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"We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about." --Charles Kingsley
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Coffee break
I've been reluctant to say this because I love it so much, but we don't need any more emergency coffee shipments at the moment, thanks to the bean love from many friends. According to my rough calculations, we're good until mid-2009. If you were planning on sending me a birthday present, we may need coffee around May, but maybe by then we will have sourced a way to buy the coffee that allegedly grows in eastern Africa. We'll keep you posted.
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Ashlee Vieregger, J.D., CFP®, CTFA AVP, Wealth Management & Trust Officer II
As Assistant Vice President, Wealth Management and Trust Officer II with the Bankers Trust Private Client Services team, Ashlee Vieregger provides comprehensive financial guidance and fiduciary services to high-net-worth individuals and families. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM practitioner, she advises clients on a wide variety of topics, including estate planning, cash flow management, retirement planning, income tax strategies, and education funding, among others. Prior to joining Bankers Trust, Ashlee spent eight years in St. Louis, Missouri, where she served as a Professional Consultant at Moneta Group, a fee-only wealth management firm. Ashlee began her career at Bryan Cave LLP, specializing in electronic discovery for class action, commercial litigation, and corporate banking suits. She also holds designation as a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor.
Ashlee earned her Juris Doctor at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. She received a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a major in finance, magna cum laude, from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. While in law school, Ashlee received the Fisse Scholar in Law Award and was named a member of The Order of Barristers Honor Society. In her free time, Ashlee enjoys running with her husband, Carl. She is a two-time marathon finisher and has also completed four half marathons.
Contact Ashlee


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Virginnia De Parte writes futuristic fiction, spiced with romance and adventure. She has three romances published as e-books by Secret Cravings Publishing and is working on a fourth in the series. Setting her stories in the future allows her imagination to run free, creating characters with unheard-of talents. She also has the pleasure of watching science and technology catch up with her imagination.
Virginnia is also a published poet and endeavours to put her poetry skills into her fiction writing, to enhance the word pictures she creates. She lives in the aptly named Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, a land of beautiful scenery, four million people and a number of hobbits.
Facebook | Blog | Goodreads
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing (March 14, 2013)
Talents come in many guises.
Talents come in many guises.
William and Belinda, two genetically altered individuals meet years after leaving the government-rearing nursery for genetically altered infants. Their late development allowed them to escape a life devoted to the government's defence departments. If their skills are now discovered they are in danger of conscription by the government.
William, whose talent is to move through space between locations in the blink of an eye, has devoted his life to protecting other ex-nursery adults. Belinda occasionally uses her talent, lifting objects of great weight with her thoughts. Their meeting leads to love and a raft of problems both struggle to overcome.
Can they trust each other enough to allow love to bloom? Can they risk the renewed attention of the Defence Department?
A Talent for Loving explores an alternate reality and discovers the one talent neither Belinda nor William can control - love.
There it was again.
That tickling on the edge of her safety net. She always put her confusion barrier up when in the city. Anyone wanting to approach her would be stifled at five paces away, their decision to approach would waver and hopefully they would give up their effort. Any other pedestrian, not concerned or not noticing her would walk right on through it. It was a handy device that kept her safe and a secret she shared that put her mother's mind at rest.
Besides, you never knew when someone from the 'Nursery' might be checking up on your life. Cursed people. Thank God she'd escaped, been adopted by loving indulgent parents and was managing to live her life to the fullest
The sensation tickled her back again and she stopped mid-stride, turned and looked down the street. There he was again, the same young man who'd stared at her in the supermarket the other day while she'd been shopping with her mother. He had to be about her own age - too young to be a government agent. What did he want from her? Probably some creep who stalked people, unless it was a co-incidence? Could he be g-altered too?
Did he recognise her from the Nursery? The children had mixed socially when they were growing up until the magic age of seven. Any friendships formed were then split asunder as some stayed, some were adopted and some seemed to vanish overnight. His face didn't ring any bells in her memory. Had he been adopted as well? To be out in the world he must have. Those 'conscripted' didn't enjoy the luxury of free will.
She ran her gaze slowly over him, taking in his tall frame, broad shoulders and thick, dark hair. He met her gaze with equal interest before she turned and walked on. She could feel his indecision prickling again behind her. If he really wanted to talk to her then her confusion barrier would be stopping him. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She could feel his puzzled thoughts bouncing off her barrier, as other pedestrians streamed past close to her and wove between them. No doubt he couldn't work out how they could get close to her and he couldn't.
She wondered if he'd work out how break through the barrier. No one else had so far. It wasn't that she was against men or found the opposite sex unattractive. It was simply a matter of safety first. On reaching the corner she took the steps into the train station at a run, glad to be out of the wind and stopped to read the digital notice board's moving message. There was a ten minute wait till her next train on Platform three. Should she get a coffee to sip on the train? She checked her barrier, no tickling, no irritation. He must have given up, or moved away. Pity, obviously no stickability. He'd looked rather nice too. Ah well, he might try again and she just might let him approach next time.
Purchase from Amazon US
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing (January 9, 2013)
In the near future genetically altered individuals live among the wider population, not always trusted, wanted or even accepted. Jill Corban, a nurse from a g-altered family is looking for ways to control her chameleon genes. A vacation in to visit her family teaches her these skills and a meeting with Dr. Michael Scott offers her a chance at the kind of love she's given up hope of ever finding.
In the near future genetically altered individuals live among the wider population, not always trusted, wanted or even accepted. Jill Corban, a nurse from a g-altered family is looking for ways to control her chameleon genes. A vacation in to visit her family teaches her these skills and a meeting with Dr. Michael Scott offers her a chance at the kind of love she's given up hope of ever finding.
Their romance takes a dusty trip through the heartland of Australia, blending tales of the Dream Time with adventure. Is their attraction to each other strong enough to survive the challenges of prejudice, a time stopping rescue, and challenges to Michael's research programme?
Can their desire survive these events and grow into love?
Discover the beauty of the Red Desert and how the power of love can change a life, for Love's Red Heart beats within us all.
Purchase from Amazon US
Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing (July 25, 2012)
A romance, fraught with heart stopping moments, and time stopping episodes.
Siobhan, a professional photographer with cat genes, is rescued from a night club attack by James, a University Lecturer, who can stop time.
Set in the future these two genetically altered people fall in love. Against James' wishes Siobhan becomes pregnant.
Their relationship topples and during a scan the baby disappears from the screen, alerting the Defense Department of her possible talent. James and Siobhan, when interviewed, separately convince the Agents their relationship is over, but can Siobhan forgive James his continued absence, broken only when he stops time to talk to her at a city Mall?
Determined to rear her child alone Siobhan and her friend Anna prepare for the birth.
Can James return in time to save the child, Stella, from her own talents, which will put Siobhan and he, and their future together in jeopardy?
Purchase from Amazon US


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The place do I take advantage of this?
Flip your easy bread into garlic bread. Unfold the sauce in your common slice of bread grill or toast it within the oven for two min.
Butter garlic rice, Butter garlic lobster, Butter garlic prawn, Butter garlic shrimp, Butter garlic rooster, Butter garlic mushroom, Roasted butter Garlic Potatoes, sauté scallops with wine or butter garlic sauce, fast lunch field concept for kiddie stir fry veggies on this sauce and see the magic.
How do I take advantage of this?
A scrumptious straightforward sauce that makes most of your dish requisite. Drizzle on Grilled prawn, lobster, use it's making mash potato
Keep tuned. For those who haven't subscribed then subscribe and ring the bell button so that you just get prompt notification as in order we add a recipe with butter garlic sauce.
Butter 75grams used is Amul salted Butter
Garlic – 20 pods pealed and cleaned native produce
Small flat pan used is by Wonderchef
Spatula used is by wonderchef
In a small flat pan soften salted butter, add chopped garlic and saute on low flame till cooked. Don't brown the butter or the garlic. Chances are you'll add Lemon, herbs like dried oregano and dried basil to boost the style.
Serve heat as a sauce to be poured on to a grilled fish or lobster, add to your mash potatoes and see the magic.


