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Greenway provides ministry opportunities in Atlanta
By: David Ibata
Caleb Louden, a Salvation Army mission specialist, and two police officers struggled across jagged rocks and grasping underbrush in the early morning darkness of a deep ravine one day last December. Flashlights in hand, they glimpsed a figure in a sleeping bag in the space just beneath a highway bridge.
They made the man an offer: Leave the homeless encampment – about to be displaced by a regional trail project – and go to the shelter at the Red Shield Harbor Light Corps in Atlanta, Georgia, where trail organizers would pay $10 a day for 120 days to sponsor him. The man gratefully accepted.
Later, he told Louden what he'd been doing just before they found him.
"He told me he'd been homeless for many years and had been struggling spiritually, knowing that he wasn't living the way God wanted him to live," said Louden, of the Atlanta Temple Corps in Brookhaven, Georgia. "In the moments before we showed up, he finally said, 'Alright God – I give up. I surrender. I want to be obedient to your will for my life.'
"He was praying with his eyes closed. When he opened them, there we were."
The man was one of 10 individuals who agreed to move to the Red Shield shelter. There, they had a warm bed; food, clothing and medical care; and, if they wished, spiritual counseling, job training and help overcoming substance abuse. For two individuals – one had a stroke at the shelter, and another was near kidney failure – the move probably saved their lives.
Brookhaven, a city northeast of Atlanta, is building the first phase of a multi-use recreational path called the Peachtree Creek Greenway. The trail follows the North Fork of Peachtree Creek, which runs directly behind the Atlanta Temple Corps and Southern Territorial Headquarters.
The Army is letting Brookhaven create a trailhead and parking lot on part of its campus, as well as a 14-by-160-foot mural on a retaining wall it owns; the municipality has applied for a $60,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Arts to pay for the painting.
In the weeks leading up to the December groundbreaking ceremony for the project, city officials realized they had homeless people living under several bridges.
Brookhaven City Manager Christian Sigman, Project Executive Moe Trebuchon and Brookhaven Police Sergeant Jacob Kissel did not want to simply evict the campers. Seeking a more humane course of action, they contacted Captain Kenneth Argot, Atlanta Temple Corps officer.
The corps has been serving its homeless neighbors for about 10 years with Showers and Laundry Time with Devotions – SALT'D. Once a week, people are invited to come in for a hot shower, a change of clothes and a supply of food. They also can drop off laundry; the corps will wash their clothes and have them ready for pick-up the following week.
SALT'D has about 30 regulars, some walking eight miles to the corps.
Louden described three types of homeless people he's encountered: those struggling with substance abuse, others in financial difficulty, and a few with severe mental health challenges. When crisis hits, a person without a good support network can easily become homeless, he said.
Kissel and Louden made several visits to the camps, handing out water and snacks and speaking with residents to win their trust. In the end, besides six persons assisted by Brookhaven for four months, The Salvation Army sponsored four more homeless individuals to move to Red Shield for two months.
Some have since gotten jobs and permanent places to live; others have found alternate living arrangements or assistance from agencies such as the VA. The former homeless encampments are empty as the trail nears completion.
"I think about Jesus saying the poor will always be among you," Louden said. "People have it in their heads that in a major urban setting, you can push homeless people out and that ends the problem. I don't think that's realistic. There are lots of places people can live outdoors; and every day, someone new becomes homeless. We are here to meet each need in Jesus' name."


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The system of limits and fits is useful for determining tolerances of components that need to have a relationship or function with one another. For example, clearances fits ranging from loose to precision sliding fits. They are also useful for determining how much interference is required to lock or position two parts together.
While mostly useful for circular features. The system also applies to orthogonal or linear features such as slots and keys.
The system uses letters and numbers. The letters indicate the clearance while the number specifics the precision or tolerance. A capital letter refers to the hole size and lower-case letter refers to the shaft size.
Keys and keyways are used to transfer torque from shafts to holes or vise versa. As a general rule, the key is a tighter fit to the shaft so that the key remains on the shaft during assembly and removal.
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By Temitope Ponle
Abuja – India says it is exploring ways of improved partnership with Nigeria as both countries marked 60 years of bilateral relations.
The Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Nagabhushana Reddy, stated this on the side line of a high-level panel discussion on India-Nigeria relations in Abuja on Thursday.
He said that relations between both countries would be defined by a progressive agenda that is guided by the 10 principles on India-Africa relations recently announced by his government.
Reddy added that bilateral trade was "heavily" in favour of Nigeria with a volume of $12 billion.
"In this context, the priorities which we will like to set out of these 10 guiding principles are agriculture, how to address climate change, how to collectively fight the scourge of terrorism, create employment and enhance investments.
"The focus will also be to engage the two countries so that the priorities of the countries are considered and we have also talked about how Indian markets will be open for more goods coming from Africa."
He further highlighted areas that both countries shared collaborations in the 60 years of their relations.
"At the cusp of 60 years of engagement between India and Nigeria, we have developed a unique connect in diverse areas: diversity, democratic, demographic, development, defence, trade, energy, business, agriculture, medical, education and people-to-people connect."
A representative of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Mr Nkemnema Andrew, recommended that both countries partner in the area of climate change to address issues of insecurity in the country.
Andrew urged the India Government to share its experience with Nigeria in the area of peaceful coexistence.
"We can use the 10 guiding principles of India in line with the mandate of the institute to address the issues of climate change which is one of the root causes of herders and farmers clashes.
"We need to collaborate in the area of peace building and with the experiences we have at 60, let us use our relations to fight our common enemies."
A former permanent secretary in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Ndubisi Osuji, called for enhanced relations in the areas of technology and human capacity building.
Osuji called on the government to safeguard the relations between both countries and "genuinely learn from India".
"India is self-sufficient and Nigeria stands to benefit a lot from the relations."
Participants further recommended the need for Africa to develop solutions that would concretely address common issues with support from friendly countries like India.


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In yesterday's guest-blog post on my new book, I explored the gulf between criminal-justice insiders and outsiders, the lawyers and laymen who see criminal justice very differently. The book explores in detail some of the human needs that criminal justice professionals overlook, such as the thirst for remorse, apology, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Today I'll suggest that the root problem is the state's monopoly on criminal justice, and solutions have to involve giving greater roles to victims.
Today, the right to punish belongs exclusively to the state, not the victim. Crimes violate the state's laws and its interest in maintaining public order and social cohesion. The state does not settle for restitution and fines, as private litigants do, but imprisons and even executes wrongdoers. It exacts its justice quickly and impersonally to lock up the dangerous criminal and to deter him and others. All that seems to matter is the bottom-line number of years in prison and, to an extent, accuracy in discerning guilt.
The state-centered model assumes that cold reason should dominate criminal-justice decisions and exclude human emotions. But the cool logic of state-monopolized justice, to the exclusion of victims, conflicts with many people's moral intuitions.
Why should the right to punish belong exclusively to the state? Disputes aren't simply impersonal red flags that alert the government to dangerous threats. They wrong both the state and the victims. Crime has a human face, and that face deserves standing and a say in the matter. The victim or his representative seems naturally to deserve at least a partial right to pay back the wrongdoer.
That is a big part of why victims' rights laws have proven so popular (though, as the book explains, they haven't lived up to their promise and have often been hijacked by tough-on-crime groups such as prison guards). Plus, an important function of punishment is to defeat crimes by vindicating and re-empowering victims.
Empirical evidence confirms the intuition that victims' views matter. When surveyed about concrete punishment scenarios, many people give great weight to the victim's attitude and wishes, particularly for crimes involving property or personal injury. A democracy ought to do more to incorporate this widespread intuition about justice.
Professionals look at conflicts as costly disputes to be negotiated away. But in a sense, conflicts are important opportunities for the victim, defendant, and community to express themselves, listen, and learn. The parties have suffered personally and belong at the center of the dispute. Thus, criminal law used to resemble private law, in which tort victims may prosecute, settle, or waive their shares of claims. But professionalization has stolen conflicts from the parties, not only disempowering them but also muting the lessons taught by public criminal verdicts.
The law could surrender its monopoly on criminal justice by once again making more room for the parties' interests and voices. That doesn't mean transferring the monopoly to victims; prosecutors need to keep a leading role to ensure accuracy, equality, and fairness. But victims and defendants deserve greater speaking roles, both in court and in mediation. Judges and juries must filter the partisans' voices, empathizing yet reflecting and keeping critical distance, to keep retribution from collapsing into vengeance.
The exclusion of any victim's right is especially puzzling when the victim wishes to forgive and show mercy. The state may cap punishments to check bloodthirsty vengeance, but it has much less reason to symmetrically limit mercy. As long as the punishment suffices to deter, incapacitate, and condemn the seriousness of the crime, the state's interests are satisfied. Any margin of retribution above that should be the victim's to forgive.
We need to take seriously the metaphor of a debt wrongdoers owe both to society and to victims. As the victim suffered the direct loss and holds a share of the wrongdoer's debt, he may either insist on payment or forgive his share.
The moral of the story is that, even if the state runs the process, human emotion deserves a seat at the table. Emotion isn't just a raw, blind, unreasonable passion. It is in part cognitive and evaluative, and it can be taught.
Emotions are an important part of what makes us human and how we understand and evaluate our fellow humans' actions. Crime excites fear and anger, empathy and indignation, sorrow and forgiveneness. Victims need our solidarity; wrongdoers merit our anger but also empathy for their plight and reasons for breaking the law. But neutral arbiters must reflect and balance competing emotional claims to distill justice. Laymen care whether criminal justice is emotionally sensitive or tone-deaf, and taking these concerns into account should bolster the law's legitimacy.
But, as the book discusses in detail, too often lawyers hijack emotional discourse to serve particular political ends. In that vein, I canvas three recent political movements (victims' rights, restorative justice, and therapeutic jurisprudence) that react against the impersonality of the criminal justice machine. Each movement is unbalanced, but each has something to teach narrow, cold, state-centered criminal justice.
In my final installment tomorrow, I'll offer a few suggestions for how criminal justice could do much more to include victims alongside prosecutors, to blend the perspectives of both insiders and outsiders, lawyers and laymen.


