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Torcedor has established himself as one of the leading competitors in the English flat season over two miles in 2018 and Jessica Harrington will be hopeful that her charge can end the term with a victory at the Melbourne Cup.
The Irish horse rose to prominence in the 2017 season – notably with a victory over Order of St George in their clash at Navan in the Vintage Crop Stakes. Aidan O'Brien's charge was the favourite for the event, but Torcedor produced the upset to win the race. It's that sort of prowess on the track that makes the six-year-old one of the leading contenders in the bookmakers' odds compiled by Oddschecker for the meet at Flemington Racecourse.
Harrington's charge was beaten at the end of the last campaign by Order of St George, who earned his revenge for the defeat at the British Champions Long Distance Cup. Colm O'Donoghue in the saddle got a fine performance out of the bay gelding, putting pressure down on his rival down the stretch. The two competitors battled down the final straight, but O'Brien's charge proved to have the pace when it mattered at the crucial stage to clinch the Long Distance Cup.
He returned to action for the start of the 2018 campaign in Meydan at the Dubai Gold Cup. However, Torcedor endured a miserable outing with the worst performance of his career, placing in last out of 16 competitors. The six-year-old needed a response to put the outing in Dubai behind him and O'Donoghue was able to bring out the best in his charge at Ascot in the Sagaro Stakes.
The Irish horse was considered the favourite for the race and duly delivered on expectations with an accomplished display. He had a steady tempo throughout the meet after taking the lead six furlongs from the finish. Torcedor pulled away from the rest of the field to win by five lengths to get back to winning ways. The performance proved to be a fine warm-up for his next outing. Harrington put her charge forward for the Ascot Gold Cup. The bay gelding had competed in the event in 2017, only to finish off the pace of the leading group. Big Orange won the event ahead of Order of St George, with Torcedor placing down in fifth. He was an outsider with a starting price of 14/1 for the meet, but proved to be a true contender for the crown.
The six-year-old was able to match the pace of the leading group and was in with a shout of the victory with two furlongs remaining. His compatriot Stradivarius had the extra pace when need to pull ahead of Torcedor along with Vazirabad to take the crown. Torcedor did place in third ahead of Order of St George, highlighting the quality of the performance, although not quite good enough for the major victory.
The Irish horse would collide with Stradivarius once again at the Goodwood Cup Stakes. John Gosden's charge was the overwhelming favourite for the title considering his performance in the Ascot Gold Cup. O'Donoghue got a solid run out of Torcedor at Goodwood, but he could not close in on Stradivarius in the closing stages of the race as his rival had the speed to edge away from him, taking the race by half-a-length. Once again it proved that Harrington's charge has the capability to compete at the major events, although the ultimate success evaded the bay gelding.
The Melbourne Cup will give Torcedor a stronger opportunity to break his duck at a major event. The Irish horse does have five victories in the 19 races of his career, although the high point thus far has been his triumph over Order of St George at the Vintage Crop Stakes.
He will face competition for the Melbourne Cup with Withhold being the leading contender among the bookies for the title following his win at the Stobart Rail & Civils Northumberland Plate Handicap. On the surface, Torcedor would appear to have a stronger calibre than Roger Charlton's charge given the standard of competition he has faced over the season. Therefore the six-year-old could finally be ready to make his mark with a victory at Flemington at the beginning of November.


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Spring break is coming up. That means hearing about Cancun and Barcelona while walking by students, seeing Airbnb and hotel tabs on 101 laptops, and seeing Snapchat countdowns every day.
Spring break is a college student's dream – one that comes with a hefty price to make it a reality. As a student coming from a low-income background at a school like Tufts, where approximately 18% of the students come from families in the top 1%*, there are rarely ever spaces that are inclusive of people from different, usually less privileged socio-economic classes. You can see this in the amount of Canada Goose jackets on our campus. One coat can cost over $1000.
Money is a tricky thing to navigate in college. People refer to college as the great equalizer, but in many ways, I have been the most aware of my economic situation since coming to school. And spring break is a huge reminder of that.
[gdlr_quote align="right" ]When it comes to spring break, college students "just wanna have fun." Bringing up costs and money can feel like you're being the Debbie Downer of the group.[/gdlr_quote]
A Different Kind of Travel Anxiety
When friends from school start brainstorming all the possible spring break destinations, costs are an assumed factor. However, what people cannot see often is the stress and anxiety that students from lower socio-economic classes can feel during these conversations.
From experience, it's hard to bring up affordability with friends. Money is an awkward thing to talk about at times. When it comes to spring break, college students "just wanna have fun." Bringing up costs and money can feel like you're being the Debbie Downer of the group. And no one wants to be labelled that way.
But for students who use their work-study job as their main source of income to pay for things ranging from laundry to food to books to tuition, spring break destinations involve more than just brainstorming. It means thinking extensively about how much money you can sacrifice to take a trip, sometimes hiding your concerns for the sake of the excitement of your friends.
What does this mean? We need to begin having conversations about affordability in college. We need to name the big elephant in the room, which looms larger for students from lower socio-economic classes.
Spring break is one example of that elephant. To all college students. who are struggling financially, I wish you all a happy spring break, wherever you are.

subset: commoncrawl


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Travel delays are no joke; yet, they've been happening to travelers on a consistent on-and-off basis.
Airlines have cited weather issues, lack of staff, and COVID as some of the leading reasons why they are having to delay or rescind thousands of flights in various patches.
These sorts of issues are very disruptive to travelers. Some people found themselves stranded in airports for over 24 hours at a time. Others were on tight schedules and ended up missing weddings, birthday showers, and additional special events.
Airlines, meanwhile, are actually cutting their flight schedules as summer plays out. Travel demands are increasing; meanwhile, airlines aren't having an easy time with meeting these demands.
Now, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg claims airlines can face punitive actions from the government over mass rescinding and delays of flights, per Fox News.
Buttigieg on Airlines and Air Travel Issues in the Country
According to the transportation secretary, the federal government has the power to mandate airlines hire more staffers. The government may very well do this if airlines aren't able to prevent additional travel disruptions that Americans are being subjected to.
Buttigieg also claimed his office is reviewing potential other methods that can be employed to ensure airlines are appropriately meeting the needs of their customers.
Sec. of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said the U.S. may take action against airlines on behalf of customers amid a slew of cancellations and delayed flights. @giobenitez has the details. https://t.co/kWY5S6eOU4 pic.twitter.com/8tJLr1xh0r
— Good Morning America (@GMA) June 20, 2022
Not too long ago, the transportation secretary met with airline executives. The delays and rescinding of flights were a widely discussed issue.
According to Buttigieg, airline executives have been asked to run different tests that will prevent future travel disruptions, especially during the holidays.
A significant factor in whether or not airlines face punitive actions is going to be how they manage to deal with flights during Independence Day weekend.
Will This Really Fix the Issue?
Some Americans have questioned whether or not the federal government actually has the power to force airlines to get more workers on the beat.
Others worry that what Buttigieg is threatening to do may only make the situation of travel disruptions even worse. It's likewise been pointed out that all these issues airlines are having came after COVID vaccine mandates were imposed upon airline workers.
ALERT CENTER: This morning, there are already more than 1,000 flights delayed and canceled for the day. (Courtesy: FlightAware) – https://t.co/vNF2x0FWZ1 #njmornings pic.twitter.com/wZFMP1WhEK
— News12NJ (@News12NJ) June 20, 2022
These mandates were supported and fought for by Buttigieg and others within the Biden administration.
Now that it's blowing up in everyone's faces, many Americans believe the worst thing the federal government could do is insert itself into the situation and begin making demands.
Time will tell what exactly the Transportation Department chooses to do concerning the delays and groundings of scheduled flights in the country.
Are you concerned about the on-and-off air travel issues that continue to materialize in this nation? Share with us in the comments section if you have any thoughts as to how this can be fixed.


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Livy, ab Urbe Condita 1.17:
"The struggle and desire for absolute power was exercising the minds of the senators, but this power was not granted to any individuals, because no one in the new state was greatly preeminent above the others. Therefore, the contest was waged among the classes through factional strife. Those who were born as Sabines, considering that they had not had a share in the throne following the death of Titus Tatius, wished that one of their own would be made king, so that they would not lose hold of power in the ostensibly equal society. The Romans, however, dismissed the idea of a foreign king. Yet, despite all of their varying desires, they wanted universally to be ruled by a king, because they had not yet tasted the sweet fruit of liberty. Fear then seized the senators that the state would lack government, the army would lack a general, and that some external force would threaten them, since so many of the neighboring peoples had been provoked to anger."
Patrum interim animos certamen regni ac cupido versabat; necdum ad singulos, quia nemo magnopere eminebat in novo populo, pervenerat: factionibus inter ordines certabatur. Oriundi ab Sabinis, ne quia post Tati mortem ab sua parte non erat regnatum in societate aequa possessionem imperii amitterent, sui corporis creari regem volebant: Romani veteres peregrinum regem aspernabantur. In variis voluntatibus regnari tamen omnes volebant, libertatis dulcedine nondum experta. Timor deinde patres incessit ne civitatem sine imperio, exercitum sine duce, multarum circa civitatium inritatis animis, vis aliqua externa adoriretur.


