text:
- Calories 257
- Caloriesfromfat 33%
- Fat 9.3g
- Satfat 4.1g
- Monofat 2.5g
- Polyfat 1.4g
- Protein 5.3g
- Carbohydrate 38.3g
- Fiber 0.7g
- Cholesterol 12mg
- Iron 0.8mg
- Sodium 496mg
- Calcium 118mg
White Bottom Chocolate Pies
Prep: 16 minutes; Chill: 4 minutes. Enjoy your own little chocolate pie--there's no need to share.
How to Make It
Step 1
Prepare pudding mix according to package directions, using 1 3/4 cups milk; stir in vanilla extract. Cover and chill.
Step 2
Combine cream cheese and sugar, stirring until smooth. Spoon cream cheese mixture into pie crusts, carefully spreading to cover bottoms of crusts.
Step 3
Spoon pudding over cream cheese mixture; top each pie with 1 tablespoon whipped topping. Sprinkle with chocolate curls, if desired.
Cooking Light Superfast Suppers


text:
Western Industries Executive Summary
Western Industries Corporation (WIC) provides diverse engineered packaging solutions to some of the World's leading companies. Today, we are directly operating branch locations in the US, Mexico and Singapore as well as alliances in the US, Canada, China and Central Europe. The processes and procedures adopted to operate these locations are intentionally managed for identical support from all regions. Today we offer supply chain optimization from a packaging focus including corrugated boxes, wood crates, custom fabricated foams and plastics, films and packaging supplies. Services include value analysis consulting, packaging engineering and design, manufacturing, warehousing and inventory management. Specific examples include:
- Export crating and packing of semiconductor wafer processing systems
- Wood/foam/corrugated packaging for electronic fuel pump packaging
- Packaging assemblies for military and domestic avionics equipment
- Wooden bases and boxes and custom foam for HVAC equipment
- Foam/Corrugated medical device packaging
- "Reman" packaging for disc drives, cell phones, computers, displays
- Shock management crating for computer racks, controls and telecom
- "Spares" packaging fulfillment for HVAC and Semiconductor service

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Best car insurance for first time drivers
Editor's note: NerdWallet's most recent data on auto insurance cost savings can be found here.
If you were to think shopping for car insurance on the internet is a headache, you're not by yourself.
In a NerdWallet study, 88per cent of drivers discover searching for auto insurance an irritating experience as it's time consuming, tough to compare costs or encroaches to their privacy. Thus, drivers who can't effortlessly compare car insurance quotes miss out on considerable savings each year.
Crucial Findings:
- Us motorists tend to be overpaying typically $368 every year for car insurance.
- Within confirmed zip rule, rates vary by 154percent an average of, permitting drivers to get about 32percent in cost savings.
- Just 12per cent of drivers look for motor insurance shopping easy—leaving 88percent with missed possibilities to get a hold of cheaper insurance coverage.
Comparison shopping might help motorists save yourself 32%
NerdWallet analyzed auto insurance estimates for 1, 000 zip codes over the U.S. The number of quotes offered in one zip code shows you will find options for drivers to locate significant cost savings in contrast shopping.
» COMPARE: auto insurance estimates
Including, a hypothetical 40-year-old wedded male driver with on a clean record is quoted at rates which range from $1, 045 to $3, 048 for Stockdale, Tx, 78160. The standard cost he would purchase automobile insurance is $1, 436, but he is able to get a hold of $391 or 27per cent in savings with the cheapest $1, 045 advanced.
a snapshot of car insurance premiums within the five largest says shows the common cost savings and variability of premiums that drivers can get to pay.
The typical differences between the best and cheapest insurance costs in each state are all triple-figure percentages, except for Florida. For instance, in Texas, the greatest advanced are 194per cent more than the best premium. This difference provides savings options but could additionally be an overwhelming challenge for drivers that are wanting efficient techniques to compare quotes.
Rates vary extensively because insurance firms measure danger in a different way, said Michael Barry, vice president of media relations at the Insurance Ideas Institute.
"Insurers can weigh similar potential policyholder differently. Some insurers use credit-based insurance coverage ratings or another variable—such as work or training level—that would separate one candidate from another."
Barry claims rates vary condition to convey, based on how urban or outlying they have been.
"Urban states do have more things going on. There's more traffic and higher possibility of vandalism in urban says which you don't have in largely rural places."
On line comparison shopping still frustrates motorists
Based on a NerdWallet review, 57per cent of drivers go online once the first faltering step in finding auto insurance quotes. However 50per cent of these look for car insurance shopping time consuming, 33per cent battle to compare costs and 5per cent distrust promoted rates and now have privacy problems. Only 12per cent of motorists performedn't discover car insurance shopping on the web difficult.
Vicky Chan, a benefits service manager from Edison, NJ, was looking for an innovative new car insurance policy after it became too costly to include two additional cars.
Chan said she performed countless research when you go to individual insurers' internet sites but "It ended up being time consuming to enter in all the data, especially for three cars, " on numerous websites.
Nathan Turner, a wedded 33-year-old mortgage loan officer from Irvine, California, not merely discovered it time intensive discover estimates for just two cars, but regrets having provided an excessive amount of his personal information.
"we actually got eight to ten calls inside the very first hours from numerous insurance companies big and little, " Turner stated. "I was not ready for all the calls, and total it was a frustrating experience."
To assist drivers effortlessly contrast car insurance estimates and save money without diminishing privacy, NerdWallet has generated a simple but comprehensive car insurance prices device enabling motorists in most 50 states to instantly get a totally free price estimate by entering their particular zip code and vehicle year, make and model. Email, cell phone numbers, road address or personal protection figures along with other private information aren't needed.
The device provides shoppers quotes of what they would spend from a few insurers within their condition and permits them to pick their particular favored degree of coverage. When people enter how old they are, average mileage, traffic violations and select other filters, estimates tend to be updated in real time. All information is posted anonymously and is perhaps not utilized for soliciting or advertising.
» COMPARE: NerdWallet's auto insurance contrast device
Consumers like Chan and Turner that have multiple car to insure, can save time by entering details about each vehicle once, as opposed to several times for every single insurer's web site.
The device is an independent web cost comparison system so consumers are offered impartial quotes through the biggest insurers in each state. Consumers can use the tool as a starting point for gathering projected estimates and are usually rerouted to an insurer's website only once they're prepared to buy.
Suggestions to spend less on auto insurance
Barry advises consumers periodically review their plans to find techniques to conserve.
"If you have got an older vehicle, you might want to think about dropping collision in the place of comprehensive, since it's higher priced, " Barry said. "For instance, if your automobile has a Kelly Blue Book value of $5, 000 while get into any sort of accident costing $3, 500 in fixes, you haven't been allocating your cash correctly in the event that you've already been investing in collision all of this time."
Barry additionally advises ensuring that your credit file is accurate.
"Many insurers will determine your insurance coverage rating according to your credit report to investigate the reality to register a claim."
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can i renew my geico auto insurance for just two months rather than six months? | Yahoo Answers
my insurance expires in oct but i'm planning to sell my car by nov. so i don't want to pay for my 6 month renewal in oct. is there a way out? thanks for all suggestions.
my insurance expires in oct but i'm planning to sell my car by nov. so i don't want to pay for my 6 month renewal in oct. is there a way out? thanks for all suggestions.


text: rubybloom Play via YouTube OPEN IN APP NSFW Safe Is this playlist safe for work? sad January 25, 2014 | 9 tracks | 128 7 | Stats Alex & Sierra Little Mix One Direction sadcry Liked Collect Share Edit Liked! Share this mix with friends: sad Wrong video Collect Share Liked! Share this mix with friends:


text:
My Christmas Alone + Smoked Salmon Frittata
I spent this Christmas alone in New York City. First Christmas I've ever spent alone. After taking a leap into adulthood by moving away from home, Christmas isn't the same, but maybe it wasn't just that. Less doors and balconies were decorated with lights, less holiday cheer coming from the people around me. Even though the holiday isn't the same as it once was as a child, I despise what Christmas has become. A holiday based around giving and getting materialistic items to benefit the producer and make the consumer feel good only temporary.
I went home for Thanksgiving. I didn't think I would miss my family so soon. I thought Christmas Day would be the perfect moment to be alone. I work in luxury retail, so you can only imagine how busy I had been. Cooking, napping, painting, and watching movies were all on my agenda. My roommates were home for the holidays, so I walked around like it was my born day! Not a care that NYC apartments are so close together -I wouldn't be surprised if my neighbors saw me drop it likes its hot to Gucci Mane's new album. I guess I used the day everyone is expected to be surrounded by people they love to surround myself with the person I am still growing to love… Myself.
One thing I know makes me happy is cooking. When asked as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up I said Emeril Lagasse, so it was my first act of self-care on my Christmas alone. I woke up December 25th and typed "Eggs with Smoked Salmon" in the Pinterest search bar. I'm not huge fan of Eggs Benedict, so I wanted to see what other recipes I could whip up. I came across Smoked Salmon and Tomato Frittata. It was very easy and paired great with the left over frozen breakfast potatoes I had in the back of my freezer.
Smoked Salmon and Tomato Frittata is a great way to get some protein, veggies, and healthy fats into your diet with very minimal effort, you can also add spinach or kale. Paired with a wholegrain English muffin or toast and some fruit, it's a meal that will power you through your day and helping you conquer those 2017 goals.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 oz smoked salmon
- 6 eggs
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
- 2 oz shredded cheese
- Preheat broiler.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 10 inch nonstick skillet.
- Add 4 oz sliced salmon (broken into pieces) into skillet. Whisk 6 eggs with milk well until light and frothy. Gently add the eggs into the skillet and let set, about 3-4 minutes.
- Season egg mixture with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top of frittata, then carefully place under broiler. Let cook under broiler 4-6 minutes until eggs are set and fluffy and slightly browned.
- Take out of oven, let cook slightly then slice into 4 even triangles to serve.
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text:
Portugal is a small big country. Small, because you may cross it from north to south in 6 hours and
east west in 3. Big, because it can provide interesting motifs for all kind of visitors, and, with
everything at a short distance, to surprise with its contrasts.
In these pages I will collect my experiences in my country,
trying to deliver then as organized as possible.
Each district will have its own entrance, linking to the pages of the places that
I think will deserve your visit, with a classification from zero to three stars,
according only with my opinion.
If what you want is not there...sorry. I don't know all the country, I don't remember
most of the old visits, and, really, I don't think that everything deserves our attention.
However, there are still many places and information to come, so, time is what I need, to keep
posting and enriching the information. It will be slow, because there's a big
world out there, and it also calls my attention.


