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In its most comprehensive offensive to reclaim Sunni-dominated territory occupied by ISIS to date, Iraqi forces – backed by Iran Shiite militias – launched a campaign to retake the city of Tikrit, according to the Wall Street Journal Monday.
Located 80 miles north of Baghdad, getting back the Iraqi city (which is the hometown of Saddam Hussein) is the first step in its quest to retake the nation's second-largest metropolis, Mosul, which was capture by the Islamic State back in June and has since become the terror group's unofficial headquarters within the country.
Many speculate that an action to grab Mosul from ISIS is inevitable, and will probably take place later this year with the help of the United States and other allies.
Today's stand, which runs the risk of aggravating existing tensions in the region if it were to fail, saw 30,000 soldiers fight – half of them Iraqi military and the other half from voluntary Shiite militias, according to local media.
It's the Shiite presence which can be most closely linked to Iran's involvement. U.S. officials said that Iran is supporting the offensive and supplying artillery, rocket fire and even flying drones. As of recently, elite Iranian soldiers have been acknowledged fighting along with the Iraqi front lines.
Conversely, the Pentagon confirmed Monday that the U.S. is not helping Iraqi forces in its quest to regain the stole city.
"We are fully aware of the operation, but the Iraqis did not request our support for it," Defense Department spokesman Col. Steve Warren said. "Our presence in Iraq is at the request of the Iraqi government. We are there to advise them, to assist them, to support them, when they ask for it."
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Jim McElroy, P.E. - Years of Experience: 16
Mr. McElroy has 16 years of progressively responsible experience managing and designing civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, and construction quality assurance/quality control projects.
He has been responsible for both structural and non-structural plan review, geotechnical design and troubleshooting, materials evaluations, special inspection, and materials testing. Mr. McElroy has provided Value Engineering services for design on numerous structures. His experience with plan and specification review, and third party review of design, includes projects for commercial, industrial, and municipal structures.
Mr. McElroy is well versed with IBC code requirements, and State Amendments to the code. He is also well versed with AASHTO and State specifications.
Mr. McElroy's areas of expertise include geotechnical design and construction troubleshooting; civil design; fiber optics design; asphalt and Portland cement concrete pavements; masonry; reinforced concrete; structural steel; fireproofing; and coatings.
Registration/CertificationWashington PE, License No. 36921
Arizona PE, License No. 37139
WABO Technical Director
WABO Field Supervisor: Proprietary Anchors, Lateral Framing
WABO Laboratory Supervisor
WABO Placement Inspector
ACI Field Technician, Grade I

subset: commoncrawl


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Another day, another healthy dose of press attention for the Ubuntu Edge. This non-existent smartphone is still just a glint in the eye of its originator, billionaire and Forbes disruptor Mark Shuttleworth, but it's back in the headlines after receiving an $80,000 crowdfunding investment from
An $80,000 contribution to the project's Indiegogo page theoretically buys a hundred of the slightly wacky phone-slash-PC hybrid handsets, but it won't do much to increase the probability that these devices will ever exist. The project has so far only managed to raise $8.5 million, or a quarter of the $32 million target required in order for manufacturing to begin.
However, that's arguably beside the point. Chances are that the Ubuntu Edge will pay off for both Shuttleworth and Bloomberg, regardless of whether it eventually gets the green light.
In Bloomberg's case, it would almost be safer if the project failed. In that scenario, its $80,000 "purchase" would be refunded in full, but it would have succeeded in portraying itself as a forward-thinking company that believes in actively supporting open source and fresh ways of working -- something technologically savvy people should notice and appreciate.
Conversely, if Ubuntu Edge succeeded, 731 Lexington Avenue would have to take delivery of a very big box of exotic and unusual smartphones, which it would then have to try to incorporate into its existing IT infrastructure. Even with 30 days of "online" technical support, which comes as part of the package for enterprise backers, this will be a tall order -- not least because the Edge runs two distinct operating systems, Android and Ubuntu Linux, in parallel.
Now, this isn't to suggest that Bloomberg might want the Edge to fail, or that its investment is in any way shallow or spurious. Quite the opposite. I've been following and testing the efforts of Canonical (Shuttleworth's UK-based software house) since the earliest prototype stages, and I think the dual-OS approach could prove useful to many people in the media or financial services. After all, who would object to the possibility of better hot-desking? Or to the general principle of owning a smartphone that doubles up as a fully-fledged and secure desktop PC (with access to the same email, contacts and other information) whenever its docked to a monitor, mouse and keyboard?
It's not crazy for businesses to be interested in the Ubuntu Edge, and it would be great if other companies backed it, but it's equally understandable if they see it as a mere curiosity at this point. That's how most individuals see it, judging by the slow progress of the Indiegogo project, and it's even perhaps how Mark Shuttleworth sees it.
Seriously, Canonical's smartphone ambitions are much bigger than this one idea. Richard Collins, head of Ubuntu mobile products, recently told me that he's targeting a "window of opportunity" to gain up to eight percent of the global smartphone market by 2016, and Ubuntu Edge isn't central to that goal. Shuttleworth is currently in the process of wooing Asian manufacturers and carriers, in the hope they'll run with a pure Ubuntu smartphone OS in budget handsets as an alternative to Google's Android, and he's not letting crowdfunders anywhere near that potentially more pivotal project.
Canonical ought to view Ubuntu Edge as a win-win, following the same rationale that applies to Bloomberg. The cost of mounting the Indiegogo campaign can't have been huge (perhaps even less than $80,000) and there'll be no real damage to the Shuttleworth or the Ubuntu brand if it fails -- people will just accept it as the risk that any visionary faces. (Technically speaking, if a crowdfunded project fails, we probably ought to blame ourselves.).
Meanwhile, some reputational gain is guaranteed, regardless of what happens next. To a significant degree, this episode has already succeeded in being disruptive, in proving that smaller players have new ways of tackling the status quo, and in acting as a very direct and powerful piece of market research for Canonical. Shuttleworth may be disheartened if the Indiegogo campaign misses its target when it is forced to shut down in two weeks' time, but logic suggests he should shrug it off and look at the upside.


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Crafted with App showcase and corporate marketing world in mind, impress your audience with Quay classic, clean, and stately aesthetic design.
You can customise it very easy to fit your business requirements.
If you like our template, please rate it 5 stars. It's very useful for us.
The design includes 2 homepage layouts and total 02 psd files.
All are based on 1170 bootstrap grid system and full width is 1920. Its compatible with Adobe Photoshop CC and higher.
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Change Log
29 October 2018 (Total 3 PSD File) [Initial Release]


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OCPS NW Bus Depot Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Thu, Jan 12, 2017
The Orange County Public Schools' ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, January 10th 2017 marked the grand opening of the Northwest Bus Depot and Fueling Station. Borrelli + Partners is proud to have been selected to lead the architectural design, landscape architecture, and irrigation design for the bus depot.
Additions designed by B+P include a new canopy over the fueling station, a 15,000 gallon self-contained diesel fuel tank with four pumps, a new maintenance inspection building, a Veeder Root Fuel dispensing and tracking system, and repaved bus parking spaces.
With the completion of the bus depot and fueling station, the district expects to save over $400,000 annually. Buses will no longer have to make the drive out to Pine Hills to get fuel, saving over 100,000 miles along with 15,000 gallons of fuel a year.
Be sure to check out the article by The Apopka Voice:
Pictured from left to right: Bob Burns, Jorge Borrelli, Apopka City Commissioner Diane Velazquez, OCPS Board Member Christine Moore, and Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer.
Pictured: Jorge Borrelli, Christine Moore, Gus Bobes, and James Moore.
Categories: Blog, Uncategorized


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Cooling Fans are one of the fastest wearing parts on your 3D printer. Given the amount of movement they perform, parts like a 40mm Cooling Fan are prone to burning out and broken blades.
No matter what 3D printer you have, we recommend frequently checking that your fans are facing the right way, that all blades are intact, and that it's operating at the proper RPMs. Use the 3D Printer Compatibility filter to find the part for your machine.
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Nthabiseng Boledi Kekana
Mixed media on fabriano
Charcoal, fineliner, acrylic, colour pencils, pastels,gold leaf and Jax raffia fibre
42.0 x 59.4 cm
Plus 40 - 48 cm extended length due to Jax raffia fibre
"Dam I believe I could search for myself in this world. What was I searching for when I left the home in me. Look at me now I am suffering for I have groomed these societal mantras tell and define ME. Or who I was or AM... AM I? Koko (Ancestral Grandma) is telling me I should return home, because all these energies around me are sulking onto my spirit like tics. She says I am spiritually Falling into bankruptcy. For I am harvesting so much materialism in my life that they too are losing a home in me"
More about the artist
Collaboration with Art Form Factory - Frame
Once you have received your artwork, you have 14 days to return it to us for a full refund if you are not happy with it. Please note that the work must be returned in its original condition and in its original packaging. You are responsible for the cost of the return shipment, and we reccomend that you use a tracked and signed for service. If your work has been damaged during transit then please contact us via the contact page and we will help get to the bottom of it with you.
Keywords :
African Art, South African Art, Art Work From Africa, Paintings From Africa, Original Art From Africa, African Art Paintings, African Original Art, African Original Paintings, Contemporary African Art, Emerging Artists From Africa, Contemporary African Artists


text: Play this new Princesses Christmas Glittery Ball game to dress up Anna and Elsa the hosts and organizers of the ball! The Frozen sisters can't wait for the evening to come when the ball will start and all their special guests will arrive in decorated carriages wearing their glittery gowns and shiny suits! But until the ball, there抯 so much to do, such as dressing up in the most breathtaking gowns and accessorizing them.


