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[This post was originally written in October 2017]
My recent fling with anxiety saw me leave my full time job. I'd entertained the idea of working for myself for a long time. It was a familiar day dream, one I spent a lot of thinking about (even telling people about!)...I'd make the leap one day..."When I get more clients" or "When I get a new laptop" or "Oh, I need the latest pens/technology/new notebook before I can do that" or "I just need to build my folio more". There was an endless list of excuses.
A quick visit to my doctor, suddenly saw me taking three months off work to rest and get myself back on track. I'm not a stranger to depression and anxiety, but this time it was a complete curve ball. I'd worked myself into such a stressful state, over a number of months (years?) that it had started to manifest in my body, in the form of severe digestive issues.
I'd realised that I'd fallen out of love with my job. It was no longer what I wanted to be doing, and I'd lost all passion for it. I'd become miserable and not myself. My unhappiness was a slow transition, I didn't realise just how low I had become.
While I loved the people I worked with, it was the job itself I wasn't enjoying. On paper, it sounded great. When I told people what I did, I'd often hear "Wow! That's so cool!". When everyone is telling you how awesome your job is, it's hard to understand how you really feel and easy to keep slogging it out. 'Cause it's an amazing job, right?
Many hours of sleep, days on the couch (thanks, Netflix!), endless pots of tea and a lot of soul-searching, I realised it was time to move on.
I am scared? Shitless. Wondering if I'll get work, be successful or when the next paycheck will come is terrifying. But I know I have to do it. For too long, I've suppressed what I need to be doing, and it didn't do me any good.
As scared as I am, I'm also excited to to jump in the deep end (they say fear and excitement is the same thing!). I know it won't be easy, and I'm sure i'll fail at times. But, I'm finally following my passion and it feels so good.


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Through tweaks to current practices, farms are in a good position to lower their carbon footprint and lock carbon into the soil and vegetation. This process is known as creating 'carbon sinks' or sometimes referred to as 'carbon sequestration'.
Through the Woodland Carbon Code, some farms participate in 'carbon offset' schemes through planting woodland and bringing an additional income stream into the business.
Practical Measures
- Take action to control soil erosion
- Protect peatland and moorland from damage by avoiding ploughing, drainage and over grazing
- Consider reduced tillage on suitable land and ploughing-in stubble and other crop residues
- Manage existing farm woodlands and consider new planting
- Create wildlife corridors along water margins, field margins and headlands
- Retain and conserve semi-natural grasslands
- Protect and where necessary restore wetlands including floodplain management
Undertake a carbon footprint
A carbon footprint identifies the quantity and source of GHG emissions (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) associated with an activity or a product through its life cycle and, when benchmarked, highlights areas where improvements can be made that will reduce emissions and save money.
At the farm level emissions arise from the use of fossil fuels, manufactured inputs, manure, as a natural by-product of animal digestion, cultivation of soils and changes in land use and vegetation. Beyond the farm gate agri-food chains also emit emissions through activities such as processing, packaging, waste management and haulage.
To undertake a free audit register via the AgRE Calc website. Carbon footprinting is also available as part of an Integrated Land Management Plan (ILMP).
Other carbon footprinting tools also available include:
Help and Advice
For further information and advice, take a look at our Practical Guides via the 'Downloads' link at the foot of this page.
Advice on conservation, biodiversity and farm woodlands is available through the FAS helpline www.fas.scot/advice-and-grants/ and may also be available from other conservation bodies
For advice on locking in carbon and protecting soils and to see what other farmers have done, see our range of Practical Guides and Farmer Case Studies. Farming and Water Scotland and the Soil & Nutrient Network also provide useful information.
Practical guides
- Greenhouse gas emissions (2.54 MB, PDF)
- Improving resource use efficiency on arable farms (571.79 KB, PDF)
- Benefits from carbon footprinting on the beef farm (469.57 KB, PDF)
- Benefits from carbon footprinting on the dairy farm (421.37 KB, PDF)
- Cover crops (632.04 KB, PDF)
- Farm woodlands and carbon (404.97 KB, PDF)
- Field drainage (464.4 KB, PDF)
- Farm Woodlands for Shelter (447.01 KB, PDF)

subset: commoncrawl


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Many say, "Being gay doesn't hurt me!" or "Gay marriage won't affect you or your marriage!" More lies. They've bought into this deception. Perhaps if the LGBQT movement was merely a fleshly movement, it would not be as dangerous. But even as I type those words, I know they are untrue. Because being united in a rebellious, anti-God agenda is never good, nor beneficial to those involved nor the society in which it takes place. There was once a time where men rose up, united in their fleshly unity, to build something they thought was great.
Want to invite me to speak or teach at your church, ministry, workshop, seminar, or conference? Click the button below to learn more!


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SACRAMENTO – It's too late for March Madness, but by next year's collegiate basketball tournament, sports fans busted for wagering on the games might not be treated like criminals.
At least that's what Republican Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries is betting on.
His measure to decriminalize office pools and other small-time gambling operations popular with March Madness brackets, fantasy football and Super Bowls won its first contest Wednesday by sailing through the Assembly's Government Operations Committee on a nearly unanimous vote.
The bill, AB1852, now heads to the Public Safety Committee.
Do sports fans really get thrown into the slammer for dropping a few bucks into a betting pool?
Rarely. But two of Jeffries' constituents in Riverside County – one a 73-year-old grandmother – got booked by authorities in 2006 for running a $50 football pool at the Wildomar Elks Lodge.
According to California law, people convicted of organizing or participating in a betting pool can be charged with a misdemeanor or felony, which could mean time behind bars, plus a $5,000 fine.


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Arsenal FC
Show Racism the Red Card rounded off this year's educational events at football clubs in England in fine style at Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium.
Why do people care about people looking different to them?
Question to panellists from Alec, Sacred Heart School
The afternoon saw around 80 young people come to the Highbury Suite to learn more about racism and how to combat it, but the event also marked the beginning of a new partnership between SRtRC and Cambridge Education @ Islington. Thanks to Cambridge Education @ Islington, SRtRC are now able to deliver a programme of anti-racist education in schools throughout the borough.
The event began with a short speech from Sara McLaughlin, Deputy Head of Service at CE @ Islington. She welcomed everyone to the event and announced this new development. When asked about the exciting partnership Sara said:
"Cambridge Education @ Islington is delighted to be working in partnership with Show Racism the Red Card to promote anti-racism in Islington's schools. Islington is an exciting borough, with over 70% of school children and young people from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. This work will help to bring young people together in a positive way to promote tolerance and understanding."
Sarah Soyei, the Regional Manager of SRtRC in the South and South East then gave further details of what the partnership will mean for schools in the borough and gave a short overview of the campaign's history, projects and resources for the audience. Sarah was also able to share with the audience some of the positive feedback the SRtRC Community Education programme has enjoyed in other areas of the country.
Following the presentation the event moved onto some educational activities for the young people from the two Islington primary schools, Sacred Heart RC Primary School and Hungerford School. The educational session was facilitated by SRtRC Honorary Patron, Leroy Rosenior. In a 20-minute session Leroy led the young people through two short activities derived from the Community Education work in schools. This served both as an excellent introduction to the themes of the day's event and also as a taster of the kinds of activities SRtRC run within schools.
Before the DVD was screened, SRtRC were pleased to introduce Christine Blower, National Union of Teachers' General Secretary, who spoke to the audience about the teaching union's support of the campaign. The NUT is one of the major sponsors of the SRtRC anti-racist school competition annually and this was an ideal occasion to tell young people from the area all about it. The exhibition of the 2009 entries was available for all to view throughout the event.
The SRtRC film was then screened and the audience were certainly engaged by it. As always, the young people had been told that there were some prizes for the panel's favourite questions in the Q&A session, which was to follow. SRtRC had provided some T-Shirts, signed by the panel, and Arsenal FC provided 3 pennants signed by the entire squad. Midway through the film there was a short pause while Leroy spoke to the audience about some of the things that they had seen so far. This addition to the programme at the events has helped us to clarify and expand upon areas of discussion within the film, while also underlining key messages.
An excellent panel had been assembled for the Q&A session. This included Sara McLaughlin; Leroy Rosenior; Christine Blower; Matt Ancell from Athena Sport at the Metropolitan Police; Cllr Ruth Polling, Executive Member for Leisure and Equalities at Islington Council; Paul Mortimer, former Charlton Athletic FC and Aston Villa FC player and new member of the SRtRC team; Paul Canoville, former Chelsea FC player and SRtRC Hall of Fame member, and Paul Davis, former Arsenal player, SRtRC Hall of Fame member and PFA representative. The vastly experienced panel handled the superb questions from the young people really well and imparted some excellent advice. SRtRC Campaign Worker, Jo Wallis had the very difficult job of choosing the best questions of the session. The lucky young people who won prizes were able to have their photos taken with the ex-pros on the panel. All of the young people who attended were able to takeaway with them a SRtRC goody bag and a copy of the new SRtRC / Arsenal FC poster.
SRtRC would like to thank Arsenal FC for hosting the event, particularly Ralph Hunt and Alex Henderson for their efforts in making sure the event was a success. We would also like to thank all of the panel and schools for attending and of course, big thanks to Cambridge Education @ Islington for ensuring that the SRtRC message will be spread further in the area by becoming our latest partner organisation.