text:
What we do…
At Playmore Sportswear we specialise in designing quality, durable Teamwear and apparel for teams, individuals, schools, Fundraising Events and corporate customers to suit your needs and your budget.
We have an ever expanding range of;
• Jerseys
• Shorts
• Skirts
• Jackets
• Hoodies
• T-shirts
• Hats, caps and visors
• Triathlon knicks
• Polo shirts
• Tracksuits
• Supporters and managers team clothing
• Even the bags to carry your gear in!
We use only the best quality materials designed to withstand all the punishment you can dish out.
Playmore Sportswear creates attractive, durable Teamwear so you look and feel fantastic whatever sport you play;
• Rugby
• Netball
• Soccer
• Touch football
• Oztag
• Softball
• Triathlons
• Golf
• Rowing
• League Tag
• Dragon boat racing
• Cycling
We even do apparel for your Work/Business, School Sports, Corporate Uniforms and Promotional/Event T-Shirts.
Our head office is based in Sydney and we have customers all over Australia & New Zealand. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service with a speedy, efficient ordering process.
We work hard to make sure that we deliver on time and on budget.
10 years of Playmore Sportswear
Hi Guys,
I am the Managing Director of Playmore Sports Australia. I'll just be perfectly honest with you all - The Only reason I got into sportswear was because I played Rugby here in Australia and I got fed up with not having kit that fit! Starting out as a size 6 Winger I had to wrap duct tape around the top of my shorts to keep them on! In my second year of rugby we had a girl playing who could not get a jersey to stretch across her chest (she was breast-feeding) - I took the largest Jersey home and sewed in Stretchy side panel inserts - she was so happy she cried. But I got in a little trouble with my club for "damaging" a jersey!
I tried on Jerseys from every company that was available in Australia and nothing fit. In 2005 I spoke to the rep of a world famous Rugby Brand and was told "Women don't really play Rugby" and so don't need playing kit designing to fit. Another said it was simply not 'economically viable to make playing gear fro women'.
I was so stunned, then angry, then I thought - Well if they won't take us seriously I'll make my own gear!
I teamed up with Playmore Sports Based in Hong Kong in 2006 and set about designing Rugby Gear that fit Women properly and was performance based rather than what looks "pretty".
I was very fortunate that my own team were happy to be my product testers and after several attempts we hit on the perfect fit.
To date Playmore have outfitted Women's Rugby Teams from Club level, regional, state level, right up the Aussie Amazons (Precursor to the Aussie Pearls) Rugby Sevens Team Tour to Hong Kong after the 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup
Every item of kit we make is tested on the field by women from size 6 right up to size 24 and I can confidently say they love Playmore Gear. The Men started taking notice of our good quality gear and soon I was making kit for them too. This was followed by other sports codes and now 10 years on we make pretty much everything your sporting and WORK/BUSINESS team could need
You can read some of the Teams feedback on our Facebook page - Playmore Sportswear (Australia)
We are always developing new kit to suit the changing game - We even made Rugby gear for one of the Sydney Players to get married in - check out the photo's on the Facebook page.
I look forward to working with you soon.
Cheers Kell


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Leftist Youths Shouting "No Justice, No Peace" Smash Windows & Throw Torches UC Berkeley Chancellor's Home
"No justice. No peace."
Several dozen people marched to Chancellor Birgeneau's residence late Friday evening and vandalized the campus property. (DailyCal.org)
The Daily Nexus reported, via Free Republic:
A group of protesters stormed Chancellor Birgeneau's home last night, smashing windows and throwing torches in a violent demonstration against fee hikes and budget cuts. The attack ended with eight arrested.
According to a press release, about 40-75 people surrounded the chancellor's house at 11:15 p.m. The crowd shouted "No justice, no peace," hurled incendiary objects, scattered garbage and broke windows, planters and lights. No fires or injuries occurred.
The eight individuals – including two students from Cal and one from UC Davis – were arrested and charged with rioting, threatening an education official, attempted burglary, attempted arson of an occupied building, felony vandalism and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer.
"These are criminals, not activists," Birgeneau said in a statement released by UC Berkeley. "The attack at our home was extraordinarily frightening and violent. My wife and I genuinely feared for our lives. The people involved in this action will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I want to emphasize that they represent an extreme minority of our students."
As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to edit or remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, anti-Semitism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. The same applies to trolling, the use of multiple aliases, or just generally being a jerk. Enforcement of this policy is at the sole discretion of the site administrators and repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without warning. Guest posting is disabled for security reasons.


text:
Bombus fraternus
|Scope: Global
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Bombus fraternus (Smith, 1854)
Apathus fraternus Smith, 1854
|Taxonomic Source(s):
|Smith, F. 1854. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part II. Apidae. London, UK.
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Endangered A2bc ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
|Hatfield, R., Jepsen, S., Thorp, R., Richardson, L. & Colla, S.
|Ascher, J., Jha, S., Williams, P., Lozier, J., Cannings, S., Inouye, D., Yanega, D. & Woodard, H.
|Antweiler, G., Arduser, M., Ascher, J., Bartomeus, N., Beauchemin, A., Beckham, J., Cromartie, J., Day, L., Droege, S., Evans, E., Fiscus, D., Fraser, D., Gadallah, Z., Gall, L., Gardner, J., Gill, D., Golick, D., Heinrich, B., Hinds, P., Hines, H., Irwin, R., Jean, R., Klymko, J., Koch, J., MacPhail, V., Martineau, R., Martins, K., Matteson, K., McFarland, K., Milam, J., Moisan-DeSerres, J., Morrison, F., Ogden, J., Packer, L., Richardson, L., Savard, M., Scott, V., Scully, C., Sheffield, C., Sikes, D., Strange, J., Surrette, S., Thomas, C, Thompson, J., Veit, M., Wetherill, K., Williams, N., Williams, P., Winfree, R., Yanega, D. & Zahendra, S.
|Foltz Jordan, S., Hatfield, R., Colla, S. & MacPhail, V.
According to our analysis, this North American species has exhibited declines in relative abundance and EOO over the past decade (Hatfield et al. 2014). In addition, this species' long-term downward trend in relative abundance is near significant; if the same rate of decline in relative abundance continues, this species could potentially go extinct within 80-90 years. There are huge gaps in recent (as well as historic) collection effort, especially in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, western Texas, and the Dakotas, yet there has been significant range loss in the northern and southern parts of its range where collection effort has been more consistent. Thus, we have high confidence in the EOO decline of 28.62%, probably due to habitat alterations. We selected criterion A2bc based on a decline in Relative Abundance, EOO, and habitat quality. Habitat modification over the past 10 years (insecticide use, grassland conversion to agriculture) has been severe in the region where this species occurs (Hatfield et al. 2014.). These results are consistent with other findings of decline in this species (e.g. Colla et al. 2012). Based on the above calculations and trends, along with published reports of bumble bee decline and the assessors' best professional judgement, we recommend this species for the Endangered Red List category at this time.
|Previously published Red List assessments:
|Range Description:
|Bombus fraternus is found in the Eastern Temperate Forest region on the coastal plain of the southeastern United States from central Florida north to New Jersey, Ohio west throughout the United States Great Plains (Williams et al. 2014).
For a graph and map of relative abundance and range changes of this species over time see the Supplementary Material.
|Countries occurrence:
Native:United States (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia)
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|Colla et al. (2012) found this species persisted in only 27% of its re-sampled historic range, and also showed a significant decline in relative abundance. Grixti et al. (2009) located the species during a statewide study in Illinois but found it had declined in distribution from the southern portion of the state.
We evaluated this species' spatial distribution over time using a measure of change in the extent of occurrence (EOO; see Figure 2 in the Supplementary Material) and a measure of change in persistence (analytical methods described in Hatfield et al. 2014). We also assessed changes in the species' relative abundance (see Figure 1 in the Supplementary Material), which we consider to be an index of abundance relevant to the taxon, as specified by the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN 2012). For all three calculations we divided the database into historical (1805 – 2001, N=128,572) and current (2002-2012, N=74,682) records. This timeframe was chosen to meet the IUCN criteria stipulation that species decline must have been observed over the longer of three generations or 10 years. Average decline for this species was calculated by averaging the change in abundance, persistence, and EOO. This analysis yielded the following results (see also the graph of relative abundance and map of change in EOO over time in the Supplementary Material):
This species' long-term downward trend in relative abundance is near significant; if the same rate of decline in relative abundance continues, this species could potentially go extinct within 80-90 years. There are huge gaps in recent (as well as historic) collection effort, especially in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, western Texas and the Dakotas, yet there has been significant range loss in the northern and southern parts of its range where collection effort has been more consistent. Habitat modification over the past 10 years (insecticide use, grassland conversion to agriculture) has been severe in the region where this species occurs.
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
Bumblebees, as a whole, are eusocial insects that live in colonies composed of a queen, workers, and reproductives (males and new queens). Colonies are annual and only the new, mated queens overwinter. These queens emerge from hibernation in the early spring and immediately start foraging for pollen and nectar and begin to search for a nest site. Nests are often located underground in abandoned rodent nests, or above ground in tufts of grass, old bird nests, rock piles, or cavities in dead trees. Initially, the queen does all of the foraging and care for the colony until the first workers emerge and assist with these duties. Bumblebees collect both nectar and pollen of the plants that they pollinate. In general, bumblebees forage from a diversity of plants, although bumble bee species in a given area can vary greatly in their plant preferences, largely due to differences in tongue length. Bumblebees are well known to engage in "buzz pollination," a very effective foraging technique in which they sonicate the flowers to vibrate the pollen loose from the anthers.Bombus fraternus is a short-tongued bee associated with grasslands and urban gardens (Williams et al. 2014). It nests underground, and males perch and chase moving objects in search of mates (Williams et al. 2014). Example food plants include Asclepias, Cassia, Dalea, Liatris, Melilotus, Ratibida, and Solidago (Williams et al. 2014).
|Generation Length (years):
|Major Threat(s):
Generally, bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are threatened by a number of factors including habitat loss, pesticide use, pathogens from managed pollinators, competition with non-native bees, and climate change (reviewed in Goulson 2010, Williams et al. 2009, Williams and Osborne 2009, Fürst et al. 2014, Cameron et al. 2011, Hatfield et al. 2012). Reduced genetic diversity resulting from any of these threats can be particularly concerning for bumble bees, since their method of sex-determination can be disrupted by inbreeding, and since genetic diversity already tends to be low in this group due to the colonial life cycle (i.e., large numbers of bumble bees found locally may represent only one or a few queens) (Goulson 2010, Hatfield et al. 2012, but see Cameron et al. 2011 and Lozier et al. 2011).Habitat loss due to the conversion of grasslands to agriculture is likely the major threat to this species. Much its range overlaps with prime agricultural areas, particularly for corn production (e.g. Midwest USA). Grixti et al. (2009) found it had declined in Illinois, a state with extensive natural habitat loss. Pesticide exposure in suitable habitat may also be causing declines. Corn seed is now almost entirely treated with neonicotinoids, a pesticide group known to negatively impact bees (Hopwood et al. 2012). Parasite levels in the wild have not been studied in this species thus the threat of pathogen spillover to this species is unknown. Natural wildfires and prescribed burning may benefit bees by creating open forage in otherwise unsuitable habitat. As such, the suppression of natural fires can result in habitat loss for bees and other grassland species, particularly in forested regions. In light of this, prescribed burning is frequently used as a conservation management tool to restore natural ecosystems (e.g. grasslands), increase biodiversity (particularly plant species), and control invasive species (e.g. Brockway et al. 2002, Hatch et al. 2002). However, depending on fire intensity, duration, season, frequency, and patchiness, prescribed fire may result in population loss for pollinators, particularly at sites where few individuals of a species exist (e.g. Swengel 1996). As such, both fire suppression and fire itself may threaten this species in some areas.
|Conservation Actions:
Conservation Needs:
With the exception of the above, specific conservation and research needs for this species have not been identified. Research needs for North American bumble bees (as a whole) are summarized in Cameron et al. (2011), the final report for the 2010 North American Bumble Bee Species Conservation Planning Workshop.
|Hatfield, R., Jepsen, S., Thorp, R., Richardson, L. & Colla, S. 2014. Bombus fraternus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T44937623A69001851. . Downloaded on 17 August 2018.
|To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
|If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided