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The following post is from Shaina of Food for My Family and Olmanson Photography: Bangers and Savoy Cabbage Mash: Easy Family Meals
source: Shaina Olmanson | Food for My Family
There are days when I am overly motivated to be in the kitchen, "I have planned to make the cheese from scratch that I intend to use in the dough for the pasta that becomes the meal" days. I'm on top of it. The dishes are done as they are made, and everyone in the house joins in on making the meal. I can hear the buzz in the air of productivity, of stars aligning, and I think, "This is how it should be."
Then there are days when dinner sneaks up on me. My motivation is low; my kitchen is still a mess; breakfast dishes linger in the sink-the egg yolk gluing them together like a sunny yellow epoxy that refuses to be dissuaded by even the hottest tap water. This kind of causes me to burn my hand as I make an attempt. Dinner hovers around like a necessary evil as the kids bicker with each other or complain about homework in the next room.
This meal has become my saving grace on nights like those. The sausages hit the pan, and the potatoes simmer as I try to restore order or tie up the last bits of work that have been left undone as evening descends. It's simple in that it doesn't require babysitting, and the house fills up with the smell of a dinner that my entire family enjoys (usually ending the bickering as stomachs start grumbling instead). Sure, you can make your own sausage (it's a fun project during one of the productive days!), but I suggest making extra and freezing them for the nights like these where you just need to feed the masses and get to the part where your head hits the pillow.
Bangers are a traditional British dish, pub food if you will. These sausages acquired their name during World War II, when cooking them caused tiny explosions in the pan due to their water content, making a banging sound. It's rich, hearty food that sticks to your ribs, but we lighten it up a bit with a head of savoy cabbage for crunch to the potatoes and another side of steamed vegetables to round out a meal. Paired with a pint, it's the kind of meal that welcomes in spring while chasing away winter chills.
- 6 raw link pork sausages
- 5-6 potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cream or milk
- Salt and pepper
- Place the sausages in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. That's it. No frills. Turn the sausages every 10-15 minutes until all four sides are cooked through. It will take about 40 minutes total for them to be finished.
- While the sausages are cooking, place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a teaspoon or so of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil until tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes and set aside. In the same pot the potatoes boiled in, add the butter over medium heat. Stir in the garlic once the butter has melted, and then add in the cabbage. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes back in, mash with enough cream or milk to make them smooth, and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve scoops of potatoes topped with bangers for an easy meal.
What are some of your go-to family meals?
|Shaina Olmanson is the freelance writer, photographer, and home cook behind Food for My Family. Cooking daily with and for her four kids and husband, Ole, drives her desire to inspire other families to do the same. Shaina is also the author of Desserts in Jars and regularly contributes to various online sites and traditional print magazines.


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What Almost No One Knows About Animals
Obedience Training for Your Dog
There are a lot of people out there who really love dogs and if you are someone who also loves dogs, you may have a lot of them at your place or you are probably thinking of getting one. There are people who have a lot of dogs at their place and this can be really unruly because having a lot of dogs can be pretty stressful. Of course everyone would want to have an obedient dog who would take commands from their masters and if you really want this, you can actually get it by training your dogs. Training a dog can be pretty tough and you will really have to know how to do it if you really want your dog to learn these tricks and how to behave well. You can hire a dog trainer if you really do not want to do the training on your own and when you hire these dog trainers, they are really going to help you and give you so many wonderful benefits indeed.
If you are looking for someone to help you to train your dog, you can always look up online for where the good dog trainers are and when you find them, you should not hesitate to go and hire them. When you hire a professional dog trainer, you can really expect them to do a good job on your dog as they are really trained to do these things. When you are training a dog, one thing that you really have to have is patience as if you do not have any patience, your dog will never learn as you can be so tired of trying to do something and not seeing immediate results. If patience is not your thing, you should really just go and get a personal dog trainer as these can really help you to train your dog very well indeed.
Another thing that you will have to have if you really want to train your own dog is time. If you are someone who is really very busy, you may not get to spend a lot of time with your dog and this is really bad so if you still want them to learn lessons, you should go and hire a dog trainer to do these things for you. When you go and hire a dog trainer to help you, they are really going to spend time with your dog and train them very well so that you will have a dog that is very well behaved and one that knows a lot of really cool tricks. You are really going to get a lot of help if you go to these dog trainers and ask for their help so never hesitate to do this if you really want your dog to learn a lot of lessons.
Study: My Understanding of Resources


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mom 30seconds.com/mom
Snack Time for Kids, Break Time for Mom: How to Create a Healthy Snack Drawer for Kids to Access On Their Own! by Elisa Schmitz
7 years ago
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Are your growing kids always saying, "Mom! I'm hungry, I want a snack!" but they're perfectly capable of getting one themselves? Been there, done that, and I have a solution for you!
In my refrigerator, I keep a drawer filled with healthy snacks. It has everything from fruit and cheese to yogurt and cut up veggies, ready to go. They can reach in there anytime and grab something, then pair it with baked chips or nuts, etc. It's empowering for them to make healthy choices on their own, and best of all, you get to take a break! Try it and see what happens!


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Writers are people who read too much. To enjoy their reading they need quiet, and to secure it absent themselves from the ruckus of society. In due time, surreptitiously, this causes them to develop a melancholy character because without knowing it they have committed a serious crime--they have negated and nullified their essence as a social animal. In due time, if they stay immersed in print, they move into the Temple of Negativity, and once inside discover, in more than a few cases, there is no way out.
Then they begin to write.
Hemingway tends to be an exception to this rule, his protags and narrators often having a positive outlook and inclined to notice what is "fine" about the environments in which they find themselves, imparting good will to the people around them--until they are destroyed in his signature catastrophic endings.
As to substance abuse among serious writers, it is clearly mandatory, a fact the hallowed universities tend to minimize or overlook, decade after decade designing curricula grounded on the worldview of (gifted) drunks.
Suicide, on the other hand, is optional.


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You may be approaching an important birthday (often a number ending in "0"). It is important that you turn off the stove when you leave the house. Elvis had an important influence on the development of Rock & Roll. The Random House Dictionary offers eight different meanings of the word, but what do we mean, exactly, by important furniture?
Objects and furniture can be considered and described as "important" if they were owned by an important, widely known, historical figure, such as George Washington. Occasionally, we are fortunate enough to handle objects of this nature but that is not the sense in which we most often apply this adjective. Furniture can be judged "important" by objective standards without having been owned or used by famous people.
Albert Sack, scion of the most consequential (or important) dealers of American antique furniture, Israel Sack, Inc., introduced Americans in his 1950 book, Fine Points of Furniture (New York: Crown Publishers, 1950), to the concept of educating one's eye by comparing the stature and detail of one form to other examples of the same form by illustrating and identifying "good" "better" and "best" examples side-by-side.
This comparative concept works because during any given period or style, particularly after the introduction of pattern books such as Thomas Chippendale's The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director in 1754, there were conventions, dictated by fashion, that proscribed the basic characteristics of a given form. As such, all bureaus, beds, sofas, sewing or games tables, secretaries or sideboards, for example, had a recognizable similarity to each other whether they were made in Boston, Philadelphia or New York. Their designs were not random, but related, irrespective of regional or shop practices. Yet, it is the development and refinement of the basic form brought by the individual artisan working within that idiom that transforms it from average to great. The average examples, of which there are many, form the baseline for judging the extraordinary, of which there are very few.
Sack's volume, useful as it is, does not substitute for a quarter of a century of studying this material, first hand, at museums, auctions, private collections, flea markets, symposia and a comprehensive private library of books and scholarly studies on the subject. Nor does it substitute for the learning that comes from owning and handling multiple examples. Indeed, nothing can substitute for the scholarship earned by investing one's own capital in fine objects. That is why the locus of connoisseurship is in the dealer community.
After a few decades of passionate involvement, having seen literally hundreds of sofas, chairs, tables, commodes and secretaries of the period, it is relatively easy to tell the wheat from the chaff within the context of its city of origin, though distinguishing between the A and the A+ example is the work of a highly trained eye. Weeding through fakes, forgeries and clever concealment of unacceptable condition issues is a regular part of protecting our clients.
Our clients know that we have a deep and comprehensive understanding of these gradations of quality and can defend them. They know that these distinctions are not arbitrary and that we strive to only find and offer pieces at the top end of the spectrum; pieces that relate closely to or are superior to examples found in fine museum collections and published examples. That is why museum curators across the United States trust us with scarce acquisition dollars. It is no accident that twenty such renowned institutions are our clients.
"Importance", therefore, is an objective determination based on the superior quality of design of a particular example. Not predicated on a surfeit of carving, or gilding or paint decoration or inlay, or brass appliqués or any decorative element but a design that is an artistic and sublime balance of proportion, decoration, quality of materials, craftsmanship, condition and rarity that raises it above all other known examples of the form. That is what we call "important," and if George Washington owned it, so much the better. And that is the importance of importance.


