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My kabobs keep clicking. This is Day 5 of my weeklong series dedicated to everything skewered and grilled. Today I have Grilled Salmon Skewers with Wild Fennel Pollen.
But this is Day 5 and I have pretty much covered all the details you may ever need to know about the humble kabob. Everything from cooking simple one-ingredient skewers all the way to how to choose and prep ingredients when there are several choices stuck on the stick.
So I have decided to use the power of the kabob to highlight an ingredient that you may not be familiar with, or perhaps you just don't use enough. Wild Fennel Pollen.
Now the name is pretty self-evident 'cuz Wild Fennel Pollen is exactly what it says it is. The pollen from wild fennel! It is a typical Tuscan ingredient, where it is called finocchio. Hand collected from the flowers of wild fennel growing on the coastal and inland fields and open spaces in warm weather climates like Tuscany and California.
As a cook, Fennel Pollen is a new ingredient for me. I was given a sample by Justin at Marx Foods. I've never tasted anything else quite like it. It is intensely flavorful, reminiscent of anise but not quite the same. It is both sweet and pungent, though it has floral notes that smell deeply of everything you love about fennel and then some. It's exhilarating– intoxicating even.
Having trouble picturing it? It looks like fluffy, yellow colored sand. It is surprisingly easy to use too– mix it with a pinch of sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper and sprinkle it on to chicken, fish, potatoes or almost anything before cooking. It's the quintessential Tuscan ingredient for anything made with pork, especially salumi. I have even seen it is used to make fennel pollen pesto. I need to research that recipe because I'd like to try it.
My grilled salmon kabobs are brined in an anise-flavored sweet and salty mixture. I am threading thin slices of fennel bulb with the fish too. You could blanch the fennel first if you prefer a milder flavor. But I like the crunch and the sweet licorice flavor that comes from adding them to the skewers raw.
Grilled Salmon Skewers with Wild Fennel Pollen serves 4 CLICK here for a printable recipe
- 1⁄4 c brown sugar
- 3 T kosher salt
- 1 q cool water
- 1⁄2 c anise liqueur
- 1 1⁄2 lb salmon, skin removed and cut into 1 1/2″ chunks
- 2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered & cored
- 1 T wild fennel pollen or ground fennel seed
- salt and pepper to taste
To brine the salmon: Combine, sugar, salt, water,in a non-reactive bowl. Add salmon, cover and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours. Remove from brine and pat dry.
Separate the outside layers of the fennel bulb quarters from the inside softer heart. This should leave you with several shaped pieces all about 1 1/2″ in size. The variety of shapes is good and will give you a variety of textures.
Thread the fennel and the fish onto water-soaked bamboo skewers. Alternating them. Make sure to include some of the flat outer pieces of fennel as well as the soft interior pieces on each skewer.
Sprinkle each skewer with wild fennel pollen and plenty of salt and pepper.
Prepare a charcoal grill until the coals are white but are still glowing red and quite hot. Spread the coals into a single layer and cook the kabobs, for 3 or 4 minutes per side. You goal is for the salmon to be charred a bit on the outside but remain medium-rare and succulent on the inside. The fennel will also get charred but should remain a bit crunchy.
Serve warm.
Greg Henry
Sippity Sup


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The Benefits
The Alexander Technique is well-known for bringing about greater ease and more freedom in all movements, both in everyday movements such as sitting, standing and walking, and when performing more complex or demanding activities such as playing a musical instrument, performing in front of an audience, or in sports. Many people also report psychological benefits as a result of feeling better in themselves, among them a reduction in stress. Remember that all benefits are side-effects of practising the Alexander Technique, and that the Technique does not set out to cure or treat anything. The Technique is educational and preventative in its approach.
The Alexander Technique is taught at many music and drama schools in the United Kingdom, as well as in some companies, as it is famous for its ability to help with the following:
- neck and shoulder problems including migraines and RSI (repetitive strain injury)
- poise, posture and general self-awareness
- pain associated with an old injury
- stress and tension
- breathing and voice problems
- pregnancy and birth
- greater ease and movement in walking, running, and swimming
- balance and co-ordination
- some neurological disorders like Dystonia and Parkinson
For scientific research into the Alexander Technique, see Evidence.

subset: commoncrawl


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This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite
Well, well, well, what has R.M. Wilburn created here? Although her book, The Rescuer's Tale, is the second in a series - Mary Morgan's Journal - the elements of my incredulous (as in knocked my socks off) observations must have found their genesis in volume one. Is this a mystery? A satire? An adventure? A puzzle? An incredible delight? Yes, yes, yes, yes, and most assuredly, YES! At heart, this is a detective story, and presumably one might well believe it is intended for the young, and maybe even-younger, adult; perhaps even for some precocious child, but this old man hereby claims it for himself.
Two things will astound you when delving into The Rescuer's Tale by R.M. Wilburn. First, each page reveals a deeply intriguing collage of absolutely gorgeous, monstrously creative illustrations by the author. These images, purely artistic in themselves, lead the reader's eye through an inclusive dialogue-of-words as if he is rummaging through a detective's comprehensive file, making him feel like he alone in discovering all these mysterious clues, putting together improbable scenarios, and coming to his ultimate conclusions with no outside help. This evokes the sensation of non-linear reading, and such has never been more pleasing or accessible. Second, content does unfold quite story-like, despite the seeming hodge-podge, for this apparent randomness of images is entirely strategic.
The story may be fantastical, including sci-fi elements and Harry Potterish magic, but it is also ripe with contemporary politics (a recently ousted leader named Herr Bigly Rump bears too many familiar and thoroughly nasty traits), making the attached newspaper clippings deliciously relevant and timely. Final word: The Rescuer's Tale is Uncommonly Smart & Unbelievably Creative.


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I'm Ivan Marcelo Parada, a licensed Realtor in Virginia and Maryland since 2005. Over the years, I have represented hundreds of buyers and sellers around the DMV area. I am fully bilingual which gives me the edge to represent you and communicate with other buyers and sellers.
Additionally, I represented clients as a Mortgage Originator (loan officer) in management capacity earning several top producer awards and the gratitude of hundreds of satisfied clients. With my experience in the lending industry I can advise, represent, and protect you better than other Realtor.
The Hotel & Hospitality industry imbedded in my life that "the client is always right" and I use that belief in Real Estate. I believe that is what sets me apart from the rest, not to mention the 30+ years I reside in the Northern Virginia area which makes me very familiar in advising you with the "right home for you".
Northern Virginia
Certified Mortgage Specialist (CMS) since 2004
The closest certification to a Financial Advisor in the Mortgage industry. With more than 16 years of experience, a unique personality and personal customer service that 10 years in the Hotel and Hospitality industry taught me, I always put the needs of my clients first.


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Destructoid's one and only portable gaming podcast! In this pre-E3 2011 episode, we give our predictions for E3 and introduce ourselves!
Pocketoid is dedicated to handheld gaming and hosted by Destructoid community members Jackal27 and Crackity Jones. We recorded Episode 0 two weeks where we introduced ourselves and discussed our E3 predictions. Obviously since E3 is over and we were still working around our hosting details the episode is somewhat outdated, so we just called it Episode 0.