text:
Welcome to Following the Whispers blog
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit. Hope you enjoy your stay. I blog here whenever I feel the need. This blog was created at the time my memoir came out, in February, 2009. Its motto was: creating a life of inner peace and self-acceptance from the depths of despair. Now, my focus is sharing this journey we call life.
"Only one thing is more frightening than speaking your truth, and that is not speaking it." Naomi Wolf
"We are called human beings, not human doings." Wes Nisker, Buddhist teacher
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs…(And) if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." Theodore Roosevelt
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Telling the Truth Tuesday: maybe it's the holidays
12 comments:
- Alex J. Cavanaugh said...
Good plan! I know I'd rather think about the holidays.
- December 9, 2014 at 5:42 AM
- Robin said...
There has been so much going on that I'm not getting anything done regarding my WiP. It's frustrating, but I guess normal. Enjoy the Joy!
- December 9, 2014 at 9:35 AM
- Chrys Fey said...
It's always hard for me to stay focused during the holidays, so I like your plan. Enjoy it! You can start doing all the writing things you need to do in the new year. :)
- December 9, 2014 at 9:57 AM
- Mason Canyon said...
Karen, I like your plan. It is a stressful time and just being able to relax and enjoy the moment is sometimes hard. I think I'll give your plan a try. :)
- December 9, 2014 at 9:58 AM
- Hilary Melton-Butcher said...
Hi Karen .. I'd love to get off the bandwagon and just melt into the Christmas spirit and enjoy all the music, lights, services etc ...
Cheers enjoy everything .. cheers Hlary
- December 9, 2014 at 11:16 AM
- Karen Walker said...
Yeah, Alex, let's do it!
Robin, go for it! Just enjoy.
Chrys, you, too.
Mason, oh goodie, have fun!
Hilary, cheers!
- December 9, 2014 at 12:16 PM
- Manzanita said...
People do seem to get caught up on appearances during the holidays. Just enjoy.
- December 9, 2014 at 12:49 PM
- Paul Anthony Shortt said...
I usually do, but not this year. Maybe it's because I've had such a rough couple of years and things are finally at a point where they can't get much worse and we're starting to take back control, but I'm actually having a hard time restraining myself from diving into new projects that really should wait until the new year.
- December 10, 2014 at 4:26 AM
- Karen Walker said...
Manzanita, you, too!
Paul, I am so sorry for your troubles. I do hope the new year brings blessings and relief from your pain.
- December 10, 2014 at 5:40 AM
- Elizabeth Spann Craig/Riley Adams said...
I'm toning down my writing goals and jumping into the holidays, too! Sometimes you can't beat 'em and have to join 'em.... :)
Glad you're doing well and reducing stress!
- December 10, 2014 at 10:50 AM
- M Pax said...
We don't have kids anymore, so our holidays are pretty stress free. It's awesome not to get caught up in all the frenzy. I actually get more writing done during the holidays, because the internet is quiet.
- December 10, 2014 at 3:20 PM
- LD Masterson said...
I was going to work on my query and synopsis this month, too. So far I've cut down and decorated a tree, put up the outside lights and other decorations, given birth to a Christmas letter, addressed and mailed cards, attended two holiday school concerts (two more to go), made several batches of fudge, and completed about half of my gift shopping. Oh well...it's Christmas. Hope yours is wonderful.
- December 11, 2014 at 11:16 AM


text:
Smart in the Suburbs 2014 — Laurence Vigeant-Langlois, Sikorsky Innovations
Laurence Vigeant-Langlios, Director of Business Development and Technology Partnerships at Sikorsky Innovations talks about the importance of helicopters and how the X2 technology can benefit helicopters.
Smart in the Suburbs is an event to highlight the breakthrough work that is taking place in and around Fairfield County. We are justifiably proud of the work being done in our region by strategists, engineers and other world class talent at companies big and small.


text:
Directors' & Officers' Liability Insurance
Directors' and officers' liability insurance – also known as D&O insurance – covers the cost of compensation claims made against your business's directors and key managers (officers) for alleged wrongful acts.
Wrongful acts include:
Do I need it?
If your company has directors or key managers, D&O insurance can cover the cost of compensation claims made against them by shareholders, investors, employees, regulators or third parties.
Directors and officers have specific duties, responsibilities and powers relating to their positions. These are usually set out in their job description or terms of reference. If a director or officer of your company is found to have acted outside of their terms of reference, civil, criminal or regulatory proceedings can be brought against them.
Directors' and officers' liability insurance covers the cost of defending these proceedings, as well as any compensation costs that arise from an unsuccessful defence.
If directors and officers do not have the cover, they face a greater risk of not being able to defend themselves against:
Directors' and officers' liability covers claims made by:


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A communist organization in Spain has been filtering Spanish citizens into Iraq and Syria to fight with the communist Kurdish PKK against the Islamic State. The fighters, most serving as snipers protecting Kurdish and Yazidi areas, assert that they have a responsibility as communists to "further the advancement of this region's proletariat."
Spanish newspaper El Mundo traveled to Sinjar–site of a horrific ISIS siege last year that forced thousands of Yazidis to flee up a barren mountain, dying of heat and exhaustion–to meet a squad of Spanish snipers being trained by the communist PKK. The Spaniards tend to work nights and have orders to shoot anything that moves from their high standing points. The team El Mundo visited had been put under the orders of a female PPK commander named Berivan, who explained her position of authority as a Kurdish tradition: "The Kurdish woman combats all servitude and injustice imposed by the patriarchy."
The Spanish men did not seem to mind, too preoccupied with killing Islamic State jihadists. One sniper, who goes by the alias Paco Arcadio, tells the newspaper he felt a calling to combat "the fascism that ISIS represents" and encourage "the advance of the region's proletariat." This new wave of Spanish fighters follows in the footsteps of Spanish communists who joined the invading Russian army in Ukraine in 2014 and have been charged upon returning home with complicity to murder.
Arcadio hopes the Spanish government views ISIS as a more legitimate target than a crippled, pro-democratic Ukraine. "I hope the commitment the West has made to fighting Daesh means we will not suffer any reprisals," he tells local news, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.
There is a high chance these fighters will face some repercussions for fighting with the PKK. Unlike the Iraqi Peshmerga, which are the soldiers of Iraqi Kurdistan, the PKK is a communist terrorist group responsible for an estimated 40,000 deaths since its inception. It has been accused repeatedly of violence in Turkey, and has taken lately to attacking the Peshmerga, despite their war against ISIS. Last week, PKK terrorists killed at least two Peshmerga soldiers on the Iran-Iraq border, following a dispute in which the PKK challenged the Peshmerga's presence in the area.
While the Islamic State is vocally against any Kurdish organization, claiming to represent Sunni Arabs, the PKK's war on ISIS seems to disregard that the Islamic State is, in practice, a socialist regime. On paper, the policies of the Islamic State in well-held cities like Raqqa and Mosul look little different from those in, for example, Venezuela. In Mosul, ISIS imposed strict price controls on goods and services that merchants cannot adapt to the market, significantly straining the cities' economies. One merchant speaking to the Financial Times called the prices "comical" and notes that merchants try to disregard them without getting caught.
One thing merchants cannot dispose of so easily are the astronomical taxes: up to 50% of salaries of government workers, who are tolerated because ISIS does not have a sufficient number of engineers and skilled workers to run basic government services like power plants and hospitals. Trucks attempting to ship cargo across the Islamic State are charged 10%. Individuals trying to open a business–any business–must pay ISIS 2.5% tax on their revenue.
Like any socialist state, those who reap the benefits in the Islamic State are the party loyalists: the mujahid. The mujahid, who do the killing for the Islamic State, are highly encouraged to marry and have children and are promised a free honeymoon and $1,500 to buy a new home. They receive $400 for every child their wife bears, and marriage bonuses are offered if they can convince a foreign woman to leave the West for them or their wives have skills that would benefit ISIS. ISIS also pays for their food and clothing, and wives receive $50 a month, presumably for personal and child care.