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Calculating voluntary severance payment
Information for HR managers about how to calculate voluntary severance pay for redundancy procedures
See also: guidance on voluntary severance procedures
In certain circumstances, Voluntary Severance Pay may be offered. In such cases, Voluntary Severance pay is paid instead of Statutory Redundancy Pay (SRP), and includes within it any entitlement to SRP.
Voluntary severance payments are calculated using the same age bands as statutory redundancy pay in order to determine the number of weeks' pay. A locally-agreed multiplier of 1.75 is then applied. Unlike SRP, voluntary severance pay is based on the actual amount of a week's basic pay (for example, it is not capped).
Where a period of service spans more than one age band, the payment will be determined using a separate calculation for the service falling in each of the relevant age bands.
|Statutory redundancy
|Voluntary severance
|Qualifying service
|2 years of continuous service
|1 year of continuous service
|Weekly pay
Capped, and annually reviewed.
For the current rate for SRP, use the government calculator
|No limit (use actual week's pay, basic salary only)
Payment for each full year of service, where the employee's age was:
|under 22
|0.5 of a week's pay
|*0.88 of a week's pay
|1 week's pay
|*1.75 weeks' pay
|41 and over
|1.5 weeks' pay
|*2.63 weeks' pay
|Maximum number of years' service
|Maximum number of weeks' pay
Statutory redundancy pay is based on the employee's age and length of service. Government guidance issued following the introduction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 confirmed that this approach is objectively justified and therefore lawful. Employers are therefore permitted to base voluntary severance payments on SRP calculations and to apply a locally determined multiplier.


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Top 5 Reasons Why The BFG Ko2 Tires Are Worth The Money?
Posted by BB Wheels on 21st Feb 2020
Welcome to our wheel, tire, and accessory blog page. BB Wheels is your trustworthy source of everything from wheel fitment, wheel reviews, upcoming wheels, wheel need to knows, tire reviews, tire need to knows, new and upcoming tires, wheel financing, and tire financing options. You can find the wheel and tire information you have been searching for all in one place. We review all your favorite brands, such as Fuel Wheels, Toyo Tires, XD Wheels, Nitto Tires, Enkei Wheels, BFGoodrich Tires, and many more. Check out our reviews on cheap tires to buy, summer tires, winter tires, all-season tires, offroading tires, and all-terrain tires. Looking for budget tires or affordable tires, we also have blogs on those. If there is a brand or product you would like us to cover, feel free to reach out to email@example.com.
Posted by BB Wheels on 21st Feb 2020


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Teukolsky Law has filed a new lawsuit against the Marriott Hotel in Irvine, California on behalf of a hotel worker who was sexually harassed and assaulted by male customers in the bathroom she was required to clean as part of her job. On one occasion while she was cleaning the restroom, the complaint alleges, an intoxicated male guest pressed his genitals against her and offered her $50. When she complained to management, her supervisor joked that he should have offered her $100. Her complaint alleges that the hotel refused to provide her with a sign closing the restroom for cleaning, requiring her to clean the restroom while men urinated and exposed themselves in front of her. Her attorney, Lauren Teukolsky, was quoted in Bloomberg news, saying, "The hotel has placed her in this obviously dangerous and untenable situation. . . . She herself was powerless. She couldn't decline to clean the restroom."
California law imposes a duty on employers to protect their employees from sexual harassment not only by supervisors and co-workers, but also third parties like hotel customers. If you believe that you have been sexually harassed, contact Teukolsky Law today for a free consultation.
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Lauren Teukolsky is the founder and owner of Teukolsky Law, A Professional Corporation.
August 2023


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Coco Loco Coconut Mousse
Ingredients overview
Key Ingredients
Other Ingredients
Skim through
|Ingredient name
|irr., com.
|Vp/Va Copolymer
|Vp/Dmapa Acrylates Copolymer
|Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
|emulsifying, surfactant/cleansing
|Cocamidopropylamine Oxide
|0, 0
|preservative, perfuming
|0, 0
|Butylphenyl Methylpropional
|perfuming, solvent
Lee Stafford Coco Loco Coconut MousseIngredients explained
Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it's the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product.
It's mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water.
Once inside the skin, it hydrates, but not from the outside - putting pure water on the skin (hello long baths!) is drying.
One more thing: the water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized (it means that almost all of the mineral ions inside it is removed). Like this, the products can stay more stable over time.
The small sister of Butane (once carbon shorter chain length alkane), Propane is also a gas used as a propellant in cosmetic products.
A colorless and odorless gas used as a propellant in cosmetic products that come in a spray form.
A big polymer (created from repeating subunits) molecule that works as a film former and hair fixative agent.
It is a modified version of the first and classic hair fixative, PVP that alternates the water-loving VP (Vinyl Pyrrolidone) units with water-hating VA (Vinyl Acetate) units to create a film that is less brittle and less sensitive to air humidity.
A colorless gas used as a propellant in cosmetic products that come in a spray form. Chemically, it is an isomer of butane (same number of C and H atoms), but while butane has a straight chain structure, isobutane is branched.
Exactly what it sounds: nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. Fragrance in the US and parfum in the EU is a generic term on the ingredient list that is made up of 30 to 50 chemicals on average (but it can have as much as 200 components!).
If you are someone who likes to know what you put on your face then fragrance is not your best friend - there's no way to know what's really in it.
Also, if your skin is sensitive, fragrance is again not your best friend. It's the number one cause of contact allergy to cosmetics. It's definitely a smart thing to avoid with sensitive skin (and fragrance of any type - natural is just as allergic as synthetic, if not worse!).
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
A mildly viscous, amber-colored liquid with fatty odor, made from Castor Oil and polyethylene glycol (PEG).
If it were a person, we'd say, it's agile, diligent & multifunctional. It's mostly used as an emulsifier and surfactant but most often it is used to solubilize fragrances into water-based formulas.
A secondary cleansing agent (co-surfactant) that's a good aid next to other (anionic) cleansing agents. It improves foam, the mildness of the formula and builds viscosity, pretty much all the things co-surfactants are used for.
It's pretty much the current IT-preservative. It's safe and gentle, but even more importantly, it's not a feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben.
It's not something new: it was introduced around 1950 and today it can be used up to 1% worldwide. It can be found in nature - in green tea - but the version used in cosmetics is synthetic.
Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too. It can be used in many types of formulations as it has great thermal stability (can be heated up to 85°C) and works on a wide range of pH levels (ph 3-10).
It's often used together with ethylhexylglycerin as it nicely improves the preservative activity of phenoxyethanol.
A water-soluble, chemical sunscreen agent that is a secondary UVB absorber with some activity in the short UVA range as well. Being a secondary UV absorber means that its protection is weak and it has to be combined with other sunscreen filters for proper sun protection.
More often than not, Benzophenone-4 is not used as a sunscreen agent but as a photoprotectant to extend product shelf life, or as a color-protectant for products in clear packages.
A Contact Dermatitis article from 2007 names BP-4 as an emerging allergen, as it was the most frequently positive chemical UV filter and third most frequently positive ingredient overall among the 35 substances patch tested in the study (13 positives of 1693 people tested).
The most common type of feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason parabens. It's a cheap, effective and well-tolerated ingredient to make sure the cosmetic formula does not go wrong too soon.
Apart from the general controversy around parabens (we wrote about it more here), there is a 2006 in-vitro (made in the lab not on real people) research about methylparaben (MP) showing that when exposed to sunlight, MP treated skin cells suffered more harm than non-MP treated skin cells. The study was not done with real people on real skin but still - using a good sunscreen next to MP containing products is a good idea. (Well, in fact using a sunscreen is always a good idea. :))
We don't have description for this ingredient yet.
A very common type of feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason parabens. It's a cheap, effective and well-tolerated ingredient to make sure the cosmetic formula does not go wrong too soon.
A very common type of feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben. It's a cheap, effective and well-tolerated ingredient to make sure the cosmetic formula does not go wrong too soon. Read more about parabens here >>
A common fragrance ingredient that has a sweet, vanilla, nutty scent. When diluted it smells like freshly-mown hay.
It's one of the "EU 26 fragrances" that has to be labelled separately (and cannot be simply included in the term "fragrance/perfume" on the label) because of allergen potential. Best to avoid if your skin is sensitive.
A common fragrance ingredient that has a nice floral scent and also goes by the name Lilial. It is a known fragrance allergen and as of 1st of March 2022, it has been banned in the EU due to animal studies showing a possible link to infertility (in rats - so no need to panic even if you used a product before with Butylphenyl Methylpropional).
Linalool is a super common fragrance ingredient. It's kind of everywhere - both in plants and in cosmetic products. It's part of 200 natural oils including lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, jasmine, geranium and it can be found in 90-95% of prestige perfumes on the market.
The problem with linalool is, that just like limonene it oxidises on air exposure and becomes allergenic. That's why a product containing linalool that has been opened for several months is more likely to be allergenic than a fresh one.
A study made in the UK with 483 people tested the allergic reaction to 3% oxidised linalool and 2.3% had positive test results.
A super common and cheap fragrance ingredient. It's in many plants, e.g. rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint and it's the main component (about 50-90%) of the peel oil of citrus fruits.
It does smell nice but the problem is that it oxidizes on air exposure and the resulting stuff is not good for the skin. Oxidized limonene can cause allergic contact dermatitis and counts as a frequent skin sensitizer.
Limonene's nr1 function is definitely being a fragrance component, but there are several studies showing that it's also a penetration enhancer, mainly for oil-loving components.
All in all, limonene has some pros and cons, but - especially if your skin is sensitive - the cons probably outweigh the pros.
You may also want to take a look at...
|emulsifying | surfactant/cleansing
|irritancy, com.
|0, 0
|preservative | perfuming
|irritancy, com.
|0, 0
|perfuming | solvent


