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For many, many years I've been intrigued by the concept of the 'Gladiators' of ancient Rome (not to mention that one of my all time favorite movies is Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator' with Russel Crowe) .
Were they slaves who were forced to fight, were they free men who were the glamor athletes of their time? Francesca Bezzone of L'Italo-Americano magazine researched Gladiators and found that before Pompeii and Hercolaneum were rediscovered by archaeologists in the 18th century, we knew relatively little about them and the way they lived, but today, thanks to the findings coming from these two cities, we can reconstruct fairly well the way these entertainment-warriors were selected, and perceived by the public.
So who were they?
Gladiators were not a right or privilege of the Romans: sources tell us long before the Romans that the Etruscans, too, had a penchant for arena fights, not only a way to entertain, but also a window for the rich and famous of the time to show off their wealth and power. The Etruscans were not much different from our forefathers, the Romans, who used gladiatorial games as a way for the Emperor to display power, riches and, often, his right of life and death upon other human beings. Mind you, in Roman times gladiators also had a pretty strong political role: rulers used them and their combats to sweeten up the common people to draw their attention from more pressing issues such as high taxes, lack of food, poverty, another war to fight and pay for.
Thanks to archeological research, we know that Roman gladiators were usually aged between 20 and 35 years of age and had an average height of 1.68 meters (around 5ft 5in): do you think they were short? Well, not for those times, when the average height for a man was just that.
But the first question to ask ourselves is: who were the gladiators and where did they come from? Well, there is a fairly widespread misconception they were exclusively war prisoners and slaves forced into fighting for the sake of Roman pleasure, but sources tell us a fairly different story. If, indeed, a great part of them had been captured during combat and forced into becoming an arena hero (a bit like the way you see in the movie Gladiator, with Russell Crowe, where his best fighter friend was a captured enemy warrior), there is proof a number of free, Roman men decided to take up this dangerous career. Dangerous, because you risked your life every time you went to work, but the rewards could be incredible, if you were good and lucky.
Free gladiators came usually from Rome's poorer social strata, and saw the arena as a way to gain prestige, popularity and, first and foremost, wealth: the best gladiators were protected by noble families, received lavish gifts and could in fact lead a pretty glamorous lifestyle. Many of them, it seems, were also favorites in the bedrooms of Rome's most powerful Matrons: it is even said that Eppia, wife of a Roman senator, abandoned her husband to be with a gladiator.
Living as a gladiator
In many ways, gladiators in Rome were like modern day athletes. They bonded during training and fighting and often shared profound friendships, to the point official unions called 'collegia' were formed. Collegia took care of many aspects of the life of gladiators, including the expenses related to their funeral and burial, should they die during a combat, and financial compensation for their family.
If you wanted — or were selected — to become a gladiator, you had to attend one of the Empire's gladiatorial schools, the most important of which was in Capua. And, just as it happens today with footballers or other athletes, there were bonafide talent scouts cruising the Empire, looking for fresh talent to add to their "teams." If you were a free man, they'd entice you to become a fighter with tales of wealth and status; if you were a slave or a prisoner, you had no choice but go with them.
Life in the gladiatorial school was very strict: all men had to train daily and it was not all about fighting. Indeed, the first months were dedicated to become "gladiator fit," which means physical exercise and strain could become rather excruciating. They all followed a healthy, three-meal-per-day diet, which is thought to have included fruit, vegetables, cheese, grains and meat, although recent archaeological findings appear to prove many gladiators were, in fact, vegetarians (to my great chagrin).
But the comparison with modern athletes ends pretty much here: all gladiators attending school had to sleep and spend all of their free time in 'cells' and were only freed from them while training and eating. They would fight four to five times a year, and most of them specialized in specific types of combat. A harsh life, for sure, but the rewards were worthy in the eye of a vast majority of them, because gladiators were the Empire's stars: they endorsed products, their portraits were placed in public places, children had toys — often clay figurines — modeled after them. And, they were, as we said, considered great lovers and Roman women thought their sweat was an aphrodisiac.
Little curiosities about our fighting heroes
Gladiators have always been very popular characters of Roman history: they embody strength, courage and as we mentioned have a good deal of sex appeal. But, there are many things we believe about them that are not as true as we think.
For instance, not all gladiators were men: women liked their fighting, too. Contrary to men, though, the vast majority of women chose to become fighters freely, attracted by the lifestyle and by the allure of the arena. There is also new research about the gladiators and death: while the risk of not ending up alive at the end of a combat was certainly high, death in the gladiatorial arena was not as common as many of us may have learned from history books and tv; indeed, gladiators were only part of the arena entertainment offered during the games, which usually also involved animal fights and, alas, executions.
This meant that people got their need for blood and gore out of the way by the time gladiators came "on stage," which often allowed them to end their fights alive, even if they lost. And, gladiators had their own energy drinks, too: apparently, they would mix together water, vinegar and wood ashes to create an reinvigorating concoction, the chemical traces of which were found in the bones of gladiators analyzed a few years ago by the Medical University of Vienna.
"My name is Gladiator . . ."
Corks vs. Screw Caps
In last month's blog we learned about cork trees. Wine corks are made from cork oak (Quercus suber), which are native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa. The tree forms a thick layer of bark that once it reaches the right thickness is harvested and processed into wine corks, as well as many other useful items. What's truly unique about this process is that unlike almost all other products made from trees, cork is a completely renewable resource. The harvesting of cork doesn't damage the tree and so they are left uncut and allowed to continue to grow. Pretty cool!
Over the last few weeks we've been asked about corks vs. screw caps . . . which is better? Is there a difference? Is it all about cost? Should I be wary about buying a higher priced bottle of wine if it has a screw cap vs. a cork? Why veer from tradition?
Well, like most innovation, the answer was necessity. Since cork is only stripped in nine-year intervals, the cork companies weren't necessarily scrambling to provide the developing areas of the wine-producing world (like New Zealand - yes this craze started in New Zealand!) with the best corks. This meant that these regions were receiving subpar corks that were more likely to produce cork taint. Not wanting their juice to taste like wet, moldy newspaper, the New Zealand wineries began using screw tops. The idea of screw tops for wine had existed since the 1970s but consumers had been slow to accept change.
So, is one better than the other, are there advantages/disadvantages for the wine using a cork or a screw top? Here's the bottom line for us. For wines that are meant to be consumed young, like whites, rosés, and fresh styles of reds (Pinot Noir, Gamay, Dolcetto, Schiava, Grenache and Carignan), screw tops are perfect because these wines don't need to breathe. For wines that need a little age to come together (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinotage, Malbec, Aglianico, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Sagrantino, Bordeaux, Nebbiolo and most Barbera, Merlot, Aglianico, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Zinfandel), corks are really the only way to go for now; however, we've heard talk of a breathable screw top in the works.
Now, that's not to say we're topper snobs. We're more concerned with the juice inside, not the way the wine is topped, but its helpful to know which wines should be corked vs. screw topped . . . at least for now.
il vino è vita!
Cork Artisans of Sardinia
Ever wonder where the 'corks' in wine bottles come from . . . how they're made? And, there has been a great proliferation in items made from cork over the last several years.
Laura Morelli of Italy Magazine tells us the stripping of cork oaks (Quercus suber) is nothing new. In fact, we know that the inhabitants of pre-Roman Italy were already using cork to cap bottles of wine and oil, but they also used the material to make surprising objects. Pliny the Elder, the esteemed Roman naturalist, wrote in his Natural History that cork oaks were used "chiefly for ships' anchor drag ropes and fishermen's drag-nets, for the bungs of casks, and also to make soles for women's winter shoes."
Just as in centuries past, the processing of cork still begins with stripping bark from the oak, a process that does not harm the tree itself. The bark is seasoned in vast outdoor vats for up to two years. Then the cork is boiled and disinfected, dried, cut, and packaged.
Although workers on Sardinia were well experienced with harvesting the bark of cork oaks and working the material for a variety of uses, it wasn't until relatively recent times that they began exploiting the island's natural resource on a wide scale. In the mid-nineteenth century, Sardinian entrepreneurs began to cultivate crops of cork oaks more systematically. They began to produce wine stoppers on a large scale, using their own local raw materials as well as bark imported from Corsica and mainland Tuscany.
Today, cork is considered one of Sardinia's most characteristic natural resources and manufactured products. The town Calangianus, on the north end of Sardinia, is the island's major cork production area. Hundreds of cork enterprises (sugherifici), large and small, are concentrated around this town of just four thousand inhabitants. The cork industry is divided into two main sectors, industrial and artisanal.
Most of the industrial-scale cork factories on Sardinia are focused on the production of wine and champagne corks, or 'tappi', churned out in breathtaking numbers. A single sugherificio can produce tens of thousands of tappi per day, many destined for the great wine producers of Tuscany and Piemonte. Sardinia has earned a worldwide reputation in the production of wine corks, because of the high quality of both the material and the long experience of Sardinian cork makers. Winemakers from Tuscany to California to South Africa—and most recently, China—import Sardinian wine corks in vast numbers.
Giovanni Pasella, a fourth-generation wine cork artisan, tells us, "Today, most of the production of tappi is consolidated in a few companies of enormous size. As a result, some of our smaller companies have decided to focus on specific, high-value steps of the processing. Others have pursued the production of "natural" corks aimed at the highest end of the market —intended for fine wines and special aging."
In the 1990s, there was a move among winemakers away from natural wine corks and toward plastic, but cork is coming back into vogue. "Cork is an exceptionally pliable material," says Pasella. "European winemakers are returning to natural cork after a 'parenthesis' of the plastic cap." In addition, the larger cork factories are looking for new opportunities for the use of cork, and Sardinian entrepreneurs are exploring the use of cork in surprising ways—the production of shoes, of apparel, even eco-friendly building materials like wallpaper.
Pasella says that he believes Sardinia's cork producers must continue to think beyond the wine bottle with their products and processes if they are to adapt to changing global markets. "We face many challenges, but those of us in the cork industry around Calangianus have always been good at collaborating to overcome obstacles. That takes determination—and humility."
Davide Sessa says working from his small leather and cork studio outside of Cagliari, "My challenge is to make objects that no one has ever imagined could be made with cork." Sessa's workshop, filled with jackets, umbrellas, hats, shoes, and other items—all crafted from the bark of the island's cork trees—stretch the imagination of what could be made from sughero, one of Sardinia's most versatile raw materials.
Although tourism on Sardinia is on a much smaller scale than mainland Italy, it remains one of the most important sectors of the island's economy. And, Pasella says, a growing number of those visitors are interested in their products, "We recognize that outside visitors to the island are an important driving force for economic growth," says Pasella. "More and more people want to learn about cork processing. For us, it indicates how important it is to preserve our know-how and to share it with the growing numbers of visitors who come to Sardinia."
Davide Sessa says that it's not only a growing number of visitors to the island but also the creative impulse itself, that he believes will keep the working of cork alive for the next generation, whether in the making of wine corks or objects yet unknown. "What motivates me to create is often the desire to materialize something I've seen in a dream or vision. I don't think about reselling a new creation. I make it for the pure joy of seeing something new born from my own hands. That's the secret."
A lot of the cork wares sold throughout the retail shops of Sardinia are aimed for the tourist trade, stamped with scenes of Sardinia or silly sayings in Italian. Make the trek to Calangianus, or seek out the island's individual cork artisans, to ensure that you buy a high-quality, handmade item directly from the source. Handmade cork items are relatively affordable, easily portable, and make great gifts to bring home in your suitcase.
L' Italio-Americano, the #1 source of all things Italian since 1908 reminds us when growing up your Nonni (grandparents) curing your ailments with peculiar medical remedies is as natural as getting double portions on your dinner plate. We all got warm milk, honey and a drop of whiskey when we had a bad cough, and eating eggs or drinking milk was certainly forbidden if we were taking antibiotics. My Nonna, as many others from the Liguria area, also swore by 'segna la tosse con l'olio d'oliva'- she would make crosses on my chest after dipping her finger in olive oil warmed in a half of a walnut shell for a cough, or putting a pungent smelling herb (still don't know what it was) under our pillows when we had a cold. Every time I'd roll over I'd get this awful smell of something and thought – my God, what is that, and then I would remember my Nonna had put it there. But, you know what, my colds didn't last very long!? If some of these concoctions and practices are certainly more folklore than medicine, some others have solid roots in ancient medical practices and are worth knowing.
In any case, they all are part of that immense, age old traditional knowledge that makes so much of our heritage and marks our identity of Italians so profoundly. And you know what? Some of them, it seems, truly work. Let's take a closer look at five of the most common throughout the peninsula.
"sage is known to have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and astringent properties, reason for which
it is a fairly common ingredient in many a toothpaste
1. Sage leaves to clean your teeth
Out in the garden was usually a sage bush, Italians often grab a couple of leaves and start brushing their teeth; "They'll keep your teeth white," we're often told. And indeed, there is science behind this old remedy so dear to Nonna's: sage is known to have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and astringent properties, reason for which it is a fairly common ingredient in many a toothpaste, at least here in Italy. And it certainly does freshen your breath!
2. Sliced potatoes to soothe a sore head
I admit this sounds very strange, but it is a hit among Italian Nonne. Complain about a headache and they'll come to the rescue with a few slices of freshly peeled, raw potatoes and a neck scarf, they'll get you to lie down, place the slices on your temples and forehead and secure them in place with the scarf. Their prompt medical intervention usually ends with the warning not to move for at least 30 minutes. And well, as strange as this remedy may sound, it sometimes work. Potatoes are rich in starch, which is known to work as an anti-inflammatory. Moreover, potato juices are alkaline and improve circulation, thus helping blood flow to the brain. So, in this case, too, science supports our Nonna's' advice.
3. Olive oil to cool down sunburn
Many Italian grandmas do swear by extra virgin olive oil not only in the kitchen, but also when it comes to sunburn. Olive oil softens, hydrates and it's all natural, so it does not damage your skin: the best thing to do is to dilute extra virgin olive oil with an equal part of water and then apply the concoction on burnt skin. Once again, our Nonne are not mistaken: the anti-inflammatory and even painkilling properties of olive oil have been known to the people of the Mediterranean for millennia: you really only need to take a look at Greek and Roman medical treatises to understand how important an ingredient it was in ancient medicine. And so, it transpires, grandmas know well even the Greeks, the Romans and their secrets to make us feel better.
4. Onions to get rid of earache
Nonne would take half an onion, warm it up in a bit of hot water, then have you lie down and place it on the sore ear. Needless to say, she wasn't the only Nonna to know about the medical properties of onions, which contain a natural antibiotic called allicin, the active ingredient helping ease out the pain.
Of course, the onion's warm vapors, released thanks to its immersion in hot water, also work as a mild painkiller, which may not be as strong as a real medicine, but certainly helps: this is why Italian grandmas of the past often liked to put flannel to heat up on the stove and then placed it tight on their grandchildren's sore ears. And the relief, believe me, was indeed immediate! Other times Nonna would use the above olive oil, warm if and soak somme cotton in it and place it in our ears for awhile - again, the anti-inflammatory and painkilling properties.
5. Clover to kill the pain of a toothache
I think there isn't a pain quite as awful as that of a bad toothache, especially when you're a child. The problem is that antibiotics often take a couple of days to get rid of the pain, so the agony lasts, especially when prescribed painkillers cannot be taken more than a couple of times a day, but their effect lasts only a handful of hours. Nonne of Italy swear by a couple of natural remedies, including that of imbuing a cotton ball in brandy and place it on the sore tooth although, now that I think of it, that's not that "natural" of a remedy!?
But using cloves certainly is. As grandmas teach us, placing cloves on the aching tooth eases the pain almost immediately. This is because cloves have known anesthetic properties thanks to a substance, eugenol, they contain in abundance. If walking around with a handful of cloves in your mouth seems odd, then you can let them soak in hot water with a spoon of coarse sea salt and use the mixture as a mouthwash.
Looking at these remedies, and at all the others they like to use, it really seems Nonne truly know best, even when it comes to health. Though I think what made us feel better was the most important and amazing ingredient of all, the beautiful, heart warming and never ending love of Nonna.
Winter Frittata
"In Italy, food is an obsession and rightly so." Traveling to Italy for over 40 years I have witnessed this infatuation and ardent passion for food on a daily basis. That is why, it comes as no surprise that in Italy almost every ingredient or traditional recipe is celebrated in some way, typically by means of a sagra or town festival. Montaquila, a town in the Molise region of southern Italy, celebrates La Sagra della Frittata or the "Frittata Festival." In 2018, they kicked off the event by making a BIG-frittata with 1,501 eggs!
A frittata, is a great treat and for generations Italian's used it as a solution to reducing waste. After a family dinner in which there were leftovers (not often, but occasionally) those leftovers would make a tasty frittata the next morning. The frittata is a common way to use up any leftover ingredients you have in the fridge--vegetables, protein, pasta, beans, cheese--the list goes on. You can follow the recipe below or simply adapt it with what you have on hand. Enjoy!
