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Stylish and Affordable Apartments in Austin, Texas
Are you planning on making a move to Austin, Texas? Or, are you already one of the nearly one million people living in one of America's fastest-growing cities and want to make a move to a new area of town? Either way, The Westside Group has the right apartment for you.
Downtown Neighborhood
If you are looking for trendy neighborhood apartments, downtown Austin, TX is the place to be. Our conveniently located apartments in Clarksville, west of downtown are some of the best priced units you will find. Recently updated with faux wood floors and other new additions make these units cute and comfortable. Inexpensive apartments in downtown Austin are hard to find with such quality and outstanding location.
Renting a Central Austin apartment or University of Texas off campus housing is a great way to immerse yourself in the true heartbeat of Austin. If you are looking for the best deals on studio, 1 and 2 bedroom apartments in downtown Austin and UT Austin campus neighborhood, our apartments are worth considering. Living in these neighborhoods puts you within walking distance from several popular areas.
With locations in West Downtown Austin, Clarksville and Hyde Park neighborhoods, and apartments near the University of Texas campus, we have plenty of options for you to choose from.
West Campus Apartments Austin
Located in a prime location for those looking for the best apartments near UT Austin, our west campus apartments are perfect for students, UT employees, or anyone wanting a home close to the campus/downtown area. It will be hard to find more affordable UT Austin off campus housing. Because of our longevity, we know what renters are looking for in terms of comfort and needs. We set the bar exceedingly high and provide unparalleled location in close to proximity to the UT campus and downtown Austin. Our rental properties will put our residents right in the mix of it all. You are just a short walk or bike ride away from campus and downtown Austin.
Let Us Make Your Apartment Search Easy
Whether you are using an Austin apartment locator or doing it yourself, The Westside Group has several Central Austin apartment complexes to choose from.
The Westside Group will walk you through the entire apartment rental process. From choosing between a Clarksville Austin apartment or living closer to the UT campus, to helping you figure out your budget, and right down to the rental application. We will be here for you every step of the way!
With 11 different apartment locations on the west and north ends of the UT Austin campus as well as west of downtown, we definitely have a place you will enjoy!
UT Austin Housing
Another great area near the University of Texas is the North Campus neighborhood of Hyde Park. We've got the best Hyde Park apartments Austin has to offer. If you are looking for studio or 1 bedroom and prefer to live on your own, we have you covered and ready to welcome you home. You will find one of our Central Austin rentals well within your price range. If you are researching downtown Austin or University of Texas apartments, our complexes deliver the ultimate urban experience. When you want to relax and unwind at the downtown Austin bars after a week of studying, or walk your dog through Zilker Park on the weekends, there is simply no better place to live.
Office Location
1616 W 6th Street, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78703


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A big print statement "not a variation this time" (今回は「NOT バリエーション」) is in the announcement to show you how serious Kotobukiya is about this brand new kit ^^
It's also revealed that there will be gimmicks installed for the head, arms and legs for this new kit.
Information is from Kotobukiya's official blog.
Volks has made an announcement regarding new items to be displayed at the event from the company:
VLOCKer's Mecha Action Block Toy "Duel Knights" 007 Black Knight Katana Starter Package
Event price: 2,400 Yen.
VLOCKer's Mecha Action Block Toy "Duel Knights" 008 Burning Han Artifact Starter Package + Extra Package Set
Event price: 5,800 Yen.
Limited A3 (Advanced System of Action Arms) Senjutsuki action figures - First announced in late June.
* U.N. Forces Tactical Surveillance Type Senjutsuki F-14 AN3 "Mindseeker" - Event pre-order price: 6,800 Yen (inclusive of tax).
* European Alliance Force Senjutsuki "Rafale" - Event pre-order price: 7,200 Yen (inclusive of tax).
Both to be released in August.
Wonder Festival 2010 [Summer] will be held on July 25th at Makuhari Messe in Chiba.
Images are from Volks.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hell, I've found plenty of these "liberals" endorsing Holocaust deniers and apologizing for blatant bigots. Not to offer a pass to Hagee, but to call on others to be more consistent in challenging antisemitism when it comes from the left, here's what Hagee has said. The quote is taken from Shmuel Rosner (unfortunately, no more direct link - scroll down):
What has been disappointing has been to see my life's work - the great passion of my life ? mischaracterized and attacked. I have dedicated my life to combating anti-Semitism and supporting the State of Israel. In taking a stand for Israel I have received death threats from anti-Semites and neo-Nazis, and I've had the windows of my car blown out beneath the windows of the rooms in which my children slept. To hear people who know nothing about me or my life's work claim that I somehow excuse the Holocaust is simply heartbreaking.
Let me be clear -- to assert that I in any way condone the Holocaust or that monster Adolf Hitler is the worst of lies. I have always condemned the horrors of the Holocaust in the strongest of terms. But even more importantly, my abhorrence of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism has never stopped with mere words.
I have devoted most of my adult life to ensuring that there will never be a second Holocaust. I have worked tirelessly to eliminate the sin of anti-Semitism from the Christian world and to ensure the survival of the State of Israel.
The fact is that all people of faith have had to wrestle with the question of why a sovereign God would allow evil in the world. After Auschwitz, this question became more urgent than ever.
Many people simply could not explain how a loving God would permit such horrors. After the Holocaust, they abandoned their faith in a sovereign God who intervenes here on earth. While I disagree with this conclusion, I would never denigrate those who arrived at such a conclusion.
But I and many millions of Christians and Jews came to a different conclusion. We maintained our faith in a sovereign God who allows both the good and the evil that is in the world. We therefore search the scriptures for an explanation for that evil. We believe that the words of the Hebrew prophets such as Jeremiah may help us understand the mind of God. But our search for an explanation for evil must never be confused with an effort to excuse it.


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Ability is here again with his strong lyrical ability as he drops off his much anticipated single "Naija My People" featuring another talented Nigerian Singer and Producer Pjay.
With good command of lyrics and amazing vocal delivery, "celebration" crooner stresses the need the for "one love" and "togetherness" to achieve the Nigeria of our dream.
If you believe in love, do not hesitate to download this wonderful track.
Categories: Music


