entire field of environmental science. She also wrote a popular book entitled The Sea Around Us.
- He created the first English language translation of the Bible, and was an early critic of certain teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. He died from a stroke in 1384. The Council of Constance (1415) declared him a heretic and banned his writings. His body was exhumed and destroyed.
- He is remembered for his often macabre short stories, and for his poems. He is also credited with creating a Sherlock Holmes-like detective before Sherlock Holmes ever existed. Many of his short stories are staples of anthologies, and most people have read his poem about a certain black bird.
- This Prague-born author's last name with –esque added to it denotes something that is surreal, complex or nightmarish. His most famous short story is about a man who wakes one morning to find that he has turned into a giant bug. He asked a friend to burn his unpublished works when he died, but – lucky for us – his friend decided not to carry out the authors wishes.
- He invented dynamite only to see it used in war instead of for peaceful purposes that would benefit mankind. When his brother died, newspapers mistakenly reported that he, not his brother, had died. He was stunned by the negative things that people said about him before the erroneous obituary was corrected. He used part of his fortune to set up a number of prestigious prizes including one in literature.
- This Cambridge don is best known for his theories – and published works – in the field of economics. One of his theories is that government should increase spending during a time of recession in order to counter the loss of activity in the private sector.
- Most people would agree that any alteration in the Western Canon that would add women writers would absolutely have to include this British novelist. Her best known novel, first published 200 years ago this year, has been filmed for television and the movies well over a dozen times.
- Faust (especially part 1) is considered one of the greatest of literary works, and this brilliant German writer and thinker wrote it. He led a long productive life, and was in love with love up until the very moment of his death at age 82.
- This great British thinker was an early proponent of using a scientific method in order to properly investigate the world around us. He proposed the use of inductive reasoning – in which we go from the specific to the general – in all investigations. His two principal works were The Advancement of Learning and Novum Organum (which he never completed). While investigating the use of snow to preserve meat he became chilled, and died.
- He was a crusader for social reform in Great Britain, but he made his points through the novels he wrote, not through blistering speeches. He has created some of the most memorable characters in English literature, and is probably regarded second only to his fellow countryman William Shakespeare in the hearts of those who love literature.
- We remember him as one of the founding fathers, but that was only one of this Renaissance man's fields of interest. He was a scientist, an able diplomat, a printer, and an author among other things. It was he who fine-tuned Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence, wrote an almanac which contained sayings that we still use, and wrote a brief autobiography.
- The mother of Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) this woman is remembered principally as an early fighter in the battle for women's rights. In 1792, long before the women's suffrage movement began, she wrote a book entitled Vindication of the Rights of Women which encouraged women to resist domination by men.
- This Russian is one of the most famous writers who ever lived. He was also a religious fanatic, and firmly believed that the Russian peasants should be treated better. His complicated, contradictory life makes one wonder how he was able to see so clearly into the psyches of the characters he wrote about.
- He was a native of Florence, Italy, and when he wrote his masterpiece – a magnificent three part poem about a man's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise – he wrote it in his native dialect rather than in Latin because he was writing it for the common people, not for scholars. Modern Italian is based on that dialect.
- This man had great influence in two radically different fields: mathematics and philosophy. In mathematics his major contribution was the development of the Cartesian coordinates, a system for graphing equations. In philosophy his major work was his Meditations in which he declares, "I think, therefore I am."
- No one before him ever explored the human mind the way this man did. He is the father of modern day psychology and psychiatry. He had many disciples who broke away from his thinking, and developed their own theories. However, it can be argued that they might not have given the human psyche so much thought if their mentor had never existed. He wrote many works including The Interpretation of Dreams and Civilization and Its Discontents.
- At one time half the world was ruled by people who followed the philosophy of this German philosopher and champion of the common man. Though we may disagree with his beliefs, without a doubt he is one of the most influential people who ever lived.
- When it comes to theology, there are few men who have had as much influence as this man whose major work, Summa Theologica (written between 1265 and 1274), harmonized the thoughts of the great philosophers with the teachings of the Catholic Church. He remains the Church's most important philosopher.
- This German priest developed grave doubts about some of the Catholic Church's teaching concerning indulgences, the validity of some of the sacraments, and the role of the Church in a nation's politics. His actions set off a chain of events that would be known as the Protestant Reformation.
- Only because of this goldsmith's invention did the ideas of the people in this quiz receive wide dissemination. To the authors of 1,000 Years, 1,000People, the invention of movable type and the printing press is the most important achievement of the last 1,000 years, and its inventor deserves the prize. And what book lover would dare to disagree?
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Ten Who Almost Made It, but Didn't
- Lady Godiva
- Amerigo Vespucci
- Pocahontas
- Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky
- Ronald Reagan
- John Kennedy
- Oprah Winfrey
- William Gates
- Carl Ripken, Jr.
- Diana, Princess of Wales


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Dianthus centrepiece
Guest floral designer David Ragg shows an idea on how you can combine beautiful Dianthus varieties. He has chosen to use spray and standard carnations in soft colours and combine these with a few special varieties such as the 'Sparkz Star®' and the 'Green Trick'. The result: a powerful and special carnation arrangement that you will enjoy for a long time. Watch the tutorial video with David!


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Our top 7 rooftop bars and lounges in Miami, not numbered in any particular order. If you have a suggestion we should add, let us know!
Sugar Miami – Brickell
This rooftop is giving off fairytale garden vibes, with incredible 360 views of the city. Offering asian inspired cocktails and bites and an awesome happy hour you'll want to take advantage of.
Tip: Be sure to arrive early especially on Friday and Saturday to avoid massive lines. Regularly priced cocktails average around $12-$15.
Vista Miami – Design District
Vista is one of the newer venues in the area and the first to feature a rooftop bar. Here you can enjoy a luxurious dinning experience or sample smaller plates and a variety of cocktails at the bar, all with the gorgeous backdrop of the city lights.
Tip: The dinning is luxurious but the atmosphere is casual and romantic, great for dates! Menu offerings are comfortably priced.
Area 31 – Downtown
Area 31 offers stunning views of the Miami skyline, making for the perfect evening out. This is a cool and elegant spot with amazing seafood and the best Friday happy hour in town.
Tip: The crowd here is the young Brickell professional looking to mix, mingle, and unwind.
Bloom Skybar – Downtown
Bloom offers stellar views of downtown and a wildly famous Sunday brunch you don't want to miss. (We recommend the guacamole.) Take advantage of happy hour and a variety of weekly events on one of the coolest rooftops in town.
Tip: This vibe is elegant yet casual and laidback. Enjoy industry night every Monday.
Juvia – Miami Beach
Juvia is an ultra-lux and elegant purple palace with stunning views of South Beach. The food is great and the drinks will not disappoint. The atmosphere is fun and buzzing with the excitement of a typical night on South Beach.
Tip: There is nothing casual about this place, and that includes the price tag.
Highbar – Miami Beach
Highbar epitomizes Miami style with its all white retro decor. Enjoy tunes from their in house DJ and spectacular views of both the city and the beach! Dance or relax by the gorgeous infinity pool while sipping on any of their fun cocktail options.
Tip: They offer a great weekly pool party every Sunday from 9am-11pm. Regularly priced drinks can get expensive and gratuity is included.
1 Hotel – Miami Beach
You don't have to be a guest here to enjoy the sweeping rooftop views of the city and the ocean. Relax and enjoy awesome beats by the in house DJ all day and night. Enjoy great food and drinks and a view that can't be beat.
Tip: The crowd is edgy and hip but still very sophisticated and elegant. Prices range on the more expensive side but we'd say its worth it for the service and overall experience.