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TORONTO, Nov. 6 /CNW/ - Celebrating its 33rd anniversary, Dogs in Canada Annual - The Ultimate Puppy Guide will hit newsstands on November 12, 2007. Dogs in Canada Annual is Canada's top-selling pet magazine and the most comprehensive guide available for researching breeds and finding a reputable breeder. The Annual contains a wealth of material designed to provide new dog owners with essential information on dog-owning basics, including: - How to select the breed that's right for you and your lifestyle; - Health, nutrition and grooming; - Training. In addition, this year's Annual has great articles on: - The world-famous SuperDogs; - Alexander Graham Bell and his "talking" dog; - A monument that pays tribute to Canadian police dogs lost in the line of duty. In short, the 2008 Dogs in Canada Annual contains a wealth of information for current and prospective dog owners alike. Dogs in Canada and Dogs in Canada Annual are published by Apex Publishing Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Canadian Kennel Club. Dogs in Canada publishes 12 monthly issues per year, along with the annual edition.
For further information:
For further information: and to schedule an interview with: Kelly Caldwell, Editor-in-Chief & Art Director, Dogs in Canada & Dogs in Canada Annual - The Ultimate Puppy Guide, Please contact: Nancy Matheson, Shop Marrin Events, (416) 348-0111, email@example.com
Browse our custom packages or build your own to meet your unique communications needs.
Fill out a CNW membership form or contact us at 1 (877) 269-7890
Request more information about CNW products and services or call us at 1 (877) 269-7890


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A jubilant Tony LeMon grabbed a reporter in the middle of a crush of bodies at the Clarion Hotel in Covington on Saturday night. LeMon, one of the key players behind Warren Montgomery's successful run for district attorney of Washington and St. Tammany parishes, had to shout to make himself heard over the din.
"We are going to change this whole corrupt system!" he yelled. "We are going to change everything!"
LeMon was just one of dozens of Montgomery supporters whose reaction to Saturday's result was equal parts joy and shock. LeMon looked a bit like a wide receiver who catches a tipped Hail Mary pass on the last play to win a game and still can't quite believe what happened.
But it did, of course. The question now is what the surprising result proves about politics in St. Tammany Parish, and what it means for the future.
For some, it was further evidence of a growing anti-establishment sentiment in a parish where political careers have often been measured in decades — but where some of those careers have crashed and burned of late, most recently that of District Attorney Walter Reed, who chose not to stand for re-election amid a federal grand jury probe. For others, it was simply one candidate beating the other in a straight-up, old-fashioned dogfight.
First, a few facts. Brian Trainor, a former assistant district attorney under Reed and current chief deputy to Sheriff Jack Strain, seemed a clear favorite. He got 38 percent of the primary vote. He racked up an impressive list of endorsements, including the sheriffs of both parishes, plus St. Tammany Coroner Charles Preston, Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan, Slidell Police Chief Randy Smith and a bevy of others. And though Reed didn't offer a formal endorsement, he described Trainor as a friend during a closed-door meeting for employees.
Trainor also was able to build a far larger war chest than any of his opponents, including Montgomery, who had to pay for a significant portion of his campaign.
Nonetheless, Montgomery, the last entrant into the four-person field, seemed to gather steam heading into the Nov. 4 primary. He won 25 percent of the vote, enough to make the runoff, but leaving him with a lot of ground to make up. Montgomery had several members of the local defense bar on his side and messages of support from several former colleagues at the U.S. Attorney's Office, where he worked in the 1980s. But he didn't have anything like the establishment backing that Trainor had.
On paper, a moneyed law-and-order candidate in a parish sometimes known as "St. Slammany" looked like a slam dunk.
So what happened?
The simple explanation
The simple narrative is that Trainor was too close to Reed, for whom Trainor worked from 2002 until 2010. Trainor himself seemed to acknowledge this factor in his concession speech.
"I didn't succeed in showing them I am not Walter Reed," Trainor said after the results came in, according to a tweet from nola.com reporter Kim Chatelain. In the campaign's waning days, Trainor had actually sought to portray Montgomery as close to Reed, sending a mailer that juxtaposed photos of the two.
"Warren Montgomery is no corruption fighter," the mailer blared. "In fact, Warren Montgomery has made multiple contributions to Walter Reed's campaign over the years."
But it didn't work. And perhaps it shouldn't have. Despite his protestations to the contrary, Trainor appeared tied to the current DA's regime. While Reed did not make a formal endorsement, he suggested to subordinates that Trainor would be an acceptable replacement. And several office employees were present at Trainor's campaign party Saturday night.
At least one experienced politico — St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister, who made no endorsement in the race — said Trainor's association with Reed was likely too big of a millstone.
"I think the past year and the issues that have been so public with the current DA played a role," she said Monday. Though the result surprised Brister, she said she was "not shocked by it."
While Reed cast a long shadow over the race, it would be oversimplifying things to say the election was a referendum on him.
Montgomery's victory was the second in St. Tammany this year by a candidate for parishwide office who was perceived as an outsider. In April, Charles Preston defeated Leanne Truehart in a special election for coroner. The two were vying to replace Peter Galvan, who resigned in October 2013 and pleaded guilty to stealing public funds.
Apart from the federal probes, the two races had some parallels: Truehart had a strong fundraising operation, she was already a deputy coroner and she had support from some other public officials. But it wasn't enough, just as it wasn't enough for Trainor. Preston — who, like Montgomery, self-financed much of his campaign — cruised to a solid victory. (An interesting side note: Preston endorsed Trainor.)
Weary of scandal
Without a doubt, the Galvan and Reed soap operas have made Tammany voters weary of scandal. But Saturday's election also was a rebuke to Strain, the long-tenured sheriff, who offered strong support for his top aide, filming a commercial on his behalf and urging deputies to vote for him. That's why some see the result as part of a larger pattern, a message to the parish establishment that change is in the air.
"I think people are tired of the whole power structure in St. Tammany Parish," said Terry King, a prominent member of Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany, an activist group. "There is a general sense of being upset with the entire group of governing officials."
Concerned Citizens board member Gary Leonard agreed.
"Citizens of St. Tammany Parish are looking for new leadership in all phases of government," he said, pointing to the coroner's election as another example.
CCST has pushed for change across parish leadership. Though the group doesn't make endorsements, its president, Rick Franzo, was one of the first to hug Montgomery after his acceptance speech Saturday night, and several other members were sprinkled throughout the audience.
King said the result of the DA's race was evidence of the group's strength.
"We are able to communicate a message," he said. "Social media is hugely powerful."
Political consultant James Hartman, who worked on the campaign of fourth-place finisher Roy Burns in the primary, said that sentiment is statewide. Hartman did an analysis for Montgomery shortly after the Nov. 4 primary but did not work for either candidate in the runoff.
"I think the political climate in St. Tammany is where voters are looking for new faces," he said. "But it's not unique to St. Tammany, by any means."
Hartman pointed to the rise of the tea party movement and other groups founded on the same sort of anti-establishment sentiment.
"There is a growing distrust of politicians, particularly career or long-term politicians," he said.
In Hartman's analysis, Trainor, despite a large lead in the primary, had nearly maxed out his vote. In the primary, Trainor led the field with more than 36,000 of the 94,000 votes cast. On Dec. 6, he got only about 5,000 more votes.
Contrast that with Montgomery, who nearly doubled his vote total, jumping from about 24,000 to about 45,000 in the runoff.
That should concern longtime office holders, Hartman said.
"Those that have been in office a long time or are part of a political dynasty should be very concerned right now," he said.
In the campaign's final days, Montgomery sought to pound that message home: "Qualifications not connections," his signs said.
A negative campaign
Another theme in the campaign was its relentless negativity, though it's hard to say how it influenced the race, given that it came from both camps.
Trainor launched a website, since taken down, called InvestigateWarren.com, in which he accused Montgomery of being a friend to illegal immigrants who commit crimes, sex offenders and New Orleans gang-bangers. Montgomery responded with a website of his own, Takedownthemachine.com, accusing Trainor of lying to voters and using scare tactics.
Even before Nov. 4, Montgomery also got into some hot water with a tongue-in-cheek animation produced by a supporter that ridiculed Strain as the "Sheriff of Rottingham" and the other candidates in the race. Strain issued an outraged letter, and Montgomery eventually had the video taken down.
On Monday, Montgomery didn't hesitate to express his disgust over what he saw as below-the-belt shots from the Trainor camp.
Many of Trainor's attack ads featured "photos of Hispanics and blacks, never any photos of Caucasians accused of crimes," Montgomery said. "Basically, they were playing the race card, and I think many voters were offended by that line of attack."
Indeed, one of Trainor's main tactics was to pepper voters with images of defendants Montgomery had represented, reminding them that he, Trainor, had spent his career trying to put criminals behind bars. In what many saw as coded racism, Trainor's campaign ads promised to keep New Orleans crime on the south shore.
Whether or not it won over any voters, it angered many members of St. Tammany Parish's legal community, one of whom said he was saving every flier in case Trainor won, so he could use it to move to have the DA's office recused in trials with minority defendants.
Trainor did not respond to messages seeking comment for this story.
What happens now?
With what has been the north shore's most-watched race in several years now over, attention will turn to what will happen in the DA's Office, which will have a new top prosecutor for the first time since the Reagan administration.
Montgomery said Monday that he had spoken to Reed and is forming a transition team. He refused to say who is on it or what its focus might be, but said all operations would be up for review.
On election night, Montgomery said he wouldn't clean house, but he was more circumspect on Monday.
"Suffice it to say we have had the same administration for 30 years, and I think it's safe to assume that there will be changes," he said.
Montgomery is likely to face more scrutiny from St. Tammany Parish government than Reed was accustomed to. The parish provides a portion of the DA's funding, and earlier this year, Brister requested a state audit of the office's finances after Reed sent a request for more money.
"I offered our time and expertise at the parish to go over where we are, what we do, what our statutory requirements are, and we will work out a process," Brister said of her talk with Montgomery.
Another challenge will be maintaining good relations with the sheriffs in the two parishes Montgomery oversees. Both sheriffs backed Trainor, and if Trainor returns to his post as Strain's chief deputy, he likely will have to work closely with Montgomery's office on a wide range of issues. That relationship will be "professional," Montgomery said, adding that he spoke to Trainor on election night and hopes to keep the relationship cordial.
"There was tremendous pent-up demand for this change," Montgomery said. "But there's a lot of work to do."
Follow Faimon A. Roberts III on Twitter, @faimon.