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Home school dating site
Patrick was blond and hilarious and liked comic books. I had a crush on a boy for every group activity I participated in. We had a vague idea how they might fit into the grand social scheme, but it wasn't very relevant. Although it has never been made clear to me if I'm even allowed to date, or even a clear conversation about anything relationship related that didn't leave me feeling utterly confused and doubling I'll be in a relationship anytime soon.I keep a very close, tight, almost non-existent group of friends. Any dating that will come for me will probably come after I've finished school and gotten a job.On the rare occasion that a guy asked me out, I didn't give him much longer than the first date to impress me.Since I have been homeschooled all my life, (and still attending homeschool) I would say that currently, my personal answer is no.
But that's just my personal opinion on it, as I like to get to know people well, before letting them close to me. It really depends on what kind of homeschool life you life, and if you're involved with the homeschooled community, In my case, I'm not, but it varies among people.They didn't believe in dating, they believed in "courting": a ritualized, highly supervised imitation of dating where the man asks the father if he can court his daughter and the two go on supervised outings until they get married. Despite my rejection of the courtship ritual, my parents' lessons bequeathed me with a pragmatist's attitude toward modern love.I gave it a chance, but thought dating was ultimately distracting me from my real goal: graduating from college. (That was a joke.) I wrote long, detailed entries in my journal about the boys I know, rating and ranking them, assigning them numbers and symbols and giving them code names. But I was homeschooled, so I didn't really know any boys. What we thought about them was all that really mattered.


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Prince Charles has been criticised for getting too involved in politics in Britain but most New Zealanders believe their future King should be as outspoken as he wants.
In a Herald Digipoll survey taken after a speech Prince Charles delivered at the recent climate change conference in Paris, only 7.5 per cent believed he should not get involved in contentious issues such as climate change, while 37 per cent believed he should feel free to express his views in general terms.
More than half - 52 per cent - believed the Prince should break with the tradition that a monarch stay removed from politics and freely express his views, as long as he had no power.
Dean Knight, a constitutional law lecturer at Victoria University and adviser to the NZ Republican Movement, said Prince Charles had broken from the tradition that a monarch remain neutral. He was very different to his mother, the Queen.
"She is a paragon of neutrality and being above politics. His track record of being politically involved, expressing views, lobbying, having fingers in pies is troubling. On its face it is inconsistent with the office of Head of State, of monarch."
Mr Knight said New Zealanders were loyal to the Queen, but that did not necessarily transfer to her son.
Labour leader Andrew Little said while Prince Charles was still the heir he should be free to speak his mind "so that if and when he becomes the monarch people understand what kind of man he is".
He believed New Zealand would "debate vigorously" whether to become a republic at the point of succession from the Queen.
Prime Minister John Key has previously said it is inevitable New Zealand will become a republic, but he believed the affection people felt for Prince William and his family could prolong the monarchy's reign over New Zealand.


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Very excited that this piece, "Dreamscape" in encaustic and oil/cold wax has been accepted in Morpho gallery's upcoming show "Wax (in) Blue" , August 10 to 30
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
A couple of new pieces...
Finished these a few days ago and am submitting to a show of encaustic work. Hope they are accepted. The rectangular one is actually hot and cold wax. Fun stuff.
Posted by Mary Jo Parker O'Hearn at 10:08 PM No comments: Links to this post
Monday, July 15, 2013
I'm back...I think!
Been away for quite a while. No reason, just lazy I guess.Tonight I remembered that I have this blog and thought I would see if it is still here...and it is!! So maybe I will come back more often. Probably just to post my paintings, and there are quite a few. This one is in a show at the local art league OPAL in an abstract show. Nice show and nice to be able to show. So there you have it...not much more to say tonight. See ya!
Posted by Mary Jo Parker O'Hearn at 7:59 PM No comments: Links to this post
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Resolutions for the New Year often include improving ones physical well-being: eating healthy, losing weight, exercising, quitting smoking and so on. That's great, but the one thing that drives me crazy is when people say "I'll start on Monday". I know that many of you are planning on dieting, exercising and becoming healthy in 2016. DO IT! Don't procrastinate. Don't keep saying "I'll start on Monday" every Monday! Getting yourself out of this rut will not only improve your physical well-being, but your mental health as well. Stop making excuses and go for it. You are worth it!
Meal planning is key in this success. Don't go food shopping without a list. Going to the grocery store rogue can be dangerous! Look for recipes that work for your family and write everything down that you'll need. It works. Knowing what you're eating every day will prevent you from grabbing anything and everything. I also suggest keeping a food journal of what you eat throughout the day. You'll be amazed at how many empty calories you're consuming! If you're a nosher like me, pack healthy little snack bags that you can take along with you. I pack small bags of grapes, nuts and celery sticks.
A lot of my go-to healthy dinners are soups. My family and I can't get enough of them! This recipe can be varied according to what you have in the fridge, it's the "everything but the kitchen sink" of soups and it's my 8-year-old's absolute favourite. Let me help you start the new year and the new you with this healthy soup that's easy and just as delicious for lunch the next day!
Easy Two Bean Veggie Soup
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 leek, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 medium yellow squash, diced
• 3 cups of water
• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
• 8 oz. can of kidney beans
• 8 oz. can of great northern beans
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup of small pasta or broken spaghetti
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the onion, leek, and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add the crushed tomatoes, carrot, celery, squash, water and stock. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the beans. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered for about 45 minutes until all the veggies are tender.
In a separate pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the pasta. I keep the pasta separate so it doesn't absorb all of the liquid.
Ladle into bowls adding the pasta and topping with the Parmesan cheese!
**Don't be afraid to use different veggies. That's the joy of this soup! However, the leek brings so much flavour to the soup, so don't leave it out!
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Miss LISSA is a 10 but the video gets a 7. The choice of a chair is to restrictive, the model can not move freely and the choice of positions are very limited. I hope to see more of Miss LISSA she is a real beauty.
18 U.S.C. 2257 Record-Keeping Requirements Compliance Statement. All materials © 2018 metartnetwork.com. All models photographed were at least 18 years old.


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When I was born at day break
I cried to let them know
I arrived
Felt the slap and I wailed louder
I am alive and healthy
And watch out for me
I am ready
to face the challenges of infancy.
I suckled at my mother's breasts
The first drop of its milk
To my hungry mouth
The nourishment of love
Only a mother could give.
I faced indeed a lot until I reached this stage,
The mid-life of my being,
Of who I am and who I became.
As I continue to live the life
According to the dictates of my heart
And of my soul.
Opening another chapter
As I celebrate
A year older
A little wiser and bolder
And pursue what I left behind
And face more of the challenges
God put in front of me
From today until the next candle to blow.
Happy birthday to me today!