Serves: 4-8
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Add the water and leeks to a cast iron skillet and heat over medium high until the leeks are soft; about 5 minutes. Add the extra virgin olive oil, green onion, kale, brussel sprouts and mushrooms (or other vegetable you have on hand). Heat until vegetables are soft; 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, whisk the eggs in a medium sized bowl then stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, milk and parsley. When the vegetables are cooked, pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. (For a prettier presentation, remove half of the vegetables, pour in the egg mixture then layer those vegetables on top.) Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until the eggs are just barely set. Carefully slide (use a hot pad as skillet handle will be very hot) the cast iron skillet into the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden and the egg mixture doesn't run (test with knife) when sliced with a knife (I turn on the broiler for a couple minutes at the end to get a nice golden brown crust on top, but you need to watch very carefully it as it will quickly burn). Remove from oven and grate Parmigiano Reggiano over top of frittata. Serve warm or cold.
Buon appetito!
MasterChefs of the Renaissance
Italy Magazine tells us that at the courts of Italy's most powerful families of the Renaissance, as well as the
Vatican, hosting sumptuous banquets was a major pastime, used especially as a demonstration of power and wealth. Skilled chefs were in high demand. Two of the most famous from the Renaissance, Bartolomeo Scappi and Cristoforo di Messisbugo, worked respectively for the popes in Rome and for the Este court in Ferrara.
Scappi started his career working for various cardinals, until he was hired to be the chef of the Vatican under Pope Pius IV and V. In 1570, toward the end of his career, he published a monumental cookbook, Opera dell'arte del cucinare, which listed 1,000 recipes of Renaissance cuisine; in it, he also described cooking techniques and tools and how to choose ingredients; he was the first to introduce ingredients coming from newly discovered America. In the book is the first depiction of a fork. Scappi wrote that Parmigiano Reggiano was the best cheese in the world ("il Parmigiano è il migliore di tutti i cacii"). Including numerous recipes of pasta, stuffed pasta, cakes and other pastry-based preparations, his book is a precursor of what would become modern Italian cuisine.
Ferrara-born Cristoforo di Messisbugo was a chef at the court of the Este, but his fame soon went beyond the city; he was often invited to Mantua, at the court of the Gonzaga, for consulting, while emperor Charles V, fascinated by his craftsmanship, nominated him a 'count'. Cristoforo also wrote a cookbook, Banchetti, composizioni di vivande e apparecchio generale, where he described in great detail how to create the perfect banquet and the menus for his official feast at the Este court. Some of his recipes are still made in Ferrara today. Besides listing recipes, he also discusses logistics, decor, and cooking equipment. In the book, we also learn that the best caviar could be eaten at the court of the Este as it came from the Beluga sturgeon from the Po river, which flows near Ferrara.
Mangia bene!
In Italy, the rules for making the delicacy, panettone, are strict: in order to be labeled as such, a native panettone must be composed of no less than 20 percent candied fruit, 16 percent butter, and eggs that are at least four percent yolk. Attempts by the Italian agriculture ministry to have these standards applied abroad have not panned out, and the reality is that panettone is a dessert with many homes.
Panettone has actually been a worldly product from the very beginning. From the Middle Ages onward, the pastry was appropriate for a feast day precisely because it involved ingredients that were hard to come by. In the 15th century—a period in which bread flour usually involved cheaper grains like spelt and rye—the first panettone was made entirely from wheat flour, and thus more likely to impress the in-laws. And given the climate of northern Italy, additions like candied citron or orange peel would have had to come from hundreds of miles away, beyond, perhaps, even the borders of modern-day Italy.
"Panettone was not born as a homemade cake, nor has it ever been," says Stanislao Porzio, a food scholar and author of a 2007 book on the subject. "It was never important that the place of provenance of the ingredients be near the place of preparation.
In other words, nothing is inherently inauthentic about a panettone made in the Western hemisphere. In the 1930s, when Angelo Motta was installing a 100-foot conveyor belt in his bakery on Milan's Viale Corsica to create what Porzio calls the world's first "industrial panettone," an entrepreneur named Antonio D'Onofrio had already established a market for the pastry in Lima, Peru, where thousands of immigrants from Piedmont and Lombardy had arrived since the mid-1800s. Today, the brands of Motta and D'Onofrio (now owned by Nestle) compete in the Peruvian marketplace, where slices of panettone—inflected with bits of dried papaya—is the sweet of choice for both Christmas and Independence Day, celebrated in July. Italy may dominate in global panettone consumption, at a rate of 75 million cakes purchased in 2016, but Peruvian fans are no less sincere. They consumed 42 million panettoni in the same year, sometimes enjoying variations like cocatón, in which about five percent of the flour is made from coca leaves, or by incorporating a fruity edible fungus native to the pine forests around Lambayeque.
In sales, Italian confectioners have been outpaced for a long time by companies like Bauducco, another multi-generational enterprise, founded in the 1950s by an Italian immigrant to Brazil. The company is probably the biggest panettone producer on earth, making more than 200,000 tons each year for more than 50 countries and operating six industrial bakeries, including one in the United States.
"It's a tradition that goes back generations," says Ricardo Bastos, a Brazilian grocer in the Astoria section of Queens, New York. Bastos sells Bauducco's panettone year-round at his store, Rio Supermarket.
Stanislao, the historian, admits to having tasted the Bauducco brand himself, and gave it a tactful review. ("It had a different, romantic character.") He remains passionate about preserving the traditions of panettone-making in his home country of Italy and is the sponsor of a petition on Change.org to have the recipe recognized as a valuable cultural artifact by Unesco. In 2008, he launched Re Panettone ("Panettone King"), an annual competition in Milan aimed at promoting panettone variations made by artisanal bakers and pastry-makers. While far-off ingredients like saffron or tonka bean are welcome, entrants eschew the use of preservatives—even those somehow permitted by the Italian Pastry and Pasta Association—and are rewarded for their attention to detail and respect for the original formula.
A more historical perspective . . . The pastry was first mentioned in a manuscript from the 1470s, written by a preceptor in Milan's House of Sforza. A legend tells of a story when Ludovico il Moro was the Duke of Milan. It begins one evening when the Duke's cook was asked to prepare a delicious banquet for the duke and a number of nobles. The cook successfully prepared the feast, however, he forgot about the dessert in the oven, which had burnt by the time he remembered it. The cook was in despair but thankfully the little kitchen boy, Toni, suggested using the sweet cake he had made for himself in the morning using flour, butter, eggs, lime zest, and raisins. The cook was afraid he had no other solutions, so agreed to offer the cake to the guests. They both nervously stood behind the door to see the reactions of the duke's friends.
To the cook's relief, everybody loved the cake. The duke enjoyed it so much that he asked for its name. The cook responded "L'è 'l pan de Toni", meaning 'the bread of Toni'. The name has since evolved to Panettone.
Hoping you get to enjoy a slice of my bread, L'è 'l pan de Toni, or panettone, this Christmas season . . . Buon Natale!
Italian Coffee Etiquette: The Rules
Want to drink Italian coffee according to etiquette? Italy magazine tells us these are the rules you need to follow on your next espresso break or when serving to family and friends.
How to stir
Even if you don't put sugar in your coffee, it is always preferable to stir espresso with a teaspoon so that the aromas are well distributed; according to etiquette, you need to stir in delicate movements, from top to bottom, without ever bumping the cup because making noise would be impolite.
Where to place the teaspoon
After stirring, etiquette says you have to place the teaspoon on the right side of the small plate where the cup rests. Do not put the spoon in your mouth: it is considered bad manners to taste the coffee with the spoon that was used to mix it.
How to hold the coffee cup
According to etiquette, you have to lift the cup using only thumb and index finger without ever raising the little finger. The coffee should be drunk in small sips without blowing on it if it's too hot; just wait a few minutes before drinking it. The cup should be brought to the mouth and not the other way around; once you've finished drinking, the cup should be placed back on the small plate.
Water: before or after coffee?
Water should always be drunk first to cleanse the palate in order to better taste the aromas of coffee.
If you're serving espresso at home, there are rules to follow too:
- Coffee should not be served at the table, but in the living room;
- If the coffee is prepared with the moka machine, the moka should be put on the tray along with cups,
sugar bowl and milk;
- It's always best to accompany coffee with a good dessert.
In our travels here at Villas of Italy we always take copious notes about restaurants, new or old, hotels, sights and attractions. We use these when crafting our tours in order to give our guests the best possible tour experience. And, we are always on the lookout for the best restaurants no matter where we go.
Silvia Donati at Italy Magazine shares with us The 41st edition of "Ristoranti e Vini d'Italia" (Restaurants and Wines of Italy), the guide published every year by L'Espresso, one of Italy's foremost weekly newsmagazines, was presented last week in Florence (inaugurating the '2019 season' of the culinary guides, which concludes in November with the release of the most prestigious of all, the Michelin guide).
More than 2,000 dining establishments are featured in the L'Espresso 2019 guide, and not just the fanciest ones, but also trattorie, osterie, pizzerie, street food places, vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants, hamburger places, panino (sandwich) places, and more.
Restaurants in the guide are assigned from one to five hats, with one hat indicating good cuisine
and five hats indicating excellence . . . the best overall.
There are seven restaurants in the guide with five hats;
restaurants that make the best classics of Italian cuisine;
Lunch of the year: Osteria Francescana (which this year won first place in the 50 Best World's
Restaurants guide), Modena. Owner / Chef Massimo Bottura tells us, "our kitchen is not a list of
ingredients or a demonstration of technical abilities. It is a narration of the Italian landscape and our passions.
Cooking is a collision of ideas, techniques and cultures. It is not mathematical. It is emotional."
Best host service: Palagio at Four Seasons in Florence.
Best new restaurant of the year: there are two in the 2019 guide;
Patisserie of the year: the three Michelin-starred St. Hubertus in San Cassiano (Bolzano, South Tyrol), with pastry chef Andrea Tortora.
Female chef of the year: Chiara Pavan, from one Michelin-starred restaurant Venissa in Mazzorbo (Venice). Mazzorbo is an island connected to the island of Burano by a foot bridge. This restaurant and chef are a 5-minute boat ride from our villa on the nearby island of Torcello where our guests stay during our Venezia – La Serenissima tour.
Chef Chiara Pavan, from one Michelin-starred restaurant Venissa in Mazzorbo
So, whether or not you travel with us, use this guide to try the best restaurants in Italy, and let us know what you think . . . we'll add it to our notes.
Buon appetito!
Ancient Roman Health Tips
Francine Segan with Italian Magazine shares with us how ancient Romans approached staying healthy. Many of these same 'health tips' exist in Italy to this day. So, what did the ancient Romans do to stay healthy.
Drink wine!
The ancient Romans thought that wine was essential to good health because they considered it an aid to digestion. They also thought that drinking wine sparked conversation during dinner. Wine was so important to them that the ancients called a meal without wine a "dog's dinner." So do as the ancient Romans—sip, chat, nibble, sip.
Food not pharmacy
The ancient Romans followed the teachings of Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, who famously wrote, "Let food be thy medicine." When patients were sick the first thing Hippocrates prescribed was a change in diet. There weren't drug stores back then so ancient Romans tried to cure their illness by either eating-- or not eating-- certain foods.
Marcus Cato, the second-century BC Roman statesman, devotes several pages in his book, On Agriculture, to the "so-called Seven Good Things" about cabbage. According to him cabbage can treat wounds, reduce swellings, set dislocated bones, and even prevent drunkenness. The ancients believed the cabbage was sacred, "the prophet among vegetables." A common exclamation at the time was, "So help me Cabbage!"
Dream on
Sigmund Freud wasn't the only one into dreams. Hippocrates analyzed dreams to help diagnose what ailed his patients. He believed that while we sleep our body tries to communicate to our brain. For Hippocrates, if someone is healthy he dreams, more or less, about normal daily activities. But if a patient is ill, they might have odd dreams, which is the body's attempt to explain what's wrong. Hippocrates and ancient Romans thought, for example, that dreams about floods might mean kidney problems, dreams of trees falling might mean a man had reproductive problems and needed the equivalent of ancient blue pill. Interestingly, Hippocrates observed that patients often have frightening nightmares after a too-heavy meal. The ancient Romans thought figs kept away nightmares. Don't take any chances; try the Fig Focaccia recipe below.
Eat your veggies….raw
There are many modern health authorities and chefs who advocate a raw-foods-only diet, a notion with its roots in antiquity. Galen, physician to Emperor Marcus Aurelius, recounts a story of a medical student who "resolved never to light a fire." Eating only raw foods, the student "stayed healthy during all these years." Galen wrote extensively on healthful eating and recommended raw salads dressed with oil, honey, and vinegar for good digestion. For an enticing accompaniment for raw veggies try an Olive Puree.
Don't dine solo
Dinner in antiquity was almost always a social affair shared with a few close friends at someone's home. The ancient Romans actually believed that eating alone could give you indigestion because without fun conversation you might eat too much and too fast.
Exercising in the town gymnasium or public baths was part of everyday Roman life. Hippocrates wrote, "Walking is a natural exercise, much more so than other exercises." Galen, a first century Roman physician, was such a prolific writer that his complete works have yet to be fully translated. In one of his books, On Exercise with the Small Ball, he recommended sports as an excellent and economical way to stay fit.
In antiquity, Roman citizens considered it a virtue to take care of their bodies, believing it demonstrated their self-control and discipline. Look at Hippocratic's advice for those with sore, over worked muscles, "get drunk once or twice" and have "sexual intercourse after a moderate indulgence in wine."
If it's from the water, eat it
Ancient Romans, like modern Italians, love fish, not surprising for a country with so much coastline.
The ancient Romans enjoyed a fermented fish sauce called "garum" or "liquamen" which they manufactured and distributed throughout the Mediterranean and northern regions of Europe. This all-purpose salty condiment topped everything from vegetables to meats, and was used as we might Worcestershire or soy sauce.
Archeologists recently excavated an amphora, or large clay vessel, at the site of one Roman ruin in England. The outside of the vessel reads, "Seasoned tuna garum, for the pantry, excellent and of high quality."
Sweets in moderation
Ancient philosophers wrote often about healthful eating. Plato, for example, noted that sugar should be avoided by all athletes saying, "something which all men in training understand—that if one is to keep his body in good condition he must abstain from such things all together." However, even Plato would have approved of these Bay Leaf Cookies adapted from On Agriculture, a book by the Roman Statesman Cato the Elder. The original recipe is for "Must Cakes" -reduced grape syrup- like Italy's modern-day saba, plus spices and cheese baked on bay leaves.
Fig Focaccia
Serves 8
10 1/2 ounces, about 2 cups, all-purpose flour
1 packet, 1/4 ounce, fast acting yeast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
18 very small figs
3 tablespoons honey, plus more as needed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Fresh rosemary
Sift the flour onto a clean work surface or into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and fill with 1/2 cup of warm water (keep another 1/4 cup of water handy to add later). Sprinkle the yeast on the water, and let the yeast bubble, about 2 minutes. Add the oil, sugar and salt, and slowly begin to incorporate the flour into the center hollow, combining with each addition, until dough forms. Knead the dough until smooth and rest it in a lightly oiled bowl until it doubles, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and oil a flat cookie sheet or baking pan, at least 12 inches wide.
Roll out the dough into a circle about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. Place on the prepared pan. Pierce the dough throughout with a fork. Carefully cut a cross on top of one of the figs, halfway down, so the figs opens like a flower. Press it into the center of the dough.
Remove the stems from the 17 remaining figs, slice them in half, and arrange them around the focaccia, cut side up, pressing them into the dough as far as possible.
Put the honey into a small bowl and heat for a few seconds in the microwave or over boiling water. Stir in the lemon juice. Drizzle the mixture over the top of the figs and foccaccia dough. Sprinkle with rosemary. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and drizzle with more honey.
Olive Puree with Raw Veggies
Serves 10
From: The Philosopher's Kitchen, by Francine Segan (Random House)
1/2 cup pitted whole oil-cured black olives
1/2 cup pitted whole brine-cured green olives
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, mint, and basil
Zest of 1 lemon
Assorted raw veggies
Combine the olives, onion, olive oil, garlic and fennel seed in a food processor and puree until smooth. Place in a serving bowl, top with the minced herbs and the lemon zest. Serve with raw vegetables.
Bay Leaf Cookies
Yield: 2-1/2 dozen cookies
From: The Philosopher's Kitchen, by Francine Segan (Random House)
1/2 cup lard or butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup saba, grape must reduction
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 cups all purpose whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ricotta
3 bay leaves, finely crumbled and coated with olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat the lard or butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until creamy. Add the egg, salt, baking soda, grape juice concentrate, anise seeds, and cumin and continue beating. Slowly add in the flour until combined.
In a small bowl mix the ricotta and remaining tablespoon of sugar until smooth.
Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a greased non-stick cookie sheet and make an indent in the center with a teaspoon. Place half a teaspoonful of the sweet ricotta mixture into the center. Top with a sprinkle of crumbled bay leaves.
Bake in the center rack until the bottoms are golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
Luxury Vacations
Villas of Italy specializes in all-inclusive superior villa vacations. We've designed our adventures so Italy can be experienced in intimate tour groups, Tourneo Custom air-conditioned vans, and one-of-a-kind Villa estates. Immerse yourself in Italy's picturesque towns and villages while enjoying exquisite cuisine, vibrant culture, and the spirit of Italy.
Explore our vacation options! HERE.
Tony Moglia's grandparents immigrated from Italy in the early 1900's. He's a dual citizen who has traveled extensively throughout Italy for 40 years. He's happily married to a vibrant dancer who together have two children and three grandchildren. Tony has dreamed of Villas of Italy since his first trip to Italy, and now he shares his dream with you.
April 2019