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Qty : 1
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The Ultimate Zero Waste, Eco-Friendly, Minimalist Friendly, and Mindful Gift Guide (with over 100 gift ideas!)
Welcome to the ultimate zero waste, eco-friendly, minimalist, and mindful gift guide. Before we jump in, here are the values I based these gifts around:
- Supporting your local community by engaging in local experiences
- Supporting small businesses, in particular looking for women and POC -owned and run
- Low clutter or clutter-free gifts
- Low waste, eco-friendly or zero waste gifts and companies
- Cruelty-free items
- Ethically made items
- Accessibility (budget, time, location)
- And more
Related post: The Best Eco-Friendly Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals
Want to learn more about gift giving for minimalists and zero waste-rs (or as one yourself), check out my zero waste and minimalist gift giving 101 guide for lots of helpful tips.
Finally, if you're able, to keep gifts zero waste/eco-friendly and budget-friendly, try the following:
- Second-hand: Look for items second-hand. This helps eliminate the waste from purchasing a whole new product.
- Free items: Check out your local buy nothing group, Facebook marketplace, Freecycle.org, Free Little Library, and more for free, secondhand items
- DIY gifts (see more in the gift list)
- Regift: I feel I have stepped in uncharted territory, but I stand by that statement. If someone gives you a gift, the real gift is in the giving. Accept it with full gratitude, and give it away freely. Wouldn't it make you feel better knowing someone else may actually get use out of it if you're not planning on using it?
So, without further ado, let's get into it.
Gift giving guidelines
Gift giving. It can be a tricky subject, especially if you are on your way to living a clutter-free and/or minimalist lifestyle. However, I do believe there can be a healthy balance between the minimalist and zero waste lifestyle that we are slowly adopting and gift giving. My husband and I have been actively reevaluating gift giving the past couple of years, ESPECIALLY now that we have Little E. And I'm not going to lie, it has been somewhat difficult to change the gift-giving habits we've adopted over the years.
Besides taking a hard look at the type of gifts we give and ask for, we have started following these four guidelines:
- Follow the rule 'Something you want, something you wear, something you read and something you need'.
- Don't underestimate second-hand stores for gifts. We love our local second-hand store for a variety of items, and for online second-hand women's and kids clothes shopping we LOVE ThredUp.
- Santa, Easter Bunny, Etc: Santa brings one gift (a smaller gift) and then stockings he brings usable items or consumable items (usable meaning yummy soaps, bath items, crafting supplies, snacks, etc). The Easter Bunny and other 'friends' follow suit.
- Adopt other birthday/holiday/other celebratory event traditions instead of gifts
- Make the person of honor their favorite meal
- Offer to let the person of honor choose what activity they want to do for the day
Other than that, we really try to be really mindful of purchasing/making gifts that don't contribute too much or any clutter and fall in line with our minimalist and zero-waste mindsets.
Related post: Zero Waste and Minimalist Gift Giving 101
*If you're looking for specific items, check out this post: Over 100 of the best sustainable and eco friendly gifts for 2020.
*If you're looking for specific items for 'him', check out this post: 65+ eco friendly gifts for him
*If you're looking for stocking stuffer ideas, check out this post: 85+ eco friendly stocking stuffers for women, men + babies, kids, tweens & teens
Experiences (gifts for minimalist and eco-friendly ideas)
- Gift certificate for their favorite restaurant
- Gift certificate to their favorite coffee/tea place
- Meal planning/delivery gift certificate
- Lessons for kids/adults: swim lessons, dance lessons, etc.
- Sign up for a local community ed class together!
- A local park pass or state park pass
- A dog park pass if they have a dog
- Movie night out or in
- Sports tickets
- Gift certificate to a spa or for a massage
- Tickets to their favorite show
- A membership to a local museum, nature center, or zoo
- Gift certificate for house cleaning
- Donation to a local charity in the recipient's name
- Gift certificate for their favorite app (ex. Headspace membership, Spotify)
- Netflix/Hulu subscription
- Offer to babysit/pet sit if they have kids or pets
- Offer to shovel snow, rake leaves, change their oil, whatever task they may need doing
- Itunes gift card
- Gift certificate for house cleaning
- Donation to a local charity in the recipient's name
Miscellaneous Items
- Child Artwork Frame – This frame is such a great way to display kids artwork in a neat and clutter-free way. This frame holds multiple pieces of art which you can rotate throughout the year.
- Etsy.com – Check out artwork, jewelry, soaps, and more. Bonus – support small businesses! Etsy is dangerous for me and my wallet. Be sure to include local art/craft shops in your small business supporting as well!
- Magazine subscription (can get a digital subscription or paper – donate the paper version when done)
- USB Fair Trade Himalayan Salt Lamp (or other salt lamps) – I have a salt lamp on my nightstand, and I absolutely love it. It creates such a beautiful glow which is so relaxing and calming. This USB salt lamp can be used at home or work (I honestly think I'm going to get one for work). Or, you can puruse the multitude of other salt lamp and products from this awesome, fair trade supportive company.
- Items for their hobbies (ex. outdoor gear or gift certificate for outdoor gear, items for their garden if they're a gardener)
- Photograph gifts (photo book, canvas print, etc)
- Seed Starter Kit – I LOVE getting these as gifts. I have started seeds indoors for the past couple of years, and not only is it more cost-effective, but it is fun! I am looking forward to having Little E help me next spring. These are great for vegetable and flower seeds!
- Kindle/E-Reader – I have had a kindle for years and have LOVED it. Not only are e-books inexpensive, many libraries also have digital copies of books which you can 'check out' right from your bed or couch!
- Audible Membership – Know someone who does a lot of commuting or traveling? Or maybe they are someone who enjoys listening to podcasts books while cleaning, exercising, etc. Why not gift them an audible membership which has books, magazines, radio stations and more! I got a membership for Mr. Blographer for his birthday in December and he loves it.
- Books (check out second-hand bookstores or consider e-books)
Pela Case: 100% compostable phone cases that are SUPER CUTE!
- Ancestry & Health DNA tests such as this one
- Flowers, a plant/succulent in a cute container
- Coloring books (umm, yes it's an adult Disney coloring book…) and colored pencils (see why coloring is not just for kids here)
- The Little Book of Mindfulness – Perfect for a stocking stuffer or for anyone who would enjoy some mindful living inspiration.
Related post: Have a Very, Merry, Zero Waste Christmas
Zero Waste/Eco-friendly/Minimal Waste Ideas (also minimalist and mindful!)
- The Essential Zero Waste Blueprint Year-Long Course!
- Dryer Balls – (organic, fair-trade, and all natural merino wool)
- Water bottle – Kleen Kanteen – larger size (40 ounces) and/or Nalgenes
- Reusable Coffee Mug
- French Press and coffee bean grinder
- Tea ball
- Shave items – such as a shave soap bar and a stainless steel razor
- Biodegradable floss in a glass refillable container (I LOVE this stuff!) with a bamboo toothbrush
- Shampoo bars
- Zero waste dish soap cube
- Bamboo pot scrubbers
- Produce bags (how cute is the one above?!) or these mesh produce bags
- Kitchen essentials bamboo utensils
- 2 layer sandwich box (stainless steel)
- Travel spork with cork traveling case
- Charcoal plastic-free water filter (in to-go size)
- Mason Jars for freezing, leftovers, canning, etc: 4 ounce / 32 ounce
- Stainless Steel Straws or reusable bamboo straws
Related post: Super easy zero waste swaps that are saving us over $100 a month
- Bamboo paper towels (honestly one of my favorite zero waste purchases I've made. One roll has lasted us over a year and show no signs of wearing out. They have more than paid for themselves and saved us a ton of money)
- Reusable snack bags – decorative or silicone
- Reusable Facial Cotton Pads
- Lip balm in a biodegradable tube
- Biodegradable bandaids
- Pyrex glass storage containers (I've had this set for years and absolutely love them)
- Bees Wax Wraps (I'm in LOVE with these)
- Mason bottle DIY bottle kit (I so wish I had known about this when was son was using bottles!)
- Don't underestimate second-hand stores for gifts. We love our local second-hand store for a variety of items, and for online second-hand women's and kids clothes shopping we LOVE ThredUp.
- Cloth napkins such as this adorable cow one (below)
Related post: Two things you must do to reduce waste
- Art/craft supplies (could be a great gift for adults too!)
- Magazine subscription (can get a digital subscription or paper – donate the paper version when done)
- Reusable snack bags (fox – see below, or hedgehog)
- Lessons: swim lessons, dance lessons, etc.
- Clothes/shoes
- Put me in the Story – One of a kind personalized books for kids (and even for adults). There are so many book options and popular characters such as Sesame Street, Disney, Curious George, Nickelodeon character, and more!
- Biodegradable or E-book: Leo & The Lion Learn of Love by Holly Rose. Harnessing the Love children so freely emit, the Lion teaches young Leo how to care for himself and the world around him with his heartfelt sagacity. Through the Lion's wisdom, Author Holly Rose communicates the complexities of the modern world in a way which encourages children to work towards a kinder, fairer, more unified and peaceful future. Set alongside illustrator Caroline Winneguth's gentle watercolour scenery, this book harnesses the Love children so freely emit, guiding them protect their nurturing nature. This is a truly stunning book with an even more beautiful message. Plus, did I mention the print version is biodegradable? A great zero waste option for kids! Psst…The Mindful Mom Blographer readers (that's you!) can get 10% off using code 'MINDFULMOM'. Head over to the website to grab your e-book or physical copy!
- Give your kids one 'yes' day (check out this article for more details, or check out the book here).
- Connect with Nature: Projects to Grow, Gather, Make and Do – This book has activity ideas for each season involving nature. This book is on my wish-list!
Related post: How to declutter toys for good (+ save money and reduce waste)
Green Toys
I wanted to create a separate section for green toys, because these are toys that can fall within the lines of minimalism AND zero waste due to their high-quality material (made to last a long time), and the fact that they are made with 100% recycled plastic and come in recyclable packaging. Bonus – they all fall along the lines of dramatic play, meaning they are open-ended so the kiddo in your life can use them for a variety of things only constrained by their own imagination.
My son has a couple of these toys, and we often rent others from our local toy library, and him and I both love them!
Here are some of our favorites:
- Multi-colored blocks
- Watering can and garden tool set (pictured above)
- Pizza Parlor (this is on my son's wish list this year)
- Farm playset
- Small outdoor wagon (my son has this one and LOVES pulling things around all year long)
- Baby Toy Starter Set
- Firestation Playset (my son has checked this one out from the toy library a few times and loves it)
- Tugboat – bath toy (super fun!)
Consumables (look for items that come in reusable packaging/containers)
- Food from their favorite bakery, restaurant, etc
- Coffee/tea
- Wine/Beer/Liquor
- Homemade gifts such as salsa, pesto, jam
- Meat gift basket (pick out a selection of meat)
- Vegetable basket
- Homemade soup mixes
- Homemade lotions/lotion bars
- Homemade soaps
- Candles/essential oils/diffuser, etc
- Grocery delivery service gift card
- Gift certificate to their favorite coffee/tea place
- Meal planning/delivery gift certificate
Related post: 58 Kindness, traditions, and activity based advent calendar ideas
Subscription Boxes
I know there are mixed opinions on subscription boxes. For this list, I've searched out subscription boxes that are eco-friendly, include ethically made/sourced items, and/or give back to the community in some way (all important in the definition of sustainability which we all know is not straightforward). To help you navigate through, I've added what each box offers that falls in line with the sustainable values I mentioned above in italics.
Additionally, here are some other subscription box benefits:
- often can be tailored to the specific interests of the recipient, thus reducing chance for waste/clutter
- allows the recipient to try new items they may not normally try at a discount – making certain items more accessible
- subscription box companies often support local and small businesses
- usually contain full-sized items which can easily be gifted/given to someone else
For Kids
- Green Kids Crafts – Science and art kids activities for kids aged 2-10 using eco-friendly materials.
Sock Panda – Get a pair of socks and the company donates a pair to someone in need! Sizes available for kids starting at age 3 – adults.
For Adults
- The Nomadik – For the travel and outdoor lover in your life. A portion of their sales goes towards environmental organizations.
- MightyNest – This box sends one eco-friendly, non-toxic (and many zero waste friendly products) each month. Members of the subscription box also receive discounts on many items in the MightyNest store! Use code DRYERBALL3 to get the first box for $3, PLUS 3 free dryer balls! Or, use code BEESFIX3 to get the first box for $3, PLUS 2 sheets of beeswax wrap!
- Sock Panda – Get a pair of socks and the company donates a pair to someone in need! Sizes available for kids starting at age 3 – adults.
- TheraBox – Curated by therapists to include self-care and stress/anxiety reducing items. Each box contains one researched-backed item to benefit your mental health.
- Wicked Candle Box – Vegan, cruelty free, and all natural candles and body products delivered right to your door. Black and women owned.
- Ecocentric Moms – Receive organic and eco-friendly products for mom's wellbeing
- Causebox – Causebox aims to create a community of women who care about social issues, the environment, themselves and their community. Products are cruelty-free and ethically-made.
- Love Goodly – This subscription includes eco-friendly, cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics, wellness and lifestyle products.
- GlobeIn – Handmade and ethically sourced goods that pay a fair wage to global artists.
- Botanic + Terre – Natural, eco-friendly, and cruelty free products (cosmetics and home goods)
- GreenUP – This subscription box sends sustainable products that help you reduce plastic. 3% of proceeds go towards organizations that help clean up plastic from the ocean.
- Succulent Studio – Plants make great clutter free gifts. They can help clean the air and help bring a bit of nature from the outside in, which has been shown to reduce anxiety. The succulents in this box are sent in biodegradable pots– not plastic!
- EarthLove – Sent seasonally, EarthLove sends full sized eco-friendly and ethically-made products, a book, and tips on how to get closer to nature- all in zero waste packaging. Additionally, they partner with a non-profit and provide a portion of their proceeds to that organization.
- JourneeBox – Ethically and sustainably made luxery goods, and is Black & women owned!
If after all that you STILL can't find a gift that speaks to you (or maybe you just want to make your own!) there are TONS of great DIY gift ideas out on Pinterest. I have a board dedicated to DIY gift ideas that you can check out here.
Zero Waste Gift Wrap Ideas
If you need some ideas on zero waste gift wrapping, check out my post with 8 zero waste gift wrap ideas.
Want to learn how to adopt a reduction based lifestyle (through mindfulness, minimalism, anxiety management, and zero waste living but not sure where to start?