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VinegarWhen it comes to grocery store products, vinegar is liquid gold. People have been using it for ages – and not just for cooking and preserving foods. Vinegar's versatility is virtually unmatched; there are literally hundreds of potential applications. Aside from its primary applications, here is just a small sample of all the other things vinegar can be used for:
1. Disinfect wood cutting boards.
2. Soothe a sore throat; use 1 tsp of vinegar per glass of water, then gargle.
3. Fight dandruff; after shampooing, rinse hair with vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
4. Remove warts; apply daily a 50/50 solution of cider vinegar and glycerin until they're gone.
5. Cure an upset stomach; drink 2 tsp apple cider vinegar in one cup of water.
6. Polish chrome.
7. Keep boiled eggs from cracking; add 2 tbsp to water before boiling.
8. Clean deposits from fish tanks.
9. Remove urine stains from carpet. (Heh. Hopefully, it's animal urine!)
10. Keep fleas off dogs; add a little vinegar to the dog's drinking water.
11. Keep car windows from frosting up; use a solution of 3 oz. vinegar to 1 oz. water.
12. Clean dentures; soak overnight in vinegar and then brush.
13. Get rid of lint in clothes; add 0.5 cup vinegar to rinse cycle.
14. Remove grease from suede.
15. Kill grass on sidewalks and driveways.
16. Make wool blankets softer; add 2 cups distilled vinegar to rinse cycle.
17. Remove skunk odor from a dog; rub fur with full strength vinegar and rinse.
18. Freshen wilted vegetables; soak them in 1 tbsp vinegar and a cup of water.
19. Dissolve mineral deposits in drip coffee makers.
20. Deodorize drains; pour a cup down the drain once a week, let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse.
21. Use as a replacement for a lemon; 0.25 tsp vinegar substitutes for 1 tsp of lemon juice.
22. Make rice fluffier; add 1 tsp of vinegar to water when it boils.
23. Prevent grease build-up in ovens; wipe oven with cleaning rag soaked in distilled vinegar and water.
24. Kill germs; mix a 50-50 solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
25. Unclog shower heads; place in a pot with 50-50 solution of vinegar and water, bring it to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
26. Shine patent leather.
27. Make propane lantern wicks burn longer/brighter; soak them in vinegar for 3 hours, let dry.
28. Act as an an air freshener.
29. Soften paint brushes; soak in hot vinegar then rinse with soapy water.
30. Remove bumper stickers and decals; simply cover them with vinegar-soaked cloth for several minutes.
31. Prolong the life of fresh-cut flowers; use 2 tbsp of vinegar and 3 tbsp of sugar per quart of warm water.
All of these vinegar applications, and scores more, can be found at this informative site.
Baking SodaAside from its primary use as a baking agent, baking soda is another grocery item with an almost countless number of applications. For example, among other things, baking soda can be used to:
1. Deodorize your refrigerator; put an open box in the fridge.
2. Remove odors from shoes.
3. Keep drains clean and free-flowing; use 4 tbspns of soda and flush with hot water.
4. Keep your underarms smelling fresh.
5. Soften your skin.
6. Relieve diaper rash.
7. Relieve sunburn; apply a paste of soda and water.
8. Extinguish small grease and electrical fires.
9. Polish silverware.
10. Clean your refrigerator. (Or your neighbors, for that matter.)
11. Remove cat box odors; cover the bottom of the box with soda, then top with kitty litter.
12. Clean and remove stale odors from thermos bottles and coolers.
13. Make dried beans more digestible by soaking them in a solution of baking soda and water.
14. Make wild game taste less, well, "gamey."
15. Remove oil and grease stains from laundry; add baking soda to the wash water.
16. Remove stains from marble, Formica or plastic surfaces; apply a paste of soda and water.
17. Remove grease from garage floors.
18. Clean vegetables and fruit; sprinkle some in water, then soak and rinse.
19. Wash garbage cans.
20. Clean and remove odors from your dishwasher; just run it with soda instead of soap.
21. Inhibit smoldering butts in ashtrays.
22. Clean shower curtains.
23. Keep teeth or dentures clean. (Preferably, yours.)
24. Relieve indigestion and heartburn; drink 0.5 tsp of soda in 4 oz of water
25. Use as a mouthwash and/or relieve canker sore pain; gargle with 0.5 tsp of soda in 4 oz of water
26. Remove baked-on food from pots and pans; soak in soda and water for 15 min.
27. Relieve bee sting pain.
28. Make homemade Play Dough; combine 1.25 cups water, 2 cups soda, 1 cup cornstarch.
29. Remove feathers more easily when scalding a chicken; just add to the water.
30. As a windshield water-repellent.
31. Clean canvas handbags.
32. Shine chrome and stainless steel.
For even more baking soda applications, check out this site.
WD-40You can't get a gallon of milk at your local Home Depot, but you can often find WD-40 in a grocery store! WD-40 was originally developed as a water-repellent and corrosion preventer, but today the manufacturer claims the product has over 2000 uses. But, Len, if there are 2000 uses why isn't this product listed at number 1? Well, the answer is two-fold: 1) because most of those 2000 uses are just variations of the same basic applications; and 2) this is my list and I'll do as I want. (So there.)
Here are 20 of the more arcane ones which have actually been verified by the manufacturer according to Snopes:
1. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
2. Loosens stuck zippers.
3. Untangles jewelery chains.
4. Keeps pigeons off the balcony. (Apparently, they hate the smell.)
5. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
6. Protects silver from tarnishing.
7. Keeps ceramic/terracotta garden pots from oxidizing.
8. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
9. Lubricates squeaky home and vehicle door hinges.
10. Lubricates gear shifts and deck levers on riding mowers.
11. Eliminates squeaks from kids' swings.
12. Makes home windows easier to open. (And it's safer than a hammer!)
13. Helps stubborn umbrellas to open and close.
14. Restores and cleans vehicle roof racks.
15. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
16. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles.
17. Removes residual duct tape adhesive.
18. Cleans bugs off of grills and bumpers.
19. Displaces the moisture and allows a car to start when sprayed on the distributor cap.
20. Removes black scuff marks from floors.
Coca-ColaPaul Michael wrote an article for Wisebread that highlighted 51 potential uses for Coke (or any other cola product, for that matter). Here are some of the more interesting ones:
1. Remove grease and blood stains from clothing and fabric.
2. Clean oil stains from a garage floor.
3. Remove rust. (My mom said she used to do this as a kid do get corrosion off her bike – I guess she didn't have any WD-40!)
4. Loosen a rusty bolt. (Another WD-40 trick. Am I the only one here beginning to think Coke is a main ingredient in that stuff?)
5. Tenderize and add extra flavor to a pot roast. (Okay. Let's see WD-40 do this!)
6. Kill slugs and snails.
7. Help a lawn become lush and green.
8. Prevent an asthma attack.
9. Defrost a frozen windshield. (I prefer using hot coffee – black – but that's just me.)
10. Clean burnt pans.
11. Neutralize a jellyfish sting.
12. Clean car battery terminals. (I've done this before. It works!)
13. Entertain the kids by creating an exploding fountain. (With the help of a pack of Mentos.)
14. Make your hair curly.
15. Age documents and photos.
16. Clean tile grout.
17. Make better compost. (The the acidity and sugar feeds microorganisms.)
18. Remove gum from hair.
19. Remove stains from vitreous china.
20. Clear up swimming pool water.
21. Deodorize laundry.
22. Remove dye from hair by pouring Diet Coke over it.
23. Remove marker stains from carpet.
Fabric Softener SheetsWho hasn't used fabric softener sheet at least once in their life? Most of us though use them to make our clothes soft and remove static cling as they come out of the dryer. But did you know that these versatile sheets can also:
1. Repel mice and ants.
2. Act as a mosquito, bee and yellow jacket repellent; tie one through a belt loop.
3. Prevent dust from settling on computer monitors.
4. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors.
5. Eliminate wastebasket odors; just place them in the bottom.
6. Prevent dust from settling on Venetian blinds; wipe them down and no more dust.
7. Deodorize stinky shoes.
8. Keep stored tents and sleeping bags smelling fresh.
9. Prevent musty suitcases.
10. Collect cat hair. (No word on whether it works on dog hair too.)
11. Act as a car or room air freshener.
12. Prevent thread from tangling; run a threaded needle through a sheet before sewing.
13. Collect sawdust resulting from drilling or sandpapering.
14. Eliminate odors from dirty laundry; place a sheet at the bottom of a hamper.
15. Remove splattered bugs from cars; scrub with a wet sheet.
16. Clean baked-on food from pans; put a sheet in pan, fill with water and let sit overnight. Sponge clean.
Paper TowelsWhat the heck can you do with a paper towel besides sop up spills? Plenty! Paper towels can also:
1. Act as a quick-and-dirty lumbar pillow. (You'll need to use the whole roll, of course.)
2. Remove silk from fresh corn; just run a damp paper towel across the ear.
3. Act as a coffee filter. (I've done this before in a pinch and it works well.)
4. Keep lettuce fresh longer; wrap around lettuce head to soak up excess moisture. (I've done this for years.)
5. Prevent frozen bread from getting soggy as it thaws; simply place a paper towel in the bag before freezing.
6. Provide temporary sunburn relief; lay a damp towel across affected skin.
7. Clean your can opener; close the opener over a paper towel edge and turn the crank.
8. Keep cast iron pots rust-free; placed in clean pots, they'll absorb moisture.
9. Remove crayon from chalk boards; place a paper towel over wax, then press a warm iron over towel.
10. Remove candle wax from carpet and upholstery. (Use the same method as above.)
11. Sprout seeds; place a few seeds between damp towels, then keep damp for two weeks.
12. Act as a cheap place mat.
13. Strain fat from broth; place a paper towel in colander and pour the broth through it.
14. Protect Christmas tree ornaments during storage.
15. Prevent bacon splatter in a microwave oven.
16. Remove residual grease from sewing machines; run the first few stitches through the towel.
Well, that's it. Remember, these are only partial lists for each of these products.
If you have any favorite special applications for any of these items, don't be shy! Share them with the rest of us. Keep Smiling
Post from: The Survivalist Blog dot Net - Copyright © 2010 - All Rights Reserved - If you are reading this post on any other site it was stolen by someone to lazy or dumb to write their own content.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like...
- What You Should Know About Reusing Canning Jar Lids
- Washing Clothes Off-Grid or A Day At The Laundromat
- Reusing barrels for storing drinking water


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I'm just dusting a few cobb webs from this poor forgotten blog of mine. But proof I still exist is this pic from Valentines day, showing off my new Origami Owl locket. Hubby did so good ;)
You see, I went back to school in October and as if that wasn't enough... We PCS'ed in mid November where we made 2 stops along the way, one in Arizona and one in Tennessee, prolonging my arrival to Louisiana for 2 months. Got pregnant (unplanned) also in October, but lost the baby on Christmas day (wasn't sure I was going to put that in here but I guess I just did) Then when we arrived here in the swamp lands of Louisiana, I had no Internet for some days, Then after that I was unpacking (still unpacking) selling off our unused items because we had downsized for living space (goodbye baby crap taking up an entire spare bedroom) redecorating (PAH! decorating for the first time ever) and well....Now here I am again! I was rather busy. I thought about my blog often and even checked in on some of my favorite reads but the main reason I took a blogger hiatus was because of all the baby posts!!! Y'all were killing me with all that! My mind was saying I wasn't ready for another baby (little did I know I was pregnant with a baby) but my heart said "yes" each time I saw a new cute mama belly post or baby update. Sheesh! I couldn't keep a clear head like that. I hope you understand ;)
Glad to be back!!!
I hope everyone is doing fabulous in this new year, reaching for goals and dreams, sipping on chocolate air and seeing nothing but the brightest rainbows in your future!!