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My two 'William Carlos Williams' poems, entitled The wind was so strong & So the water arose in little splashes, are now published in the excellent Adjacent Pineapple Six, new issue. It's not often that I manage to write discrete poems anymore and it's a satisfying feeling to do so. Thanks to Colin Herd for publishing them. The poems are available here - https://www.adjacentpineapple.com/latest-issue
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January 2023


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One of the things that happens is that if you own a Tornado Foosball long enough, you're going to need some official Tornado Foosball Table Parts for it. Being an owner myself, I've had to order some of these items myself including men, silicon, the punch tool. I separated everything into different categories to make it easy to find the item you need. I listed them all from the same place to make it easy to combine orders.
Tornado Foosball Table Parts
Below is the listing of all the parts, starting with balls. I'd recommend getting some new ones of those at a minimum if they're 5 years or older. They're cheap and an easy upgrade from the old dirty ones that are probably in your game now.
Foosball Balls
There's nothing better for play than official Tornado balls, but sometimes having a mix spices things up some. I current have two red ones and a soccer ball in mine, the soccer ball is a little harder than the red ones and plays a little faster as a result. You may or may not like that effect, but for sure kids will. Here are the best ball options.
Red and Yellow Ball 4 pack
Colorful Soccer Foosball Balls
Official Tornado Pink Foosball 6-pack
Tornado Foosball Rods
Occasionally you'll have a friend over who gets a little too aggressive when playing and bends one of your rods. It doesn't happen very often but when a really strong guy really leans into it, the rod may give on some of the lower models. I've listed a complete rod set along with some individual rods below.
Complete Rod Set
5 man rod
3 man rod
2 man rod
3 man goalie rod
Tornado Foosball Tools
There aren't too many tools you need for a Foosball table, but there are two very important ones, the roll pin punch one used to install new men and the wrench used to remove and install bearings.
Roll Pin Punch Tool
Bearing Wrench
Tornado Foosball Handles
Depending on what game you have, you'll either have cheap plastic, wooden, or enhanced grip handles. You can also upgrade your table to new handles, I've been thinking about upgrading mine to the yellow and black ones that are found on some of the upper models.
Higher End Handles used on T-3000
Wooden Handles
You'll also need pins like the men in order to install the new handles.
Rubber Bumpers
The rubber bumpers aren't replaced very often, but age can cause the rubber to degrade over time. Luckily they're not very expensive but can be hard to replace since you have to remove the rod to install them.
These usually last quite a while, but if your table is older there's a chance you may due to for a bearing replacement. The split bearing is the higher end bearing that Tornado makes, some of their lower tables use a cheaper bearing. The bearings were also made thinner at some point, so be aware of that fact when installing or replacing them.
Tornado Split Bearing
Tornado Bearing Nuts
Foosball Men
The Tornado men are pretty sturdy for the most part, rarely breaking. However, there are three different reasons you might want to replace one or all of your men. The first is if your man has a crack or is damaged in some way, then you might want to replace them. The second is if you have a cheaper table and your men aren't counter balanced, then replacing all 26 could be a significant upgrade. The third is if your men are very old. At some point Tornado redesigned the feet of their men to be slightly better, it might be worth an upgrade if you have 20 year old men. I listed out the kits to service all three options below.
4 Man replacement kit
Complete 26 man replacement kit
Leg Levelers
Leg Levelers are one piece that you never should need to replace unless you happen to misplace them while moving or keep them in a wet area where they rust. I've included them in this parts list just in case.
One of the things most owners forget is to lubricate their rods. If you don't do this step, the game will still play but will gradually become less and less smooth to play. The change happens so slowly that most people don't even notice it, it's only advanced players who would notice it right away. I've linked the stuff I use below.
Additional Table Information
If you want more information on Tornado Foosball Table parts, check out my Tornado Foosball Table Guide below:
Most home owners will probably only have to replace the balls, buy some silicone, and occasionally replace a handle or man during ownership. The other parts are more there for extreme cases where you're buying a used table that was neglected. In those cases, a lot of times the table was stored in a non-climate controlled environment and developed rust on the rods and ruined the bearings and rubber.
During my ownership, I've had to replace one guy, a couple balls, and buy some silicone, no huge expenditures. Hopefully you'll be that lucky as well.


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Thanks to Maarten van Eeden for this cool nighttime riverboat shot! He's an incredible photographer and engineering colleague in town from The Netherlands for a global summit.
We rented the Lone Star Riverboat for a 2 hour cruise on Town Lake to watch the bats flood out from under Congress bridge at dusk and get the best view of the Austin skyline from anywhere in the city.
It was an awesome evening. The weather couldn't have been more perfect.
Jenn Schnee also catered Slab BBQ, Chuys, Home Slice, and Hey Cupcake for everyone on the boat.
And they paid me for this. Ha, love it.


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Northern Ireland's Labour Force Survey (LFS) churned out more record highs and lows of the positive variety in Q3 2019. However, looking through all the statistical noise there are still signs that suggest the labour market cycle has turned. A surge in self-employment has been accompanied by a reduction in the number of 'employees' working. Meanwhile the total number of hours worked and average hours worked has eased back from its highs earlier in the year. Given the marked deterioration in business conditions in Q3 and Q4 it is expected that this will increasingly become evident within the labour market in the coming quarters. Q2 2019 is still likely to have represented the peak in the total number of employee jobs as measured in the Quarterly Employment Survey.
Lowest of the low. Northern Ireland's ILO unemployment found a new record low of 2.5% for the period July – September 2019. Not only does that rate compare favourably with the UK (3.8%) and the Republic of Ireland (5.3%), it also is the lowest of all twelve UK regions. But with the LFS, the employment rate speaks louder (provides a better reflection of labour market strength) than the unemployment rate. While NI's employment rate (the proportion of working-age in work) hit a fresh record high of 72.3% in Q3, it is the second-lowest rate of all the UK regions.
Record high. The number of individuals working in some shape or form hit a fresh high of 878,000 for Q3. That's up 0.5% (+4,000) on Q2's previous peak and 4.3% higher than Q3 2018. Furthermore, this annual pace of employment growth represented the largest gain in almost eight years. The pick-up in employment conceals contrasting fortunes for employees and self-employed.
Selfie mad. Self-employment rose to a new record high of 139,000 in Q3, gaining 5.3% relative to Q2 and 13.9% higher over the year. The surge in self-employment is even more staggering when looking at men. Male self-employment jumped by 7.3% q/q and a whopping 22.6% y/y. By comparison, female self-employment fell by 5.4% y/y.
Go For It! So have we seen an outbreak of entrepreneurship amongst males? Probably not. The scale of the rise is perhaps more indicative of forced rather than voluntary self-employment. That is, males are moving from more secure employee roles into self-employment.
Jobs falling. The number of people working may be at an all-time-high, but the total number of individuals working as employees is falling. Having peaked at 734,000 in Q2, the number of employees declined by 1.2% q/q (-9,000) in Q3 to 725,000. This is largely a male phenomenon with male employees decreasing by 2.5% q/q (-9,000) in Q3.


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As a supporter of Ted Cruz, I have had many supporters of other candidates tell me that he would not be electable in the general election. I disagree.
Yes, Cruz is caricatured in social media and elsewhere as unlikable and as one who doesn't play well with others. He's too extreme, and we need someone who can draw independents to win and, once elected, unite us in bipartisan action. He just isn't as handsome as Rubio, they say.
Yet I have seen polls showing that Cruz is the most well-liked candidate among Republican voters, so you can't always rely on anecdotal evidence – or expert commentary. The reason is that we all have a tendency to project our own feelings on to the general population.
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How could Cruz get legislation through Congress if so many of his Senate colleagues don't like him now, ask the critics. We can't afford any more gridlock.
Well, one reason Cruz is unpopular among many of his colleagues is that he honored his campaign promises to stand up to President Obama and resist his wasteful, unreasonable budgets. Establishment members of Congress and pundits have pre-emptively declared defeat before each budget discussion. Their cookie-cutter analysis concluded that no matter how outrageous Obama's demands, Republicans would lose the PR battle because they are perceived as the party of less government.
TRENDING: Resolution being drafted to expel Dem congressman who pulled fire alarm
Plus, critics maintained, the Republicans never had enough votes to filibuster or override a veto, so any strong resistance was foolish and would just make them look worse to the people and cause them to lose the next election. "Just wait until we regain power; then we'll be tough."
When Cruz, among very few others, listened to his constituents instead of the defeatists in his own party and proceeded to fight, he was castigated as a grandstander and manipulator who was placing himself above the party and the nation. I remember arguing with many of these people at the time that it is very important that Republicans take strong stands against Obama.
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You see, I didn't believe Cruz was quixotic. I didn't view these budget battles solely in the short term. Rather, I had the long view in mind. I think there is some chance we even could have prevailed if Republicans had unanimously united in opposition to Obama's reckless budget submissions, but I was certain that if we didn't fiercely resist him and publicly make our case in the process, we would face serious consequences with the electorate that had twice resoundingly rejected Obama's agenda in the off-year congressional elections.
An intriguing and inspiring book revealing Jesus' presence in ALL of Scripture -- don't miss David Limbaugh's new book, "The Emmaus Code: Finding Jesus in the Old Testament"
I have said before that the establishment gave birth to Donald Trump by surrendering to Obama too quickly and not vigorously opposing him. Indeed, I believe the Republicans' failure to join Cruz in these budget battles was a contributing factor. Their calculus about that always-looming next election should now be seen as folly. The grass roots simply didn't believe the GOP was fighting for them, and now we are all paying for it.
The grass roots believed that even conservative Republicans were too feckless or ineffective to oppose Obama's agenda, and many are overreacting and choosing Trump. They don't seem too concerned about whether he is a reliably consistent conservative, or about his record of supporting many liberal causes.
How ironic that Ted Cruz is being punished by people because few of his colleagues would stand with him against the establishment. He has, with his actions, demonstrated himself to be a far sharper thorn in the establishment's side than Trump and his rhetoric. Cruz is the guy that stood up to the establishment from the inside and proved he could not be pressured by his peers to go along to get along. Isn't that what the grass roots have been craving all these years?
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It's also ironic that Trump is reputed to be the person who stands up to the establishment and get things done. But he is the one who has boasted in this campaign about his willingness to work with the establishment.
Ted Cruz is remarkably brilliant and has proved more than any politician in modern times that he will do in office precisely what he promises to do in the campaign. This isn't expedient rhetoric; it's his proven track record.
Concerning electability, Cruz, in a general election campaign, would articulate conservatism with a flair we haven't seen in a presidential campaign since Ronald Reagan. I have always believed that if conservative ideas are clearly and unapologetically communicated they will energize the base and attract millions of others. These are positive, optimistic and contagious ideas that for decades haven't been presented clearly, without dilution and with utterly authentic conviction.
Ted Cruz believes he can reignite the old Reagan coalition and lead us to victory. I firmly believe it too. And if he wins with such an unambiguous message, he will have the clearest of mandates to pursue his agenda with a Congress elected along with him.
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Republicans and conservatives must not overreact and throw the hay out with the pitchforks, when we can have the real deal with Ted Cruz, who will steer America back on the right course, first reversing Obama's destructive agenda and then implementing conservative principles to restore America's glory.
This really isn't that complicated. Cruz is the conservative candidate conservatives have longed for, and it would be tragic if we squander what could be our last opportunity.