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Product used as industrial absorbent
LAVAL, QC: Mercator Transport Group has renewed an agreement with EP Minerals to remain the exclusive supplier of that company's diatomaceous earth in Canada.
Diatomaceous earth is an absorbent notably used in automotive and industrial sectors for the absorption of oil spills and other oil products. Through its distribution division, Mercator Transport distributes this industrial product using a network of more than 2,000 points of sale across Canada.
The initial agreement with EP Minerals, which began in 2008, had a term of five years and has been renewed until 2015. The main terms and conditions of the agreement remain unchanged.


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Their story started at a punk rock show so it was very fitting to include one in the wedding celebration. The groom's band "Skint" got back together for one more set at Brewskis before the vows were made.
Venues: Brewskis, USU Botanical Center, Stockman's Bar
Cake/Cupcakes: Salt Cake City
Wedding Dress: David's Bridal
Bride's rings: Trice Jewelers
Groom's ring: Kinekt
Bouquet and flowers made by Angela Jones
How we met:
Joe and I met many years ago at a show. Joe used to be in a popular local band and I went to see them play. One of the guys at the show was being really rude and kept pushing me around. Joe's then roommate kept asking him to stop, and eventually made him stop. After the show I went up to Joe's roommate to thank him, he was talking to Joe. They invited me to a party at their house. I have to admit I was very taken with him from the first time I saw him on stage. I remember thinking "I will marry this man someday". We became friends and I would go to his shows and hang out with him from time to time. He even pretended to like football as an excuse to come to my house and watch with me. Fast forward ~10 years….I had moved to another state, but we kept in touch. I invited him out to spend Christmas with me and he accepted. After several days of Christmas festivities I was still assuming that being anything more than friends wasn't in the cards for us, we were at the airport so he could go home. To my surprise he grabs me, pulls me in for a huge hug and says in my ear, "Promise me something? When you're ready to start dating again promise me you'll call me first?" I melted! We started dating long distance, flying back and forth to see each other and eventually he moved to be with me.
How he asked:
Joe and I were visiting family and friends for New Year's in Utah. His birthday is just before Christmas so I had planned a surprise birthday party for him while we were in town with all his close friends. He tried to ruin the surprise several times over but I managed to pull it off. He had no idea! The real surprise was on me. Everyone knew that Joe was going to propose except me. We had plans to spend the evening in town with our friends in a hotel and go to dinner. We all got dressed up and went to the restaurant. I was thinking Joe had invited a lot of our friends for what I thought was a just a New Year's Eve dinner when he stood up. He addressed us from the head of the table and started a speech. He called me up to join him and pulled out my gorgeous ring! I was completely speechless! Everyone in the restaurant was clapping and cheering. It was truly a magical night!
|This vintage gas mask was borrowed from local artist Cat Palmer. The color of the mask was changed in Photo shop to match her dress.
Custom photography
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah and available to travel
Featuring the photography of Brian Smyer
"If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips your heart out, that is a good picture." ~ Eddie Adams
Wedding photography, Engagements, Bridals, Groomals, Events, Family Portraits and Lifestyle,Salt Lake City Wedding Photographer,Park City Wedding Photographer,Utah Wedding Photographer,Ogden Wedding Photographer.
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Entry requirements
- Normally applicants will hold a Bachelor Honours degree
- Current registration on the NMC register with a Children's Nursing qualification
- Three years post-registration experience
- Current employment in a professional practice (minimum 15 hours per week)
- You will also require evidence of employer support; an identified expert practitioner educated to Masters level as your facilitator; and dedicated clinical time to focus on practice based requirements
Months of entry
January, September
Course content
The programme aims to develop your ability to apply knowledge and understanding of the field of professional practice to complex issues, systematically and creatively, so that you may lead the continuing enhancement of the child's and their family's experience of health care.
In addition it aims to enhance life-long learning skills and personal development, to enable you to work with self-direction and originality and to contribute to professional practice and to society.
This is a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) accredited programme and is aimed at: Children's nurses who expect their career to remain primarily in health care professional practice. You will be working in primary, secondary or tertiary care clinical settings that require advanced nurse practitioner role preparation and wish to continue your academic development to post-graduate level.
The programme is also designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills and attributes commensurate with the Nurse Practitioner level of nursing practice (as defined by the RCN, 2008).
Information for international students
Please see the English language requirements.
Fees and funding
Please see the postgraduate funding page.
Qualification and course duration
part time
36 months
part time
24 months
Course contact details
- Name
- Course Enquiries
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Phone
- +44 (0) 20 7815 6100


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BRI Bank Indonesia immediately noted a record breaker as the first bank in the world that owns and also operates telecommunications satellites. During this time, the bank hired 23 transponder satellite capacity from other parties with an annual fee of US $35,714,285.
BRI satellite named "BRIsat" is planned to be orbited in Papua, Indonesian, sky as a substitute for satellite owned by Indosat which has expired. Launching BRIsat not as smooth as expected. Until now, the satellite owned by Bank BRI yet in orbit right also because of the weather. In fact, the cancellation of yesterday's launch of the cancellation of the third.
BRIsat satellite scheduled to be launched by the Arianespace at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on Friday, June 17, 2016, at 17.30 local time. But eventually canceled due to unfavorable weather factors. Delays launch carried out until the next 24 hours or until the situation is completely possible.
BRIsat has 45 transponders that would later be used on four government agencies, namely the Ministry of Defense, Education and Culture, Finance, and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
As reported by tempo.co, artificial satellites Space System Loral, the United States require an investment of US $241,071,428,571. It's a fantastic figure.
Commissioner of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk Mustafa Abubakar said that the satellite is not in the hand-over, it is still the responsibility of the plant, so any damage is not the responsibility of Bank BRI.
Benefits of Satellite BRIsat, BRI's management claims BRIsat can hit a minimum operating expenses by 40 percent or around US $14,285,714. Meanwhile, as reported by viva.co.id, BRI satellite carrier rocket weight reached 700 tons.


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3 Palms - Napa Valley Hotel & Resort 2 ReviewsWonderful!
Had an advanced booking for two nights but arrived a day early to avoid traveling at night. Staff was gracious and welcoming and gave us the same reduced rate we had paid for the original stay. Room was nicely appointed and very clean. Quiet and calm environment. Staff was responsive and friendly. Would definitely stay here again if we are here. Thank you, Napa Valley Hotel & Suites, for making our visit so enjoyable!
Sonoma Coast Villa & Spa 14 ReviewsQuiet, relaxing, and Romantic
The place was very nice, clean quiet, relaxing, and romantic. The food and service was awesome! We came here for our 10th wedding anniversary and we will be back! The groupon deal made it even sweeter! Thank you
Healdsburg Getaway 3 ReviewsRecommend
I have used Healdsburg Getaway recently and was very satisfied with whole the organization of my vacation. The place was wonderful. Thank you again for your services. I will highly recommend Healdsburg Getaway!
The Hotel Majestic 4 ReviewsFun!
Still having fun! (Leaving now... thank you loved it!)
Holiday Inn Express Santa Rosa 1 ReviewsGreat Hotel BUT...
It's a great hotel but if any of you are looking to save some $$ then book it at referer.us/8/GoodHotelDeals They usually have some pretty good deals on there!


