text:
'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' And 'Charlie Says' Paint Very Different, But Equally Necessary, Portraits Of The Manson Family
It's almost easy for modern audiences to forget just how tumultuous the 1960s were. In 1963, Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated in the driveway of his own home. Months later, a bomb planted in Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church killed four young girls. That November, the President of the United States was assassinated in front of hundreds of people while driving through Dallas. Fast forward to February 1965, when Malcolm X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom. One month later, peaceful protesters marching for voting rights were violently attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge on "Blood Sunday." In 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated just one month apart. All the while, Vietnam raged, the body count climbing on both sides, scarring both the Southeast Asian landscape and the men who returned home broken in both mind and body. These are just some of the "highlights." There was a revolution in the streets and a revolution in the sheets. A generation disenchanted by the American Dream, eschewed "traditional" values, dabbled in drugs, grew out their hair, and espoused free love ideals. But the advent of television meant being unable to feign ignorance at the bodies piling up overseas and in segregated cities at home. And so, turn on, tune in, drop out. But underneath it all, violence always simmered. In 1969, it finally boiled over. The legacy of Charles Manson has always loomed over Hollywood, weaving an insidious web that made glitz and glamour unwitting allies with brutal murder. With the 50th anniversary of the Manson Murders looming this coming August, it was inevitable that Hollywood would become introspective and sort through the tea leaves once more to try and decipher just who left the back door open wide enough for evil to slip inside.Those attempts, in part, come in the form of two films, Charlie Says, from American Psycho director Mary Harron, and Quentin Tarantino's highly-anticipated Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood. (A third Manson-centered film, The Haunting of Sharon Tate, grossly suggests Tate had premonitions of the murders, indirectly placing blame on her, and won't be discussed here.) Although the two films take drastically different approaches to Manson and his followers, both offer vital answers to the myriad of questions we've puzzled over in the aftermath of August 1969.
Charlie Says
In Charlie Says, Harron introduces the audience to three of the Manson Girls, Leslie Van Houten (Hannah Murray), Patricia Krenwinkle (Sosia Bacon), and Susan Atkins (Marianne Rendón) as they ponder their crimes and the path that led them to solitary confinement in California's Vacaville Women's Prison. In conversations with the women, graduate student Karlene Faith (Merritt Weaver) comes to view the women as victims in their own right, although many of her colleagues do not agree. When Manson and his followers were formally charged with the Tate-LaBianca murders in 1970s, plenty of Americans were both shocked and puzzled to discover that seemingly ordinary young women had committed such brutal acts of violence. How could this be possible? It's a question Harron strives to answer in Charlie Says, and she does so through numerous flashbacks from Van Houten's introduction to The Family, through her indoctrination and Manson's own failed dreams of stardom, ultimately culminating in violence.From the offset, The Family seem interesting enough. The sprawling Spahn Ranch offers both shelter, seclusion, and stunning views. The Family are a close-knit bunch who dumpster dive for meals, raise each other's children, and take care of one another. And then there's Charlie. A far cry from his beloved and spunky Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith is able to channel that familiar charisma into a compelling performance as the slick-talking Manson, who is able to balance between being warm and inviting and alternately sadistic and cruel. On Van Houten's first night with the group, Charlie entices the women to embrace one of their fellow family members, a shy young woman who can't stop sobbing during Charlie's feelgood speeches about empowerment and love. He demands the woman strip naked in front of the entire group, and then commands everyone to come up and embrace her, telling her that she is beautiful.But while there's a hint of authority in his voice, Charlie is compelling the women to act out of love. As the women, coo and dote on the girl, Charlie looks into her eyes and tells her firmly that there is nothing wrong with her, that her parents were the defective ones. In the soft glow of the campfire light, the audience sees the jagged trail of a scoliosis scar clawing down the young woman's back. By espousing body positivity and reinforcing it with group love, Charlie is able to build back the young woman's self-esteem and, in turn, solder his own wisdom and authority as the source of that empowerment. These young women, many of them runaways from broken homes who always felt out of place, can feel good about themselves for possibly the first time ever, but only so long as Charlie (and in turn, The Family) thinks so.In a later scene, as The Family bunk up for the night and begin descending into a drug-fueled orgy, Charlie lightly berates Tex Watson (Chace Crawford) for being unable to orally please the women. Their pleasure is just as important as his, Charlie declares, before making Tex perform oral sex on his partner in front of the entire Family, while he offers instructions. Here, in spouting sex positivity and sexual equality, Manson aligns himself with the dominant counterculture of the time, reinforcing the idea that whatever he says must be right. It's an absolute trust that's slowly but skillfully built, layer by layer, so that when Manson begins deviating from this, it's accepted without question. As mirrored in the film's title, it has to be okay because, after all, Charlie says so. With these scenes, the adoration the three Manson women display for Charlie starts to shift more clearly into focus. Charlie hasn't just given them a home, a place where they can feel included and important, but he's invested in their self-esteem. He gives the women nicknames, Susan becomes Sadie, Patricia is renamed Katie, and Leslie is rechristened Lulu. They now have a new identity, a new family, a new life and purpose, thanks to Charlie. To her credit, Harron never absolves the Manson girls of the Tate-LaBianca Murders. Instead, the film's exploration of their own victimhood serves more as motive than as an excuse. The women absolutely believed that, per Charlie's prophecies, that Helter Skelter, the ultimate race war, would break out soon and The Family would survive and thrive thanks to Charlie's shepherding. In a decade filled with assassinations, racial unrest and riots, college students being gunned down on campus, and bloody clashes between police and protesters, the idea of the country erupting into an even larger war wasn't that hard to imagine. And so, if the person you truly loved, who had given you so much, asked you to commit a crime to help facilitate your chances of survival, you would say yes without hesitation. It is only months later, separated from Charlie and entombed inside of the walls of Vacaville that the women realize how ridiculous it all sounds when spoken out loud. And it is only then that the gravity of their crimes, the true horror and grief and weight of them, dawns on them. Charlie lied.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
While Manson takes centerstage in much of Charlie Says, Sharon Tate is mostly absent apart from a scene mirrored in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, which establishes that Manson knew that Terry Melcher, the record producer who spurned his dreams of music stardom, had left Cielo Drive for another residence. It was the crucial link that, as prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi explains in his 1974 recollection of the trials, Helter Skelter, was needed to convict Manson of the murders. The Family supplied the manpower, while Charlie supplied the motive. By including similar scenes in which Manson discovers Tate living at 10050 Cielo Drive, both Harron and Tarantino make it abundantly clear who is responsible for her fate: Charles Manson. In Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, this is the only time we see Manson. Instead, Tarantino chooses to spend screentime exploring a different but important question: Just who was Sharon Tate? On the surface, it seems like an obvious answer, but the answers are often reductive. In the lasting legacy of the Manson Murders, Tate is often known as two things: murder victim and Roman Polanski's pregnant wife. But Tate was so much more, and Tarantino celebrates her life by spending the majority of time showing Tate doing mundane but still important things. Here's Sharon at home packing a suitcase while blasting Paul Revere & the Raiders. A mini-skirt clad Sharon picks up a used book for her husband before sneaking into a midday screening of her latest film, The Wrecking Crew, and marveling at the bemused reactions from the crowd to her on-screen antics. Later, a pregnant Sharon gets to show off the nursery to a female friend. She goes out to dinner on August 9 with her friends and is happily surprised to discover that yes, dirty movies also have film premieres. The Hollywood glamor is there, to be sure, as Tate happily dances around the Playboy Mansion, hobnobbing with starlets of yesteryear, or struts out of LAX clad in luscious furs and big sunglasses, flashbulbs christening her every step as worthy of documentation. Too often lost in the shuffle of her untimely death is the reality that Tate's star was firmly on the rise. She was ready for her close-up, and Tarantino aims to finally give it to her. Tarantino even seeks to reclaim some of the spaces made infamous by the murders. The white Dutch front door where the word "PIG" was scrawled in blood is instead seen firmly closing shut on a retreating and rebuked Charles Manson. The backyard where Abigail Folger tried in vain to escape from Patricia Krenwinkel is instead the scene where a hungover Roman Polanski plops down with a fresh pot of coffee and grumpily plays with his dog.In giving life and space back to Sharon Tate, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the Manson Family, taking a decidedly less sympathetic approach than Harron's film. Although Rick Dalton turns up his nose at the hippies who dumpster dive and hitchhike around Los Angeles, it isn't until Cliff Booth arrives at Spahn Ranch that we see the seedier and more sinister side of The Family. Here, women lurk in the shadows, lazily watching Booth walk around the dilapidated movie set, scurrying off to whisper to other members who begin to gather like flies. Up at the Spahn house, Squeaky flatly tells Booth that the older man is napping, which despite Booth's understandable uncertainly winds up being true. But he isn't being taken care of in a dignified way, either. The house is filthy and used in part as a common room for the other Family members to smoke weed and watch TV. Squeaky "fucked his brains out" earlier that morning, and plans to watch TV with him that night. She doesn't hurt him, but she doesn't love him either. As Booth says, the truth is a lot more complicated.
A Tale of Two Families
Perhaps lost in the shuffle of Charlie Says but certainly vividly present in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood is the truth that The Family were grifters, constantly seeking souls to pull into the fold and indoctrinate, even when Manson wasn't physically present. "Charlie's really gonna dig you," Pussycat keeps telling Booth upon his initial arrival. And why is that exactly? Perhaps because, like Dennis Wilson before him, Booth comes complete with a fancy car and Hollywood connections that Manson would find useful. Tarantino isn't interested in unpacking the reasons for their indoctrination, valid as they might be. Instead, Manson's women are just as shifty and untrustworthy as he is. Even if accepted into the fold, you need to sleep with one eye open. Both Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood and Charlie Says are essential viewing to try and unpack the puzzle of how and why the promise of the 60s came to such an abrupt over two nights in August 50 years ago. The truth, however, lies somewhere in the middle; the shadowy area where two things can be true at once, a place which always causes a sense of unease in the pit of our stomachs.It's easy to look at the carnage left behind by the Manson Family and feel nothing but rage. How can Susan Atkins, who infamously told a pleading Sharon Tate "I have no mercy for you" also have been a victim in her own right? Does ascribing victimhood strip her of her complicity of the crimes she committed? In Tarantino's eyes, it does, and he treats Atkins with supreme irreverence, viciously breaking her nose and teeth, turning her into a screaming ghoul before toasting her to a crisp with Rick's flamethrower for good measure. Harron, instead, focuses on Atkins' penitential reform in prison, where she discovered and immersed herself in Christianity, seemingly trading one fanatical devotion for another. Charlie Says reminds us that Manson Family remain a cautionary tale of complexity, reminding us how our quest for identity can sometimes find us stumbling down the darkest paths, ones that rot us from within. Victimhood can take many shapes and faces, and while we should find compassion for all, it is also time for Tate's legacy to shine more brightly than ever. And this is the enduring promise of Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, which reminds us that no matter the length of time we are given, we can touch the people around us with love that can truly endure. And that's worth remembering.