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About the Community
Students in the Spectrum Living Learning Community will have the opportunity to excel academically by sharing knowledge and experiences, build a social skill set, and participate in engaging activities and events all while developing connections with peers and resources across campus. Spectrum welcomes all students with a connection to the Autism community. Students participating in Spectrum may be individuals with Autism or simply have an interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The Spectrum LLC allows students to surround themselves with others who are connected to or interested in the Autism community. Students will participate in both academic and social programming and interact with staff members who can direct them to academic supports and university resources as needed.
Eligibility Requirements
To be a participant in the Spectrum LLC, students must:
- Be enrolled or considered as a full-time student at Texas A&M University.
- Have an interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders, but are not required to be on the autism spectrum to live within the community.
- Uphold community standards (some of which may be different from other communities).
Program Components
Students will be required to enroll in a 1 credit hour course aimed at developing a student's personal skillsets and highlighting important campus information/resources.
What is Spectrum?
*Exemptions may be requested through the Department of Disability Services or the program administrator listed below.
During a specific period of time, students selected for this program will be able to choose a roommate(s) from other students selected for the same Living Learning Program. Students may post profiles within the myHousing Portal and view responses by other students to their roommate questionnaire (i.e., sleep schedule, noise, cleanliness, etc.). Following this specific time period, students will be assigned a room with their requested roommate within the block of rooms designated for the Living Learning Program.
Get Connected
Affiliated Faculty and Staff Contact Information
|Name & Title
|Joe Hartsoe
Access Coordinator
|Department of Disability Services


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A stem cell study should be appearing shortly at the Nature Medicine site that will probably hit most of the papers tomorrow; Reuters already has coverage. Is this a big breakthrough or more hype? The paper is informative in a variety of ways, but perhaps not in the ways that might seem obvious based on the results alone.
The study modeled Sandhoff disease in mice. In humans, this genetic disease results in early mental retardation and death during infancy due to the lack of a gene that helps nerve cells clear out sugars from their surface and environment. Mice lacking the gene become symptomatic at 90 days and die within a few weeks of the appearance of symptoms (normal mouse life span is two to three years).
The researchers then injected a number of different types of stem cells in newborn mutant mice (more on the types later) and showed that the mice lived an extra 30 days with the onset of symptoms pushed back two-and-a-half weeks. Neurons derived from stem cells were present widely in the brain, and behaved like normal neurons, showing electrical activity. Although it was clearly not a permanent cure, the results showed that stem cells could clearly improve the progression of this diseases.
The types of stem cells added another layer of interest to the data. Mouse neural stem cells worked well, but human stem cells seemed to work just as well, if not better. These human cells worked either when they were neural stem cells or embryonic stem cells directed down a neural path. None of these cells, including the human ones, set off an immune response in the host mouse. So, are stem cell therapies the real deal?
It's hard to tell from this report. The disease itself is caused by the lack of a protein that's normally shipped outside of the cells. Stem cells had a normal copy, and so could ship the protein outside in a way that might have been sufficient to compensate for its absence in neighboring cells. As such, it wasn't even clear if their ability to make this protein or nerve cells was more important; it's possible that any cell type that produced the protein would work.
How about the ethical mine field surrounding stem cells? The similar behavior of embryonic and neural stem cells in this test probably isn't that significant—I don't think there was much doubt that neural stem cells would work in repairing neural damage. Embryonic stem cells are generally viewed as needed for the repair of tissues that we don't have a supply of stem cells for. Neural stem cells come with their own problems. Current techniques for making neural stem cells involve isolating them from embryos after the brain has formed, which is more likely to be morally objectionable than dissociating a small mass of cells, which is how embryonic stem cells are created. So, the fact that nonembryonic stem cells work well in these experiments doesn't get us out of the ethical problems people have with these cells.
But that isn't the end of the trouble. The experiments created mice with a complement of human cells (called a chimera). A number of proposed legal restrictions on stem cells would specifically ban the creation of chimeras, and have presented them as horrifying human/animal hybrids.
This isn't to say that these results are a reason for pessimism. They are significant, but primarily because they show that stem cells can not only cross boundaries between individuals, but between entire species without setting off an immune response. This suggests that we may have a great deal of flexibility if and when we attempt to create a stem cell population intended for therapeutic uses.


text: It's dungeness crab season here on the west coast and things are good. I'm attempting to create "my ultimate crab cake recipe" and am having trouble keeping the cakes in one piece in the pan. Working with big dungeness crab the meat is so lumpy it just falls apart if you look at it too hard. I want to incorporate a binding agent to help, but I don't want to end up with crab burgers. A few items i've seen suggested is Mayo, egg white, egg yolk, etc. Any suggestions or best practices I should consider?


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6122 W Pierson Road Unit 1 Flushing MI 48433
Phone: 810.600.3399
Fax: 810.600.3398
6122 West Pierson Road
Unit 1
Flushing , MI 48433
ph: 810-600-3399
fax: 810-600-3398
Nervous about testing?
Cardiac testing is very simple and if done in time can prevent hospital visits or even fatal events. At your appointment you may be asked to do an Echocardiogram or a Stress test. These are the most commmon tests. Read below to find out more about both.
Echocardiogram- This is a basic ultrasound done with gel applied to the chest area. Reasons why the doctor could be ordering this to check on the structure of your heart. An echo can show the doctor the size and condition of your valves. More importantly it can show the strength of your heart muscle to see if it is squeezing hard enough to pump blood efficiently. It typically takes about a half hour and is painless.
Stress test- A stress test can be done a couple different ways. One way is without imaging and that is called a Non Nuclear stress test. This consists of you being hooked up to an EKG machine and walking on a tredmill. Here the doctors are looking for possible signs of a blockage in the arteries or arrhythmias.
insert ekg strip
A Nuclear stress test re
Copyright 2016 Advanced Cardiovascular Clinic.
All rights reserved.
Website managed by Advanced Cardiovascular Clinic
6122 West Pierson Road
Unit 1
Flushing , MI 48433
ph: 810-600-3399
fax: 810-600-3398


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We meet on Monday evenings • 5 p.m. -7 p.m.
In the Annex Building at 249 13th St.
"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like." – St. Augustine of Hippo
The "Christ Before Us" Ministry is a collaboration between Saint Patrick Cathedral and Catholic Charities of Fort Worth. The Cathedral is providing a great space and serving amenities (our Annex building) for the "SOS" (Street Outreach Services) program of Catholic Charities to meet with clients in need for immediate and long term resources. "SOS" works with those clients who are living in places not meant for human habitation: in tents, under bridges, cars, and on the streets. To volunteer in the Saint Patrick Cathedral "Christ Before Us" Ministry is choosing to welcome these needy on Monday nights for a few hours while they visit and/or wait their turn to consult with the SOS Team. Parishioners may also choose to participate in our last Sunday of the month barrel collection in the rear of the Cathedral, a donation of snack pack and hygiene kit items for our Monday night Outreach.