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Deciding how to quilt a piece is usually more difficult than doing the piecing. This one has been percolating through my brain while I worked on sewing more tops and finally here's what I settled on. As most of the prints featured holly, it seemed appropriate to stick to a holly motif for the quilting. Adding an extra layer of batting for easy trapunto helps add dimension. With the 6 points on the diamond, the centre motif almost resembled a snowflake, except with holly branches. The centre was left bare in case this piece ends up as a tree skirt, in which event that centre will be cut out. That decision can be made later. A vine was added to twist around the edge of the outer diamonds, with holly leaves placed randomly on the vine. This is the view from the back of the quilt top after the batting has been stitched in place. From here the quilt is layered in the normal way, adding batting and backing.
The piece finishes to about 52" across, which is a nice size on a 48" round table.
The Cumberland Quilt Guild have kindly invited me to their September 14th meeting and I will bring this along with me. A Materials List is available from Carol for anyone who has registered for the day. Both workshops are almost full to capacity, so if you have been considering a fun day out, I urge you to speak up right away to secure your spot. It's going to be fun!


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Gold continued to decline in Asian trading on Friday, headed for a score as losses in the week since March under pressure from the decline inthe euro and equities, with the failure of investors to get rid of their fears about Europe's debt crisis that threatens global economic growth.
Although gold is seen traditionally as the investment vehicle is safe, but it was severely damaged from an extensive sales this week in asset markets with high-risk such as stocks and industrial minerals, oil, forcinginvestors and speculators to sell the precious metal to cover losses inother markets.
And dropped the price of gold for immediate sale about 10 dollars to1584.60 USD/Troy an ounce.
Futures fell U.S. gold for June delivery was 10.5 to $ 1585.0 USD/Troy an ounce, after it had been stepped up above the level of $ 1600 for a brief period on Thursday.


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With the recent release of PUBG on XBOX (and the PC release in December 2017), you might be wondering if your PC, XBOX, or Mac has what it takes to run it.
Fortunately, that question is easy to answer. PUBG has a surprisingly low system requirement if you run the game on the lowest settings. If you won't settle for anything less than 60 frames per second (FPS), no need to worry as we have you covered. In this article, we will cover the minimum PC, XBOX, and Mac system requirements as well as recommend system requirements to make sure you hit that sweet 60 FPS.
PUBG PC System requirements
If you are trying to game on a budget, all you need to do is make sure you hit the minimum system requirements. According to Steam, the minimum PC system requirements are as follows:
- Operating System: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10.
- Processor: Intel Core i5-4430 / AMD FX-6300.
- Memory: 8 GB RAM.
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB / AMD Radeon R7 370 2GB.
- DirectX: Version 11.
- Network: Broadband Internet connection.
- Storage: 30 GB available space.
We found that playing PUBG under the minimum PC system requirements, we would average 40 to 50 FPS, capping out around 70 FPS, and dropping to 25-30 FPS during intense gameplay. Although PUBG will run with this system, games are always better – especially PUBG – when you are able to play with the settings that the game is intended to be played with.
PUBG PC Recommended System Requirements
If you want the best chance possible of taking home some chicken dinners in PUBG, then you need to be sporting a PC that can deliver you the results in terms of graphics and frames. In order to rock 60 FPS or better in PUBG, we recommend the following PC system requirements:
- Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10.
- Processor: Intel Core i5-6600k / AMD Ryzen 5 1600.
- Memory: 16 GB RAM.
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB / AMD Radeon RX 580 4GB.
- DirectX: Version 11.
- Network: Broadband Internet Connection.
- Storage: 30 GB available space.
With this PC build, we were averaging 60-80 FPS, maxing out around 100, and hitting a minimum of 45 during intense fights.
PUBG Mac Requirements
Since PUBG requires a Windows operating system to play, Mac users were initially unable to partake in the fun that is PUBG. Fortunately for Mac users, there is now a way around that issue. All you need to do is download GeForce Now for Mac and sign up for a free Nvidia Account. You will be asked to link your steam account, but after that you can install PUBG and start playing!
You still need to hit the minimum system requirements to play the game as well as the requirements for GeForce Now. The latter requirements are a MacOS of 10.10 or higher, in addition to a minimum internet download speed of 25.
PUBG XBOX Requirements
To play PUBG on an XBOX, we recommend playing on the XBOX One S, or X at the very least. Even though the game will play on an original XBOX One, it is pretty laggy and struggles to load a lot of the structures in game. With the XBOX One S and X, the game is enjoyable and definitely worth picking up.
PUBG System Requirements Test
If you are rocking the minimum requirements listed above, then you are good to go! However, if your computer or console does not meet the minimum system requirements necessary to run PUBG, you may experience problems while playing.


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Can you believe its Febrary now? Don't know about you but I have no idea where January has gone, not that I mind it being a bit closer to Spring :o)As you probably know the fabulous Lou has set this months challenge of "January Blues" (check here for the original post and more details) The freebie for this month is available here and it is another lovely paper from Anice, perfect for any occassion.
For my card I had a bit of a play around with the Papercraft Factory cds. Part of what I love about the Funky Hand cds that are Papercraft Factory is the ability to mix and match between them. For my easel cards I used the paper, writer and image from the Birthday Boy collection on Happy Happy Birthday and the template from the 12 Crafters Crafting cd. I printed the paper out as a full page on one side then the template on the other side, this way when you fold over the easel part the paper is double sided and as you can see from my picture the stripes match up!
So please come and join in the Get funky fun and show us your January Blues. Please do remember our only rule here at Get Funky is that you must use at least one Funky Hand item on your creation. Feel free to make what you like and combine it with any other challenge you want, but please use a Funky Hand item to be entered into the prize draw for a free download of your choice.