text: Hydrangea arborescens, Wild Hydrangea, Seven Barks or Gravel Root, native to eastern N. America. Root extract introduced by S.W. Butler in NJ Medical Reporter in 1851 for treatment of pain associated with passing "gravel" from urinary tract, if calculi is small enough to exit through the urethra. Considered anti-inflammatory and diuretic. | Email: email@example.com, or call +1-479-253-2629 for licensing terms and fees. All images © Copyright Steven Foster. Thank you!


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The #15 Italian sub from the 58-year-old Elsie's Sub Shop in Red Bank. (Photo by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
By SUSAN ERICSON
On a visit to Elsie's Sub Shop in Red Bank back in September, PieHole met Michael Mullins, a retiree from Middletown now living in Arizona. Whenever he returns to his Monmouth County roots, he told us, he makes a point of stopping at Elsie's.
"In 1959, I'd take the bus down to the Carlton Theater [now the Count Basie Theatre] from Middletown. Back then the bus was ten cents," he said. "Before I caught the bus to go home, I'd stop at Elsie's for a number five," or a turkey-and-cranberry-sauce sub.
In business since 1959, Elsie's is a necessary stopover for Michael Mullins, seen below with his son. (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)
That kind of loyalty helps keep the lines forming in this narrow but cheerful spot on Monmouth Street. Tongue-in-groove paneled walls painted white brighten the space, and cherry red trim brings an old-fashioned kitchen feel to the cozy four-table dining area.
At lunchtime, the aisle between tables fills in with customers waiting for their orders. Some stay to eat in, but most grab their order and take it back to work with them.
There are 50 different combinations of subs on the menu, and if one of those doesn't float your boat, just tell Chris Covert — co-owner with his wife, Tish Reddington, for the last 20 years — what you'd like on your sandwich.
We go for half a number 15, an Italian sub ($5.30), which consists of ham, salami, and provolone cheese. We like the amount and freshness of both meats and the cheese. The addition of a hot pepper relish, along with the crisp-cold shredded lettuce, are also positive ingredients. We would have liked more onions, but the tomato slices were juicy and still in season. On a scale of 1 to 10, we give it a 9.5, with only the uninspired flavor and texture of the bread/roll holding it back.
We also order a half of a #35 Megga Veggie sub ($5.25) on a whole wheat roll that didn't excite us as much. The canned black olives and Swiss cheese didn't add much to the flavor of the sandwich, though we appreciated the addition of pickles to the shredded lettuce, tomatoes and hot pepper relish.