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This week, I spoke to the uber-personable Ulrike Pitzschke!
Ulrike is Lead Customer Care Manager at YAZIO, the health and fitness app, created in Germany and designed to help you easily monitor and evaluate your nutritional behaviour. She's been with YAZIO about one and a half years, and in leadership for three.
Guten Tag, Ulrike! Thanks for taking the time to tell me your story! Where does your CS journey begin?
Well, I started working for YAZIO in October 2018, which was my first job in Customer Support. I started out being the only one doing support for 10 months before we finally found the perfect matches to build out the team 🙂 So in the beginning, I was basically working front line but at the same time trying to improve support strategically.
That's often the case! Had you been in leadership before that?
Before starting at YAZIO, I worked for an IT-Company for 5 years where I managed a Pre-Sales team. When starting at YAZIO, my position was called Customer Care Manager from the beginning but due to the fact that we had a hard time finding employees for the front line, I did not get to manage a team at first. I just worked the queue most of the time instead. But now, we've already hired 2 people for the front line, which gives me more time for strategic considerations, networking etc.
In the end, I think it is very good that I worked front-line for nearly 1 year myself. I know what bothers agents who work with 1st level tickets all the time and I can relate to those challenges. Also, I still jump in, especially in high season, which is January for us. I still deal with most of the 2nd level issues and communication with developers myself.
Especially after being a one-woman-show for quite a while, it was a big change for me to involve other people in the process and to make sure that I delegated the right tasks. I also had to communicate more e.g. with internal notes or via Slack. I realised myself that working in support can be nerve-wracking at times, I wanted to ensure that everyone is happy and doing okay, not getting too emotionally involved with challenging or rude requests (we have quite a few, unfortunately). I had to make sure to combine quality and quantity. We receive about 1500 requests every week in "normal times", so the process needs to be as efficient as possible. Which lead me to the point that I needed to create the content (help base articles, macros for support etc.), that the agents actually needed in order to work efficiently.
You've been a leader before, but now you've made the move into CS Leadership, what skills do you think are necessary in the role?
In my opinion, working front line themselves for some time plays a crucial role in being a good CS leader. Also, especially when working remotely as I do, reading between the lines is important. And the same goes for being a good listener, too. Your team members are the direct face to your customer, so you have to make sure that they are feeling ok and don't get frustrated! A good CS leader should also be able to translate a developer's statement to customer language. For me, being a good leader, in any industry, is mostly about soft skills.
How do you measure your team's success?
Two ways! The hard facts: Customer Satisfaction, first response time, tickets solved. But there are the softer "measures", too: asking them how they are feeling, double-checking on some of the tickets they solved, that kind of thing.
The fact is, that making things measurable is important especially when a team is growing; for budget discussions and reporting to the CEO. But metrics are not the most important thing to me.
How do you grow? And help your team to grow, too?
For my team, I love giving feedback on tickets they solved or were not able to solve. We talk tickets through if they are unsure of anything, and for me, it's always important that they actually learn and understand instead of just solve the ticket. For 2nd level support, I involve them in discussions with the developers from time to time, so they learn "the language" and will be able to do 2nd level soon, too. I also love to share blog posts, podcasts or books that I find interesting!
For me, I love the Support Driven community, too. I get a lot of advice on a personal and technical note from the community and it inspires me in my daily work. And then, I also love networking in (mostly) online communities, podcasts and blog posts, too. For 2020, I would love to visit some conferences/workshops and attend meetups.
What are your current challenges as a leader?
Since I am still involved in 2nd Level, I am not having that much time for strategic development as I thought I would have. I spend a lot of time answering questions from the agents, which of course is a good thing, because I want them to ask and understand. However, I do not have enough time for my own tasks and topics yet.
I have found that it's important to set boundaries in order to ensure a professional working environment. As much as I care about the person behind the role they are covering, I still have to watch out for the performance overall. So it has been quite hard for me to ask one of the agents why their performance has dropped and discuss it with them. I usually start reflecting myself and ask what I could have done better as a leader which, for me, is always a good start.
Do you have any memorable customer stories?
The best was a person who wrote: "Hello again! I'm sorry for sending my last mail without saying: Thanks for your help! Kind regards" + everyone getting back saying they are happy about the support 🙂
The worst… well, I'm sorry to say someone calling me/us a f***ing b**ch because we did not do a refund for her.
That kind of behaviour is tough on agents! And never, ever warranted. How do you stay sane in all this?
I take care of myself and my personal needs in the first place and I establish routines for my daily work. It's the only way!
I have to ask, what's your favourite way to sign off?
"Best regards"
Thanks so much for your time, Ulrike! I hope you managed to maintain that distance you need under some trying circumstances!
Watch this space next week for another interview with another awesome CS Leader!


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Linking up with The Pleated Poppy // The Stylish Housewife // Oh Hey Girl // Trendy Wednesday // The Mummy Chronicles
Linking up with The Pleated Poppy // The Stylish Housewife // Oh Hey Girl // Trendy Wednesday // The Mummy Chronicles
48 comments:
blue boots look very awesome!ReplyDelete
Can we first start with that great dress!! I really love it and the length is so perfect!! Those boots are so fun and of course I started singing the Elvis song haha!! Have a great day girl! xo, Biana -BlovedBostonReplyDelete
Those boots are such a fun color! That dress is fabulous too and I love the hat!ReplyDelete
Doused In Pink
Love love this dress!!!ReplyDelete
Those suede boots are amazing and look great with this dress, love the colors of this look! Very pretty as always!ReplyDelete
So gorgeous! I have some boots really similar to these so now i need this dress! Also, I'm loving colored tights at the moment. You look great, i hope you have a wonderful Wednesday my beautiful friend XO -KimReplyDelete
I LOVE the combo of the grey and blue--so cute and wintery! And that lip color looks gorgeous on you! Obsessed with this whole look! Enjoy your day beautiful!ReplyDelete
Love this combination of blues...very pretty! And that hat is just adorable!ReplyDelete
Love this whole outfit!!! Even those tights!! Haha. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out how to style certain pieces too. But you did a fabulous job!! :-)ReplyDelete
I love the blue accessories with this grey dress! It looks so comfy too! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Andrea! I'm finally back to reality! I have a lot of catching up to do!!ReplyDelete
xo, Rachel
A Blonde's Moment
Love the hat and boots! Very cute :)ReplyDelete
Love the navy boots! They are the perfect thing to style with your dress. Your hat ties it all in.ReplyDelete
Amy Ann
Straight A Style
My favorite blonde! Love reading your posts every day, Girlie! You always make me smile! And I like the twist with the gray and blue! You look so skinny in this outfit!ReplyDelete
Wow! Andrea, you look beyond amazing! LOVE! The sweater dress, and the hat are just to die for! Sending you much love, and I hope your day is as beautiful as you are!ReplyDelete
xoxo, Vanessa
Andrea, you are perfection!! That outfit is so fantastic! love love the blue suede boots.ReplyDelete
Love love love this look! Monochromatic and fabulous.ReplyDelete
This is such a pretty look! I love the blue boots! They look perfect with the dress. I also like the dress very much. Have a nice day!ReplyDelete
I love all the dark blue accessories! I love a dress that works for all seasons!ReplyDelete
That dress is so fabulous!!! And those boots!!!! I am loving that pop of color, so pretty!ReplyDelete
Oh Andrea, how adorably chic. Love your new dress, blue suede booties and hat. I wish I had my blue suede booties here with me. I have been seeing so many awesome one son bloggers lately and I am craving mine. I love navy with gray - tres chic! I thought of you when I was writing today's post because I have on purple. You always rock purple and burgundy. I think you'd approve of my outfit. ;-)ReplyDelete
Happy Hump Day Babe!
I LOVE this look! Grey and navy look so beautiful together!!ReplyDelete
xx, EE
Oh, this is such a Cute look! Your blue suede shoes are so fab and look perfect with this easy dress. I like all of the blue touches you added to this look.ReplyDelete
How fun are those shoes! The whole outfit looks very comfortable and great for the colder days. Love how you tied some more blue accessories in to match the boots.ReplyDelete
You look fabulous! Loving the navy and grey combo! Those booties are too cute!ReplyDelete
<3 Shannon
Upbeat Soles
beautiful in blue!! okay, you look AWESOME in hats! Seriously.ReplyDelete
Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy
That dress is so cute! How fun are the shoes, too?! Makes me think of that song. :)ReplyDelete
Love blue and grey color combo!ReplyDelete
xx Elle
New outfit post on:
www.cherryblossomstreet.com - Swedish Lifestyle/Travel blogger and Model in Tokyo
Those boots are awesome, and I love your hat :)ReplyDelete
You look gorgeous!! I love this color combo!ReplyDelete
I'm loving this tone sur tone look! Coco et La vie en roseReplyDelete
You are welcome to add your fashion and beauty links:
November FASHION LINKUP
November BEAUTY LINKUP
Those boots! Wow, so different & fun! You are a blue babe in these tones :)ReplyDelete
I love how you styled this hat and boot. Thanks for sharing!ReplyDelete
HI gorgeous! I love you in hats! The hat and booties are so cool, especially the blue suede boots I saw a pair on Asos and liked them, but too high for me Love the grey and silver jewelry Such a pretty combo!ReplyDelete
xx jess
Cute outfit! Thanks for joining in on the Top Of The World Linkup Party:)ReplyDelete
Adorable outfit!!!ReplyDelete
Such a lovely look, I really like the dress and those boots are amazing, gorgeous color.ReplyDelete
This comment has been removed by the author.ReplyDelete
this looks so cute .. I'm too much of a chicken to wear blue boots and it looks awesome.ReplyDelete
Love everything about this look especially the color blue! Blue is one of my favorite colors so I am really loving this look!ReplyDelete
Love this look. A comfy dress with pockets is a win!!!ReplyDelete
Thank you for joining TBT Fashion link up and hope to see you next week.
Love, love, love this!! The gray dress is perfection!! SusanReplyDelete
- Anonymous10.12.15
Super super cute boots and I love the dress. Thanks fork inking up for Style Saturday. xo~ Megan The Fashionista MommaReplyDelete
You look fabulous, I adore your floppy hat and boots. Thanks for linking up to #fashionfridayReplyDelete
Wonderful article! We are linking to this great post on our site. Keep up the good writing.ReplyDelete
suede boots
Thanks for joining the Ageless Style linkup party.ReplyDelete
Thank you for taking the time to Browse my Blog. Your comments mean the world to me and I treasure each and every one!! If you are a non-reply blogger I won't be able to respond via email. Kindness and Love, xo


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Los herederos
At early age children begin to work in the Mexican countryside. The Inheritors is a portrait of theirs lives and their daily struggle for survival. These children work farming, sculpting and painting alebrijes, shepherding, making bricks, weaving cloth, looking after their little siblings, collecting water, harvesting tomato, chili, maize, and laboring in a myriad of other activities. They have inherited tools and techniques from their ancestors, but they have also inherited their day-by-day hardship. Generations pass and child workers remain captive in a cycle of inherited poverty.
|Original Title
|Los herederos
|German Title
|Los herederos - Die Erbenden
|French Title
|Les héritiers
|Other Titles
|Los herederos
|Directed by
|Eugenio Polgovsky
|Available Formats
|DVD, HD, Blu-ray
|Eugenio Polgovsky
|Film Editing
|Eugenio Polgovsky
|Eugenio Polgovsky
|Eugenio Polgovsky
|Camille Tauss, Tecolote Films; Visions Sud Est
|90 Min.
Orizzonti, Mostra del Cinema, Verezia 2008
Festival Rotterdam
Festival Berlin
Visions du réel, Nyon
Festival Amsterdam
«Polgovsky zeigt uns die mexikanische Realität.» (El Universal, Mexiko)
"Petit bijou tragique, la seconde production d'Eugenio Polgovsky est avare en instants saisissants, poussant son spectateur à la révolte, sans pour autant verser dans le misérabilisme. A ne pas manquer!" Clap
"Tous simplement sidérant." 20 minutes
Los_Herederos_85x112_cmyk (520 kB)
Los_Herederos_85x112_sw (204 kB)
Los_Herederos_95x113_cmyk (563 kB)
trigon_herederos_d_GzD (651 kB)
Texts as well as any visual and audio material on the website of the trigon-film foundation are intended for reporting on the respective film or the promotion of the theatrical release. The material is available free of charge only for reporting on the respective film or its promotion. Any other usage is forbidden through copyright and has to be discussed with trigon-film. Passing on the material to a third party in return for payment or for free is strictly prohibited. The copyright reference © trigon-film.org is mandatory. By using our material you accept our copyright regulations!