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Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
Released: 2003
Genre: RPG
Format reviewed: Xbox
Publisher: LucasArts
Developer: BioWare
Why Bioware's Star Wars debut is one of the best of all time.
The Background
Knights Of The Old Republic was the first ever Star Wars RPG. Though the idea of playing as a Jedi had been captured with some sophistication in the PC title Jedi Knight and its expansion, Mysteries Of The Sith, LucasArts wanted to create an experience that would capture the complex ramifications of fulfilling the role of a Jedi. The publisher approached RPG specialist BioWare due to its work on Baldur's Gate, its sequel and Neverwinter Nights, where the developer had pioneered use of good and bad moral choices to affect the course of the narrative – the type that fit perfectly with the light/dark struggle at the centre of Star Wars.
The two platforms chosen for development were the PC and Xbox, the former of which the developer was familiar with, while the latter presented an opportunity to debut a big RPG franchise without much competition. BioWare chose to take the storyline 4,000 years back from the rise of the Galactic Empire, which gave it the perfect canvas to create all-new characters and storylines without treading on the toes of the movie canon. The resulting storyline elevated all of the most exciting features of the Star Wars universe, while cutting out most of the crap that many believed damaged the prequel trilogy. Players, meanwhile, were blown away by the depth of the narrative possibilities and attention to detail with the licence.
The Game
KOTOR accomplishes something that LucasArts had always been meaning to do but never quite managed on this scale: to completely envelop the player in an interactive Star Wars narrative, one that would represent every tiny aspect that made this fictional universe special to moviegoers.
It allowed us to create a character, choose a class then develop them into a Jedi over the course of the game, recruiting a team of specialists to bring down Darth Malak and the Sith Empire. This reasonably interesting bunch of characters included the Wookiee Zaalbar and the daring Carth Onasi, but all were overshadowed by the droid HK-47, a hilariously disturbed assassin with a bizarre, sociopathic hatred for living things.
Yet it's the way we can interact with the story on multiple levels that is still the most impressive feature of the game. One brilliant conundrum has players sent to deal with the Sand People by a corporation on Tatooine. There are two ways of handling the situation: dressing up as one of them and negotiating peacefully using a protocol droid, or marching in and mercilessly killing them all. Of course, you're not just making a choice based on morality here – you're making one based on your attachment to the Star Wars universe.
You might decide to murder the Sand People because they freaked you out as a kid when you watched A New Hope, which would have absolutely nothing to do with the morality of the situation at hand. That was the fundamental appeal of Knights Of The Old Republic in action, then: letting your memories of Star Wars inform the way you played, never more poignantly than when BioWare dealt with the dark/light sides of the Force later in the game.
Then, a twist occurs – one devastatingly clever story idea that no player could possibly have seen coming. In that plot twist – we won't spoil it here, even though one prominent publication notably did so at the time – we witnessed the greatest Star Wars moment in a popular entertainment medium since the destruction of the second Death Star in Return Of The Jedi.
KOTOR's reputation as an essential RPG was already secured, but this made players reflect on every single action they'd made up until that point, such was its impact.
Independently of that, though, the Canadian developer built an RPG that was extremely strong across the board, from the animation of the battles to the use of the Star Wars audio/visual trademarks. KOTOR boasted Dungeons & Dragons-infused combat mechanics, yet the classy, cinematic look of the game disguised all of the number-crunching going on behind the scenes.
Why It's A Future Classic
We'll be playing Knights Of The Old Republic long into the future because there's never been a Star Wars adaptation quite like this, both tapping into our nostalgia for the movies and displaying relentless creativity in expanding the fiction. Fans had long wanted to experiment with the polarised morality of the Star Wars universe, and KOTOR allowed this freedom, in a way that kept it relevant to the narrative.
BioWare took one of the most popular properties in the world and reminded us of why we all cared in the first place. A strong but inferior sequel from another developer followed, reaffirming how much the original achieved in capturing the essence of Star Wars, whether in the space battles, Lightsaber duels, immense scope of the galactic civilisation or simple conversations with Twi'lek passers-by. The RPG pays tribute to the source material, yet reappropriates it in a fashion that increases the oft-questioned credibility of the franchise.
Retro Gamer magazine and bookazines are available in print from ImagineShop


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Metatarsalgia – Treatment, Symptoms, Exercises, Shoes, Causes
What is Metatarsalgia?
Metatarsalgia (also known as stone bruise, painful foot or ball-of-foot pain) is a medical term used for the inflammation and pain affecting the metatarsal part of the foot. It includes the joints and bones as well as the nerves therein.
Metatarsalgia Symptoms, Signs
Metatarsalgia may be acute, recurrent or chronic. It is also referred to as a symptom and it may conclude another disease therefore, careful examination of the foot must be done. A person may suspect having metatarsalgia when there is:
- Pain felt on the toes (metatarsal area) described as burning, sharp, aching, increasing, localized or extremewhen standing, walking or moving around, alleviated when on bare foot on hard surface and lessened when immobilized.
- Tingling sensation and/or numbness in the toes.
- Swelling.
- May have visible skin lesions and callous formation in the toes especially underneath the second, third and fourth toe.
Image source – Patient.co.uk
Metatarsalgia Causes, Risk Factors
- Stress due to intense exercise such as running wherein the weight of one's body is transferred to the toes
- Foot injury/fracture
- Faulty distribution of weight on the toes
- Bunion or toe-joint arthritis and gout
- Poor blood supply to the feet due to poor fitting or high-heeled shoes, as well as having diabetes or edema
- Being overweight. Upon standing, the feet become the shock absorber and carry the weight of the body.
- Foot structure or deformities/ flat feet
- Overuse of the toes as to those of the runners and athletes who always undergo strenuous physical activity
- Older people havethinner foot pads therefore have greater pressure on their toes and may cause metatarsalgia
- Morton's neuroma (Morton's metatarsalgia) is a benign growth of fibrous tissue that leads to the thickening of the nerves of the toes and contributes to metatarsal stress. This nerve damage has no certain cause, and is common to women who wear high-heeled and constricting shoes. In Morton's neuroma, sharp, shooting, intermittent pain can be felt when the person wears shoes and relieved immediately when shoes are removed and the foot is manipulated. Localized tenderness over the site of the neuroma can be assessed.
Diagnostic Tests
- Foot X-ray
- Ultrasound
- Electromyography
A. Simple measures
Sample measures to lessen pain at the front of the foot
- Remove shoes and massage the painful toes gently several times a day.
- Rest and elevate your feet.
- Apply ice packs wrapped in thin sheet of cloth to the painful area for 20 minutes as needed
- Compress by putting pressure bandage on the area.
- Wear nice fitting shoes and socks. Avoid walking barefooted.
- Keep a normal weight.
B. Medications for metatarsalgia
- Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (i.e. Ibuprofen, Diclofenac Sodium)
- Astringents
- Emollients
- Ointments
- Corticosteroid injection
- Anaesthetics
- Sclerosant injections
C. Orthotics or footpads
Footpads duly fitted and prescribed by a podiatrist or physician
- Rigid
- Semi-rigid
D. Shock absorbing insoles
Shock absorbing insoles to cushion the toes
- Cork
- Rubber
- Plastic
- Gel-like substance
E. Exercises for Matatarsalgia
- Calf muscle stretch, done as if you are pushing the wall. Put your hands on the wall, one foot in front of the other, and the back heel on the floor and knee straight. Do this for 30-60 seconds, twice a day.
- Ankle extension and flexion is done while sitting in a chair, with your painful foot over your other knee. For the ankle extension, hold the ankle and pull the toes of your painful foot towards you. For the ankle flexion, hold the ankle and pull the toes towards your lower leg. Do this for 10 seconds, in 3 sets of 8 repetitions per day, 10 seconds of rest on between.
- Achilles Tendon Stretch is done while sitting on a chair, with your legs straight infront of you. Grasp your toes and pull it towards your knees. Hold this for 10 seconds and relax. Do 3 sets of 10 per day.
- Plantar flexion and dorsiflexion is done with your legs extended while sitting in a chair. Curl your toes as tightly as you can, relax, then, point the toes towards your knee. Hold for 10 seconds and relax. Repeat 10 times.
F. Metatarsalgia shoes
Metatarsalgia shoes must have:
- Soft and comfortable soles;
- Cushioned and well-fitted arch;
- Enough space for the forefoot to relax;
- Ability to help feet absorb shock;
- Proper materials for individual needs
Surgery is not so often necessary but it could be done to realign, reshape or modify metatarsal bones. In Morton's neuroma, there are two surgical options. One is tocut the metatarsal ligament to give space for the nerve known as nerve decompression, and the other is to remove the nerve on the affected area known as nerve resection.
A small incision will be made either on the top or on the sole of the foot, in between the painful toes.
The operation is mostly done in an out-patient basis, depending on the severity of the condition. The patient may or may not be put in cast, and may or may not be allowed to walk. It may take up to 3 months or more to recover, but, might still have limitations on foot activities.
So with the other surgeries, there are risks involve which includes infection, delayed healing of the surgical incision, broken pins, delayed bone-healing and nerve injury that can cause damage in the circulation and altered sensation of the toes.