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The Ultimate Stainless Steel Banding
Metal banding is used as a fixing system in insulation, construction and also in the sign industry. Here at BS Stainless, we specialise in the supply of high performance banding for all applications. All strapping at BS Stainless complies within the regulation standards and scope of ISO 9001:2015 management system.
Stainless steel comes in all shapes and sizes; each grade has different characteristics from corrosion rates to price of the product. Popular grades that we supply here at BS Stainless are 304/1.4301, 316/316L / 1.4404, 201/1.4372 other materials include aluminium alloy or galvanised steel which are also available from us here at BS.
The 304 and 316 banding and even the 201 are both visually the same, therefore distinguishing the difference between the grades can be difficult. The resources we have include equipment such as an S1 Sorter X-ray machine, this allows us to identify which grade of stainless steel they are manufacturing from and therefore ensures the customer is receiving a product that meets the specifications that they are in need of.
The 304 grade material is made up of 18% chromium and 8% nickel. Additionally, this grade contains low levels of carbon compared to the 316, increasing the versatility of the stainless steel. The 316 is deemed to be more expensive than the 304, as this grade has higher corrosion resistance. This is because the 316 grade incorporates about 2-3% molybdenum, which increases the corrosion resistance of the steel, especially against chlorides and other industrial solvents. Grade 201 banding is most popular for sign banding, it has a much lower Nickel content but also incorporates manganese, the result is a particular good
Stainless steel sign banding is an ideal solution for various different situations.Grade 201 banding has a much lower Nickel content but also incorporates manganese. Common applications include fixing bins and signs to lampposts. The characteristics of this product include a light weight 'easy' to handle, individually boxed coil along with the strength, rigidity and corrosion resistance that represents great value and an ideal sign fixing solution. The stainless steel coils are supplied in grade 201 stainless steel which is none magnetic and offers corrosion resistance.
The 201 sign banding clearly has a different purpose than the 304 and 316 grade, as this grade of banding is used for securing signs. The 304 and 316 expand when heated, whereas the 201 grade is designed to hold objects together, therefore expanding in a warm climate would not be suitable for this grade. So whatever is important strength, corrosion resistance or longevity we have a banding solution for you.
Please feel free to contact our expert team for any further advice or guidance when choosing the correct grade.


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"Quilted Sunflower" is a 4.25" x 5.5" note card. This is an especially nice gift for that quilter in your life. Printed on archival heavy weight watercolor card stock in cream with matching envelope. Blank inside. Copyright by Brush and Twig by Laurie Davis.
Quilted Sunflower - 5 Card Set


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Why Saying 'I'm Not A Math Person' Can Be Harmful, Efforts To Improve Math Literacy
For years, the three R's of a basic education have been reading, writing and arithmetic.
While there are some indications that American students are faltering in reading and writing, especially worrisome is arithmetic.
Among the world's industrialized nations, the United States is far down the list on math proficiency and math literacy, well behind such countries as Liechtenstein and Slovakia.
It's already having an impact in maintaining global competitiveness, causing former U.S. Education Secretary William Bennett to call it "a disaster in the making."
Host Don Marsh talked with a panel of guests about why the country has a math literacy problem and about some possible solutions, one of which is to get children interested in math and other STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects at an early age.
- Helene Sherman, Professor of Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and author of Teaching Learners Who Struggle with Mathematics
- Robin Kinman, fourth grade teacher at the Community School
- Sarah Jamison, Corporate Resources Manager at LMI Aerospace, a company with headquarters in St. Charles and involved in UMSL's Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) program.
"People often say I wasn't good at math and I'm not a math person…yet they won't say, 'I can't read,'" Helene Sherman said. "[I agree that children] are hard-wired to understand and succeed [in math], the problem is that as they move along in the system, they are often hearing messages from everyone that they know, perhaps at home, that they're not good at math. So that love and that desire to learn diminishes as the years go by."
Victoria Sherriff, a senior at O'Fallon Township High School in Illinois, also joined Marsh to talk about how she is involved and interested in STEM subjects at a young age. Sherriff is the CEO of the school's Robotics Team, which won the St. Louis regional of the FIRST Robotics Competition in March. The team qualified to compete at the FIRST Robotics Competition World Tournament in St. Louis later this month.
Follow St. Louis on the Air on Twitter - @STLonAir


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BOSTON — New findings have shown that high levels of phthalates in the blood are responsible for attention deficit disorders later in children who undergo frequent treatment in the ICU.
"The long-term legacy of pediatric critical illness comprises a severe and unexplained attention deficit," said Sören Verstraete, MD, a PhD student at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Leuven, Belgium. "We found a clear match between previously hospitalized children's long-term neurocognitive test results and their individual exposure to the phthalate DEHP during intensive care."
Dr Verstraete presented the findings at ENDO 2016.
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, or DEHP, is the most commonly used plastic softener in medical devices made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Congress banned 3 types of phthalates including DEHP from children's toys because of their potential toxic and hormone-disrupting effects in 2008, but the chemical is still used in medical devices such as plastic tubes and catheters.
Dr Verstraete and his colleagues hypothesized that circulating phthalates leaching from indwelling medical devices contribute to long-term attention deficit in children treated in the pediatric ICU.
To test their hypothesis, the researchers measured circulating plasma concentrations of DEHP metabolites in 100 healthy children, and 449 children who were treated in the pediatric ICU and underwent neurocognitive testing 4 years later. Most patients underwent heart surgery, while others were treated for seizures, accidental injuries, or severe infections.
In a development patient cohort (n=228), a multivariable bootstrap study identified stable thresholds of exposure to circulating DEHP metabolites above which there was an independent association with worse neurocognitive outcome. Those independent associations were validated in a second patient cohort (n=221).
Dr Verstraete said plasma concentrations of DEHP metabolites were 4.41 μmol/L in critically ill children upon admission to the pediatric ICU but nearly undetectable in healthy children (0.029 μmol/L).
The potentially harmful threshold for exposure to circulating DEHP metabolites was independently associated with attention deficit and impaired motor coordination, even after researchers adjusted for baseline risk factors and duration of stay in the ICU, and for further complications and treatments. The association with attention deficit was confirmed in the validation cohort (all P≤0.01). This phthalate exposure effect explained half of the attention deficit in patients treated in the pediatric ICU.
"Exposure to phthalates leaching from indwelling medical devices used for intensive medical care in children is associated with their important attention deficit," Dr Verstraete said.
He noted that at present, this leaching may be unavoidable because all the medical devices tested by the researchers included phthalates.
"We need the soft and pliable indwelling medical devices. But on the other hand, the No. 1 rule of modern medicine is 'Do not harm,'" he said. "When you know that you potentially induce a long-term attention deficient in the children, one can ask if we need to develop alternative plasticizers."
- Verstraete S. OR04-6. Circulating Phthalates during Critical Illness in Children and Their Long-Term Attention Deficit Legacy: An Association Study of a Development and a Validation Cohort. Presented at: ENDO 2016; April 1-4, 2016; Boston, MA.


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2011 Winter Universiade: CIS announces Canadian curling teams
Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced Monday the 10 CIS student-athletes and the team officials who will represent Canada in curling at the 2011 Winter Universiade in Erzurum, Turkey. The 24th Winter World University Games will run from January 27 to February 6. The curling tournament kicks off on Jan. 28 with the finals set for Feb. 5. Heading the red and white curling delegation in Erzurum will be team leader Wendy Morgan, women's coach Travis Brown, men's coach Richard Henderson, as well as Alison Fisher, who will serve as team official for the women's team. The University of Regina Cougars and Queen's University Gaels will defend the Canadian colours in women's and men's competition, respectively. Both rinks earned the privilege by winning gold at the 2010 CIS championships, last march in Edmonton. https://english.cis-sic.ca/universiade/winter 2011 Winter Universiade website: https://www.erzurum2011.gov.tr/english TEAM CANADA ROSTER: WOMEN Skip – Brooklyn Lemon, University of Regina – Hometown: Maryfield, Sask. Third – Chelsey Peterson, University ofRegina- Hometown: Estevan, Sask. Second – Ashley Green, University of Regina- Hometown: Yellowknife, N.W.T. Lead – Nicole Lang, University of Regina- Hometown: Regina, Sask. Alternate – Sarah Watamanuk, University of Regina- Hometown: Crane Valley, Sask. TEAM CANADA ROSTER: MEN Position Name University Hometown Skip – Jonathan Beuk, Queen's University – Hometown: Kingston, Ont. Third – Andrew Inouye, Queen's University – Hometown: Ottawa, Ont. Second – Chadd Vandermade, Queen's University – Hometown: Ottawa, Ont. Lead – Scott Chadwick, Queen's University – Hometown: Marysville, Ont. Alternate – William Francis, Queen's University – Hometown: Toronto, Ont. STAFF Team Leader: Wendy Morgan (Burlington, Ont.) Coach (women): Travis Brown (Loreburn, Sask.) Coach (men): Richard Henderson (Thunder Bay, Ont.) Team official (women): Alison Fisher (Regina, Sask.) SCHEDULE Women Jan. 28 (9:00): Canada vs. China Jan. 28 (19:00): Canada vs. Czech Republic Jan. 29 (14:00): Canada vs. Japan Jan. 30 (9:00): Canada vs. Great Britain Jan. 30 (19:00): Canada vs. USA Jan. 31 (14:00): Canada vs. Germany Feb. 1 (9:00): Canada vs. Turkey Feb. 1 (19:00): Canada vs. Russia Feb. 2 (14:00): Canada vs. Korea Feb. 3: Tie-breaking games Feb. 4 (9:00): Semi-finals Feb. 4 (14:00): Bronze Feb. 5 (9:00): Final Men Jan. 28 (14:00): Canada vs. Switzerland Jan. 29 (9:00): Canada vs. Turkey Jan. 29 (19:00): Canada vs. Sweden Jan. 30 (14:00): Canada vs. Great Britain Jan. 31 (9:00): Canada vs. Korea Jan. 31 (19:00): Canada vs. China Feb. 1 (14:00): Canada vs. Czech Republic Feb. 2 (9:00): Canada vs. USA Feb. 2 (19:00): Canada vs. Norway Feb. 3: Tie-breaking games Feb. 4 (9:00): Semi-finals Feb. 4 (14:00): Bronze Feb. 5 (14:00): FinalThe Regina women's team, which edged Saint Mary's 6-5 in an extra end to capture the CIS title, is comprised of skip Brooklyn Lemon, third Chelsey Peterson, second Ashley Green, lead Nicole Lang, as well as alternate Sarah Watamanuk. Lemon and her troops will look to resume Canada's impressive run of success in women's curling at the Games. Since the sport made its Universiade debut in 2003 in Tarvisio, Italy, the Canadian women have reached the final of all three tournaments claiming silver in 2003, gold in 2007 (Turin, Italy) and silver in 2009 (Harbin, China). Curling wasn't part of the Universiade program in 2005 in Austria. Canada is set to open round-robin play against China on Jan. 28 in a rematch of the 2009 gold-medal final that saw the Chinese prevail 6-5. Canada had finished the preliminary round in first place with a perfect 9-0 record, including a 7-6 decision over China. On the men's side, the Queen's squad, which claimed CIS gold last winter thanks to a 7-6 defeat of UPEI, is made up of skip Jonathan Beuk, third Andrew Inouye, second Chadd Vandermade, lead Scott Chadwick and alternative William Francis, a veteran of the 2009 Universiade team when he attended Wilfrid Laurier University. The Canadian men are coming off back-to-back sixth place finishes at the 2007 and 2009 Universiades, after capturing gold in the inaugural tourney in 2003. They are set to debut the 2011 competition against Switzerland on Jan. 28. Sweden is defending Universiade champion on the men's side. Ten countries will compete in both the women's and men's tournaments in Turkey. The top four teams at the end of round-robin play advance to the semi-finals. Canada's participation in the Universiade is managed by the CIS International Programs. Team Canada website:


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Sept 22 (Reuters) - Stena Impero, the British-flagged tanker detained by Iran on July 19, will be released soon, an Iranian maritime official said on Sunday, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.
"After the issuing of the ruling for the end of detention of the English tanker Stena Impero this vessel will soon, and after the passing of 65 days, begin its movement from the port of Bandar Abbas toward international waters," said Allahmorad Afifipour, the head of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran in Hormozgan Province.
He did not provide any additional information on when the tanker may be released.
The Stena Impero was detained by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz waterway for alleged marine violations, two weeks after Britain seized an Iranian tanker off Gibraltar on July 4. That vessel was released in August.
Earlier in the day Swedish public broadcaster SVT quoted Stena Bulk Chief Executive Erik Hanell as saying: "We have received information now this morning that it seems like they will release the ship Stena Impero within a few hours. So we understand that the political decision to release the ship has been taken."


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So far NBM has been going great.
Although my beard partner needed to back out due to unforeseen circumstances,
I'm still marching onward in the name of beards everywhere. It's surprisingly
non-itchy, especially after the first week or two, and has been extremely
useful in the past few weeks due to the temperature drop. I'm proud to report
that I haven't needed a scarf yet (and we've been in the teens here in the Windy City).
I discovered the oddest thing though. Upon further research into National Beard Month, I've discovered that perhaps there is no National Beard Month…. Strange.


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Resilience for Doctors was set up, and is run, by doctors for doctors. Here's our core team.
Co-director/Lead Trainer Dr Chris Johnstone
Chris qualified in London, with distinction, as a medical doctor in 1986, after a first degree combining medicine and psychology. His interest in resilience began in the early 1980s with a research project for his first degree looking at self-help strategies to help us cope with pain.
Over the last thirty years Chris has taught self-help skills for resilience and wellbeing in a wide range of settings – as a GP, as an addictions specialist, in adult education and in the workplace. Now living in the north of Scotland, Chris set up the ResilienceforDoctors.com project as part of College of Wellbeing .com, an online learning service offering training in skills and strategies that help us cultivate wellbeing.
Chris's interest in resilience strategies deepened when he struggled with low mood and burnout as a hospital doctor working 100-hour + weeks in the late 1980s. Recognising that endurance is only one aspect of resilience, he says, "If someone gets back problems from a poorly designed chair, we don't train them in resilience to put up with poor conditions. Instead we'd take an ergonomic approach and redesign the chair". Taking a similar view with working conditions, he successfully took his employers to court, setting a legal precedent ruling that whatever the hours of work in a contract, employers still had a legal obligation to protect health and safety at work.
Chris's books include Seven Ways to Build Resilience (Robinson, 2019), and, co-authored with Joanna Macy, Active Hope – how to face the mess we're in without going crazy (New World Library, 2012). He teaches online courses for resilience and wellbeing at https://resiliencetraining.net
Co-Director Dr Simon Wade
Simon is an experienced GP having qualified at Kings College Hospital, London in 1986, after which he undertook vocational training in West Sussex, before a spell working in Newfoundland,Canada. He settled into a full time GP partnership role in 1992 in Corby, Northamptonshire, and then, after 16 years left the practice for a better work life balance and has enjoyed freelance locum work since.
In 2012 Simon heard about a vet delivering CPD for vets as web based seminars – webinars, and realised that would be a valuable option for fellow GPs to save valuable time and money with online CPD as live and interactive webinars. And so Webinars for GPs came into existence; Simon has been sourcing speakers and hosting weekly CPD web events since 2013.
Simon has had a particular interest in Positive Psychology and Wellbeing and has run Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses as webinars for several years. In 2017 Simon realised there was a need for resilience and wellbeing training for GPs and other doctors and began researching this area with the aim to create a webinar based course. In the process of Simon's research he discovered Chris Johnstone and his resilience training at CollegeOfWellbeing.com. The opportunity to collaborate with Chris on providing a web based Resilience for Doctors course is one that Simon has embraced with a passion.
Simon is married to Jadz and they have a grown up blended family, enjoying walking Harry their border collie as well as four grandchildren. Simon still works part time as a locum GP. Simon runs online courses for GPs at https://webinarsforgps.com
Specialist Trainer/member of review panel: Professor David Peters
David is Clinical Director in the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Westminster where he directs the Centre for Resilience. He has worked as a GP, GP trainer and lecturer at St Marys medical school, before studying osteopathic medicine. From 1990 until 2005 he directed the complementary therapies programme at Marylebone NHS Health Centre, a ground-breaking Central London GP unit exploring new approaches to inner city healthcare.
David has co-authored six books and many articles about integrated healthcare. He has a particular interest in health problems where resilience has broken down (including PTSD), or where pain and fatigue overlap, and in self-care for long-term conditions.


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4AM, Kinshasa, Zaire, 1974. The bell rings. Round 1 is over. The most anticipated bout between two undefeated giants has begun. If you want to know what fear is, look at Muhammad Ali's eyes as he gasps in his corner. See him engrossed by the unassailable man on the other side of the ring, breathless, while the feeling of terror disseminates within. Who is the greater nemesis -- George Foreman across the ring or the petrifying feeling of fear?
Seeing Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all times, afraid, vehemently reveals the power of fear. Even if subdued, it is always there, lurking. Waiting for the right moment to erupt and take over your will. But fear was there just for a moment, as if a cold breeze blew across Ali's face and quickly disappeared. What happened in Ali's mind during those crucial seconds between Round 1 and Round 2? Scientists do not know. But they do know what happened in his brain.
The core of our defense mechanism is a deep structure in the brain, the amygdala (Greek for "almond," its shape). Like almost every part of the brain, there are two of them, one at each side, roughly behind the eyes, aligned with the ears. Information about imminent threat travels through our sensory organs into the amygdala. The amygdala then stimulates motor and hormonal systems, thus triggering an instinctive response of defense. The importance of the amygdala is beyond the ability to react, though. It is in the ability to predict.
Have you ever experienced profound fear? If you have, you probably remember not only what scared you but also a few other things that stood out. Perhaps the color of a shirt, the view of a shadow, or the clicking sound of metal. Innocent cues that up until now stood for nothing, but from now on, their mere presence is a cause for alert. The amygdala is the key focal point where information about threat and the cues that predict it, converge.
This association, between a naive cue and a harmful outcome, is classical conditioning. If this rings a bell, you are probably thinking of Pavlov. The amygdala is the production site of these Pavlovian associations. It does a good job of it, as these are typically long lasting and strong. What it means is that whenever you encounter such a conditioned cue, you are not only reminded of the frightening event, you actually feel it, here and now, although you did not yet encounter the threat.
Still, something is missing in this picture. It doesn't make sense that we go about life learning these associations and then reacting whenever they pop up. What if we are in a different situation? What if a long time has passed? Sometimes our predictions about threat are no longer relevant simply because things have changed.
To overcome such hard-wired defense responses, we need to engage another part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, resting behind our forehead. The prefrontal cortex controls the amygdala by overriding its projections to the brainstem and the hypothalamus, the regions that bring about the defensive reaction to threat.
There is a constant battle between these two parts of the brain. The prefrontal cortex takes into consideration the current situation and new knowledge, and chooses the appropriate course of action amongst several ways. But, to gain control over our automatic defensive behavior, should our prefrontal cortex be perpetually astir? Maybe not. Scientists may have found a way to circumvent the entire thing.
Memory becomes fragile when it is active in our brain. Say you put something precious in a box and each time you take it out, it changes a little bit. Memory, as it turns out, is the same. We think we remember exactly the way things went about. But scientists now discover that the act of retrieval itself makes the memory vulnerable. When you store it again, it would go in slightly different. The next time you retrieve it, it will be a different version of the memory, with this delicate change.
For science and medicine, this is a golden opportunity. There is a short time window to target an old memory and prevent us from storing it again. This is where fiction becomes reality. There might be a real opportunity for memory transformation. With the right drug or the right manipulation, memory can change in a deliberate way. This sounds a little troubling, to be honest, do we really want to meddle with what essentially is our core being?
Let's look at it from the perspective of George Foreman, who lost the fight in Zaire. Suppose he could have taken a drug that erased the memory of this devastating loss, and spare him the fear of going back to the ring. But then, he would have not been the fighter he is, regaining his title after 20 years.
It could have turned out differently, however, if Foreman would have lost the courage to go back in. He might have stopped fighting altogether, hardly function in everyday life, and react agilely to any bell ring. A traumatic memory, such as this, is beyond the jurisdiction of the prefrontal cortex. The normal defense systems of the brain, in this case, go awry. These circumstances, where an adaptive defense response is now dysfunctional and counterproductive, might justify a 'memory pill.' It is not a matter of ethics -- just as we would fix a broken jaw, a broken memory we could fix as well.
Science tells us that memory is dynamic, but what does this mean? Maybe memory is not about memory. Perhaps it is not about an accurate documentation or an organized filing scheme. Maybe the true function of memory is to help us make sense of the present and better predict what happens next. We are better off with an up-to-date memory, even if not accurate, if this indeed is the case. If memory is like clay at the hands of a pottery maker, then it is not bestowed upon us. We change the story of our lives just by telling it, again and again.