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by Judith Curry
A more truly open dialogue, which honors a wider range of perspectives, may start to take place if we use integrative perspectives.
Scientific American has published a fascinating article: Understanding Our Polarized Political Landscape Requires a Long, Deep Look at Our Worldviews. Excerpts:
Worldviews are the lenses through which people see and filter reality, shaping our world in many seen and unseen ways. Worldviews inform both individual choices as well as our group identities, and they tend to underlie our disagreements and add emotional spice to our societal debates.
In the West, we have over time seen massive shifts in our collective worldviews, which academics have frequently described as a move from more traditional, generally religion-based worldviews to more modern worldviews, in which science, rationality, and technology have become central.
Much more recently, particularly since the 1960's, we have seen the rise of more postmodern worldviews, which emphasize other-than-rational ways of knowing, such as moral, emotional, and artistic ones, as well as values beyond the material, such as creativity, self-expression, and imagination. This perspective was largely forged by cultural elites within academia and the arts, and coincided with the rise of emancipatory movements for causes such as the environment and the rights of minorities, women, and gays. Now some academics are talking about another, newly emerging worldview, which is sometimes referred to as integral or integrative. This worldview is characterized by an attempt to bring polarized perspectives together and integrate them into a larger, more unified understanding of reality.
In our study we found statistically significant relationships between worldview-groups and their political priorities and environmental behaviors. Particularly, we found more concern about climate change, more political support for addressing it, and more sustainable behaviors among postmoderns and integratives, compared with moderns and traditionals.
The polarity between traditional/modern and postmodern/integrative worldviews that we found in our data is easy to recognize in the opposition between Trump and Sanders and their respective positions on climate change.
Looking at these political positions from the perspective of worldviews, we see that Sanders appears to rally people with predominantly postmodern worldviews. The postmodern worldview arose in response to the shortcomings of the modern worldview, and therefore tends to be critical toward its model of society: its (narrow) ideas of progress, the frequently materialist and reductionist orientation of modern science, the risks and environmental impacts of its technologies, and the injustices of (global) capitalism.
Trump seems to mobilize people mainly with a mix of, or bridging between, traditional and modern worldviews.
At the same time, Trump exhibits the kind of authoritative leadership, winner mentality, attitude of disciplining through punishment, simplistic solutions and moral hierarchy that may strongly appeal to people with a traditional worldview. Some of the more modern values that Trump emphasizes, as well as symbolizes, are business success, wealth, achievement, freedom, power, and individual self-sufficiency and responsibility.
(Clinton seems to represent an intermediate position between these two, appealing to people with mostly modern worldviews, and bridging to postmodern ones.)
While the postmodern worldview only really emerged about half a century ago, it has been steadily growing ever since, extending its influence far beyond the academic and artistic elites. Older worldviews therefore tend to 'die off' with older generations, while newer worldviews tend to come into being with newer generations. This explains the disproportional support from younger people for Sanders, in comparison with what (a much more modernist) Clinton has been able to generate.
Although much has been said to explain the rise of Trump, one reason that stands out is the ways in which the more traditional (bridging to modern) oriented segments of society have been feeling encroached upon, and threatened by, the emergence of more postmodern views and values. So in some way, it is precisely the widespread rise of the postmodern value-complex that may partially explain the powerful conservative backlash that we see now, as exemplified by the Trump-movement.
However, more important than any typology of worldviews is the reflexive attitude a worldview-perspective supports. Worldviews are a fundamental part of individuals' group identities, and people often react as strongly to perceived threats to these social identities as they do to defend themselves against personal attacks. We see this in the heat and emotionality of our political debates! However, once we become more aware of our (naturally partial and biased) worldviews, we start to see them in a larger context of a wider range of perspectives and values. We realize that there are also other worldviews, and that the people who hold them are not all idiots!
Psychological research has shown that when we are less invested in these social/worldview identities, and we can look at them with more distance and mindfulness, we are less inclined to respond as if we ourselves are threatened when our assumptions about reality are called in to question. Then a more truly open dialogue, which honors a wider range of perspectives, may start to take place. Supporting individuals to explore and reflect on their worldviews is therefore perhaps where the real change happens.
Worldview test
The author of the SciAm article, Annick de Witt, has a fascinating web site on Worldviews.
Benefits of a worldview approach
- Enhance reflexivity
- Improve communication
- Develop innovative strategies
- Use integrative perspectives
- Tap into cultural trends
- Contribute to global sustainability
Most interestingly, she has an online Worldview test [link], with 17 questions (takes about 7 minutes). I took the test, the results were emailed to me:
Here are your results:
The worldview you identify with most is called integrative. Out of 17 questions, you 5 times chose the typical integrative perspective as your preferred answer.
You also scored quite high on the modern worldview. Out of 17 questions, you 5 times chose the modern perspective as your preferred answer.
The worldview you identify with least is called traditional. Out of 17 questions, you chose 14 times the traditional perspective as your least preferred answer.
Surprised? Let me know what your type is.
JC reflections
With regards to the climate change debate, this methodology for analysis echoes the sentiments explored by Mike Hulme in his book Why We Disagree About Climate Change. It also provides some important differences for the generational differences expressed in the Brexit vote and also Sanders versus Clinton.
In the climate wars, it seems to be the traditionals versus the postmoderns. As for moi, I completely bypass that particular axis, which may explain my relatively unique position in the debate.
Can these insights help us move forward in the climate debate? The key seems to be the integrative approach:
One such newly emerging worldview with great creative power is the integrative worldview. This worldview attempts to synthesize some of the great polarities our society struggles with, such as science versus spirituality, economy versus ecology, individual versus collective, and profit versus solidarity.
Exploring the nature of this worldview and practicing its defining qualities will 'train your brain' to access the benefits of these new ways of thinking and being, such as the capacity to overcome entrenched polarities and come up with synergistic, 'and-and' or 'win-win' (instead of 'either-or') solutions that speak to a diversity of people. It also gives you a powerful advantage in responding to where the Zeitgeist is currently moving.
Seems to me that the first step re climate change is to acknowledge and understand that we are dealing with a wicked problem, and that we should be looking for robust, no-regrets solutions.
Your thoughts?


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The Parables of Daily Life in Israel
THE white cliff of Rosh-Hanikra in northern Israel plunges dramatically to the blue sea below. I had to catch my breath when we took the exhilarating gondola ride down its side. At its foot a labyrinth of sparkling grottos have been formed by the relentless Mediterranean. On the surface it appeared to be a typical scene: a group of carefree, bluejean-clad American students with cameras and funny hats enjoying a prized tourist attraction. Yet, not far away, armed guards patrolled the Israeli-Lebanese border where we had been warned earlier that picture taking was not allowed.
We were a group studying abroad in Israel, and reminders of the contrasts between normal daily endeavors and the conflicts of a nation at war periodically cast shadows as we traveled.
In the lush and richly wooded area of Tel Dan in the north, our guide described the processes involved in maintaining the ecological balance of the forest area. He also explained that excavations of archeological sites nearby had to be curtailed due to bombing in this region so near the Golan Heights. In the south, along a desert road in the timeless Negev with its rose-colored cliffs of Nubian sandstone, we came across the remains of tanks rusting peacefully in an oasis with swaying palms, overtaken by yellow and pink wildflowers. On the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem, silhouetted against a sapphire sky filled with stars, Israeli soldiers carried rifles as they held guard over the ancient Damascus Gate.
We were somewhat aware in our youthful way of the conflicts and contrasts that veiled this land. And we were forced to ask ourselves how people coped. Children still played with balls and skipped rope in parks and playgrounds, families had picnics at the beach, and teenagers crowded the streets waiting to get into movies or concerts on Friday nights, just as they did in the States.
Even in a seaside town where we spent a few days, we had an unsettling experience and a reminder that we were in a country at war from without and within. Nahariya-on-the-Sea is located five miles south of the border of Lebanon and is a colorful, small city with beaches and resort hotels. It was filled with the lively cultural mix which characterizes most coastal Israeli communities.
Taking time off there for study and exams after the peripatetic pace of trips to archeological sites was a challenging change of tempo to adjust to. But it was also good to be able to look through our notes and allow some of the names on the map of Palestine that we had studied, and now visited, to sink in - reconciling real places with what we had imagined.
When we had finished exams, we decided it was time to relax on Nahariya's lovely beaches. But we were told to stay away from them because of the on-again, off-again border conflicts with Lebanon and the security risks: an indication of the continuing difficulties which have plagued this country since Biblical times.
I had with me what I called my ``Joseph's Coat.'' It was a sweater-coat of a variety of colors and knit patterns. It packed well and was light and easy for travel. It also reminded me of the adventures of Joseph in the Old Testament.
As a religion major I queried that ancient ``guidebook'' to Israel - the Bible. How did this record speak to the question of coping in diversity? Joseph was the favorite son of his father, Jacob, and was given a beautiful coat, which caused his brothers to become jealous. He faced experiences of conflict both from within his family and in the country to which he was taken. Despite all his difficulties, Joseph managed to not only survive but to thrive in adverse situations. What were some operative values here? It seems he was able to forgive.
Perhaps an answer also lay somewhere in the ``parables'' of daily commerce we saw as we traveled through Israel: Arab and Israeli kids at play sharing a slide in a park in Haifa; a Palestinian teenager giving up his seat to an elderly rabbi on a bus in Jerusalem.
Or with the people we met. There was the time I spoke with a man visiting Jerusalem for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. He had emigrated to Israel from Switzerland 10 years before and was eager to know all about us and in turn to share about himself. Wary at first, he wondered if we had come with a missionary intention to convert.
Relief was evident when I explained we were there to learn about his religion and culture, as well as the other faiths and cultures which historically have given vitality to the country. We agreed that an openness about ``this learning about one another'' was perhaps a way to resolve conflicts and eventually find shalom, peace.
Fourteen years later when I hear reports on the news of these countries in continual turmoil and think of the people who somehow manage to endure it for so long, recalling those daily human exchanges I witnessed as a student in Israel still gives me hope.
We have in common all the variously shared human experiences: the simple joys of childhood; the responsibilities of adulthood; the parenting of the young; the wisdom-seasoned caring by - and tender caring for - our elders; the funny and the sad times at any stage of our lives. And can't we find within the ``remnants'' of our common experiences woven together like a Joseph's coat - a kind of unity?
Memories of tanks forgiven by a thicket of wildflowers and the resilience of Arab and Israeli children tells me it might be so.