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This photography exhibition celebrates the diversity of all women working in the UK today - sharing the stories of women whose voices are rarely heard.
In the UK, public discussion and imagery of 'women in work' tend to focus on white women in 'corporate' roles. This does not reflect the reality of all women who work.
The Same But Different photography project, from the charity Business in the Community, wants to change this.
The charity has collaborated with photographer Leonora Saunders to use stunning imagery alongside intimate narratives to share the experiences of working women whose experiences are least heard and challenge the ways in which working women are portrayed in the UK today.
City Hall
The Queen's Walk, SE1 2AA
Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm (Fri 5.30pm)


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When it comes to spending money, I tend to categorize my spending into two groups, regardless of the actual amount in question:
1) One-off costs
2) Recurring costs (A year or more)
One off costs are straightforward since I spend only what I have. It could be a $25,000 premium for an investment linked account, a $5,000 holiday or a $1,500 computer. I only have to evaluate the value of making the purchase and confirm whether the money is physically available and not earmarked for other things.
However, I have a huge resistance to recurring costs. The surest way for a salesperson to put me off a purchase is to mention the words "per month". It could just be a few dollars a month, and bring untold benefits, but as long as it necessitates me adding a line item to my budget for an extended period of time, I will agonise over the decision for months on end.
For example, I have wanted an iPad 2 3G version for some time. If it had just the $800 upfront to get it, I'll have been in the Apple store a few months ago. I have not spent the money because of the thought of having a recurring $40 data plan in my budget. I have also been thinking about getting my own domain for the blog. The benefits are clear but I have been hesitating because it would mean another $20 line item in my budget.
Why I try to avoid recurring costs:
1) Recurring costs are easy to add. This is especially true of small amounts because the immediate impact of adding them feels minimal. "Oh, it's only $5 a month; I'll just save $5 less." But things can and do add up.
2) Recurring costs are hard to axe, again especially true of smaller amounts, because the immediate impact of cutting them out will hardly be felt.
3) Recurring costs tend to disappear from the consciousness. This is doubly the case when these bills are paid automatically.
4) I am targeting early retirement. In retirement, costs are going to be paid for by investment income. Assuming a draw down rate of 4%, a $10 monthly subscription will require a $2,500 investment to fund it. The more I can prevent these costs from creeping into my budget, the less I have to save and invest and the earlier I can retire. Personally, I don't foresee a good chance of getting them out of the retirement budget once I get used to them (see point 6 below).
5) My income is stable for now, but it may not always be. I could get sick, laid off. Maybe I want to pursue a freelance career. In this sense, recurring costs can feel like credit card purchases. The spending is normally already committed before the income is solidly in the pocket.
6) The above points become much less important if I feel I would be able to cut these costs out of my life painlessly at a later stage. However, recurring costs allow time for these costs to become habit, which then continues to become an essential. Cutting essentials are a pain in the butt, so why put myself through the pain of cutting it later when I can prevent it from rooting in my life now?
In my aversion to recurring costs and resist adding additional lines to my budget, I have unconsciously redefined my needs and wants. When I consider that a committing to a service may mean that the costs stay with me until the end of time, it becomes easier to determine if I really need or even want it in the first place.
Are you as resistance to incurring recurring payments as I am? Or do you belong to the super willpower group and can cut it whenever you need to?


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Play Updates
Long Play Updates
DIAMONDS - DIA - close: 112.22 chg: +0.56 stop: 111.69
Aggressive traders may want to consider buying today's afternoon bounce with a stop loss under today's low (110.87) but we are sticking to our plan. Our suggested trigger to buy the DIA is at $114.30. If triggered at $114.30 our target is the $119.00 mark.
Picked on July xx at $xx.xx
FLIR Sys. - FLIR - close: 42.74 change: -0.14 stop: 39.49
FLIR continues to consolidate sideways. The stock has been able to maintain its gains in spite of the market's volatility, which is a sign of strength. We're not suggesting new positions at this time. Our target is the $44.95 mark. The P&F chart points to a $73 target. Please note that we're raising the stop loss to $39.49.
Picked on June 29 at $41.38
Garmin - GRMN - close: 43.67 chg: +1.00 stop: 41.49
Traders bought the dip near $42.00 and the bounce looks like a potential entry point. However, readers may want to consider raising their stop loss toward today's low (41.90). More conservative traders may want to wait for a new rise over $45.15 before initiating positions. Our target is the $49.50 mark.
Picked on July 08 at $44.10
Masimo Corp. - MASI - close: 37.24 chg: +1.47 stop: 32.95
MASI continues to rally. What we are seeing is probably a short squeeze. The most recent data listed short interest at more than 11% of the 43-million share float, which is more than two weeks worth of short interest. We're not suggesting new positions at this time. The P&F chart is already positive with a $56 target. Our target is the $39.95 mark. More aggressive traders could aim for the highs near $42.00 but we do not want to hold over the late July earnings report.
Picked on July 09 at $35.65 *triggered
Terra Inds. - TRA - close: 47.25 chg: +0.51 stop: 40.99
TRA is still inching higher. We suggested using a dip toward $45 as an entry point and TRA hit $45.32 this morning. We have two targets. Our first target is $49.75. Our second target is $54.00. We do not want to hold over the late July earnings report.
Picked on July 08 at $45.44
Wyeth - WYE - close: 48.81 change: +0.26 stop: 46.39
WYE provided us another entry point today with the dip near $48.00. We don't see any changes from our prior comments. Our target is the $52.50 mark. We do not want to hold over the late July earnings report. FYI: The P&F chart has a $61 target.
Picked on July 08 at $48.31 *triggered
Olympic Steel - ZEUS - cls: 59.83 chg: +2.87 stop: 53.49
ZEUS spent most of Thursday trading sideways until the late day rally took hold. Volume surged on the spike higher, which is normally bullish. The stock is challenging resistance near $60.00 again. We're setting our target at $62.50.
Picked on July 08 at $56.56
Short Play Updates
Closed Long Plays
Rockwell Collins - COL - close: 51.46 chg: +0.46 stop: 49.25
COL actually looks poised to rally higher from here but we have run out of time. The company is due to report earnings tomorrow morning. We don't want to hold over the announcement. It was our plan to exit today at the closing bell.
Picked on July 07 at $49.25 */exiting early 51.46
Closed Short Plays


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My dear friends and readers, this chalk art caused a bit of a disagreement between Joel and myself:
What does this say? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Here is everything else we saw:
|this is a nodding onion flower.
|oh bullfrogs, I have a hard time hating you because you are such funny animals.... if only you would stop eating the native wildlife, we would all get along.
Hope you have a great night!


text: I choose the tail and I dressed like a whore Nerdynewton adult masturbation chat . video tarawhite_ I suck on a small dress and high heels. I go well and close to the camera and let my tits open generously and lick my nipples with my long, wet tongue. Video alpinewarrior I am an inexperienced virgin seeking help through a magic pot that I irresistibly tells the people. You do not want to miss Jeni's first lesbian scene Nerdynewton adult masturbation chat . brown hole with spit to be ready for his big cock. we started in the jacuzzi and landed in the bedroom. The way the light catches on the wire mesh causes your cock pain. I am happy until I have goose bumps on my juicy ass Nerdynewton adult masturbation chat . I once feel my purple plug plug to get my buns ready for my unicorn dildo. make_me_scream record We met at the bar tonight and really got it.