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A Bridal Brunch in Newport Beach: Roses and Rosé at Zinqué/
Roses and Rosé: A Bridal Brunch
It was a warm and sunny July day in Newport Beach and the perfect time to celebrate an upcoming family wedding with a bridal brunch. My sister, Dorie Swanson, hosted the brunch for her future daughter-in-law, lovely Caitlin, at Zinqué in Lido Marina Village. It was such a treat to catch up with this branch of my family and get acquainted with Caitlin's mom and sister for the first time.
The setting was picture perfect. The rustic table, embellished with nosegays of white roses tucked into vintage urns, laced with delicate greens, and crowned with intertwining wreaths of greens and tulips from above. The vibe was definitely roses and rosé with chilled bottles of Gerard Bertrand Côte des Roses Rosé adding a blush of color to the table. This was a labor of love and creativity as Dorie created the one of a kind tablescape and arrangements through her popular design business, Broadway Botanicals.
(Click gallery for slide show)
Zinqué was a delicious choice for this special brunch and I highly recommend it for a hip, French-inspired bite or sip by the water.
The Gerard Bertrand Côte des Roses Rosé that Dorie selected for the brunch comes in a beautifully embellished bottle, carved like a rose, and perfectly suited as a favor for guests to take as a reminder of our beautiful lunch celebrating the bride-to-be.
As you can imagine, we are looking forward to a beautiful wedding in the very near future!


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The Kruger National Park is set to launch a new tourism concept rooted in its history, during the course of 2019.
The Kruger Shalati Train On A Bridge will be a stationary train permanently positioned on the Selati bridge – a recreation of how the first visitors to KNP entered the park by train.
"Not many people realise that this is where tourism to Kruger started," says Judiet Barnes, General Manager for Kruger Shalati: Train On A Bridge, and Marketing Manager for Thebe Tourism Group. "In the early 1920s, the only way to visit Kruger was by rail; the train would stop in this exact spot, the guests welcomed by Lt Stevenson-Hamilton (the park's first warden) and storytelling with a prepared feast would amuse the guests before they would get back on the train where it would be stationed on the bridge for the night before departing the next day."
The train will have the feeling of an Afro-chic-styled boutique hotel. "From one's room on the train, you'll be able to look down to the Sabi River running underneath, a breathtaking view that may have you seeing the Big Five from a very different perspective, as they visit the river 30 or 40 metres below the train. This is likely to become a favourite experience for both international and local tourists," says Barnes.
The Selati platform, a few metres from the train, will serve as the reception to the hotel as well as offer unique dining spaces for both hotel guests and visitors to Skukuza.
And should visitors not stay over, they can still enjoy the experience from the new Kruger Station food concept with storytelling and a food theatre – which is expected to launch mid-2019.


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Don't let the cold weather keep you indoors! Winter is a great time to go outside to play and explore. And depending on what Old Man Winter gives us this year, we might spend our day looking for animal tracks, studying snowflakes, doing some neat cold weather science experiments, or even making snow cream (yum)!
Fri. Dec. 29, Ages 12-14 9:00-3:00 - bring your lunch and a snack- $35 member/ $45 non-member