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Within the social networking boom that we are all witnessing, bookmarking sites are also part of this explosion of resources that arise every day to help us build our online community. A few years ago, the first bookmarking sites emerged timidly, but the fundamental idea behind its creation was to make a sort of back up of our favorites site and links to web reources we vistied often.
There was then no need to waste everyone's favorite, if we had the option to keep them safely tucked away in an online bookmarking site. As the Internet began to take the social dimension, share bookmarks with other users began to be seen as a great way to learn of the existence of other sites that might be of interest to us, just as are other users with our own tastesand trends. Accordingly, share bookmarks became commonplace.
The steps to create bookmakring account is simple. It starts by creating an account, and creating a profile which usually consist of interest-called tags, which each user creates to categorize their favorites. It is therefore clear why visiting the social bookmarking sites is an excellent idea, not only to strengthen our Internet marketing efforts to promote our site, but to be updated on relevant information that is close to our business niche. The way bookmarking sites organize information generally is through tags. It is precisely in this way we can find information that interests us: looking for pages with these tags.
While some sites use no follow-links, some others do use do follow links, which makes getting on these sites is an excellent way to build quality lins. These bookmarked links also contribute to our PageRank and our organic positioning on the search engine. The crawlers of search engines index bookmarking sites several times a day, so making bookmarking entries of our articles, blog posts, videos, twitts actually beneficial to build links and create new sources of traffic.
Some of the Top Social Bookmarking Sites
- Del.icio.us: One of the most popular social bookmarking and used. Lets share news, sort by tags, see the people who share the same story or link and view the "tweets" that mention this link. http://delicious.com/
- Digg.com: delicious same social marker, where you can sort the results by theme: science, technology, business, sports, etc.You can search for news results both formats, image or video, and can vote for all results. http://digg.com
- StumbleUpon.com: Social Bookmark pages in English, also rated themes and format of video, pictures and news. http://www.stumbleupon.com/
- Excite Bookmark: Social Bookmark Portal Excite. Lets see how many people have kept that same link and sort by tags.http://bookmarks.excite.es/.
- Reddit.com: Anything interesting, news, articles, blog entries, videos, photos, etc. http://www.reddit.com#
- blinklist.com: social bookmarking site in English in general. http://www.blinklist.com
- Mister Wong: Generic social marker, a German but with version in Spanish, French, and English. All results can be saved and comment. You can integrate the Mister Wong button to your blog or website so your visitors can add you directly to your favorite Mister Wong. http://www.mister-wong.es.
- Backflip: English social marker results also classified by themes or categories. http://www.backflip.com.
- MyLink Vault: English Social Bookmark. http://www.mylinkvault.com/


text:
Magic: The Gathering | Zendikar Rising | Commander Set of 2
Magic: The Gathering | Zendikar Rising | Commander Set of 2
Now Available!
Commander isn't only one of the most popular Magic formats—it's also how a lot of people learn to play. Zendikar Rising Commander Decks are designed to make learning Magic through Commander a great experience for those new players.
These decks are the perfect onramp for folks diving into both Commander and Magic in general, taking the place of Planeswalker Decks for Zendikar Rising.
Two Commander Decks each containing:
- 99-card deck
- 1 foil Commander
- 10 double-sided tokens
- 1 deck box
- 1 Life Wheel
Collapsible content
Contact us through:
Facebook Page facebook.com/affinityccg
Email firstname.lastname@example.com
Mobile 0917-544-4305
Landline: 088-881-0581
Where are we located?
-We're located at the Ground Floor of Grand Central Building, Hayes Street, Barangay 4, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental 9000
Do we ship nationwide?
-Yes, we ship nationwide for a fee.
What shipping couriers do we offer?
-LBC Express
-J&T Express
Due to the COVID-19 quarantine measures, Shipping Domestically varies with each courier service. Details are available on their website. Duration takes anywhere from 7-14 days or longer.
LBC Express
J&T Express
FedEx provides an estimated date of delivery once shipping is booked.


text:
On Sept. 21, 2012, Apple's (AAPL) stock hit an all-time high of $705.07 per share during trading. On Wednesday, almost a full six months later, the stock dropped below $400 during trading-the first time it has been in that territory since December of 2011-before rebounding slightly to close down 5.50 percent at $402.80.
Wednesday's loss is, somewhat speculatively for the moment, being blamed on the assumption that since one of the company's largest smartphone/tablet audio-chip suppliers, Cirrus Logic (CRUS), announced that it will miss revenue estimates in its upcoming Q1 earnings statement, that Apple's mobile sales could be on the decline.
It will have to wait until next week when Apple reports its own earnings before it can be determined whether or not its supplier's dismal earnings preview is in any way a reflection of the state of the company's mobile sales. In any case, the fact remains that Apple's shares are now trading at a price-to-earnings multiple of 9 times earnings, with a forward price-to-earnings multiple of 8, figures that are both well below the S&P's current P/E ratio of 17.49.
Furthermore, the company's P/E growth ratio is 0.48. From a fundamental perspective, all of this indicates that Apple's stock is cheaper than it has been in ages.
Add to this the fact that the company's dividend yield is currently at 2.63 percent (higher than the S&P's overall yield of 2.07 percent), which is important for two interrelated reasons. The first one is specific to Apple, who has been under significant pressure over the past few months to do something with its substantial reserve of cash. Many expect that this will take the form of an increase in dividend payouts in the very near future.
Secondly, a stock that as cheap and/or undervalued as Apple's currently is could plausibly see shares increase (or decrease) sharply in reaction to some good news, such as the announcement of a new product, or an increase in the dividend payout. This presents an interesting set of circumstances for investors to think about.
On the S&P 500, there are 6 other stocks that have similar fundamentals. They were selected based on P/E and forward P/E ratios lower than 10, a P/E Growth ratio of less than 1, and a dividend yield of greater than 2 percent:
Western Union Co. (WU) – With a market cap of $8.35 billion, the credit services and money-wiring company currently trades at $14.68 per share. It has a P/E ratio of 8.69, a forward P/E ratio of 9.23, and a PEG ratio of 0.81, with a dividend yield of 3.41 percent.
WellPoint Inc. (WLP) – The health care provider has a market cap of $20.84 billion, with shares at $69.03. Its P/E ratio is 8.49, with a forward P/E ratio of 8.45, a PEG ratio of 0.71, and a its dividend yield is 2.17 percent.
AFLAC, Inc. (AFL) – The accident insurance provider has a market cap of $22.98 billion, with shares trading for $49.16. The P/E ratio is 8.06, with a forward P/E ratio of 8.06, and a PEG ratio of 0.84, with a dividend yield of 2.85 percent.
Phillips 66 (PSX) – The oil and gas refining/marketing company has a market cap of $35.96 billion and a share price of $57.99. It has a P/E ratio of 8.95, a forward P/E ratio of 8.27, and a PEG ratio of 0.83. The company offers a dividend yield of 2.16 percent.
Ford Motor Co. (F) – The car manufacturer has a market cap of $50.79 billion, with shares trading at $12.93. Its P/E multiple is 9.1, its forward P/E multiple is 7.74, with a PEG ratio of 0.69. Ford's dividend yield is currently a healthy 3.09 percent.
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) – The manufacturer of farming machinery has a market cap of $53.37 billion, with shares trading at $81.47. The company's P/E multiple is 9.6, with a forward P/E of 8.89, and PEG ratio of0.69. Caterpillar currently offers a 2.55 percent dividend payout.


text: Born in Barcelona in 1931, his family from upper level society, Catalan aristocracy was well-connected within the world of art. His uncle, Pedro Milá y Camps, commissioned Gaudí the famous Casa Milá. In 1958, Miguel Milá begins his professional journey within the field of interiorism. The scarcity of objects in the Spain of the 50s inspires him to create his own furniture and lamps. Some of these everyday objects, like his TMC and TMM lamps, are classics today, without having lost any modernism. Along with other designers from the period, he established ADI-FAD, an association dedicated to promoting both Spanish design and promising newcomers internationally. In 1987 he received the National Design Award.