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Weight Loss Supplements
The weight loss market includes services, products, and remedies for managing or reducing weight in obese and overweight patients.
Based on the World Health Organization, body mass index higher than 25 is classified as overweight, while BMI more than or similar to 30 is an indication of being overweight. Climbing worldwide problem of obese and obesity is driving the demand for preventive care.
The all-inclusive weight reduction and weight loss and fitness market have three major sections fitness, services and namely diets and surgical operations for obese.
Some the important factors driving the development of obesity management marketplace and the weight loss contain growing volume of lifestyle disorders like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, rising incidence of obesity, and increasing disposable incomes.
Do Weight Loss Supplements Work?
I begin with a great disbelief for one simple reason. Then is the American obesity rate at more than 35% if all the many weight loss pills accessible lived up to their claims and going up?
On the bundle of each weight loss pill, I've ever seen you will discover words printed on the packages that say: "When taken collectively with proper diet and exercise MAY result in weight loss or some similar language with precisely the same message.
That message is, naturally, if you start a healthy nutrition and have good, heavily plant-based foods and get a fair amount of exercise you'll likely lose weight with or without your weight loss pill.
Well not entirely because the mere fact that you're taking them means that you simply have come to comprehend that you do that fact gives them some value and should reduce some weight.
However, now that you understand what the issue is too much weight let's focus on the one proven solution which is to eat better and exercise more. Doing that won't just yield much more lasting and better results but may also remove any negative side effects and save you lots of money.
New Study Reveals Hidden Risks In Supplements
These goods are medications that are unlicensed, and many people are consuming large amounts without realizing the interactions with other supplements or medications they may be taking.
Taking pills is extremely dangerous, and there can be severe side effects.
Those who get these products will not know that they have used this kind of components and so when they visit their doctor this may not be declared by them and it can be hard to find out what is the reason for the side effects. It is a dangerous scenario.
Nutritional Supplement Trusted For Fat Loss?
A lot of people are passing through the same state. Occasionally, individuals gain it all back after some time and slim down. Some attempt with no result achieved by using nutritional supplements.
PhenQ is just another nutritional supplement that lots of girls use to assist them to lose weight. It is among the best-selling dietary supplements in the marketplace now.
There is a great review about PhenQ on the Greek site ArxizoDiaita.gr. Hopefuly they will get it in English in the future. We will wait though because ArxizoDiaita.gr is a legitimate website in Greece, with thousants of new visitors every day.
There's nearly a 100% probability which you have run into the name "PhenQ" if you've done a few of your analysis on diet pills. Health specialists usually recommend PhenQ and is an amazing powerful diet pill that will allow you to burn off fat.
Bauer Nutrition makes a unique point in its ads to support anybody who has given hope in diet pills up to give yet another opportunity to nutritional supplements.
It allegedly unites the results of several health supplements that are distinct into one active pill which is confident that will help you develop the incredible body you've got always wanted and drop pounds.
This diet supplement that is known curbs your appetite and is intended for weight reduction. It makes it possible to burn off more calories to make the sure fat loss and boosts your energy.
You're able to burn off an additional 250 calories daily with taking Phen375 when adding exercise.
You're able to lose 3 to 5 pounds weekly, while taking Phen375.
Phentramin D
A nutraceutical nutritional supplement firm, Lazarus Labs, is the producer of Phentramin-D. Since 2003, the business's top priority is making quality dietary supplements. The ingredients in the supplement work as producer states and are helpful.
Phentramin D is an appetite suppressant including an energy booster. The nutritional supplement raises energy and prevents the body from retaining extra water.
Raspberry Ketone
Recently, Raspberry Ketone's qualities that are evident in assisting weight loss have already been familiar. But while shelves have been reaching by hundreds of variations of the merchandise around the world it had been prohibited in Britain in 2003 from the Food Standards Agency.
It tops our set of the very best weight loss supplements for a lot of reasons. The product includes an advanced formula which helps accelerate the metabolism.
You've been taking Lorcaserin if you've been directed toward a drug called formerly, or Belviq Lorqess. You might have observed the advertisements for Belviq, which can be by correcting chemical imbalances, a drug that will control your daily diet and hunger.
It enables you to feel complete, sending signs that it's time to avoid eating. Lorcaserin demands a prescription from a physician and can be habit forming.
One XS
One XS Weight Loss Pills are fat burners and an additional appetite suppressants in accordance with its makers.
There's a little info that can be found concerning the firm who makes this merchandise; no business sales page shows up when googling the merchandise, and they may don't have any official merchandise website.


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21 May 2018
United Colors of Benetton debuts Bio Beachwear, a line of women's swimwear made of an organic yarn.
22 April 2018
The company underscores its 10-year commitment to environmental sustainability, by joining both the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).
15 March 2018
Large LED archways. A lounge area. Touchscreen tables with interactive content. The new United Colors of Benetton store opens on March 15th in London.
18 January 2018
Lace, tartan and Nordic patterns for cuddles and style during downtime.
18 January 2018
Deeply subversive.
18 January 2018
Spring is a time for revolutions.


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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
I hav something 2 do with Deep space & Time!
These r my own calculations. I dont think u would hav read in books or on net. Im not sure if its available anywhere.
Say, Dinosaurs were extinct 45million yrs ago, if each year of 45million u consider as 1 sec, it would take 1.5yrs to reach that age back!(a day has somewher 86thousand sec, so it comes approx 450lakh secs)
Aaaaah! So long long ago but im still able to perceive it! All these have happened for true. Let me pinch myself!
Another ex for deep space. Pluto is somewher 10billion kms far from sun. Consider this as 1cm, it would b 40mt to reach our nearest star proxima centaury. (well its 4light yrs far, 1light yr is approx 10 lakh crore kms)!
Just a rough work. Draw distance as length between planets using scale. While measuring planets u can measure as say 1mm=10crore km, then pluto will b placed 10cm far!
I see a mosquito mesh in my window. Alright. So, if u consider one mm2 area as 1 yr, then the area u see in 1metre square comes to 1million yrs. Then an area of 10X4.5 metres has num of yrs back Dinosaurs were extinct!
One more similarly,
Place each person in our country in a 1X1metre area then our 1.2billion ppl shall stand in an area of 100X12km! (1000ppl in 1km.)
Its so thrilling to calculate so on..
Now coming to the topic, im sure u gonna gasp when u read how Dinosaurs were actually extinct. Let me know ur opinion. :)
Posted by Radhakrishna MC at 6:07 PM
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Only a man can understand the state of mind of a groom on his wedding day. People may think that brides have more worries on the day, but very few know that even men wait for this special day with bated breath. Unlike women, they are not good at expressing their emotions.
Are you the groom-to-be? Are you looking forward for the big event to arrive? Is the thought of commitment making your blood run cold?
Check out these basic pointers on how grooms can get rid of anxiety on their wedding day.
1Prepare for the day
There is a saying, "Practice makes a man perfect". This applies to your wedding day as well. Fear of taking center-stage and facing the crowd might be making you feel like a cat on a hot brick. Stage phobia adds to the nervousness.
The best way to get rid of this is to practice your part well. Rehearse the entire ceremony with your lady multiple times. You can make the auspicious day even more special with your perfection. Learn the lines of your speech by heart.
2Share your anxiety with your married friends
Ladies can share their feelings with their mother, sisters, and friends. However, men are not comfortable with sharing their state of mind with others.
In this case, close friends can prove to be your savior. Talk to your besties who are already married. They can give you valuable advice and put you at ease.
At the same time, you need to stay away from negative people. There will be guys in your circle of friends who will end up confusing you even more. Keep your distance from them, and choose the right person to confide in.
3Be a part of the arrangements
An empty mind is the devil's workshop. This is the time when the rest of your family members are busy, but you have a lot of free time. This is when the groom starts thinking too much.
The best way to keep your distance from negative thoughts is to keep yourself busy. Volunteer for some of the preparations like communicating with your groomsmen and ushers. You'll be doing your bride a favor by taking some of the pressure off her.
4Spend some time with the girl
There is nothing better than sharing your insecurities and concerns with the woman to whom you are getting married. You are in the same situation, after all.
Moreover, she has got all the right to know what you are thinking about as it is your future together at stake. It is the big day for both of you. So, begin the new chapter of your life with any sort of confusion. Be very honest about your feelings with your partner.
5Exercise and meditate
Hitting the gym or spending some quiet time with yourself is the best way to calm yourself. Meditation is a holistic and scientific method that can help you deal with your bout of nerves and anxiety. Regular meditation will also help you center yourself when you are out of equilibrium.
See Also: How to Meditate When All The Other Techniques Don't Work
6Spend some quiet time a day before
Every married man can attest that the night before the wedding is the toughest one. In case your turbulent mind is not letting you sleep, take a small walk in the garden and listen to your favorite music. Relax and wear some airy clothing before going to bed. This will help you sleep.
Bachelorhood is fun, but there is nothing like the true companionship that marriage brings. Giving up your freedom and independence is what bothers men a lot. However, married life has got its own charms. Once you have made up your mind for the lifelong commitment, there is no looking back. Just keep the above points in mind and enjoy the special day with your soulmate.
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Author: Alice Irvin
I'm Alice. A fashion freak by choice and a blogger by passion. My area of interest is men's fashion, underneath clothing and lifestyle. I've contributed my part in some of very well-known site with my write ups.