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I like Michael Hudson. I think he's interesting. Dirk Bezemer too. I agree with a lot of what these guys say. But if I agreed with everything they say, then I would have no need to write -- no need to point out things that smell fishy.
So... as Tom Mathias says to Mared Rhys: "You ready?"
Bezemer & Hudson: Finance is not the economy: Reviving the conceptual distinction. A damn long article.
From the Abstract:
Conflation of real capital with finance capital is at the heart of current misunderstandings of economic crisis and recession. We ground this distinction in the classical analysis of rent and the difference between productive and unproductive credit. We then apply it to current conditions, in which household credit — especially mortgage credit — is the premier form of unproductive credit.
So it's my fault, is it? I bought a house. By definition -- by their definition, not mine -- that was "unproductive".
I have trouble with their story already, and I didn't even get out of the Abstract.
It's a dangerous thing when one group of people points to another group of people and says those are the bad people. Economic activity requires cooperation.
"How did we get so indebted," they ask, "without real wage and living standards rising, while cities, states, and entire nations are falling into default?"
Good question. My answer is simple: Economic policy encourages credit use and discourages the repayment of debt. That's how we got so indebted.
Bezemer and Hudson's answer is less Occam than mine:
The last quarter century's macro-monetary management, and the theory and ideology that underpinned it, was lauded by leading macroeconomists ... Oliver Blanchard, Ben Bernanke, Gordon Brown, and others credited their own monetary policies for the remarkably low inflation and stable growth ... But it was precisely this period from the mid-1980s to 2007 that saw the fastest and most corrosive inflation in real estate, stocks, and bonds since World War II.
Nearly all this asset-price inflation was debt-leveraged. Money and credit were not spent on tangible capital investment to produce goods and non-financial services, and did not raise wage levels.
Nearly all this asset-price inflation was debt-leveraged. Money and credit were not spent on tangible capital investment to produce goods and non-financial services, and did not raise wage levels.
There ya go: unproductive debt. It comes with a story, but the moral of their story is "unproductive debt".
"This financial expansion," they write,
This financial expansion took the form more of rent extraction than of profits on production (Bezemer and Hudson 2012) — a fact missed in most analyses today (for a proposal, see Kanbur and Stiglitz 2015). This blind spot results from the fact that balance sheets, credit, and debt are missing from today's models.
Well, far as I'm concerned, they are right but they quickly lose focus. "... a fact missed in most analyses today." Irrelevant. "This blind spot results from the fact that balance sheets, credit, and debt are missing from today's models." Beyond irrelevant.
The trick is to simplify, not amplify.
"This financial expansion took the form more of rent extraction than of profits on production". Yeah, I know. I looked at that. (Time to update that old post. None of the graphs seem to work now.) The way I figured it, if you take the financial profits of nonfinancial corporations and put them with the profits of financial corporations, you get about $3 in financial profit for every dollar of profit on production. That's not good.
But I don't know why they call it "rent". The payment to finance is interest.
Bezemer and Hudson:
To explain how the bubble economy's debt creation leads to debt deflation, we distinguish between two sets of dynamics: current production and consumption (GDP), and the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE) sector.
Yup. But
It is as if there are "two economies," which are usually conflated. They must be analyzed as separate but interacting systems, with real estate assets and household mortgage debt at the center of the bubble economy.
There it is again. See it? They are saying: You, it's you people with mortgages that are the problem... And you other guys, who want mortgages, you're part of the problem.
That's not how I see it. As I see it, policy is the problem.
In section three, therefore, we examine the significance of household debt. In today's "rentier economy" this represents not real wealth, but a debt overhead.
Maybe. Maybe household debt has different "significance" in "today's 'rentier economy'" than it did in the economy before the 1980s. I don't know about the "significance" of debt. I focus on the cost of debt.
In section four, we discuss the pathologies arising from this overhead: loss of productivity and investment, with rising inequality and volatility.
And now we arrive at the crux of the matter. In section four, Bezemer and Hudson discuss the problems arising from the "debt overhead". But don't we know about that already?
People who already know debt is a problem already know about about "pathologies" arising from excessive debt. We don't need schooling in that. We need to talk about how we got into the mess. Because you're not going to be able to get out of the mess unless you know how you got into it. I mean, for example, if Bezemer and Hudson do not realize that the growth and excessive accumulation of debt was a direct result of policies that favor credit use and debt maintenance, then they are not likely to reach conclusions that call for a change in those policies.
In Hinterland, on Nexflix, s2e3, near the end, they've wrapped things up and they're ready to leave the scene. DCI Mathias walks over to the car, opens the door, looks at DI Rhys and says, "You ready?"
She smiles, just the slightest smile.


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HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Hartford has been recognized as a 2017 World's Most Ethical Company®, achieving this prestigious accolade for the ninth time, as designated by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.
"We are honored to be recognized for the ninth time as a World's Most Ethical Company, exemplifying the highest standards of ethics and compliance," said The Hartford's Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift. "At The Hartford, we recognize that a company's reputation for doing business the right way is essential to its sustained success."
The Hartford's culture of integrity and honesty is upheld by leadership accountability and ongoing education for employees to identify and prevent ethical lapses and compliance issues.
This is the 11th year Ethisphere has honored companies that recognize their role in society to influence and drive positive change, consider the impact of their actions on their employees, investors, customers and other key stakeholders and use their values and culture as an underpinning to the decisions they make every day. The World's Most Ethical Company assessment is based upon a framework that scores a company in five key categories: ethics and compliance program (35%), corporate citizenship and responsibility (20%), culture of ethics (20%), governance (15%) and leadership, innovation and reputation (10%).
"The Hartford demonstrates a culture of the highest ethical standard, offering customers, employees and investors an exceptional brand that stands for honesty and integrity," Ethisphere's Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Erblich. "Congratulations to everyone at The Hartford for being recognized as a World's Most Ethical Company."
Ethisphere named 124 companies to this year's World's Most Ethical Companies list. The full list of the 2017 World's Most Ethical Companies can be found at http://worldsmostethicalcompanies.ethisphere.com/honorees/.
For more on The Hartford's culture and character, please review the company's most recent Sustainability Report.
About The Hartford
The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheHartford_PR.
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, Conn. For additional details, please read The Hartford's legal notice.
About the Ethisphere Institute
The Ethisphere® Institute is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World's Most Ethical Companies recognition program, provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) and showcases trends and best practices in ethics with the publication of Ethisphere Magazine. More information about Ethisphere can be found at: http://ethisphere.com.
Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.
From time to time, The Hartford may use its website to disseminate material company information. Financial and other important information regarding The Hartford is routinely accessible through and posted on our website at https://ir.thehartford.com. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about The Hartford when you enroll your email address by visiting the "Email Alerts" section at https://ir.thehartford.com.
Copyright © 2017 by The Hartford. Classification: Company
Confidential. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be used, reproduced, published or posted without the permission of The Hartford.
The Hartford Media Contact:
Matthew Sturdevant, 860-547-8664
Ethisphere Contact:
Clea Nabozny, 480-497-2658


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- All Brands
- Fragrances
- Skin Care
- Hair Care
- Bath & Body
- Makeup
- Home Scents
- Gift Sets
Designer Lomani
Released by the design house of Lomani in the year 1987, Lomani Cologne is classified as a sharp, spicy, lavender, amber fragrance. This masculine scent possesses a blend of crisp citrus, spice and wood, indeed very refreshing.
Year 1987
Age Group
Recommended Use Daytime, Evening
Fragrance Notes
crisp citrus, spice and wood, very refreshing.
See more products by Lomani
All products are 100% original, authentic name brands.
We do not sell knock-offs or imitations.


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Punk Rock is Dead Costume
Rate this costume:
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Punk Rock is Dead
|Costume type:
|Costumes for Adults
This homemade costume for adults entered our 2013 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Autumn, the 'Punk Rock is Dead' costume creator:
I am wearing it. It was influenced by Sid Vicious. I made it with a ton of make up. Used foam to nake light weight chains and tape to tape back my breasts because I am female.


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Bluegrass Green and Amish. Green Amish?
No No.
This blog is about Bluegrass music and my interests in green technology, such as solar power and wind turbines. More on that later.
Also I winter in Pinecraft, home of the Amish and Mennonite snowbirds.
For videos go to my YouTube Channel. ErnieBonVAWT.


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Welcome to the blog of Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland, Oregon based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. With bLog-oMotives, I will provide readers with tips, clickety-clacks, observations and an occasional "toot!" in regards to tracking the business of design - with some adventures onto side tracks along the way. Enjoy the ride
© 2005 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives


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We are a dynamic and creative independent Film and TV company specializing in thought of provoking change in Africa style of production. Located in London,United Kingdom. Evon Media has produced and developed numerous independent short films and commercials under its supervision and also worked in conjunction with some companies in Uk, Usa, Nigeria, Sierra-Leone, Gambia, Uganda, Ghana and Mali. Making difference in a living world of Video technology.
Friday, December 16, 2011
I have been observing a white man near my house for 2 years, he goes to work everyday with a walking stick, unfortunately he is blind but he walks to the train station for work. His journey to the station is10minutes walk from his house and he is known to comes back safely without any assistance. One day we suggested to him to be renting a car to work but he refused due to he does not want to be dependent on anyone, he replied. I learn't from him that truly where there are human disability there are abilities through God, Just believe and trust God.
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i call it 'the long ride home,' the drive after telling Gary good-bye at the airport when he leaves home for a long trip away. On every occasion that he has gone to Costa Rica, Spain, Jamaica, Bosnia, Macedonia, Peru, Afghanistan – each from months to years at a time – his travels are preceded by the uneasy waits at the airport, the forced and somewhat awkward conversations, the last brief, hesitant prayers, the final hug, and then the long ride home. We fight back tears, or don't, and have little to say for a good while. i would have thought that the experience gets easier with so much practice but it doesn't.
My dear white-haired Mom and i just said good-bye to Gary, who'll return to Afghanistan later tonight. (Dad has been in Kenya and won't be home till tomorrow, a scheduling snafu that saved him from today's farewell.)
In addition to being my best friend in life and my business partner at the farm, Gary is a mentor and, in many ways, a prophet and priest to me. It is a joy to have him around and to be his neighbor. While he's been home these past eight months, our occasional travels together – pheasant hunting in South Dakota, touring the gardens of Keukenhof, Holland, and hiking in Montana – have deepened our friendship and have been a pleasant mixture of theology, humor, storytelling, sightseeing, and introspection. All of that to simply say that telling him good-bye is a big deal to me. …
Yesterday, i asked Gary to share some thoughts, maybe a word of challenge, with the Porch Gang men's group that has met for 9 or 10 years at my house on Thursday mornings. He chose an interesting passage of scripture for doing so, from Ecclesiastes 7:2, "it is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting." The words, even without Gary's reflections on them, are quite thought provoking. This week, they were especially poignant to us in light of an accident that took the life of a very popular 16-year-old high school student last weekend. Gary encouraged us to embrace the hurts – big and small – that come in life, reminding us that, among other things, they make clear that the world is broken, that we are small, that there is comfort if we look in the Right Place, and that 'this ain't home.' So, with his words still in my ears, i accept the 'long ride home' as one more part of the 'long ride Home.' … If you are a praying person, i'd appreciate your prayers for Gary as he lives and works in Afghanistan.
(Incidentally, last summer, when Gary turned 50, i did a short video and song for the event. i'll have it up on my video in the next few days.)