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There are many different options when it comes to mosquito repellent. We try very hard to keep mosquitoes out of our environments, however there is always a time when we need to use some form of mosquito repellent. Whether you are going for a hike, have a fishing trip planned, or a family reunion in the woods, mosquito repellent should be at the top of your list of things to bring.
The best possibility in natural mosquito repellent options would have to be one that is developed to imitate the scents of those among us that have that special, shall we call it, superpower that keeps the mosquitoes away. We all know that one friend who, after an entire night by the campfire at the river, never gets one single bite. These types of repellents are in the process of becoming reality, however, we aren't there yet.
Many times the word "natural" is synonymous with the word "ineffective." The following options for natural mosquito repellent are as follows, and most are supposed to be quite effective. Who wants to be the guinea pig?
Add 2 oz of organic tea tree oil to a small misting bottle and fill with water.
10-25 drops essential oil (lavender, rose geranium, coriander seeds, peppermint, cajeput, citronella)
2 tblsp vegetable oil
1 tblsp aloes vera gel
25 drops essential oil
¼ cup water or organic apple cider vinegar
2 ½ tsp of any combination of the following oils (basil, cedarwood, citronella, juniper, lemon, myrrh, palmarosa, pine, rose geranium and/or rosemary)
1 cup 190-proof grain alcohol (available in liquor stores)
Dab or spray mixture on your skin and clothing.
Buy already made herbal mosquito repellent online or in natural food stores. Look for the words herbal, all-natural, DEET-free, non-chemical, non-toxic and hypoallergenic.
Try these natural mosquito repellent brands:
Synthetic repellents have proven to be more effective in repelling mosquitoes than its natural counterpart. You may wonder what each of these ingredients are when looking at the packing in the store. The most common is DEET which has been deemed safe if used properly. It is intended to be used on the skin or clothing and provides protection against ticks, mosquito bites, chiggers and other insects. DEET should not be used between clothing and skin or on damaged skin and should be washed off when it is no longer needed. There are specific instructions when using DEET on children and you should read all caution, warning and directions specific to each DEET containing product.
Icaridin is another common synthetic used in mosquito repellent. It has been reported to be as effective as DEET without skin irritation. You can find icaridin (picaridine) in Avon's Skin So Soft.


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I have so many obsessions as a kid: cartoons (particularly jem and the holograms, rainbow brite and sailor moon), stationery and ya paperbacks, collecting letters and writing to penpals, collecting stickers etc. Etc.
I recently found evidence of my obsessions when I was looking for something else. Haha.
Here they are, from 1999:
I realized I drew what I loved the most at that moment, and back then I loved the rugrats and maybe Quinn? Heh. That Sailor moon drawing pad is filled with copied sanrio characters lols.
My fave local writer back then was Jessica Zafra. Loved her writing style and sense of humor and wit. Loved it so much I cut out her column from the newspaper for 2 or more years since 1997:
P.s. I am still addicted to stickers and stationery and cutting things I love from newspapers and magazines. 🙂