text:
A mobile application responding to the extraordinary situation, 3D printing and rapid production of scarce goods such as respiratory ventilators and protective equipment are only a few examples of how individuals and companies can help not only during this time of extraordinary measures and challenges brought forth by the coronavirus.
Thanks to the involvement of all relevant government bodies, the ministry and CzechInvest want to support projects that encounter obstacles to their implementation in a coordinated and flexible manner. Such obstacles include, for example, a shortage of financing, a lack of contacts, know-how and capacities, and long, drawn-out processes. The team behind the implementation of the hackathon and the operation of the Czech Network platform can help to overcome these obstacles and will attempt to introduce promising projects into practice as soon as possible in cooperation with companies, government and private experts in the given area.
The proposals will subsequently be evaluated by a jury, a so-called ideaboard composed of experts and representatives of the academic sphere and state administration with a direct connection to the central crisis-management staff. If the project gets the green light, registered participants will be contacted by representatives of the Czech Network team, who will help them obtain, for example, computing capacities, consulting, financial support and connections to representatives of other companies and the state. At the same time, they will assist with administration so that the registered participants can fully focus on their projects.
Companies can get involved in the hackathon by submitting their project proposals via a simple web form at hacktahecrisis.cz/en.


text:
While reading the js library API, I saw this line:
If the index is provided, the generation of the address is not deterministic.
I also read here https://learn.iota.org/tutorial/generating-addresses-learn-the-basics
As previously mentioned, when generating an address you need to know the key index of the private key in order to get the same address each time. The libraries give you two options in order to get that key index: one is to supply it as an optional input parameter, the other is to get it deterministically.
However can anyone explain the meaning of deterministic? What can be nondeterministic if I use index to generate a new address?


text:
Brown by Gacha-Gacha
Cooperstown Artist Bear Collection
At 14 inches tall, Brown is a classic caramel mohair bear with black glass eyes, a hand-embroidered nose and claws and has wool felt paws.
He is fully jointed.
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Limited Edition of 10
About the Artist:
Having the opportunity to meet people from all over the world is Hiroyuki Sakata, and is the favorite part of his job as the teddy bear artist for Gacha-Gacha. For many years, Gacha-Gacha has been creating unique designs. Hiroyuki's bears are full of character, focusing on his signature traditional style of teddy bears. In addition to making his teddy bears, Hiroyuki has a great interest in Chinese history and Chinese culture.