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CBD (Cannabidiol) has been gaining in popularity in recent years, due to mounting evidence of its health benefits. Although years of prohibition and propaganda has made a large part of the public view the marijuana and its byproducts with skepticism, researchers are concurring that we might be on the verge of a breakthrough regarding the health benefits of CBD and other cannabinoids.
CBD oil and other byproducts (such as CBD tinctures or CBD extracts) can help patients suffering from a wide range of conditions, like epilepsy, PTSD or anxiety. Recent research has shown that CBD's anti-inflammatory properties can help those who suffer from autoimmune diseases as well. Is that possible? Let's find out!
What Are Auto-Immune Diseases?
According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), autoimmune diseases are a series of chronic illnesses that involve almost every human organ system. More than 24 million people in the US alone suffer from some type of autoimmune disease (about 7% of the total population). These disorders seem to be more prevalent in women rather than men, with female patients accounting for two-thirds of all cases.
Autoimmune diseases can occur for no apparent reason and affect the immune system. Under normal circumstances, our immune system protects us from harmful bacteria and viruses that enter the organism. In cases of autoimmune diseases, however, the body mistakes its own healthy tissue and cells as pathogens and produces antibodies and T-Cells to fight them. This results in an inflammatory reaction from the affected area, that causes pain and discomfort. Most autoimmune diseases aren't curable, so patients have to live with their condition, and treat it with strong medicine.
Common Autoimmune Conditions
AARDA has listed about 150 autoimmune conditions that affect all parts of the body. However, only a few of them are responsible for most cases. The most common autoimmune disorders are:
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Lupus
- Inflammatory bowel diseases
- Hashimoto's disease
- Addison's disease
- Graves' disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Type 1 diabetes
- Sjögren's syndrome
All of these disorders cause severe inflammation in different parts of the body, that is usually treated with immunosuppressants and anti-inflammatory medication. These drugs are highly potent and can potentially have harmful side-effects.
And this is where hemp comes in: Researchers believe that cannabidiol's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties can be the catalyst for autoimmune patients. But how much truth is there in this statement?
How Can CBD Oil Help With Autoimmune Diseases
CBD is a naturally occurring compound of the cannabis plant and is explicitly extracted from low-THC strains (hemp). THC and CBD are the two most prevalent among hundreds of cannabinoids found naturally in marijuana, and their roles are entirely different: THC is psychoactive and is responsible for the "high" associated with marijuana consumption. CBD however, works antagonistically with THC and provides a non-psychoactive, relaxing feeling that comes with a host of health benefits to the user.
CBD is often extracted from legally grown hemp (which is essentially low-THC cannabis) and comes in a wide assortment of products, such as CBD oil, CBD tinctures, isolates, and extracts. Research has shown that CBD works by interacting directly with specific receptors within our body, specially designed to work in tandem with cannabinoids. This collection of receptors and neurotransmitters is what scientists call the endocannabinoid system (ECS)!
The Endocannabinoid System
When we talk about the endocannabinoid system, we must think of it as a collection of cell receptors and molecules that are distributed throughout our body. These receptors are designed to work with specific chemical compounds (in this case, endocannabinoids). The two primary receptors of the ECS are called CB1 and CB2. Whenever cannabinoids interact with one of these two receptors, neurotransmitters release messages to the cells, guiding their moves.
Endocannabinoids are essentially compound similar to the ones found in the cannabis plant. Two of the most prevalent are anandamide and AG-2. These chemical compounds regulate many fundamental body functions such as:
- Sleep
- Appetite
- Mood
- Immune system
- Pleasure and reward
- Pain
- Memory
Essentially, endocannabinoids maintain an internal balance on the body called homeostasis. When this balance is disrupted, bad things can happen. And this is precisely where phytocannabinoids such as CBD comes into play.
CBD and Inflammation
If our own body produces cannabinoids, then why are we not always in a state of relaxation or high?
That is a question that seems reasonable at first. However, we shouldn't confuse the way THC and CBD work with our body with the way endocannabinoids works. Our organs break down THC much more slowly, hence the intense psychoactive effect.
On the other hand, CBD interacts with more than just the cannabinoid receptors in our body, substantially slowing down the metabolization of endocannabinoids. CBD is known to inhibit the FAAH (Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase) enzyme that is responsible for the breakdown of anandamide. As a result, CBD increases the amount of anandamide, thus prolonging its effects.
Anandamide (also known as the bliss molecule) has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, that can prove valuable to people suffering from autoimmune disease. Thanks to the subtle way CBD works, the benefits are more long-lasting, and the side-effects are minimal. However, as marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, research is harder to conduct.
Even though research on ECS and cannabinoids is still nascent, studies have shown that CBD can impede the production of inflammatory proteins called cytokines. Also, in 2008, a test conducted on mice, has revealed that CBD can delay or prevent the onset of type-1 diabetes.
Despite its health benefits, CBD oil is still not officially recognized as medicine by the FDA (although it is legal). However, cases such as the one of Cleo Bella, who suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Angie, who suffered from Lupus, and studies such as the one conducted at in 2014 give hope to millions of patients that an alternative way to treating autoimmune diseases is on the rise.


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Didn't we just celebrate Thanksgiving last week? Seriously, people, where does the time go?!?
In honor of Thanksgiving, our links this week are all about FOOD! 🙂
- Broccoli Rice Casserole or Else by Beth Moore
- 10 Crowd Pleasing Thanksgiving Recipes at Women Living Well
- 5 Scrumptious Thanksgiving Potluck Recipes at Take Them a Meal
- My Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes by The Pioneer Woman
Wow. That is some serious eating right there, folks.
Next week, on Mid-Week Links, we will be highlighting four work-out videos you will need to buy after all of the eating you did this week. Oh, I kid. Wear your stretchy pants and eat your heart out.
My contribution to your menu is the lovely cherry goodness pictured here. My no-fail (as long as you do not get anxious, pull it out of the oven too soon and try to serve the doughy topping to your family) fruit cobbler. It is pretty phenomenal. Thank you, Paula Deen.
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!


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Our offer:
Yacht Charter:
Yacht Charter Italy means Sicilien and Sardegna and many best food in Italian cuisines and nice friendly people
is a beautiful country....
where you can find beautiful and peaceful islands and small marinas. With yachts all those bautiful marinas are close to you and easily reachable.
old civilisations
starting from Athens you may see the ancient civilisation from the water. It looks completely different as there are much more places which are outside the touristic mainstream


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A Free D&D 5th Edition Actual Play Podcast
Facing a group of enemies breaking down the door to their current hideout, the heroes choose between fight or flight.
As they struggle to grasp the full extent of their enemy's reach, they make a pitch for an unlikely partnership.
If you're just finding out about us, why not start the adventure from the beginning? Click here!
Follow Knights and Nerds Podcast:
Knights and Nerds.com
Image by Wizards of the Coast
Background ambiance by Tabletopaudio.com