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Keipsule Victorian Gothic skull crow silk dress! Japan's Hello Kitty Shinkansen: kawaii Sanrio bullet train.
Happy New Year! 2019 is feeling auspicious for me so far, with new opportunities and paths.
Looks like I'm already set for Chinese New Year as well, in this my all-red outfit. This Victorian Gothic silk dress is by Keipsule, a new designer with dark and luxurious aesthetics.
Since we're in a colorful mood, I'll also take you inside the extremely pink Hello Kitty Shinkansen, which I rode last fall! You read that right: Japan has a high-speed bullet train devoted to the kawaii cat.
I am living in Keipsule's dress, as it aligns perfectly with my current style direction. I'm forever fond of Gothic fashion — but these days, I've been prioritizing timeless, quality pieces by independent designers.
Keipsule's long-sleeved silk dress can be styled in a variety of ways, for different occasions. I wore it with two types of hats and winter accessories, as you can see in these photos.
Doesn't my red floppy hat remind you of Carmen Sandiego? It's from Tenth Street Hats, a family-run company that dates back to 1921. They sell modern millinery with a vintage feel, which fits with the Victorian accents of the dress.
The length of the dress let me show off my UK Tights legwear. These Giulia stockings have both sheer and opaque detailing for an over-the-knee look.
If you like what you see, here's where you can get this Keipsule "Crow Skulls" dress here. It's made in Europe, and comes in a variety of sizes. This is a special piece in a limited number run, made with luxurious pure silk that flows as you move.
I grew up watching the Carmen Sandiego show, and I suppose I became a bit like her: shadowy world traveler with a band of deviants, or something like that!
Love the fine ruffle detail at the hem and down the neck. It's romantic and feminine, without being over-the-top.
The blood red pattern features black and white roses with ivy, cherry blossoms, crows, and skulls. It's a nod to classic Goth and the occult, without the typical all-black palette.
Wearing silver earrings by Alex Streeter, of course.
My red wide brimmed hat is the Scala Sydney in Cinnamon, by Tenth Street Hats. The style is packable, and has a curving 4 inch brim – perfect for winter. My coat is faux fur.
My Keipsule dress feels lovely on, as it's made with high end silk that moves with you. It can be dressed up in a variety of ways for special occasions, and has an elegance that won't go out of style.
Close-up on the jeweled buttons at the sleeve ends, and down the neck. Love how the shirt collar has a subtle ruffled insert.
My silver Ouroboros critter and claw rings are by Alex Streeter Jewellery.
I'm all for investing in unique high-end pieces, and having them be a core part of your wardrobe. I'm excited to see what Keipsule produces next in their collection.
A few more shots of my Scala Sydney round crown felt hat. Tenth Street Hats carries a number of beautiful designs including fedoras, fisherman caps, big brimmed straw hats, and more for all seasons.
Here's a wardrobe remix with my 1990s-style red beret by Mary Wyatt London. The dark purple faux fur scarf is another old favorite, from Holt Renfrew.
Find out more about Keipsule here, and get this very same dress before the limited run sells out.
And now… all aboard the Hello Kitty bullet train! While I was in Hiroshima, I rode the high speed rails to Okayama (on the way to Naoshima). It happened that the Hello Kitty-themed shinkansen was barreling down these very tracks… which gave me the opportunity to take photos for you!
It's no secret that Hello Kitty is massive in Japan and worldwide. She has themed stores and cafes all over, and even an airplane and lounge.
Right now, there is a regularly scheduled shinkansen dedicated to Hello Kitty. The cat and her friends appear all over the train, and the bullet nose and doors of the train are bright pink.
Most of the train cars look like they normally do. However, the two last cars of the Hello Kitty train are a pink explosion of Sanrio characters. You can't reserve a seat inside this compartment, but there's a small sitting areas with themed decor all over.
The last car contains a Hello Kitty shop. Since the train passes through various cities and prefectures, the store carries specialties from these regions (like the famed baked bread of Hyogo, or my beloved yuzu liquor).
You can also get Hello Kitty limited edition goods, themed after the bullet train. Many show Kitty as a train conductor, ordering you to line up and watch your step!
How can you ride this fabulous train? Here's the Hello Kitty shinkansen timetable – as you can see, it runs often and stops in major areas including Shin-Osaka, Shimane, Tottori, Okayama, and Hiroshima
Psst: the Japan Rail Pass covers unlimited rides on this train. Once you have a J Rail Pass, go to a station and reserve seats in advance, lest they sell out.
If you get bored during the trip, there's a Special Theater that screens Sanrio cartoons and Japanese travel videos to keep you entertained.
"Ufufu" pretty much sums up my reaction to riding this kitschy, kawaii Japanese train!
The train is a new 500 series shinkansen. The nose is inspired by the beak of a bird, and cuts through the air to achieve top speeds.
Even the baggage area has a cute makeover… Be sure to take a photo with the giant Hello Kitty statue in the last train cars!
I'm quite sure this is the cutest and most ridiculous smoking room sign you'll ever see. Not sure how Hello Kitty and her friends can puff on cigarettes when they have no mouth…
I always recommend exploring Japan by train, as the shinkansen is a futuristic and comfortable ride that everyone should experience. A week-long unlimited Japan Rail Pass is great value, as you can hop on and off and see a number of cities.
Would you ride the JR West Hello Kitty bullet train? Or fly on the Sanrio plane?
A last look at my Keipsule silk dress – what do you think of this style?
New travel destinations to be announced soon, as well as site updates — thanks for your patience in the past while. Here's to a wonderful year!
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Our crazy Japan travel TV show filming! Duell um die Welt, host Steven Gatjen in Tokyo, Joko und Klaas, Department H.
Uhh you may have recently seen La Carmina on German TV, with a giant peen… Ach du lieber!
Finally, we can reveal details of the crazy Japanese travel TV show we shot in September. As you may know, Naomi Rubin and I run a Pirates production company. We do local producing or "fixing" for travel television shows, in Tokyo and worldwide.
The Pirates have teamed up before with Joko und Klaas, the prime-time challenge show airing on Pro Sieben Germany. This time, "Das Duell um die Welt" (Duel around the World) featured celebrity guests… so we took presenter Steven Gätjen on a wild ride through Tokyo's fetish underground!
It was fabulous to be on-camera again for Joko and Klaas' program. As you'll see, I delivered Steven Gätjen's challenge, forced him to dress up in a pink studded suit, and introduced him to his bizarre band-members.
Keep reading to see the behind-the-scenes story of how we turned Steven into Ralf Acapulco, the schlager-industrial superstar singer… culminating in a hilarious performance at Department H, the alternative / S&M / latex / anything-goes party that remain the wildest in Tokyo.
❤ Wanna watch? I can't post the full episode, but here are clips above and on Vimeo. ❤
Naomi and I love working with the Joko gegen Klaas team, as they're always keen to do something crazy for the TV show. The production process is a long one: we throw around ideas for the challenge, and then build a story and locations around it.
As fixers, the Pirates make the local arrangements in Japanese including securing permits and locations, casting extras, arranging costume and makeup, hiring a van driver, securing hotels, and any other logistics for a successful shoot.
(You may recall that we gave Klaas a bagelhead, and sewed Joko's lips together for this show! We also worked with Palina Rojinski on a ProSieben travel shoot in Hong Kong, and Olli Schulz in a Box in Tokyo.)
Steven's adventure began in a Zen-like fashion. He sat down to a matcha tea ceremony, in a traditional tatami room that we rented.
The four people in kimono are extras that we hired… from the Japanese "rent a family" company! (Yes, you can hire someone to pretend to be your relative or significant other.) We previously rented the same lady to play a fake mother in Olli's TV show.
Naomi Rubin is an amazing Japanese-English translator who makes the shoot possible by communicating the director's words to the cast. She is also a talented illustrator, and created the elegant watercolor above based on the tea house scene.
In this scene, Steven received a mysterious card with an address. This led him to the next location…
… A karaoke room, where wacky individuals were waiting for his arrival!
Steven Gätjen is lovely in person, with a gracious and positive attitude. We worked off a script, but had a good time ad-libbing during our scenes.
(My earrings are Alex Streeter, and dress House of Holland.)
Say hello to PicoPico. He makes astonishing full body costumes of monsters and strange creatures. We hired him to be on the show, wearing his original green Becos costume.
While we waited for our scene, Pico Pico and I did karaoke… why not, we were in Karaoke Kan Shibuya after all!
What's the deal with the blacklight space dolphins on the walls of the karaoke booth? Again… why not! (When you choose a song and it begins, the room lights up with a disco ball and neon lights.)
Pico Pico selected a Power Rangers tune to belt out. Love the spaceship background of the karaoke video.
Yours truly stuck to disco. We did a YMCA duet, of course with the appropriate hand motions!
(If the monster costume looks familiar, it's because he was also in the French travel TV show I did years back, with Antoine de Caunes for Canal Plus.)
And then, a giant penis arrived… Welcome, Mr Peen! He was so big that he could hardly fit through the doors, no joke.
This phallic character, known as Gachachin, often pops up at Department H and once appeared at Kanamara Matsuri, the Penis Festival in Japan. The old costume got a bit… rotten… so the creator whipped up a fresh and bigger one in just three days.
As you can see, it takes two men to deal with the massive Mr Peen! When Sasano is inside, he can shuffle around and go turgid or flaccid. Check out the vein-y detailing on the foam body, and the arm appendage.
PicoPico also got inside his suit (he can see out of the mesh mouth area).
Naomi arranged for us to shoot in at Karaoke Kan Shibuya, in the exact same glass booth featured in the Lost in Translation movie by Sofia Coppola.
Here's a screenshot from the scene we shot together. I introduced myself as Steven Gaetjen's challenge-meister for Tokyo.
I'm sitting in the same place as Scarlett Johansson in the film, but unlike her pink wig, my hair color is real. (My cape is by Pheren Couture)
I presented Steven with his Tokyo challenge. He had to sing live on stage, at a wild party with hundreds of people watching… with Picopico and Mr Peen as his band members!
Steven Gaetjen had to perform a song that mixed schlager (cheesy, upbeat German music) with industrial (Rammstein-esque headbanging). He had to dress the part, hence this pink-studded costume that I declared was "so fash."
To add insult to injury, I made Steven take part in a nonsensical interview with a Japanese news crew. Our friends Miki, Ken and Yugo did a fantastic job acting as the host and camera crew for this segment.
We hired makeup and hair artist Tomomi Tokuda to give Steven this edgy look. She nailed it, and was a pleasure to work with.
Travel TV shows always need a ton of B-roll footage, so we headed to Akihabara to do a montage of Steven and the monster. PicoPico couldn't be there for that scene… so someone else literally stepped into his big shoes!
Akiba, the otaku and anime "electric town," made the perfect setting for these funny scenes. Above, the monster insists on taking a selfie with Steven, who is not amused.
Strolling through Tokyo, dressed ridiculous and shooting a TV show… just a typical day in the life of La Carmina and the Pirates.
Finally, Steven arrived at the most insane party in Tokyo, if not the universe: Department H. (Keep scrolling for photos, and you'll see why.)
Organizer and mistress of ceremonies, Gogh, generously let us film here many times.
The Dept H party starts at midnight, and takes place the first Saturday of each month. However, the crew got here early to set up and rehearse the performance.
We put up a poster featuring Steven's flamboyant alter ego, Ralf Acapulco, who would be performing "Sushi of Love" live on stage.
"Itai, itai… painful!" Looks like Mr Peen is made to be a drummer. He even has a hole for his drum stick!
Time to rehearse, with the instruments that we rented. I can't stop laughing every time I see Mr Peen banging on the cymbals.
As you can see in the video clips, I took Steven to meet his keyboard players. These three are the Gokiburi crew… and they shocked him by sticking a long skewer through their cheeks, like a human shish kebab.
No Photoshop here. These regular-looking folk gleefully stuck a long metal needle through their jowls, connecting themselves together. Gotta love the creativity of Japanese body modifications.
Naomi shows them how to choreograph their headbanging and hand gestures during the live performance. (In this rehearsal photo, they aren't yet human-centipeded together.)
Looks like somebody is happy to see me. P size wa?!
Department H takes place at Uguisidani's Kinema Club. The regular club night has been raging since the 1990s, and is still going strong. The event includes a drag queen show…
… and weird, racy performances such as this monster wrestling match.
Hajime Kinoko, shibari artist, tied up a victim on stage with rope. The person's hair was then dipped in ink, and used to paint calligraphy on a scroll.
And then, "Ralf Acapulco" took the stage! The contrast between the bright schlager and scream-and-groan Industrial rock made for a hilarious performance.
(Watch some clips from the TV show below, as well as extras on my Instagram video.)
Danke everyone for watching me on Joko und Klaas: Duell um die Welt, Tokyo episode! Take a moment to see what we got up to in the video. I hope our surreal monster dance makes you laugh.
I'll leave you with mind-bending photos from Department H nightclub. The partygoers wear the most bizarre outfits you'll see on the galaxy. At Dept H, you can be whoever you want to be — whether it's a one-eyed dolly, or a green haired lady of the night.
You'll see a lot of anime kigurumi, or dollers, at Department H. Typically handmade, these are full-body suits that include giant masks with big eyes. The effect is a bit cute, a bit creepy… a real-life anime or manga character come to life in three dimensions.
(Click below to see more photos.)
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You voted us Best Yoga/Pilates Studio in Gloucestershire with 44% of the votes
Thank you! We are so happy and grateful that you kindly gave us 44% of the total number of votes cast naming us Best Pilates/Yoga Studio in Gloucestershire. Amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to voice your view. We absolutely love the happy and vibrant community that we have at our Studio. Leading the way in showing you how to get strong and flexible with excellent technique is what we've been about for more than 10 years, and just as important to us is making sure you have fun and feel part of our community while you do it. So basically, a big big thank you to you all for being so supportive of what we do.