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Flag burning
I very rarely find myself on the same side as Liberty and the Lib Dems in the debate about how to tackle terrorism but I'm with them in their condemnation of Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur's frankly idiotic proposal to make flag-burning illegal.
First off - which flags? Just our's? Does this mean I can't burn the flags of Cuba or Burma or North Korea as part of a demo against a dictatorship - I'd quite like to retain that right? Does it only cover the flags of nation states? If so what about burning the flags of countries that aren't independent like Palestine or Wales or England? What about burning the flags of organisations - could you burn a NATO or EU flag but not a US or UK one?
Second - how do they legally define a flag - most of what gets burned on demos are not actually flags at all - shops tend not to stock large numbers of nylon Stars & Stripes or Danish flags so what gets burned are paper drawings of flags, or painted sheets. Could you be prosecuted for burning an England football shirt?
Third - the only justification for censorship in the field of politics is when what is expressed clearly incites violence or other criminal acts against other citizens. It's difficult to tell with flag burners whether they are saying "burn the people of country x" or just indicating disapproval of country x's foreign policy.
Trying to curtail people from expressing their discontent publicly may make them more, not less, likely to resort to violence to change policies they disagree with.
What next: protecting national anthems by banning Jimi Hendrix's anti-Vietnam mangled version of the Star Spangled Banner or the Sex Pistols' version of God Save the Queen?


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I won't lie, Halloween is one of my least favorite holidays (what a great way to start off this Happy Halloween post, Molly).There is a very long, silly explanation as to why I hate it, but I won't go there. I just don't like scary, creepy things. No, no, no. I do, however, like the fact that it's Fall. I like the fact that we're closer to Christmas. I like that there's pumpkins and candy corn and adorable baby costumes... but that's about it. In the spirit of Halloween though (I do love me a holiday), I thought I'd have at least one Halloween themed post: a compilation of Pinterest pictures. Who would've guessed.
Happy Halloween! I hope you eat lots and lots of candy.
All images were found on Pinterest.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Happy Halloween!
Posted by Molly at 6:00 AM 2 comments:
Labels: boo, bottles, candy, corn, Frankenstein, ghost, Halloween, Happy, holiday, jemappellemolly, orange, pumpkins, spider, web
Monday, October 28, 2013
Right now I'm at college, so home is a three hour drive from here. I came to school around the second week of August, and haven't been home since. I think it's the longest I've been away, and I'm really starting to miss it. This semester has been super busy, so there just hasn't been a good time to head home. I'm also car-less, so going home just for a night is pretty impractical. I just miss sleeping in my own bed, and having my mom in the next room over. I miss driving down the same familiar roads. I miss my backyard. One thing I miss the most about home is always having my dog, Hershey(seen above), right there. This is definitely the longest since I've seen her. She's getting really old, so I'm always a little scared something might happen while I'm gone. I think I'll get to go home in about 3 weeks though, and I cannot wait. I know there are a ton of people who are in the same boat I am, so I shouldn't be complaining. I just miss it. I also apologize for the very whiny post today... it won't happen again for a bit, I promise.
I'm curious, how have you dealt with being homesick?
Posted by Molly at 6:00 AM 2 comments:
Labels: college, dog, Hershey, home, homesick, homesickness, jemappellemolly, lab, Life, Molly, Monday, Mondays
Friday, October 25, 2013
Photo Friday
This past week I have really struggled to motivate myself to do, well, anything really. The last few days I've just sort of been in a funk and I don't know why. Maybe it's because I miss home, or because I need a normal night of sleep (which in my world requires more than the average 8 hours), or because I'm simply just being lazy. Whatever it is, it needs to get better. Thankfully, it's the weekend and I'll be able to take a little break. I hope you have a lovely one, and I'll leave you with a few of my Instagram photos from the last couple of weeks. :)
|We went to the Drive-In while I was in Annapolis and it was SO COOL. I wish we had one here.
|A Navy touchdown celebration.
|Currently procrastinating on a paper I have to write about this very neighborhood where these train tracks reside.
|A throwback to my sweet Midnight who is up in puppy heaven.
|The carousel at the fair!
|Tickets to a bake sale event that my sorority had on Wednesday.
|Me & two of my sisters at that very event. I don't have their permission to put this on my blog... but they should know better by now, right?
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
A Day in the Life at College!
For today's post I thought it would be cool to film what I do on an everyday basis. I'm not exactly sure why I thought that would be interesting for the world to see... but it happened. I work, I do my laundry, I go to class, I run late to class, I workout, and even more. It gets pretty dang glamorous if I do say so myself. So if you'd like to see that, go check out the video below! And be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel! I will be trying to update that more often.
Posted by Molly at 6:00 AM 1 comment:
Labels: a, average, college, day, exercise, in, jemappellemolly, Life, reality, the, university, vlog, work, workout, YouTube
Monday, October 21, 2013
Oh Monday.
We've come to the most challenging day of the week... again. Oh how lovely Mondays are.
The weekend is over, but I didn't even catch up on sleep.
Whyyy do I have to go to class.
There's so many things I still need to do.
Oh man, I forgot to do that one thing..
Work could not be more boring.
Is it nap time yet?
Is it Friday yet?
Basically Mondays are the worst. I'm sure though, there is someone out there who is having the most incredible day of their life. Even though that may not be you, there's going to be some amazing moment today. Maybe something made you laugh or smile or think or reflect. Whatever it is, remember it when the not so fun parts of the day roll around. Mondays are the absolute worst, I agree, but don't let that spoil your day. Have fun today. Enjoy!
Image via Pinterest
Posted by Molly at 6:00 AM 2 comments:
Thursday, October 17, 2013
October Ipsy Bag
This is my second Ipsy Bag I've received, and though I wasn't quite as impressed as I was with last month's, I still really enjoyed opening this one up. Be sure to watch my video below to hear my thoughts on all of the products! You can also go subscribe to my YouTube channel if you'd like! Just click here.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Posted by Molly at 6:00 AM 4 comments:
Labels: bag, beauty, box, ipsy, jemappellemolly, makeup, October, products, subscription, video, vlog, YouTube
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Take Me to the Fair
I'll be honest, local fairs kinda freak me out. I went to one when I was younger and was kind of spooked by the fun house of deformed animals/people.. it was a weird experience. Last week my friends and I headed out to the Georgia National Fair though, and it was a lot of fun. We walked in and saw little kids racing on sheep and I knew it was going to be a magical day. I conquered one of my fears and rode a crazy twisty ride, ate funnel cake and fried pickles, and saw a ton of Duck Dynasty t-shirts. Despite paying way too much for food & tickets, it was a pretty awesome time.
Posted by Molly at 6:00 AM 4 comments:
Labels: county, cows, fair, ferris, fnnel cake, food, fried, fun, Georgia, jemappellemolly, local, National, pickles, rides, wheel
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Cozy Up
Despite my dislike for Halloween, I love this time of year. It starts to get colder, layers start to pile on, and Christmas is that much closer. Here are a few of my favorite things that come around this season.
Happy Fall!
All images from Pinterest. Edited with A Beautiful Mess app.
Happy Fall!
All images from Pinterest. Edited with A Beautiful Mess app.
Posted by Molly at 6:00 AM No comments:
Labels: Autumn, change, changing, cool, cozy, drinks, F. Scott Fizgerald, fall, Favorites, layers, leaves, pumpkin, seeds, sweater, weather
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Fall Break!
Last Wednesday I headed out to Atlanta to start my Fall Break. I got to spend some time with Anna (my best friend) and then flew off to Annapolis to see Vinnie (my brother) & Tara (his girlfriend) on Thursday. We spent the weekend eating delicious food, going to the insanely awesome Drive-In to see Despicable Me 2, and watching Navy crush Air Force. I'm still sad the weekend is over, and it definitely didn't last long enough, but it was great to see everyone. Here are a few photos from my break (with a few that I snagged from Tara :).
Posted by Molly at 6:00 AM No comments:
Labels: Air Force, airport, Annapolis, Atlanta, Break, city, college, fall, football, Georgia, jemappellemolly, Maryland, Navy, traveling
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Friday, January 14, 2011
Politics and Bedfellows
Although my personal politics do not fall into the FOX camp, I am pleased by this developement. First of all, I'm happy for Lance, whose hard work and ignenuity deserves recognition. Second, this partnership helps push the influence of social media up another notch. And finally, I think it has the potential for being a postive step for the entire nation.
Anyone who knows my personal politics may be surprised by that statement. But those who long ago said "politics make strange bedfellows" were not fools.
Right now, the majority of Latino voters are presumed to be solidly in the Democratic camp. (The reality is much more complex. But it's perceptions that shape the actions of politicians.) As a result of this widely held belief, Latinos have been taken for granted by the Democrats (who only give us empty promises) and ignored by Republicans (who feel they can demonize us with impunity in districts where Latinos are not a majority).
However, when Latinos can exert influence in BOTH parties, we will not be so easy to ignore -- or impugn.
It still remains to be seen whether a leopard can change its spots. Many Republicans continue to pander to the xenophobes within their ranks by supporting legislation like Arizona's SB 1070 or attempts to gut the 14th Amendment. This is political theatre at its worst. But some in the GOP are waking up and smelling the coffee.
This deal with Being Latino is not an isolated event. FOX is echoing what seems to be a clear GOP strategy of reaching out to Latinos. (You have to give the conservative media machine credit for staying on message. They are always in lock step.)
Jeb Bush (with Karl Rove calling plays from the sidelines) is spearheading the Hispanic Leadership Network to try and woo Latino voters. In fact, Jeb Bush went so far as to say it was "incredibly stupid" for the GOP to ignore Latino voters. And Bush is right. It IS incredibly stupid to ignore the fastest growing voter segment. One problem remains for the GOP, though: Bigots are usually stupid.
I'm no Polyanna. The GOP has made sizeable gains across the nation in November and the party is stronger than its been for years. The leadership of the party may have realized Republicans can afford to burn some political capital and risk alienating "the base" with an outreach to Latinos -- for the moment. However, don't be surprised if the race-baiting returns come election time.
For now, let's be hard-nosed and pragmatic. We all have something to gain -- even if it's short-lived.
Raul Ramos y Sanchez
9 comments:
- julito77 said...
Raul, this is a very insightful and excellent post. I agree with you, all of a sudden the GOP is looking at the Latino voting bloc. Outside the traditional pockets of southern Fl and maybe Texas, the GOP has never embraced the Latino populace. I see recent developments as positive ones, but I agree with you, it feels a bit perplexing yet gratifying. The real push is when we see mainstream FOX NEWS start to tone its tenor down.
- January 14, 2011 at 9:39 PM
- beinglatino said...
My personal political views have not been inline with what Fox News has produced previously either. And although I do think that Fox News hasn't done the best in portraying Latinos to the mainstream, Fox News Latino is taking a more balanced approach at news for us AND by us.
Either way, extremely compelling piece. Thank you for writing about it. I'm curious to see where this takes "us" as a whole.
- January 14, 2011 at 9:45 PM
Spot on! While this is an incredible feat for BL and Latinos, we must pay close attention to how FOX will use this as a tactic that might undermine Latino causes as a whole!
- January 14, 2011 at 9:53 PM
- Raul Ramos y Sanchez said...
Good to hear from both of you, Julio and Lance.
- January 14, 2011 at 9:56 PM
- Raul Colon said...
Raul, Once again thanks for being very responsible and keeping track of the possible intentions of this exposure.
I asked the same questions although like you I was very happy that Lance and Louis had the opportunity to present themselves.
Great post which I will share!
- January 14, 2011 at 10:21 PM
- Reina I. Valenzuela said...
Great post Raul!
In my view this an smart move by FOX and a step in the right direction. We have long road ahead but to participate in the dialogue, we must be at the table.
We can speak out but are they really listening?
- January 14, 2011 at 10:42 PM
- Adrian Carrasquillo said...
A thoughtful post, Raul. What I hope people will come to see (and I know it will only happen in time) is that we have an editorial process that is our own. The same way I wouldn't saunter over to the FN Business team and tell them how to do their job, no one tells us what to do.
I hope that everyone will check the site regularly and see for themselves. Because after all, if anyone is just drawing wild conclusions without looking at our site and social media efforts -- then they're guilty of exactly the thing that they decry.
Lastly Raul, I see the issue you are passionate about. I urge you to follow my colleague @LlorenteLatino on Twitter. A trailblazing immigration reporter for 20+ years. Her coverage of the immigration issue is must-read stuff. Thanks again for taking time to write about us. I hope you will engage in the coming months.
- January 15, 2011 at 12:08 AM
- Reina I. Valenzuela said...
Adrian / Raul
The fact that Elizabeth Llorente is part of FNL team makes me feel very optimistic. I've known her and her work since the 90's covering Immigration and Ethnic topics for the Bergen Record. The CEUS community center (Union City, NJ) where I volunteer, honored her in 2008 for her investigation of abuses at the immigration detention center in Elizabeth, NJ and for her series "A Tale of Two Cultures" sharing the experience of Korean and Guatemalan immigrants in a small town of North Jersey.
She is very objective and thorough in her writings.
I can vouch for her, she is awesome!
- January 15, 2011 at 11:20 AM
- Raul Ramos y Sanchez said...
Reina, thanks for sharing the credentials of Elizabeth Llorente at FOX News Latino. I feel confident about her journalistic integrity. At the same time, it's important to realize FOX News Latino is a website and not a broadcast venue. As such, we can expect FOX News to give FNL more latitude than they typically give to their broadcast programs to "stay on message." Media industry watchdogs have reported FOX News issues a daily memo of the issues to be discussed that day. The FOX editorial commentators launch the issue. Then the news teams report on the issue as "a controversial topic" being discussed in the media. FOX News is a highly effective, if not insidious, propaganda machine. While I applaud the content exchange between FNL and Being Latino, we should also be aware that we are dealing with very astute media manipulators. Latinos risk being window dressing for FOX's claims to diversity unless our messages remain authentic and uncompromising.
Interestingly, I believe the Democrats may already be reacting to the GOP Latino initiative, as you'll see in my most recent post.
- January 15, 2011 at 1:01 PM