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Does anyone else have a problem with this?? This seems to pop up for me ALL THE TIME! Whether it is in a web URL, a file path on Windows computers, a file path on Mac computers, switch charters in command line, or wherever else they are used! How can I remember whether to use a forward slash or a backslash so that I do not constantly have to keep looking up the correct syntax for the situation that I am in???? Side Note: Actually, most of the time, I can't even remember which one is called a backslash and which one is called the forward slash! I think most people have finally figured out a good way to at least get the names right (and I finally did too after remembering this trick) and that is to just picture the backslash as if it was a line that otherwise would be standing up straight, but instead, is falling BACKwards from the direction in which you read and type (therefor you can also make the mental connection that the forward slash looks like a line falling FOWARDs). Here is a picture to illustrate that:
However…. Remembering the name is usually not the biggest problem for me though. The real problem for me (and I think most people) is remembering when to use one or the other. Then I started wondering why this was so hard for me to remember when I didn't have trouble remembering a lot of other small details about situations. Then it came to me. The reason that I could not remember this detail was because I had no CONTEXT to put it in. Or, put into other words, it just seemed like a crap shoot to me which one would be used and that there was really no rhyme or reason to it! (I thought I just had to memorize each instance when and where to use each and that there was no way around it) Boy was I wrong. Of course there was a reason and there is most definitely a method to the madness. Once I was able to put what I was trying to remember into some context, it became a breeze to always know (not remember) which slash to use. I think an effective way to always know where and when to use each is to understand why there are forward slashes and why there are backslashes. What is the history behind them. Why couldn't we just have picked to use one or the other?? So lets dig into that!
History of the Slashes
The forward slash ("/") first made its way into the computer word when the operating system Unix was released. The designers of the Unix operating system decided to denote the symbol "/" to be a file path and directory separator. This happened around 1970 before Microsoft was even in the picture! Well low and behold Microsoft DOS – MS DOS 1.0 – comes to make its way onto the scene in 1981 and believe it or not, did not yet support directories at all! Most of the utilities included with DOS were written by IBM, and they used the "/" character as a "switch" character. You can still see this today in the command prompt — running the command dir /w tells the dir command to run with the wide list format option, while running the command dir c:\ tells the dir command to list the contents of drive C:\. The different types of slashes here indicate whether you're specifying an option or a directory path. (On Unix, the – character is used instead of the / character to indicate switches.) Well MS-DOS 2.0 decided not to suck as much as MS-DOS 1.0 and introduced support for directories, but IBM wanted to keep compatibility with the original DOS utilities and other programs that expected the "/" character to be used for switches. Microsoft had already used the / character for something, so they couldn't just re-use it. They ultimately chose the "\" character instead, as it was the most similar-looking character visually (haha thanks a lot you guys!! NOT). Windows may not be built on top of DOS anymore, but you can still see the legacy of DOS throughout Windows in the way backslashes and other features like drive letters are used for the file system.
Why Everything Else Uses Forward Slashes
This all wouldn't really matter today, but web browsers follow the Unix convention and use / characters for web page addresses. A typical Windows user sees a forward slash when they type a web address and a backslash when they type the location of a local folder, so this can be confusing. Websites follow the Unix convention, as do other protocols like FTP. Even if you're running a web server or FTP server on a Windows machine, they'll use forward slashes because that's what the protocol calls for. Other operating systems use forward slashes for the same reason — it's the Unix convention. Linux is a Unix-like operating system, so it uses the same type of slash. Mac OS X is based on BSD, another Unix-like operating system. Other consumer operating systems like Android, Chrome OS, and Steam OS are based on Linux, so they use the same type of slash. So what to take away from all this is that EVERYTHING uses forward slashes, EXCEPT file paths in Windows (or a switch statement in a cmd prompt) only because Unix introduced the forward slash (before Windows was around) and everything went with that and Microsoft, being difficult, decided that they would confuse all of us and pick an almost identical, but different symbol, for file paths! So when in doubt use "/" unless you are accessing a file path on a Windows computer!! P.S. Finding out the WHY to something will always help you more than just trying to memorize something. Dig deep into subject matter to understand it instead of just brushing the surface and accepting it for the way it is and trying to memorize it. That's my 2 cents!


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Google has been making Maps and Earth a bit more social these days, letting users create 3D buildings and using crowdsourcing to help update changes in terrain and on roads. Now Google Street View is hoping to engage users by letting them suggest spots where the "Trike" should venture.
Google Street View's Trike is what Google uses when it can't drive a car through the area its visually mapping. Some Google employee actually rides this contraption to make sure Street View has visuals on hard-to-reach spots around the world. At Google's Trike homepage, you can suggest spots where the Trike should go within six categories: parks and trails, university campuses, pedestrian malls (e.g., outdoor shopping areas, boardwalks), theme parks and zoos, and landmarks and sports venues.
Google is letting users submit their votes over the next few weeks, and will choose a winner for each category for the Street View trike to visit. It's certainly an interesting way to engage users with Street View, considering how popular the car sightings are. When Google opened up nominations in the U.K., Street View received more than 10,000 suggestions.
Personally, I think this is representative of Google wanting to have the best mapping data available, whether it be on Maps, Earth or Street View, and is now engaging U.S. users to help them get this. Google knows the power of crowdsourcing and using its loyal user base to help them improve and iterate their products.
Photo credit:Flickr/Current Events


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Date: Thu, 12 Aug 93 10:41:59 +0200
From: email@example.com (Jack Coyote) (makes 12) Ingredients: ------------ 1 baguette herbed bread 2 tblsp butter seasoning to taste 1/4 cup white wine (optional) 2 1/2 tblsp butter or oil 1/2 cup basil (fresh if possible) 1/3 cup cheese (parmesean or romano) 2 cloves garlic 2-3 sliced roma tomatoes Optional: --------- 1/2 cup sliced onion OR 1 can minced clams (or shrimp) Instructions: ------------- Remember: This is Italian food. You can be liberal with the ingredients. Take baguette of herbed bread. Slice into approx 1" thick pieces. Cover BOTH surfaces with butter (seasoned is best -- we use basil, oregano, garlic and pepper). Place slices on a baking pan. In a small saucepan, combine wine, oil/butter, garlic (and clams) and simmer for five minutes. Add basil (and parmesan or romano cheese) and heat for about a minute and then remove from heat. Let stand until thick. Spoon pesto over the bread (don't waste any :) ) Put sliced tomatoes on top and cover with slice of mozzarella. Place baking pan in the oven and broil until the cheese starts to brown.
Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science (SCS) graciously hosts the Recipe Archive. We invite you to learn about SCS educational programs and research.


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Playoff sites likely to be picked by end of April
The home of the first national championship game under the new playoff system, along with the three remaining semifinal rotation sites, will likely be picked by the end of April.
The second-to-last season of the Bowl Championship Series will wrap up Monday night, with No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 2 Alabama playing for the national title in Miami.
Starting with the 2014 season, the national champion of major college football will be determined with a four-team playoff. Three of the six sites that will be in the semifinal rotation have been picked. The others, along with the sites of the first and future championship games, will be in place before the summer, BCS executive director Bill Hancock said Monday.
''We're going to announce the first (championship game) site even sooner than others,'' he said. ''I think it might happen even sooner than April''.
The BCS holds a regular meeting of conference commissioners in late April.
''What we anticipate in April is to announce is a couple, three more (championship sites) - 2015, 2016 and maybe `17,'' Hancock said. ''I think there's no question by April we will know who the other three participants in the rotation will be for semifinals.
The conference commissioners have already narrowed down possibilities for the first championship game site to Arlington, Texas (Cotton Bowl); Pasadena, Calif. (Rose Bowl), Glendale, Ariz. (Fiesta Bowl); Atlanta (Chick-fil-A Bowl); New Orleans (Sugar Bowl); Miami (Orange Bowl).
Sites for future national title games will be bid out the way the Super Bowl and Final Four are, and could end up in places that have not traditionally hosted major bowls.
The Rose, Sugar and Orange bowls have already been chosen for the semifinal rotation. The other three sites are likely to be Arlington, Glendale and Atlanta.
Hancock would only say the commissioners would prefer to have sites in three different time zones.
Hancock, speaking to reporters from the Football Writers Association of America, said the conference commissioners are working with a concept of having 15 to 18 people on the selection committee that will pick the final four participants.
Similar to the group that sets the field for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, the panel will be comprised of college athletics administrators, such as conference commissioners and athletic directors. The committee needs to be large enough accommodate members recused when teams from the conferences they represent are discussed.
''There were years in the basketball committee where we had so many recusals there were only four people left in the room to make some big decisions,'' Hancock said. ''We can't deal with that in football. I would envision every conference having a representative. The independents having a representative, and then some number of at-large people to be determined by the commissioners.
''It will be the most prestigious committee in college sports. It will be the most scrutinized committee in college sports. We are committed to a high level of transparency.''
The current BCS standings use two polls - the Harris poll and the coaches' poll - along with computers ratings that mostly do not reveal their formulas to determine the top two teams in the country. There is no plan to have an equivalent of the BCS standings in the new postseason system.
The college basketball selection committee uses a computer-rating called the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) as one of many tools to pick the field.
Hancock said they could not make an RPI equivalent for football.
''We ran an RPI and it was not accurate'' because there's not enough information coming out of a 12-game regular-season, he said.
''How I envision it, and I think the commissioners do to, is (the committee will) have everything at their disposal. They'll have computer rankings, they'll have the writers' poll, they'll have the coaches' poll, and they'll look at it all but at the end of the day it'll come down to the eye test. It'll come down to common sense.
''Who did you play? Did you win your conference? Where did you play? Who was injured when you played that game? What about common opponents? What about head-to-head?''
The committee will attempt to have the highest-seeded teams in the semifinal pairings play closest to home. There will be no limit to how many teams from a conference can be selected for the final four, and the committee will not avoid pairing teams from the same conference in the semifinals.
Both semifinals will be played on the same day, either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, and the championship game will always be played on Monday night, at least a week later.