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If you're on the 21 Day Fix and are craving seafood, why not grab some Wild Alaskan Salmon and cook this delicious and super quick 21 Day Fix Lemon Grilled Salmon Recipe!
What is the 21 Day Fix?
For those who aren't familiar with this weight loss technique, the 21 Day Fix inspires you to eat, but in the right portions. So instead of feeling miserable and starving all the time, you can lose weight healthily and productivity.
In a 21 Day Fix, portion-control containers are the champions. Each container is coded for a portion of different food and pre-measured to ensure accurate portioning.
Here's everything you need to make this extremely simple and beautifully flavorsome recipe.
21 Day Fix Lemon Grilled Salmon Recipe
- 1 ¼ lbs Wild Alaskan Salmon
- 4 tsp Four Teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pc Fresh lemon
- Himalayan salt (as per taste)
- Grate the lemon and combine the zest with olive oil.
- Rub this lemon-oil mixture generously onto the salmon; season with salt. Let it rest for a few minutes.
- Preheat the grill at medium to low heat.
- Grill the salmon (skin side-up) for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you can easily flip it over without sticking.
- Rotate the salmon and cook it for another 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the salmon from heat and allow it to settle.
- Squeeze some lemon juice on top of the salmon and serve with a salad or some grilled vegetables.
Recommended Ingredients
Can You Store 21 Day Fix Lemon Grilled Salmon?
To increase the quality and shelf-life of cooked salmon, always refrigerate it in airtight containers. You can also wrap it tightly inside plastic cling film or heavy-duty aluminum foil.
If carefully stored, cooked salmon can last for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Tips for Making the Best 21 Day Fix Lemon Grilled Salmon
- Ensure the salmon remains moist while cooking; ensure the entire piece is fully covered in the lemon oil mixture.
- A cooking hack is to avoid flipping the salmon to prevent the 'sticking panic.' Instead, cook the salmon skin side down and grill for about 8 minutes per inch of thickness.
- Remember that the salmon will continue to cook for a while even after being taken off the grill, so better to serve it immediately before it becomes too dry.
More Delicious Recipes to Try!
Here are some more delicious and healthy recipes you can try out – super quick and super easy!
- Craving seafood? Try our Flaked Salmon Recipe and Real Simple Salmon Recipe.
- ● Want a delicious salad on the side? Why not go for our Kale and Carrot Recipe, Kale and Cabbage Recipe, and Spinach Feta Chicken Sausage Recipe.
- Cheat day? Try this super scrumptious Peanut Butter and Syrup Sandwich Recipe.
- Want a refreshing drink to start the day? This Peanut Butter Banana Juice Recipe has you covered.
I am a yogi with a smoldering passion for nutrition and healthy living. I have been a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach for over 11 years and now I want to help you. My mission is to inspire as many people as I can to expand their awareness and broaden their horizons by giving a voice to the choices that create abundant, radiant health. Here I share deliciously simple plant-based recipes, nutrition resources, detox tips, and a glimpse into my whole lifestyle.

subset: commoncrawl


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It's important to make sure the Winston-Salem company you choose has experience with your particular flooring type. Different floors require different installation techniques, and knowing the right installation skills can help ensure your floor stays in good condition for years to come.
It's a good idea to compare at least three Winston-Salem installation companies before deciding on a particular one. Shopping around lets you not only find the best prices, it also lets you find the best overall service in regards to turn-around time and quality. Ask to see a company's portfolio to see exactly where their expertise lies and how well they perform. We're here to help you with all your flooring needs and questions.


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Thanks to Bryanzane and OmarMoreno18 for picking up on this while I was out.
This is a weird trade. At best, it's harmless; at worst, it's potentially a really bad idea. Unlike Don Kelly, who's expected to be designated for assignment to make roster space, Izturis is useful - he's a good defensive shortstop and he should be better than average at second and third, too. Unfortunately, he hits even worse than Jack Wilson does. If the PTBNL isn't a prospect and if the Cubs are eating most of Izturis' salary, and if Jim Tracy doesn't still believe Izturis is a starter, this is potentially harmless.
If the PTBNL is a prospect, or if the Pirates are taking on a bunch of salary in this deal, or if they're seriously going to give Izturis a lot of playing time, then it's a silly move. If they felt they needed a utility infielder that badly with Jose Bautista hurt, they could've easily just called up Brian Bixler or Yurendell DeCaster, both of whom would be cheap and possibly better than Izturis anyway.
Dave Littlefield has said this trade doesn't suggest that the Pirates are going to trade Jack Wilson, and I'm inclined to believe him. Izturis has a $5.85 million option for 2008, and I don't think there's any way the Pirates will pay that. So this deal is for 2007, and the Pirates didn't make this trade in order to have a shortstop for 2008. Maybe they're thinking about trading Wilson and wanted a rental for the rest of the season just in case - think of the way they acquired the utterly pointless Jose Hernandez when they dealt Aramis Ramirez - but I doubt it. They'd probably - well, hopefully - just go with Bixler if they needed a starter.
In any case, this trade has no chance of really helping the Pirates, and with Izturis' former Dodgers manager Tracy deciding how he'll be used, there's cause for concern here.
UPDATE: ESPN reports the Cubs are sending the Pirates about $1.4 million. Their player card says his 2007 salary is $4.25 million and the season's a bit more than half over, so the Pirates will pay about $500,000 for him the rest of the year plus a $300,000 buyout at the end of the year, versus the $125,000-150,000 they would have paid for Kelly. Maybe that's not the best use of $650,000, but it isn't really worth worrying about, either.


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Almost a year since the stunning announcement they had engineered the birth of the world's first cloned humans, Rael and Clonaid president Dr. Brigitte Boisselier have yet to prove the existence of these babies, even to their own members. In fact, Raelians have made fun of the media that gave such extensive coverage to their cloning story.
"Come my beloved friends and journalists, and ask me if we did all that just to benefit from free publicity . . . Yes!" Rael cries and bursts out laughing during a Raelian gathering staged in Montreal.
Boisselier is also much amused as she recalls the news conference last Dec. 27.
"When I played games with the journalists . . . everything turned into a circus," she says.
In December and January, the announcement garnered worldwide media attention and mobilized the scientific community as well as the American justice system.
Today, Claude Vorilhon, known to his followers as Rael, laughingly contends that the cloning controversy was perhaps a simple stroke of genius to make his movement known.
"Even if you want to think that we did all that only for publicity, it is wonderful. If that is the case, we are promotional geniuses," he says.
"But if what we say we did is true, we are also scientific geniuses. In any case, we are geniuses. Wonderful. In any case, we win."
In an interview earlier this year, he said analysts estimated the media attention was worth nearly $500 million in free publicity.
During a Raelian gathering in February in Montreal, Rael himself declared he didn't know whether or not the Clonaid babies were true clones.
"Brigitte (Boisselier) says it's true and I have no reason to doubt her word," he declared at the time.
Alain Bouchard, a sociologist specializing in religions, is not surprised to see Vorilhon distance himself from Clonaid.
"The more time passes, the more we are sure that cloning is just hogwash," he says, adding: "A publicity stunt."
"They really blew it with their cloning story. They looked like a weird bunch," contends Dianne Casoni, a psychologist and criminologist specializing in cults.
As for Boisselier, she continues to perpetuate the word of Rael, her intellectual guide, and no longer disassociates science and religion.
"In a convention, they could say anything they wanted to; I was with my beloved prophet," she said during the annual awakening seminar in Maricourt.
"(Last Dec. 27) was maybe the most important day of my life when (Rael) told me: You did what you had to do," she says.
"Imagine had I failed . . . failed that for which I was created."
Not one Raelian at the movement's headquarters in Quebec's Eastern Townships can certify the babies who made front-page news last December are true clones. And none of the Raelian women from Quebec who volunteered to bear a clone has apparently fulfilled that mission.
Jocelyne, 37, was one of the surrogate mothers presented to the media with great pomp in 2001. She knows all the volunteers in the group well and is adamant.
"There has been at least three babies, but we don't know who the surrogate mothers are. Anyway, they aren't from here. And we don't know where they are," she confided to me in my guise as a Raelian.
In fact, the issue is taboo within the movement. I quickly understood how easily any questions on Clonaid can prompt instant suspicion.
"With everything that's going on, I'm not going into any detail," a Raelian man answers curtly.
"Most Raelians are not informed," admits Benoit, 24, adding: "But those who have to know are informed."
He believes they should avoid the subject to protect the babies from the American scientists who wish to take them away to study them.
"Proof can only be established in a few years time. All they have to do is to bring one of their cells in a laboratory and that's it," he says with conviction.
"The silence of the members is the prophet's loophole," offers Alain Bouchard, a sociologist specializing in religions.
"In December, the movement was not ready to deal with so much attention," says Dave, a Raelian "guide" from British Columbia.
"The cloning scared many Raelians, given the considerable proportions of the media coverage."
"In January, no one was ready," says Ricky Roehr, national guide for the United States.
"I answered a few hundred e-mails myself. When Brigitte (Boisselier) decides to make her next move, we must be ready."