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The Nebraska Music Teachers Association is an organization of over 300 musicians dedicated to a practical role of artistic service in today's society. NMTA provides cultural leadership through a wide variety of activities for teachers, students, and professional musicians. It promotes high professional standards in music and fulfills its responsibility to artistic and educational leadership in the state.
NMTA was founded in 1916. NMTA is affiliated with Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), which has a membership of over 24,000 musicians nationwide.
Please look through our website to learn more about us or to find a music teacher.
Latest NMTA News
FTC Antitrust Compliance Guide
Please click here for the MTNA Antitrust Compliance Guide.
Current Announcements
- Article submissions are currently being accepted for the Summer 2018 NMTA Newsletter. Submission deadline is June 1, 2018. Send articles to Larry Jones, Newsletter Editor at: firstname.lastname@example.com Submissions must be Word documents, 10-point Times New Roman font, single spaced, double space between paragraphs.
- Session proposals for the 2018 NMTA State Conference in Kearney will be considered until May 1, 2018. Send proposals to NMTA President-elect Gail Dunning at firstname.lastname@example.com. Details can be found in the Winter 2018 Newsletter.
Newsletter Online
The Winter 2018 Newsletter is now available online, just click "About Us/Newsletter" at the top of this page. The Newsletter is published online only. If you need a hard copy and are unable to print it yourself, please contact Larry Jones, Newsletter Editor, at email@example.com, 402.483.4531.
Board Information
For up-to-date listings for the Board Members of NMTA, use the new State Affiliate Portal from the MTNA National Office at http://ne.mtna.org. Download the complete 2017 NMTA Board Member Roster.


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tho' your heart is aching
even tho' it's breaking
when there are clauds in the sky
you'll get by
if you
smile through your fear and sorrow
smile and maybe tomorrow
you'll see the sun come shining thru for you.
Light up your face with gladness
hide ev'ry trace of sadness
altho' a tear maybe ever so near
that's the time you must keep on trying
what's the use of crying
you'll find that life is stillworth while
if you'll just smile.
-charlie chaplin.
just some thoughts, love the last 2 lines.
Posted by ohemgeeitspaige at 11:01:00 PM
2 comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Archive for Things to Do
Carobana Factory VisitPosted by: | Comments
We weren't able to go away these school holidays so we thought we'd do a few touristy things in our own town.
So when I suggested to my boys we go visit Carobana Factory they jumped at the chance! I mean, how could you say no?
Carobana is located on James Small Drive at Korora and has been there since 1982. You might've seen Carobana products stocked in a lot of local shops but if you've never visited the factory it's well worth the visit!
They are open Monday – Saturday 10am-4pm but the best time to visit is Monday – Thursday during the morning when they sre in production.
We watched peanut brittle and rocky road being made and chocolate honeycomb being covered in chocolate then sent on a 45 metre "cooling tunnel". The best thing was when we were given a small sample of freshly made peanut brittle. We also had a chance to sample some other products in the retail shop and make some purchases.
The staff there were very friendly and helpful, loved to explain what they were doing and how things were made and answer any questions.
Best of all, it is free to visit but make sure you take some money to buy some goodies!
You can find out more about Carobana on their website or visit their Facebook page.
Coffs Physie & Dance Enrolling NOW!Posted by: | Comments
Time Out AdventuresPosted by: | Comments
My family and I were very lucky to be invited to an afternoon visiting Time Out Adventures last Saturday afternoon. Located amongst the gorgeous grounds at Pacific Bay Resort, Time Out is open to the public which is good for us Coffs locals!
There are SO many activities to do at Time Out, the hardest thing would be choosing which activity to do! So whether it be a fun afternoon of family bonding, something to occupy the kids during the school holidays or weekend, a special treat or even a birthday party, Time Out is the perfect place to spend an hour or two.
Here are some of the activities we did:
The best thing about this activity is it can be enjoyed by anyone. You don't need any special sporting skills (I certainly don't have any!) and it is SO much fun. Not only that, even if you aren't "on field" it's hilarious to watch. I couldn't stop laughing.
Simply crawl inside the big blown up balls, and try your best to run around and stay on your feet. There are games played as well, such as last "bumper" standing and bumper soccer.
You can have any number of people particating as the activity can be quite tiring, so it's good to have a rest and sit back and laugh watching the others get bumped around. I would also suggest this activity is good for ages 8 years and upwards.
More information – http://www.timeoutadventures.com.au/activities/bumper-balls-coffs-harbour/
Splash Golf is heaps of fun, especially for those who have never played golf before! My kids loved it! Step up to the platform, grab a ball from your bucket and aim for the floating targets. There are even prizes to be won for hitting a target or getting a hole in one. The lagoon where the splash golf is played is just gorgeous, what an amazing setting for some family fun! The youngest in the family even enjoyed this, so probably fine for 5 year olds upwards.
More information: http://www.timeoutadventures.com.au/activities/splash-golf-pb/
By far the number #1 favourite activity of everyone for the afternoon. You've seen segways before but not many people have a chance to try one. Well, cruising around on the paths at Pacific Bay is the perfect opportunity for an introduction!
Riding a Segway is quite simply amazing; it feels like nothing you've experienced – because there's never been anything like it. It's very easy to learn and our instructor was very helpful and hands on. Please note, Segways are only available for kids over 28kgs.
More information: http://www.timeoutadventures.com.au/activities/segway-fun-ride-coffs-harbour/
The newest addition to the Time Out Coffs family, these are SO much fun for the whole family. They can seat four and it's a lovely little ride out around the lagoon. Perfect lazy afternoon activity and getting out in the fresh air. Just make sure Dad is in the front to paddle!
Another favourite, and also very funny to watch for those not participating. It's hard to describe what these are if you've never seen one in action before so here's a short time lapse:
Once inside your Ozbobble (it's like a Zorb ball but on water) you will run, float, somersault and more on water without getting wet. Then afterwards go for a swim in the lovely pools to cool down and relax. Access to the pool is included in the price of the Ozbobble fun.
More information: http://www.timeoutadventures.com.au/activities/ozbobbles-coffs-harbour/
And at the end of all that fun and activity, of course we needed to sit down for that well earned ice-cream. Also available at the Time Out Cafe are snacks, coffee, slushies and other food and drinks.
There are other activities to do at Time Out such as the gorgeous 9 hole golf course, archery and bopping heads music video. You can combine activities or get special packages. AND don't forget, Time Out is the perfect place to have a birthday party for the 'older kids' who have outgrown places like Tabatinga and Springloaded. My 12 year is old is begging for his next birthday party to be an OzBobble pool party!
Time out is probably the first place that I've taken my kids that I've enjoyed as much as they have, and they've been talking about it non-stop since we went. It's one of those experiences we will all remember, we definitely made some memories that afternoon!
A BIG thanks to Glen, the manager, for personally escorting us and showing us around all the activities. Glen and his staff are very friendly, relaxed and easy going and definitely made the afternoon a lot fun for us.
You can find out more by clicking on the website (just hit NSW and then "Coffs Harbour" to search for our location) http://www.timeoutadventures.com.au/activities-search/.
You can also call 02 6659 7006 or 1300 090 767.
The Time Out "Activities Hut" is located at Novotel Pacific Bay resort, the entrance is on the left just past the Marine Science Centre.
Things to do – Winter School HolidaysPosted by: | Comments
Whether you are visiting Coffs Harbour or somewhere else on the Mid North Coast these school holidays, here are a few ideas to keep the kids entertained:
1. Check out the SCHOOL HOLIDAYS page on this website where I have listed activities and events on locally for kids. You can also check out websites such as "Kids Port Macquarie" if you will be in the Port area at all.
2. The National Parks NSW website is a great place to head to find out about things do to in the great outdoors. You can do a search based on location, activity and time of year. Find a great walking track, waterfall, bike tours, horse riding and more.
3. The beach can be enjoyed in winter as well! Go searching for rockpools, build a sandcastle or do a scavenger hunt like my kids and I have done on a sunny Winter's Day. Click here for my scavenger list! (you can also do this hunt in any park, or even your backyard!)
4. Winter is Whale season! There is a fantastic website where you can locate viewing hotspots, tips and guidelines, whale facts and learn about the "Wild about Whales" free app, the kids will love it!
5. Visit the vistnsw website for events that are happening on the North Coast or anywhere else in NSW!
6. Get the kids to jump on the Wilderquest website (part of NSW National Parks), learn how to become a Wilderquest ranger, discover amazing places, play games, earn points and collect badges. They can also learn of any special programs running for kids in your local National Park.
7. Search for your local library, museum, theatre etc for any special holiday activities on these school holidays.
8. If you feel like a little road trip or couple nights away and visit the Hunter Valley Gardens, they have a really amazing "Snow Time in the Garden" running these school holidays.
9. Do a day trip in your local area and act like a tourist! There are so many amazing places to discover on your doorstep that we often forget about. Look up Google Maps and find a spot to head to and explore for the day. Or let your kids choose where you'll go for your family adventure.
10. If you want a quiet indoor activity I just came across this fantastic website, "Sew a Softie". Sew a Softie is an initiative that aims to ignite a love of hand sewing in a new generation. It encourages parents and children to turn off their computers, put down their smart phones and discover the fun and fulfillment that comes from creating a simple-to-sew softie together. There are tutorials, a gallery and your kids can even become ambassadors! Love it!