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Hi there friends. It's been a while. Life has been keeping me extra busy lately. We've officially finished Grove House, although there are still a ton of things that need to be done. I'll continue to show our progress and happenings...we still don't have internet at the property, which explains the lack of posts. Although I certainly don't assume you're sitting around wondering what I'm doing. ;) But it's nice to reconnect here.
We've had 5 birthdays in May, along with Mother's Day (hope yours was a treat!) and that always makes for an exciting month! I just got back from styling two homes in Phoenix for HGTV Magazine. Can't wait till those come out...think fun color, great diy ideas, and creative small space living. My house is filled with boxes, because I sold nearly all of our furniture and have no where to put stuff. Clearly, I didn't think it through. I bought a giant mirror made from a wheel off an antique camel cart. Will definitely show you! The Man is making brackets to hang it today. We've had lots of laughs about the camel dung stuck in the grooves. Kind of gross now that I think about it. Oh, and I went back to school to become a Certified Master Food Preserver at the University of California...and graduated. Now, making jams is my jam! (And pickles.) I seriously can not wait to share my new hobby with you!
I've really missed our visits here and hope to be back to normal posts very soon. Instagram has been my main source of social media, since I can do that on my phone. I've shared some sneak peaks of the interior of the house, if you'd like to see you can find me under the username: heatherbullard.