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Purbeck Forest is comprised of five areas of woodland and covers 2973 hectares: Wareham & Gore Heath (1541ha), Purbeck (563ha), Hethfelton (157ha), Affpuddle & Moreton (411ha) and Puddletown (301ha). Lying within Dorset the woods are dominated by Conifer trees, though there is also a significant amount of heathland and small numbers of Broadleaf trees.
The woods are managed by the Forestry Commission and vary from Freehold to Leasehold in status. As a result the public activities and amenities also vary and range from informal dog walking in wooded areas to official trails, bridleways and car parks. Several of the sites are particularly popular and enjoy a high level of public footfall.
Certain areas of the woods are classed as SSSI or designated Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA) or National Nature Reserve (NNR). Within Purbeck Forest are 35 Scheduled Monuments and 1 Unscheduled Monument which include funerary monuments such as Bronze Age bell barrows, an Iron Age Hillfort and a linear earthwork used for china clay production.
The objectives of management here are to:
• Maintain and develop the woodland in ways sympathetic to the landscape context.
• Sustain and protect existing habitats of nature conservation interest.
• To protect all ancient monuments and features of woodland and cultural heritage.
• To develop woodlands that provide opportunities for informal and formal public recreation.
• To achieve an appropriate balance of objectives through consultation with local communities and representatives of organisations involved with the nature conservation, public recreation and timber industry.
• To provide a regular supply of quality timber to support the local timber industry.
What we'll do
Approval has been granted for the operations to run from August 2013 to July 2023. During that time 449.9 hectares of Conifers will be felled, 247.4 hectares will be restocked with Conifers, 7.8 hectares will be restocked with Broadleaves and 194.7 hectares of heathland or mire will be created for the purposes of habitat restoration.
The chart below shows the current structure of the whole wood, the target structure for 10 years time and the target structure for 20 years time.