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Everything your little one needs to prepare and serve a gourmet meal from Dreaming of Toys. Clean up is covered as the dishes can be washed and left to dry in the drying rack. 59 pieces
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Wireless Intellimouse Explorer (Cobalt Basin) - Retail
Stock Code: KB-029-MS
Manufacturer: Microsoft
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from "Nocturnes"
When pain comes
"a universe of broken people"
- Joyce Carol Oates
When pain comes like waves breaking on the shore of your heart,
your life is circumscribed by the roar of the breakers.
So much more living would be possible if only you could step apart
from the pain.
You search for someone with whom to share -
there are no takers.
It binds your thought with straps of steel that defy your heart's logic.
Frozen in time the memory of pleasant places is hidden by shadows,
Which, like shards of memory, shower your being with moments of magic.
You try to escape from this world -
hiding inside and staring out the windows.
Seeing all the other broken people.
- James Henderson, May 1993
From "Nocturnes", a collection of night thoughts in the poetic mode.


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Loni Coonrod
Evergreen High Seattle, WA Class of 1976
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10:16 a.m.
* Running time:
- For those who have participated before: best result of the last 4 years.
- All others: your own estimation.
Participants lining up in the wrong block at the start will be diqualified.
1:00 p.m. for all categories.
Solothurn highschool (Herrenweg / Fegetzallee).
Men and women: CHF 250.–, CHF 150.–, CHF 100.–
Prizes for the first three of each category. There will be a raffle for the remaining prizes in which all participants have a chance to win. The winners will be posted at the Cantonal High School.
All participants will receive a runner's present.
All participants having registered within the official deadlines will participate in a lottery with attractive prizes. NB: Winners are only eligible if present during the lottery drawing which will take place during the announcement of the race results.
A special award will be given to the 3 teams with the most members participating. Team membership will be registered on the day of the race.
Solothurn Tourist Office, Hauptgasse 69, CH-4500 Solothurn, Phone +41 32 626 46 46,
, www.solothurn-city.ch


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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Photos above taken by Arif Ansari.
Back from a three-day jaunt around Alberta and Saska-bush. The Thursday night Fuckfest at Wunderbar was just that, except with more smoke. Broken City on Friday saw our bellies full of Pogos and our minds blown by the Ketamines. Thanks to Ben and Seth for puttin' together the party.
Saturday night - our first show outside Alberta. Saskatoon to be exact. It was a sincere pleasure playing with the mighty Shooting Guns. The night was one to remember...or forget, depending on who you ask.
With that, we have apparently become the Wunderbar house band. Who cares - that place fucking rules. We're playing with some serious psych bands - please don't miss out.
April 8
w/ Dead Horse, Jay Crocker
April 23
w/ Shooting Guns
DJs to follow
April 29
w/ Fist City, The Group Sound
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Yoga for adults is held every Friday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. with instructor Jeanette Sealy. The class is appropriate for all levels of yoga experience. Please bring your own yoga mat. Registration is not required. Participants attend on a first come, first served basis up to a total of twenty people.
Location: Red Bank Public Library - 84 W. Front Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701.
Audience: Adults.


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Listing courtesy of DR Horton. Selling Office: .
Pacific Ridge Homes presents Beautiful Hazelwood C at Sweetbriar East! Two community parks in the neighborhood for everyone to enjoy. Craftsman Style 3bed+Loft w/great room, Spacious and open design perfect for entertaining. Gourmet kitchen includes; White cabinets w/ soft closing, under cabinet lighting, gas cooking & quartz counter. High Tech Smart Home- Skybell so you can see, hear and talk to anyone who comes to your door, Smart lock, Amazon Echo&Dot, Honeywell T6 Pro thermostat. Ask sales!


text: SUBMIT YOUR OWN EVENT/CLASS Find Events Event Views Navigation View As List Month Week Day Photo Date Search Narrow Your Results Collapse Filters Show Filters Reset Filters Event Category Cost (£) Venues Acorn Farm Bootle New Strand Cheeky Parties Church View Farm Shop Crazy Town Play Centre Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre Empire Theatre Litherland High School Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Liverpool Pier Head Liverpool Pier Head Netherton Activity Centre Plaza Community Theatre Purple Monster Play Centre St Lukes Church Hall The Cunard Building The Tate Liverpool The Write Blend Waterloo Childrens Centre Waterloo Rugby Club World Museum Liverppol Write Blend Coffe Shop YO! Sushi Liverpool one Organizers St Lukes Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Time All Day Morning Afternoon Evening Night Collapse Filters Show Filters Reset Filters Upcoming Events › Fitness Show only the first upcoming instance of recurring events No matching events listed under Fitness. Please try viewing the full calendar for a complete list of events. Events List Navigation Classes Events Fitness Events List Navigation SUBMIT YOUR OWN EVENT/CLASS


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Maria and I had a wonderful night out this evening with our good friend Felipe, and then we searched for a taxi home. It seemed that all the taxis we tried to flag down were full, so finally we did manage to find one using an app.
The taxi driver we encountered this evening is, officially, the happiest taxi driver in São Paulo.
Really, what an experience! Everaldo starts the ride by telling us he is officially the happiest taxi driver in São Paulo, proudly showing us a cutting from a local newspaper. What we don't yet realise is that is now evaluating our levels of happiness, and he will ask us a question, with one more at the end of our journey.
Along the way he tells us a little about his life (and he has had some hard knocks) as well as sharing a little of his philosophy. At the end, he scores us out of 3 (1 is the happiest and 3 the least happy), and then hands us a piece of paper. This piece of paper has 30 hints for how to be happy in life, but we can't show it to you. He says we are free to photocopy it and pass it on, but first we must be happy in ourselves, since how can we help others to be happy unless we are happy inside?
I guess I could photo the paper and show it to you, but it doesn't feel right. However, as you can see in this picture below, there is another story in a newspaper saying how Everaldo's life changed after appearing in the newspaper one year before.
So there you have it – I just wanted to share this rather marvelous taxi ride this evening with the happiest taxi driver in São Paulo.
Everaldo has even been on television, and for the Portuguese speakers, here he is.