text: I couldn't be more pleased to introduce you to this sweet girl. Her name is Chantal, and she is the new face of Tippy Stockton Jewelry. We are in the process of photographing some beautiful jewelry for my Fall Line that will be launching on 9/1/12. I hope you'll come back and take a peek once we're done.


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Working on Wellness (WOW) Intervention (WOW)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01494207
Recruitment Status : Unknown
Verified February 2012 by Tracy Kolbe-Alexander, University of Cape Town.
Recruitment status was: Active, not recruiting
First Posted : December 16, 2011
Last Update Posted : February 27, 2012
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
The main aim of this study is to measure the effectiveness of a worksite health promotion programme on improving physical activity behaviour and associated biological risk factors for cardiovascular disease among South African employees at increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the investigators will conduct an economic evaluation to determine the associated cost- effectiveness of these health related interventions offered at South African companies.
The investigators hypothesize that employees who receive the intervention counseling will have increased levels of physical activity and reduced risk for cardiovascular disease compared to those in the control group.
|Condition or disease
|Physical Activity
|Behavioral: Wellness counseling
|Not Applicable
Show Detailed Description
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|800 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|Single (Participant)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Working on Wellness (WOW): A Worksite Health Promotion Intervention Programme
|Study Start Date :
|November 2009
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|May 2011
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|June 2012
Experimental: Lifestyle intervention
Participants will receive the intervention (counseling) or usual care (control group)
Behavioral: Wellness counseling
Each participant will receive up to six counseling sessions where the counselor will employ motivational interviewing techniques. The first and last session will be face-to-face with the remaining four sessions being telephonic.
Other Name: Motivational Interviewing counseling
- Effectiveness of a worksite intervention on physical activity behavior [ Time Frame: 12 months ]The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire will be used for self reported levels of physical activity. Weekly time spent in moderate and vigorous activity will be reported.
- Risk for cardiovascular disease [ Time Frame: 12 months ]The risk for cardiovascular disease will be based on blood pressure and cholesterol measurements, Body Mass Index, smoking status and dietary behavior
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|21 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
Employees identified to be at 'increased' or 'high' risk for CVD are eligible to take part in the research study. Risk status will be determined by using the (Euro) SCORE 12, together with their habitual physical activity levels, and Body Mass Index. SCORE incorporates age, total cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking status. This score ranks individuals according to their level of risk, ranging from very low to very high 10-year risk of fatal CVD (Appendix 1). Those with a risk of 5% or higher will be considered eligible.
Independent of the risk score, employees who are inactive (i.e., who do not comply with at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on at least 5 days per week), or who smoke, and employees who are overweight (i.e., Body Mass Index ≥ 25 kg/m2) also will be eligible to take part in the study. Other inclusion criteria include being older than 18 years and having a contract with employer until end of 12-month measurement period
Exclusion Criteria:
- Employees will be excluded for the following reasons: pregnancy, diagnosis or treatment of cancer, any other disorder that makes physical activity impossible. Contract workers whose employ with the company will end before the 12 month follow up measurement, will also be excluded from the study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01494207
|South Africa
|University of Cape Town
|Cape Town, South Africa, 7725
|Principal Investigator:
|Tracy L Kolbe-Alexander, PhD
|University of Cape Town
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|Tracy Kolbe-Alexander, Senior Lecturer, University of Cape Town
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01494207 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
REC Ref 044/2009
|First Posted:
|December 16, 2011 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|February 27, 2012
|Last Verified:
|February 2012
Keywords provided by Tracy Kolbe-Alexander, University of Cape Town:
motivational interviewing
physical activity


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MuscleNerd, a popular hacker and member of the evad3rs, has revealed that the upcoming iOS 6.1 jailbreak will support all 22 device variations and likely the atv2.
@MuscleNerd is every other device supported?
@unicornhacker yes, every other 6.1 device variation will be supported. All TWENTY-TWO of them (omg!). Plus atv2 if it's out in time.
Unfortunately, with the exploit that's being used, the Apple TV 3 will not be supported.
@MuscleNerd @evad3rs_jb So those of us with atv3 still have to wait for a bootrom
@arovik not necessarily. Although atv3 uses far fewer services that can be tampered with, it's not isolated. But it can't use this next JB
As announced by pod2g, the team is waiting for iOS 6.1 final to drop before releasing their jailbreak. Apple recently released iOS 6.1 'Beta 5'. Interestingly, this build is not really a beta but a publicly releasable build.