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Hope your bird, Ashu, does recover from this current medical issue. I notice you have seen vets over this, so I cannot say really more, but, just hope you and your pet bird see better days and Ashu gets well.
We have ant issues here in the summers as well and they are horribly bad at times. We think there is a huge ant colony that lives in our neighbors huge pine tree but he says no but we seen millions of them coming out of his yard this summer branching off to different houses as they walked down the road. It was disgusting!! We had ant spray that we sprayed all over the trail and we all stomped on the trail killing lots that way. We followed it right to his big tree and he sort of giggled about it, I think he thought me and Carissa were nuts! But it least we killed lots of them. These ants like sweet stuff so we use something called Terro to kill them. It is made with borax and sugar. If you can find the real stuff it works better then the homemade stuff but it seems to only work for the tiny black ants that like sweet stuff. You can google homemade terro and find all kinds of sites telling you how to make it.
I am happy Ashu seems to be getting better and not picking at her leg as much and hope soon this will all be just a bad memory. I am also happy Helen came on here and gave you some advice because she has learned so much with her Sammy. I wonder if the miracle medicated bath they give the animals at her office is made with F10? I sure know whatever it is it sure works great.
Fly Free Boomer, we will forever love you.
Hope your bird, Ashu, does recover from this current medical issue. I notice you have seen vets over this, so I cannot say really more, but, just hope you and your pet bird see better days and Ashu gets well.
Thanks Deanna I did google the Terro product and it seems it is similar to a product here called ant rid, although when I try to find information on ant rid I can't see what the ingredients are. When I pop into the supermarket later I'll check it in person. But it sounds similar in which they both lure them and then kills the whole colony and nest and queen. That sounds funny that you stomped your way through the trail of ants. It sounds like me if I see an insect and they startle me so I just stomp like mad on them until I am satisfied that they are dead. I feel like I sound awful but I really hate all insects.
Yesterday felt like a nightmare with all the ants they were all over the ceilings in the lounge room and kitchen, I've never seen it like this before. In the past I've found a couple from time to time in summer that make their way through the kitchen window when I would be cooking dinner and leave the window open but never like this. Thankfully none made their way to the birdie rooms. In the evening after we blanketed the birdies to sleep, we went around the rest of the whole house spraying vinegar and wiping and killing all those ants, well my partner did most of it because he is taller and I am not. But I helped with moving the ladder around for him and I did the tabletops in the kitchen and wiped them down from there too. At night time I did see one or two still crawling around but there wasn't a whole colony again. And once the birds outside went home, my partner spread a product around to kill the ants and deter them, He mentioned poison but he diluted with water so not to hurt the wild birds when they come around and so nothing harmful can get in the house too. I think its just a supermarket product though, so it probably isn't something so harmful, I'll check with him after about what he put. This morning so far thankfully no colonies have made their way inside again and I have only found just a few crawling around. My partner said he hasn't seen anything outside either, so hopefully the product works for awhile until we have to re-apply again. And the wild birds still came in the morning, I hear them when they arrive at sunrise around 5:30, the pigeons come and the sparrows too with their new babies. So it hasn't affected them either. While I love watching the wild birds with their babies outside during summer, I really really prefer the winter and the cold, I cannot stand the heat and dealing with insects.
Thank you Bill, your kind words mean a lot to me as well. Yes we did see pretty much all three vets locally that say they are able to treat birds or see them. They all have knowledge of birds in some way or another, but my partner still prefers to ring the vets in Spain and get a confirmation or advice from them too because they have dealt with lovebirds specifically at their centres.
So far we have not given any more medicine to Ashu since about three days ago. She chirps during the day from time to time with the others. Just now I was in the lounge room and I heard chirping and I thought it was Asha but when I peeked it was actually Ashu. She eats and drinks as usual, and her poops seem normal now, still sometimes a bit stringy during the day but that might be from when she has vegetables, otherwise it's normal consistency. She still seems to struggle with that left leg though like she can't perch on only that leg for too long. I wish I knew what caused this in the first place, definitely not an insect. I cannily assume that either an irritating bite from Asha or the toy they used to have she would squeeze around it to chew it that may have caused it too. I am also so grateful to Helen too (Thanks again Helen!) and to all of you that have provided support and suggestions and advice too. It does sound like the f10 is a miracle worker on their feathers, and I think I will read up on it more too.
Oh my gosh I would be horrified to see all those ants in our house! It is our worse fear and after seeing the huge colony crawling out of the tree and down the road to the different houses it is one of my nightmares. I usually do not kill anything and at first I felt awful stomping all those millions of ants but I knew if we didn't kill them they would get into houses. We first sprayed them in our yard with ant killer outside and then ran out of it and then sprayed them with a strong simple green cleaner and water solution which kills them and then me and my daughter followed this trail to all our neighbors house stomping them like mad women. It was crazy how big the trails were going to each house. My daughter lived in a house on a street behind our neighbor who lives across from us and she had a horrible ant problem as well. And that trail was heading across the road towards our neighbors and her house below it! I could not even image all those ants coming out of our pine tree here and I for sure would have got a exterminator to come out and kill them. I have a feeling the same thing is happening near your house. We have used ant killer that was toxic outside because sometimes you just have to do it. I think once it is sprayed and on the ground the wild birds will smell it and not come around it. Ants are what nightmares are made out and I really do hope you will not see all those ants come back into your house again.
I am happy Ashu is not taking the meds anymore. I think she might have hurt her leg as well and might be biting at it because something hurts. They are into everything and do hurt themselves sometimes. I am just happy she has not bled anymore. You and your partner are good parronts and no doubt your birds love you for it.
Fly Free Boomer, we will forever love you.
here in the case of sugar ant infestation, I scaterred glue and poisonous traps with borax all around my place, I put it in every slit of my place and under the furniture. It took 4 weeks to get rid of it and I haven't seen any single ant inside my house yet.
I had trouble with ants, bees, wasps and hornets this summer. I went on line and googled natural remedies to repel or kill insects. There is plenty of info on line and various recommendations. I used a mix of apple cider vinegar, crushed bay leaves, all spice, peppermint essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, dish soap, I used a brand we have here, Palmolive green, and some hot water. I used a big spray bottle. I think you also can add some borax into the mix. Shake the spray bottle well, and then go outside and spray it around your home foundation and around tree trunks, and other areas of your yard. I also read you can use crushed bay leaves outside in gardens,flower beds, etc.
I had wasps invade my car trunk for two summers. This past summer, I used this mix, spraying it outside in various areas and around my car. The wasps did not like it at all, and quit building nests in my car trunk.
I did not use this mix inside my home, because I did not want to harm my birds. Outside, the bay leaves crushed outside my front door area, and the spray, kept the spiders and other insects away from my front door and crawling under the screen door, too!!!
Thank you everyone for all the advice. Since that horrible day with all the ants we have not had a huge infestation like that. A couple will find their way in from time to time but not a major colony. Yesterday we did wake up to finding a fair bit on the kitchen counters but got rid of them quickly. I did find a few in the birdie room too in the afternoon but got rid of them too. And this morning I brought the birds to the lounge and have just cleaned their room with vinegar and vacuumed so they are in the lounge all day until the birdie room is clear this evening. We have never had this ant issue like this before. And it is those little black ones that are looking for sugar. My partner sometimes gets ice and puts them in areas outside where they are crawling around in order to drown them. Doesn't help that much though. I've noticed that they tend to be around more on the hotter days. We have had a few of those lately. I really hate summer, I cannot wait for winter and I hope winter is longer. I wish it was always winter.