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When I recently noticed earthquakes listed day after day for the Halmahera region (northeastern part of Indonesia) I got my typical 'how-come?' feeling. So I went looking for a reason, and I read that an earthquake swarm had begun in the Jailolo region on Sept. 27, 2017. Although it has diminished by now, there are still quakes coming. Continue Reading
Volcano Basics
Learning volcanoes – beginners
A maar is a hole in the ground, of volcanic origin… what else?… caused by interaction with water… That was about all I knew about maars when I prepared for this year's holiday, in the German Eifel maars area (Vulkaneifel, Rheinland-Pfalz district). I did not expect to find a great lot of evidence for former volcanic activity. Probably all covered by sediments or eroded, mined away or grown over – that's what I thought. Mind you, it was not the famous Laacher See caldera I visited which had produced a VEI 6 eruption some 13 000 years ago. Continue Reading
Magma is intruded somewhere deep down, it stays down there, it cools down there, never to be seen for the next couple of million years – why should anybody care about it? Well, as we'll see, in many places it DID come up. In fact, a good percentage of Earth's surface is made up of intrusive rocks. Continue Reading
That's how I felt at times reading interesting things about volcanoes but had to skip those -ic words. So, I am trying to give you a simple overview on rock types produced by volcanoes… I can already hear the experts groan: omg, "petrology" and "simple" are the two most antagonistic terms in the world! 😉 Nevertheless, I know all too well our typical skip-and-jump motion when it comes to different lavas, just let's try and achieve a broad understanding about what volcanoes bring up from the depth. Continue Reading


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Tuesday, Dec. 12, Why Do We Train?
I posted the video on our Facebook page but wanted to share it here as well. Some CrossFit guys talking about lifting odd objects.
I love this because it reminds us why we do CrossFit. We throw around the phrase "functional movements" a lot, but I am not sure everyone stops to think about what that means
Functional movements are natural human movements - squats, presses, lifting things off the ground. They are safe movements because they are natural to us and they allow us to move large loads long distances quickly. How else can you move 250 pounds off the ground? Better have a flat back, straight arms and drive through the heels.
But why do we train these movements? Because we want to be better at life. So next time I need to pick something up, put something on a shelf over my head or just get out of a chair, I can do it with ease or minimal effort. Our training should translate into everyday life. If not, we are doing something wrong.
Workout for Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011
Warmup 3 Rounds 10 Situps 10 Ring Rows 10 Box Dips 10 OHS
Strength/Skill Ring Dips 3 Sets max reps
WOD Death by Thrusters (65/45)


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Summer Safety for Pets
By Karen Thomas for Paradise Pets Magazine
We all enjoy the fun of summer activities - swimming, going to the beach, vacations and
holiday celebrations. But our very sensitive four-legged companions may feel a little
different. When the temperature rises we need to be extra vigilant of the well-being of
our babies in fur coats. Living in the Florida Keys the temperature and humidity soar
during the summer creating a very oppressive heat which can affect all of us.
Here are just a few safety tips for keeping our loved ones safe:
Car Safety
Every year hundreds of pets die from heat exhaustion from being left in parked cars. It
is never a good idea to leave your pet in a parked car with the windows cracked, ever.
Your vehicle can quickly reach a temperature that puts your pet at risk of serious illness
and even death, even on a day that doesn't seem hot to you. And cracking the windows
makes no difference. The data below was shared by the American Veterinary Medical
Association on how quickly temperatures rise.
"The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20º F in just 10 minutes. In 20
minutes, it can rise almost 30º F...and the longer you wait, the higher it goes. At 60
minutes, the temperature in your vehicle can be more than 40 degrees higher than the
outside temperature. Even on a 70-degree day, that's 110 degrees inside your vehicle!"
Safe Travel for Pets
Let's also not forget the severe dangers of driving with your dog in the bed of a pickup
truck. Not only are they exposed to airborne hazards and risk being burned on the hot
metal of the bed itself, but dogs could also fall or jump off the truck and be injured or
killed on impact. Using a tether in the truck bed is not a good idea either as the tether
could tangle, injure, or even choke your dog. If you must transport your dog in the bed
of a pickup truck, use a secured, appropriately sized and ventilated dog kennel.
The safest plan is to leave your pets at home when you can. They will be safe, grateful
and happily waiting for your return.
Exercise and Hydration
It's very important to modify your pet's excise during the summer months. Exercising for shorter periods in the cooler hours of the morning or evening are best once the
pavements and streets have cooled. Paw pads can burn easily on hot pavements,
decks, sand or asphalt. If you're unsure of the temperature test it by taking your shoes
off and standing on the surface for a few minutes. Often our pets are so eager to
please us that they won't complain when their paws are burning.
If your dog will be spending time outdoors, make sure they have access to plenty of
shade and fresh water. Wading pools (out of direct sunlight) and sprinkler hoses can
help with cooling and can be lots of fun for them too.
Remember too that older, short-muzzled, overweight dogs, dogs with chronic health
issues and puppies are more likely to overheat in hot weather. Animals with flat faces,
like Boxers, Bulldogs, Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since
they cannot pant as effectively. These pets should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms
as much as possible.
The same rules apply to beach outings -lots of shade and lots of water. I always take
plenty of extra water and a bucket in case it gets spilled or if there are other dogs in
need of it. Be mindful of the hot sand. If you can't walk on it barefoot you can be
sure it's uncomfortable for your pup.
Warning Signs of Overheating in Pets
If your pet is suffering from any of the above symptoms you should take immediate
action and move him to a cool area, preferably with air conditioning. At a minimum
move him to a shady spot. Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative wellness
veterinarian who writes for HealthyPets.Mercola.com. recommends taking his
temperature if possible.
"If it is 104 degrees or lower begin cooling your dog down by soaking his body with cool
water – cool, but not cold. Use a hose, wet towels or any other source of cool water that
is available. Concentrate the cooling water on his head, neck and in the areas
underneath the front and back legs. Carefully cool the tongue if possible, but don't let
water run into the throat as it could get into the lungs. Never put water in the mouth of a dog that can't swallow on his own. Put a fan on him if possible – it will speed up the
cooling process. After a few minutes, re-check his temperature. If it's at or below 104ºF,
stop the cooling process. Further cooling could lead to blood clotting or a too-low body
temperature. Get the dog to a veterinary clinic right away, even if he seems to be
Fireworks and Storms
Many people enjoy the booming sounds and flashing lights of fireworks, but they can be
terrifying and overwhelming for pets, and possibly hazardous. On the Fourth of July so many pets are frightened and try to escape the sights and sounds that animal shelters
around the nation report a dramatic increase in lost pets during the holiday.
Be mindful of the fact that our pets are very sensitive to loud noises, flashing lights and
strong smells. So on the Fourth of July (and the days around it when people are likely
to set off fireworks), it's best to leave your pets safely indoors, preferably with relaxing
music playing or TV turned on to hide jarring noises. I am a big fan of the
"Thundershirt" not only during thunderstorms but anytime there is loud noise or
vibration. The soft pressure on the animal's torso exerted from the shirt has a calming
effect. I usually spray my calming blend "Serenity" on the shirt as well. I love to diffuse
calming essential oils (like lavender) regularly in our 'healing room' where there are
crates set up to help create a peaceful safe space in the house. So during times of loud
noises or vibrations there is a 'safe place' in the house for our dogs to retreat to.
The summer months can be fun and full of wonderful activities. Just always remember
to pay extra attention to the special needs of our loving animal companions. They
deserve to have an awesome and stress free summer too!
Sources: American Veterinarian Medical Association: 1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100
Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360
Dr. Karen Becker, DVM, integrative wellness veterinarian. HealthyPets.Mercola.com.
About the author: Karen Thomas, R.N., is a Healing Touch for Animals (HTA) Practitioner in the Florida Keys. Karen can be contacted through her website www.pawsitivetouch.org or email her directly at karen [at] pawsitivetouch.org
Paradise Pets Magazine
Everything Pet.
August 2018