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This is one of the most common questions after a Philadelphia car accident that results in injuries, whether you're an innocent driver, passenger or pedestrian or you're the at-fault party. The answer is that for the vast majority of Philadelphia residents who're injured in a car accident, their OWN car insurance policy will pay for the first $5,000 of medical bills. $5,000 is the minimum amount required by Pennsylvania law, under a special type of coverage known as PIP (Personal Injury Protection). Many PA residents purchase more PIP coverage on their policies.
Under Pennsylvania car insurance law, the PA Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law, every car insurance policy issued in this state must provide PIP benefits to the insured and members of their household (spouse and children/dependents). The PIP coverage amount (minimum of $5,000) applies per person, per accident. It also applies to any type of auto accident including car versus car/truck, car versus pedestrian or car versus bicycle.
PIP coverage is required to be available without regard to fault. If you're injured, you make a PIP claim for medical bills under your OWN insurance policy. This tends to be counter-intuitive for people who are injured in accidents caused by another driver. Why shouldn't the at-fault driver pay for the medical bills that resulted from their own negligence? It's a common question and it certainly feels fair for the at-fault driver to have to pay for medical expenses incurred by innocent victims.
However, PIP law in Pennsylvania doesn't take sense of fairness into account. PA is a no-fault state with respect to the payment of medical bills (and lost wages, if applicable) under PIP coverage. The at-fault driver doesn't pay directly for the PIP benefits paid out to the innocent victims.
Instead, the victims retain the ability to sue the at-fault driver for the injuries and damages in court. One of those damages is the financial damages caused by the accident. An auto accident victim can file a legal claim to recover medical bills, lost wages and out of pocket/miscellaneous expenses that were incurred after PIP coverage exhausted.
It's important to note that there are limitations to an injured Philadelphia resident's ability to seek pain and suffering damages, depending on the situation. See discussion of limited tort law in PA and how it affects an injured victim's ability to get financially compensated after a car accident.
Making PIP claims after a car accident in Philadelphia requires notification to your insurance company and a PIP claim form. Failure to notify your insurance company and provide the necessary forms may result in delay or denial of the PIP claim. Read more about PIP claims after a car accident in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers – We Represent Victims of Car Accidents
Our law firm represents victims of car accidents in the Philadelphia region, including Bucks County, Montgomery County, Delaware County. etc. Contact us for a FREE consultation. (866) 641-0806
DISCLAIMER: This website does not create any attorney-client relationship or provide legal advice. It is crucial to speak to a qualified lawyer prior to making any decision about your case. Read full disclaimer at the bottom of this page.


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Stringify, a thoughtful automation service for the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced support for Android devices, with the app now available in beta on the Google Play store. The company has also announced several new partner integrations with key players in the consumer IOT space, including IFTTT, Steam, Twitch, Foobot, Smappee and Sengled.
A 2017 CES Innovations Honoree, Stringify has developed patent-pending, innovative solutions that address the challenges consumers face with IoT. The Stringify app connects smart home "things," wearable devices, and other associated services to create powerful automated experiences that allow users to get more from each device or service, as well as any combination that suits the consumer.
Read more on Globe Newswire here.


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16 May 2018
After Cambridge Analytica, new data legislation is the chance for marketers to regain public trust.
Our digital footprints are everywhere. For as long as we have been an active participant in the online world we have been leaving traces of our identity across the web.
It seems harmless, after all what can truly go wrong when dropping the odd like on Facebook or handing out your email address to get updates from your favourite clothing company. Data in isolation is indeed mostly harmless. The problems begin when people begin to bring all that information together to paint a detailed picture of exactly who we are.
The consequences of how this data can be used are truly terrifying, manipulating certain demographics during an election by trapping them in a web of fake news and misinformation. The recent Cambridge Analytica scandal of using Facebook data to change the course of democratic votes had all the hallmarks of an episode of Black Mirror.
It has been reported that by analysing 300 likes from a profile on Facebook, the Cambridge Analytica algorithm was able to predict personality traits better than the partner or family of that person. As we spend more time than ever online, we are increasingly opening ourselves up for our data and usage habits to be exploited in sinister ways.
Whether technology has arrived at the point of truly undermining our democratic institutions is a question that only time will answer but the recent scandals have pushed data protection into the public eye.
We are increasingly aware of the value of our personal data and that is sure to pose some big questions to sectors of the marketing community that have dedicated themselves to offering greater personalisation through data insight and analytics.
The truth is that is that marketers have had an incredibly good run when it comes to collecting personal data. For years we have happily handed over our personal information to sign up for a whole range of services, giving out an email and phone number has become an essential part of of the purchase or sign-up process.
The fact that the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke at the same time as GDPR legislation was about to come into effect sewed the seeds of a public debate over data privacy. Marketers must now respond to waylay fears about overreach and repair the broken trust that have come as a result of the misuse of personal data.
Suspicion often closely follows progress and innovation as people fear a Pandora's box scenario in which we only realise the consequences of our own curiosity when it is far too late. Marketers will not shy away from processing personal data as the benefits of offering a tailored service are far too great for both companies and consumers but they face an uphill battle as the seeds of mistrust continue to spread.
A recent survey by Reuters found that in the wake of recent scandals surrounding Facebook, 51% of Americans now don't trust the company to handle their data. Reclaiming trust when processing data will become increasingly about having the best interest of a person at heart. Are you using that information to provide them with something that is valuable and interesting or are you spamming and abusing their contact details?
GDPR provides the perfect kicking off point to rebuild trust between companies and consumers. Marketing departments are already thinking of innovative ways to tackle the challenges posed by the new legislation. Redressing these issues and the imbalance in the relationship between consumers and companies online is essential. Rather than viewing current and future legislation as an obstacle, it should be seen as an opportunity to reclaim the trust of a public that is starting to lose faith with many companies that once seemed to be such a force for good.


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- Global business confidence up, but confidence gap between developed and emerging markets is widening
- Financial turbulence is building globally
Global business confidence is up, but the economic recovery could be seriously flawed, reveal new findings from ACCA's (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Global Economic Conditions Survey (GECS).
GECS, the largest regular economic survey of accountants in the world, gauges the views of ACCA and IMA finance professionals globally, using the hands-on experiences of accountants in industry and practice to provide a truly global perspective of the economic recovery.
Singapore findings
The first GECS edition for 2014 saw business confidence nearly cross over into positive territory for the first time in five years; but it also saw Singaporean respondents' macro-economic outlook changing significantly in the new year revealing an uncertainty not previously recorded.
Although Singapore's broadly upward trend of the past two years has been preserved, an unprecedented 20% were unsure whether conditions were improving or not, up from just 3% in late 2014. 40% of respondents were optimistic (down from 51% previously), while another 40% were pessimistic, down from 46%.
Emmanouil Schizas, ACCA's Senior Economic Analyst, said: "This sense of uncertainty has some basis in the fundamentals of the economy. According to GECS respondents, price and exchange rate volatility moderated in early 2014, but the year-long trend towards further instability seems most likely to continue into the middle of the year."
Consequently, business confidence was up for a second consecutive quarter, but here too responses paint a picture of increased uncertainty. While 29% of respondents reported confidence gains, up from 19% in late 2013, 34% reported losses, also up from 32%.
Soo Yee Leong, head of ACCA Singapore, commented: "Both business and investment opportunities grew significantly in early 2014, despite a marginal deterioration in cashflow and demand conditions. Access to growth capital also improved quarter-on-quarter, although it is still on a downward trajectory, having peaked in Q3 2013. The combination of new opportunities and a stronger supply of funding helped maintain business capacity building on a strong upward trajectory, although seasonal influences meant that it was down slightly quarter on quarter."
Global Findings
Thirty per cent of respondents around the world were now more confident about the prospects of their organisations than they had been three months earlier, a figure unchanged since late 2013. On the other hand, 31% reported a loss of confidence, down from 34% in late 2013.
Additionally, more than half of the global GECS sample (58%, up from 55% in late 2013) were optimistic about the state of their national economies, reporting that recovery was underway or about to begin. The pessimists only made up 38% of the sample, down from 42% in the previous quarter.
However, a closer look revealed a worrying picture for the economic recovery.
Emmanouil Schizas added: "Despite the best business confidence readings since the GECS began in 2009, ACCA and IMA's analysis of the influence of fundamentals on business confidence suggests that the economic recovery is flawed and has now become much more fragile.
- "Since early 2013, global business confidence has become increasingly dependent on price and exchange rate stability. This trend is a sign of building financial turbulence, and has accelerated dramatically in early 2014. Financial stability is now a more significant contributor to business confidence than cash-flow and demand. Expectations of government spending and ratings of government policy also became more significant contributors in early 2014, suggesting that the recovery has been hollowed-out in early 2014 and is now over-dependent on policy."