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It doesn't matter what city you live in, take a drive through the Coachella Valley. You'll see empty store fronts, but also a lot of construction projects left and right. And despite specific retailers not being successful in the desert, there's big plans for more business here in the Valley.
It wasn't long ago when north of the I-10 looked like desert. Now it looks like a bustling city and just like the rest of the Coachella Valley, it's being developed like crazy.
Cathedral City Director of Economic Development Stone James says, "our planning commission and our architectural review committee is so busy."
"We've got the most expansive capital investment program we've ever had," says Indio City Manager Mark Scott.
Palm Desert Mayor Sabby Jonathan says, "we're polishing that jewel big time!" And those are all good signs for the Valley's economy.
Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Joshua Bonner says, "just yesterday I had a conversation with an ad agency inside of a coffee shop, asked them how they're doing, and the first thing out of their mouth was, 'We're busy.'"
From a bird's eye-view, it's construction project after construction project. If you look north of I-10 near the Walmart, chunks of land are soon to get a major face-lift.
"We're doing other street projects like this city has never done before," says Scott.
One of the major Indio projects, a Fairfield Inn & Suites, and that's not all. Scott says, "a 12-screen movie theater company, that we're excited about, a Hampton Inn, and also a number of restaurants and retail stores."
And that's just in the same area.
In Desert Hot Springs, the marijuana business is expanding and bringing in more jobs and business. Mayor Scott Matas says, "you've seen a taco bell open, you're gonna see a Quick Quack gonna open soon, but we're also looking at larger business like a Best Western Plus, which will help bring tourism to our community."
Also, the already developed Palm Springs is still growing. "The Andes Hyatt which is under construction, will be opening next year, is gonna be a beautiful hotel with 30,000 square feet of high end retail, and the dream hotel opening across from the convention center is going to be a 4-star hotel, which is something we've needed ever since we've built that convention center," says Mayor Robert Moon.
And College of the Desert will be building a campus at the Old Palm Springs Mall.
Rancho Mirage is getting its own massive Sun City, that means over 1,000 more homes, and a Ferrari dealership on Highway 111. The huge empty property across from Sunnylands has also been sold and there's already plans for development.
In Cathedral City, the Highway 111 corridor is about to be transformed with a new casino and that's not all. "We finally approved the selection of two different developers to develop a portion of the 13.5 acres immediately south of the Casino, and we're going to work on a whole commercial development there on about 5 acres," says James.
Plus a hotel! James says, "this is an arts and entertainment district, and the momentum is growing and I would say in the next 12 to 24 months the momentum is going to grow even more."
Palm Desert is also going to be a hot spot. Mayor Jonathan says, "El Paseo, our downtown core is a jewel in our crown, but like any jewel, it has to be polished, and we're polishing that jewel big time!"
Director of Economic Development Martin Alvarez says, "we're talking to a developer here at the corner of San Luis Rey and El Paseo to bring forward a new mix-use project that would include restaurants, retail, office and even residential on up to three stories."
The city is also hoping to bring in more hotels on the west side of El Paseo. Closer to the freeway, a developer plans to build 1,100 residential units near UCR.
Indian Wells also has a hotel on Highway 111 in the works. It hopes to start construction by June 2020.
La Quinta also has multiple hotels in the pipeline. Mayor Linda Evans says, "The hotels that will be coming to La Quinta in the next few years include the Montage and the Pendry hotel at Silver Rock, the Marriott Residence Inn near Costco, and also a boutique hotel that will be located in the Fresh and Easy building."
So you're hearing a lot of hotels. In fact every city has at least one in the works, but is there a concern for over development? It doesn't seem so.
Mayor Jonathan says, "the good news is the hotel developers in particular, really do their homework."
"It's a relationship where if you don't have hotel rooms, people won't come to conventions, if you don't have convention centers you won't have hotel rooms," says Mayor Moon.
Bonner says, "if we're going to have the kind of growth that we're anticipating, your commercial base has to expand to support that population growth."
To support it, the Greater Palm Springs Visitors Bureau hopes to increase tourism from 13.6 million to 16 million by 2020.
So each of the nine desert cities are growing, now it's a matter of bringing in more events, tourists, and full-time residents to sustain all the future new businesses.


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BASM's methodology and support was so sound and good, it made the inevitable learning curve very manageable. Also, thanks to the intuitive Microsoft interface. We've saved time and paper costs with functions like the drilldown features, dimensions, on-screen totals, and the G/L to vendor processes. We look forward to our next project; working with BASM on advanced report writing.
Published on:


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Cheap cheat trick
Cheap cheat trick
Recently I came across a glorious list of modern command-line tools. One of those tools is cheat a little system to save and retrieve little snippets of code from the command-line.
My first reaction was "Neat!", because it is. Then I thought "wait, I already have something like that. Kind of."
What I have is a private cheatsheet wiki, aka a directory full of Markdown
files. The fact that the Markdown files are free-form text is, for me,
preferable to the more restricted format of cheat
, which is one
snippet per file. But I can see the allure of quickly finding a snippet via
tags, and to access it via the command-line. Mostly for snippets pertaining
to command-line matters like docket commands, or tar recipes.
The question becomes… can I shoehorn the command-line behavior of cheat
to work with my Markdown wiki? Let's find out!
Defining the markup of a cheat
First thing to do is to find a way to identify cheat items in the Markdown files.
Since those cheatsheets are usually copy'n'paste of commands I find and want to remember, they are typically terse:
# Docker
# Misc commands
launch daemon:
sudo dockerg -g /home/docker
list images:
docker images
remove image from machine:
docker image rm _image_id_
To keep it uncomplicated, why not use backtick-delimited
code blocks, and add a label cheat:
as part
of the opening backtick? I.e.:
# Docker
# Misc commands
```cheat: launch daemon
sudo dockerg -g /home/docker
```cheat: list images @image
docker images
```cheat: remove image from machine @image
docker image rm _image_id_
That ain't bad. It's still legible, has only marginally more markup,
and we can declare
that everything after the cheat:
is the short description of that
snippet. As you see, I added optional @tags
at the end of the description,
that's to help with searching down the line.
And if that Markdown was being processed by something that highlights code, we didn't rob ourselves of that. Having a first line looking like the following would (should?) totally work:
```javascript cheat: invert keys/values of object
inverted = Object.fromEntries(
.map(([k,v]) => [ v, k ])
Find those cheats
So we have cheats embedded in Markdown files. Great, now how to we
find them? With the might of grep
, of course! Or, in this case, its
younger relative, rg:
$ rg '^```.*cheat:' $CHEATSHEETS_DIR --no-heading | cat
/home/yanick/vimwiki/cheatsheets/docker.md:``` cheat: Launch the deamon @init
/home/yanick/vimwiki/cheatsheets/docker.md:```cheat: remove image from machine
/home/yanick/vimwiki/cheatsheets/svelte.md:```cheat: comment
/home/yanick/vimwiki/cheatsheets/svelte.md:```cheat: if
Woo! We have them. But those lines are a little long. Let's cut the bits that don't give us any valuable info:
⥼ rg '^```.*cheat:' $CHEATSHEETS_DIR --no-heading
| perl -pe's#$ENV{CHEATSHEETS_DIR}##;'
docker: Launch the deamon @init
docker: remove image from machine
svelte: comment
svelte: if
Yeah, that will do it.
Select the cheat
Since our goal is to show a specific cheat, let's bring in
fzf into the mix. And here's the magic: fzf
allow to have custom
previews of the selected item, so let's be wild and have:
rg '^```.*cheat:' $CHEATSHEETS_DIR --no-heading
| perl -pe's#$ENV{CHEATSHEETS_DIR}##;'
| fzf --preview="cheat-preview.pl {}"
with cheat-preview.pl
my( $file, $text ) = split /:s*/, shift, 2;
open my $fh, "<", $ENV{CHEATSHEETS_DIR}."/$file.md"
or die $!;
my $line = 0;
while(<$fh>) {
next unless /cheat:s*Q$text/.../```/;
exit if /^```$/;
And that's give us
This is getting nice.
Display the cheat
Once the cheat has been selected, all that is left to do is to print it to the console. And since chances are we'll want to use it, why not copy it to the clipboard (minus the title) while we are at it?
In the Fish shell, assuming the cheat text is captured
in $cheat
, that would look like:
set_color red; echo -e "\n" $cheat[1] "\n"; set_color normal;
set -l cheat ( string join '\n' $cheat[2..-1] )
echo -e $cheat
echo -e $cheat | xclip -selection clipboard
Putting it all together
Assembling those parts together, we have the following fish
(also available
#!/usr/bin/env fish
function cheat
if test -z $CHEATSHEETS_DIR
echo "CHEATSHEETS_DIR is not defined"
return 1
set -l command $argv[1]
if test "$command" = 'get'
_cheat_get $argv[2..-1]
else if test "$command" = 'list'
_cheat_query $argv
function _cheat_list
rg '^```.*cheat:' $CHEATSHEETS_DIR --no-heading
| perl -pe's#$ENV{CHEATSHEETS_DIR}##;'
function _cheat_query
set -l query ""
if test (count $argv) -gt 0
set query ( string join " " $argv )
set -l selection (
cheat list
| fzf --preview="cheat get {}" -q $query
set -l cheat (cheat get $selection | string trim -c " \n")
set_color red; echo -e "\n" $cheat[1] "\n"; set_color normal;
set -l cheat ( string join '\n' $cheat[2..-1] )
echo -e $cheat
echo -e $cheat | xclip -selection clipboard
function _cheat_get
perl -e '
my( $file, $text ) = split /:s*/, shift, 2;
open my $fh, "<", $ENV{CHEATSHEETS_DIR}."/$file.md"
or die $!;
my $line = 0;
while(<$fh>) {
next unless /cheat:s*Q$text/.../```/;
exit if /^```$/;
' $argv
cheat $argv
And using it looks like this:


text:
Girl´s Dream (1906) by Jan PreislerOlomouc Museum of Art
'Girl's Dream'
In 1905 architect Jan Kotěra (1871–1923) was awarded a prestigious commission for the construction of the National House in Prostějov. It was the first large building project that was not restricted by any space.
In the work on the interiors he engaged his friends and peers who were experienced in working with architecture: brothers Vojtěch (1884–1968) and Stanislav Sucharda (1866–1916), František Kysela (1881–1941), Franta Anýž (1876–1934) and Jan Preisler.
Preisler's task was to decorate the two opposite supraportes in the foyer of the theatre. Jan Preisler created a diptych of paintings titled 'Girl's Dream' and 'Young Man's Dream'. Both large paintings are now part of the exposition of the Prostějov Museum.
The studies for the paintings, in one-third size, even more impressive due to their authenticity and the novelty of the idea, are in the Gallery of West Bohemia in Pilsen ('Young Man's Dream') and in the Olomouc Museum of Art ('Girl's Dream').
The idea of both paintings is to declare the liberalism and openness of modern Czech society, respecting equality of the sexes and not shunning decently declared eroticism and vitalism. Girl's Dream was originally envisaged as a nude girl bathing.
The artist, however, changed the concept during work on the diptych by placing in the centre of the composition a barefoot girl standing proudly and a little provocatively. She is wearing a yellow dress, symbolizing the colour of the sun and the flowers.
The whole scene with its richly structured symbolism seems to be a further development of the mural he painted for the supraporte in the District House in Hradec Králové (1903-1904).
In the landscape, which resembles the surroundings of Preisler's hometown of Beroun, containing limestone rocks and trees heavy with fruit, he placed groups of young women and men, dreaming, looking up, gathering fruit.
It is all immersed in silvery tones in pastel colours which underline the fairytale atmosphere of the scene.