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Our Recipes
Greek Zucchini Spirals
PREP TIME 5 minutes TOTAL TIME 15-20 minutes SERVINGS 3 sides
A veggie twist on the classic Greek salad. Simply add your favorite protein and option to serve with pita. This dish will have you saying Opa!
- 1 (12-ounce) package Green Giant Veggie Spirals® Zucchini
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 chopped fresh garlic cloves
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 Cook the Green Giant Veggie Spirals® Zucchini according to the package directions, drain well and keep warm.
- 2 Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic, cook until fragrant and soft, 1-2 minutes.
- 3 Add the tomatoes and olives, cook until the tomato skins just begin to wrinkle, 4-5 minutes.
- 4 Add the well-drained zucchini spirals and toss all the ingredients together until combined. Place on a serving dish and top with the crumbled feta cheese. Serve hot.
When cooking Green Giant Veggie Spirals® Zucchini, always drain well. Use paper towels to pat dry and soak excess water. To save on cost, buy feta cheese in a block versus pre-crumbled. Keep the feta in the refrigerator until you are just ready to crumble.


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Concepting and delivering a live tech event in just nine weeks.
"The first West Coast-style show I've seen on the East Coast." - Tech Industry analyst at ThingEvent. Well, we'll take the compliment. Even though we can't remember the guy's name.
Our client, PTC, is a billion dollar+ Needham, Massachusetts CAD company that's diversified into offering a world-class IoT (Internet of Things) management and development platform.
They called us in mid-November of 2015 when they ran into a problem with a creative provider working on an event concept and materials for ThingEvent on January 28th. The creative provider couldn't do it. Which was the problem. A big one.
ThingEvent was critical because PTC was announcing a very big acquisition in the AR space, which was rapidly becoming IoT's big deal.
PTC needed a great idea to sell the event, dress the space and drive online regsitration for the show simulcast. This meant crafting and executing a very broad range of deliverables including videos, graphic design, print advertising, live event design, email and online marketing, prop construction, event ID package, and even music services.
We had four great clients and a savvy, picky, hands-on CMO (which we like). After bringing in our friends Marion Lange (EP) and Graham Cousens (PM), we got started.
The project was notable for many reasons. Collapsed time frames, accelerated approvals, flexible deliverables, incremental sub-projects, a small and agile team, etc. But the most interesting aspect was the creative development approach.
Once we had an approved concept, we were able to write headlines and copy collaboratively, with the clients, almost every day. The email copy cadence alone was a daily task. Then we had event-level "Tier 1"posters and other pieces that needed more time to craft. Those, too, were spitballed and written mostly in client sessions that brought all the knowledge we needed into one room. No back and forth. No approval delays.
We worked with Smith Design Office on executing our ideas in the videos, stop motion work, photography, propping and digital graphic elements. Comma provided music and tracks. And Sacks Exhibits out of Boston was excellent in planning, printing, rental, fabrication and install. Finally, we pulled off a tidy bit of 100% custom rigging to hang a beautiful 10' jet engine model above the attendees walking into the demonstration hall. That was cool. Especially because the whole thing was designed and built by an ex-JPL and MIT rocket scientist named Doug. No joke.
Overall, a solid proof of our creative partnership model.


text: Stoever and her Spring 2017 students are currently undertaking Phase IV of the project, which challenges students to make presentations to diverse groups of Binghamton residents—at the Jewish Community Center, at retirement homes, at the Boys and Girls Club, the local NAACP chapter, at TechWorks, and more—to coordinate a "sound collection" project that enables a diverse sampling of Binghamton residents to share sounds that we may include in the final mixdown of the soundwalk. We do not want to presume to speak—or listen—for year-round residents and we really want to engage them as co-creators of the BHSP rather than solely as consultants. We will then compile the contributions as a digital archive to be housed in Binghamton University's Special Collections and Open Repository, in addition to using them as source material for the sound installations that students will conceive and build in Spring 2018.


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Euro Comes Under Pressure; Dollar Retreats Against Yen
NEW YORK -- With currency trends still unclear, the dollar recouped much of its day-earlier loss against the euro but gave up ground against the yen.
However, Thursday's market action has reinforced the widely held view among foreign-exchange traders that the euro cannot sustain a rally.
"The euro has been so disappointing -- it had every...


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Cairns sepak takraw competition!
Australia's 2014 King's Cup Team!
The Australian Sepak Takraw Association has submitted its entry for the 29th King's Cup World Sepak Takraw Championship to be held in Bangkok, Thailand between the 4th and 10th of August, 2014. The Association will enter both the Men's Regu competition and the Men's Doubles competition.
The national team this year features two new players – Tou Moua Yang of Melbourne and Jesse Xiong of Brisbane who will join previous national team representatives Alex Newman and Daniel Ellen-Barwell – both from Darwin. The squad of four will be joined by ASTA Vice-President Jude Ellen. The President of ASTA, Heather D'Antoine is also hoping to join the squad in Thailand.
Players and position:
Alex Newman (feeder)
Daniel Ellen-Barwell (spiker)
Jesse Xiong (spiker)
Tou Mou Yang (server)
Festivals NT – a new era for sepak takraw
Although it appears the Arafura Games are now a thing of the past, sepak takraw in the territory has an exciting future!
The Australian Sepak Takraw Association welcomes the Northern Territory Government's announcement yesterday introducing an annual "Festivals NT" program. This heralds an integrated way to enable sports development in the context of community, cultural and business engagement, and most of all in partnership with our Asian neighbours.
In its own development over years since the last Arafura Games the Association has created a fresh start in working toward similar goals, planning innovative contemporary ways to establish sepak takraw in the Territory and linking with our international partners in the 32 sepak takraw playing countries. We have been building on the legacy of 20 years of Arafura Games sepak takraw events in Darwin, and strengthening official and playing relationships with the sepak takraw playing countries across Asia.
The Association welcomes an integrated festival program including sporting events, and looks forward to working with the Northern Territory government and our partners to make it happen.
You can read the Northern Territory Government's Media Release here: http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/mediaRelease/9504
Introducing… Takrawesome!
The Australian Sepak Takraw Association is proud to announce that its preferred supplier of sepak takraw equipment, including balls, shoes, and nets is Takrawesome!
Takrawesome is a new Australian owned and operated sepak takraw equipment shop and news blog. As the Australian Sepak Takraw Association's preferred supplier, a percentage of all Takrawesome's sales will be donated to the association to support sepak takraw in Australia. By buying equipment from Takrawesome you're also supporting Australian sepak takraw!
The association has for a long time wanted to create an online shop to simplify ordering equipment, but doing so is very time consuming and costly and other projects have taken priority. We believe that this agreement with Takrawesome is a great solution as it's now easier for you to place an order for yourself, your friends, or your school/club. Ultimately this makes the sport more accessible and more people can start playing!
So check out Takrawesome's online shop – www.takrawesome.com/shop and grab yourself a ball, a pair of Nanyangs or even a new keyring and support Australian takraw!
Melbourne Easter Sepak Takraw Competition
The Melbourne Easter Sepak Takraw competition was a great success! It was organised by the Hmong Melbourne Youth Society and supported by us, the Australian Sepak Takraw Association. There were 9 teams competing, with teams from Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Tasmania. There was a wide range of skill levels, but overall it was a very friendly competition where most players were just happy to meet and play with other sepak takraw players.
The Satuday consisted of group stages and a whopping 16 matches of takraw were played that day. On the Sunday the semi-finals, battle for third, and the grand final were held. In the end experience reigned and the older more experienced players defeated the more explosive and agile younger players.
The results were:
- Brisbane A
- Perth
- AKO (a local Melbourne team)
It was great to get a bunch of players from all over Australia together to meet and play, which is no easy task! We hope that next year the event continues and is bigger and better, and we'll do our best to make it happen.
We managed to get some photos and footage of the event. All of our photos are on facebook, but don't worry, you don't need an account to see them! Click here to see our photos
Below is a quick highlights video from day one of the competition. Enjoy!