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Ohio, like many states in America, passed the Unified Electronic Transaction Act – UETA. However, there are a number of conditions and limitations. They need to be clarified before signing a document with a partner or citizen of Ohio.
Ohio Electronic Signature Act
The state of UETA is in force in Ohio. Its main idea is that the document cannot lose its legal force only because it is prepared in electronic form. The contract also does not lose legal weight or the need to fulfill all its clauses just because it is signed with an electronic signature.
If the law requires a signature as such or a written form thereof, the electronic details fully satisfy the requirements.
UETA regulates transactions in electronic commerce in Ohio. However, the legislation applies only to those transactions in which both parties have previously discussed the possibility of maintaining electronic documentation.
It is important to understand that the conduct of a single transaction in electronic format is not the default consent to maintain all documents in this form. The goal of UETA is not to require government agencies and private enterprises to use electronic documents. The act only regulates their use and equates them to written, paper records and documents, if the parties agreed to electronic document circulation.
Basic requirements for electronic signatures in Ohio
UETA has four basic requirements for electronic transactions within the state of Ohio. The first two requirements are to recognize them as equal in legal force with paper documents of identical content. Even during the trial electronic documents should be considered by the judge, if there is no other reason to deny their authenticity.
The third rule: any law requiring the signature of a legal or natural person will be satisfied with an electronic signature. The fourth rule: any document that requires details, you can sign the electronic details, if required by legislative act.
UETA defines the details as an electronic record created, generated, sent or transmitted by electronic means. It can be a sound, a process or a symbol that is logically associated with the recording and accepted by the person who signs the document.
Assignment of signature
The law provides that a signature is assigned to a person, if it is an action that a person can reproduce in any way. If authentication requires a security procedure, the effectiveness of the verification procedure must also be demonstrated.
The law protects the interests of the party to the contract that complies with the security procedure. This is important to know if the other party does not follow the security procedure and a dispute arises about the content and authenticity of the document.
However, UETA is technology neutral and does not require the use of any specific types of electronic signatures. There are also no technologies that must be used with respect to electronic signatures. It also does not matter how simple or advanced these technologies are.
Document storage
The act provides several rules for cases when documentation is required to be kept in electronic format. Save the record can be subject to two requirements.
First: the electronic record must fully and accurately reflect the information specified in the records, after creating the final version.
Second, the record must remain open and available for further use and be provided upon request.
Agreement between electronic agents
Another major issue in Ohio that UETA solves is the verification of contracts concluded between electronic agents. The implied transactions are online purchases.
An electronic agent is a program, intended for doing business with others in electronic mode without actual communication, except in electronic format.
The law specifies that both parties to an agreement may form a valid and binding contract using an electronic agent.
An interesting feature of the law in this respect is the provision that such a contract can be drawn up even in the case when no one was aware or considered the actions of the agent and the consequent agreement terms.
Consumer transactions
In the case of transactions involving individuals, in particular, for family, home and personal purposes, the law provides for some reservations.
First: any provision of a non-electronic contract that permits conducting a transaction using electronic means is not enforceable until the consumer separately signs such a provision.
Second, the consumer's consent to the transaction cannot be based only on the fact that he used electronic means to pay bills, register a purchase, or guarantee.
The law governing electronic transactions excludes some of them. The main exceptions are cases that are subject to the Uniform Commercial Law, except for the sale of goods. Another limitation is the operations associated with the creation, execution of wills, trusts, fees.
The legality of electronic signatures in DigiSigner
DigiSigner complies with all requirements of Ohio law regarding electronic signature management. As an online service, DigiSigner helps to maintain documentation and sign documents remotely.
Just upload the document you want to sign, put your details in the selected place. You can sign immediately or download the complete scan. It is also possible to enter details and the date text.
Create templates with a post and a name that will need to be added in the future only with the actual date for the certification of the document, if the workflow is large. The service also helps to track the process of signing by other parties of the contract.


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Raw Feeding Meal Plan Adjustments
Did you have a meal plan made by me in the past? Would you like to switch out different protein sources, try different bone sources, or explore alternatives for other ingredients in your original meal plan? I've got you covered!
1-5 Meal Plan Adjustments
Each meal adjustment will be formulated to ensure that your dog's nutritional requirements are still being met. You will be asked to provide information on your past order and exactly what adjustments you would like to be made to your previous order. New protein sources, new bone sources, alternatives to other ingredients in your original meal plan plans, etc...
Shopping List
To ensure that you will be able to have the necessary ingredients on hand, you will be provided with a shopping list of the items and the amounts of those items that you will need each 30 day period.
Nutritional Analysis PDF
This analysis is a complete breakdown of all nutrients, calories, macros, and more in your dog's diet. Many use this information when visiting the veterinarian to show they are providing a balanced and sound diet.
Follow Up Email Support
After the completion and delivery of each meal plan, you will be provided with 1 week of email support to answer any questions or concerns regarding the meal plan or meal plans that were delivered to you. This includes minor adjustments to the meal plan.
Within 24 hours of your purchase, you will receive an email requesting the information listed above.
- Due to popularity and demand, all meal plans have a current 21-30 day waiting period.
- Refunds are only available before the meal plan adjustment(s) are delivered. If adjustments need to be made after the meal plan delivery, this can be taken care of during the 1-week email support period.


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Community Videos
Community Videos
Port Alberni is an affordable waterfront community at the heart of the west coast of Vancouver Island. We are situated at the end of a 48 kilometre-long inlet and offer access to wilderness so amazing, you will only realize it when you're here.
Please watch these videos and enjoy all that our amazing community has to offer.
View additional videos about Port Alberni on Local Shaw TV Community Videos on YouTube


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Life Sciences
Overview Of Life Sciences
The Life Sciences sector is pretty wide and includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biomedical technologies, environmental, biomedical devices etc. To prepare for the future and remain relavent in the ever-evolving business landscape, the life-science sector needs to put in great deal of effort keeping up with a changing world which includes working to keep costs down, keep revenues and profits up, getting more products to consumers, meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements . . . and more.
The industry sectors we served include
Key Differentiators
- Use of latest technology applications without expensive resource retraining, experimentation or failure.
- Optimizing cost of applications by leveraging alternative sourcing and delivery models.
- Participation in development of a strategic IT vision.
- Fall back option for specialized IT skills and burst capacity.
- Value addition through domain expertise.
- Take the pain out of day-to-day management of IT human resources.