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I have a single question for would-be catechists, and it is my failsafe predictor of success: Are you wildly, madly in love?
You think I oversimplify? I think you don't get this love thing.
Love's got a bad rap in the catechetical world, because it's been hijacked by the rainbows-and-unicorns crowd. Nothing wrong with rainbows, but love is something much, much bigger:
. . .you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)
Did you see that? Or did you start tuning out after "heart" and begin thinking of teddy bears and needlepoint?
Listen Up
Our Lord was asking for your heart, and two seconds later he demanded your soul in addition. That's two different ways of pouring yourself out, completely and unreservedly, in your love of Him. Don't do one and think you have the other covered.
Then there's the mind and the strength. Don't tell me you're teaching the love of God, but somehow that doesn't include serious theology. Just no. It's not love if you leave your brain home. It's not love if you leave your body home. All of you. Everything. He's asking for everything you've got, all the time.
Give me someone madly in love, and they'll show up for class, prepared. Give me someone madly in love, and if they don't know the answer to that thorny moral problem, they'll ask around and find out the truth.
Give me someone madly in love, and they'll succeed at the follow-on to the Great Commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. They'll love, wildly, that sullen kid in the corner who only comes to class because he's on the wrong end of a parental extortion scheme. They'll especially love that kid: preferential option for the poor in spirit.
Can the Faith be Transmitted in 30 Hours a Year?
In proposing solutions to our catechetical crisis, one recurring theme is that religious education classes are not enough. I agree. You can't teach someone to pour themselves out in love for our Lord by teaching them that the faith is nibbled at two hours a week, and then put away in a heart-shaped box and stored on the knickknack shelf until guests come.
Another theme: Education is not schooling. Absolutely. We deal our siblings in the faith a gashing blow when we persuade them that the measure of readiness for a sacrament can be found on an attendance sheet.
And it doesn't do to merely lecture on those themes. You have to follow up. If you really mean to have a Christian community, you have to organize the life of your parish so that the members actually spend time together. Praying, serving the poor, helping each other, all that stuff, all week long.
If you really mean for adult Christians to have an adult faith, you must treat them like adults – not like naughty children on probation. Too often our parishes are like the coddling mother who complains her children are spoiled, even as she runs around behind them, cleaning up all their messes.
First Kill All the Catechists?
What place, then, for religious education classes? If schooling isn't education, and attendance isn't faith formation, and parents need to take responsibility for their children's education . . . should we have a purge?
I say no. I see several important roles for weekly catechism classes in all their various forms and flavors:
- Classes are an efficient way to teach some things. When you have a group of people who are all interested in learning the same thing, getting together with an instructor is a handy way to make that learning possible.
- It is good for us to have many mentors in the faith. That doesn't mean every mentor is going to be an instructor. But some? Sure. Why not?
- It's fun! Yes? If you teach a cool class, it is. If it's not fun – I don't mean bubble-gum fun, but exciting and interesting and energizing – what exactly are you doing? Maybe it's not that classes are bad; maybe it's that your class is bad.
- Parents might reasonably want this. Parents often decide that it's important for their child to study some topic, and that they'd like to avail themselves of an instructor to teach that topic. Either you think parents get to make educational decisions for their kids or you don't; if you do, that means you respect the judgment of the very many parents who discern that this is the best thing for their child.


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My internet, weither it be online gaming or just browsing, keeps disconnecting on me on a random time table of 15 mins. This problem started yesterday and the odd thing is that there are a few other people using the same modem and connection don't seem to be having any problems.
My modem is a davolink 2020 and i am using Windows XP and i am hardwired to the modem.
I have tried everything i can think like reseting the modem, reseting my computer, direct connection to the modem instead of using a switch, scanned for virusses and malware (did find some malware but it should be removed), tried updating my driver of my network adapter but after a restart the network connection disappeared completely so i did a rollback, i tried to ipconfig/flushdns and i didnt make any changes when it started happening.
I did however have bad ping for a longer period of time and some random disconnectings during online gaming but i figured that was just because someone was downloading or torrenting at the times.
In short i am completely out of ideas on how to fix this since other people on the same connection are not having any problems.
Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated.
Do tell if any more info is required.


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No workplace is immune to the self-absorbed and self-important employee. You know the one. Preoccupied with status, appearance, and power, narcissists exude a palpable sense of entitlement, often overestimate skills and abilities (while devaluing others), and can be quite comfortable manipulating others for personal gain.
They can be hard to spot at first; a sophisticated narcissist can create a terrific first impression. What will eventually be recognized as haughty arrogance and grandiose self-importance might at first be misinterpreted as bold self-confidence.
Psychologists define narcissism as a toxic personality syndrome defined by grandiosity, need for affirmation, and poor empathy for others. But developmentally, not all narcissists are created equal. Primary narcissists are what we often call "spoiled" — it's likely that they had parents who worshipped the ground they walked on, lavished them with exaggerated and inflated praise, and failed to offer honest and balanced assessments of their child's attributes and performance. On the other hand, compensatory narcissists were children who may have suffered significant emotional abuse or neglect at the hands of parents. To counteract real despair and self-loathing, these children found solace in grandiose fantasy. Although this narcissistic compensation offers an effective escape from emotional pain in childhood, by adolescence and young adulthood the narcissistic behavior has become calcified and dysfunctional.
Odds are that at some point in your managerial career, you will have to mentor a narcissist (or at least a fairly self-absorbed person). Contemporary epidemiologic data shows that narcissism is on the rise in American society, and is more common among men.
But is it even possible to mentor a narcissist? The best mentorships are a two-way street, and effective mentees do things to facilitate and support the mentor's efforts to guide and grow them. For instance, great mentees admit imperfection, accept correction, challenge nondefensively, transparently share areas of relative weakness and necessary development, demonstrate gratitude for a mentor's time and commitment, and show empathy and awareness of demands on the mentor, often offering to collaborate on projects to lighten the mentor's load. Of course, each of these ideal mentee behaviors hinges on personal attributes and aspects of emotional intelligence often lacking in a narcissistic person.
There are other reasons that mentors may struggle in relationships with narcissistic mentees. First, narcissists often suffer real deficits in insight about how and why they annoy others while sabotaging their own success. Psychologists describe their behavior as egosyntonic, meaning they see their behavior as entirely legitimate (It's all the fools around me who don't appreciate my special talents; they're the ones who need to change). These self-enhancing perceptual distortions lead them to take credit for any success and blame others for every failure. Second, as a consequence of their poor insight, narcissistic mentees are less likely to initiate mentoring relationships in the first place (Who, me? I certainly don't need any help). If assigned to a mentor, they will often engage only for the purpose of criticizing others and seeking the mentor's affirmation for their inflated self-assessments. Third, mentoring a narcissist may pose some political risk for a mentor. Although one element of excellent mentorship is advocacy and public support, narcissistic mentees may frequently create conflict with others, perhaps reacting with unreasonable anger when questioned or criticized by colleagues or supervisors. As a consequence, the mentor may often be doing damage control and conflict mediation for this mentee. Finally, the narcissist may not be much fun to mentor. Effectively mentoring the narcissist will necessitate difficult conversations likely to trigger defensiveness in the mentee. And the narcissist may feel the need to criticize the mentor at times as a way of protecting a fragile ego.
So what's a mentor to do? Is it worth the time and effort? Although prickly, unappreciative, and self-absorbed, a narcissistic employee might just possess subject matter expertise, technical skill, or strategic vision critical to an organization's success. And remember, not all narcissists are created equal. Only a few are truly maniacal egotists. And there are plenty of well-intentioned leaders and organizational game-changers who occupy some location on the narcissism spectrum. And anyway, shouldn't everyone you hire get a fair shot, including the opportunity for early career-enhancing relationships?
When (not if) you find yourself mentoring a narcissist, here are a few strategies for helping the mentee better understand and modify their self-sabotaging behavior at work:
- First, work on your empathy. Try to check any dislike of your mentee at the door. Remember, chances are your narcissistic mentee is a wounded child at heart. All the bravado and arrogance amount to little more than a front for poor self-esteem and a real fear that they are worthless at the core. Try looking beyond the inflated self-assessments and demands for special recognition and catching a glimpse of the fragile house of cards that is the narcissist's ego. This might just stir your empathy for an interpersonally unpleasant mentee.
- Listen and discern. In building empathy, excellent mentors listen for the narcissist's vision of who they should be. It is important to understanding how and why the narcissist feels unworthy at their core. Unlocking this hidden shame may allow the mentor to build the mentee's self-awareness while helping them to realize their vision.
- Begin with mirroring. Here is a paradox: Narcissistic behavior often provokes others to respond with criticism and put-downs designed to put the narcissist in their place. In effect, the narcissist generates the very behavior they fear in others. Rather than fall into this pattern with your mentee, work hard at starting with affirmation, understanding, and acceptance. Referred to as mirroring, wise mentors are careful to reflect a positive appraisal of the mentee and their basic worth early on (We're really lucky to have you here. It must be hard for you when others don't seem to appreciate your contributions). For instance, you might initially frame arrogance and entitlement as unusual self-confidence. By mirroring back unconditional respect and acceptance of the narcissist, you might just lower defenses, thereby opening the door to some dialogue and self-awareness.
- Use Socratic questions to build insight. Rather than direct confronting a mentee's narcissistic behavior, try dispassionate Socratic questioning. If they complain that other people don't respect them, you can ask something like, "I wonder why so many people have that reaction to you?" You can also be more specific. You might say, "I've observed that some people seem to think you are arrogant. Can you think of any reasons why people might see you that way?" or "Help me understand what was going through your mind when so-and-so questioned your expertise." Such gentle but persistent queries are often a best bet when it comes to lowering defensiveness and setting the stage for personal insight and change.
- In conflict, lead with how you feel. Psychologist Bernardo Tirado reflects that when difficult conversations and confrontations are necessary with a narcissist, always lead off with how your mentee made you feel. Because the narcissist lacks empathy, such feeling-oriented disclosures can get the conversation away from who is to blame and refocused on the real problem: the mentee's impact on other people.
- Take care of yourself. Mentoring a narcissist won't be easy. Caring and empathic by nature, even the best mentors may feel appalled by the vivid anger and intense dislike a narcissistic mentee can engender. Some mentors suffer guilt and self-recrimination when fleeting but deeply satisfying fantasies of berating or belittling a narcissist occur. Remember that no amount of validation and admiration may truly be enough for the narcissist. To avoid burnout, set limits on the frequency of engagement with a narcissistic mentee and the number of narcissists you are willing to mentor at one time. And don't forget to make time for good self-care, including consulting with another seasoned mentor to maintain your equilibrium.


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Our mission is "to foster meaningful growth in intellectual character virtues in a thoughtful, challenging, and supportive academic environment." We gauge our success at this mission by many indicators, one of which is feedback we receive from students and parents.
See here for a sampling of student feedback collected in an annual school-wide (anonymous) survey.
See here for a sampling of parent feedback.
See here for feedback from other educators and education researchers.
For additional indicators of IVA's success, see here for comparative survey data and here for test scores on the Smarter Balanced assessment.