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Climb the Mountain Part 2
To continue the saga of how I made my way to the top of the mountain, I'll begin with where I left off. I had just begun ascending up the mountain on a rocky trail that zigged zagged the whole way to the top. My dad had told me a while back to watch out for snakes and to basically not go up when its hot because they will be out of there holes. To be honest I was going out of my way to try to find snakes haha. A little danger would just add to the thrill of conquering the hill.
Anyways, at one point the path seemed to go almost sideways and I saw an opportunity to cut a corner to make the trip a bit faster. I'm still unsure if that was the right decision or not. I'm leaning towards no because I scratched up my legs pretty good on some thorny bushes and I worked pretty hard to make it up to where the path continued on. The long grass was dead, or so it seemed, and flattened to the ground. The ground was covered with it and it took away a lot of the traction the lay underneath the brush.
After conquering that, the mountain didn't ease up on me at all adding in steep climbs and loose rocks to climb over. The final climb was pretty intense. It was about a 15 foot last climb up a fairly steep part of the trail but I powered through it like a champ. I prolly put a lot more effort into it than I had to but I wanted to conquer the mountain in courageous fashion with a never give up attitude. Having conquered the mountain I paraded on top like the weirdo I am raising my arms above my head, Rocky Balboa style from Rocky IV specifically. You know, a week after I did this, a good friend of mine told me that his around 4 year old son climbed this same mountain before. Thats a bit discouraging because I did not find it an easy task, but at the same time, I can't help but laugh at it.
Now down to connection making. Ones walk with Christ can be easily linked to such an adventure as the one described above. Your walk with Christ can easy be a long zig zaggy trail that seems to not go anywhere too fast. In these scenarios we need to just buckle down and keep moving forward. Yeah, you can take a short cut, but that can easily lead you astray if your not careful. For example, when I took a short cut on the trail to the top, I went through a lot bigger of a struggle than if I had just continued on the path. It took a lot of physically effort to stay the course and not go too far off the trail. Slipping on the slick underbrush can signify how one can slip up in there walk with Christ. When you lose your ways or in this case your traction, it leaves you with a tougher time getting back on track. Do you struggle with staying on track in your walk with Christ?
"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward." Quote from the movie Rocky Balboa.
Adam Groff
Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments
4 Responses to "Climb the Mountain Part 2"
You're the man!
-life's short. stunt it!
Adam, I enjoy your views and observations on life and how they can have paralells to our Christian walk. Sometimes we have to battle through the "thorns" to learn and grow! Keep learning and growing in the Lord!!!
PS I would have heard your screem in Lancaster if you had seen a large rattler!!!!!


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1,016 results for "Japanese"
"What is the name of that mountain?" Do not you think so? In places like the scenic lookout. Someone you have never been asked to point to the distant mountains? At that time, "Well sure" Do not you giving up? At that time, if you can find the name of t
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My Yellow Rickshaw at FDR
- Presented By: Four Day Ray Brewing
- Dates: 8/3/2018
- Location: Four Day Ray Brewing
- Address: 11671 Lantern Rd., Fishers, IN 46038
- Time: 8-11 pm
They came from humble beginnings. All four members met when modeling in Europe and doing a layout for the Spring '99 Sears catalog. Nathan, Steve, and Jeremy specialized in yard appliance modeling while Eric modeled toddler pajamas. One cold evening around a trashcan fire the four strangers randomly broke out into the sweetest harmonies Batslavagdad (now known as Russia) has ever heard. They have since taken the music scene by storm. They have recorded hit songs such as….well none yet….BUT…they do play hits recorded by other bands, and that has to count for something.