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University Inflatable Bouncers
Custom Inflatable Bouncers
Custom Inflatable Bouncers
Everybody bounce around!
Our custom inflatable bouncers are the perfect way to entertain your young fans before game day! No matter if your team is big or small, custom inflatable bouncers get fans off their feet and make your game day an event they must attend. Kids will want to come back game after game for the fun they have in your fan zone. Custom inflatable bouncers are the perfect compliment to our wide array of interactive games, and look great lined up in a row outside of your stadium. Unlike many other inflatables that are meant for one specific sports season, custom inflatable bouncers can be used all season long. Football, basketball, baseball season; the custom inflatable bouncer can enhance any sport's game day experience!
All of our bouncers can be customized to match your team! Spark team spirit with the colors and logos your fans know and love. The pride and energy will run through your fans as they bounce around. All of our custom inflatable bouncers are easy to set up, easy to take down, so that you can stay focused on running the best fan zone possible. We have made bouncers for NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, and NCAA teams of all sizes. We can meet the needs of the biggest teams and the smallest teams. Let us know how we can help you enhance your fan zone experience with a brand new custom inflatable bouncer! Email us at [email protected] so we can get started today!


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Just Eat ItCommunity event
- Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at 06:00 PM
- SLT Event Space in Hobart, Australia
We all love food. As a society, we devour countless cooking shows, culinary magazines and foodie blogs. So how could we possibly be throwing nearly 50% of it in the rubbish?
Just Eat It is a food waste story and has just been awarded the EFFY 2015 Grand Jury Prize!
Movie night - A Will for the WoodsCommunity event
- Friday, June 26, 2015 at 06:00 PM
- De Chaineaux Theatre, School of FIne Arts in Hobart, Australia
Determined that his last act will be a gift to the planet, a man prepares for his own green burial. Followed by a booklet launch of Our final footprint - dying simply and sustainably in Tasmania.
Buddhism and the People of Burma - Embassy to MonasteryCommunity event
- Thursday, July 02, 2015 at 06:00 PM
- SLT Event Space in Hobart, Australia
If you're interested in gaining an insight into Buddhism, culture and humanity this talk is for you.
Joah McGee has lived in Myanmar for 8 years and has embraced the Burmese people and culture. He offers insight and extensive knowledge drawn from his own life and 2 years of research for his free publication: The Golden Path- A Myanmar Guide for Dhamma Seekers.
RSVP to Andrew Davis
[email protected]
Buddhism and the People of Burma - Preserving the Living Teachings of the BuddhaCommunity event
- Saturday, July 04, 2015 at 02:00 PM
- SLT Event Space in Hobart, Australia
If you're interested in gaining an insight into Buddhism, culture and humanity this talk is for you.
Joah McGee has lived in Myanmar for 8 years and has embraced the Burmese people and culture. He offers insight and extensive knowledge drawn from his own life and 2 years of research for his free publication: The Golden Path- A Myanmar Guide for Dhamma Seekers.
RSVP to Andrew Davis
[email protected]
Economics of Happiness documentaryCommunity event
- Tuesday, July 07, 2015 at 06:15 PM
- Vos-Rory Spence Lecture Theatre in Launceston, Australia
A rare thought provoking documentary that restores our faith in humanity and challenges us to believe that it is possible to build a better world of peace and happiness.
This documentary film by the International Society for Ecology & Culture (ISEC) is about the worldwide movement for economic localization. The film features a chorus of voices calling for systemic economic change, including Vandana Shiva, David Korten, Michael Shuman, Richard Heinberg, Rob Hopkins, Juliet Schor, Zac Goldsmith, Bill McKibben, and Samdhong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of Tibetʹs government in exile. The screening of this documentary is supported by the UTAS Film Society and is being screened as part of the inaugural Launceston Peace Festival.
Community garden working beeCommunity event
- Saturday, July 11, 2015 at 01:00 PM
- South Hobart Community Garden in South Hobart, Australia
There are seeds to sow, strawberries to plant (not in overhead gutters with drips installed..although that's a great idea), compost to be moved, weeds to be pulled..a little task for all.
We may also oil our new shed. It is amazing what we can get done in a couple of hours when everybody pitches in. Bring your favourite garden tool and raincoat. We might be in the thick of winter, but there are still things you can do in your own garden or start raising seedlings under glass for August plantings, such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli.
FrackmanCommunity event
- Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 01:00 PM
- Deloraine Performing Arts Centre in Deloraine, Australia
Frackman tells the story of accidental activist Dayne Pratzky and his struggle against international gas companies.
Australia will soon become the world's biggest gas exporter as more than 30,000 wells are sunk in the state of Queensland where Dayne lives, with many requiring controversial "fracking".
He and his neighbours have unwittingly become the centre of a massive industrial landscape and they have no legal right to stop mining on their land.
Dayne embarks on a journey that transforms him from conservative pig-shooter to sophisticated global activist as the Frackman. He meets the people drawn into a battle that is crossing the ideological divide, bringing together a peculiar alliance of farmers, activists and political conservatives. Along the way Dayne encounters love, tragedy and triumph.
Cost: $10, $5 conc, children with parent(s) free.
Note: strong language, movie is rated M.
Contact Helen: 0438233576
Proudly supported by the ATA (Australian Technology Association, publishers of ReNew and Sanctuary magazines. Celebrating 30 years of promoting renewable energy, sustainable building and water conservation.
The Economics of Happiness Film & CENTs Trading (without money)Community event
- Sunday, July 19, 2015 at 02:00 PM
- Geeveston Community Centre - 9B School Road, Geeveston in Geeveston, Australia
- 3 people are going
The Community Exchange Network Tasmania (CENTs) is proud to host this FREE community event incorporating trading in community currency (Tasmania's own no money economy). Bring a plate of nibbles to share, learn all about how you can trade your goods, services and skills with others all around Tasmania without needing money and join in the trading frenzy (bring anything you want to trade, barter, swap or gift) More information at www.nwcents.org
We will enjoy the film The Economics of Happiness which describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On the one hand, government and big business continue to promote globalization and the consolidation of corporate power. At the same time, people around the world are resisting those policies – and, far from the old institutions of power, they're starting to forge a very different future. Communities are coming together to re-build more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – an economics of localization.
"A powerful new film that cuts deeply to the heart of the global crisis. Magnificent!"
– David Suzuki, Television presenter and environmentalist
WATCH FILM TRAILER HERE: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theeconomicsofhappiness
Best Direction, EKOFilm 2011, Czech Republic
Best in Show, Cinema Verde Film Festival
Golden Palm Award, Mexico International Film Festival
Judges' Selection (Theme of Human Unity), Auroville Film Festival, India
Audience Selection (Theme of Human Unity), Auroville Film Festival, India
Bronze Award, Oregon Environmental Film Festival
Aloha Accolade Award, Honolulu Film Awards
Award of Merit, Accolade Film Awards
Our final footprintCommunity event
- Thursday, July 23, 2015 at 06:30 PM
- De Chaineaux Theatre, School of Fine Arts in Hobart, Australia
Join us for a film night and the booklet launch of Our final footprint - dying simply and sustainably in Tasmania
In 'A will for the Woods' a man, determined that his last act will be a gift to the planet, prepares for his own green burial.
To RSVP, please email Belinda Clarke [email protected]
The Tasmanian booklet has been prepared by the Tasmanian Association for Hospice and Palliative Care and Sustainable Living Tasmania.
Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Electric Vehicle AssociationCommunity event
- Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 10:15 AM
- State Cinema in North Hobart, Australia
You are invited to attend the official launch of the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association by the Tasmanian Minister for Energy Matthew Groom.
The launch will be part of a forum on Electric Vehicles in Tasmania. A proposal for a state-wide electric charger network for EVs will be presented. There will be an opportunity to discuss EVs with EV owners in a 'Q&A' panel. Their EVs will be on display at the State Cinema.
Please RSVP by 10 August 2015 to [email protected]