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post517700899417353751..comments2023-09-21T21:57:30.884+08:00Comments on LILPINK | A Hijabi's Cup of Tea: One For Iligan - Help Sendong VictimsKai Darulhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post-90929272979068190112011-12-20T05:22:00.000+08:002011-12-20T05:22:00.000+08:00Omg, I think I heard about this on the weather new...Omg, I think I heard about this on the weather news or something, because it sounds familiar. That's good that you're okay. I don't even know how strong the storm was I need to look that up. Unfortunately I have no methods of donation right now but when I do I'm gonna donate and make up for all the donations that I hadn't given in the past. =/Krishttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post-44137020534911833872011-12-19T23:25:00.000+08:002011-12-19T23:25:00.000+08:00OMG! this is so heartbreaking :( nashock talaga ak...OMG! this is so heartbreaking :( nashock talaga ako sa balita. T_______T will definitely donate some. I wanna give my old clothes.pero di ko alam saan yung drop box dito saamin :(

I'm glad you're safe though sis :)Rhea Buehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post-64760717227112619422011-12-19T09:25:00.000+08:002011-12-19T09:25:00.000+08:00Sis, I'm so glad you're alright. I have a ...Sis, I'm so glad you're alright. I have a lot of friends in Iligan too, and hearing about what happened to them was so scary. To think that I was just there (and CDO) last year at around the same time.

I didn't even finish watching the video. It was just heartbreaking. :(Phyllhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post-52576371591354839132011-12-19T04:01:00.000+08:002011-12-19T04:01:00.000+08:00Hope everything would be alright. I'm glad you...Hope everything would be alright. I'm glad you are fine. :)Grysh Cohttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post-24199334793118006282011-12-19T03:19:00.000+08:002011-12-19T03:19:00.000+08:00OMG I am totally shocked and saddened by this news...OMG I am totally shocked and saddened by this news. Magpapasko pa man din. Then this happened. OMG ;( I'll try to make an entry for this. Nalimot ko palang tumawag sa bahay... ask ko kung kamusta sila mama jaan sa pinas. ;((Angela Ricardohttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post-19988521805669443082011-12-19T00:09:00.000+08:002011-12-19T00:09:00.000+08:00I just did. Hope it would help =/I just did. Hope it would help =/Annehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post-2457204959231660542011-12-18T23:55:00.000+08:002011-12-18T23:55:00.000+08:00Waaa. grabe nga yung nangyari. Mas worse pa sa ond...Waaa. grabe nga yung nangyari. Mas worse pa sa ondoy. :( I will pray for all of them.Donnahttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post-63613907596622606282011-12-18T22:16:00.000+08:002011-12-18T22:16:00.000+08:00good thing your okay sis! pray for all those souls...good thing your okay sis! pray for all those souls! :c gonna donate din through mobile load!chelsea catingubhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1717638814488509238.post-89608856812551697912011-12-18T21:31:00.000+08:002011-12-18T21:31:00.000+08:00Thank God you're okay, but unfortunately, ther...Thank God you're okay, but unfortunately, there are still unfounded persons in Iligan. And upon seeing those images and videos about this tragedy, I can't bare the shame because I can't do anything to help. Now, my glad there's a way for me to express my sympathy by transferring mobile load to Red Cross. Let's all pray for Iligan for a fast recovery.Clint Andrewhttp://email@example.com


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Is Ofer Berkovitch going to be the next Mayor of Jerusalem? Maybe so, at least according to the latest poll as reported by the Jerusalem Post which has him tied for first with political opportunist and ally of Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Moses Leon. Are Jerusalemites really going to vote for a smooth operator […]Read more
If Jesus was born over 2000 years ago in the Middle East, the odds that Jesus was a blond haired, blue eyed white guy are… shall we say… minimal. This may come as a surprise to Church going folk who have been inundated with traditional images of the inventor of Christianity. This clip, taken from […]Read more
In the US, the weather in many states is absolutely frightful. The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings, winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories that cover northern Kansas, central and eastern Nebraska, southeastern South Dakota, southern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. High wind warnings cover much of Kansas. In the gulf region, a flash […]Read more
April 12 was Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. On this day at 10 am throughout the country, a siren sounds and everyone stands still for two minutes in order to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and to commemorate those who fought back. This was filmed in the busy Machaneh Yehudah market […]Read more
This Israeli dunk contest video is kind of embarrassing. These are the best dunkers in the Israeli professional basketball league competing for what looks like the shittiest trophy in the world and $1,500. About that trophy? It seriously looks like it was produced by 3rd graders in a remedial arts and crafts class. Also making […]Read more
Ok. We get it. The gang at Google Israel put together a video outlining their development of an API that will help Hummus eaters find exactly the kind of Hummus they want to eat. Real fans of Hummus know that there are all kinds of Hummus. In Israel the first line of division is Jewish […]Read more
Usually as Passover approaches, we are either cleaning out our house from food that's not kosher for Passover, or buying food that is kosher for Passover… and on Passover itself, we eat and eat and eat. Stellar Nova however, does things differently. First of all they create gender-balanced games and stories to inspire kids to […]Read more
Israel has been dubbed the "Startup Nation" due to the tremendous amount of tech innovation that takes place in this otherwise tiny, embattled nation. Headlines regularly report the financial aspects of this – a couple days ago, Orbotech, an Israeli electronics manufacturer which produces systems for circuit boards and chips, was bought out by US-based […]Read more
For those of you who attended any of the legendary Jewlicious Festivals, Mikey Pauker's voice and grooves are quite familiar. He recently dropped this clip "Rise" – a song off of his new album "Ascension" and it's been getting quite a bit of traction. Witness this fawning article in the Times of Israel: With rock […]Read more
Koolulam is a musical and social venture created in order to bring together people from all walks of life in the Israeli social spectrum in order, simply, to sing together. It might sound a little pie in the sky, but the end result is nothing short of chilling. This past February 14th, in furtherance of […]Read more


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Churches In London Suffer Arson Attacks as '666' Pentagrams Marked on Doors
Slew of attacks on churches in the capital in just days of each other
Three churches located in the East end of London have suffered arson attacks in just two days, with each door being marked with satanic pentagrams and the number 666.
St John's Church in Stratford was the first be subjected to the attack were vandals set fire to the main door.
The arson came as other acts of vandalism took place including doors being scratched and poster being ripped down, the Newham Recorder reported.
Another attack at St John's church took place on Wednesday morning as refuse being set alight outside the church door.
A second attempt to set fire to the door was made around 7:30 p.m.
Another fire was set on the same day at Cann Hall Methodist Church in Leytonstone.
Church secretary John Edney said it was the second attack which took place within days.
Mr. Edney said the main doors are "badly scarred with burn marks," and the notice board is "completely destroyed," according to the East London & West Essex Guardian.
A group of children were present in the church at the time of the attack prompting daughter of the church secretary as urging parishioners to "be vigilant — our church building was vandalized this morning — satanic symbols scratched on the doors and a pile of rubbish with flammable liquid on was set alight outside the side church door".
She added:
"That was bad enough but also our minister was working in the building, and a childminding group were using the hall which the door enters into. A hall Full of adults and CHILDREN !!!
"Thankfully the smoke was detected, and the fire put out by a very brave childminder."
On Thursday, a fire was set outside St Matthew's Church on Dyson Road in West Ham, destroying the door.
A police spokesman said:
"At this early stage in the investigation, the fires are being treated as suspicious, and the incidents are being investigated by the North East area's Community Support Unit, who are keeping an open mind as to the motive."
In March 2018, St Mary's Catholic Church suffered a satanic attack when an arsonist removed sacred icons from the altar and replaced it with a picture of Satan before setting fires in the interior.
Back in October, a radical atheist confessed to setting fires outside a Methodist church and a Sikh temple in Scotland.
The man told the court he had "issues" with religion saying it was a "political statement."
The news comes a month after a slew of desecrations of Christian churches in France following the fire at the famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.