text:
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text:
When is a goal not a goal?
When is a goal not a goal?
Answer: When the 50K word count has been reached but you ain't done with the danged book!
So my NaNoWriMo goal is within sight – I'll have my 50K tucked away by this evening and I'll post it for validation. Whoo-hoo! I did it and I finished it well before the November 30 deadline! I am proud of myself for pantsing it along.
Now, to the real task – of getting the damned thing in order cause it sorta feels like I'm trying to hug fog at the moment. This shit is nebulous as all hell and I need to straighten it up. Not that it can't be done but fuck me if I know how to do it.
I guess I am gonna have to poll my beta's and see where I am missing shit…I know what I want to do, just in the thrust of gettin' to my goal I think I have some massive holes in plot and narrative.
So yay, me! Well done! (That sound you're hearing is the patting of my own back – cause sometimes you just gotta to keep ya goin').
Above is my adjusted cover art. It's rather subdued but at least it's got some umph, no?
Thoughts on it?
As a rule of thumb I am opposed to those manly half naked men on the covers – I just think that most of that will look so damned dated down the road.
Also, while I have your attention – what do you think about the word "adventure" in the tag line? It's not really an adventure – more of an experience, tale, event (now that's just plain lousy)?
The story does have some angst that I am gettin' to now. Just not much in the way of adventure – I mean it's not a wolfy Indiana Jones. Even though I can sorta see Harrison as a wolf man.
Anyway, the goal for NaNoWriMo will be reached by tonight. The story – eh, not so much.
And it's been nice to have Steve Grand in the rotation to get my boys where they are. Only now it's gonna get darker – a whole mess darker. I may have to switch up the playlist for a bit to get into the groove. Riley, Hank and the boys are in for some bad assed times. Then my HFN for the moment.
Free reads of where I am up to the 50K mark will be posted later on tonight.
Then I need to pen some more of Marco's Angel's volume – I've left him sorta hanging and he's got shit to say now about his burgeoning love for all things Elliot. The boys in my worlds are gonna drive me bat-shit crazy!
Til next time…
Our Dirty Little Secrets – Part 2
Our Dirty Little Secrets – Part 2
My on-going conversation with Savannah Smythe/Jayne Lockwood on the craft of writing, how gay authors are under represented in our own literary house, and my forthcoming novel – Angels of Mercy.
Check them out over at the following locations –
Savannah Smythe Blog (the continuing conversation from my blog post a few days back)
Running with the Pack – Part 3
Running with the Pack – Part 3
Another Badge Achieved!
25,009 words! <– That's HUGE!
I've broken the 50% mark in the story. Three chapters in and I am half way to my goal.
So where are things now? Well, Steve Grand is still in the soundtrack rotation and things seem to clip along quite nicely when his songs come on. My boys seem to respond to him. Don't know why that is again, but I'm just letting Steve take the muse role and just roll right along with it. I get into a groove when that happens. I almost disappear into the story itself and I just channel what Hank, Riley, Tanner and the others all have to say about my little lust filled horror story of gay were's in Sparrow's Holler, WVA.
Some interesting developments happened – ya see, when I am driving to my Clark Kent day job, I have a solid twenty minutes a day to ponder my tales – and yeah, I am usually listening to Steve there as well. I think it's Riley (the Alpha of the story who responds to him most – I seem to work out kinks in his backstory in my head when Steve's on the iPod in the car). So yeah, Riley and Hank are getting sorted and coupling up nicely. Hank is still leery cause he don't know why any of it is happening – the boys who have taunted him off and on have suddenly flipped a switch and now they are all about Hank. They can't get enough of being around him.
And of course this presents drama… duh, duh, duuuuuhhhh! <– that was supposed be that high radio drama music there where someone is bitin' their knuckle like Carol Burnett did on her TV show back in the 70's – just sayin'…
Anywho, back in Sparrow's – Hank and Riley are gettin' closer and all the while Hank questions what it means (cause hey, it's 1956 people and there was no internet nor did people even TALK about gay stuff back then – or so the hubby tells me). So while Riley and Hank have their intimate moments and Hank is left bewildered on why he's all cuddlin' up to the hottest boy on campus, he is also left bewildered on why Riley's boys are all into them as well.
As Hank says quite clearly on what he has bitten off –
"I thought I had me a boyfriend – now it looks like I got me eight. Mama's just gonna shit…"
Yeah, and she ain't the only one neither, Hank.
The story seems to have this wolf mentality threading through it nicely. No real were moment yet, but it's coming. I am actually introducing the novel baddie right now in the story. So yeah, I hope I nail it like I got it in my head.
So here's the dealio with my writings: I write Gay Lit Fic. I make no bones about it. BUT what that means is that while my stories have a strong romantic element (cause hey, that's always a good thing – it brings out the gentle humanity in us all, I think) – it is NOT M/M romance fare. While it has strong sexual situations, it is NOT erotica. I just don't write to a given formula. Those elements are present but when I use love it is a means to an end. It serves a purpose other than romance for the sake of romance. And I NEVER pull punches in the sex department, either. I refuse to water it down. Sex happens, people. It's what makes our lives enriching and exciting. Passion is a VERY good thing in my books. But it's also a character device that I use to move the characters forward. It's meant to propel the story in some manner.
The sex in my books are not a "one handed read" as one of my erotica author buddies so eloquently puts it. I mean, if someone thinks they're sort of hot, well yippee ki-yay for you! That's not the intent of their being there from my perspective.
Take Hank for example:
Hank is a really attractive guy but is one of those boys who doesn't have the first clue that he is. He thinks he's rather average. That there's nothing special to him. He's just a country bumpkin eking out a life in a small town in West Virginia.
It happens.
But Hank is anything BUT average. He's wildly beyond average – and he's about to find out what that means. And here's the odd thing about Hank, the thing that makes him very fascinating to me – he doesn't want any of it. When he discovers what he truly is and what it all means, he tries to deny it – to push it, and the boys further away from him. The boys go through a lot of pain and torment because of it. Hank is basically refusing pack life. Why? Because he hasn't turned yet. So to him its spook and legend.
But the threat that visits them just before Hank's first night of turning – in his own family store, no less, does give him something to consider. A reason to hear the boys out about what is truly going on in Sparrow's Holler, what the pack means to the town, and how wonder of all wonders, how Hank's own missing father has played a huge part in it all that Hank was never told about.
Hank's got quite a bit on his mind and several balls to juggle – it's no wonder when he looks in the mirror he can't see what everyone else sees.
Basically put, Hank's a hunk but he's a fairly clueless hunk until his boys are threatened. Then there'll be no stoppin' him. Hank is a dark horse. A very, VERY, dark horse (or wolf, I should say) in this tale. He doesn't want the mantle, he doesn't want the notoriety or attention.
And in due course he gets plenty of attention… from his boys and the girls in town. It's all too confusing. Part of the time Hank just longs for the simplicity of everything that was before any of this happened. But once you turn, you can never go back.
So the first book is spent on trying to get Hank to become the hero he is destined to be.
It won't be an easy road. But then again, if it were – what would be the point of tellin' it?
So a small acknowledgement to my project muse – Steve Grand has released a few new tunes on iTunes as well as a few other places. Please check out his site and buy his songs, dammit! This man deserves our continued support! He's breathing life into my boys and that's helping me reach my goal of 50K in 30 days. So far, so good.
[embedplusvideo height="255″ width="400″ editlink="http://bit.ly/1tjO5Il" standard="http://www.youtube.com/v/3ArcGsUkUdw?fs=1″ vars="ytid=3ArcGsUkUdw&width=400&height=255&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=0&chapters=¬es=" id="ep4131″ /]
Think I'll spin up another and get back to it…
Thanks Mr. G for givin' my boys something to run with … were Riley and the boys here for real – I am sure they'd say thank you too!
Peace – OUT!
Runnin' with the Pack – Part 2
Runnin' with the Pack – Part 2
So it's been four days of NaNoWriMo craziness. I am happy to report that I am nearly half way to my goal: 22,252 words written thus far!
That's 22,252 out of 50,000… about 48%. That's HUGE!
Whoo-hoo! (insert Wolf Howl here)
But I know this is only the beginning. And to be honest, this was because the week leading into it I had a fair amount sorted in my head. But now, well, we're catching up to where I am still debating how things are gonna play out. Organically (because I am a through and through pantser when I write), I am already seeing deviations of where my wolves are taking me. Beyond where I thought I was going to go.
But it's like that for me. I have a goal, I have an arc, but what happens is that my characters are fully formed in my head by the time I put them down to digital bytes and bits. They are present – front and center – and they often know their world better than I do! And that, from me, the God of their universe – and yet, my characters still surprise me.
It was that way with Angels of Mercy. It's turning out to be the same with HO'M,O too.
Hank O'Malley is one helluva discovery for me. The past few weeks I've been absorbing my Appalachian dialects, polling my husband's past because he was born in West Virginia and grew up in and around there.
And here's the funny thing: Normally, I listen to film scores when I write. I tend to think cinematically, so my stories tend to be that way – so orchestral scores seem to be a perfect fit. The odd thing? This time I seem to fluctuate between those scores (usually of the Danny Elfman, John Williams or Bernard Herrmann variety) and something completely off track – I am also finding myself drawn to listening to Steve Grand's offerings. They aren't contemporary to the time I am setting the piece (1956 in West Virginia) but there's something homey and irrefutably connected about Grand's take on things that I just seem to be goin' with it and not askin' too many questions along the way – mostly cause I don't have time to spare for this if the book has to be done in 30 days.
If it works, it works – right? Steve Grand being the emotive core of my boys in Sparrow's Holler? Well, that's fine by me.
As much as Jay Brannan proved to be the emotive core for Angels, Grand's music is the wellspring for my wolves of Sparrow's Holler. Who knew? I sure as hell didn't. I just put on Steve's latest releases and three or four rounds of the playlist and I was writing like a fiend. Who am I to question the muse of the project? It coulda been worse… and Steve is far above anything like that. Like Brannan, Grand inspires me – I love men who are living their lives openly and with such conviction I think that is what I am emotively responding to and imbuing my characters with. Grand and Brannan both are openly gay artists, brilliant and accomplished writers in their own right, and if they give me little creative spark to play with – I am all the better for it.
So yeah, that was a surprise in and of itself. But for some reason it works – I dunno, maybe cause I could see Steve as one of the wolves? What do you think?
But it's more than that. I think the reason it's clicking is because there is a solid thread of warmth that weaves its way in Grand's work. A humanity that I need to be reminded of as my wolves take over. Grand's music addresses this beautifully. I think that is why I've navigated his way.
(Sidebar: I can't wait for the album to drop – hint, hint Steve-a-rino)
Maybe that's why I am tunin' in as I write about my werewolves of West Virginia. And with so much of the were lore established in the M/M genre, I am having so much fun putting my spin on things. Meaning that just because you're the Alpha of the pack, doesn't mean that you're the one in control. I've got a new take on things that I hope will give my story an edge to it that hasn't been present in the gay weres stories that have been out there before. Hank is an Omega in the pack, but in a way that's never been done before – and it could prove to be an epic game changer.
Either way, Hank O'Malley, Omega (where the title HO'M,O comes from – the main character of the story) – has that same quality Grand puts forth in his music. The exuberance and the temperance of a life that is rooted in who he was brought up to be. Yet, his life experiences are starting to color that. But the story isn't a happy one – it's a dark tale – I mean, they are werewolves after all. That's not to say there isn't hope and love threaded within the tellin' of the tale. Cause there definitely is…
For a boy who was a loner, just work at his Mama's general store and school to mark the passing of time for him, his world has been slowly evolving around him. He hasn't paid much attention to the subtle changes in the 8 boys on the football team who always run together. Boys who used to taunt him and shake him up from time to time. Now, there's a subtle difference in the air. It seems the Cavanagh High School Wolves means a helluva lot more in the town of Sparrow's Holler than anyone thought.
Hank chides them in his mind and refers to them as "the pack". Those eight boys, alternatingly mischievous, brooding, and lust-filled — these boys are always together. And they rule the school with an iron paw. Their word is law – even when held up to the Principal himself.
And then there's Hank. Loner that he is – not seeing how these boys have been slowly circling him. Moving ever so much closer – as if their own continued existence depended upon Hank joining their ranks. And they'd be right about that. Hank is something special in the way of Omega's within the pack. He's different in ways that the boys can't even imagine. Hank is the dark hero of the tale.
So yeah, 22,252 words out of 50K goal. And I am only in chapter 2! Yeah, so gotta figure out how I am gonna reign this one in so I don't go for another 205K word epic like my first volume of Angels.
I'd like for this to be a side line of short stories that have a greater arc to them. Like those serial short films that our parents or grandparents went to in the 1940's and 50's. Slim offerings – a morsel at a time.
At 22K words and only two chapters in? I think I have my work cut out for me to start moving forward at a greater clip to get to my HEAFN (Happily Ever After, For Now) for the first installment. I need to think like those directors of those quickie shorts of the 50's. Gonna have to tuck in my inner Cecil B. DeMille and think more like oh, I dunno – (face palms and realizes that I generally watch epic films) one of them directors of those classic horror movies of that era. Ya know, like Don Siegel (yeah, I just IMDB'd it) like in Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Or better yet, Erle C. Kenton of House of Dracula (where Lon Cheney, Jr. makes his appearance as Lawrence Talbot/The Wolfman). Yeah, that's more like it.
Okay, enough of this – I need to be writing the novel again.
Earbuds in place, Grand's Stay is cued up – time to go run with the wolves again.
[embedplusvideo height="255″ width="400″ editlink="http://bit.ly/1oiZMTQ" standard="http://www.youtube.com/v/i3G3xm1-spg?fs=1&vq=hd720″ vars="ytid=i3G3xm1-spg&width=400&height=255&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=1&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=" id="ep9499″ /]
@stevegrandmusic – thanks for givin' my boys something to run with!
Peace – OUT!
Runnin' with the Pack – Part 1
Runnin' with the Pack – Part 1
So my first day of writing in the NaNoWriMo contest is coming to a close. I do have other things to do and write, ya know. I think I've knocked this one out of the park though. It's a solid first effort.
The average is 1600+ words a day to hit the target of 50K. I've been sorting out what I was going to do for the first day of solid writing that it all sort of flowed almost FASTER than I'd could type (which is fairly fast).
Don't know that all of them will go as smoothly but at least I've got a solid start.
Today's word count – 9,042 (or 20 pages)
Not bad for a first haul. According to the nanowrimo site I should be done in about 8 days at this rate. I don't know that that will happen as I had a bit of time to sort it all in my head so when I hammered it out it was one long stream of consciousness brain dump I was on. Now that I am nearing the end of that 'brain storming session' I think that I will find that my pace might slow a tad here and there.
I do think that my total word count will easily eclipse the 50K bar. Only because I write like a fiend when I am in the groove of it all. But I just hope I don't overwrite the whole damned thing. My goal is not the 50K, but that I can limit myself to an actual short novel.
As I've said before, I think Cecil B. DeMille epically when I write. It's just how my gay perspective thing is on it. But yeah, with these weres, so gonna let them have a fun, scary and satisfying romp. It'll be brief but hopefully not the only one of the series (because while I may give it a HEAFN at the end of this book, I will definitely leave it open-ended enough to carry if forward if people seem to like it).
Anyway, said I was gonna blog about the process – so yeah…
DAY ONE – 9, 042/20 pages!
Not too bloody bad in my book…
Now time to go make dinner – my work is never done, it seems.


text:
When you stick your nose into a glass of wine, what do you smell? Grapes? Alcohol? You're not alone.
Wine tasting can be intimidating, but Master Sommelier Brian McClintic says anyone can do it, it's just a matter of learning the language. McClintic is one of the sommeliers profiled in the documentary film SOMM which follows four friends on their quest to pass the Master Sommelier exam, a feat that barely 200 individuals worldwide have accomplished. McClintic didn't start learning about wine until 2008 and he's the first to admit that early on he had no idea how to look for certain characteristics in a glass of wine. Oak? He couldn't smell it until someone said "vanilla" and then it clicked. Like any language, you need to learn the vocabulary.
Over a glass of wine at Bodega Wine Bar, I asked him for advice on how casual wine drinkers can develop a keener palate. Below was some of his advice:
- Start a wine tasting group with likeminded friends who are at a similar skill level
- Look at the wine. If you have a glass of red wine and you can see your fingers out the back, you know it's a thin skinned grape therefore it's not Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc or Merlot. From sight alone you can tell that you're in Pinot Noir, Grenache, Sangiovese or Nebbiolo terriroty.
- Do swirl the glass. Oxygen coming in contact with the wine will release flavor and aroma.
Also, NPR's The Salt recently posted a convenient list of mangeable tasting tips as well.
In the audio below McClintic explains what happens behind the doors of the Master Sommerlier exam and admits that even he gets duped by wines all the time. To test his chops we subject him to a blind tasting. Listen to find out how he fares:
Watch a trailer for the film SOMM below. You can download the entire film from i Tunes.