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Horizon North Logistics Inc. Provides Update on LNG-Related Activities
22 Apr, 2019, 21:43 ET
CALGARY, April 22, 2019 /CNW/ - Horizon North Logistics Inc. ("Horizon North" or the "Corporation") (TSX: HNL.TO) provided an update today on the Corporation's liquefied natural gas ("LNG")-related activities, including new camp contracts to support the construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline project (the "Coastal GasLink Project") and the expected opening of the Corporation's Crossroads Lodge in Kitimat, British Columbia (the "Lodge").
New Camp Contracts
Pursuant to a Teaming Agreement with Falcon Camp Services Inc. ("Falcon Camp Services"), Horizon North has entered into contracts (the "Camp Contracts") to provide equipment, catering, hospitality and operations services for two camps supporting construction work on the Coastal GasLink Project in northern British Columbia.
The Parsnip and Lejac Camps (the "Camps"), located near MacKenzie, British Columbia and Fraser Lake, British Columbia respectively, will operate over an expected period of 30 months (the "Expected Service Period") beginning in June 2019. The occupancy levels of the Camps will fluctuate over the Expected Service Period based on project needs and construction seasons varying in length from five to eleven months. The Camps will have approximately 350 beds combined at the beginning of the Expected Service Period, with an anticipated peak of approximately 1,900 beds in late 2020.
"These Camp Contracts provide an opportunity for Horizon North to gain valuable exposure to natural gas pipeline construction which will support LNG export facilities on the west coast, while continuing our dedication to strong relationships with Aboriginal communities and businesses," says Rod Graham, President and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon North. "Horizon North has been working with Falcon Camp Services for some time to build a mutually beneficial agreement that will foster employment and investment in the local communities. Falcon Camp Services is a 100 per cent First Nations owned and operated company and we look forward to working with them to provide first-class services to guests at the Camps."
Crossroads Lodge Opening
The first phase of Crossroads Lodge will be opening in mid-Q2 2019 on the Corporation's 57-acre land parcel in Kitimat, British Columbia (the "Crossroads Property"). The Lodge will provide workforce accommodations to support development in the region, including the LNG Canada project, with the first phase including approximately 260 executive style beds. As industrial activity strengthens in the region, the Lodge will grow, with a permitted size of up to 1,000 beds.
"The opening of Crossroads Lodge will mark a significant next step in the development of our LNG strategy. It is the first of several phases of development on our Crossroads Property which will provide world-class services to residents and guests of Kitimat," says Rod Graham, President and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon North. "In addition to the Lodge, the previously-announced 120-room modular Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites is expected to open in late 2019 as part of 16 acres of commercial development, with the remaining lots being evaluated for office and retail developments. 27 acres of residential development at the Crossroads Property is slated for a full, mixed-use community serving Kitimat and the surrounding regions."
About Horizon North
Horizon North is a publicly listed corporation (TSX: HNL.TO) providing a full range of industrial, commercial, and residential products and services. Our Industrial Services business supplies workforce accommodations, camp management services, access solutions, maintenance and utilities. Our Modular Solutions business integrates modern design concepts and technology with state of the art, off-site manufacturing processes; producing high quality building solutions for commercial and residential offerings including offices, hotels, and retail buildings, as well as distinctive single detached dwellings and multi-family residential structures. As a result of our diverse product and service offerings, Horizon North is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of our customers in numerous sectors, anywhere in Canada.
About Falcon Camp Services
Falcon Camp Services is a diverse company that specializes in remote workforce accommodations, catering and food services, and facility management. Serving the oil and gas, mining and forestry sectors in western and northern Canada, Falcon Camp Services has the capacity to work successfully with any project in the resource sector, with a commitment to providing comfortable accommodations, superb meals, and a full range of recreation and entertainment amenities to your remote workforce.
Corporate Information
Additional information related to Horizon North, including the Corporation's annual information form, press releases, financial statements and MD&A are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com
Forward-looking Statements
This news release contains certain statements or disclosures relating to Horizon North that are based on the expectations of its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Horizon North which may constitute forward-looking statements or information ("forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. All such statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results or developments that Horizon North anticipates or expects may, could or will occur in the future (in whole or in part) should be considered forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of the words "anticipate", "continue", "expect", "forward", "opportunity", "will" and similar expressions. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the following: the Lodge; the Camps; Horizon North's exposure to natural gas pipeline construction; relationships with Aboriginal communities and businesses; Horizon North's LNG strategy; the previously-announced Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites; and development and benefits of the Crossroads Property.
The forward-looking statements contained in this news release reflect several material factors and expectations and assumptions of Horizon North including, without limitation: the ability of the Corporation to realize benefits from the Camp Contracts and the development of the Crossroads Property; that Horizon North will continue to conduct its operations in a manner consistent with past operations; the general continuance of current or, where applicable, assumed industry conditions; availability of debt and/or equity sources to fund Horizon North's capital and operating requirements as needed; and certain cost assumptions in respect of Horizon North's projects and business.
Horizon North believes the material factors, expectations and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable at this time but no assurance can be given that these factors, expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements including, without limitation: general economic, market and business conditions; the Corporation's future capital requirements; execution risk in connection with the Camp Contracts and development of the Crossroads Property; the Camps, the Lodge and other projects may not be completed in the timelines anticipated, in the manner anticipated or at all; the delivery of and demand for the Corporation's products and services may not have the results currently anticipated by Horizon North; reliance on industry partners; unforeseen legal or regulatory developments; and certain other risks detailed from time to time in Horizon North's public disclosure documents including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release, and in Horizon North's annual information form, copies of which are available on Horizon North's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.
SOURCE Horizon North Logistics Inc.
For further information: Rod Graham, President and Chief Executive Officer or Scott Matson, Senior Vice President Finance and Chief Financial Officer, 900, 240 - 4th Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta T2P 4H4; Telephone (403) 517 - 4654, Fax (403) 517 - 4678; website: www.horizonnorth.ca


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Magpul MAG496 MOE Forend-Remington 870
The MOE Forend is a drop-in replacement for the standard Remington 870 12ga shotgun, featuring extended length and front/rear hand stops for improved weapon manipulation. Compatible with MOE rails, mounts, and accessories, the MOE Forend adds modularity to the proven Remington 870 platform for sporting use, home defense, or on duty.
Available in Black, Flat Dark Earth, and Orange to adapt to the mission at hand.
Made in U.S.A.
Please Note:
Not compatible with the Remington 870 Super Mag.


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Irving requested this forearm design where the name of his daughters in classic swirly scripting integrate into a Maori styled design.
Orcas symbolize family and protection: they build strong relationship bonds and form very close family groups. They are also powerful animals, swift and lethal, and are thus strong protection symbols too.
In this design two orcas enclose his daughters names in a circle to symbolize protection over them, and the hammerhead in the middle represents Irving, always there to protect them with determination and strength, forming with them a united family.
This is also represented by the turtle (family), whose shell is made by a twist (a symbol of eternal bond of love) enclosing a koru that represents new life and descent; the stylized manta represents freedom and beauty.
The paired tikis guard on them all and have fish hooks incorporated as a wish for prosperity and abundance.
Shark teeth are symbols of strength, adaptability and protection.


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On May 17th, D21s Tiara Felder and Le Truong volunteered at Tufts Smart Smiles, a program promoting oral health care for children at the Josiah Quincy School in Boston.
Tiara Felder reflects: "I could never have anticipated the excitement and eagerness that the children of Josiah Quincy Elementary School had with their interests with oral health. Every little one ran up to the Tufts Smart Smiles booth ready to play the oral health trivia game. It amazed me how many facts they already knew. It was even more impressive that they were willing to learn new things about their oral health. It truly warmed my heart when the children came up multiple times to challenge themselves with the questions. These moments made me realize how important it is to impact children early. The things that they learn early will stick with them forever if they learn in fun and innovative ways! I definitely look forward to seeing their smiling faces again!"


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J Choo Snap Bar
J Choo smells similar to the popular women's perfume. J Choo has warm, rich and woody notes. Opening with luminous green top notes full of glittering radiance, the heart of rich and exotic tiger orchid lends a creamy seductiveness to the fragrance. We are in no way affiliated with the designer fragrance company.


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Three weeks ago, when Indy writer Peter Eichenberger was unconscious in the neurological intensive care unit at WakeMed, with more wires and hoses going in and out of him than a V8, one thing made friends and family hopeful: He couldn't stop thrashing around. That told them the real Peter was still in there, and he wanted out. Bad.
Peter Eichenberger is nothing if not determined, they knew. And he values his freedom more than anything. After he was picked up off Bickett Boulevard in Raleigh early the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 25, when he crashed his bicycle, banging his head so hard he needed brain surgery to drain the bleeding and relieve the pressure, the thrashing was a sign he might just be able to will himself back to life.
They were right. A week later, he was squeezing their hands. A week after that he was calling me at 8 a.m. asking if I could bring him a Guinness.
A friend and I went Monday night to see Peter, and he was resting in the WakeMed rehabilitation wing, still restless, but the wires and tubes were gone. He showed us the horseshoe-shaped scar on the right side of his skull where they'd cut into his brain, and the staples on the other side where he'd been hurt in the fall. We marveled at his recovery and he said, "Time flies when you're unconscious."
He had a lot of other things to say, but you'll be able to read them for yourself when he writes soon about his experience. But, in a nutshell, he says he's felt a love and connection with humanity he never imagined thanks to the many cards wishing him well, the outstanding care of the people at WakeMed, and a harmonious world vibration that was amplified when they opened up his skull. He says he's ready to forget the tired, old political discourse and take his actions and activism straight to the people who need it, like the people he'd met while writing about the Common Ground collective in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. He has, he says, a new appreciation for the importance of living every second. I guess nearly dying will do that for you (he says he didn't see a white light, but a blaze of colors).
He expects to get out of the hospital on Monday to recuperate at home. In the meantime, plans are in the works for benefits to help him pay his hospital bills.
In perhaps the greatest testament to the healing power of love, a benefit is planned Saturday, Feb. 25, at Sadlack's in Raleigh, scene of a well-documented altercation between Peter and a bartender last year that got him banned from the joint. It starts at 4 p.m. and will feature jambalaya, steamed oysters and a musical line-up including Patty Hurst Shifter, The Cartridge Family, The Semantics and perhaps others.
On Sunday, March 5, another benefit concert is planned at Kings (where Peter's son, David, works) from 1-8 p.m. featuring Oedipus Dick, The Countdown Quartet, Heads on Sticks, Alphas Wear Grey, Spader, DJ JJ and more.
And look for Peter's first-hand travelogue soon in the Independent.