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Here's a big surprise for everyone. My favorite color is purple. I know it's a shock and I can understand if you need to take a break and come back later to finish reading this post. However, since purple is my favorite color, I am drawn to purple plants. My favorite flowers are all purple, I adore plants that have purple leaves, and Beautyberry is super special to me because of the bright purple berries. I mean, just look at it, it's such a pretty plant!
Luckily a variety of this awesome plant with such showy berries grows here in Central Florida, and has more uses than just good looks. Callicarpa americana is our variety, but there are over 140 different species world wide. Unfortunately, this plant is not commonly used in the West. Many Native American tribes used Beautyberry for several reasons, mostly medicinal in nature, however it's fallen out of use in the modern era.
Many foragers have listed this plant as poisonous, however I have eaten it as a trail-side snack for years without any problems. It's possible that this stigma comes from one of the Native American uses for the leaves. Certain tribes would use the leave as a fish poison, stunning the fish so that they could be more easily caught. I don't consume the leaves, I just eat the berries even though the raw berry is fairly flavorless and kinda mealy. However, Beautyberry is known to make a great jelly. One of my favorite foragers, Green Deane, made a video that shows the plant and jelly. Check it out here. Authentic Florida also has a great and easy recipe for Beautyberry Jelly here.
Medicinal Uses:
Common Names- Beautyberry, American Beautyberry
Parts Used- The whole plant.
Summary of Actions- Antibacterial, Antiviral, Astringent, Antifungal, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Diuretic (root bark),
Traditional Chinese Medicine- Known as Zi Zhu in TCM, Beautyberry has quite a few traditional uses. Astringent and cooling, this herb is useful to help treat bleeding in the lungs and stomach. It also helps to clear toxins, particularly in the case of skin problems. Beautyberry is also a common treatment for rheumatism.
Antibacterial- The bark of various species of Beautyberry has been tested, in numerous studies, for antibacterial activity. Many of these tests show that Beautyberry bark is antibacterial in nature, and even targets certain strains of bacteria such as Methicillin-resistent Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium, and many strains of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae).
Antiviral Activity and Malaria- Native American practices used Beautyberry in sweat lodges to help reduce fevers and treat malaria. Modern practices also use Beautyberry to treat herpes simplex. A handful of studies have been done to confirm that Beautyberry extracts may actually prevent the replication of herpes simplex and polio viruses.
Antifungal- In Mexico, extracts from Beautyberry leaf are used to treat certain fungi harmful to plants. However it has also shown promise in helping treat certain yeast infections caused by Candida albicans.
Antioxidant Activity- Though the berries don't have much of a flavor raw, quite a few nutrients are present. Among the nutrients found in Beautyberry berries, there are a number of antioxidants. Several studies have also shown proof that Beautyberry extract has both direct and indirect antioxidant activities, which helps reduce inflammation and prevent oxidative stress.
Insect Repellant- My favorite use for Beautyberry leaf is as an insect repellant. Just crush the leaf and rub it on your body, clothes, and hair. Some people even wear the leaves in a hat band, or tucked into any number of crevices in their clothing. You can also use Beautyberry essential oil. This seems to work best on mosquitoes and fire ants. In the case of ticks, most ticks do stay away, but not all ticks do. It's advisable to still perform tick checks after spending long stretches of time outside. This herb is so good at this particular job that many tests have shown it being more active than DEET at repelling insects.
Contraindications and Warnings- Some people believe this plant is poisonous, however that belief may come from a Native American use for the leaves, as a fish poison. I have personally snacked on the berries for years and never had any adverse effects. However, allergic reactions might occur in some individuals.
I only included a basic introduction to this amazing herb. I hope you have learned a new appreciation for one of my favorite plants, Beautyberry. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
American Beautyberry: Medicinal Herbs: http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/c/callicarpa-americana=american-beautyberry.php
American Beautyberry: USDA Plant Guide: https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_caam2.pdf
Beautyberry- Jelly On A Roll: Eat The Weeds: http://www.eattheweeds.com/beautyberry-jelly-on-a-roll/
Beautyberry's Powers Go Beyond Good Looks: Chron: https://www.chron.com/life/article/Beautyberries-powers-go-beyond-good-looks-3831149.php
Callicarpa (Beautyberry): Piedmont Master Gardeners: https://piedmontmastergardeners.org/article/callicarpa-beautyberry/
Japanese Beautyberry (Zi Zhu): Comprehensive Service of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) from China: http://www.tcmtreatment.net/plus/view.php?aid=951
Natural Insect Repellant: Beautyberry Banishes Bad Biting Bugs: Mother Earth News: https://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/beautyberry-natural-insect-repellent-zmaz09amzraw
The Health Benefits of Beautyberry: Healthy Benefits:https://healthybenefits.info/the-health-benefits-of-beautyberry/
The Health Benefits of Callicarpa L. in Traditional Chinese Medicine: ub Med: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23313870
What's a Beautyberry? 10 Intriguing Benefits & Uses Studied: Superfoodly: https://www.superfoodly.com/beautyberry/


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Did the other members of f(x) benefit from Sulli's hiatus?
Is Sulli's absence from the group actually working in favor for the other members of f(x)?
It has been speculated by netizens that without their top visual member active, it has actually worked in favor for the remaining four members of the girl group f(x), leaving more fans to await for the girls' comeback.
Although Sulli was officially on a hiatus in order to "find herself" after her relationship scandal with Choiza hit the press, the truth was that Sulli's temporary departure resulted in all f(x) activities coming to a halt as well. With SM Entertainment focusing on the newer Red Velvet group's activities, f(x) was relegated to the background soon to be just another former girl group.
Reportedly, such absence seemed to have worked in favor for the rest of the members who did not receive much attention initially, such as Amber and Luna.
After starring in MBC's variety show Real Men – Women's Army Special Episode, Amber garnered much popularity with her charming and cool personality, which was followed up with a solo debut. Luna proved herself to be a talented singer, which has been veiled under her status as a "girl group idol" through her second win on MBC's survival variety King of Mask Singer.
Recently, f(x) took part in new advertisement for Baskin Robbins' summer special shaved ice. However, problems arose when fans noticed that Sulli could not be seen anywhere. Since this advertisement included f(x) as a group, many began to question whether Sulli was now out of the group. This was later explained that Sulli was not part of the original contract.
Many agree that this may be SM's marketing strategy in order to earn fans' approval to let other members to continue promotions as f(x) despite Sulli's absence. Some fans have responded that the group should release their comeback as they don't appreciate selfish single member's personal matter to influence rest of the members' group activities.
1. [+312, -9] Sulli actually didn't have anything eye-catching about her other than her looks and the other members are pretty enough where her absence isn't such a big hit to the group. f(x) not having Sulli might actually be better for them since they won't have a member ruining their image by being lazy on stage all the time.
2. [+280, -59] Isn't f(x)'s visual Krystal?
3. [+203, -14] Sulli doesn't want to promote with f(x) and the fans want her to leave the group so it's best for the group in the end overall. Sulli is quite pretty, though.
4. [+69, -3] Honestly, who even thought that the individual f(x) members would do so well on their own after what happened with Sulli. People only knew Krystal and Sulli in the group so we didn't know just how talented the other members were ㅋ I'm happy they're doing well now, even if it's late
5. [+63, -11] Isn't Krystal the visual top in f(x) for both men and women? Sulli is a love or hate type of look… personally, I'm not fond of her.
6. [+53, -4] I get that the article is trying to make it seem like f(x) is now a talented team with individual members that have public recognition without Sulli but don't talk like Sulli wasn't popular ㅋㅋㅋ She might not have been the top visual but she was popular ㅋㅋㅋ
Source: Xports News, Xports News via Nate and Xports News via Naver


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Hey everyone! I'm just writing a quick post as I get ready for my day, and leave the house a little early so I can meet a friend at a cafe before work.
I was so lucky to dine last night at The Bite House, a new and amazing restaurant in Big Baddeck, run by Chef Brian Picard (who I interviewed in 2012). That's where I took this picture, out in the gardens. (I took a lot more pictures, and I'll definitely share those with you soon.) TGIF, right? Enjoy the summer while it's here. Have a great Friday!


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Today on Mind Matters Ajayan and Kathleen Lawrence explored the theory of the daimon, an aspect of depth psychology that explains your innate passions, attractions, and traits in terms of your guardian spirit or higher self-linked to you at birth (or before). Whether your daimon is real or imagined, depth psychologists cannot ignore the insight and explanatory power of this powerful theory.
To listen to the show, click the arrow. listen


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https://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.png 0 0 Katie https://katiederrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/logo.png Katie2011-03-15 20:47:502011-03-15 20:47:50Baby Bumbo
Baby Bumbo
Second to dinosaurs, elephants are and always have been one of my favorite animals (yeah, I know dinosaurs aren't technically animals, but I still love them too). And like I've said in the past, miniature (fill in the blank) is ten times cuter than just (fill in the blank). This includes miniature elephants.
I told T.J. a while back that I wanted a miniature elephant. Not a baby, because babies grow up. I want a miniature elephant, one that's the size of a dog and will always stay tiny like that.
I will name her Baby Bumbo and put a pink ribbon on her tail.


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By Ashley Marshall, USTA.com
American Shelby Rogers pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the first round at the French Open on Monday with one of her finest victories yet.
Rogers rallied to defeat No. 17 seed and reigning Emirates Airline US Open Series champion Karolina Pliskova, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, on Day 2 to book her place in the second round on the red clay of Roland Garros for just the second time in her career.
Ranked 108th in the world, Rogers earned her fourth ever win against a Top 20 player and her first at a Grand Slam event. The last time she defeated a Top 20 player was when she toppled Genie Bouchard in the round of 32 at the Canadian Open in 2014; she had been 0-8 against those players since that victory.
Rogers (pictured above) will now meet Elena Vesnina on Wednesday after the 29-year-old Russian defeated American Madison Brengle. The winner of that match could potentially meet 10th-seeded Petra Kvitova in the third round.
The 23-year-old from South Carolina was not the only American to advance on the second consecutive rain-delayed afternoon of competition in the French capital.
No. 23 seed Jack Sock, 23, outlasted Robin Haase, 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, in a match that began Sunday and lasted three hours and 20 minutes, and CoCo Vandeweghe, 24, edged past Naomi Broady, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Sock faces eccentric German Dustin Brown in Round 2, while Vandeweghe will meet No. 25 seed Irina-Camelia Begu, who defeated Vandeweghe's Fed Cup doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands in three sets.
On Court 14, world No. 103 Bjorn Fratangelo was victorious in the only all-American first-round match, posting a 6-3, 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 triumph over compatriot Sam Querrey. The win gives the 22-year-old Pittsburgh native, who earned a wild card into the main draw by winning the USTA Pro Circuit Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge, his first appearance in the second round of a major and could see him break into the Top 100 for the first time in his career.
Next up for Fratangelo is Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who is playing in his 13th French Open and is coming off his best year yet. The No. 9 seed has been to the fourth round here in four of the past five years, but the American will enter their first head-to-head with confidence after winning a Challenger-level clay court title in Savannah, Ga., in April, finishing runner-up at a clay-court tuneup event in Bordeaux last week and the making a run to the semifinal of a clay event in Sarasota, Fla., last month.
Elsewhere on Monday at Roland Garros, Sloane Stephens, 23, cruised into the second round with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Margarita Gasparyan.
In other matches, Nicole Gibbs lost to Heather Watson in a contest that was continued from Day 1 and Christina McHale fell to Myrtille Georges of France. On the men's side, Steve Johnson lost in straight sets to veteran Fernando Verdasco and Denis Kudla fell to Serbia's Dusan Lajovic.
John Isner's first-round match with Aussie right-hander John Millman was suspended with the score tied at one set apiece. Isner, the No. 15 seed, lost the first-set tiebreak, 7-4, but bounced back to win the second set breaker, 14-12. Weather permitting, it will be continued as the second match on Court 10 on Tuesday.