Ellen I might try some of those natural remedies that you have tried. We do not have screens in this house at all, which has always been annoying to me, but before we moved in we did not know about the insect issues. We thought about trying to put screens but if they will not prevent the insects then why bother as it is not a forever home, its just a for now rental. We have Palmolive green dish soap as well down here, and I occasionally buy that brand when it is on sale, and I think most of the other ingredients I will have somewhere in the cupboard so I might try it. I tried making a peppermint spray with peppermint oil and water as I had heard lots of insects hate peppermint but it did not seem to work or deter them.Before we had birdies we used to get these insect bomb sprays and put them in the house and leave the house for a few hours then clean up. It would work for awhile but then we would have to use them again after 2 or 3 weeks. I never called a professional pest controller as I wasn't sure if their products would be good and didn't want to pay a lot of money. This was the first year we moved to this house, and after the year after we didnt seem to get an insect problem, so I figured it was just that unusually warm year earlier that caused it. And we did get the birdies the year after so using chemicals like bug sprays wasnt an option after that. It seems to have only become a problem this summer again, so hopefully next summer will be better. or Summer will just go away and never return and take all its insects with it.
We have a big bush tree just outside the kitchen window so there have always been insects around there but they were usually outside, I think bees come to get the flowers growing or the nectar on the tree. And off course the wild birds too.
If we have a major problem again we will put the diluted poison outside again at night time so that the wild birds are gone and when they return it won't affect them and just keep the bugs away.
Little Ashu is doing ok. Her feathers are starting to grow in the area of her wound. She still tries to pick at it sometimes. And she still has trouble perching with that foot too. My partner has wondered whether the mite spray did more harm than good, since there were no mites. I think her foot is in pain, and that this is why she sometimes just prefers to rest more often. When we feel pain, we are sometimes likely to just go and lay down and prefer to just rest and fall asleep in order to not feel the pain, and I think it is the same for little Ashu. I wish there was some kind of medicine to give her for pin, like paracetamol or something, does anyone know if any medicine exists for birds to help with pain? I will not give anything to her without a vet's advice, and possibly not even then if I feel its risky but it would be good to know some opinions here. I do also think that if she were not to feel the pain then she might act like she's invincible again and harm herself by accident so its probably best to let her be. My partner will sometimes get her and try to massage the area a little bit. Overall, apart from sometimes just wanting to rest more, she still chirps to the others. We tried to put her in a cage with Asha again, and for awhile they were fine, but then all of a sudden Asha apparently wanted to pounce of Ashu and not let her eat, I didnt see this, but my partner told me so he put her back in a separate cage again. They get time outside of the cage together regularly though and are still sleeping in our room separate from the others, because rico the red conure is too noisy after bedtime and still screams for an hour or so afterwards so I prefer Ashu to get some peace and quiet and Asha is in her cage right next to Ashu to keep her company. Asha, herself, is also a bit loud now and starts chirping loudly from about 5 or 6 in the morning, but during the night will stay quiet and rest near Ashu. We are thinking to take Ashu to the vet again to be examined, because we are worried about her not being able to perch properly on the wounded leg.
We also think that the cause of all this was a bite from Asha. My partner was looking at her leg properly and showed me and there were two bite marks on the leg very close to her wound. He thinks that Asha bit too hard and this irritated Ashu's skin and caused her the pain too and why she kept picking at the area and eventually got all the feathers out. I don't know how two very bonded sisters can do this to one another. They still love each other so much and will preen each other when they have time together so I don't get it. And Asha kept calling for Ashu the first time they were separated from 3 in the morning. Maybe it's hormones. But anyway we will keep monitoring both of them, especially Ashu, and especially when they are together.
Yes, it could be hormones. I think it is a good idea for another vet exam. Like you, I would worry about that leg and foot, especially the circulation because I would not want to see my birds leg/foot having to be amputated. Thanks for the lovely update. We will watch for any news on the leg/foot.
About Asha, maybe instead try to use a kind of used sock or something to put over the area to stop her irritating the area even further. And, about the ants, maybe try luring them into a concealed box with a lid with food if you dont want to harm them.
P.s: Dont worry, unless they arent moving into a hidden hole in the ground or something, they shouldnt be too hard to get rid of them. I had a whole colony march into my apartment, and it took only one week to get rid of them all. It was annoying, though...
I know you got rid of them, but just in case!
Thanks Ellen and William. I am worried about circulation as well. She is honestly her usual self, she is just sometimes more tired probably because she wants to sleep and forget any pain or irritating feeling that she has and she wants to pick at it again. On Sunday morning we woke up to finding blood in her cage again. She was doing so well, it had been ages possibly 3 weeks or a month since we found blood in her cage and this time there was more than the other times, one of the perches literally turned from cream to a red colour. We were really concerned, and it is like we are back to square one again. We did put flour, and iodine again for her. She is her normal self though, it is like she does not even know she was bleeding. She chirps a lot to the others, she eats as usual, her poops are normal. I am concerned about the blood loss though. So now its back to checking on her a few times overnight again too. We have not been to the vets yet though. I am not sure what they can do really. She has been examined by three vets already, and was given meloxicam to reduce inflammation, we stopped giving that ages ago, but gave her a tiny bit yesterday as her leg was a little inflamed again. I'm going to continue keeping an eye on her.
I might give some thought to the sock. But I am concerned her wound won't heal if it is covered all the time in material. It would also be hard to put it on her as she is not tame so she will always keep moving around. She will also probably try to chew that instead and possibly even remove it she has a sharp beak that little girl! It was hard to get a collar on her on the day that we put the on her too. Oh gosh that would have been annoying dealing with ants for the whole week. I'm glad you got rid of your ants. I do not think we will ever fully get rid of them as there are so many outside, this was just the first time that a whole colony made their way inside instead. Haven't had a major issue with them in awhile though which is good, I hope they stay outside and do not come back inside again though.
I think it is very difficult to have to experience any injury or impediment of birds, because the picking on the area, is quite normal, and how do you stop it??? That is the big challenge. And it is bound to bleed again, because their skin is soooo very thin. We, as humans, know how it feels when we get a cut, or an insect bite, or anything that makes the wound reopen and bleed again.
It was a positive that at least for awhile the blood was not there, but I do agree, it sounds like a good amount of blood loss this time. I hope you can find some solution to this bleeding. It would totally worry me too!
I am sorry to read she made herself bleed again. I thought since it had been so long since she picked at she was finally better again. A soft collar of some kind might be needed. Helen has dealt with her Sammy making himself bleed too so her collar could work for you too.
Fly Free Boomer, we will forever love you.
I am really hoping she does not make herself bleed again. I am going to read again Helen's posts and show them to my partner so he can get an idea of the kind of collar and see if we can create one for her.
We have also started to notice something else, the sides of her beak are very slightly and slowly turning a bit white. Not too much, but a little. She normally has a pure red beak. I tried to read up on this and found that it could be a number of things including vitamin deficiency (maybe due to the blood loss?), or infection (although I thought if an infection there should be other symptoms?). Another possibility is she might have rubbed her beak a little too hard on a perch. She does seem to rub her beak on perches a lot more lately. And sometimes not on the perches, she might give it a quick rub on the side of her food bowls too. It is another thing concerning me now. She is her normal self eats and drinks normally, poops are good, she chirps with the others, only her little wound on her leg still irritates from time to time, partner put iodine on it earlier this week, not pure, diluted with water. We tried to make an appointment with the vets and one was booked out and the other one is on holidays until February. I might see if we can try to get an appointment next week if possible. And might try consult with an online vet again if I can. I'm hesitant to be giving Ashu any prescribed medicines unless I am sure that the vet themselves is sure of it too and examines her properly. I think the white has started to appear about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I was going through her photos and pics taken at the end of December did not have any white, so it definitely started in January.
Last edited by marroqui; 01-18-2019 at 08:33 PM.
This is a picture taken of her today:
Last edited by marroqui; 01-18-2019 at 08:33 PM.