text:
The local government areas receiving Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) assistance include:
- Bathurst
- Bland Shire
- Cessnock
- Dubbo Regional
- Dungog
- Goulburn-Mulwaree
- Kempsey
- Maitland
- Mid Coast
- Mid-Western Regional
- Narrabri
- Penrith
- Port Macquarie-Hastings
- Port Stephens
- Queanbeyan-Palerang
- Tenterfield
- Upper Hunter
- Warrumbungle
- Yass Valley.
This assistance includes:
- help for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged
- support for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential public assets
- concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers, and non-profit organisations
- freight subsidies for primary producers
- grants to non-profit organisations.
Minister for Emergency Services Troy Grant said a range of disaster assistance is available to help affected individuals, small businesses, primary producers, and local councils.
"Many communities have been severely affected by the bushfires over the weekend," Mr Grant said.
"The Australian and NSW governments have acted quickly to ensure affected people have access to much-needed disaster assistance to support their recovery."
Further information on disaster assistance is available on the Australian Government's Disaster Assist website and the NSW emergency information and response website.
For information on personal hardship and distress assistance, contact the Disaster Welfare Assistance Line on 1800 018 444.
To apply for a concessional loan, grant or freight subsidy, visit the NSW Rural Assistance Authority website or call them on 1800 678 593.


text:
Located in sunny Irvine, California, within the FivePoint's Great Park Neighborhoods, Montaira has been designed and built for the modern senior. Whether you are moving from a home or an apartment, you are sure to enjoy the numerous amenities and community connectivity that can only be experienced at Montaira.
Montaira offers income-restricted, spacious studio, one-, and two-bedroom apartment homes. Each apartment home features a fully-equipped gourmet kitchen with solid surface countertops, hardwood plank style flooring, ceiling fans, spacious closets, some paid utilities, private outdoor space, and more.
This extraordinary living environment provides residents with an abundance of recreational amenities including an outdoor picnic area with barbeque space, fitness center with cardio area and yoga studio, tech room, community garden with aquaponics system, swimming pool and spa, putting green, movie theater, dog park (with dog washing station), along with other specialized services.
Visit today and discover why Montaira is one of the most special places to call home.
Montaira is a pet-friendly apartment community. We welcome your cats and dogs throughout the property and, of course, by your side within your apartment home.
Dogs and cats are welcome upon approval.
Breed and weight restrictions apply.
Limit one pet per apartment home.
Pet Amenities:
Bark Park
Dog Grooming Station


text:
Been thinking about installing window security screens on your Gold Coast home? With so many options on the market, you could be confused about what the best product is. However, you may also be wondering why you need security screens instead of just the standard flyscreens.
Securelux is a leading Crimsafe licensee located in Brisbane and covering all areas of the Gold Coast. We take a look at some of the best reasons to install window security screens on your Gold Coast home.
Peace of Mind
Obviously the top reason to install window security screens is to provide added security to your home, keeping your family and your belongings safe. Generally your home is your biggest asset so keeping out intruders makes sense. At Securelux we provide two different brands of window security screens on the Gold Coast – Crimsafe, giving you the option that best suits the look you like and your budget.
Ventilation and Breeze
The last thing you want when living on the Gold Coast is to keep your home shut up just to stay safe; and running an air conditioner every day can just be expensive. Window security screens allow you to keep your windows open, stay safe and take advantage of any breeze in the air.
Storm Protection
While the Gold Coast doesn't often see cyclones, we do tend to get some rather big storms, particularly in summer. The last thing you want is to come home from work to find a window broken due to some flying debris. Security screens can help protect your home during storms by providing some protection to windows.
Insect Protection
No one loves a mosquito inside! Good quality security screens can provide some protection against insects coming inside and annoying you all night. Crimsafe's Tensile Tuff security screen prevents up to 99% of mosquitoes entering through your screens.
Keep your home and family safe and comfortable with window security screens on the Gold Coast. Call us today for a free consultation and quote.


text:
For the most up to date information on the program, visit our new program website at www.kentuckydoubledollars.org.
The 2023 Kentucky Double Dollars grant application is now open! Applications are due by January 20th, 2023. Funds are not first come, first serve—each application is individually scored by a review panel, so take your time and complete all information as thoroughly as possible. Thanks so much and we look forward to a great season!
Our Mission
The mission of the Kentucky Double Dollars program is to remove obstacles for WIC FMNP, SFMNP, and SNAP participants to increase the purchase and consumption of locally-grown food with point-of-sale matching incentives at multiple access points across Kentucky, including urban and rural farmers' markets, Fresh Stop Markets (community-driven, sliding fee scale farmers markets), and pilot retail sites.
Who We Serve
Kentucky Double Dollars directly supports Kentucky farmers by incentivizing Kentucky-grown produce and Kentucky-raised meat, eggs, and dairy. Through the use of the incentives, Kentucky Double Dollars also helps to direct more SNAP and FMNP dollars to Kentucky farmers and producers.
SNAP Participants
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps low-income people to buy food at participating stores and increase a household's food buying power. Any household receiving SNAP benefits can receive Kentucky Double Dollars incentives at a participating farmers market.
WIC FMNP Participants
Since 1992, the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP) has helped promote local farmers markets and bring locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables into the homes of WIC participants. In Kentucky, eligible WIC recipients receive vouchers each summer to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables or fresh-cut herbs. Local WIC agencies issue FMNP vouchers and provide nutrition education. WIC FMNP participants can receive up to $16 per season in Kentucky Double Dollars incentive vouchers.
SFMNP Participants
The Kentucky Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables from Kentucky farmers' markets to low-income seniors who are nutritionally at-risk. Eligible seniors are provided with vouchers to purchase fresh, unprocessed, locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs at state-approved farmers' markets. Senior FMNP participants can receive up to $16 per season in Kentucky Double Dollars incentive vouchers.
Participating Markets2022KDDLocationsOnePager
Kentucky Double Dollars is a project of Community Farm Alliance. The program is financially supported by USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture, Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy/Kentucky Agriculture Development Fund, BB&T, Passport, and WellCare.


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Georgian Language Publications introduced to Students during the first IIIT Winter School
Five IIIT publications were translated into Georgian language and introduced to students during the first IIIT Winter School in Batumi, Georgia. The books are: "Ijtihad and Renewal" by Said Shabbar, "A Brief Introduction to Qur'anic Exegesis" by Ali Suleiman Ali, "In Service of God and Humanity: The Legacy of Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali" by Benaouda Bensaid, "Rethinking Reform in Higher Education: From Islamization to Integration of Knowledge" by Ziauddin Sardar and Jeremy Henzell-Thomas.
The students mentioned that the books help promote a culture of dialogue and tolerance between different religions, races, and sexes and encourage peaceful coexistence.
The translation project was a joint cooperation between IIIT and "The Georgian Charitable Educational Charitable Organization". Furthermore, these publications have never been published previously in Georgian Language.
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IOK Summer Program 2023 has Begun!
July 27, 2023
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June 14, 2023