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Home ice seems to mean a lot whenever the Boston Bruins play the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the three games that these two teams have played against one another, home ice meant winner. Well tonight the Lightning hit the TD Garden ice in good old Boston for the forth and final regular season meet up.
Before the game started the Bruins put on a beautiful presentation to celebrate Zdeno Chara's 1000 game which took place on Saturday. The ceremony was pretty cool and what's cooler is Chara is the 9th defenseman in NHL history to ever play 1000 games. Captain Z deserved all of the praise and presents but my favorite thing was the massive silver replica hockey stick…that thing was HUGE!
We know return you to your regularly scheduled hockey game. So the B's kept their line up the same as Sunday meaning Daniel Paille, Joe Corvo, Mike Mottau, and newly acquired Torey Krug got the healthy scratches. Goal tender wise it was different so Tim Thomas got the start against the Lightning's Dwayne Roloson.
Steven Stamkos gets the first goal in the game (shocking) five minutes into the first getting his season goal tally to 54. When credit is due I give props so good work sir. So far B's wise the Brad Marchand- Patrice Bergeron- Rich Peverley line is looking pretty good in getting some pressure on Roloson. At 9:06 Shawn Thornton gets set up by a beautiful pass from Chara for his 5th goal of the season. That would be his first goal in 36 games…his last goal was a penalty shot against the Winnipeg Jets (I was there!!). That was all the scoring that happened in the first.
Second period was kind of boring. But there was a goal and it was the Bruins so yay. With 4:55 to go Chara with a slap shot from the point got a rebound to Dennis Seidenberg to make it 2-1 Bruins. Something positive to take from the first two periods is that the Bruins are 22-2-0 when leading after 2.
Then third period happened and at 14:14 Stamkos got his 55th of the year…yawn. The Bruins are holding most of the momentum but Tampa is staying alive. Not too long after Adam McQuaid took a hit and went down hard head first. Not a good sign for someone that has had head problems this season. But thankfully he does return to the bench. At 8:26 Benoit Pouliot scores his 14th of the season and puts the Bruins back on top. With 4:10 left Brad Marchand makes it a 4-2 game and no sooner was Roloson pulled leaving an empty net. Peverley, back and stronger than ever, took advantage of the open net and secured the win with a 5-2 victory.
This is the third win in a row for the Bruins and having this kind of momentum is so important come playoffs. Bruins play their next game at home against the Washington Capitals.


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Saturday night after all the day's activities at the Big Chill is where all the great food is prepared. We have appetizers, farmer's market goodies, fajitas, fruits, salads and numerous desserts. Everyone pitches in to prep, cook and clean up. After all these years Sue has trained us well.
This year Karen Abels (that's her next to hubby Mark) brought her Onion & Smoked Gouda Quesadillas. INCREDIBLE. She told me the recipe as I wrote it on a postit note so please forgive me if I miss something.
I think I can get rid of the postit now.
Karen's Onion and Smoked Gouda Quesadillas
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon golden brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups grated smoked Gouda cheese (Costco)
- 8-10 10-inch-diameter flour tortillas
- 1 package sliced prosciutto, chopped (Costco)
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Melt butter in large skillet. Add onion, brown sugar and vinegar; sauté until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle cheese over half of each tortilla, dividing equally. Sprinkle prosciutto and sautéed onion over cheese. Season with pepper. Fold other half of each tortilla over cheese mixture. Brush tortilla with some of melted butter.
Brush heavy large skillet with some of melted butter. Place over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook quesadillas just until brown spots appear, brushing skillet with butter between batches, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer quesadillas to heavy large baking sheet.
Bake until tortillas are golden and cheese melts, about 5 minutes.
Transfer quesadillas to work surface. Cut each into 6 triangles. Arrange on platter and serve hot.


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It's such a pity when a party doesn't live up to your expectations.
Boyfriend person and I went off to a work-related bash the other night. The function was a launch party for an upcoming event and we were promised an extravagant evening for which the organizers had "gone all out".
So off we went, a spring in our step and great expectations. It all started off promisingly enough. The hostesses looked marvelous, and the magician slash comedian was suitably funny and creepy. But once we were inside and settled on the comfy couches in an alcove, the hostesses were herded together and dismissed.
The DJs were horrible, playing music which had absolutely nothing to do with the theme, with jarring gaps between songs.
I don't think they had half the turn-out they'd expected and apart from an impressive ice sculpture and a nice colour scheme there wasn't really much else to the party.
They had a couple of guest performers who were breathtaking, but the gaps between appearances were far too long. And unless you were drunk and willing to crank up your own party, boredom arrived quickly.
Now, I'm not an events coordinator or party planner, but there are a few things I'd have done differently.
Use a smaller venue, even if it means that if all your guests show it'll be a bit of a crush. There's nothing like a bit of forced intimacy to get things heated up. Speaking of heating things up – I'd have used the sexy hostesses as the waiters, and had them walking around with drinks.
The performers should have been dotted around the venue, and not on stage at the front. And the magician should have spread his tricks around instead of performing his entire repertoire for four random people over in a corner.
Oh, and the snacks could seriously have matched the theme. Also it would have been great if the waiters had actually been told what was on their platters. I'm afraid "mumble mumble cough croak" wasn't enough to let my veggie friends know whether what they were looking at was of the meat persuasion or not, and let's not even go into the ramifications for anyone with a fish allergy.
There was so much scope for this party, and I'm afraid the organizers relied on the pull of the event they were launching to draw the crowds and make their party successful.
We left early, and so did our veggie friends.
It really is a pity. The good thing is, however, the event they were launching IS going to be awesome and for that, the people will come – in droves.


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"I feel like I'm trapped in somebody else's master plan. Go to school, get a job... get a mortgage. All I'm really doing is dying."
"Let me get you some more pills."
Deep Muso dudes . Very very deep.
I know I've felt like this before. Personally, I agree. I don't think we have to do things just 'Because we're supposed to'. A lot of the time we distract ourselves from the reality of our situation. 'Pills' – things like TV, social media, addictions. A lot of things take our attention way from how we really feel. And it's horrible. I don't know what I 'want to be' for the rest of my life. I want to be happy. And travel and write and hopefully laugh a lot. If there's some tequila involved, or I get to help other people be happier too, all the better for it. Preferably both.
My favourite part of this video is the intro…
"I think I hate my life."
"Is it because you gained weight? You should read this article. It helped me a lot."
"I haven't gained any weight"
"You should probably have my salad instead."
"You should probably eat a d***. "
*chokes down laughter*
Hahaha. I mean, really. Tee hee.
Get out there and live life your way. Possibly be less violent about it. But leave the things that suck behind. Do what you makes you happy. For me, I bought a one-way ticket to see where life would lead. I don't know what it will be for you. But you do.
Go out and find your happiness.
Just don't get hit by a bus.


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October 12, 2011
Wednesday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good, Jew first and then Greek. There is no partiality with God. Romans 2:10-11
The Lord said: "Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others. Luke 11:42
Today, Father, help us to leave our selfishness at the door. We have heard your Word but know that hearing it alone is not the only part. Jesus, help us to balance being part meditating Mary and part hard-working Martha. Holy Spirit, inspire us to always look after others and never to overlook what is required of us in order to benefit from God's goodness and grandeur. Amen.
No one likes a moralizing moralizer calling us to task for our sins like some modern day Elmer Gantry. However, today we get a one-two wake-up punch from the first reading and the Gospel. In this corner, from Galilee, one of the original disciples -- St. Luke. And in this corner, hailing from the prisons of eternal city, the soldier-persecutor-turned-evangelizer Paul! Take that!
Sometimes the message we get in our daily readings is personally inspiring. But then there are days like today when Paul and Luke strike the same chord -- and that chord is challenging us in how we live our lives, how we care for others, and how we obey the commandments.
It is certainly much more inspiring to hear readings like that of the much-quoted prophet Micah -- You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8). We hear it read as themes for retreats. It is selected as a reading for funerals and other passages. However, are the messages from Paul and Luke really any different? They are certainly more direct, blunt and to the point.
We have heard the Gospel. We know what is required. Yet we do not always measure up. Paul's letter to the Romans takes on our propensity to judge others without walking in their shoes. Do we suppose, then, that when we judge those who engage in such things and yet do them ourselves, that we will escape the judgment of God?
We can try to rationalize our behavior, however, we know that there are no excuses when we live with the Lord in the present moment or when we stand before God for our final eternal judgment.
As you walk through today, will you be a Pharisee or scholar of the law? Or will we be like humble servants? What would you rather store up? God's wrath for our misdeeds and judgments and prejudices or God's priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience? If we do the later, we will be rewarded. If not, woe to us.