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Editor's note: Philip Agbese, a human rights activist based in the United Kingdom writes on a recent piece by Festus Adedayo, "Buratai's Bruises on Nigerian Troops".
According to Agbese, Adedeyo speaks power to the truth on critical issues as it concerns governance and he has been applauded severally for this seemingly patriotic stance.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng.
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I recently read the piece by the dependable Festus Adedayo, who in truth is one of the best hands in the media landscape in Nigeria. I mean with a PhD in Political Communication from the University of Ibadan, one should expect that his political services should be in hot demand.
He was at a time special adviser on media to the governor of Enugu and Oyo states and recently the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan appointed him to the same position. But it ended in a controversy that the appointment had to be reversed not on the strength of capacity or qualification. I stand to be corrected.
I admire Festus Adedayo for his intellectual prowess. He speaks power to the truth on critical issues as it concerns governance and he has been applauded severally for this seemingly patriotic stance.
But I have some reservations on his recent piece titled "Buratai's Bruises on Nigerian Troops." He, as usual, played with words and tried to mesmerize his readers. He went back and forth, trying to justify the title of his piece. He also went as far as quoting from the Nigerian Armed Forces Act, especially Section 45, 46, 47 and 48 which deal with the misconduct of military personnel.
But the plot failed. This time he was unable to deliver on his much anticipated best seller. I won't say I was disappointed. I would rather say he wrote with so much venom that he forgot the place of logic in writing and that emotions should be kept at bay. Those were the areas he got it woefully wrong. Aside the fact that he wrote on a topic he was completely ignorant on.
Back to the crux of the matter. He stated that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai accused his troops of treason with his statement at a workshop tagged "Transformational leadership" which was organized by the Army Headquarters Department of Transformation and Innovation, which held at the Army Resource Centre in Abuja recently.
Buratai had said: "It is unfortunate, but the truth is that almost every setback the
Nigerian Army has had in our operations in recent times can be traced to the insufficient willingness to perform assigned tasks or simply insufficient commitment to a common national/military course by those at the front-lines.
READ ALSO: Boko Haram: Governor Zulum vows to wipe out insurgency in Borno
Many of those on whom the responsibility for physical actions against the adversary squarely falls are yet to take ownership of our common national or service cause fully."
I will start on this note. The media quoted the comment by the Chief of Army Staff out of context, which is common in this clime. Two statements in the commentary were right and a reflection of the harshness of the reality on the ground in Nigeria. And they are an insufficient willingness and insufficient commitment to take ownership of our common national service or cause fully.
The above two have been the bane of the myriads of challenges facing Nigeria. Lack of willingness and lack of commitment to a common goal. Everyone seems to be preoccupied with their interest rather than national interest. And this was simply what the Chief of Army Staff was trying to emphasize in his comment.
But for how the press interpreted it. The statement wasn't meant to dampen the morale of the troops. Far from that, rather it was meant to provide explanations to why things go wrong and why things also go right narrowing it to the war against terrorism in Nigeria.
Festus Adedayo in his piece in an attempt to let the world know he is an intellectual went ahead to suggest what the Chief of Army Staff meant by insufficient willingness.
He wrote "Insufficient willingness" could be a symptom of several malaises, ranging from weariness to fight, disobedience to command, sagging morale, cowardly behavior, communicating with the enemy, among the panoply of other tendencies."
After reading this, I wondered if Festus Adedayo was a soothsayer that could with the whip of a handkerchief interpret a statement with such authority. I think he took his brilliance too far for want of a better expression.
He also systematically analyzed how Boko Haram fighters earn $3000 daily and how Nigerian soldiers earn a meager N1000 daily.
Even though he alluded that it was not his original idea, but that of Dr. Sidi Mohammed, a member of the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative (PCNI). The mere fact that he could cite such nonsense is an indication of how not be an intellectual.
And assuming such was even real, I can bet that even soldiers would readily switch camp since it's all about how the Nigerian Army has neglected the soldiers at the battlefront as Festus Adedayo wants us to believe.
He also attempted to be emotional in his piece like he has ever traveled to the theatre of operations for once in his lifetime. If he hasn't, then there is no moral justification for him to lend his voice to the activities of the Nigerian military in North East Nigeria.
The bulk of the stories of neglect and what have you are figments of the imaginations of the authors, or probably they still relied on the fate of Nigerian soldiers before the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015. Just like Festus Adedayo and members of the unsuspecting public.
Festus Adedayo tried as much as possible in his piece to conceal its true intention, which is to throw a jab at the Muhammadu Buhari's administration for the humiliating way his appointment was terminated.
Even though he has screamed to high heaven that he never wanted the job, but a week after he didn't come out to reject it, not until the public outcry that followed.
One of such way he wanted to get at the government was his satirical statement that read thus "The truth is, if we count the number of the dead since Buhari assumed office in 2015, it should be near the casualty figure of the Nigerian civil war." I wondered how Festus Adedayo lost it this easily.
A Special Adviser to the Senate President is not an Olympic medal that should rattle the Festus Adedayo we all know.
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Having stated the above, it becomes apparent the Festus Adedayo needs some form of enlightenment on what it takes to be in a war situation and what most war commanders face in galvanizing their troops to victory.
Festus Adedayo should know that there would lethargic feelings which would translate to insufficient commitment or reluctance. This is a natural occurrence even in the most civilized climes in the world.
Warfare is not political science or communication, and as such, it would be difficult for Festus Adedayo to comprehend the statement of the Chief of Army Staff, just like those that misconstrue it to mean blaming the soldiers for the setbacks recorded in recent times.
His entire piece was laced with outright insinuations and illogical conclusions. There was not a single sentence or paragraph that contained first-hand information; rather it dwelled on hearsay and cheap gossips not befitting for intellectual discourse.
Festus Adedayo must rephrase his piece to read "How I misled my readers with half-truths" and consequently apologize immensely for missing it this time around. In all, I need to mention that I am a great fan of Festus Adedayo.
But the truth must be told at all times. This very one is a big disappointment. The comment of the Chief of Army Staff was not a bruise. But rather a wakeup call. It is called strategy.
Nice info
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This looks like a really cool company! Thanks for the post.
A while back I was contacted by Andi, the owner of Brand Resistant, to check out her small clothing company as she thought I would find it pretty cool. She even sent along a t-shirt for me, as seen below:
Andi's company prides itself on being an ethical producer of t-shirts who is brand/logo free, sweatshop free and carbon neutral. Here is what their website has to say about their principles:
We noticed a change in traditional consumerism. People started questioning their role in the planets health. This used to be the strict domain of activists but now people from all walks of life, young and old, want products that are tailored to their lifestyle, politic and social awareness. People seek to define their own values, ignoring cultural icons and creating new solutions.
Often ethical, green and clean alternatives produced locally by growers and artisans cost a lot more than regular products. The privilege of consumer activism can therefore marginalise those most concerned. Big brands and corporations cannot change as fast as consumer needs dictate. We believe the rise will occur in niche sustainable companies like brand resistant.
Brand Resistant buys all green power, they purchase carbon offsets for any emissions, their inks are solvent-free and water-based, and their supplier is now working on making fabric out of recycled plastic bottles. Sure, their shirts might cost a little more, but at least you know that some kid in China was not working 23 hours a day for mere pennies so you can get a cheap shirt. And while some of their t-shirts are designed to really push buttons, they have some great designs that anyone could wear:
Every time I wear my shirt, people stop me and ask me about it, so it must really make people think. You can check out all their shirts at Brand Resistant if you are ever looking for a t-shirt that is both made sustainably and comes with a message you can stand behind!
This looks like a really cool company! Thanks for the post.
I'd never heard of them before. These shirts are great!
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White and Gold Round Resin Necklace by Sylca
This white and gold resin necklace is bright and super cute! The round white resin beads definitely capture the eye with pops of gold, making it a great choice to wear against both bright colors or more neutral tones – you'd have a hard time finding an outfit this won't complete!
Length: 28″
Beads are 1″ in diameter
Care Instructions:
Remove jewelry when applying perfumes, creams, washing hands etc. Do not store in direct sunlight. To restore color and shine apply a drop of oil with a soft cloth.