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Don Winslow's latest masterpiece is a gritty, raw look into the life of a New York City cop, and all the conflict–some by chance, some by choice–that comes with it.
On the streets, where it matters most, Sergent Denny Malone runs a unit known simply as Da Force. Malone's crew–Russo, Big Monty, and Billy O'Neil–are part of the Manhattan North Special Task Force, an elite unit made up of New York City's finest. And anyone who knows anything about Manhattan North knows that those streets belong to Malone.
Nobody, from gangbangers to corrupt city councilmen, can so much as spit without Denny finding out about it.
Malone, a tatted-out Irish Catholic who has a love for rap music, comes from a line of hero cops. And after Malone's crew pulls off what ends up being the biggest heroin bust in NYPD history, Denny himself is also labeled a hero by the media and his fellow officers. Sadly, though, Billy took a fatal round from a gangster and died in the drug house.
What few people know is that Malone and his crew are dirty, and their record-setting heroin bust wasn't exactly by the book.
Picking up several months later, Malone and his guys are trying to break in a new team member who was assigned to their unit as a replacement for Billy. On top of that, word on the street is that the drug kingpin who got ripped off by Da Force is looking for revenge.
On Christmas, Malone spends the night picking up and dropping off cash-filled envelopes to other dirty cops and city officials. Unbeknownst to him, his chat with the Assistant District Attorney was recorded by the FBI, who had the assistant DA under surveillance. In the process, they caught Malone conspiring to have a case fixed but waited to make their move on him.
As Malone's crew prepares to bring down a huge gun purchase that's rumored to be going down in the coming days–big enough to ignite a turf war between rival gangs–tempers start to flair as Russo and Big Monty both worry about an investigation into their drug bust. To cool off a bit, Malone orders up a "Bowling Night," which is essentially an alcohol-fueled boys-night-out. When he returns home, the FBI is waiting for him, finally ready to make their move.
With a major gun deal about to go down, a turf war on the horizon, a drug kingpin hellbent on revenge, and the FBI secretly keeping tabs, Denny Malone quickly finds himself backed into a corner with very few options–and none of them good.
The genius of Don Winslow's writing is that he manages to strike a balance with Malone and his partners that make it possible for readers to still root for Da Force. Yeah, Malone and his guys are dirty, but the people they rough up and rip off are far worse. Besides, they do a lot of good things too, and each guy has a family and kids he's out there grinding for.
Likewise, Winslow masterfully weaves current events and major headlines into the story, which allows him to tackle issues such as police brutality, protest efforts, and a variety of other topics, without being too preachy or breaking from his narrative.
As the tension rises, readers are met with their own tough decision on whether they should burn through the pages to get to the ending, or read slowly to savor the moment. (In the end, you can't go wrong either way!)
While entertaining, Winslow's novel isn't just a treat to read–it provides a unique experience unlike anything else. Whether it's blasting N.W.A. and singing along as they patrol the streets, or taking down gangbangers and drug dealers, readers will feel like a part of Malone's crew. And while those who are easily offended by strong language may take issue with some of the dialogue, most readers will appreciate Winslow's acute attention to detail. Not only do the characters walk and talk like New Yorkers, but the entire New York-living vibe is spot-on.
At one point, Malone delivers a speech to corrupt officials that rivals the "you need me on that wall" speech given by Colonel Jessup (played by Jack Nicholson) in A Few Good Men. It's just one of many emotionally-charged scenes that will stay with readers long after they finish the novel.
The Shield meets The Departed in Don Winslow's The Force, one of the best cop dramas ever written, and the first novel we've ever scored a perfect 10/10 on our rating scale.
Between The Power of the Dog (2005), The Cartel (2015), and now The Force, there's no doubt that Don Winslow is one of the truly great novelists of his time. If you're not already reading his stuff, put him at the top of your to-read list starting with The Force.
Book Details
Author: Don Winslow
Pages: 400 (Hardcover)
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: June 20th, 2017 (Order Now!)


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7. Executive MBA at Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University
Take this program at Suffolk University to earn not just an MBA, but an Executive MBA. Only 5% of MBAs awarded each year carry the executive designation, so this can really boost your bottom line. The 16-month program relies on Saturday classes, making it ideal for people who work full time.
You don't need to take the GMAT to be accepted, but to skip it you will need to have had at least seven years of professional experience. The school estimates that participants receive an average of 19% greater income during the program, and 43% within 3 years of starting.


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Door To Door Transport
The most widely used auto transport method is door-to-door transport. Just about every company that ships cars offers this service. It streamlines pickup and delivery for you at both ends of shipment. It is the most common and cheapest way to ship a car.
Door-to-Door Car Shipping Services
1. Pickup/Delivery Day
Typically a reliable car hauler will call you two times each (four total), prior to pickup and prior to delivery. The calls are generally made the day that precedes arrival and then again an hour or two before arrival. These reminders allow for seamless communication and coordination between the car owner and the driver so that your time is not misused.
If you are unsure where the driver is and want an update, you can contact your broker, which serves as your main point of contact throughout.
2. Criteria for Door to Door Auto Transport
Door-to-door transport is available in almost all areas. However, certain locations make it unsafe for the car carrier to maneuver properly – often an issue in cities. It may also be impossible to pick up or deliver directly if the address is in a gated community; on a hillside or mountainous area; or surrounded by low-hanging trees.
Although the carrier may not be able to get all the way to your door in certain scenarios, you can coordinate a nearby location with the driver for safe loading or unloading. This nearby location is usually a larger parking lot such as one you can find at any Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Church, etc.. This will make your door to door car shipping service safer for you, your vehicle and the transporter.
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You want to have a trusted party at both the pickup point and the delivery point, each of whom will complete a vehicle inspection report with the driver. After you or your trusted party signs off that the inspection was completed and that the car has been loaded, they will be given a bill of lading.
The bill of lading is a very important document in the car transport for insurance purposes: it establishes the current condition of the car in the event of an accident. Refuse to have your car shipped if one is not provided. All reliable car shipping companies will provide a bill of lading. If not, you shouldn't trust them with your vehicle.
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Beautiful Yosemite National Park is a photograph by Larry Marshall which was uploaded on August 4th, 2015.
More from Larry Marshall
Comments (13)
Gull G
Art provides an opportunity for kaleidoscopic thinking. Each time we shift the lens of our perceptions, we gain new perspectives — and new opportunities for innovation. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RECENT SALE OF AN AMAZING WORK!


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The Cocoon Performance Tips in this version is a loose collection of
usenet articles regarding how to improve the Apache Cocoon performance.
As in the real world, it needs some kind of evolution to get better.
If you have suggestions how to make it better or new kool tips, then be brave and
send it to the
Cocoon Mailing Lists!
Logging kills performance. Consider disabling logging entirely from
Cocoon (leave only the ERROR channel) and let Apache or the servlet
container log accesses and stuff.
Use a transparent proxy in front of your web server! The fastest
response is the one that is not even processed. Cocoon is very slow
(compared to a proxy server) to read resources such as stylesheets and
images. A transparent proxy (SQUID, for example, don't use Apache's
mod_proxy because it is not fully compatible with HTTP/1.1 and disables
connection keep-alive). Make sure you tune how long the static resources
that Cocoon "read"s from the sitemap are cached (look into the readers
code to find out more).
Consider prerendering or time-based batch-process the static parts
of your site. PDF reports, rasterized SVG graphs or things that change
For optimum performance with Tomcat 4 and Cocoon 2,
use the HTTP/1.0 connector.
Move static content out of Cocoon's control. Move your static content out of the
Cocoon servlet context and into its own context (just letting Tomcat serve directly).
An even better approach would be to use a front-end webserver to serve the static, but
installing Apache + Tomcat + our Cocoon app would be a bit much when Tomcat + our Cocoon
app is doing fine.
Disable resource reloading. The disk I/O system could become the
Search for messages such as "decommissioning instance of...". This reveals some
undersized pools which are corrected by tuning cocoon.xconf and sitemap.xmap.
Undersized pools act like an object factory, plus the ComponentManager
Fine-tune the pool sizes for components in the files cocoon.xconf and
sitemap.xmap. If the pools are too small for the load this will have a great
impact on your performance. The goal is to achieve such a configuration that for
every request there is a free component in the pool. Suppose, you have up
to 100 simultaneous requests and your pipelines have up to 2 xslt
transformers, then you need to set the maximum pool size to 200 xslt
transformers. They will be created when needed and retained to the pool
for future use.
Fine-tune the Cocoon settings for the store and the other stuff.
Important is the size of the documents that will be cached, because
caching appears to be very time consuming process.
If you are using the Caching Pipeline, you should be able to experience
better performance each time you request it. However, if your cache is set
too small to keep the entire XML in memory, the cache will be of no benefit.
Watch the cachability in the log files, and make sure that things
are being fed from the cache.
Only use dynamic data when it is needed. Dynamic pages can't be
cached 100%.
Don't put Cocoon webapp too deep into directory structure. Cache
keys contain absolute file names (or hash values of the absolute file
names - in 2.0.X series), and the deeper cocoon is located in the
filesystem, the longer keys are becoming. Obviously, longer keys will
take more time to process them. In worst case scenario, slowdown up to
10% could be achieved (unscientifical observations, do your own
Utilize the pipeline expires parameter to dramatically reduce
redundand requests. Even the most dynamic application pages have a
reasonable period of time during which they are static.
Even if a page doesn't change for just one minute, still use the
expires parameter. Here is an example:
<map:parameter name="expires" value="access plus 1 minutes"/>
The value of the parameter is in a format borrowed from the Apache HTTP module mod_expires.
Examples of other possible values are:
access plus 1 hours
access plus 1 month
access plus 4 weeks
access plus 30 days
access plus 1 month 15 days 2 hours
Imagine 1'000 users hitting your web site at the same time.
Say that they are split into 5 groups, each of which has the same ISP.
Most ISPs use intermediate proxy servers to reduce traffic, hense
improving their end user experience and also reducing their operating costs.
In our case the 1'000 end user requests will result in just 5 requests to Cocoon.
After the first request from each group reaches the server, the expires header will
be recognized by the proxy servers which will serve the following requests from their cache.
Keep in mind however that most proxies cache HTTP GET requests, but will not cache HTTP POST requests.
To feel the difference, set an expires parameter on one of your pipelines and
load the page with the browser. Notice that after the first time, there are no
access records in the server logs until the specified time expires.
Consider using a good JVM on a good OS. Scalability is a very
different beast than pure speed. An Apple DualG4 866 seems to run faster
than a Sun Enterprise 4500 (and costs a fraction), but try hitting them
with 2000 concurrent Cocoon requests.
Fine-tune your JVM settings (max heap-size, initial memory, s.o.).
Please read the Java Performance
FAQ's and the Tuning
Garbage Collection Document.
Don't specify the -Xms parameter.
Set the -Xnoclassgc parameter on the Sun JDK 1.3.1!
It reduces the frequency of need for garbage collection by permitting the
memory allocated to unused classes to be reused (instead of having to be
collected and/or compacted). Less fragmentation means less collection
means better response times.
Consider following formula for Pipeline Processing:
Number_of_simultaneous_users * depth_of_content_aggregation
Consider following formula for Generators/Transformers/Serializers:
Amount_required_to_process_one_request * Number_of_simultaneous_users
Consider following formula for Connectors:
Count_of_pipeline_components_to_process_one_request *
Number_of_simultaneous_users * depth_of_content_aggregation
Amount_required_to_process_one_request * Number_of_simultaneous_users
Count_of_pipeline_components_to_process_one_request *
Keep an eye on the overall complexity of pipelines.
Try to keep the size of the documents going through the pipeline
small. To big documents slows down translation.
Use the expires parameter (see above) as frequently as you can.
It improves the end user experience dramatically. Browsers and intermediate
proxy servers love the HTTP Expires header.
Consider turning your XSPs into Generators by hand and call them
directly. Of course you don't need to do this for all pages, but it's
recommended to it for those which are heavy loaded.
You can try it this way:
Cocoon will compile your XSP's into Java classes
(see tomcat/work/..../org/apache/cocoon/www/my_xsp.class). After that, add
the generated Generator to the Sitemap:
<map:generator type="myXSP" src="org.apache.cocoon.www.my_xsp"/>
<map:generator type="myXSP" src="org.apache.cocoon.www.my_xsp"/>
And use it:
<map:generate type="myXSP"/>
<map:generate type="myXSP"/>
Try to keep the number of templates in the XSL translation small.
There are several ways of doing the same stuff in XSLT, test the
difference between them.
Consider browser-dependent targetting to perform client-side XSLT.
Cocoon is very fast if it doesn't do transformations. IE 5.5 and 6 are
pretty compliant and might be something around 30% of your hits
(probably more on some popular public web sites like Nasa's). Reducing
one/third of the transformations might speed up a LOT.
How complicated are the XSLT stylesheets? If you are not using global
variables or parameters this will speeds things up.
Consider using XSLTC instead of Xalan. XSLTC compiles XSLT to bytecode (translets)
the first time a stylesheet is used. Consequently it uses the compiled code
which is faster by a magnitude than the interpreted one.