text:
Lilith is at home in her shorts and tank top, brushing out her armpit hair in the mirror and you are lucky enough to be able to spy on her! She combs out her armpits and bushy pussy before getting in the shower, soaping up all her hairy bits, peeing and making herself cum with the showerhead!
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text:
Shoulder pain affects everyone in their lifetime. Learn about types, common causes, prevention, and treatment of shoulder pain.Quoted From: https://movement-x.com/shoulder-pain-prevention-treatment/
"Shoulder pain treatment options vary widely and can be confusing without a medical degree to help interpret your options. Shoulder pain affects most everyone in their lifetime and can range from minor soreness to debilitating pain. While extremely common, shoulder pain can be easily prevented with lifestyle modification as well as successfully treated with the proper rehabilitation. In the segment below, we"ll discuss shoulder anatomy and the most common causes, types, and treatments for shoulder pain.
Shoulder Anatomy
The shoulder is a complex structure made up of bone, cartilage, muscles, tendons, ligaments and bursa. All of these structures serve an important role in allowing your shoulder to be simultaneously very flexible while maintaining stability. Few other joints in the body have such a large range of motion while maintaining the capacity to lift and carry hundreds of pounds at a time.
Shoulder Muscles and Tendons
The shallow bony socket of the shoulder allows for this greater flexibility while the muscles of the rotator cuff provide our much needed stability. The rotator cuff (or often misnomered as the infamous "rotator cup") is a grouping of four muscles that attach to your humerus (arm bone) and hold it in place in the socket of your scapula (shoulder blade). The muscles of the rotator cuff (the supraspinatus, the infraspinatus, the subscapularis, and the teres minor) play a crucial role in allowing you to lift and rotate your arm with good mechanics. The biceps muscle is another important muscle that provides stability and function to the shoulder joint complex. Tendons are simply the attachment points that connect your muscle onto the bone and are often vulnerable to injury.
Shoulder Labrum and Bursa
Anything that moves experiences friction, and the more movement available means the more wear and tear that occurs. Because our shoulders have such a large range of motion and are so frequently used throughout the day, our body has developed two defense mechanisms to protect our muscles and bones from this wear and tear: the labrum and the bursa. The shoulder labrum is a piece of tissue that sits between the arm bone and the socket of the shoulder and both deepens the socket for stability and acts as a cushion between bones. The bursa are fluid filled sacs that act as little pillows between areas that frequently experience friction."
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The reason behind this build is to create a truly pirecing laser using pierce damage. Because of limited conversion possibilities AAR is not an option, so I went for Obliteration from Tome of Arcane Wastes. Infiltrator is a natural choice for a piercing build. For conversion from elemental to piercing damage I use two Bladetwister Signet rings and Pack of Treacherous Means belt. For survival build uses Bat, Ghoul and Scales. Vitality is partly converted to piercing with Murderer's Epaulets monster infrequent shoulders. These shoulders are absolutely necessary. Everything else is picked to make the stats of the build OK. Gameplay is first use Horn of Gandarr for damage reduction to enemies then Word of Pain for resistance reduction and then pierce with laser You have two healing skills on standby so use them wisely + Inquisitor's Seal. Build is susceptible to heavy physical hits but with careful timing of healing skills you can withstand them or you can avoid them with Displacement. Performance of the build strongly depends on your good timing of using skills. You can facetank most of the time in SR. Build is capable of doing SR 65-66.
I have other laser builds here. All my builds are here.
Here is a list comparing all my laser builds from best to worst. All are at least SR 65-66 capable.
Albrecht the Leech – great build, aether AAR, powerful both offensively and defensively (quite tanky)
Albrecht the Chaotic – great build, chaos AAR, offensively noticably weaker than Leech, defensively a little weaker than Leech (this one is very tanky but slower)
Albrecht the Mental – great build, elemental AAR, offensively a little better than Leech, defensively noticably weaker than Chaotic
Albrecht the Tank – good build, fire AAR, offensively similar to Chaotic, defensively noticably weaker than Chaotic (but better than Mental)
Olexrian Judge – good build with nice gameplay from freezing enemies, physical Obliteration, offensively noticably weaker than Chaotic, defensively noticably weaker than Tank
Judge Obliterator – good build, physical Obliteration, offensively a little weaker than Olexrian Judge (the weakest offensively of my laser builds), defensively a little better than Olexrian Judge (but a little weaker than Mental)
Albrecht von Frozenstein – good build with nice gameplay from freezing enemies, fire AAR + OFF, offensively similar to Tank, defensively noticably weaker than Judge Obliterator
Albrecht the Freezer – good build with nice gameplay from freezing enemies, fire AAR + OFF, similar to Frozenstein both offensively and defensively
Pierce Mage – OK build, pierce Obliteration, offensively a little better than Judge Obliterator (and a little weaker than Olexrian Judge), defensively a little weaker than Frozenstein
GRIMTOOLS https://www.grimtools.com/calc/DV9LkEP2
There are two monster infrequent items in this build - Murderer's Epaulets and Dermapteran Slicer. Both are easily farmable. On the shoulders you want physical resistance and OA. On the sword you want casting speed. I have chosen the best affixes so that they are not double rare. You also need Ravager's helm. You can farm it from Ravager of Flesh on elite difficulty with another character. There are also six craftable items - belt, medal, boots, gloves, pants and amulet. I have picked four crafting bonuses to slow resistance, one to stun resistance and one to physique.
Stats of the build
OK piercing damage 2000 %
OK critical damage 34 % for Infiltrator (up to 109 % with Obliteration and Deadly Aim)
lower base OA - 2900 OA (over 3500 OA with Deadly Aim and Inspiration)
55 DA reduction to enemies from Annihilation
big pierce resistance reduction from Assasin's Mark, Veil of Shadow, Obliteration, Word of Pain, Mark of the Blade (from ring) and Ravager's Deathgaze (from helm) - up to -148 %
other sources of damage - Word of Pain, Horn of Gandarr, Shifting Sands and Sand Devils
OK life 13000 HP
big base DA around 2950 DA (goes to around 3050 DA with Inspiration)
up to -325 OA shred to enemies - 55 OA shred from Annihilation, 140 OA shred from Shifting Sands and 130 OA shred from Veil of Shadow
reasonably overcapped resistances
high CC resistances with crafting bonuses
capped disruption resistance using Arcane Harmony Leggings
OK armor around 1950
nice physical resistance 27 % (with physical resistance roll on shoulders)
healing on standby from Pneumatic Burst and Word of Renewal
healing from Bat and Scales (partial vitality converted to piercing using shoulders)
% damage reduction from Horn of Gandarr
flat damage absorption from Inquisitor's Seal
up to 83 % dodge chance with Windshear active
Prismatic Rage from component
Blade Barrier (saves the day when things go tough)
20 % cooldown reduction
image from the game with passive buffs + Pneumatic Burst, Word of Renewal and Inquisitor's Seal
image from the game with passive buffs + Pneumatic Burst, Word of Renewal, Inquisitor's Seal, Inspiration and Deadly Aim
I play SR with camera pointed away from enemies and I try my builds only in SR 65-66 and SR 80. I play around 10 SR runs per character.
This build does SR 65-66 relatively easily. Performance depends on your timing of using skills. Build is demanding on the player. Enemies go down relatively fast. You can facteank most of the time in SR. Toughest enemy for this build is the Reaper. In SR 80 it can do first three shards and gets destroyed by physical hitters in boss room.
I don't play Crucible so I don't have a time number for it.
I have tried to make a piercing AAR using only elemental conversion to piercing (aether is not available in the game). Damage should be on par with Obliteration this way if one can manage to make the stats good. I was not able to do it. Perhaps someone can make it better. I have not given it that much thought. Here is what I created in grimtools. https://www.grimtools.com/calc/qNYoYXBV


text:
Yesterday was mostly devoted to the usual chores, plus a few hours in the vegetable garden thrown in before lunch. That allowed me to finish up the trench filling-in that I'd started a couple of weeks ago; I ran out of dirt to fill the holes the first attempt I took. During the week sometime, Dino got the tractor up there and took some dirt from one spot and deposited it in another one, conveniently close to the trenches. I shoveled and raked and smoothed and did that enough times so that it looks about as good as it ever will up there. I had some fun with making some great rake marks in the dirt. I also pulled out the disappointing tomato plants and got that bed cleaned up.
Today, I didn't wake up till nearly 7! That's practically unheard of for me - my usual weekday hour is 4:15 and weekends, weekend mostly I'll sleep till 5:30 or maybe 6 before I can't stand it any more. I rustled up some grub and a cuppa and doodled around on the computer for an hour and then grabbed my camera bag and started walking.
Dino had told me about a humungus fungus he'd seen inside an old oak tree near Turkey Crossing and I wanted to bag a shot of that as that would be the only fungus shot taken in the month of September, during any of the years I've been photographing fungi. It's like getting a life bird or something. It was easy to find, and yep, it was a big one all right, about 18 inches across at its widest.
On my way to the fungus, I had one of my patented wildlife encounters. I'd chosen a route along the fence at the bottom of Rodeo Meadow and as I was walking through the line of trees where Lion Creek comes through, I heard Big Rustling Noises. Pigs. I don't know what it is with me and pigs, but it seems that often enough I see them way before they see me. In this case, I'd started to come around a big rock to get a better view, when one of the sows decided to emerge from the creek bed headed right for the same spot. She grunt-oinked in alarm and took off at high speed, with the rest of the critters trailing along, heading up the hill toward Deer Ridge.
Here is the second reason I was in Rodeo Meadow to start with (aside from the fungus). This is a picture of one of the new nest boxes Dino's manufactured and installed on our place. This is a duplex box, tres fancy. The big box is intended for Barn Owls and the little one on the side is a bluebird box - well really for any passerine that's a cavity nester and likes that size opening. Funny that it's possible to double them up like that, especially given the barn owl's penchant for eating other birds, but it works.
Mid-afternoon we took a walk together to the mailbox, with a stop just above the abandoned houses for a long look at two juvenile golden eagles perched in a large gray pine. Neat!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
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text:
The Extraordinary Life of Mahatma Gandhi
From growing up in India and studying in London to becoming a political activist in South Africa and taking on the battle for independence in India, Mahatma Gandhi's legacy has lived on well beyond his years.
Read the life story of this brilliant, strong-willed and influential man in this beautifully illustrated book, complete with real-life stories, timelines and facts.
Age 7+