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Digital Catalog
From the very beginning, we knew we wanted our curriculum to be different--to incorporate depth and complexity in ways unforeseen to students. So, before we ever opened our doors to the public, we spent countless hours...days...months devising and refining our very own curriculum model.
Every course we offer is still created with meticulous attention to detail, focusing on such elements as divergent thinking, levels of tasks, higher order thinking, multiple intelligence, and interdisciplinary cross-pollination.
Each of our courses are six sessions and have a recommended Brain Age.
|A Slice of Raspberry Pi
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Future computer coders of the world unite as you learn and employ programming to this computer the size of a credit card. From simple games to setting up servers, this little box is so versatile that the possibilities are endless. Join us as our professional educators facilitate each students journey, allowing individual interests to drive the learning experience.
You can learn more about Raspberry Pi by visiting their website: www.raspberrypi.org
|Aesthetic Astronomy
|The night sky has inspired stories, poems, and art for centuries. From the ancient myths to the beauty of black holes, students will be filled with wonder and awe at the beauty of the topic, as our team facilitates their individual learning journey into deep space.
Students will explore the science of our cosmos, focusing on astronomical concepts, such as astrobiology, astrophysics, and the new implications of gravitational waves. Trying to grasp the infinite is such a mind-melding exercise, that students will learn to express their wonder and appreciation through the creation of their own original, star-inspired art, myths, poetry and writings.
|Amazing Animation
(some technology requirements may apply)
|A more general exploration of animation where students get a taste of 3D, hand drawn, and stop motion animation.
|Behold! The Throne Room of Olympus Revealed
|The Greeks reasoned that their gods feasted, reclined, and otherwise resided in an opulent palace that was guarded from mortal view atop the cloud-covered Mt. Olympus. What did the throne room look like? What materials were used in its construction? How were the gods positioned in relation to Zeus and why? With the help of the historical analyses and speculations of Robert Graves, Edith Hamilton, and Rick Riordan, students will examine the details of the mythical Palace and create a layered version of their favorite throne. Students with a strong interest in the stories and nuances of Greek will be challenged by the content and the hands-on design work. Lesser-known stories will be shared that are sure to spark the interest of any mythology buff.
|Brain-Baffling Optical Illusions
|40% of the human brain is devoted to seeing and processing visual material; however, optical illusions make us second-guess this powerful sense—causing us to see what isn't there. Students will learn the science behind the illusions and create their own brain-baffling visuals in this hands-on course.
Through elements of research, art, and artistic products, students will explore the integration between optical illusions and brain science. Advanced topics include neurology and specialized art media.
|Bustin' Myths
|In the hit series Mythbusters, hosts Adam and Jamie have shown just how amazing science experiments can be when they are connected to real-world passions and curiosity. In this course, we'll put longstanding scientific facts and everyday myths to the test, and we'll do it with the same fervor and intensity we've come to love from those mad scientists at Mythbusters! Hands-on fun, minus the dangerous explosions!
|City of the Future
|Cities are amazingly complex, interconnected systems that are constantly evolving with new technology and changing populations. Have you ever wondered what the city you live in will look like deep into the future? Imagine how systems like transportation, sanitation, energy and entertainment will look, sound, and feel. In this course, we are looking for creative minds to engineer and build a city of the future- -one that will provide benefit to all of its citizens! Join us for this thought-provoking exploration into the what-ifs and hows of the future in human civilization.
|Codes & Ciphers
|Since humans began communicating, there has always been an urge to keep certain information underground: intended for certain eyes only and unreadable to all others. In this course, you'll study, crack (decipher) and create (encipher) messages in a variety of cipher systems and historical contexts. Although you'll time-hop throughout history and make stops with Julius Caesar, Ben Franklin and Abe Lincoln, among many others, you'll end with an exploration of how cryptography--the study of codes and ciphers--has kept up with, and even created, the modern digital age.
|Computer Literacy
(some technology requirements may apply)
|These days, it's as important as your "ABCs". Let's cover all the basics of using computers, including safe internet search strategies, word processing, spreadsheets, computer parts, basic programming, and more. An all-around introductory course for the 21st Century Learner.
|Curious Conundrums
|What do chromatography, chemistry, and forensics have in common? They are all used to uncover mysteries, investigate crime scene evidence, and develop super-sleuth hypotheses to solve "crimes." Come investigate curious conundrums and be inspired! Students will develop their problem-solving skills using critical and creative thinking, as well as their communication skills. These skills easily transfer to other content areas, as well as their personal lives. Students have a natural curiosity that is especially activated when presented with a discrepant event or a mystery. Forensic Science and criminology are currently very popular areas of interest for many students, and a popular choice of college majors. Students will work in small groups as they examine mystery powders (made from common household substances), make invisible ink, set up chromatography experiments, formulate conclusions, and examine a box of mystery contents to infer how these clues help to solve a crime scene. Drawing a visual interpretation of an imaginary crime scene based on deductive reasoning will prove challenging for a variety of learning styles and interests. On the last day, students create a keepsake chromatography sample that they personally design and draw.
|Digital Game Design
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Students will learn about level design and programming games. They'll also learn some of the psychology behind games' design choices. The students then design and program a short game by the end of the course.
|Digital Painting
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Photography has already gone the way of bits and bytes. Explore the new frontier of painting! Students will learn tips and tricks to create art in a digital medium. They'll create a variety of artworks in a variety of styles.
|Digital Photography and Photomanipulation
(some technology requirements may apply)
|This is just our opinion, but we feel the coolest thing about the evolution of photography into the digital realm is the ability to manipulate photos and bend reality! In this course students learn to impose their creative will on digital photos.
|Endangered Art
|Elephants, and tigers, and gorillas, oh my! Some of our most loved animals on the planet are also endangered. Get to know some of the animals on the endangered species list by examining their unique characteristics and habitat needs through a variety of art activities in a range of media. Students will become more familiar with some of their favorite animals and discover some new ones they may not have heard of before. In this course, we'll explore the beauty and art of these animals while raising awareness for the need for their conservation.
|Epic Fail
|We all know that Thomas Edison failed at the light bulb a bajillion times before he hired GE to build it, but what about armies attacking the wrong country (or even their own country?) There are Titanics and Hindenburgs and all the mistakes made along the march of human progress. Students will guffaw at humanity's slip ups, and then turn a reflective eye on the lessons learned from failure. How do we grow from our own shortcomings? What lessons can we learn from those who face-planted before us?
|Everyday Chemist
|Food. Art. Paper. Friendships. What's the one thing they all have in common: chemistry. From the air we breathe to the disodium inosinate that makes your Pringles salty, chemistry surrounds us every day. This introductory course to chemistry will provide a new lens for how we see our world while getting our hands messy making chemical reactions of our own. Together, we will prove that Chemistry is for everyone, everyday!
|Fascination with Flight: The Science of Skydiving
|With mythology, history, invention, physics, engineering as your playground, this has got to be the most intense STEAM course ever created! Throughout each lesson, you'll slowly reveal and explore the concepts behind determining terminal velocity while looking at the legend of Icarus, the inventions of DaVinci, the landing of the Mars Rover, and much more. If you live near an iFLY indoor sky-diving tunnel, this course synchronizes beautifully with a class trip to skydive in the iFLY 30 foot high wind tunnel. This unit is officially endorsed by iFLY.
|Game On!
|Complex problem-solving, advanced cognitive reasoning, nonverbal communication…wait, is this an intelligence test? No way, we're talking about the magic of board games. From the tombs of King Tut to Catan, games have played a part in our human history for millennia, and now it's time to bring that passion home.
In this fun, hands-on course, students will learn various games, explore what makes a board game fun, and incorporate their unique interests and passions into their own game design. More advanced topics include creative writing, economics, and engineering.
|Geometrical Matters in Art and Architecture
|Architecture and geometrical patterns, from the Acropolis to the Guggenheim, form the inspiration for the exploration these students will take from their portfolio to their canvas. Appreciation of color and line patterns all around us melds into application and creation as students use various media to create their own work of geometrical art.
|Graphic Design
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Here we cover and practice basic design principles that can be applied to artworks, animations, photography, advertising, and more.
|Guitar Math Monster!
|This course is for those who love music, math, science and Pokémon! A sensory exploration of the math in music and the music of math. From fractions, to Fibonacci, to sound waves, sonar, diabolical tri-tones and Pokémon hit points, you'll explore songwriting with the birds and paint the frequency of the earth with colorful corn starch. This course is for musicians, music-lovers, and anyone of all ages with a song in their heart just waiting to beat out its rhythm on re-purposed instruments!
|Hand-Drawn Animation
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Don't be fooled, this is a tech class, but we'll take a traditional Disney-style animation approach where students draw each frame. Students will learn the Principles of Animation and develop their drawing and storytelling skills.
|Intro to Programming: Python
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Many believe coding and programming skills are the "ABCs" of the 21st century. Without mastery of this new core competency, students are at a disadvantage moving into a working world permeated by technology. In this course, you'll begin to tackle the programming language "Python," touted by professionals as an excellent entry point into the world of coding. As you move beyond basic commands and students gain confidence and fluency, the desire to create and innovate will naturally drive students to build new skills and knowledge in an organic "project based learning" situation. In the process, you'll lay a foundation of vocabulary and programming literacy that will enable them to push on to more complicated projects after this course.
|iRock: A History of Invention
|From the chiseled spear to the steam engine and into a future of photo-voltaic glass, "iRock" looks at the way humanity's necessities have led to invention. In this course, you'll cover the eras of invention, focusing on the march of human progress. You'll study notable inventors, and the effect their inventions had on the world. Included in the course are methods for spurring inventive thinking and hands-on project builds. Finally, you'll finish by inferencing and speculating about the future of inventions—including a sketch for the US TradeMark and Patent Office.
|Kid's Chemistry
|"Kid's Chemistry" is an exploration of science that will be sure to ignite students' interests. We will cover the scientific process, beginning with an inquiry-based concept and making predictions. Predictions will be put to the test, as students are invited to roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty, and begin discovering all that the world of science has to offer!
|Leggo' My LEGO
|"Play well." That is what the words "leg godt" mean in Danish, and indeed we've been playing with LEGO for over 80 years since their origination in Denmark in 1932! Imagine this: an interdisciplinary exploration of LEGO that takes us through the history (it's still a family company), science (what breakthrough in plastics gave the founder the idea for "bricks"?), technology (from wheels to robots), and possibilities for creative expression that this two-time "toy of the century" provides.
|Make-A-World: Sketching the Genius of Ed Emberly
|"Abandon all ye' puny stick figures!" For these students will learn to draw virtually EVERYTHING in their imagination by connecting lines, curves and shapes in logical patterns of construction. We will take our inspiration from the dynamic and colorful world of the accomplished American artist, Edward R. Emberley. But wait, there is so much more than just drawing! This project-based learning course is designed to vigorously enrich each child's natural tendency to illustrate and create. Students will make an unlimited supply of exciting drawing ideas in a personal journal as they develop a colorful story-mural or a graphic novelette.
|Mathacadabra: the Magic of Math
|Throughout history, great minds have been fascinated with mathematical puzzles, paradoxes and wonderments for the sheer joy of it. In this course, you'll kindle (or re-kindle) that spark of curiosity and passion for Math beyond the "drudgery" of formalized step-by-step curriculum. You'll jump throughout history and around the globe, from Ben Franklin's magic squares (USA) to Blaise Pascal's Triangle (France) to Ramanujan's algebra puzzles (India) to Lo Shu puzzles (China), and much more. You'll also put the "magic" in the Math, literally, as you learn, practice and perform Math-based magic tricks.
|Mathematical Arts
|Both mathematicians and artists are problem-solvers who improvise and view the world in new and innovative ways. In this course, the right brain will meet the left as we create optical illusions, fractals, original tessellations, Penrose tiles, and parabolic line drawings (to name a few). Join us as we explore the beautiful fusion of math and art.
|Mind Matters: How the Brain Works
|It's 75% water, has 100,000 miles of blood vessels, weighs 3 pounds, and feels no pain. The brain sits right inside our skull and yet remains a complete mystery to most of us. The human brain is an amazing organ! In this course, we will discover how the brain grows, recognize the effects the environment has on the brain, examine the different types of memory, bust some brain myths, and explore how different areas of the brain work together to help us make sense of our world! Most importantly, we'll learn how WE can directly improve and tone our brain health, stay calm and focused, an accomplish more with our own brain power.
|Minecraft Architecture
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Minecraft has made the world of Computer Aided Design (CAD) assessable for all ages, and what a great digital playground to learn the principles of architecture! The premise of this course is simple: each class session begins with an in-depth discussion of a particular type of architecture, and then students build using that theme inside Minecraft.
|Minecraft Challenge
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Here we harness the power of play to develop creators and problem-solvers. Students complete challenges, obstacle courses, puzzles, and play competitive games.
|Minecraft: Mod like a Boss!
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Minecraft provides the imaginative world for creation, but TNT boxes and switch circuitry can eventually lose their appeal. How many sheep will you catch in a pit before you're ready to take your skills to the next level? In this course, students will learn Blockly and/or Javascript in the context of Minecraft modifications. We'll also explore PiCraft using Python to mod. Your options just got a lot more interesting!
|Minecraft Texture Creation
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Students will learn how to save, edit, and apply custom Minecraft texture packs. By the end of the course, they will have their own complete original texture pack.
|Modern Mind Warrior
|The code of the Jedi knights is so awesome that its lesson extend light years beyond a galaxy far-far-away--guiding us on the path to personal fulfillment. Do Jedis exist in our world today? If so, what would be their code and their principles? How would they train? What would be their mission? In this course, students will learn real methods for success and maximize their human performance. From focus and discipline to honor and athleticism, be prepared to transform yourself into a Modern Mind Warrior.
|Modern Mythology: Our Superheroes from Olympus
|The ancient Greeks regaled generations with epic stories of Mount Olympus, and over 3000 years later, these same gods and goddesses offer insights into our own Super Heroes and Super Villains alike. Compare and contrast the ancient with the 21st century archetypes prompted by the genius of Marvel and DC Comics.
If you're a fan of the comic book universe, this course is for you, as we explore the science and mythology of superpowers and costumes. Advanced topics include the philosophy of good and evil, the psychology of the nemesis, the physiology of hidden kryptonite, and so much more—culminating in a hands-on symbolic representation of our complex understanding.
|Movie Making
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Students learn about every phase of movie production, from script to finished product and make their own short movies.
|Mummies, Myths, & Mosaics
|How did an ancient society, nestled by the Nile, grow to become a world leader and the envy of its surrounding countries? In this course, we'll study the government, art, architecture, religion and science of the Ancient Egyptian culture—including a look at some of the myths surrounding their fascinating origins. Create your own artifacts as you explore the explosion of creativity, wealth, and power that made Ancient Egypt the envy of the world. You'll soon see how the mysterious ways to the Ancient Egyptians compare to our own lives today.
|Mystery Creatures: Adventures in Cryptozoology
|Do you ever wonder what lies deep in the glacial lakes of Scotland? Are you convinced that there's truth behind the legend of Sasquatch? Explore the science and purported evidence behind the field of cryptozoology through a week-long adventure into the deep. Our young scientists will learn about various categories of cryptids and develop an understanding of all different forms, while evaluating the credibility of available evidence. Finally, scientists will become experts in one special creature, from Chupacabras to unicorns, and present their research to an audience of peers. Explore the myth; reveal the mystery.
|Nature's Favorite Design
|There's something about the mystical Fibonacci sequence that fascinates us. It permeates every area of our life from the music on the radio to the clouds swirling overhead. Now it's time to take a lesson from Nature herself and create our own works of art.
Students will study how math, science, and nature are beautifully intertwined and learn from the great classical artisans and artists. Not only will students explore the famous Fibonacci through videos, picture books, and problem-solving, but they will actually get to construct and/or create based on their passions and interests. Options include (but are not limited to) pictures, paintings, blackout poetry, short stories, mosaic, or film.
|Peek Inside the X-Files
|The nerdy guys at NuMinds geeked out when the X-Files made its return to TV, and we want to share our love of Area 51 with the next generation. Prepare to wear two hats as we take a peek into the recently disclosed CIA X-files; we'll study the possibility of aliens through the lens of the easily-excited conspiracy theorist and then the stoic scientist.
Through the use of research and analytical reasoning, students will construct their own theories to build their own X-File case.
|Pop Art Meets the Force
|"A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge," and in this course, young padawan students will find their own inner Force as they journey through the decade of pop art. From studying the artists and art, to creating their own reductive woodcuts, students will use nonverbal and critical-thinking skills in order to create multi-dimensional works of art.
"You must unlearn what you have learned" as you metacognate and think backwards in order to create the most brilliant pieces of personalized pop art.
|Programming with Scratch
(some technology requirements may apply)
|A computer coding course for those interested in the inner workings of program languages. Coding is the language of the future, and this course uses Scratch Jr. and Scratch to teach a graphical form of that language. Students will be acclimated to computer science terminology (code, loops, running a program, etc.) through fun programming activities. Make a sprite move, say something, and change color all with the code you create.
|3rd – 8th
|Racing with the Sun
|Join us as we blend aerodynamics, propulsion, velocity, and the principles of solar power in this intensive, hands-on engineering challenge designed to push your creative juices to the limit. Design and engineer a lightweight car, attach a photovoltaic cell (PVC) to a motor, and race it across the finish line. Do you have what it takes to harness the sun's energy to start your engines?
|Red Planet
|The red wanderer, Mars, has been beckoning humans to come visit since 1659 when Christian Huygens first noticed the landscape of mountain passes and vast wastelands covering its surface. Now, after the success of the Mars Rovers and the upcoming Mars One human mission, Mars is once again back in the spotlight and the forefront of our imaginations! In this course, we'll explore Mars through nearly every discipline to answer questions like, what is the evidence for past/current life on Mars? How do rovers land in the thin atmosphere? How will humans get to Mars via the Mars One mission? Plus, we'll express the place of Mars in our cultural and personal imaginations through the Arts.
|Rigging and Technical Applications
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Create the skeleton and controls for character models, but this ain't your grandpa's puppetry! In this course, students will learn to use code and constraints to make a fully animatable character. More advanced students can also practice procedural animation and modeling techniques.
|Rock-n-Roll Rocketry
|It's science! It's math! It's history...and quite literally, it's a BLAST! In our rock'n rocketry course, students will explore some of the basic principles of Newton's Laws of Motion and the aerodynamics of flight as they construct and fly their own model rockets. We'll discuss the critical issues of safety, collaboration, and design as we work to tackle the rocket challenge--culminating in a spectacular end-of-course launch party!
|Space Property: Build to Design
|All citizens of the Earth are counting on you to design and construct extraterrestrial living accommodations for human space colonization. From the study of how to form habitable planets, to the detailed complexity of the round-trip Aldrin cycler, this course is for aeronautical engineers of all ages interested in what outer space colonization could and will look like.
Students will pursue their passions in this interactive, hands-on building challenge. More advanced topics include civilization stability, principles of city planning, and implied future technologies.
|Spherical Wonders
|Gaseous globules and manifestations of the Marangoni effect. That's right, we're talking about bubbles (you knew that, right?) Yup, those backyard fun-in-the-sun bubbles provide an accessible lens for an intense exploration of chemistry, physics, chromatography, geometry, and engineering.
Students will experiment and compare various formulas, learn the physics behind spherical construction, use geometry to measure diameter, circumference, and three-dimensional area. Advanced students will apply engineering strategies to devise a bubble-blowing device.
|Stop-Motion Movie Making
|From Gumby to The Box Trolls, stop motion is the illusion of making everyday objects come to life. The fascinating history of stop-motion is full of tools early animators used to create this illusion of movement. A 19th century toy called the thaumatrope, for example, seems crude to us, but it inspired Thomas Edison to keep inventing ways to set pictures in motion. This simple tool led to the kinetoscope, which led to the next device, and so on...right up to technology on your phone and tablet! In this course, we'll study and create with various tools, from the "ancient" to the hightech, learning the science behind "persistence of vision" and how it allows the illusion of motion that makes "motion pictures" possible.
|TED Club: The Power of Public Speaking
|In recent years, the "TED Talk" format has exploded across the globe as a medium for people to share their expertise, promote their passions, and to propose radical new ideas and solutions to the world's problems. Do YOU have an idea or concept you'd like to share with the world? TED Ed Club is your chance to work under the guidance of a teacher and with a cohort of fellow revolutionaries to develop, polish and present your own TED Talk! You'll learn the art and science of presentation, public speaking and persuasion. Your grand finale will be the presentation of each talk. Recorded talks can be featured on your school or organization's YouTube channel and/or website (with parent/student permission)! This course is NOT officially sponsored or endorsed by the TED organization.
|Tell your Story with 3D Animation
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Awesome animation in a 3D environment. Students will learn the Principles of Animation, principles of storytelling, and how to manipulate motion graphs and 3D models. A little bit technical, a LOT artistic.
|The 3D Pipeline: Modeling, Rigging, and Animation
(some technology requirements may apply)
|In this broad view of the animation process, students get a taste of 3D Modeling, Rigging, and Animation and how they relate to each other. Once they get their feet wet, students can then choose to go deeper into one category.
|The Art & Science of the Journal
|If you want to be a writer, an inventor, a scientist, or an artist, then you'll love The Art & Science of the Journal. Research has supported that journaling removes mental blocks, allowing you to better understand yourself, others, and the world around you. Don't believe me? Ask Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson, Beethoven, Leonardo Da Vinci, Frieda Kahlo, and so many more influential artists, scientists, and thinkers as you learn from the pages of their journals.
In this course, students will begin journaling to experience clarity of thoughts and feelings as they come to know themselves better, reduce stress, solve problems more effectively, resolve disagreements with others, and generate new ideas. More advanced topics include the emerging neuroscience and the format of online journaling.
|The Chemistry of Wizardry
|Being a muggle is so over-rated! Using house-hold products, students will learn and perform experiments that are so cool, you'd think they were magic. More than mystical explosions, this course encourages higher-level thinking as students use quantitative and nonverbal reasoning to understand the physical and chemical properties which surround us.
Get in touch with your magical side, and continue to spell-bind your friends and family for years to come as all of these experiments are able to be done at home (under adult supervision).
|The Real Essay
|The essay is one of the most respected, yet misunderstood, forms of writing. Over the centuries, the essay has declined from a vehicle of philosophical and scientific thought into a menial 5-paragraph assignment. This is not an SAT prep course, but instead, a discovery of the power and beauty of the essay form. There are essays that captivate their readers, even bringing them to tears. In this course, you will peruse some of the most powerful essays in history, studying their message and impact. You'll learn about the essay form, and how choosing the right structure takes your writing to the next level. Be prepared to read, appreciate, and write amazing papers!
|The Rubik's Cube
|Let's start at the beginning: you're going to learn how to solve a Rubik's cube. Done? Good. Now hold on as we dive into multi-tiered complex problem solving. From the history and terminology of Rubik's Cube movements to mosaics, color patterns, algorithms, and algebraic thinking, students will see how smaller pieces work to solve much bigger puzzles.
|The Science of Color
|From the three primaries to the 10 million different colors the human eye can detect, color theory and optics permeates the world around us. In this course, students explore the fascinating science behind color, recognize the research of many color theorists, and put practice to paper through a variety of hands-on various media.
A fascinating course for all brain ages, especially those interested in chemistry, physics, and art. Advanced topics include additive and subtractive properties, chromatic diagramming, and color harmony.
|There's So Much More to Dinosaurs
|For those students ready to explore an epoch of our planet's history to the budding paleontologist who can recite a brachiosaurus's vertebra in order, this imaginative, hands-on course is for dino-loving students of all brain ages.
Students will have the opportunity to research and apply prior knowledge as they understand the eras, myths, facts, and theories surrounding the lumbering lizards. Hands-on creative expression will evolve into more advanced topics, such as creative writing and application of fossil extraction techniques.
|Virtual 3D Modeling
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Students will learn the fundamentals of creating useful, functional and appealing models, including both technical and artistic elements. You won't get your hands dirty with this virtual sculpting--creating geometric hard-surface models. Advanced students can even explore organic models.
|Visual Story Creation
(some technology requirements may apply)
|Students will learn the principles of storytelling and visual design. They will create their own original characters, comics, and storyboards. Is the next Stan Lee in the making?
|Writer's Refuge: Creative Writing
|True writers are a rare find--they see with unyielding eyes, interpret with metaphor and melancholy, and write the truth as they define it. It can be difficult, even intimidating, for a young writer to branch out and trust others with what is their reality. This writing course is for creative writers looking to hone their craft in a safe environment. Excerpts will be shared, challenges will be given, and a whole slew of tools for taking your writing to the next level will be given. This is not a grammar course, not a spelling course, not a STAAR or SAT writing composition class. This is an art studio for the young artists who use words to paint their world.
|Y U No Act Normal!
|For many gifted children, the phrase "act normal" is more than just a nonsensical directive, it's a task that nears the impossible. The gifted mind is too busy thinking and contemplating and dreaming (and sometimes scheming!) to worry about such things as verbal etiquette and polite conversation. "Y U No Act Normal" is more than a course on social practices, it's a systematic look at human interactions, and specific, concrete tips and techniques anyone can use for more effective communication.
In this course, we'll begin by studying what is valued in face-to-face communication, and provide opportunities for students to practice. These are communication tools all kids of any age can use, whether making friends, giving an in-class presentation, landing that first job, or finding the nerve to talk to your crush.
|You Needs Grammar
|Did you know the word grammar is actually defined as "the system and structure of a language"? (Webster). Unfortunately, the word Grammar has become synonymous with identifying and labeling parts of speech.
NuMinds Enrichment approaches the study of grammar in two ways--first, as an observer of the function of language (more specifically--a descriptive, contextual language study), and second, as a creator of language (less specifically--anyone who talks, texts, or speaks). You Needs Grammar is more than a series of memorizing and identifying, it's a taste of various language constructions, applied linguistics, and a scope of the historical record of English.
Students in this course will study Yoda's inverted speech, Latin noun declensions, J.R.R. Tolkein's Elvish Languages, Grimm's law, Old English poetry, and much more. A course for anyone who finds the language we speak fascinating.