subset: commoncrawl


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Is Marcus Smart really mad at the Boston Celtics, or is everything chill?
Your guess is as good as ours.
The 24-year-old guard, who is a restricted free agent, reportedly is "hurt and disgusted" that Boston hasn't approached him about a new contract. The Celtics, however, remain adamant they want Smart back, and some with ties to the C's believe reports of friction are laughable.
And then there's this interaction between Smart and Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge that took place during Boston's summer league victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday:
"On Monday night, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge spotted Smart, and as he walked down the aisle behind him, he playfully twisted the black baseball cap on Smart's head," The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach wrote Monday night. "Smart initially did not know who was messing around with him, and when he turned and saw that it was Ainge, both of them briefly smiled before Ainge continued down the aisle and left the gym."
(You can click here to view a photo of Ainge's tomfoolery.)
Make of that what you will.
The prevailing belief continues to be Smart eventually will return to Boston, whether it be on a long-term teal or a one-year qualifying offer, which Smart reportedly is prepared to sign.
However, the Sacramento Kings reportedly are preparing to make a run at the Oklahoma State product, so the Celtics might have their work cut out for them.
Thumbnail photo via David Richard/USA TODAY Sports Images


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New Home Builds
Simply put, our custom homes are known for reliable construction with superior craftsmanship. To ensure the highest standards, we perform or supervise all aspects of the new home build, from site work and infrastructure through completion. Our honesty, quality and commitment will ensure your peace of mind throughout the building process.


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Lace tights are one of the sexiest trends in hosiery we've seen–we love the way Beyonce and Taylor Momsen incorporate them into their every day wardrobes. As temperatures drop, we get sick of the same old black tights day after day, so lace switches things up. Done the right way, they can look flawless, but done wrong, they resemble a Halloween costume. We'll make it easy: start with Wolford's "Flora" tights. They're high quality, which is the first way to ensure they look classy.
Keep everything else you're wearing sophisticated and demure, and the colors neutral. Opt for a simple knee-length dress, classic pumps and a ladylike handbag. This way, the focus will be on your sultry tights, not what's underneath them. Stay away from dresses that are too short and form-fitting and pass on the sky-high boots, too.
BR Monogram Pleated Dress, $198
Furla Slip-Ons, $240
Cole Haan Village Ruched Satchel, $395
Find more perfect pieces to complement your lace tights in our black dresses and comfortable heels guides.