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Radiohead is back on the road in Europe and my visualization celebrating the band's A Moon Shaped Pool tour will be updated following each show with a unique HD performance. I recently enhanced the viz by adding the setlist for each show. My inspiration for this came from a couple of blog posts by … Continue reading Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool Tour
Category: Uncategorized
Minor League Baseball Team Affiliations
If you are a baseball fan like me you may like to keep up with your team's minor league system. Or, maybe you have some summer travel plans and would like to take in a minor league game along the way. I created a visualization in Tableau that maps every minor league team and all … Continue reading Minor League Baseball Team Affiliations
Buying a World Series
The Cubs ended a 108 year drought to win the 2016 Word Series. It was an accomplishment that ended a historic run of disappointment for fans on the North side. However, winning this year should not have been a huge surprise. Like most World Series champs over the past 25 seasons, the Cubs had a … Continue reading Buying a World Series
MLB Team Payroll Efficiency
Congratulations to the Cubs for winning in all! As the 2016 MLB season wraps, I have updated my visualization on team payrolls as related to wins and post season success (or lack thereof). This analysis and viz specifically looks at how well teams manage total payroll spend. In other words, how much bang (wins) does … Continue reading MLB Team Payroll Efficiency
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool Tour
I like Radiohead. I like Tableau. As the band recently finished the 2016 tour in support of A Moon Shaped Pool, I wanted to create a visualization to let users watch a unique performance from each of their 26 shows. The viz includes the first song from the tour (Burn The Witch from Amsterdam) to the last … Continue reading Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool Tour
Buying a World Series
As a follow-up to my last post, this simple visualization demonstrates the rarity of winning a World Series while spending less than the average team for that season. In fact, over the past 26 seasons, only five World Series champions have spent less than the league average. Noteworthy are the 2003 Marlins who spent 31% … Continue reading Buying a World Series
MLB Team Payroll Efficiency
In honor of the new MLB season getting underway, I wanted to look at historical team and general manager success with respect to payroll. Specifically, which general managers have done more with less over their careers? This visualization gives a tip of the cap to GMs such as Billy Beane and Andrew Friedman. Although neither … Continue reading MLB Team Payroll Efficiency


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Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The goal
The goal is somewhere between these two things.
Monday, February 22, 2010
X-Axis motor success!
We just completed the first successful test of the system and everything is working great. We will be painting on walls in no time.
X-Axis Stepper Motor Success. from tim williams on Vimeo.
X-Axis Stepper Motor Success. from tim williams on Vimeo.
We done broked it good!
While finishing up the wiring for the control box, we miss wired the on/off switch and then broke it in the act of fixing the wiring. Luckily radioshack carries a lovely collection of switches!
The next day our Transformer arrived in the mail and we were able to finish the wiring of the control box(with new on/off switch). We plan to try our first motor test this week. Hopefully a video showing a successful test run will be up in a couple days.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Constructing a case
Constructing the case is a microcosm of what 183 CANVAS is about. Rather than taking the obvious and known route of building a wood box to hold our electronics, we went the unknown route.
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Hobby CNC kit has arrived and we have finished assembling most of it. Taking extra time to be as careful as possible, because our wiring experience is quite limited.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
stepper motors and controllers have arrived... experimentation soon to ensue
Thursday, February 4, 2010
183 CANVAS is designers designing. No goals... just experimentation.
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122013/ Where Are All The Good Church People? /Evangelical Christianity in America is losing its power, what happened to Orange County's Crystal Cathedral shows why theamericanscholar.-THEY'VE BEEN RAPTURED digg/o'Reilly Takes on Bunny Ranch Brothel Owner for Receiving Tax Breaks Talking Points: The Dark Side of Being a Lottery Winner- Ask Me Anything: Krauthammer Spends an Hour With The Five-Hillary Clinton the 'Most Fascinating Person of 2013-PETA Reprimands Teen Hunter After She's Attacked by a Bear!-Neighbors' Letter: Christmas Lights Are 'Flagrant Display' of Religious Beliefs-Police Chief to Kanye West: 'Check Yourself, Before You Wreck Yourself Online Bidding Explodes for This Painting By George Zimmerman-Judge Nap: 'NSA Couldn't Even Prove Its Phone Surveillance Worked-Krauthammer on 'Kelly File': 'Let Congress Decide on NSA Data Collection fni/1,500-year-old Bible in which Jesus foretold the coming of Mohammed to Earth has attracted attention from the Vatican criticalbelievers/Leslie marshall made the "2013 list of the top 30 hottest Political Women/menorah symbolizes the oil that burns for 7 days when only 1 days supply was available at the temple upon its recapture-believes Keynesian lie, She actually thinks everything works. So why do central banks spend most of their efforts suppressing the gold price if its a barbaric relic of the past? That light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train. At least Bernanke knew he was perpetuating fraud. Yellen is clueless!-Jewish Supremacists Hoist Menorah, but Demand Christian Cross Comes Down-According to the Father of Propaganda, Edward Bernays, in his book by the same name, propaganda is good or bad depending on the "merit of the cause urged" and the "correctness of the information published." While the post in question may meet the criteria for "good" propaganda in the test of the "merit of the cause", fails to do so in the sense of "correctness of information. The claim that there are 4 sitting judges on the Supreme Court is false, as is the claim that Jews are elevated to the position of SCOTUS at a rate of 40 times more than non Jews. By spinning flagrant canards to give your cause merit, you actually damage your cause by forcing it to be seen in the light of dishonesty and bigotry as opposed to the underlying issue, separation of church and state" and the meting out of the principle in equitable doses. I am not Jewish nor am I a Christian Zionist. By invoking Christian Zionism into an argument that was void of it in the initial post, what you seem to be claiming is that the six sitting Roman Catholic judges are Christian Zionists, and thus are the same as Jews and should be counted as such. That of course, is pure folly. I don't take exception to the merit of your cause, but I do take exception to the fact that you can not sell that cause without resorting to untruths, which ultimately derails your cause to potential buyers yc/Obama has spent $1 billion tax dollars on Obamacare website to date and it's doesn't work and full of hackers and scammers. Is Obama fit to run anything? China on the moon now for less money yhal/Hartmann: The Super Rich Have Skipped Out on Paying $100 Billion Dollars in Estate Taxes Since 2000, most people won't be seeing a larger paycheck; as renewable energy becomes more popular, the oil and gas industry is getting scared/ Truthout: Despite overwhelming evidence that giving drug users access to clean syringes prevents HIV and hepatitis C transmission, Republicans have worked to keep federal funds from supporting syringe exchange programs. Now lawmakers have a chance to change that/patriarch of "Duck Dynasty," who revealed that he has a lot in common with Osama bin Laden-Francis Has Antonin "Opus Dei" Scalia's Undies in a Bunch BuzzFlash/Top Tech Executives: "Pardon Edward Snowden Daily Kos/In the War on Poverty, a Dogged Adversary nyt/GOP's New Filibuster Strategy: A Giant Temper Tantrum Salon/Fear of a Black Santa tpm/larry's duck dynasty debackle, on geraldo/
121913/Fox News didn't waste any time or ignore the obvious fit thatPhil Robertson of Duck Dynasty Signed To Fox News After A&E Suspends Him For Homophobic Remarks freewoodpost-fb/Unguided missiles mostly do no harm. However Israel doesn't look at it this way. They'll do their best to kill everyone they can, Saudi Arabia is more afraid of Iran than it hates the Jews of Israel, knows that they can expect mercy from the Jews of Israel and can expect no mercy from the Shiites-politics, a nasty, backstabbing business-Any attack on Iran will necessitate an attack on Hezbollah. Calculations are that one third of the missiles from Iran, Hezbollah, Gaza and Syria will get through and strike Israel-Allowing Iran to get a nuclear bomb is suicidal. It is better for Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza to be destroyed than for Israel to be destroyed-upi Israel ready war against Hezbollah-My Plan for an attack on Iran. Saudi Arabia allows Israel to use an airbase, Saudi Arabia and Israel attack Iran with airplanes, drones and missiles, Saudi Arabia pays Egypt to attack and destroy Hamas in Gaza, Israel attacks and destroys Lebanon's and Hezbollah's ability to make war, If Syria joins the war then Israel attacks and ends the Syrian civil war-iapb/ duck-dynasty star robertson digs hole deeper stinging-african americans fb/When anyone in US thinks of Israel first and the US second, they're not American, they're Israeli. The US does not need Israelis, we need Americans. It's like this, the Jews don't want Christians converting their people, do they? In that same light, the US doesn't need Jews supporting Israel ahead of the US. You get the idea or do you need more explanation for your numb brain?-Tell you what: we do not owe Uncle Sam any love. He owes us to cater to our needs, in fact. Dislike the arrangement? Perhaps some Muslim country will suit you better iapb/Don't be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers won't inherit the kingdom of God. Don't deceive yourself. It's not right," Robertson aibafs/
121813/Obummers only strategy to push his socialist agenda, Black Student Hate Fox News: Obama Racism Must Stop, protesting the use of terms like "baby mama", "lynching party", "Osama", "terrorist fist jab", and other racist terminology rightwingnews-why loser talking heads at MSNBC like Chris Matthews, Al Sharpton and the Left's favorite lesbian Rachael Maddow spends 75% of their airtime playing clips of Fox News Channel. It's the only way they can draw what little audience
121713/you're in luck. A new report from the European Food Safety Authority has affirmed the safety of aspartame, which is also OK'd by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. perspective, a 150 pound woman could drink 20 12-ounce cans of diet soda a day without exceeding the safety threshold, according to Dr. Bernadene Magnusun, Senior Scientist and Regulatory Consultant at Cantox Health Sciences International. The EFSA also concluded that aspartame is safe for use by pregnant women, and doesn't cause cancer-wingnutz can't cope with Santa being 'made-up, will ram their cars into people and buildings if they find out Jesus is also 'made, oh never mind-assaulted while working as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army because she greeted shoppers with the phrase "Happy Holidays The lady looked at me, said, Do you believe in God? You're supposed to say Merry Christmas, and that's when she hit me-RACHEL CORRIE CRUSHED TO DEATH BY AN ISRAELI BULLDOZER, HER KILLERS GO UNPUNISHED-Well, maybe we do NOT know *'s "interpretation of the facts, BUT WE DO KNOW WHAT HER PARENTS AND THE WORLD BELIEVED, point out there was an investigation by Israelis, Yes we ALSO KNOW ALL ABOUT THAT INVESTIGATION, And like Rachels. parents and the rest of the world, We know the result of the investigation was pre-determined, One would have thought, The Izzies were smart enough, To find guilty and punish them, To show the world that they DO have a system of laws, BUT THEY SHOWED THEIR TRUE SELVES-Maybe new Pope will come clean re: ww2 files, I'm starting to like the guy doesn't mind, ruffling feathers, The Swiss bankers came clean on their, blood stained money they were hiding, It's time pope, Open up the archives then get absolution-Rip-Offs Corporations and the Wealthy Don't Want You to Know About, no limit ability to draw profit while screwing over Americans, Tax avoiding, consumer exploiting big business leaders are largely responsible for these abuses. Congress just lets it happen, An economic system which, as Milton Friedman once believed, "distributes the fruits of economic progress among all people-cia benghazi allegations that the CIA ordered security personnel to "stand down" and not help the people inside the diplomatic mission, and perhaps was the source of accusations the administration failed to answer a call from the CIA security team, clash led stand down report bigstory rbh/As Obamacare Improves, Republicans Just Become More Enraged Krugman/NSA Officials Consider Edward Snowden Amnesty in Return for Documents Guardian/White House Delayed Enacting Rules Ahead of 2012 Election to Avoid Controversy wp/Dallas Bans Fracking in Most of the City Grist/Seven Ripoffs That Capitalists Would Like to Keep Out of the Media-Three Questions About the Motor City-Pope Francis vs. Rush Limbaugh: Swatting Away the Smack Down King BuzzFlash/Ryan Indicates GOP Willing to Hold Debt Limit Hostage Again tpm/Sheriffs Refuse to Enforce Laws on Gun Control nyt/walmart Wage Theft Settlement Yields Millions Salon/OBAMA CHRISTMAS DINNER WATERMELON-CANNOT EVEN MANAGE A WATER MELLON PATCH, HE'S BLACK-Stop your racism, it's easy enough to trash Obama on the merits. And if you can't, then shut up-Brainwashed sheep waiting for the J*ew controlled Federal Reserve to tell them what to do, Holding Pattern Till The Chosen Ones Speak-yc/Syrian Rebels Throw Civilians in Ovens, Both sides accused each other of slaughter as an opposition group said Syrian troops bombed Aleppo and the government said Islamic rebels executed civilians, more than 80 civilians in Adra were executed by Islamic rebels and other civilians were kidnapped for use as human shields,worst crime they committed was that they toasted people in ovens used to bake bread when those people came to buy it RT-aerial attacks by Syrian government forces in Aleppo killed at least 83 people, including at least 27 children and eight women, Sunday. At least 50 people were reported injured breitb-Atheists are among us, even in Oklahoma, Twenty per cent of America… up five per cent [from 15] in just the last five years, by far the biggest, most under represented minority in America." Pew reckons atheists have grown by 25 per cent in five years, Adults in the US are growing up and are starting to stop believing in ridiculous fairy tales scienceblogs-I hope this is hyperbole, it's more a matter of trading one set of nonsense beliefs for another-In the culture war for mankind's future, Is Putin One of Us? Pat Buchanan-iapb/maybe your mama can drive a bulldozer in Palestine, complements of the poor, overburdened America taxpayer-This tsunami of madness is only indirectly connected to the anti-Jewish passages in the core Islamic texts … Hostility to the Jews was connected to the abasement … Now, as 'rulers of the world,' they are deemed responsible for all misfortunes, and this leaves only one way out: to save the world by eradicating them. The extermination of Jewry throughout the world," declared aq Nazi directive from 1943, is "the precondition for an enduring peace wt-aibafs/Wet Lipped Psychopaths lewrockwell-Fred Reed on USG drone operators. -quoteable Then Bush II, for whom mediocrity would have been an achievement, like winning a marathon while hopping backward on one leg-EPA's highest paid worker pretended to be a CIA agent for 12 years, only to avoid working businessinsider. He pled guilty to defrauding the U.S. government out of nearly $900,000 since 2000. fb/42yr stone baby found in 82 yr old, on stephanie/coulter errs sez he was a jew, but jesus was the king of the jews, nyt wingnutz ponder snowden mess, on geraldo