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Healthy grilled shrimp fajitas with avocado, bell peppers, poblano pepper, onion and a drizzle of spicy salsa. This maple-glazed shrimp marinade is the best to use for all seafood dishes! Serve this with homemade salsa, tomatillo salsa verde and these low fat baked tortilla chips.
Oh my glory this is truly the tastiest shrimp fajita recipe I have ever made! It is healthy and comes together quickly with juicy shrimp. The shrimp marinade comes from a Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp recipe in my cookbook and is delicious to use for any seafood. We like to grill fajitas but they can easily be made indoors on the stove with a grilling pan or skillet.
Shrimp is the bulk of the dish! For a quicker meal and to decrease time, purchase frozen shrimp that are deveined with tails removed. Thaw the shellfish in a dish in the refrigerator and use within 1 day of thawing. Seafood should not have a fishy odor, so if it gets to that point, that means the shrimp is starting to spoil.
The shrimp is tossed in a slightly sweet and seasoned mixture to truly bring about mouthwatering flavors that are delicious in tacos, burritos, and fajitas. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, oil, apple cider vinegar, paprika, cumin, garlic salt and pepper. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel then soak the shrimp for 30 minutes prior to cooking.
It is all about loading up the vegetables! Slice one of each red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, and poblano pepper and toss in a little bit of oil before grilling. You can also use a grill pan on the stove or iron skillet to cook them. We have made this without the poblano green pepper and my husband says "Adding that poblano is what MAKES shrimp fajitas go from good to great!"
Gather your favorite toppings! For this shrimp fajita recipe I use cilantro, avocado, a squeeze of lime juice and my special 2 ingredient spicy salsa (included with the recipe). You can also serve it with guacamole, sour cream, Greek yogurt, and shredded cabbage.
To make this Mexican meal fun, try serving it as a fajita bar. Set out warm corn tortillas, cooked beans, rice, guacamole, homemade salsa, tomatillo salsa verde, and these low fat baked tortilla chips. For a larger crowd, double the recipe.
More favorite Tex-Mex recipes
- Shrimp Ceviche
- Best Ceviche
- Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Quinoa
- Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Spicy Southwest Sauce
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Bean Fajita Burrito Bowl
Pin It!
Shrimp Fajitas (Healthy Recipe)
Shrimp & Marinade
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 20 jumbo shrimp peeled and tails removed, deveined
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper cored and cut into strips
- 1 green bell pepper cored and cut into strips
- 1 poblano pepper cored and cut into strips
- 1 medium yellow onion skin removed and cut into thin slices
- salt & pepper season to taste
2-Ingredient Spicy Salsa
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 tablespoons Red's Hot Sauce
Extra Fixings (what you like)
- 16 corn tortillas
- cilantro fresh, chopped
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime juice of
- 1 lemon juice of
- salsa
- sour cream or Greek yogurt (not included in these images)
Marinate the Shrimp & Prep the Vegetables
- In a medium bowl, stir together the maple syrup, oil, vinegar, paprika,cumin, garlic salt, and pepper.Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with a paper towel. Add the shrimp to the bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but not more than 1 hour.
2-Ingredient Spicy Salsa
- In a small bowl whisk together the sour cream and hot sauce. Set aside until ready to serve and drizzle lightly over tacos.
Cook the Vegetables then Shrimp
- Meanwhile, while the shrimp marinates, prepare and slice the vegetables and chop any toppings such as cilantro and avocado.
- Preheat a gas grill or stove top to medium-high heat. Spray a grilling pan (or place in a grill basket) with cooking oil. Add the red bell peppers, green bell peppers, poblano peppers, and onion. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Cook for about 20 minutes until just tender, flipping every once in a while in the pan to prevent burning. Cover on a plate with foil and set in a warm place as you cook the shrimp.
- Turn the grill or stove heat down to medium heat. . Place the shrimp on the grill grates (or place in a grill basket) and brush with some of the marinade. Grill for 4 minutes. Brush again with the marinade and turn the shrimp over. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque. Serve immediately with a splash of fresh lemon or lime juice. Optional to serve in fajitas whole, or cut into small pieces.
Assemble the Fajitas
- Warm 16 corn tortillas (this prevents them from breaking when the are folded over. Layer two together and fill it with the peppers and onion mixture, shrimp, avocado slices, cilantro and a drizzle of the spicy salsa and fresh lime juice. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. This makes 6-8 fajitas, depending on how full you like them.


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Me: "Maddy, did you write your list to Santa yet?"
(Yes, she still believes in Santa and we've worked very hard to keep this going but that's for a different post!)
Maddy: "Yup, I want an iPad and if he doesn't bring me that then I want an iPod Touch."
Me: "I think you need to add some items to your list that don't have an 'i' in front of them."
And my tween goes storming off complaining…this isn't the first year she's been disappointed. To be accurate she's been asking for some sort of expensive electronic device since she was 3 years old and wanted a lap top. And she is not alone. According to a Nielson study, 48% of American children between the ages of 6-12 (tweens) want an iPad for Christmas. The next most wanted holiday gifts: Nintendo's Wii U, iPad Mini, iPod touch and the iPhone. What happened to a bicycle?
There is no doubt that the next generation of Americans will be extremely tech savvy. But when should it start? Do you indulge in your child's large ticket holiday requests? Or do you draw the line? Will you be purchasing a tablet or smartphone for your tween for the holidays? Why or why not?


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Oscar Robertson and Lew Alcindor won National Basketball Association championship rings as members of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971.
Their Bucks jersey numbers – Robertson's No. 1 and Alcindor's No. 33 – are among two of the seven the franchise has retired during its 44-year history.
Both men are enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Before the two men accomplished any of these things, though, they had something else in common: They were the star attractions on two of the most dominant high school basketball teams of all time.
Robertson was born in rural Tennessee, but moved with his family to Indianapolis, Ind., when he was young. He began accompanying his older brother, Bailey, to neighborhood playgrounds and became a renowned figure in Indy basketball circles before he reached his teens.
Robertson attended Crispus Attucks High School, a segregated school of about 600 students, and worked his way into the starting lineup.
His emergence on a statewide level came in his sophomore season, when he averaged 12 points per game and helped lead Attucks' Tigers to Indiana's 1954 semistate finals.
Without two of their top players sidelined by injuries, the Tigers lost 65-52 to Milan High School, which went on to become the smallest school ever (with an enrollment of 161 students) to win Indiana's single-class state tournament, providing the inspiration for the classic movie "HOOSIERS."
Over the next two seasons, the Crispus Attucks program was nearly unbeatable.
Carried by the savvy coaching of Ray Crowe and the exploits of Robertson, the Tigers went 30-1 in 1954-55 -- Robertson's junior season – and trounced Gary Roosevelt 97-74 in the state championship game.
Attucks became not only the first Indianapolis school to win the Indiana state title, but the first all-black school in the United States to win a state basketball championship.
Crowe, Robertson and the Tigers achieved another first the following season, becoming the first school in the history of the storied Indiana state tourney to finish a season undefeated (31-0). They were once again convincing in the state championship game, clobbering Lafayette Jefferson 79-57.
Robertson scored a game-high 39 points in the state championship game, established a four-game state tournament record with 106 points and finished his illustrious prep career with 1,825 points.
On the occasion of the Indiana High School Athletic Association's 100th anniversary in 2010, ESPN's Rise Magazine selected Crispus Attucks' 1955-56 team as the greatest in state history. The Tigers' 1954-55 squad was ranked third on the list.
Oscar Robertson received the Indiana's prestigious Mr. Basketball Award following the 1955-56 season and is still widely recognized as the premier player in a rich state history.
Five years after Robertson completed his prep basketball career at Indiana's pinnacle, a 6-foot-10-inch, 15-year-old by the name of Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor played his first game at Power Memorial Academy, an all-boys Catholic school in New York City.
Alcindor, who grew to 7-2 during the ensuing years, led the team to 27 straight victories and the 1963 New York Catholic High School Athletic Association championship. The winning streak continued as the team went undefeated and won the CHSAA in 1964.
Alcindor became the first sophomore to make Parade Magazine's High School All-American team.
Power Memorial's winning streak finally ended at 71 games on Jan. 30, 1965, when DeMatha High School of Hyattsville, Md., defeated Power 46-43 under the guidance of its Hall-of-Fame coach, Morgan Wootten.
Coached by Jack Donohue, who would later coach the Canadian Olympic team, Power Memorial won 96 games and lost only six during Alcindor's career.
Power's 1963-64 team was named "The #1 High School Team of The Century" by National Sports Writers and was inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame as the team of the century.
Alcindor totaled New York City records of 2,067 points and 2,002 rebounds during his four years of varsity basketball. Considered a slam-dunk choice as the nation's top prep basketball prospect since his sophomore year, Alcindor traveled cross-country to UCLA, where he rapidly established himself as the premier player in college basketball.
UCLA entered the 1965-66 season ranked No. 1 in the country, but in Alcindor's unofficial UCLA debut, he collected 31 points and 21 rebounds in leading the Bruins' freshman team to a 75-60 victory over the UCLA varsity in the first game ever played at Pauley Pavilion.
During Alcindor's three varsity seasons, Bruins won three consecutive NCAA championships and posted an 88-2 overall record, and he became the all-time leading scorer in UCLA history with 2,325 points.
Alcindor was selected by the Bucks with the first pick in the 1969 NBA Draft. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year and an NBA All-Star in 1969-70, when he helped Milwaukee better its expansion season victory total by 28 wins.
In 1970-71, after the Bucks acquired Robertson from the Cincinnati Royals, the two former high school basketball icons led Milwaukee to a 66-16 regular-season record and a 12-2 playoff run to the NBA championship.
The day after the Bucks won the title, Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He was named the NBA's most valuable player three times during his six seasons with Milwaukee and won the award three more times during the latter years of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Abdul-Jabbar retired as a player in 1989 as the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points.