text:
Compelling Press Releases: Your Story, Expertly Told in 300+ Words
Announce yourself, your business, new project, or service to draw attention and help get your news higher on search rankings. Allow us to create your story in words that are short and exact, in a way that will produce a positive reaction.
- An alluring and unmistakably expressed Website content, article, Press release with idealized spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
- You will get 300+ words of professionally composed content from our US-based content writer.
- A catchy headline
- An informative sub-head
- A "lede" paragraph that tells your story the way you want it to land.
- A cool executive quote.
- A call to action (e.g. click here for more information)
So, Let's spread the word about your business/ Service/ product launch/ event/ Music Album Launch, etc.


text:
GORENJE, d.d., Velenje
Non-audited non-consolidated Financial Statements of Gorenje, d.d., for the year 2006
At its 8th Meeting held on 27 February 2007 the Supervisory Board was informed on non-audited Financial Statements regarding the business performance of Gorenje, d.d., and Gorenje Group for the year 2006.In the opinion of the Management Board of Gorenje, d.d., despite unfavourable economic conditions in the 2006 financial year the Group continued to grow and prosper, and significantly exceeded the planned volume of business operations and achieved the planned objectives as regards business performance as well as its asset- and financial targets.This announcement will be also available on the www.gorenje.com web-site.
Date: 27. 2. 2007


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In honor of H&M's 5th Fashion Against AIDS collection (which hits more than 300 stores on April 26th – 25% of proceeds will benefit AIDS awareness organizations) they're hitting up Coachelllllla in a big way. Stop by H&M's Coachella tent where you can "Kiss for a Cause" and H&M will donate $1 to AIDS research for every Foursquare, Twitter or Instagram user that posts a kissy pic coupled with hashtags #kissforacause #hmusa.
#xx #kissforacause
Photos: H&M


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"Almost everybody is enthusiastic about the promise of Biotechnology to cure disease and to relieve suffering"
The department of life sciences was established by the chairman of the GICTS group of Institution with the affiliation of Jiwaji University, Gwalior in 2002. In such a short span of first decade, the department earned high level of academic reputation and proved his excellence in term of achievements. The department has stimulating graduate programme B.Sc. in Biotechnology, B.Sc. in Microbiology & B. Sc. in Biochemistry and post-graduate programme M.Sc. in Biotechnology & M.Sc. in Microbiology. The department has very well-equipped, latest laboratory facilities and other amenities to offer the best education. There are separate laboratory for Biotechnology, Molecular biology, Tissue culture, Microbiology, Zoology, Botany and Chemistry with with modern equipments like PCR, Cooling centrifuge, SDS Page Assembly, Electrophoresis unit, UV trans eliminator, UV Spectrophotometer, Laminar Air Flow, BOD incubator, Environmental Chamber, Deep Freezer, Micro centrifuge, Tissue Homogenizer, pH meter, Autoclave etc.A well equipped computer laboratory with Pentium based computers and latest software for teaching. A galore of study material in organized collection of books by renowned Indian and International authors is available in the department library that helps the students to hone their skills. The curriculum of the courses are sufficiently focused on the development of practical knowledge to make the students immediately productive and concomitantly, the course also provide the necessary theoretical fundamentals to prepare the students to undertake meaningful research programme in the field of life Sciences.
Career Opportunities in Biotechnology :
Biotechnology can make your career growth with scientific evaluation and expertise. After competition of the curriculum in these branches you can look forward to :
Hospital / Clinical Laboratories : To identify the disease causing by bacteria and affecting the human body. Food Industry : In field of food and drug and the department of agriculture. Environmental : This field deals not only with how organism react to themselves but also with how they react to other process in the environment such as pollution, living things like plants and animals, simple seasonal changes and the changing and evolving world in general. Research Laboratories : Research can be a very rewarding field for microbiologists bcoz it is where the practice of Microbiology begins. Teaching :Instructional Microbiology is another very common subset of the field. It is an ever changing field, so instructors need to be constantly learning in order to pass that information on to their students.


text:
- Description
- Delivery & Returns
Technical Features
The mast swivel leads the line with full articulation towards the trimmer. The swivel is made of composite, 50/50 glass fibre/polyamide. It is mainly used for Cunningham, Spinnaker and Gnav etc. The sheave has two optional positions, either for the lines coming from above or from below. The mast swivel can be fitted"up-side-down" depending on desired orientation of the cam cleat. The sheave is of ball bearing type.
Max. Rope Ø (mm) | S.W.L (kg) | Weight (g) |
6 | 90 | 104 |
Delivery & Returns
You can select your preferred delivery option or local pick up from Rooster at checkout.
We are happy to accept your returns so long as you send them back within 30 days.
UK Mainland returns can be sent back to us by clicking here from all other locations please click here
For full details on all our terms and conditions click here.
Thank you for being a customer of Rooster, if you have any questions please use our online chat, call or email.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: +44 (0)1243 389997


text:
NYIT Libraries provide access to tabletop learning glass. Learning glass is a new technology that allows instructors to record videos using a transparent whiteboard while maintaining face-to-face contact with students.
Learning glass is ideal for people who want to record videos for homework help, flipped classroom lessons, or just-in-time instruction.
Learn more by watching the video below. If you are a faculty member or student interested in using learning glass, participate in a workshop or email email@example.com.
Effective use of learning glass can support learning in many ways:
Would you like to make short video tutorials using the lightboard technology? The studio is available throughout Summer 2021.


text:
Indian equity markets had a dream ride in 2021, with 63 companies going public and raising Rs1.19 lakh crore. Among them, One 97 Communications, the parent company of the fintech major Paytm, made the biggest buzz, raising Rs18,300 crore in November 2021 and overtaking state-run miner Coal India's Rs15,199 crore IPO in 2010 as India's biggest.
Eight other tech startups also went public last year—beauty products e-tailer Nykaa (FSN Ecommerce), food aggregator Zomato, gaming company Nazara Technologies, travel technology company RateGain, travel platform EaseMyTrip, insurance aggregator PolicyBazaar (PB Fintech), online automotive portal CarTrade Tech and MapMyIndia (CE Infosystems). Amid an equity market euphoria fuelled by easy money policies of global central banks in the wake of the pandemic, investors lapped up the shares of these new-age companies. The issue of Nazara Tech, for instance, was subscribed as much as 175 times, EaseMyTrip 159 times and Nykaa 82 times.
Some of them went on to touch new highs post listing. Nazara Tech share was worth Rs3,354.40 on October 11, 2021, a three-fold gain over its issue price. Nykaa and Zomato more than doubled.
The fortunes, however, seem to have reversed in 2022. Paytm, which had set an issue price of Rs2,150, closed at Rs661.85 on April 18—a 69 per cent slump in five months. CarTrade Tech was down 61 per cent since listing, PB Fintech was down 21 per cent and RateGain had fallen 10 per cent from its issue price.
Even those shares that hit prices higher than the issue price have seen sharp corrections. Nazaara Tech, for instance, is down 52 per cent from its peak. Zomato is down 51 per cent from its life high, PolicyBazaar has declined 47 per cent and Nykaa 29 per cent. These corrections, however, are in sync with the wider global tech stock sell-off this year.
If 2021 was a year in which cheap money sloshed around, 2022 began with central banks tightening the screws and mopping up the excess liquidity in the system, as inflation surged to multi-decade highs. The Russian invasion of Ukraine further spoiled the mood, and foreign institutional investors rushed out of emerging markets.
Experts, however, say the high valuations at the time of going public are equally responsible for the fall. "The India internet sector valuation commands a three times premium over global valuations, driven by its high-growth opportunity and penetration story," said Amit Chandra of HDFC Securities.
It is, however, expected that eventually markets will react to earnings in the larger scheme of things. "Due to the kind of valuations or future expectations that were laid out at the time of listings, the investor psyche was to just get in. The realisations started seeping through once the [earnings] numbers started coming in," said Mayuresh Joshi, head of equity research at the stock broking firm William O'Neil.
Paytm is a case in point. The company started in 2009 as a platform for mobile phone recharges. Over the years it expanded into mobile wallet and today it is a super app of sorts offering everything from payments and ticket booking to shopping and digital lending. The expansion has helped drive its revenues up, but profits still remain elusive. In the nine months to December 31, 2021, Paytm's revenue from operations surged 73 per cent, from Rs1,987 crore in the same period a year ago to Rs3,433 crore. At the same time, its loss widened 30 per cent, from Rs1,256.6 crore to Rs1,633.9 crore.
With the advent of the unified payments interface (UPI), which has made instant bank-to-bank transfer a breeze, Paytm's mobile wallet service has become largely redundant. It also faces stiff competition in most segments it operates in. Zomato and PolicyBazaar, too, have been reporting losses despite revenue gains.
In the past few years, India's digital ecosystem grew dramatically, especially during the pandemic. This also resulted in intense competition. Zomato, for instance, faces stiff competition from Swiggy in the food ordering business. It is expanding into quick commerce, a segment where competition is even fiercer and outlook uncertain. PolicyBazaar, which is well placed to benefit from the rising insurance penetration, faces competition from insurers that are also scaling up digital offerings as well as digital-first insurance companies like GoDigit.
Against this backdrop, consistency in earnings will be something investors will be closely watching out for. "A lot of these companies have to demonstrate their longevity and improve profitability," said Kenneth Andrade, chief investment officer of Old Bridge Capital. "All of them have hit critical sizes as far as turnover is concerned. A lot of investors will be watching how they convert that opportunity and build sustainable future without external capital. Very few of them will come to the next level. We will have to give them time."
In the past few months, as central banks have begun tightening the purse strings, foreign institutional investors have been pulling out of equity markets in emerging markets in droves. So far in 2022, FIIs have sold close to 01.08 lakh crore in Indian equity. With liquidity getting withdrawn and inflation surging, this is a testing time for companies. "This is when better-rated companies who are able to tide over the cycles come into the picture and the others just fall by the wayside," said Joshi.
While some startup stocks have bounced back, the recoveries have mostly been technical. "The markets will re-rate when valuations are cheap and earnings trajectory looks lucrative. But, when the earnings visibility looks choppy, at the same time valuations are on the lower side, then the outlook looks a little bit jarred," said Joshi.
Amid last year's euphoria, several companies like Delhivery, Mobikwik and PharmEasy had filed papers to go public. However, with easy money drying up and the market's growing volatility—owing to geopolitical uncertainties and inflation worries—many of them have delayed their plans and are waiting for stability. In the first three months of 2022, there have been six IPOs that raised a total of Rs7,819.24 crore, says data from Prime Database. There were 16 IPOs in the first three months of 2021 that raised a cumulative Rs14,996 crore.
Investors seem cautious. "There is no dearth of money for good companies," said Avinash Gorakshakar, director (research) at Profitmart Securities. "But, where valuations are very high and profits are uncertain, people are going to be cautious. I don't think the 'big money' approach people had earlier will be there. Even private equity investors will think twice and will be a little sceptical."
Against the backdrop of the slump in the share prices of some of the startup tech companies, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India floated a consultation paper earlier this year, which proposed more transparency on the pricing of IPOs. The market regulator said the new-age companies should provide details on how the IPOs were being priced, compare it with pre-IPO fund raising and publish presentations to investors before the IPO.
Parameters like earnings per share and price-to-earnings ratio could not be applied to the new age companies, considering many of them are generally loss making.
"It is obvious that disclosures in 'Basis of Issue Price' section, particularly for a loss-making company, are required to be supplemented with non-traditional parameters like key performance indicators (KPIs) and disclosure of certain additional parameters such as valuation based on past transactions/fund raising by issuer company," said the paper.
If these guidelines are accepted, then undoubtedly the process will become more transparent and investors will be able to make a more informed choice. At the same time, loss-making companies may not be able to garner high valuations and some may even find it difficult to go public.
Many tech startups that were keen on IPOs have delayed their plans
The logistics unicorn is planning to raise 15,000 crore through fresh issuance of shares and an offer for sale of Rs 2,460 crore. Got Sebi approval, but has delayed IPO.
Received clearance from Sebi in February, but the IPO is likely to be delayed. It was planning a 16,250 crore issue.
Oyo Hotels and Homes
The hospitality unicorn is planning to raise 18,340 crore, but it might delay the IPO and reduce its issue size.
The payments firm received Sebi's approval in October 2021 for its 11,900 crore IPO, but the company is waiting for the market conditions to improve.