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Dairy conversion attracts large fine
A Waikato dairy farming company has received seven convictions and been fined a total of $52,500 for discharging dairy effluent into the environment and breachi
A Waikato dairy farming company has received seven convictions and been fined a total of $52,500 for discharging dairy effluent into the environment and breachi
A blueprint for growth and development in Hamilton and the Waipa and Waikato districts over the next 30 years has been released for public feedback.
Landowners in the Waipā and Waikato river catchments are being urged to visit Waikato Regional Council at Fieldays to understand what's currently on the table a
Waikato Regional Council is supporting Fieldays in its provision of free bus services to and from the iconic annual agricultural event which starts next week.
An annual plan work programme detailing further significant steps towards greater prosperity and environmental health in the Waikato region has been formally ad
Public views are being sought on how best to improve bus services to the fast-growing Flagstaff, Huntington and Rototuna areas of north Hamilton.
Just over 1000 submissions made on Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora: Proposed Waikato Regional Plan Change 1 are now available online for people to read.
A South Waikato contracting company has been convicted and fined $19,000 for carrying out illegal earthworks on a farming property in Okoroire.
Recent finds of myrtle rust and the pest plant velvetleaf in the Waikato region underline why it's crucial for farmers to take precautions as they move stock an
A couple of myths need correction over the proposed plan change for cleaning up the Waikato and Waipa rivers, namely that the proposal seeks to "protect" intens
A project aimed at restoring North Island kokako to the Pirongia Forest Park is being backed by a $110,000 grant from Waikato Regional Council.
Nearly $315,000 is due to be provided over four years for further planting at the Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park in Hamilton.
Waikato Regional Council is a party to a fresh examination of establishing a commuter rail service between Hamilton and Auckland.
Waikato Regional Council is alerting farmers and others in the Piako River catchment that river levels are high and rising after significant recent rain but tha
Waikato Regional Council's hazards team is urging the region's residents to be alert for heavy downpours from this afternoon into tomorrow.
Waikato regional councillors have today kept the proposed rate rise for current ratepayers at under three per cent for the 2017-18 annual plan following conside
Consents to construct and operate a 360 megawatt gas-fired power station in Waikato's Otorohanga district have been granted.
Hamilton residents are being asked to keep an extra sharp eye out for bellbirds (korimako) heading into winter. It follows a female sighting.
Electrical vehicles (EVs) are seen as one of the key roads to a more environmentally sustainable future.
A chance to win an iPad while learning about how to stay safe out on the water is being offered at Waikato Regional Council's site at the 2017 Hutchwilco Boat S


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"I am here to make a houses," says 4 year old Aanya Rattani, with Arush, Shahzeb, Qayl and Sabine Saldanya.
PartnershipsInAction is an initiative of Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. and its network of volunteers across the U.S. to raise awareness and funds for innovative programs that create hope and opportunity for disadvantaged communities in the developing world. –http://www.partnershipsinaction.org, Twitter, Facebook
The next AKF Walk/Run is on September 20th in Dallas and September 21st in Birmingham and San Antonio.
Motivate your city by sharing with Ismailimail pre-Walk and Walk-day activity reports and photographs.
- Email us at email@example.com
- Twitter: @ismailimail
- Facebook: fb.com/ismailimail
Be the First to Know – Join Ismailimail
Get breaking news related to the Ismaili Imamat, the Noorani Family, the world wide Ismaili Jamat and all their endeavors and successes.
Learn how to subscribe and join 14,000 + other amazing people – Subscribe now!


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This error occurs when attempting to log into signin.blackbaud.com using a BBID enabled Google account while another Google account is already signed in in the browser.
To resolve the issue, sign out of Google in the browser to ensure no Google accounts are active. Then log into signin.blackbaud.com with the BBID you were attempting to log in with.
Blackbaud Community
Connect and collaborate with fellow Blackbaud users.


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WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Strength, Cardio, Core
This workout will take you through a strength exercise for the whole body, then a cardio exercise to get your heart rate up, and then core exercise to strengthen and stabilize. The suggested time is 40 seconds on and 20 seconds off, with a full minute rest between circuits which will take you to a 20 minute workout. Double it and you are looking at a full hard core 40 minute workout. Or if 40 seconds is too long for you, take it down to 30 seconds on and 15 off. It can really be customized to your fitness level and how much time you have.
Circuit 1:
One leg deadlift - right leg
High-knee shuffles (8 count high knees, shuffle for 4)
Star toe touches
Circuit 2:
Mountain Climbers
Circuit 3:
Squat with band lat pulldown
Circuit 4:
Bicep pulses standing on one leg
Jumping Jacks
Russian twists
Circuit 5:
Tricep overhead extensions
Bear crawls
Plank toe taps


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Top Stories
Ramlochan Named Second Team All-SCIAC The Tigers' sophomore was recognized by the conference coaches. Full Story
Oxy Finishes Season Against Pomona-Pitzer The Tigers closed out the 2018-19 year. Full Story
Yoshida Leads Oxy at Cal Lu The Tigers played well through three quarters, but came up a little short. Full Story
Nallira Scores Career High 20 Against Chapman The Tigers showed fight, but fell to a good Panthers squad. Full Story
Ramlochan Posts Double Double Against Caltech The Tigers sophomore had a big night, but Oxy came up short. Full Story
February 20, 2019Women's BasketballRamlochan Named Second Team All-SCIAC
February 16, 2019Women's BasketballOxy Finishes Season Against Pomona-Pitzer
February 02, 2019Women's BasketballYoshida Leads Oxy at Cal Lu
January 30, 2019Women's BasketballNallira Scores Career High 20 Against Chapman
January 26, 2019Women's BasketballRamlochan Posts Double Double Against Caltech
Schedule & Results
Previous NextView Full Schedule
No Event
at Redlands L, 57-45
at Whittier College L, 77-50
PAC the GAC
vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps L, 80-55
vs. Pomona-Pitzer L, 78-59


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Multi Room TV Installations Suffolk Felixstowe
Suffolk Digital TV Aerials & Satellites are experts in making it possible to have several TV points in your Felixstowe home or office to receive analogue or digital TV. So you can transfer your Sky pictures and TV pictures into any room you wish.
Our installers can install extra TV points to support up to four Sky boxes, FreeSat and Freeview Plus boxes. With experience of installations in many different areas, in houses and homes from all eras, we can even recommend plans to hide cable runs in your home.
Why Have Multi Room TV in Suffolk, Felixstowe? Call 01394 300717
We have been installing Sky Multi room satellite for years across all of Felixstowe and surrounding areas, As expert installers of Sky multi-room, this fantastic service allows you to watch Sky in every room in your home. The whole family will be able to watch what they want, when they want, so call us today to turn your Felixstowe home into a fantastic entertainment centre.
- Installation of Sky multi-room
- Ability for everyone to watch what they want
- Repair of set top boxes
- Installation of Sky dish
- Various other TV aerial services
Call us on Felixstowe 01394 300717 for more on Multi Room TV Installation in Suffolk, Felixstowe
What We Do
- Poor Reception
- Satellite Reception Problems
- Storm & Wind Damage
- OAP Discount
- Digital TV Aerials
- Extra Aerial Points
- Multi Room Television
- WiFi Router Set Ups
- TV Wall Mounting
- Freeview Installation
- Freesat Installation
- Satellite Problems
- Sky TV & SKY HD
- Digital Radio
- European TV & Satellite
- Commercial Installation


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Hoverboards have been fascinating us right from our childhood, but we never expected them to become a reality up until now. Now that they actually exist you might be curious about how they work. The functions of a hoverboard can be simplified quite easily. The basics are very easy to understand and it mostly relies on fluid mechanics. Here is a full breakdown of how a hoverboard works so you are able to understand how these boards work.click here
Even though there are various complex equations involved, it is all about utilising air to make a cushion below the board keep the boards floating. You do not have to be an engineer to understand how it all works because it is very simple and involves common sense. Let's take a look at the several components that come together to make a hoverboard work.
Weight: Weight is one of the most important factors that make a hoverboard work. These little marvels of technology involve lifting; hence weight is of utmost importance to create the air cushion that makes them float. To be able to carry a person and not just the weight of the person itself, all you need to do is increase the air flow and the board will be able to carry you up and keep you floating quite easily.
Fluid Pressure/Air Pressure: Your weight is not all that the board will be carrying, so this is where the weight of the device also comes into play. Adding the weight of the platform itself is also a part of the creation of a hoverboard. It is not as simple as adding a fan at the bottom of your hoverboard and there are various complex equations that go into the making of a hoverboard. This is made possible by the addition of a smart balance wheel.
Controlled air flow: The air flow at the bottom of the hoverboard is controlled to make it work. Hoverboards are known to have a unique airframe which is called a skirt. It is made of elastic material that is known to be strong enough to handle rough usage quite easily. Even if it is subjected to high amounts of pressure you will be able to get a comfortable riding experience without any issues.
Air Passage: Thanks to a downwards facing fan that is located on these boars, air gets sucked into the bottom side of the product and there are holes to make sure that the air flow functions to allow proper passage of air. You can check out a hovercraft manual to get an idea of how it all works out. You can read more on this on any hoverboard manual and it will help you understand how the air passage helps keep the board always afloat allowing you to travel comfortably thanks to the smart balance wheel.
Lastly, the thrust and steering device keeps the device working properly and to get the best possible results you need to travel on smooth surfaces. You also need a device to help you thrust the device forward so you can easily control it. Generally, propellers or rudders are provided on these boards to help you effectively control them without any difficulties.


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reiki certification
Terms & Policies
The deposit is included in the total cost of training and is required, in advance, to secure your space in class. A deposit for training is always non-refundable. If you are unable to make it to training due to an emergency, your deposit may be honored for a future scheduled training date within the year. As a business owner, this is up to my discretion.
payment policy:
Remaining balances for training are to be settled before or at the time of the scheduled class date. Monthly payment plans may be available, on a case to case basis, per my discretion, and a contract will be signed to keep all parties in integrity to their agreement to complete payment- the monetary energy exchange for energies, experience, & tools received.
requirements for certification:
You must attend all scheduled class dates & times to receive certification for your training. It is necessary that you take responsibility for your time, actions, and choices. By arriving on time and attending all scheduled dates you display respect for yourself, your teacher, and your fellow students. If you choose to leave training early or choose not attend, that is your free-will choice but you will NOT be refunded.
Before receiving a certificate, it is required that you complete a small and comprehensible test on all symbols received- you will need to know how to spell their names, how to properly draw them, and explain their uses/meaning.
revisiting training:
If you have previously paid for (in full) and have taken a level of training with me, you are eligible to audit or re-visit that level of training for FREE on a first-come first-served basis, per my discretion. You must contact me to indicate your interest and we will have a discussion.
If you plan to audit a class, you will need to make arrangements with me and inquire about the space available. I ask that you bring a food dish to share with the group during lunch as your energetic contribution to revisiting the experience.
It is required that you attend ALL scheduled days & class times to audit a training.