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It All Started With A Notebook, A Pen, A Camera, And A Dog
This is the third post in an ongoing series called Meet the Folks! – A look at the people behind the scenes at Story.
I (Mary) founded Story Preservation in 2010. It started simply as an outgrowth of my irrepressible interest in people's life stories.
That interest has always been a large part of who I am going back to my twenties when I would call people up on the phone and ask, "Can I meet you?" More times than not, the answer was "Yes." So, I'd load the pup in the car – and off we'd go!
Some of my earliest interviews: an Olympic biathlete; a Shaker basket maker; a Colonel in the WWII 329th Infantry Unit that was nicknamed The Rag Tag Circus; a group of environmentalists who re-nested sea turtle eggs. There were few stones left unturned.
To listen to a brief segment (3:12) on why / how I founded Story on New Hampshire Public Radio, go to: http://nhpr.org/topic/inspired-lives "In Her Own Words"
I currently serve as Vice Chair and Executive Director.


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Machine Games recently hosted a Reddit Ask-Me-Anything session, in which several developers answered a number of burning questions about the upcoming Wolfenstein: Youngblood – ranging from its difficulty modes to length and microtransactions.
First things first, there won't be any Mein Leben difficulty this time. For those who aren't aware, the punishing difficulty in Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus requires players to beat the entire campaign in one sitting without dying. There are no saves or checkpoints, so if you die or your game shuts down somehow, you have to start all over again.
Machine Games decided to attach a trophy/achievement for beating the game in Mein Leben, much to the frustration of completionists.
According to Narrative Director, Tommy Björk, Youngblood will come with the following difficulties: Easy, Casual, Medium, Hard, Very Hard, and Über. When a Reddit user asked if the achievement tied to Mein Leben in The New Colossus will be patched to make it a little easier, Art Director Axel Torvenius replied with "we are sorry."
Elsewhere, the developers revealed that Youngblood's non-linear structure will make it lengthier than previous games in terms of total gameplay time despite its campaign being a tad shorter.
"Player progression is level-based and the game structure is non-linear, which means the experience is player-directed in a way that we've never done before where players will be able to perform missions in any order they please," said Executive Producer, Jerk Gustafsson. "And while the storyline/campaign may be a bit lighter than New Order/New Colossus, the total gameplay time of Youngblood will exceed those titles."
Youngblood will feature cosmetics like weapon skins. When a user asked if players will be able to unlock cosmetics without spending real money, Machine Games confirmed that the items can be purchased with in-game currency.
Wolfenstein: Youngblood will release on July 26, 2019 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
[Source: Reddit]


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Episode 1098— Download Episode
On today's show, we discussed Jason Spencer, Chicago rats, Tony Sparano, Gilang Andika, and more.
Episode Summary
The Detroit Cast discusses: the 27th anniversary of Mike and Jay jumping on stage at the Three Dog Night/Steppenwolf concert; more highlights from Sacha Baron Cohen's "Who is America?", including Georgia Representative Jason Spencer acting like a complete asshole; President Trump tweeting sternly in response to Iranian threats of violence; a gunman opening fire in Toronto, killing at least 2; Chicago being named the "rat capital of the U.S."; more details about the fateful duck boat voyage in Missouri; Mark David Chapman coming up for parole 38 years after gunning down John Lennon; more details about Caitlyn Jenner's "girl" friend, including that said "girl" friend is allegedly sporting a dick and balls; longtime NFL coach Tony Sparano dying at 56; a woman complaining that United Airlines didn't do enough about a neighboring passenger whacking off; Gilang Andika being born with 2 faces, but only 1 body; a lazy-ass Canadian man pulling a lawn mower from the back of his minivan; and, email.
Here are links to the videos that we discussed during this episode:
"Who is America?" clip.
Toronto shooter opening fire.
Guy whacking off on plane.
Lawn mower minivan.


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Every year around this time I start to get a little anxious. Money seems to fly out the door, family and friends seem to overwhelm us, the short days make us a little crazy and there's just so much to get done before the end of the year that it's no wonder many of us get stressed around this time of year.
I've been there and I'm in the thick of it right now, I'm traveling to see family in a couple weeks, my car has broken down twice in the last month and my bank account is overdrawn.
The point is, I know what it's like to feel the craziness of this time of year.
I think there's something about the holidays too that makes things a little more hectic.
It also has a stark way of reminding you where you are and where you've been, especially that morning the day after Christmas when new years is right around the corner and you can't help but think about everything you wanted to get done this year and how it didn't happen.
I was talking to my friend the other day about the hardness of winter, how everything compounds and just puts you in the dumps and she referenced Nordic cultures where, though winter is much longer and much harder, the people are happy. She said it's because they look at it as a time of rest and of coziness, of unwinding and being comfortable and warm.
It seems as though we look at the winter as a time of cold and starkness and that may not be the best way to look at it.
Regardless, the winter does things to us and there's little we can do.
I think the best thing we can do in this time before the holidays is to look at the good of it, the fact that we'll get to see family, the fact that we'll be able to celebrate a new year, the fact that after Christmas there won't be that pressure and we can ease into the couch in front of the fire and be comfortable.
We need to be able to find a thing about the depths of winter that makes us thankful and we need to express that gratitude.
It's kind of like expressing gratitude for the things in your life that have been hard because they made you stronger and more resilient. They taught you valuable lessons and we need to find the silver lining in the gray skies and the fleeting light and the snow on the ground.
My favorite thing about it is how quiet it gets and that's just a silly little thing I like about winter.
To get through it though, finding those things about it that make us feel good is key.
We need to be able to survive and the only way to do that is to find and pull out the things about any hardship that are good. That's a good way to look at life too.
If you find yourself overwhelmed this winter just take some time to yourself to find these things that are good. It'll help.


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ios (Archived) Can I trace with Skitch?
jodzeee posted a topic in Skitch for iOS IssuesCan I trace over an image, then remove it and use my annotations without the background? Also, can I save my annotations from Skitch as a vector object and have the ability to modify it in Illustrator or another program? And just one more question (for now!), I just installed Skitch for Windows. Can I access/open iOS Skitch files and modify them in the Windows version and vice versa? Thank you!


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Current Articles
Funding Nonexistent People
by Tom Yamachika, President Tax Foundation Hawaii
At the end of October 2015, it was revealed that our state government paid half a million dollars in pension payments to people who were already dead. Well, then, what do you think of budgeting many times that amount for people who don't even exist?
Take a bow, Hawaii Department of Agriculture! As recently reported by the Star-Advertiser, that department put in a budget request this year for 360 positions, but 122 of those positions are vacant. Most have been vacant for several years. "As far as vacancies, this is the fifth year I have been chair of this committee and this is the fifth year that we talked about the vacancies," House Finance Chair Sylvia Luke is quoted as saying during a recent budget briefing. The Department of Agriculture tried to congratulate itself on hiring a record-setting 55 people this past year, although 52 other employees left, many due to retirement, giving the Department a net gain of three (3).
In the state budgeting process, money is set aside for personnel positions whether vacant or filled. Thus, if the department hires a person to fill a vacancy, then money is available to pay that person.
But what happens when the vacancy exists for the whole year or most of it? Then there is a little pot of money in the budget that perhaps could be used for something else! (The sound of evil laughter echoes in the background.) And when there are lots of vacancies, then the pot of money is not so little.
Many departments had been using the money from vacancies to pay accrued vacation pay to an employee who is retiring or leaving. Suppose, for example, that Mr. Abe retires at the end of the year, and in doing so wants to cash out two months of vacation pay. Mr. Abe has been paid for the entire year, so there is no money left under his position. His department would typically use the money saved from position vacancies to pay him the accrued vacation that he is cashing out. A Honolulu Advertiser article dating back to 2002 describes the practice. Apparently, it continues today.
Certainly, some vacancies are a fact of life. Some folks retire. Some get ill. Some move on to other opportunities. But the agency lives on, and there needs to be money to pay a replacement worker so the job of the agency can get done.
But relying on vacancies to cover vacation pay, or some other unspecified costs? Wait a minute. If we need to do this, then our budgeting system is less than completely honest.
And what do we do about a department which has 360 positions, a third of which are vacant and have been so for many years?
First, as Rep. Luke mentioned in the budget hearing, we need to figure out if the department really needs all those positions. Apparently, most of the positions aren't really needed; otherwise, how could the department possibly function now? The positions that aren't needed should be cut so the money can be deployed elsewhere and not used as a slush fund. If the positions are needed, then we either need to hire the bodies or, if we can't, decide how best to use that money to get the work done.
Second, we need to realize that those vacancies equated to quite a wad of money. What happened to that money? Did it just sit in a bank account somewhere, or did it get spent? And what did it get spent on? Once we get that answer, we should be able to determine what the agency's real budget should be.
That sounds better than setting aside taxpayer money every year for people who don't exist.
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Friday, 15 December 2017
FRIDAY'S HUNT and WEEKEND REFLECTION - Malawi
11 comments:
Your last picture is unbelievably gorgeous!! It is almost like a prayer. The wall is amazing! I wish I could see the X, but I can see all the triangles.ReplyDelete
I agree-- gorgeous. And I do like the bottles.ReplyDelete
Beautiful, as ever, Malawi.ReplyDelete
And a fascinating use of bottles
Fascinating pictures and use of these bottles.ReplyDelete
...a great way to use bottles!ReplyDelete
That's a nice "X", Margaret. And a good use for bottles. I have saved some bottles for making a bottle tree. Maybe this spring for a craft display.ReplyDelete
Amazing, Loved last pic.ReplyDelete
Happy Weekend.
I enjoyed your pics...and will be back to see more!ReplyDelete
That sunset is spectacular!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous17 December 2017 at 01:59
Love the bottle wall! And to use it for a border of the plants is ingenious! We have grey squirrels living in our yard and neighborhood. I think their fur is prettier than the born or black.ReplyDelete