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TOUCHED BY LYME: Can we cure Lyme disease…or what?
The following question from somebody named Tom showed up in my inbox today:
Do you know of a cure for Lyme disease or are we just throwing money at it year after year?
That was the whole message. I know nothing about Tom's circumstances, but he asks a fair question and I'll answer it as best I can.
If Tom's experience is anything like that of 12,000+ Lyme patients enrolled in the MyLymeData project, he's been sick for years. He probably had to go through four or more doctors before even being diagnosed with Lyme disease. And by that time, he'd probably run through whatever treatment options his insurance might have covered—and is now deep into "paying out-of-pocket" territory.
He likely continues to suffer from such symptoms as severe pain, crushing fatigue, sleep impairment and cognitive problems. (He could have a host of other symptoms as well.)
And from the frustration evident in his question, I assume that whatever treatment he has been paying for has not helped him.
Unfortunately, many people find themselves in the same boat. And there's no magic-bullet answer.
Here's my take on it
Lyme disease is a complex condition, with many confounding factors. Yet often, the medical establishment presents it like this: a perfectly healthy person gets bitten by a tick that miraculously carries only one infection—Lyme disease. Within a few days, the person develops a tell-tale rash and flu-like symptoms. The doctor prescribes a short course of antibiotics. Bingo! The person is restored to perfect health. Case closed.
And there are, in fact, some individuals who seem to fall into that "ideal" category. But there are tens of thousands of people every year who do not. And those people, whose symptoms may drag on for months, and years, and even decades, are kicked to the curb by the medical establishment. They are the ones crying into the abyss, "Is there a cure out there—somewhere?"
Some people with persistent Lyme eventually find their way to what we call "Lyme-literate" doctors. And, with longer treatment, many of those folks are restored to health. And yet, there are some—like Tom, I presume—who are still sick even after years of treatment.
Questions to explore
Tom, I feel for you. And I wish I had a magical elixir to offer. Instead, I have some questions for you to think about.
Have you been evaluated for co-infections? These are other nasty microbes the tick can transmit along with Lyme disease. Untreated co-infections can throw a wrench into the healing process.
Have you investigated the question of toxic mold exposure? It turns out mold can cause a heap of problems for people with Lyme disease.
Those are only two factors that can hinder your ability to recover from Lyme. I recommend the following books that can help you explore these and other areas.
Why Can't I Get Better? Solving the Mystery of Lyme and Chronic Disease, by Dr. Richard Horowitz
TOXIC: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Environmental Illness, by Dr. Neil Nathan
Have you joined any Lyme patient support groups? Hearing from others going through similar challenges can be immensely helpful. You can learn about doctors, treatments, detoxification methods, what supplements others have found helpful—and gain much-needed moral support.
Click here to join LymeDisease.org's network of online support groups.
Emerging treatments
Disulfiram is an "old" drug that has recently been repurposed as a Lyme disease treatment. It reportedly helps some people a great deal—and others, not so much. It is not without risks, so if you're considering it, I suggest you do your homework. The following article offers a good introduction: What is disulfiram and why is it sparking excitement in the Lyme community?
Many patients tell me that medical cannabis relieves a lot of their Lyme symptoms—including pain and insomnia. Again, you need to do your homework. Cannabis comes in different forms and strengths, and you need to find the right combination for you. And, alas, it's not legal in every state.
Tom, I hope this article gives you some ideas about new ways to pursue healing.
Furthermore, I encourage anyone who has been diagnosed with Lyme disease to enroll in MyLymeData—whether you are currently sick or well. This kind of information about Lyme disease has never before been collected on such a large scale. Your experiences can help pave the way for a cure—for Tom, and a whole lot of other people.
TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, LymeDisease.org's Vice-president and Director of Communications. She is co-author of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent's Survival Guide. Contact her at email@example.com.


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The <xsl:template> Element
A template contains rules to apply when a specified node is matched:
View the XML file, View the XSL file, and View the result.
Examples explained
The <xsl:value-of> Element
Extract the value of a selected node:
The <xsl:for-each> Element
The <xsl:for-each> element allows you to do looping in XSLT.
The XSL <xsl:for-each> element can be used to select every XML element of a specified node-set:
We can also filter the output by adding a criterion to the select attribute in the <xsl:for-each> element.
View the XML file, View the XSL file, View the result.
The <xsl:sort> Element
The <xsl:sort> element is used to sort the output.
The <xsl:if> Element
The <xsl:if> element is used to put a conditional test against the content of an XML file.
The <xsl:choose> Element
The <xsl:choose> element is used in conjunction with <xsl:when> and <xsl:otherwise> to express multiple conditional tests.
The first example will add a pink background-color to the "Artist" column WHEN the price of the CD is higher than 10:
The second example will add a pink background color to the "Artist" column WHEN the price of the CD is higher than 10, and a grey background-color WHEN the price of the CD is higher than 9 and lower or equal to 10.
The <xsl:apply-templates> Element
The <xsl:apply-templates> element applies a template to the current element or to the current element's child nodes.
oXygen helps you learn to define, edit, validate and transform XML documents. Supported technologies include XML Schema, DTD, Relax NG, XSLT, XPath, XQuery, CSS.
Understand in no time how XSLT and XQuery work by using the intuitive oXygen debugger!
Do you have any XML related questions? Get free answers from the oXygen XML forum and from the video demonstrations.
Download a FREE 30-day trial today!
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Hi Everyone,
myself and wife were in Nepal and loved Pokhara so much. We are both teachers and are currently travelling the world, seeking somewhere to settle down and work.
After being in Pokhara and reading all about the poor standard of education given and how it isn't given value and the future leaders of the country aren't given a proper education.
We felt stirred to set up an International School using the Cambridge Curriculum in Pokhara. We have been looking into things and have found some info but we would be very grateful if people could give us further advice.
This is what we know so far;
- we could apply for a business visa
- show out capital of 20,000 euros
- apply for a permission letter from the govt to set up the school
- we can only start with a kindergarten as the govt don't want anymore money grabbing schools but could apply once we show standards
Any advice will be beneficial to our search.