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Venue: Council Chamber, Guildhall, Swansea
Contact: Democratic Services - Tel: (01792) 636923
Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests.
In accordance with the Code
of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interest
was declared:
J A Raynor declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 37 "Local
Authority Governor Appointments" and stated that she had
dispensation from the Standards Committee to Stay, Speak but Not Vote on
matters relating to the Appointment of Local Authority Governors;
Councillor C E Lloyd declared a Personal Interest
in Minute 43 "Compulsory Purchase Order to Facilitate Highway Improvements".
Minutes. PDF 111 KB
To approve & sign the Minutes of the
previous meeting(s) as a correct record.
that the Minutes of the meeting(s) listed below be approved and signed as a
correct record:
Cabinet held on
20 June 2019.
Announcements of the Leader of the Council.
Webcasting of Meeting
Leader of the Council stated that as part of the ongoing works to enable the
Webcasting of Council, Cabinet, Planning Committee and the Scrutiny Programme
Committee; this meeting was being recorded.
Public Question Time.
Questions must relate to matters on the open part of the
Agenda of the meeting and will be dealt with in a 10 minute period.
No questions were asked.
Councillors' Question Time.
Councillor C A Holley asked questions
in relation to Minute 33 "Revenue Financial Outturn 2018/2019" and Minute 35 "Capital
Outturn and Financing 2018/2019".
The Leader of the Council and
Section 151 Officer responded.
Scrutiny Report on Tourism. PDF 127 KB
The Tourism Scrutiny Working Group submitted a report which presented
the findings, conclusions and recommendations resulting from a Scrutiny Working
Group on Tourism.
Resolved that:
report be noted and the relevant Cabinet Member tasked with preparing a written
response to the report and recommendations and proposed action(s) for Cabinet.
Natural Environment Scrutiny Inquiry Cabinet Member Response and Action Plan. PDF 261 KB
The Cabinet Member for Delivery submitted a report which outlined
a response to the scrutiny recommendations and presented an action plan for
response as outlined within the report and related action plan be agreed.
Revenue Financial Outturn 2018/19. PDF 188 KB
Additional documents:
The Section 151 Officer submitted a report which detailed
the revenue financial outturn for 2018-2019.
comments and variations within the report be noted;
The proposed
reserve transfers detailed in Section 7.3 of the report be approved.
Revenue Outturn 2018/19 – Housing Revenue Account (HRA). PDF 106 KB
The Section 151 Officer submitted a report which detailed
the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) outturn compared with the approved revenue
budget for 2018-2019.
variations detailed within the report be noted.
Capital Outturn and Financing 2018/19. PDF 142 KB
The Section 151 Officer submitted a report which detailed
the capital outturn and financing for the year ended 31 March 2019.
The net
under spending of the approved budget of £27.979m be carried forward to
Re-imagining Wind Street. PDF 173 KB
The Chair of the
Economy & Infrastructure Policy Development Committee & Cabinet Member
for Investment, Regeneration & Tourism submitted a report which sought to
grant approval to Officers to progress the potential implementation of the Feasibility
Study by developing further proposed plans to facilitate its delivery
particularly in regards to funding.
principles of the Wind Street Feasibility Study be approved as the over-arching
framework for the physical regeneration of Wind Street, subject to a more
detailed design and approval process;
The Silver
model scheme outlined within the report be approved with the ambition to move
to the Gold model scheme should the funding become available, and to proceed to
the detailed design stage and that Officers be permitted to progress
applications for funding;
A further
report be prepared setting out the detailed designs, explicit costs, detailed
Equality Impact Assessment report including action plan to incorporate further
consultation and engagement, and conformation of the funding arrangements prior
to final decision of the scheme.
Local Authority Governor Appointments. PDF 97 KB
The Local Authority Governors Appointment Group submitted a report,
which sought approval of the nominations submitted to fill Local Authority (LA)
Governor vacancies on School Governing Bodies.
The following nominations
recommended by the Director of Education in conjunction with the Cabinet Member
for Education Improvement, Learning & Skills be approved:
Mayals Primary School
Dr Felicity Padley
Pontlliw Primary School
David Mathias
Seaview Primary School
Sue James
Relocation of Lifelong Learning from Bryn House. PDF 157 KB
The Cabinet Member
for Better Communities and Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning
& Skills submitted a joint report which set out the proposed relocation of
the Lifelong Learning Service from Bryn House Community Education Centre.
The Lifelong
Learning Service relocate from Bryn House, Walters Road, Uplands, SA1 4PS to
the Civic Centre, with teaching delivered from alternative venues across the county.
Residents Parking Policy Changes. PDF 729 KB
The Cabinet Member
for Environment & Infrastructure Management submitted a report which set proposed
changes to the Councils Residents Parking Policy.
The proposed
changes to the Councils Residents Parking Policy detailed in the report be
2019 Play Sufficiency Assessment. PDF 139 KB
The Cabinet Member
for Children Services submitted a report which provided an update on the
requirements and findings of the 2019 Play Sufficiency Assessment.
findings of the 2019 Play Sufficiency Assessment be noted;
be given to allow the findings to be released as a public summary.
Exclusion of the Public. PDF 112 KB
Cabinet were requested
to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the item(s) of
business identified in the recommendations to the report(s) on the grounds that
it / they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as set out in the
exclusion paragraph of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as
amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales)
Order 2007 relevant to the items of business set out in the report(s).
Cabinet considered the
Public Interest Test in deciding whether to exclude the public from the meeting
for the item of business where the Public Interest Test was relevant as set out
in the report.
Resolved that the public be excluded for the
following item(s) of business.
(Closed Session)
Note: Councillor R C Stewart withdrew from the Meeting. Councillor C E Lloyd (Presided)
Contract Award Report - Award of Framework Agreement for the Provision of Domiciliary Care and Respite at Home Services for Older People and Younger Adults with Physical Disabilities.
The Cabinet Member for Care, Health & Ageing Well
submitted a report which sought detailed the outcome of recent tenders for the
appointment of Providers onto a framework Agreement for the Provision of
Domiciliary Care and Respite at Home Services for Older People and Younger
Adults with Physical Disabilities and / or Sensory Impairment and sought
approval to appoint 12 Providers onto the Framework Agreement.
He asked that Paragraph 5.6 of the report be amended.
Resolved that the
recommendations as detailed in the report be approved together with the
proposed amendment to Paragraph 5.6 of the report.
Compulsory Purchase Order to Facilitate Highway Improvements.
The Cabinet Member for Environment & Infrastructure
Management submitted a report which sought approval to prepare Compulsory
Purchase Orders.
Resolved that the
recommendations as detailed in the report be approved.
Disposal Programme Update.
The Cabinet Member for Business Transformation &
Performance submitted a report which prevented an overview of the various
strands of work which make up the Property Disposal Programme, and highlights
some of the current ongoing work streams related to disposal of Council


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Papers originally presented at a postgraduate course held in San Francisco in March 1979: selected topics in pathology of the pancreas—notably history of pathology of the pancreas, calcifying pancreatitis, malignancy, islet cell function, tumors, and related clinical syndromes.
The Pancreas.. Ann Intern Med. 1981;94:551. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-94-4-551_1
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Published: Ann Intern Med. 1981;94(4_Part_1):551.
Copyright © 2019 American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.
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What-if questions haunt us. After a loved one's death, the what-ifs can feel like a vice squeezing our hearts. But they finally ease their grip as the clock keeps spinning and the calendar pages turn.
What if the what-ifs keep troubling us?
They can randomly and relentless disturb us, like odd noises jarring us awake in the depths of night. What if . . .
- he'd quit smoking years before?
- she had gone to the oncologist earlier?
- they hadn't given that last dose of morphine?
- you hadn't flirted with the passenger on the plane?
- you'd said, "I love you" . . . instead of "Leave me alone?"
- the family had attended church (or temple, synagogue, or…) more often?
Are what-ifs like an airborne virus? Mirriam-Webster's online dictionary defines disease as:
"a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms." [Underlining is mine.]
Grief is not a disease! It's a normal response to loss for every young and old, outgoing and shy, athletic and geeky, faithful and faithless, clever and awkward, silly and serious, greedy and generous individual. But many aspects of grief impair (or implode) normal functioning.
One of those aspects is what if . . .
What if the nicotine addiction had been overcome by your kind, stubborn husband? How much longer would he have lived? Would you not be, now a year after the death, still angry at him?
What if, instead of worrying about money, you'd encouraged your wife to visit the doctor at what you now know was cancer's first signs? But both of you, fretting over finances, arguing about what bills to pay, put it off. For months. Too many months.
What if, when you were so exhausted from caring for your once funny and now bed-bound grandfather, you and the hospice nurse hadn't given those final doses of morphine? Did you give too much? Was it given at the wrong time? Had you misunderstood the nurse's instructions? But the doses were given. And then he died. No one in the family blames you except for one person. You blame . . . you. Were you the one who really ended his life?
What if, traveling to see your dying sister, you hadn't spent that extra time between flights to impress the fellow passenger you met while grabbing a Starbucks? It was innocent. Nothing happened other than cute talk and paying for her caffe mocha. But that extra five (okay, fifteen) minutes of chit-chat meant you missed the next plane and arrived home a half-day later than planned. And so there, beside a hospice chaplain whose name you can't remember, you wept over your sister's dead body. The tears haven't stopped.
There are the words we say. The words we don't say. We dwell on the places we shoulda/coulda been or the differences between doing something on one day instead of the next day.
In grief support groups I've led, people of all backgrounds lug around the what-if worries. It is a miserable human "game," where we conveniently block any rational explanations from the professionals or our dearest friends. What-ifs have a grim way of acting like Star Trek's transporter deck, but instead of beaming us from our sturdy starship to a planet teeming with adventure, we are beamed back to a terrible experience. We roam a past observed with eyes only seeking for the worst decisions or indecisions. We scrutinize the moment and situation where, if only we'd tried something else, then something else would've happened.
Because grief is so disruptive, it may seem impossible to slow the deluge of what-ifs. But let me offer a few feeble suggestions.
What if it's not a what-if that's truly bothering you?
I've been with families that decided to remove life support from a loved one. Later, some asked, "What if we hadn't made Dad go through the surgery?" Or, "What if we'd gotten Mom to the doctor more quickly?" But the deeper pain wasn't about questions or second-guessing. Some of the family, maybe all of them, were afraid to really talk about and deal with death. Asking the what-ifs can often be easier for family members to talk about than their own mortality.
I wonder how many what-ifs torment us because we want to be perfect?
In her Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott wrote, "Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life . . ." Lamott's book was for writers and their writing, but her concerns are universal. It is always seductive to analyze a past action for how it thwarted perfection. But nothing is perfect! No life is perfect! No death is perfect! All the what-ifs anchored to an ideal of perfection drown us. They prevent us from "surfacing" and remembering that we did our best in extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
Please, don't let the what-ifs hijack your life. Don't honor loved ones by reliving a past that didn't happen. Honor her or him by living with a generous and forgiving heart.
If the what-ifs won't let go of you (or you won't let go of them), I encourage conversation with a trusted friend or family member. Please, carefully listen to their honest (and honestly different) viewpoints about your past actions or words. Sometimes we need another living loved one to remind us that we did do our best.
I would also encourage seeing a grief counselor. A therapist may help you change the what-ifs of past regrets into the what-nexts of living your present life with treasured memories and daily gratitude.
Do what-ifs haunt you? Please, let others help you release old ghosts and embrace today's hopes.
(Hospice vigorously protects a patient's privacy. I'll take care with how I share my experiences. Any names used are fictitious. Events are combined and/or summarized.)by