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The leftovers from Christmas are serving us well. I made a terrific turkey matzo ball soup on Monday night (recipe courtesy of a neighbor); on Tuesday, scalloped potatoes and ham with the fabulous ham my dad sends us each Christmas; and tonight we had tamales, courtesy of Maggie. She got together with about five of her work friends in Austin and they made dozens and dozens of them. She brought two dozen home on ice and we polished them off tonight-Yum! We did manage to walk/run for awhile this afternoon, so that may have off-set the caloric count of...one matzo ball...
Maggie got a sewing machine for her birthday and wanted to learn a bit more about the basics of sewing, so we planned a quick project. Yesterday we got some fabric at Home Ec, the wonderful little yarn and fabric store that opened about a year ago. She chose some gorgeous Valori Wells fabric. (Valori was one of my earliest interviews for Quilts and More. She's an avid photographer who had a newish daughter at the time. I loved that she talked about working with her mother, Jean Wells, as a way of honoring all that her mother had done for her over the years. That mother-daughter connection seemed appropriate for our sewing project.)
Maggie added some brown cotton/linen pieces to frame the red print and stitched an envelope back. I made a few measuring errors, but we managed to salvage it so that it will still fit a standard pillow form.
I think I was probably more excited about it than she was. It was all I could do to not take the leftover fabric and stitch another pillow. Maggie kept teasing me about how much I think about making things.
I did finish making one thing last night—
the Sweetie Pie baby quilt in the 30s fabrics mentioned in the previous post. I'm happy with it—but kind of surprised that I felt that it had to be gender specific. Last year I gave a boy baby a quilt that had just a few fuchsia squares and I think it was too much for the traditional parents.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Stichin' time
It's been so long time since I took time to sew. Everything got so out-of-control busy that I never felt at liberty to just take that time for myself. But last night I cut and sewed for about 4 hours straight, and what a treat! I worked on a simple baby quilt: It's a pattern I made once before—Sweetie Pie by Darlene Zimmerman. I've had the pleasure of writing a brief profile of Darlene—turns out she's from southern Minnesota, not far from where my relatives live.
The first time I made it out of pinks and greens and made an error in laying it out. It looks fine, according to friends I've queried (and that's what good friends should say, after all). I got kind of wonky stars, rather than diamonds and it just bothers me—the hourglass blocks were supposed to be turned 90 degrees in every other row.
So I decided to make it again. I'm not wild about the fabric—some rather pale 30s reproductions. I've gotten so used to bright, saturated color fabrics that these seem a little anemic. But I bought them when I first started quilting and am trying to do a little stash reduction and I had all these fabrics on-hand. When I went to bed last night I was a little disappointed with the one block I'd laid out, but this a.m. I like it a little better. They're fun kid fabrics, with mice, Scotties, circus elephants, jump-roping children, and more.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmastime is here...
The cooking is finished, the guests are gone, the dishes are done, the turkey stock is in the fridge. Our eclectic guest list, which gave us some pause after we'd invited everyone, turned out just fine.
Pearl even had a visiting wire fox terrier, Ted, and they got along until I foolishly gave them each a treat as we sat down to dinner.
From beneath the table came the sound of snarling, barking, and general mayhem. We pulled them apart, sat down, and they went at it again. Pearl was confined to a bedroom for the rest of the meal, but afterward Pearl and Ted frolicked in the snow outside and all was well again.
As usual, I made enough food for the 42nd Airborne division. The good part about that is that no further cooking will be required until the spring thaw.
Pearl even had a visiting wire fox terrier, Ted, and they got along until I foolishly gave them each a treat as we sat down to dinner.
From beneath the table came the sound of snarling, barking, and general mayhem. We pulled them apart, sat down, and they went at it again. Pearl was confined to a bedroom for the rest of the meal, but afterward Pearl and Ted frolicked in the snow outside and all was well again.
As usual, I made enough food for the 42nd Airborne division. The good part about that is that no further cooking will be required until the spring thaw.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas Eve eve
Although I may be new at blogging, I do realize that ten days between posts is pushing it. I mean, I even had a Pearl the Squirrel follower request a new post (okay, okay, so it was my son-in-law).
But a joyous thing happened: I turned my grades in on Monday and breathed a huge sigh of relief. And though there is still much to do for Christmas, I gave myself permission to sew a bit on my new machine. But more about that later.Now, here are the hats I mentioned in the previous post. They're all made of yarn handspun and hand-dyed by Abi Hutchison, who sold it every Sat. a.m. at the Farmer's Market. I'll admit that the hats aren't necessarily things of beauty—they're definitely on the clunky side.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
All this, and breakfast in a diner...
A day spent in preparation for Christmas (after French toast and sausage at the Bluebird diner). Paul and I wrapped presents and got all the boxes in the mail—such a great feeling. We bought a small tree (skinny, because we couldn't find one small enough to sit on a table). It's narrow enough that we won't have to move the living room furniture around. We thought about putting a tree in the family room, where we'd see it more often, but decided that might not be wise given that Pearl the Squirrel spends the day in that room while we're at work. Who knows what havoc she'd wreak?
I went yesterday to one of my favorite holiday sales, the Eastside Artist's Market. Wonderful textiles, wood, paper, paintings, and more, all created by local artists. I was looking for a gift for my bookgroup buddies—we meet on Tuesday night and have a cookie and gift exchange. I wasn't able to find anything and was feeling bereft, when I remembered my summer hat-knitting obsession.
Nearly every week at the Farmer's Market this past summer I couldn't resist a beautiful skein of hand-dyed, hand-spun yarn. And many of those weeks I whipped out a hat. I had no plans for these toppers: they were simply an excuse to caress the gorgeous colors and fibers. At the end of the summer I had eight hats and this a.m. I realized they might be the perfect bookgroup presents. Here's a picture of Pearl with one of the skeins earlier this summer. I'll post a shot of the hats soon.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Starry, Starry Lunch
It seems that already I'm turning into a blog slacker. Yesterday was my last day of classes and once I get my students' final papers graded, I think I'll find more time for Pearl the Squirrel (and other important aspects of life).
Today I did find time for something important—making things. And even better, teaching other people to make things. Anne, a designer in my office, asked me last week if I had any ideas for making stars—she wanted to add them to a garland she has on her stairs. I had just made stars at Pam's, so I told her about the Moravian stars (these weren't in the previous post). We found some instructions online here and here and away she went. She learned so quickly that I thought we should team up and offer lunchtime instruction.
We cut paper strips from old proofs that we snagged from the recycling bin. We tried a variety of widths. The length of the strips should be about 20-24 times the width. (The little ones were half an inch wide and about 17 inches long.) The gold ones were made at Pam's from ribbon. The grey, iridescent one was made from a paper sample Anne had in her office. The tiny stars in front are Taiwanese stars, which Anne also found online, here and a video here (scroll down).
Our lunchtime crew consisted of 8 trainees—nearly everyone got it with relative ease. It really brought out the old Montessori teacher in me, showing them how to make the folds, but letting them do it themselves. It takes making a couple of the Moravian stars before you get the hang of it—there are several places you can go wrong. But once you get it, you can spend a lovely evening folding plenty: they're great for tree ornaments, package toppers, or for stringing together to make a garland. Twinkle, twinkle.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
We Each Stay Cozy in Our Own Way
I'm not the only one who isn't fond of winter. Pearl seems to much prefer being indoors during this very cold (barely 10 degrees on our morning walk) December. Getting her outside is not an easy task. She's learned that her little bed on the hearth is a warm spot, and if she can't curl up with me, this is where I often find her.
Last week I did do something winter-related that I truly enjoyed. My neighbor Pam held a gathering on Tuesday to which she invited about 15 women from the neighborhood and beyond to partake of a holiday crafts day. Pam used to have a business devoted primarily to quilting: quilts, kits, quilt-themed cards, jewelry, etc. She also did a number of paper crafts. Over the past few years she's sold her business to her daughter-in-law. But she's still in possession of lots of goodies and so she set up "craft stations" around the house so that her guests could take turns making six different projects. They ranged from two kinds of folded paper stars (one is in the picture above), a fabric-covered gift box (also in the photo), a luggage tag, gift tags, and the folded-paper tree above.
Each station included detailed instructions and materials appropriate for the project. She had a lot of the preliminary work done (squares of fabric and vinyl for the luggage tags were pre-cut; templates for the gift tags printed on heavy paper; fusible already applied to the fabric for the gift boxes, etc.). It was really the ultimate fun day: like the kid in the candy store, I had to try one of each. I'd spied the lovely little trees in this month's Martha Stewart Living and mentioned it to Pam. Rather than make each of us measure out the graduated circles, she devised a pattern for them that included folding lines. At the end of the day there was a forest of trees.
Everyone who attended brought something for lunch and we had everything from turky-matzo ball soup to red cabbage salad. The sun poured in the south windows at the back of the house as we sat and ate, chatted, and got to better know one another. Our neighborhood is wonderfully friendly and I know lots of folks to say hello to because I walk Pearl so often, but this provided a chance to find out about people's kids, jobs, etc. People who worked outside the home came for whatever part of the day they could (I took the entire day off) and I felt like I was in some kind of women-friendly version of "It's a Wonderful Life." One of my favorite days, ever.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The Iowa State Bird
I confess...I HATE WINTER! Anyone who knows me is not surprised by this statement, but somehow summer is enough to make me forget. This year winter seems so sudden and rather brutal. The wind by the river as I walked to class this afternoon was merciless. I try hard to continue walking to work in winter, reminding myself that even if I'm very cold I'm unlikely to die in the 20 minutes it takes me to get to my office.
The only good thing about winter, as far as I can tell, is that it provides the perfect excuse to stay inside. None of those "I should be outside enjoying the last beautiful day of fall" worries. The weather is horrendous—truly, people die in weather like this (except when walking to work)—and so permission is granted to huddle inside in your PJs and sew all day long.
And what could provide more sewing cheer than this goldfinch fabric (Alexander Henry-In the Kitchen) that I found at Craftorama in Austin? I didn't know how I'd use it and so I only bought a yard...those birds just call out to be fussy cut (or as my friend Wendy suggested, cut out and appliqued). Something cheery and spring-like to ponder, while ignoring the ice and snow outside my window.
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you all are blessed with fabulous food and spending time with friends and family! Today I have an easel retirement card for one of my Assistant Manager's at work. This is Sophie from Kraftin' Kimmie.
The papers are MME called "the sweetest thing". The solid cardstock is Bazill and
the glitter cardstock is Core'dinations Glitter Silk. The flowers are WOC.
I added a lot of bling with the brad on the ribbon being from CTMH.
The diamond gems on the corners and on her finger are from Recollections
The decorated inside of the card. The pocket holds several pull out cards so there is
plenty of room for all my co-workers to sign it! Below is the box envelope to match.
Copics I used:
That's all I have for you on this quick post today! Off to do some cooking!
Challenges Sophie will enter:
kraftinkimmiestamps.blogspot.com: it's a sketch
songbirdchallenges.blogspot.com: diamonds are a girl's best friend
glitternsparklechallengeblog.blogspot.com: lots of layers
stamptacularsundaychallenge.blogspot.com: recipe: mine is ribbon, gems, dies
crazychallenge.blogspot.com: decorate inside of card
craftycardmakers.blogspot.com: more than one punch and/or die cut
cupcakecraftchallenges.blogspot.com: paper pleating
incywincydesigns.blogspot.com: hip to be square
pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.com: any die will do
theprettylittleribbonshop.blogspot.com: die cuts/punches, ribbons, charms