text:
John F Kennedy was shot dead by a lone marksman on 1963. That is almost 50 ears back, but the image of his wife Jacqueline Kennedy still lingers. She was young, attractive and had set the fashion charts alive as the wife of the president. The death of Kennedy was a traumatic moment for her, but she charted a separate life later, which was not conducive to a lot of her admirers.
Jackie was an ordinary woman and was the daughter of a stock broker. She was born in 1929 and within a decade her parents separated and she had
There along with girls of her age she met a few of the younger senators and she dated John F Kennedy at that time. I suppose it was a whirlwind romance as they soon married in 1953. She was an ambitious lady and fully supported John Kennedy's bid for nomination for the US president. He won the nomination and Jackie was by his side and his strongest supporter. But the extra marital affairs of John did put her off, but they gad 2 children. It was rumored that John also had a fling with the famous actress Marilyn Monroe.
As the Presidents wife she charmed the American masses who loved her style in dress and fashion. In fact she became a trend setter and John met Nikita Khrushchev at Vienna in 1961, it was she who was in the limelight. Kennedy's death jolted her and after her brother in law Robert was shot dead she was swayed by a dread. She wanted to leave America and took a decision to marry the Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis. This was not liked by the US masses who felt it a betrayal of John's legacy.
Jackie settled in Greece but Onassis died of heart complications in 1975. Earlier he was heart broken with the death of his son in 1973 and the two had drifted apart. Jackie was a non Greek citizen and getting a share of the pile of Onassis was difficult. She eventually settled for $ 26 million from the daughter of Onassis and migrated back to the USA. She died in 1994 of extreme cancer that had spread all over her body.
Where do we place Jackie now? It's not an easy answer though I for one can never fathom why she had to marry Onassis.