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An excerpt of a letter written by Aaron Hernandez to his girlfriend Shayanna Jenkins Hernandez was released by Massachusetts court officials on Friday. The former New England Patriots tight end wrote the letter to Shayanna before he took his own life in prison on April 19.
The letter reads:
"Shay, you have always been my soul-mate and I want you to live life and know I'm always with you. I told you what was coming indirectly! I love you so much and know you are an angel – literally! We split into two to come change the world! Your characteristics [sic] is that of a true angel and the definition of God's love! Tell my story fully but never think anything besides how much I love you. This was the Supreme's, the Almighty's plan, not mine! I love you! Let (redacted) know how much I love her! Look after (redacted) and (redacted) for me – those are my boys. (YOU'RE RICH) I knew I loved you = Savage Garden."
Until his death, Aaron Hernandez was serving a life jail term after being convicted of killing Odin L. Lloyd in 2013. Lloyd was dating the sister of Aaron Hernandez's fiancée, Shayanna Jenkins. Lloyd's body was found by a jogger in a pit at an industrial park close to Aaron Hernandez's home in North Attleboro. Aaron Hernandez was found guilty in April 2015 and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Odin Lloyd was until his death, a semiprofessional football player.
A judge has ruled that the letter be handed over to Hernandez's family.
Aaron, 27, was born in Bristol, Connecticut and he played college football at the University of Florida. He was also a tight end for the National Football League side, the New England Patriots. Aaron's body was found at 3:05 a.m on April 19 and investigations showed that he hanged himself with a bedsheet that was attached to a window in his cell.
(The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.)
The 4th Amenedment of the Constitution.
Why in the Zuck does Mark Zuckerberg keep Zucking with us? What the Zuck?????
Facebook's campaign against Diamond and Silk continues.
The pro-Trump duo are featured in a movie to be released in October and presented by The American Mirror, titled "Dummycrats."
Check out our Video, Audio and Pictures from the Pocono Raceway "NASCAR."
Two very prominent black pastors in the D.C. area, William Lamar and Delman Coates have filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association.
California Rep. Adam Schiff has labeled the rumored meeting between fellow Washington Democrats and officials from Ukraine "inappropriate".
Jesse Watters had a quite busy weekend as he engaged an anti-fascism protester in a debate as the group is calling for violence against the "Trump administration".
A report released by the Senate on Thursday revealed that the Donald Trump administration has had to deal with one media leak per day since assuming office.
Diamond and Silk does not profess to be expert staticians, but common sense tells us that we need to take a closer look at the current CBO projections in the midst of all the healthcare bill bashing that we are seeing from pundits who just like leaning on nice negative sound bites!!
President Donald Trump met with Enrique Peña Nieto, his counterpart from Mexico on Friday. The duo met at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany and President Trump said he "absolutely" wanted Mexico to pay for a massive wall along the US-Mexico border.


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At 4am, I arose to pack my bags over a sleeping six year-old. At 5am, I pulled my bags onto the billiard table and waiting for the call to the carrier. At 6:30am the mosquitoes claimed victory over my right leg as we crawled up into the carrier, which would take all the volunteers and a scattering of locals down the mountains into the city of Sinatoka. We waved goodbye to some sleepy and sad faces. The village was in our wake. When we hit asphalt, I pulled my Blackberry out so fast, I nearly elbowed the girl next to me. One week without internet made Lindsay an anxious girl. How sad. But once we boarded the bus to Lautoka in the city, I peeled myself away from facebook notifications and twitter updates to hang with Abel in the back, listening to my iPod and his favorite song on repeat (My heart will go on by Celine Dion...seriously). The speedbumps sent us flying into the air and crashing down with a back crack and big laughter. The open windows threw my hair around in a frenzy. And the views never let up from being awe-inspiring.
After a week of sharing kava bowls and receiving a rough nutritional spread, I acquired my first WTI travel bug...and not the good kind. I didn't feel much like hitting the bar hard with the other travelers, and instead Abel invited me to hang with him at his brother's house in the city (since Abel came back with us to work for his future school fees for two months).
Brother Elia's house shook from the little pounding feet of two children, Kenny and Faresa, both male, cheeky, and energy-packed. While dinner cooked in the kitchen, I received playful slaps from the two year-old, Kenny, that got me right in the kisser. He had a face smeared with his earlier dinner, and a laugh that meant mischief and ulterior motives. He was, in a word...hilarious.
Abel and I ate together a meal of noodle soup, village taro, and pig skin, and because of my subtle uncertainty with devouring slippery, jiggly pig, Abel sensed I was disgusted and began to beat himself up. He spoke only one or two words during dinner and nearly cried for being a bad host. I felt awful that I couldn't scoop the pig skin into my mouth feverishly, which would have been the only thing that would ease his worries, but I reassured him over and over that I loved the meal...I was just not as hungry as he was. Those from the villages in Fiji have such an innate desire to care for you, and when Abel thought I wasn't receiving a meal up to my normal standards of apparently royal feasts, he grew upset with himself. Had he only known how happy I was to still be soaking up village culture and company, he wouldn't have felt so sad.
The long meal drew to an end, and Abel went outside with his brother to pound some fresh kava for a small savusavu, or welcoming ceremony into the new household. Meanwhile, I created games that broke through the firm language barrier by making sounds with my mouth, creating rhythms of slaps and punches in the air to be repeated, mainly just doing anything that would entertain two kids who would quickly turn to violence if bored.
Abel and Elia welcomed me into their Lautoka home, and after a few bowls, I lounged by the mother of the household to gab about the boys. Her abilities to predict their next moves and behaviors was stunning.
"Next they are going to play a slow love song and start blinking for longer periods of time. That's the difference between men and women kava drinkers: we throw on the party tunes and gab while the men want to wallow in sweet songs and fall asleep. We're more fun."
As the rest of the Madventures group was bouncing around Ed's Bar, I was glad to know I was still connected with the village I just left behind. It made sense to be there, and it was yet another moment I cherished in the moment and beyond.


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For our second hike & concert date, we've got Courtney Hartman (poor thing was sick last time) and Covenhoven! Courtney is a grammy-nominated, champion guitar player and Covenhoven hails from Denver, crafting moving folk songs. They'll be performing acoustically at Horsetooth Mountain Park in Fort Collins, CO.
For more details on this Sagebrush Session, visit our homepage (scroll to the bottom): sustainmusicandnature.org
You can also check out our Facebook event for this and see what folks are saying!


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- Join Date: 9/20/2013
- Posts: 0
- Member Details
Hey, I have a feature request (although this could be in the newest versions and I wouldn't know, since I haven't done anything but existing packs lately), would it be possible to have a second "Aspect from Itemstack" tab, that's sorted by purity? That is to say, sorted by the proportion of the Aspect that is being looked at to other Aspects? in most packs there's a million items, and if you're looking for, say, Aer, there's a million items with 1 or 2 Aer and WAY more of a bunch of other things. being able to look at what has the highest proportion of Aer would make this MUCH less of a hassle to look up, and isn't that the purpose of JEI in the first place?