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Putting on your headphones is a universal language for "do not disturb" and i swear it really works.
i am bored in school and i come across this particular article on 10 quick and (well, almost) painless ways to kill distraction.
hey! i am contributing to this dying blog. support me.


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Hello Scrapers;
We had such a fun-filled exciting day that I am feeling a good sleep coming on. I am just going to finish up my tea and head off to bed. Before I do that I must give you some gifts 🙂
Here is Template 30
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Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments. We hope our gifts help you create a beautiful scrap-book full of memories.
One more sip, ah, see you again tomorrow.
Thank you


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In my first primer on the coming legislative battle over education reform, I said that we would have a better sense of how seriously the administration is taking education reform when the Department of Education released its finalized rules for the Race to the Top competition. Would the rules be watered down, or have real teeth? How would the teachers' unions respond? What divisions would we see within the Democratic party?
We have some answers on that now, and it is looking more promising than ever for comprehensive education reform in 2010.
Final Race to the Top rules come out
The Administration created the Race to the Top fund when it passed the stimulus plan, earmarking $4.35 billion in discretionary funds for the Department of Education to disburse to those states that make the greatest strides in reforming their educational systems. It is the single largest pot of discretionary funds in the department's history, and as we noted in the last installment, it has already set off a race by states to change their laws. For a good overview of state actions so far, see the New York Times article on the subject from Nov. 10.
The Administration has now finalized the criteria for awarding grants, after a long period for public commentary on the draft rules. According to today's Times article, states will be graded according to the following point system:
A perfect application would earn a state 500 points, with 125 points allotted for articulating a perfectly coherent agenda for change; 70 points for adopting higher standards and higher quality tests; 47 points for developing computerized systems to track student academic progress; 138 points for recruiting quality teachers, evaluating their effectiveness, and using the evaluations in tenure and other key decisions; 50 points for turning around failing schools; 30 points for other miscellaneous categories of change; and 40 points for fostering the growth of charter schools.
The unions and other Democrats react
And how did key Democrats and the teachers unions respond to the finalized rules? With near unanimous support. This might be surprising to some, given the point system as outlined above. Of the 500 possible points, 345 are for policies teachers unions traditionally do not support, including 70 points for strengthening the testing regime, 47 points for data systems on student performance that will likely later be used to evaluate teacher performance, 138 points for improved recruitment (implying that the current teaching force has much more room to improve) and more firing flexibility for administrators, 50 points for mass layoffs in failing schools, and 40 points for non-unionized charter schools.
Despite these policies that unions have not historically supported, the president of the American Federation of Teachers announced her support of the finalized RttT rules, saying "The administration worked very hard to find the right balance. This is not a 'Kumbaya' moment, but these rules suggest they won't dictate from on high but will work together with teachers and their unions." That is some high praise, after the way the unions scorned some of the draft rules back in the summer. Similarly, Democratic governor of North Carolina Bev Purdue had sent a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan back in the summer complaining about the administration's single-minded focus on charter schools, but in reaction to today's rules release, Gov. Purdue said, "I can see that Secretary Duncan listened to us, and that's phenomenal. I'm really pleased."
Why all the praise?
Why the change of heart? Was it because the draft rules really did change substantially to accommodate the unions and some skeptical politicians?
It doesn't look like it. From the thin information available about the new rules, they don't seem to be terribly different from the draft. And for the few things that were changed, they usually strengthened reforms that unions don't like. NYC schools chancellor Joel Klein said that the draft rules were weak on school turnarounds, usually just requiring a half-way measure like replacing the principal. The new rules, according to Klein, are much tougher and often require entire staff turnovers or outright school closure – steps that unions are generally against.
Similarly, the unions' claims that the new rules are less combative and work with unions as partners doesn't seem to hold up to scrutiny. While the National Education Association said that the new rules de-emphasize the role of standardized testing and instead "put more emphasis on student growth, teacher practice and improving instruction", that doesn't actually seem to be the case. Looking at the point system, there are a substantial number of points up for grab that basically revolve around making tests more rigorous, tracking student performance, and using that performance data in hiring and firing decisions. Where exactly is the compromise the unions are talking about?
Elected officials are also getting on board the revised rules despite the fact that their concerns were not substantively addressed. Gov. Purdue is happy with the new rules because while they still "focus on charters as tools for school change", states are not invited to "describe "'nnovative public schools other than charter schools' operating in their local districts." That's right. Gov. Purdue's support for the final rules seems to stem from her state being allowed to describe other innovations along with charter schools in her state's application for funds, with no guarantee that those descriptions will materialize into more points. Charters are still the focus.
Keeping their powder dry?
So it looks like, in the words of the often anti-union Democrats for Education Reform, "The administration clearly listened to the unions, but they haven't backtracked."
And it worked. By listening to the unions' and politicians' concerns and offering cosmetic changes while retaining the rules' bite, Arne Duncan seems to have won key stakeholders' support without giving up much of anything.
It truly is amazing the extent to which the unions have gone along with these new rules without raising a fuss. Neither the American Federation of Teachers nor the National Education Association make the RttT rules front page news on their webpages, or anywhere else for that matter. Neither group takes an adversarial stance against the current administration's education policy. Both, in fact, have large sections of their sites dedicated to promoting the president's health care reform agenda.
I can think of only 4 possible explanations for the unions caving like they did today:
- Internal union reform has progressed to such a point where key union decision-makers are split over reforms related to testing, tenure, and charters. There certainly is a lot of regional variance in how teachers unions view these reforms, and perhaps those differences have now made their way to the top. I'm skeptical that this is the case, but perhaps it is.
- The President's reform agenda remains an open question. Perhaps the unions cannot yet tell what direction Obama's reform bill will take in the future. During the campaign, both he and Hillary cut a middle path between the educational establishment and the reformist camps of their party. Arne Duncan is firmly in the reform camp, but unions may still have uncertainties about which side Obama himself falls on. I find this to be very unlikely, given Obama's clear pro-reform statements to date, and his reliance on Duncan.
- You can make more change on the inside than on the outside. In unions read the writing on the wall and see the reformist tilt of the president's agenda, then perhaps they calculate that it is better to stay inside the tent and push for change behind closed doors than to leave the tent. They can then extract pro-union statements like this from Duncan while still pushing for more substantive changes in their members' favor later on.
- Keeping their powder dry for the big fight. If unions realize they are not likely to extract many compromises from Duncan and the president during the present RttT negotiations, then unions may see it in their interest to hold their fire for the Big Show when education reform is tackled in Congress. By laying low now they can keep the administration thinking that they are still hanging out inside the tent, as in strategy 3 above. The unions dont' have much leverage over the administration in the current discussion of RttT rules, because the money has already been appropriated and put at the secretary's discretion. Unions know they will have far more power in the Congress, where they are major political donors to individual congressmen.
My personal suspicion is that current union behavior falls somewhere between strategy 3 and 4. That means that the real fireworks aren't likely to become public until Congress starts debate. However, there is some reason to believe that there may never ben severe public disagreement between the unions, union-friendly politicians, and the president. As we saw in the current health care debate, the administration was able to keep industry stake-holders within the tent with the argument that reform is going to happen one way or the other, and it's in their best interest not to be an obstacle. That was a credible threat with health care. The issue now is whether the unions think they have enough power in the Congress to stop any ambitious educational reform on their own, or whether it really will be in their interest to go along with the inevitable reforms?