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Words of Light
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Each weekday evening, GurujiMa shares the principles of light that affect the global purification taking place now of which the coronavirus is a part. 'Words of Light' illuminate, clarify, soothe, and sustain. They are filled with the understanding that the Earth is fully engaged with a transition now into a new reality as a holy planet of light. Your questions and comments are invited.< View Events Calendar


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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO/KJCT) CMU women's lacrosse has won two in a row with relative ease scoring 19 and 20 goals in their last games. The seniors will be recognized in their final regular season home game on Friday and Olivia Hayden is one who has had an incredible year.
She was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week and she leads the nation in ground balls per game at 5.21. She is second in the nation in caused turnovers and she broke her own school record with 14 draw controls in the win over Westminster over the weekend. For Hayden, she says she is a perfectionist and it's why she goes after every ball like it's hers.
"Part of that reason is, yes, but also my teammates are also giving me the opportunity to give me ground ball," Hayden said. "They are causing the turnover and I just happen to be the one to pick it up. It's really a team effort in that way so for me to be leading in the nation in that is actually a reflection of our defense. It's just about who gets to it first and it happens to be me sometimes."
"Olivia is top five in the country in ground balls, caused tournovers, draw controls," head coach Shanta Loecker said. "We've talked about how as a midfielder, those are really meant to be her bread and butter. I think that part is just really her doing her job. The offensive points, that's the frosting. Just kind of goes to show how much of a full field midfielder she is."


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Ryan M. Holt
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is just that, Ultimate! Every single character from every single Smash Bros. title is here, and it makes for a great fighting game that still brings up mixed feelings. On one hand, every player from casual to hardcore will find something to love about this game, but on the other, the sheer amount of options makes it feel impossibly unbalanced. The online mode is a welcome addition, but it's a pain to find friends to play with and the matchmaking code is passable about half the time. Set your match preferences to 1v1 with no items, but be ready to play literally anything other than that. Complicating matters further, you have to leave quick play almost entirely to change your character. If you do wanna switch it up, you're thrown into the random match making process yet again. Ultimate shines when it's played with friends sitting next to each other shouting and talking smack, which is a shame because it's 2018 and Nintendo really should have this online thing figured out by now.
Jay Borenstein
There's nothing more satisfying than experiencing four characters from completely different franchises fighting on the back of The Great Fox in space. I've been a Smasher since the N64 days, and I'm always excited for the latest in the series. While some versions have been more innovative than others, the good news is there's plenty of good content in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to keep you busy in between bouts with friends.
The World of Light single-player campaign is the biggest innovation. It was a lot of fun over its 20 or so hours, and kept me smiling throughout with all the game references both in spirits and dungeons. I'm really glad they also brought in some new bosses from other games rather than sticking to the usual master/crazy hand and random spirit monsters. I figured spirit collecting would be tedious, but I'm actually enjoying the variation of the battles that come with each. The Spirit Board mechanics can be a bit annoying, but once you get the swing of it you can capture spirits with little trouble.
I've played matches with others both locally and online, and can say that this version of Smash is definitely the most energetic I've played (not a bad thing in my book). That being said, the sheer number of items is overwhelming, and some of the assist trophies border on abusive, so I'm glad you can set custom rule sets as always. The new characters are fun and add some variety (mostly increasing the heavy fighter roster) to an already huge cast. There is definitely some lag in online play, but that comes with the territory due to people with subpar internet connections.
I only wish there was a bit more variation in Classic mode – running through the same bonus course gets tiring. Now if Nintendo could just fix their online play system so you could simply send an in-game invitation to friends for a match, it would be a near perfect game!
Andrew Dmytrasz
Based on all the trailers and Nintendo Direct videos, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate delivers exactly what it promised: a mash-up of all the previous Smash Bros. games into one. The characters, stages and items we love are all here. The layout is simple with lots of different options to choose from: Smash, Spirits, Vault, Online, as well as Games and More. Anything you want can be found in any of these five sections.
Similar to Smash Bros. for the 3DS and Wii U, Classic mode is under Games and More, and is six stages instead of the 10 that were in the original game. What's interesting about Classic in Ultimate is that it's tailored to each individual character. They all have a unique name for their mode, and the enemies, items and stages are suited for each character. I haven't played this mode that much yet, so might be too early to say, but it seems the highest difficulty you can select is five and you need a ticket if you want to increase it. The intensity increases as you beat each stage, but the fact that you can't set it higher from the beginning is a little irritating.
One new mode and feature that I like in this game is Spirits. The past few Smash Bros. games have offered some sort of secondary story mode where it's more of an adventure with a story instead of just facing off against challengers. The spirits have essentially replaced the trophies you would have collected in the other games, but have different effects to boost your character. I think this is a much better because you have characters from those worlds helping you instead of sitting on the digital shelf not doing anything. To get the spirits you need to fight them in the first place, which I love because it's like having those characters in the game, without actually putting them on the already crowded roster. For example one of the spirits is Latios and Latias from Pokémon. Instead of creating them with their own unique skins and moves, you fight two Charizards (one blue, one red) to get the spirit. While some of these fights are definitely more annoying than they are challenging, the spirits are a new variable people might have to take into consideration when battling. Overall, I'm really enjoying Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and everything it has to offer!