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"Soup-er Soups" Gift Set
"Soup-er Soups" Gift Set
Give the gift of premium comfort to your culinarily-inclined friends who deserve a chance to relax with a delicious meal. Royal Merchant's "Soup-er Soups" Gift Set includes three soul-warming soup recipes and a delicious bread recipe, all carefully curated by our team members. It's also the perfect gift to give yourself — who doesn't want a little more time to rest from the holidays with a bowl of soup? This gift set provides everything you need!
Gift set includes:
Four recipe cards and 11 of Royal Merchant's spices to bring deep, rich authentic flavors to your dishes.
Tomato Fennel Soup
Carrot, Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Spiced Chickpeas
Patrick's Potluck Rosemary Bread
Indian Coriander Seed, 1 oz
Black Tellicherry Peppercorn, 1 oz
Turkish Cumin Seed, 1 oz
Madras Turmeric, 0.5 oz
Indian Cayenne Pepper, 0.5 oz
Moroccan Rosemary, 0.5 oz
Mediterranean Aleppo, 0.5 oz
Egyptian Sweet Fennel Seed, 1 oz
Shandong Snow White Garlic, 1 oz
Moroccan Thyme, 0.5 oz
Turkish Bay Leaves, 0.25 oz
Cracked Indian Ginger, 1 oz
Indian Cayenne Pepper, 0.5 oz


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$108.75 $145.00
Wood Ring, Wooden Rings, Wood Wedding Band, Men's Wooden Ring, Wood Rings, Women's Wedding Band, Womens Wood Ring, Tungsten Ring
Introducing our Brushed Tungsten Carbide Ring with Rosewood Inlay
◆Tungsten 8mm Ring with Rosewood◆
This beautiful tungsten carbide ring is inlaid with real wood.
Since we use real wood, every ring will be unique and one of a kind.
The wood inlay is sealed with protective resin, assuring the ring will last ages.
This ring is made from tungsten carbide, much stronger than titanium and steel.
* Lightweight and comfortable
* Scratch resistant & hypoallergenic
* Cobalt free
* Beveled Edges
* Comfort Fit
◆Ring Size Information:
* Ring Width: 8mm
* Ring Thickness: 2.2mm
We recommend checking your ring size 2-3 times before to ensure you are purchasing the correct size.
Please choose your ring size carefully; these rings cannot be resized because of the wood inlay.
◆Shipping Information:
We will get started on your order right away and it will ship within 1-2 weeks, sometimes sooner.
Let us know if you need it by a certain date and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Every ring will be presented in a beautiful ring box, packaged safely and securely.
All international packages are shipped via Insured Priority mail.
◆About AxMen:
Our mission is to provide a high quality ring that is beautiful, comfortable to wear, and affordable. With a combination of nature's beauty and modern design, our rings are truly one of a kind
We love to give back to our planet. A portion of every sale is donated directly to The Nature Conservancy.
Working together, we can help plant the roots of tomorrow.
If you have any questions please feel free to message our shop. We would love to help.
We accept Etsy Payments, Etsy Gift Cards, Paypal
I ship all my items via USPS, with safe and secure packaging. Order tracking information will be updated automatically once your order is shipped. Typically, orders are shipped out within 3 business days from the order date (exceptions can be made). I do offer shipping upgrades and rush shipping. Message me for details.
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
Refunds are only provided if the item is not as described. Please be sure to give me as detailed information as possible once you place your order for a custom item.
In the unfortunate but unlikely event that your AxMen product is broken during shipment, please notify us within 48 hours to report the broken item to me once it has been received. We will send a replacement ASAP.
What separates AxMen from other watch shops - All our watches are backed by a 1 year mechanical warranty.
Where do I put my engraving details?
You can leave your engraving instructions in the "notes" section on the checkout page or message us!
Sep 13, 2019
Feb 27, 2019
Nov 25, 2018
Oct 9, 2018
The wood lining is subtle but really gives me the feel and look i wanted in my wedding band. Am very happy with the ring and it looks great!
Aug 3, 2018
My husband chose this ring because he loved the wood and wanted a tungsten metal ring. It is beveled but still slightly rounded which looks great, and it's got a substantial weight to it. He works with his hands so he only wears this one to church and when he's off. It looks awesome on his hand and is both beautiful and masculine.


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As a pedestrian in New Jersey, you may be concerned about your safety. It's true that there are a high number of accidents, but laws are there to help prevent further accidents from taking place.
New Jersey has very specific traffic laws aimed at helping pedestrians stay safe. For instance, when a pedestrian is in a crosswalk, motorists must stop and stay stopped. Motorists who do not stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk are breaking the law. If an officer of the law catches someone disobeying this law, one or several penalties can apply. These include a $200 fine, 15 days of community service, insurance surcharges and points on the driver's license.
Motorists also should yield to the right of way of a pedestrian who is crossing within an unmarked crosswalk. It's assumed that these crosswalks are at intersections. However, if a pedestrian runs into traffic and causes an accident, the driver may not be found liable.
When a driver stops to allow you to cross the street, it's important to double check oncoming traffic. It's not legal for other drivers to pass the stopped vehicle, and if the other car does overtake, that driver can be held liable for the injuries you suffer.
It's important to know that New Jersey does have a disproportionate number of pedestrian accidents when compared to the rest of the nation. Staying safe is going to require more than just the law; you need to be wary when you cross the road, even if you have the right of way. If you're hit and have been as careful as possible, you're in a good position when you file your claim.
Source: New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety, "Pedestrian Safety," accessed Feb. 29, 2016


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Christmas 2018
This festive season, Accessorize have invited their customers to 'find their sparkle' with a contemporary and immersive window and instore scheme.
Using interference filters and films, light is fractured and dissected in amongst wonderfully contemporary and bespoke crystal shaped product holders, creating a feeling of modern opulence across these immersive window displays.
These enchanting elements, designed in the UK, have been manufactured and hand finished using Far Eastern manufacture, and rolled out internationally to hundreds of Accessorize stores across forty-five countries.


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Every year there are millions of various kinds of laptop software that come to be obtainable. Computers, subtle software, e-mail, and Internet access are the new tools of business and training in an evolving publish-industrial society where data actually is power. Their aim is to verify there may be no less than one laptop for every 10 students in fourth by way of eighth grades.\n\nAfter all, in order for the advances in expertise to be effectively used, folks will need to equip themselves with the proper tools and accessories. As an example, the introduction of blue tooth and wireless expertise allows most people to abandon the usage of wires.\n\nIt's not very onerous to come back across the most recent software applications when you just perform a search on Google. Many of the instances, yes, there is a a reimbursement guarantee on many of the software laptop applications that you would have to pay a charge for.\n\nWith the easy audio signal of, "OK Glass" followed by a fundamental command, you possibly can basically have Google Glass do anything you'll have your smartphone or tablet do. You possibly can send and receive messages, after all, but you can even ask Glass to take a photo or report a video, search for data, reside video chat with anyone else who has a cell gadget (and a Google account, naturally), translate your voice, get turn-by-turn directions, and rather more.
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Know-how has created a myriad of the way of communicating easily and effectively. The expertise of online movies or recorded


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Concrete Estimator/Project Manager
Posted 4 months ago
Estimate each job by value engineering on production in conjunction with obtaining equipment, materials, and subcontractors needed at low material pricing to obtain volume of work consistent with annual volume and margin goals.
Essential Functions:
Accurately estimating jobs to obtain work that will support yearly volume and margins on work equal to or exceeding annual goals
- Obtaining hard bid projects
- Staying current with bid opportunities available
- Understanding each phase of job and how work will be completed
- Delivering an estimate utilizing the competencies of a value engineer
- Finding an advantage over competition and acknowledging the risks of job being estimated
Estimating Design Build projects
- Participate as a key individual in client sales presentations
- Maintaining positive relationships with customers
- Maintaining a listing of qualified viable vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers for each trade
- Provide Vice President estimate breakdowns for job costings prior to project commencement and update with each change order and/or work scope
- Transferring Estimate to Job
- Provide hard copy of estimate file to Administrative Assistant/Accounting Clerk to transfer estimate into current accounting software
- Coordinate start-up meeting with Project Manager, General Superintendent, Foreman, Vice President (if available), and President (if available)
- Maintain open line of communication with Project Manager
- Review job costs and manpower hours monthly through end of the project to keep abreast of current construction needs.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
- Communication Proficiency
- Leadership
- Mathematical Skills
Required Education and Experience
- High school diploma
- Ten (10) years supervisory construction experience or four (4) year engineering degree with four (4) years experience
- Proficient in MS Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook)
Job Features
|Job Category
|Office Staff


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Brown Birds Gourd Box
For bird lovers everywhere, this slightly smaller gourd box is another example of the incredible craftsmanship of the Peruvian artisans from the Andean villages of Cochas Chico and Cochas Grande. The traditional techniques of carving, etching, and burning designs onto the gourd (similar to a pumpkin) have been handed down through many generations. This gourd box features a rich brown background achieved by using the glowing ember of a piece of heated quinual wood. As the artisan blows on the ember, the gourd is burned in a carefully controlled way so that lighter and darker shades fill in the design. The harder the artisan blows, the darker the burn. The charming etching on this design gives each bird, leaf and branch a highlighted outline. Peruvian gourd art boxes are fun to collect and display, and also make very special gifts.
Approximately 3" Diam. x 3" H (Accessories pictured not included with gourd box)
Handcrafted item, variations in color and style will occur


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Syria Army Facilitates Evacuations of Thousands of Civilians from Ghouta (+Photos)
TEHRAN (Press Shia) – The Syrian forces are facilitating the evacuation of thousands of civilians from Syria's Eastern Ghouta.
Syria's ambassador to the UN said over 40,000 civilians left Eastern Ghouta recently via a new security corridor opened by the government in the city of Hamouria.
Speaking at the UN Security Council on Friday, Bashar Ja'afari said following the liberation of Hamouria on Thursday, the government was assisting the evacuation of civilians "who were taken as human shields by terrorist groups."
The Syrian army and its allies have managed to wrest control of more than 70 percent of the Eastern Ghouta district near Damascus, the Arab country's army said on Saturday.


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Honorable Amarjeet Sohi Minister of Natural Resources, Canada
11th Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum
Montreal, Canada | March 27, 2018.
Sohi served as the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities from 2012-2018. While Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Sohi oversaw the design and early implementation of a plan of more than $180 billion over 12 years – the largest infrastructure investment plan in Canada's history. This plan invests unprecedented amounts in public transit, green infrastructure, clean water and waste water, affordable housing, trade-enabling infrastructure, rural and northern communities, and more. Sohi has been elected to Parliament for Edmonton Mill Woods three times.