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Melissa "Marsh" Megliola '02 designs, bakes and decorates nearly 3,000 custom cookies each year for customers. At Sweet Treats by Melissa, "Every order is unique, and it's just based on the person ordering it," she says. "There really isn't any monotony to it, and I like that."
Orders have grown from a handful her first year to thousands of cookies annually for customers, in all shapes, for many occasions. December is still her peak season, though her cookies are also popular throughout the year at children's birthday parties and baby showers in the Denver area.
"Every order is unique, and it's just based on the person ordering it," Megliola says. "There really isn't any monotony to it, and I like that."
Megliola shares a recipe for sugar cookies, tested to be tasty every time.
Start your homemade cookies with this recipe, shared by Melissa.
Basic Sugar Cookie Recpie
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, softened to room temp
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract (or almond or lemon extract)
- 3 cups Flour
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy.
- Add in egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, lightly mixing between each addition until flour in completely incorporated.
- Roll into a ball, wrap in cling wrap and chill for 1-2 hours.(Do not skip this step!!)
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll dough out evenly with a lightly floured roller onto a lightly floured flat surface until it's a ¼ inch thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes


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This article ties in with Formula Botanica's bi-monthly formulation challenge for all of our students and graduates. Every other month, our team sets the entire Formula Botanica Community a formulation challenge. Students and graduates all follow the same challenge and share their photos in our online classroom. We pick some of the best ones to showcase in our newsletter.
If you're in the northern hemisphere, it's the time of the year when the skin needs fat-rich products to protect it against the cold and dry weather.
This is why we decided to dedicate Formula Botanica's formulation challenge for November-December 2015 to showing you how to make a body butter.
We've run challenges in the past such as:
- How to make a natural shower jelly
- How to make a butter scrub
- How to make a body melt
- How to make an aqueous gel using a natural solubiliser
- How to make a natural gel scrub
- How to make a night-time facial oil for mature skin
As simple as it might sound, formulating a butter is one of the biggest challenges to both students and experienced formulators. Grittiness of Shea butter is a nightmare for the majority of formulators who work with Shea butter.
Then we have the greasiness of the butter, it's sticking over the skin. To improve the formulation and avoid these problems, most students (and even artisan manufacturers) add starch, arrow root powder, bees wax, cetyl alcohol and heaven knows how many other ingredients just to become more frustrated and more disappointed with the results.
Formula Botanica's latest Formulation Challenge
Because of this, we decided to let students (and graduates who want to participate in the challenge) make a very simple butter formulation. We keep to our Keep-It-Silly-Simple (KISS) principle in all of our challenges.
Students are challenged to prepare a formulation in two different ways: one conventional butter and one whipped butter and then compare the texture, consistency, skin feels and appearance.
I shall confess that I deviated from my own established 'KISS' principle and made the butter a little bit complicated. I badly wanted to make a winter themed butter with some warming notes and this is why I infused/extracted cinnamon, clove and cardamom in my avocado oil. I made a cold infusion and used our homogenizer/disperser to accelerate the extraction. I crushed the spices in a mill before adding them to the oil for a better extraction.
This is my avocado infusion:
- 100 gram Avocado oil (organic and unrefined)
- 2.2 gram Cinnamon
- 2.2 gram Clove buds
- 1.5 gram Cardamom
I filtered the oil after a short dispersion (about half an hour). This would be my avocado infused oil in the recipe.
My Body Butter Formulation
Now let's look at the formulation I created for my body butter.
- 11.0% Babassu oil
- 4.0% Cocoa butter
- 52.0% Shea butter
- 26.8% Avocado infused oil (as above)
- 1.0% Tocopherol
- 5.0% Hypericum (St. John's Wort) extract in sunflower oil
- 0.2% Ginger essential oil
If you are first starting out with body butters, we recommend that you keep it simple and stick to a small number of oils and butters just to get used to using the ingredients.
How to Make a Body Butter
Now let's look at the detailed steps required when learning how to make a body butter.
Step 1. In a suitable vessel (a beaker for example) melt the babassu oil, Shea butter and cocoa butter in a water bath. I know many tutorials recommend adding shea butter at the end of the process and not melting it from the beginning. I have however, never had any issue with applying shea butter from the very beginning and since the heating phase is really short, there is no damage in heating Shea butter with other solid fats and butters.
Step 2. After this blend is melted, stop heating and add the avocado infused oil, the extract and tocopherol and blend gently.
Step 3. Continue gentle blending as the blend cools down. At about 35 degrees Centigrade add the essential oil.
How to Make a Conventional Body Butter
You can add the butter to the jar or continue stirring in the beaker. Let the butter cool down at room temperature. Do not put it in the fridge yet.
As the butter cools down, the viscosity increases. Continue stirring until the butter reaches a consistency where you can make traces with your spatula. This is the consistency of our butter at this point.
At this point pour the butter into the jar and bring it into the fridge. Using this procedure, all of your ingredients cool down simultaneously and there is no chance of crystallisation for shea butter. The butter will solidify to a nice and smooth consistency without that dreaded grittiness.
How to Make a Whipped Body Butter
As the butter starts to solidify (when you can make traces with your spatula) start beating the butter with your blender. Whip it to the desired volume and appearance and put it in the fridge.
Leave both butters for some 12-24 hours in the fridge. After that, take them out and leave them at ambient temperature. Compare their appearance, texture and skin feel after another 24-48 hours.
These are my butters:
It's quite amazing that the whipped butter has a much lighter green color compared to the unwhipped butter. All butters are smooth, have no greasiness and impart a silky feel to the skin. None of them are gritty or grainy. Obviously the butter in the black jar is the unwhipped one. The other two are both whipped. We've filled the silver jar after whipping with a spatula and filled the white container with a patisserie decorating tip.
I hope you enjoy this challenge on how to make a body butter, I can't wait to see your contributions!
If you are a Formula Botanica student or graduate, the Formulation Challenge for November/December will soon be emailed to you and posted in our online classroom. If you're not a Formula Botanica Community member, leave us a comment below and tell us your experiences in formulating body butters!
Leave us a comment
Dr. Elham Eghbali was Formula Botanica's Cosmetic Chemist between 2014 and 2018. She has over 20 years' industry experience and is based in Bavaria, Germany. To read more about Formula Botanica's team, visit our staff page.


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Times Higher Education (THE) publishes Australian university rankings using a composite performance measure. Rankings are based on research publications and academic prestige. The largest components are "Citations of journal articles" and "Research prestige".
The rankings demonstrate how highly a given university is regarded among academics. To produce world rankings, THE surveys many thousands of academics worldwide each year. THE rankings are comparable to QS and Shanghai rankings.
While THE's survey is more extensive than U.S. News... it still falls prey to the inherent statistical flaws and response biases of reputation scoring.
Ranking Components
Citations of journal papers 30%
Research prestige among academics 18%
Journal papers per academic 6%
Research income per academic 6%
Industry income per academic 3%
% of journal articles with a foreign co-author 3%
Ratio of international to domestic staff 3%
Institutional income per academic 2%
Teaching prestige among academics 15%
Academic-to-student ratio 5%
Ratio of international to domestic students 3%
Doctorate graduates per academic 6%
Doctorate-to-bachelor degree ratio 2%
Value of THE University Rankings
For students, THE rankings are useful for quantifying how much regard society (including employers) may hold for a degree from a particular university. If academics hold an institution in high regard, obtaining a degree from that institution may help your career by conferring status.
- The rankings are based on 13 measures. Almost 70% of a university's rating is determined by researcher output, income and affiliations.
- Teaching prestige is also a factor, accounting for 15%. This measures teaching quality as perceived by academics in other institutions, which is highly correlated with overall prestige.
- There is a strong emphasis on doctoral programs, with over 8% of a university's score based on the number of doctorates awarded.
Misleading Statements from Times Higher Education
Time Higher Education claims to provide the only global university performance tables to judge research-led universities across all their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. The publisher also claims to provide the most comprehensive and balanced comparisons, which are trusted by students, academics, university leaders, industry and governments.
Our advice to students is to not trust the Times Higher Education claims nor their rankings. The rankings have not been constructed with students in mind.
- The teaching prestige measure is flawed because it only considers the opinions of academics. How does an academic from one university have any great insight into teaching standards in another?
- Despite its flaws, it is odd that teaching prestige is given a lower rating than research prestige (15% versus 18%). The weightings just tilt the balance further towards academic research.
- The heavy weighting on doctoral program size is also strange. Why does this indicate better performance and why it is given a heavy weighting? THE claims that undergraduates tend to value working in a rich environment that includes postgraduates. You would think undergraduates care more about the quality of services delivered to them.