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Saturday, April 28, 2012
In My Mailbox #29
What did you get this week?
Finnikin of the Rock Paperback Loved loved this book. <3 Needed a pretty paperback :)
The Vespertine Loved this book. <3 But read the paperback; and I really needed the hardcover :D
Masque of the Red Death Unsure if I will like this bc of the triangle. Seems good, though :)
Dark Eden 2 I now have both books :) Need to read them soon. Liked the ARC cover better :(
Gravity Bookmarks. Got these from Melissa. <3 I love her! And I love love these bookmarks. <3 :D
Lots of bookmarks won from Mundie Moms. Omg! I love all of these. <3 They are all so pretty :)
The Immortal Rules This book is so damn good. Must read. And the hardcover is so pretty. <3
Bitterblue Yay! I loved this book. <3 :D And my hardcover looks so good. Can't wait to re-read :)
Eon Reading this next, I think :D So excited to read it. It seems epic. Loving the cover :)
The Selection Unsure of the love triangle. But the book seems so good :D Excited to read.
The Immortal Rules Paperback Well, I needed a pretty UK paperback of this as well :D
The Vicious Deep Didn't really like this book :( Review posted. But the cover is gorgeous :)
Witch Song Think this sounds like an awesome book. And the cover is so pretty.
The Giver So many seems to love this book. Seems interesting ;) Will read it one day.
Also got this awesome Snow White box set :D I love it. <3 This one here.
And I also got accepted to read Timepiece by Myra McEntire via NetGalley. Unsure if I'm going to.
In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme made by The Story Siren :)
Also? Did you all enter my international giveaway? :D You can choose one YA paperback.
Lots of amazing books to choose from. <3 Ends May 11th. Two winners. Enter HERE.
21 comments:
I have Witch Song on my computer, though i've only read a few pages... so far, it's really interesting ^^ReplyDelete
Enjoy reading!
Read Into Hiding
Oooo Witch Song is on my TBR. Eon looks good. And love the swags you have. All of them are so pretty!ReplyDelete
Happy reading!
- Michelle
awesome as alwaysReplyDelete
how much money do you spend each month lolReplies
Thank you :D Oh, it is s lot ;p lolDelete
I wish I could buy all those books, woehoe. Amazing :DReplyDelete
Ooh I can't wait to see what you think of Masque of the Red Death. I liked that book but I didn't love it. The love triangle was frustrating for me but I know a lot of people loved it as it's really difficult to decide which is the better guy. Anyway, great mailbox! I hope you enjoy all of these books. :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Grrr. Hating love triangles! But. I will read this book. Not right away; but soon ;) Hoping I'll like it :) Thank you. <3Delete
Aww Sweety amazing haul!! Immortal rules <3 <3 And you aren't sure if you will read Timepiece?! Wtf? I would sell pieces of my soul to have a chance to read this booK!! Ahhhhhhh. You're funny. And Bitterblue <3 <3 Finally :) So happy for you! Enjoy your re-reading ;) :) Have fun! <3ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you. <3 I don't want it. HATE that it is from Kaleb's POV. HATE IT SO MUCH. I fell in love with Emerson and Michael. Not Kaleb. Don't like him much :p It isn't the same when it isn't from Emerson's POV. :( Biggest problem, though, was how bad the author is treating me. And, yeah, just feeling sad about it :pDelete
Thank you, though :) <3
- AnonymousApril 29, 2012 at 4:09 AM
Whoa that's a sweet haul!ReplyDelete
I've always wanted to read Eon. I keep picking it up on the bookstore but haven't committed to buying it yet. I dunno what I'm waiting for lol.
Enjoy your reads :)
Awww. How do you have Bitterblue already? O.o I WANT. Sweet, sweet haul, Carina :)ReplyDelete
Awesome week hun!!! ENJOY!ReplyDelete
Wow you've already read BITTERBLUE! ><" I'm waiting for the pb release, which should be next year. I only recently read Fire (read Graceling mid-last year) and I feel I could explode with all this waiting.ReplyDelete
I need to grab a copy of FINNIKIN and EON and THE GIVER! Hope you enjoy them. :) And of course, The Immortal Rules, hehe.
See what I got! I'm no longer doing IMM, but I'm still doing book hauls.
I've no idea what Witch Song is about, but I know I want it, just for that friggin awesome cover!!! :-)ReplyDelete
Happy Reading!
N.B I am no longer following IMM posts from The Story Siren due to her plagarism, I am following a new theme called Stacking The Shelves over at Tynga's blog. I was already a follower of your blog, so that's how I came to see your incoming books.Replies
Woot! Yeah, I love the cover. <3 It is so pretty ;) Thank you. <3Delete
Wow awesome IMM! Lot's and lots of books! But hey nothing's wrong with pre-ordering books. I actually get them cheaper by pre-ordering (@ bn.com). Thanks for sharing.ReplyDelete
Check out my IMM
Eden's Root Giveaway!
Great books this week! I pre-ordered a lot of the books you got, but they just came today so I couldn't include them in my IMM. Hope you enjoy all of your books!ReplyDelete
My IMM
Great haul. I read The Giver when I was a freshman and loved it. I hope you love all your books.ReplyDelete
-Miranda's IMM
Looks like you had a yummy week!!ReplyDelete
Thanks for sharing,
YAY FOR FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK <3!ReplyDelete
and a question, "Perfect for fans of THG" stick(?) on The Immortal Rules paperback can be pulled off? or is it stamped on the book?


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Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite (Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood) is the motto of France and symbolic of the French Revolution, when monarchy ended and democracy was established.
Traveling with kids in Paris, make a treasure hunt to see how many places kids can spot Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite – on buildings, murals, statues, coins, souvenirs.
Here's what we found on our last visit to Paris.
Bastille Metro stop – Named for the infamous Bastille prison, at this metro stop are tiled murals with key events of the French Revolution. On July 14, 1789, citizens of Paris attacked the Bastille and demolished the prison completely. The murals are located on the platform for Line 1 (La Defense – Chateau de Vincennes).
Palais de Justice is situated between Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie, medieval prison and home away from home for Marie Antoinette (before she lost her head). Palais de Justice houses the law courts, and the motto appears on a majestic facade, at the entrance on Blvd. du Palais (and near to the exit to Sainte Chapelle).
Place de la Republique, after exiting Republique Metro stop, head over to a monumental statue in the center of the pedestrian esplanade. The Statue of the Republic, inaugurated July 14 1885, has bronze scenes from the French Revolution around the base, and above that three statues of Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite. Fraternite is a relaxed-looking lady with two cherub-y children, Egalite sits with a level on her lap (symbolizing equality), Liberte holds her torch up high.
The motto Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite is not just on buildings or statues, it appears on stamps and coins of the French Republic. Kids won't see old French francs in circulation, but take out all your 2 Euro coins. On the back, look for Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite.
One summer we were in Paris for Bastille Day, July 14, and it's great fun. In the evening, we walked all the way down the Rue de Rivoli to Place de la Bastille – it was like a giant block party with live music on every corner. Later in the evening (11pm) there are fireworks from the Eiffel Tower.


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From hoarding to crime scene cleanup, ServiceMaster Cleaning and Restoration Pro is fully equipped to restore your home or business with extreme cleaning. We pride ourselves on our long-standing tradition of high-quality services, and we are fully certified to help you with any extreme cleaning need. Our cleaning techniques parallel OSHA's health standards, and our technicians are specially certified to clean and restore properties containing hazardous materials, such as blood or sewage.
The following links are special extreme cleaning services that we provide:


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I would LOVE to hear from you.
Connect with me here on Facebook, I'm really never far away!
You will find me Instagrammin' with the rest via – @meaganbignell
And .. for everything else: Love notes, Coaching & Reiki enquiries, or just to say ello' ….please drop me a line at:
I'm looking forward to hearing from you!


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So, the Cancer Innovation Challenge is now live… launched on 24 March 2017 by the Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood at DataFest17, it's out there. Website launched, press release released (press covered it, yay!), flyers ordered, stickers printed, funding call opened, consultation document written, Data Dive organised, meetings galore etc etc
All sounds great, how do I get involved? I hear you ask. Well, let me tell you. (and by me, I mean Steph Wright, Project Manager for the Cancer Innovation Challenge. Get in touch!)
There are currently 4 different ways you can get involved in the Cancer Innovation Challenge so let me tell you a bit about them.
- Apply for funding!
The funding competition for New Approaches to record and integrate cancer PROMs (Patient Recorded Outcome Measures) and PREMs (Patient Recorded Experience Measures) is now open for applications. The information session for interested applicants is on 19 April 2017. The deadline for registering your interest in the competition is 15 May 2017 and the application submission deadline is 29 May 2017. Up to £325,000 is available for the two-phase competition.
- Take part in the Cancer Data Dive
Entrepreneurially minded data scientists and analysts, clinicians, designers, and software engineers are invited to spend 3 days and 3 nights side by side developing data focused projects to improve cancer care in the NHS in Scotland. Synthetic cancer data sets have been specifically created for this event. It is open to all and is being run by Product Forge and will take place 15-18 June 2017 at CodeBase in Edinburgh. Sign up now!
- Respond to the Cancer Data consultation
A consultation period has been launched to invite people to help us shape the Cancer Data funding call which will launch later in the summer. Anyone with experience and skills in working with large complex data sets in secure environments are invited to respond as are clinicians with experience of cancer patient care. The consultation will end on 5 June 2017 so if you would like to help us put together a funding competition that will make an impact on cancer care in Scotland, please do respond.
- Become a reviewer
We have an open call for funding application reviewers to complement an internal pool we will be building. So if you have relevant data science or digital technology or clinical expertise, please do get in touch!
Remember, the Cancer Innovation Challenge is an OPEN innovation opportunity. Anyone can apply, not just those who have experience of working in the healthcare sector. It's a chance for you to apply your existing skills and experience to cancer care and make a difference to the lives of cancer patients in Scotland.


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Cold winter days equals dry unflattering skin and nobody likes the feel of that, especially on the hands. Formulated with shea butter and a blend of natural oils, hands of hope by philosophy hydrates and smoothes dry hands to help provide long-lasting moisture for softer hands. Sounds promising, I decided to put it to the test.
The texture of the cream is not light but not too thick. It absorbs quickly while leaving no greasy feel. The scent has the unscented-scent.
When I first applied hands of hope it was a letdown. I have tried many philosophy products and even raved on a few and thought I would love hands of hope. The product felt a bit waxy/sticky after application, very uncomfortable and the product would flake off like an eraser if you rub too much, I was completely unimpressed.
I left it to the side for a few months and rediscovered it recently when my hands were super dry – I mean, forgetting to wear gloves during frigid temperatures dry. I just ran out of my favourite hand lotion so I opted for hands of hope because something is better than nothing. To my surprise, my hands were moisturized, no waxy/sticky feel. It went on smoothly and no excuse.
I came to the realization that this product is probably intended for those who have dry hands to begin with before the application. When I applied it for the very first time, my hands were not as drying, therefore, it did not "work", compared to when my hands were dry, it felt almost like baby skin. Maybe it's just me? Who knows. The fact is, no more dry hands. Hallelujah!
Have you tried hands of hope? What are your thoughts?