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Maintenance of A Home: A Necessity To Avoid Mishaps
- Written by News Company
In the rapidly changing world, people are often seen struggling to maintain their lifestyle with the best available resources and in this situation how devastating it is to lose any of your best household belonging due to negligence. Here we would like to grab your attention that making your house, a home is your own responsibility and it is only possible when you try to maintain your house to be safe from any mishaps. If we claim that your house is representing your own personality then only you may understand the need for maintaining it with the best possible solutions. At the beginning of the discussion, we will be discussing some of the major benefits achieved by maintaining a house.
You must be amazed to know that there are two different types of maintenance between which you may have to choose any one or both to maintain your house depending upon the condition of your house. The first type of maintenance is the unplanned type in which you have to fulfill the need of the time and have to do emergency maintenance for your house. The other type of maintenance is the planned type in which you have to focus on the preventive measures. This type may include the maintenance as a safety precaution (predictive type) or scheduled type.
Benefits of House Maintenance: Following are some of the benefits that are directly associated with the regular maintenance of a house:
Save Your Money: You must be curious to know how your regular spending on maintenance will help you to save money? If yes, then you must be amazed to know that regular maintenance of your house tends to reduce the annual maintenance cost by 30%. If you simply search for the electrical contractors Sydney you will get to know that it is much easier and less costly to replace the air filters of the HVAC instead of changing the entire HVAC system or the wiring that may burnout due to HVAC system. You do not have to spend much of your hard-earned money on small issues rather than letting it grow to a big issue and then spending your time, efforts, and money. It is obvious that removing the small clog from your drainage is much easier than repairing the entire drainage system of the house.
Effective Utilization of Belongings: People are often seen complaining that they get irritated by regular maintenance of their house. They feel like they are cleaning the dust with open windows. We would like to share that if you do not maintain your household belonging on a regular basis, the situation may get worst and you may have to throw that item. If you want your belongings to be safe and to provide you comfort then you must maintain it as an essential part of your house. In some cases, it has been observed that people had to change their entire wooden floor because of termites so it is better to repair than to replace them.
Home Maintenance, A Source of Value Addition: Have you ever been to a real estate agent for estimating the value of your house? If not, then we would like you to maintain it before you visit a real estate agent as it is more likely to increase the overall value of your house due to its maintenance. In some cases, people have been able to get a good amount due to the overall condition of the house and people neglecting the maintenance have faced a hard time selling or renting their properties.
How to Maintain Your House: From the list of ideas, some of the easiest ones are as follows:
Gutter Cleaning: Cleaning of gutters is recommended twice a year by the real estate experts, every spring and fall.
Roof Leakage: If your roof is suspected to leak, it is better to get it fixed before your sofa gets destroyed.
Repair the Faucet: One of the biggest challenges is to have a good quality faucet that does not leak within six months. Maintaining it regularly will help you to save your money from spending it in huge utility bills.
Window Caulk: If you are facing the problem of dust accumulating in windows regularly then you may have to get it checked by some experts as you may have to get it filled with caulk.
Air Filters: Replacing your air filters every six months will help you to maintain your AC before it gets choked and you have to face difficulties.
- House Cleaning: Consider getting help when house cleaning Melbourne.
Conclusion: Well maintained house tends to have increased life of the home appliances and eventually helps to increase the overall value of the house but when it comes to maintaining a house by your own self, a delay has always been observed and this delay eventually results in the form of mishaps. If you want to avoid any mishap then you must have to maintain your house as much as possible. If you regularly keep a check on small issues and rectify them, then you do not have to worry about any mishap.


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How to split royalties between artists
Looking for a guide to splitting royalties? Use our free Revenue Sharing tool to easily separate music royalties between artists.
Is your new music release a collaborative effort? Nice. Now you just need to make sure everyone gets their portion of the royalties once those streams and digital sales roll in.
If you're a RouteNote user, we make splitting royalties between artists easy – and free – so you can share the money your music makes with your collaborators, wherever they are in the world.
When you upload music to RouteNote, all you need to do is fill in a short Revenue Sharing form to let us know who gets what revenue percentages. Revenue Sharing is an automated system, making it a carefree process.
Once you've uploaded your tracks, find the Revenue Sharing form in the Artist Services section of the login page.
You can then apply the split tool to individual tracks or your whole release. You'll need to provide:
- UPC code of the release
- ISRC code (if revenue is being shared on a specific track, rather than the whole release)
- RouteNote usernames of the accounts to split royalties with. Make sure each artist has a RouteNote account
- Percentages for each artist
RouteNote offers Revenue Sharing for free with both our Free and Premium Distribution tiers. We aim for your request to be processed by our team of music lovers within 72 hours, however this can extend during busy periods. When revenue automatically becomes available, each artist can log in to their own account to see their stats and funds on their dashboard.
If you've chosen Free Distribution, RouteNote takes a small 15% cut of royalties. Say you're splitting your revenue fifty-fifty between yourself and a collaborator – both you and your collaborator will receive 42.5% of revenue, whilst RouteNote takes 15%. With our Premium Distribution meanwhile, 100% of the revenue is split equally between you and your collaborator.


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3 February 2021
Money Saving Expert (MSE) Charity
The MSE Charity, the charitable fund of financial advice website MoneySavingExpert.com, is dedicated to supporting UK voluntary groups deliver financial life skills, which make a lasting impact on the way people think, behave and manage their money.
The charity operates a themed approach for each funding round.
The next grant round, Raising the Next Generation, will accept applications from 1 February to 26 February 2021.
This grant round is targeting and supporting the younger generation who in the current difficult economic climate need support to develop and learn personal financial life skills.
Please note: The round will close once 40 applications have been accepted.


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Brand Bio
This season Materiel welcomes new Creative Director Tiko Paksashvili. Graduate of Tbilisi Academy of Arts, Tiko is the creative force behind one of the strongest collections presented on Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
Tiko's unique approach juxtaposes structural tailoring with feminine forms. She brings back classic Materiel silhouettes and examines them through a new lens with a carefully selected color palette and unconventional details. Her first collection at Materiel represents an ongoing conversation of geometric and architectural forms with the character of a determined and ambitious woman.


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Rating: C+
Dir: Terence Fisher
Star: Herbert Lom, Heather Sears, Edward de Souza, Michael Gough
[Original review] What? No songs? Yeah, we kept breaking into Music of the Night through this one, but it's not really the film's fault that I'm listening to the Lloyd-Webber soundtrack as I write this. The story shouldn't need much description, but there are some interesting differences from other versions. Here, the Phantom (Lom) is actually a disgruntled composer, who sold the publishing rights for his work to Lord D'Arcy (Gough), only to have him claim the compositions as his own and publish them. An accident involving nitric acid at the printers leads to the Phantom's disfigurement and seclusion in the opera house, from where he sabotages D'Arcy's attempts to stage the opera. But he is seduced by the voice of Christine (Sears), and kidnaps her to teach her the proper delivery of his work. For obvious reasons, that disturbs her boyfriend, theatrical producer Harry Hunter (de Souza), who heads off into the sewers beneath the theatre in search of his missing beloved.
There's not much threat to this Phantom, who comes over as an almost entirely sympathetic figure, especially at the end, where his behaviour is positively heroic. If there's a villain in the piece, it's D'Arcy, who oozes with slime as he tries to convince Christine to go back to his apartment for a little late-night "singing practice." The film seems to be building towards a confrontation between him and the Phantom, particularly given their previous history, but this angle is never fully-developed. The other aspect I was surprised to see omitted is that there is absolutely no romantic chemistry between the Phantom and Christine: he is just her teacher, and appears to be from the Jack Bauer school of music tuition. He slaps her about, makes her sing scales until she falls into unconsciousness, then pours sewer water on her to revive her – he makes Simon Cowell seem gentle in comparison. Like the rest of the film, it's a different approach from every other adaptation, but the various pieces never quite come together in the way that they should, and the result is a good deal less than the sum of the parts.
[Also starring: The rat-catcher who gets stabbed in the eye is Patrick Troughton, the second incarnation of Doctor Who]
[July 2010]
At one point, Universal had intended to do a version of Gaston Leroux's novel in-house, but after seeing the success of Dracula, turned the project over to Hammer. They took their time: originally announced in February 1959, this took more than three years to reach the screen. At one point, Cary Grant, who had expressed interest in working for Hammer, was linked to the project. He'd certainly have made an interesting Phantom: I imagine the romantic aspects might well have been played up if that had come to pass. Instead, the role went to the future Chief Inspector Dreyfus from the Pink Panther films. Lom said of his role, "The Phantom wasn't given enough to do, but at least I wasn't the villain."
That was played by Gough, who looks a bit like Benedict Cumberbatch. He makes for a decent, and very hissable, bad guy though never receives the comeuppance which he deserves. Towards the end, Lord D'Arcy is confronted by the Phantom, and rips off his mask, only to run off like a little aristocratic bitch at the sight of the acid-scarred face beneath. That's it. The film largely limps to a conclusion thereafter, with far too much operatic faffing about for the climax of a horror film. However, Sears does a good job of faking her singing, lip-syncing to the track provided by soprano Patricia Clark.
As well as a B-literary horror villain in the Phantom, the rest of the cast are largely Hammer's B-roster too, with any number of faces you'll vaguely recognize from elsewhere. Marne Maitland, Thorley Walters and the ever-present Michael Ripper (as a cabby) are among the regulars in supporting or cameo roles here. Apart from the man who'd become Doctor Who as noted above, perhaps the most notable presence is one of the opera house cleaning ladies. She is played by Miriam Karlin: a decade later, she'd be the cat lady killed by Alex in A Clockwork Orange.
It's nice that the Phantom is not entirely alone in his lair beneath the venue. Perhaps in a hangover from the Cary Grant plans, he has a dwarf minion who gets to do all the bad stuff, while his master maintains distance and plausible deniability. This henchman was the one who saved the Phantom, after his unfortunate encounter with nitric acid led to him leaping into the Thames and being flushed into the sewers. It's a bit of a weird relationship, about which I'd have liked to know more.
Fisher brings his usual lush eye to proceedings, and it feels as is Hammer pushed the boat out a bit further than usual, with regard to expenses. Some of their period pieces feel obviously limited, but that seems less so here. Having an actual opera house – no longer apparently in Paris – probably helps there. That part went to Wimbledon Theatre; in 1999, I saw Leslie Grantham and Bonnie Langford (another Who connection) in Peter Pan there. In hindsight, I'm a bit disappointed that performance did not conclude with anyone being crushed beneath a chandelier.
If the production values and performances are fine, it's the story which drops the ball, with no real sense of conflict and mixed messages as to who the antagonist is supposed to be. Additionally, it has one of the most abrupt endings in Hammer history. Oh, they rarely hung around, to be sure, but this one goes from full-steam ahead to end credits rolling in less than 30 seconds, in a particularly jarring way. Combined with a lack of resolution for D'Arcy, it is an unsatisfactory way to leave your audience. While not irredeemable, the film's lack of success at the time is completely understandable.
This review is part of Hammer Time, our series covering Hammer Films from 1955-1979.