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I had so much fun making the previous card that I embossed another Mehndi Medallion (or as my sis calls it "Mindy Medallion"!) with white embossing powder and used that same ink combo plus a little of the Perfect Pearls powder. Love that effect!
Hopefully you can see a little bit of the shine that the Perfect Pearls added. I kept the rest of this card simple - just used a bit of Basic Grey fibers that I've had for eons that happened to be just the right colors. Fun when something like that works out!
I'm sad to see this class end. I've learned some new tricks and stepped out of my comfort zone a bit. The class got me kick started & put the enjoyment back into making cards again! Thanks for looking!
Stamps: Mehndi Medallion, Think Big 3 (both PTI)
Cardstock: kraft & white (PTI)
Ink: Distress Ink (Ranger), Perfect Pearls, black Memento
Other: Basic Grey fibers, circle Nestabilities, Winter White embossing powder (SU)


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2. Watching my mom teach Claire how to set the table with the silver, china, and crystal.
3. Kids dancing around the room to Christmas music.
4. My mom and dad getting up to dance to Christmas music.
5. Spending time with family.
There are so many little things in every day to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!


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Anyway, after my very casual outfit yesterday, I wanted to step it up a little today. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of these jeans at all. I've come to the realization that these are the least flattering jeans I own, and I'm definitely donating them after this wear. Along with a huge pair from Target that I forgot I had.
|Jeans and Top: Old Navy; Blazer: Gap; Scarf: World Market; Shoes: C-Label via Piperlime
I've also identified a hole in my wardrobe from wearing denim every day - I could use a pair of well-fitting plain blue skinny jeans. The pair I have is OK, but I find myself often looking for skinny jeans when my one pair is in the dirty clothes hamper. Maybe eventually I should get a pair of nice bootcuts to replace these monstrosities, too.
My new shoes are cute, though! (If you ignore the blisters, which I will)


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WHEN Greg Hutchings left Hanson to take control of an obscure engineer called FH Tomkins in 1983, he had learned his lesson from the master. Tomkins swallowed obscure businesses such as Ferraris Piston Services, Hayters and Pegler Hattersley; as costs were slashed, its share price rose in anticipation of higher profits, allowing highly-rated paper to be issued for the next deal.
This virtuous circle made Mr Hutchings and the Tomkins shareholders rich. It propelled the company into the FTSE 100. How times change; the conglomerate has had its day, and Tomkins shareholders now feel rather poor, as they contemplate a share price at its worst since 1991. Perhaps Mr Hutchings does too, as he surveys the damage to the value of his 9.7m shares.
So far, so old economy. Mr Hutchings is still young enough to bounce back, and his shareholding gives him the incentive to do so, even after his handsome rewards (£1.46m last year) for turning up at the office. He has already bowed to pressure to appoint an outside chairman, and some tougher non-executive directors.
And yet. . . It seems that his days in charge of the business he built are numbered. The damage was done at last month's AGM, where he dissembled on two strange questions about an executive jet company and London flats owned by Tomkins. At the weekend it emerged that his wife had been on the Tomkins payroll, and on Monday his new chairman announced an investigation into his executive perks. It looked as though he had been treating the company as if he owned it. It is possible for a chief executive to survive such embarrassments, but not from Mr Hutchings' position so deep in the mire. Investors suspect Tomkins is worth more without him than with him and, fair or not, he is going to have to go.
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