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If you haven't already heard about the awesomeness that is ShowMax, where have you been??? ShowMax is a subscription video on demand service (SVOD), which launched in August 2015 and is owned by Naspers. The service offers viewers the opportunity to stream over 12 000 hours of content, ranging from the best movies and series, talk shows, documentaries and local programming. With over 20,000 episodes and movies to choose from, it's a no brainer at R99 a month. They also recently added ALL 5 seasons of the amazing Breaking Bad series
A few weeks ago I got given a voucher for ShowMax at a conference I was at. I went home and found that they had an app available on my LG Smart TV!! So I downloaded that and got all setup and within minutes I was watching some really awesome shows. The kids love it because there are loads for them to choose from as well. And, the word on the street is that they are also working on an app for the New Apple TV, which will be perfect to watch all the content on!
If you haven't already checked out Showmax you can sign up for a 7-day free trial right here. If you need more info about the service check out the FAQ section on their site, which provides all the answers!


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Is paso robles worth visiting?
Paso Robles is a countryside hill stop destination known for its picturesque oak-tree views, hot springs, local cuisine, wineries, and olive oil. You have to drive for about 30 minutes from California's Coast, and the place is in between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The destination has gained popularity in recent years for its authentic wine production and tasting rooms.
Why Paso Robles Wine Lover's Paradise?
The historical destination has been producing wine for more than a century. It has ideal climatic conditions for wine-making, which resulted in wineries producing numerous grape varietals and blends. Many Paso Robles wineries have picturesque vineyards and artistic taste rooms that make it an ideal hang out spot.
The below-profiled open the world article narrates the best Paso Robles wineries that make your trip a memorable experience. Read on to know more about the guide to stay at a winery in Paso Robles.
A trip down the Canyon Road leads us to the isolated and serene hilltop winery of Calcareous. The tasting room has glass mounted walls that offer a clear view of the surrounding vineyards. Their signature wines are Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon and Calcareous Lily Blanc. Do you love to taste different varietals and blends of wine? Then do plan a stay at a winery in Paso Robles, a unique destination for wine lovers.
DAOU Vineyards and Winery
The hilltop destination has an out-of-the-world vineyard view and surrounding. The tasting room has Mediterranean inspirations with an indoor and outdoor patio that accommodates several seating choices facing the vineyard hills. Many residents recommend this Adelaida Road winery for some mind-blowing mountain views. It is an over-crowded spot, and it is better to make reservations for the wine tasting room.
Halter Ranch
The iconic winery is on the west side of Paso Robles, which offers winery and cave outings, an enormous tasting room, a beautiful eatery, and horseback vineyard tours. Get enthralled by the elegant glass mounted taste rooms at this Adelaida Road winery.
Sculpterra Winery
Many locals and hotel staff have repeated recommendations to visit this downtown Sculpture Garden winery. Get ready to be entertained with sculptures of ballerinas, cats, and elephants at the Sculpterra Winery. It is a winery-cum-art gallery where you can find the sculpture exhibits at indoor and outdoor courtyards and tasting room. Their signature wines include fruity Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is one of the best Paso Robles wineries worth visiting.
Apart from the above options, you can visit the olive oil farms, immerse in natural hot springs, and taste the local dishes that mesmerize your taste buds.
The above open the world article gives you enough reasons to visit the heavenly countryside vineyards of Paso. Are you ready to visit the Paso Robles wineries? Make your weekend stay at a winery in Paso Robles a memorable one for you and your loved ones. Which of the winery is your favorite?


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I'm not entirely satisfied with the 6L6GC tubes in the Leben (using Winged Cs now; good balance but sounds recessed) or the EL34s (again, Winged Cs: way too forward, especially in treble & mids, too mid-range-y & typically "tube-y" & extroverted in sound)
I've been asking around and I've been told that KT77s might fill the gap nicely between the 6L6GC & EL34 sound. I was going to get a quad of JJ KT77s, which seem to get raves from their users, but I received one word of caution from a very knowledgeable tube guy, that JJ KT77s have build quality problems & reliability issues. Is this true? Has anyone here used JJ KT77s?
Other tubes I might try are 6CA7 EH. Any comments/suggestions will be appreciated, as usual.


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Research from the Urban Climate Change Network, based at Columbia University suggests that 13 major cities, worldwide are going to see dramatic rises in temperatures in the next decade or so, according to the Independent. Cities including Leuven in Belgium and Geneva in Switzerland, could see up to a 2 degree increase in temperature going into the 2020s.
Much of the rhetoric around climate change discusses the rising oceans effecting coastal regions, as well as the African continent facing extreme weather conditions, which has already been effecting farmers and cities, for example Cape Town are on the verge of entirely running out of water due to lack of rain fall. But, this new research shows that urban centres worldwide are also vulnerable to climate change.
There are countries across the planet that, because of their location, may believe that the effects of climate change may not be substantial. This evidence suggests that this simply isn't the case and that countries must take responsibility for fighting against climate change. Promoting and facilitating climate saving innovation, is vitally important. Switzerland will no doubt see the effects of climate change, and must continue to take a leading innovative role, finding solutions for issues such as mobility pollution.
The Independent - "Thirteen major world cities could see 'alarming' 2C temperature rise over next decade, report suggests"
#environment #climatechange #Klimaziel #CO2Capture #CleanFuelNow #Energiestrategie2050 #Energiewende #UREK #CO2Gesetz


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Discover a New Tangleation with Grid Glow
Welcome to my blog! Here is a new Tangle for you to try. Tangles are the patterns in the Zentangle art form. For those of you who have not discovered this beautiful art form, find all about Zentangle® here!
Full disclosure! I work for Tombow USA as their Signature Designer. I am financially compensated for this consulting job and receive Tombow Products on a regular basis to review and write about. The opinions here are completely my own based on my experience.
For the tangle posts I need to apologize if you have already created a similar tangle. It's hard to keep up with all you creative tanglers creating new and wonderful patterns!
'Grid Glow' is a tangleation of Nzepple, an official Zentangle Tangle. Discovered when creating tangleations for a workshop at Tangle Island. I named this tangleation Grid Glow for the shading on the dots that seem to 'glow'!
For the modern calligraphy in the title, I have used Tombow's Fudenosuke Brush Pen, Hard Tip. You can download a FREE Lettering Practice Workshop from the Tombow website here to learn modern calligraphy with this pen!
For drawing this tangle, I used Tombow's new MONO Drawing Pens. They come in 01, 03 and 05 tip sizes. They are juicy with nice strong tips that don't bend if you are like me and heavy handed when drawing.
For shading the tangle, I used Tombow MONO Drawing Pencil. These artist grade, extra-refined graphite pencils produce superior shading of your tangles. They come in 14 point strengths from soft 6B to a hard 6H. The shading here was done with a 3B MONO Drawing Pencil. I added the pencil to the inked circle and then used a tortillion to shade around the circle.
Here is another Fractalized Tangle for you. This is Fractalized Knightsbridge, an official Zentangle Tangle. A fractal is defined as a never-ending pattern. Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales.
#Zentangle #Zentangleart #Zendoodle #Tombow #ModernCalligraphy


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