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How to Prevent Ingrown Hair
I was too, which is why it makes sense to prevent ingrown hair in the first place. It's easy, and if you are a little conscious about skincare, an easy part of your daily regime in front of your bathroom mirror.
A pre-shave hot shower softens your hair and open skin pores, preventing ingrown hair. Regularly showering (duh!) also cleans your skin, preventing dirt from clogging up your follicles.
Your can of shaving foam will dry your skin and clog your pores, increasing your chances of ingrown hair. Use shaving cream, or a gel-based cream specially marked as hypo- allergenic shaving cream. Do a patch test on your skin before mixing it into your shaving brush.
This is a patch test.
Don't shave against the grain - it'll mess with the hair's growth. Don't shave as often as you used to - by letting a little fuzz grow out, instead of irritating ingrown-prone skin. If you must shave, don't repeatedly shave over a certain area.
A little bit of skin scrubbing exfoliant for your face, and a loofah or body scrub for your body will open your pores and prevent the clogged ambiance of an ingrown hair site.
Apply moisturizer regulary. Moisturized skin follicles don't tend to penetrate the skin often. While you should apply moisturizer regularly, avoid heavy moisturizers if you're prone to ingrown hair. Instead, splash on cold water to close your pores before applying a light moisturizer or toner to seal your skin and prevent dead skin build up.
When you're at the store, ask for non-comedogenic moisturizer. It's designed to not clog your pores.
Products with salicylic acid are an exception to this, because the stuff exfoliates, moisturizes and helps prevent infection. (MensXP.com)
Also read: How to heal shaving cuts and Common Shaving Mistakes and How to Avoid Them


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WASHINGTON: Dance Place Presents: "The Brain Piece" by Jody Oberfelder Projects
Jody Oberfelder Projects
The Brain Piece examines the overlap between the objectivity of science and the subjectivity of art to explore how the mind actually works when perceiving the world. Dance, music, sound, set and film is informed by research and consultation with noted neuroscientists to consider how we connect to and interact with the world, make connections and form new memories.
[Photo: Jody Oberfelder Projects by Jim Coleman]
Share Your Audience Review. Your Words Are Valuable to Dance.
Are you going to see this show, or have you seen it? Share "your" review here on The Dance Enthusiast. Your words are valuable. They help artists, educate audiences, and support the dance field in general. There is no need to be a professional critic. Just click through to our Audience Review Section and you will have the option to write free-form, or answer our helpful Enthusiast Review Questionnaire, or if you feel creative, even write a haiku review. So join the conversation.


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"Ralph, what the fuck are you doing?" I knew what he was doing, jacking off again; I was just too embarrassed to acknowledge it.
"He's whacking it again", Said Dick.
I blushed crimson red. You see I was only 13, Ralph was 15 and Dick was 16. I was very conscious of trying to not look like a homo. Ralph masturbated several times a day and did not care if we knew or not.
"You guys leave me the fuck alone. I'll be out when I'm finished," Ralph yelled from inside his bedroom.
"Come on Ralph, we need to get going or we'll miss the tide," Dick yelled back at him.
The tide was low and we would only have 2 hours of prime time snorkeling before the depth and current would become too dangerous for us to work on that giant clam we found yesterday. The clam was huge, at least 4 foot wide, and would bring us 300 to 500 rupees from a tourist on the dock.
"Uh, uh, uh, aaaarrrrghhhh!!!," Ralph grunted from his bedroom.
"Fucking pervert," Dick uttered. "The guy is addicted to his cock, Harry," Dick's eyes were red from the beer we stole from my parents and drank last night as he looked at me and winked. I turned even redder, if that was possible.
The year was 1969, I was 13 and lived on an island in the middle of the Indian ocean 3 degrees below the equator. Mahe was the main island of a group of more than 100 peaks of a granite mountain chain sticking up out of the expansive ocean.
"Damn Ralph, let's go," I yelled out of desperation and embarrassment.
"OK. Just let me clean up," Ralph murmured.
Ralph appeared from his bedroom all sweaty and glassy eyed. We heard the lorry's brakes squealing as it was coming to a stop at the bus stop on the road above us and we ran like hell to catch it. It was pulling away as we got to the road and had to run and jump into the back. The natives already on the bus helped us get in. Bus, it was really a large flatbed 2 and half ton truck with seats in the bed and a canvas top. It would take us up and over the mountain and down to the north side of the island where the clam was.
This wasn't the first giant clam we'd dug out of a coral head, but it would be the largest and the most dangerous yet. It was 16 feet deep in an area that was notorious for strong ocean tides and sharks. We had a system whereby one of us would dive down and relieve the guy working on the clam. The relieved would rise up and help the third guy scan for sharks. The third guy would dive down and relieve the clam worker, etc.
I was busy hacking at the coral around the clam with my 8 inch divers knife when I got the bump on the shoulder that would be my relief. I thought to myself that it was too early and put it off to Ralph being anxious to finish it today. I turned around to flip him off and was staring at a 12 foot shark looking at me like I was his next lunch. It rushed me and I thrust out my knife as my only defense and drove it into his snout. The shark went wild and swam off with my knife in his nose.
I looked up to my friends and saw them treading water 16 feet above me. There was blood in the water and was already attracting more sharks. As I rushed to the surface to see why they didn't warn me of the sharks I saw Ralph and Dick jerking their cocks off in the water. I thought, "What the fuck is wrong with these guys."
When I broke the surface I saw them staring intensely at the beach while jerking their cocks. I looked towards the beach and it all made sense. There were no less than 8 nude European women on the beach sunbathing. I was enthralled and lost all sense of time and urgency.
All of a sudden Ralph was pulled under and he came back up quickly and yelled, "I'm gonna kill that little fucker Harry!"
Dick was laughing and said, "Did Harry pull you under again, hahahaha!"
"It wasn't me," I said from behind them.
They both spun around and were very surprised to see me. Then they looked down into the water and saw all the sharks gathering under us and started yelling. We practically ran across the top of the water to the beach 150 feet away.
The women on the beach had no idea what they were witnessing as they saw 3 boys rushing towards them yelling at the top of our lungs. When we finally made it to the beach they started yelling at us and throwing things at us. They were all nekked and running around. Tits flailing here and there and shaved pussies glistening in the sun, was this another wet dream?
Dodging another can of soda I realized why they were so scared of us, we all had boners that were very visible, mine being the only one covered by my swimsuit. Ralph and Dick's cocks were fully exposed and bouncing here and there as we dodged cans of soda and sand. We took off running as fast as we could with our flippers still on into the palm trees.
Running through the trees Dick tripped and fell, I tripped over him and Ralph tripped over me and landed on top of me with his still hard cock pressing against my neck. I hit him in the balls.
"OOWWWWE!!!" yelled Ralph. "Why the fuck did you do that?"
"Keep your little pecker to yourself Ralph." I told him. Dick looked at me and started laughing uncontrollably. I started laughing while Ralph looked like he was gonna kill me until he looked down and saw his right flipper, most of it was missing as the shark had bitten it off. He held it up and stared at it as Dick and I laughed even harder. We all just laughed until we had tears.
Forgetting about the clam the three of us snuck back through the trees and spied on the naked women. We jerked off watching them.
"Man, I got to get me some pussy," Dick said as he put his cock back into his swimsuit.
"I know where we can get laid real easy," said Ralph.
"Not on the beach with those women, Ralph, they think we're crazy," snickered Dick.
"Ha ha ha, yeah. No, there are 5 sisters up the hill from us and the 3 oldest are hookers." Ralph was practically salivating.
"When the fuck were you going to tell us?" asked Dick.
"No, I just found out last night." Ralph said. "I was beating off in the bushes by the bus stop when they got off the bus and caught me. They told me they would fuck me for free because I'm a virgin and from America"


text: As per the Indian census report of 2001, Jugsalai had a population of 46, 061. Out of it, the male population accounts for 52% of the population and females constitutes 48% of the population. In Jugsalai,13% of the population is less than six years of age. The average literacy rate of Jugsalai is 72% which is higher than the national average literacy rate which is 59.5%. To be specific, the male literacy rate is 77% and the female literacy rate is 67%. Some very attractive places in and around Jugsalai include Jubilee Park, Tata Zoological Park, Jayanti Sarowar, Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary and TELCO Bhuwaneswari Temple. |


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Crave warrants its product for 1 year from the date of original purchase against any defects due to manufacturing defects. Requests after this time period will not be accepted.
If a product defect arises and a valid claim is sent to Crave within the warranty period, a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) will be issued and a prepaid shipping label will be created (US orders only) for the customer to ship back their unit.
The unit will be reviewed by Crave's engineering team and, at its discretion, will either:
- Repaired the product defect at no charge, using new parts,
- Offer an exchange for a new product, or
- Replace the defective piece/part at no charge.
Only products purchased through Crave and authorized retailers are eligible. Customers must contact Crave to initiate a warranty claim. Any units received without a unique RMA number will not be processed.
This one year warranty does not cover:
- Damage caused by misuse or other than as intended and described in the product manual,
- Normal wear and tear, subject to Crave's discretion,
- Tampering,
- Service performed by unauthorized service agencies, or
- Loss or damage to batteries or removable parts.
To initiate a warranty claim, please contact us or message us on live chat at lovecrave.com and include your order number in your request.


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Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 has been a long player in mid-range smartphone including OPPO R17 Pro and Nokia 8.1. After these years, Qualcomm has updated their 700 series with Snapdragon 712 recently.
The Snapdragon 712 and 710 is based on 10nm process and built with 8x Kryo 360 core and Andreno 616 GPU. It now offers higher clock rate at 2.3Ghz which offers 10% more performance than Snapdragon 710 and retaining AI feature.
Multimedia aspect is one great highlight on Snapdragon 712 and it now bring Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Plus technology & Qualcomm Broadcast Audio technology.
Similarly with Snapdragon 710, it can support up to 20MP dual rear camera or a 32MP camera. It also has Snapdragon X15 LTE controller with enhanced 4G LTE, supports 4×4 MIMO and Licensed Assisted Access, offering 2x speed than conventional LTE Advanced.
Lastly, it packs with Qualcomm Quickcharge 4+ technology that recharge 50% in just 15 minutes. Generally, the performance of 712 is similar with 710 with minor improvement in multimedia aspect.