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So it has been said by so many and for so long that governance in our country stinks and reeks of all sorts of ailments. However noone has really come up with a solution to this problem. It always comes down to either blaming the government and politicians or admitting in a very hermit like fashion that we the people are to be blamed as the power to choose our leaders lies in our hands.However fact remains that neither the politicians nor the people are going to change overnight so it all comes back to square one. People move on with their lives and the scene is left to what it always was. Some blinks of hope do come along like Times of India organising a nationwide talent hunt for "leaders" but then who knows what happened to the winners or the finalists.... How many of us even remember the name of the winner??When I shifted to Delhi a few years back for my college education, I noticed that the college students were intensely politically active. There were Left and Right ideologies being discussed in the usual corridors and recruitment to all ideologies was on a high. That was when I realised one thing : it is the politicians who make use of the youth power in the real sense.Even though the average age of our MPs must be above 50 years (or even 60 years....who knows!!) they actually work through the younger people, most of who begin ther political careers at their college levels. So the youth is not being wasted anyway.... it is being utilised very cleverly though by the time a youth actually learns the tricks of the trade and comes to the chair, his youth is already long gone.And that is when this concept struck me.... WHAT IS GOVERNANCE? It is nothing but managing the affairs of the country. Managing being the keyword there. When we have some of the best managers in the world, why waste them?? I mean we have the IIMS and a host of management schools that produce flocks of managers each year.... while many of them take jobs in companies here and abroad, there are even people who have a desire to do something good for the country.So why not recruit these managers to run our country? They are young, educated, sensible, intelligent and capable.... I mean who else can do a better job? When they can run multinational companies, why cannot they run respective segments of governance and thus manage the country as a whole??Why can't we have Management-Governance or M-Governance in our country? Any takers?
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Close to My Heart
Holocaust, 2015 (the Syrian refugee crisis)
Playing Unto God ... (dedicating our lives and talents to Him)
Hell-Bent on Ministry ... (how would we live, if there was no hell?)
The Greenhouse Effect ... (why we shelter our children)
A Request to my Friends... (please "walk in the light" with me)
The Milk Enough Project (about the farm and some of our goals)
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Category Archives: Humor
Goodbye, Fiff (a letter to the Ford Motor Company)
A friend recently suggested that we write to the good people at Ford Motor Company about our wonderful family vehicle. Since our van succumbed recently to a very serious ailment that will be costly to fix, and since we'll be … Continue reading
Posted in Daybook, Humor, PERSONAL, The Eigh of 'em 4 Comments
Bitty, in (not so) Brief
Here is the difference between Bitty (#3, 11 years old) and all of our other children. The other children, asking me a question: Bunchkin: Do you know where my book is? Bundle: Do you know where my book is? Shmooey: … Continue reading
A Mom's Resume
Today I applied for a temporary position at Amazon answering phones and helping with orders from home. It will be interesting to see if I get the job (ie. how desperately do they need help?!) If so, it will the … Continue reading
Posted in Daybook, Homemaking, Humor, Parenting, PERSONAL Tagged mom job description, mom's resume, parent job description, parent resume 6 Comments
The story of my parent's courtship … a mafia man, a cop, and 25 cases of government eggs
She was gorgeous, he was cocky. She was a cheerleader, he was a baseball player. She was the rich daughter of a mafia man, he was the middle class son of a cop. He told his friends the first day … Continue reading
Posted in Daybook, Family History, Humor, PERSONAL 3 Comments
The origin of a fear
Yesterday, I got out of the shower,wrapped a super-sized beach towel around myself and went to answer the back door (it's not as bad as it sounds, Jon and the kids had just gotten home.) When she walked in, Pookey … Continue reading
Posted in Daybook, Humor, PERSONAL 2 Comments
That one time I decided to get a really expensive haircut
If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I've done a lot of embarrassing things in my life. I've blogged about many of those embarrassing things over the … Continue reading
Small town livin'
We live in a very small town. Everybody knows everybody because everybody went to school with everybody and is cousins with everybody and works with everybody and everybody knows us because we live in Mr. ___'s old house and have … Continue reading
Posted in Daybook, Humor, PERSONAL Leave a comment


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Panoramic Tours, good or bad?
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What is a panoramic tour or image? It's a picture that scrolls around a room. Sometimes up and down as well. It's not a picture that scrolls left 4 feet or right 4 feet (those are just ploys to make you think a room is bigger then it probably is).
A good panoramic image isn't taken with a expensive mirror gimick. A decent fish-eye lens for a digital slr will cost $1000 and up, and should be the very least to build your panorama.
To get the best possible image for a good quality panorama you start with a camera that will at least allow you to shoot images in manual exposure mode. The camera is then mounted into nodal tripod head, this aligns the film (sensor) plain and lens nodal point directly over the point of rotation. Then depending on the focal length of your lens you rotate the camera 12 to 30 times to complete the rotation (after you have made sure your camera is perfectly level).
This works best in rooms with very little furniture, or be prepared to move all the stuff in the center of the room somewhere else. Oh, and be sure not to break that crystal vase while moving it.
After the image has been stitched together and color and exposure corrected it's now ready to be uploaded to the Virtual Tour site.
We have a nodal head, we have the SLR, wide angle lenses, tripods, levelers, etc.
So, are they good or are they bad. For the right property I love them. If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then remember that a good panorama started with 12 to 30 pictures.
So a panorama of the right room or property can be a fabulous marketing tool, but to have panoramas for the sake of having them, save your money and concentrate on good images.


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Scentsy is a wick-less scented candle. With over 80 different scents to choose from and beautiful, decorative warmers and gifts you will be sure to find something perfect for each of your attendants. Scentsy is great for those with children and pets as Scentsy warmers are NOT hot. Best of all Scentsy warmers are beautiful. Never have that black "ring around the candle" again!
Scentsy also offers antibacterial foams, travel fresheners, car air fresheners, room sprays, and mini night-light type warmers-great for the bathroom!
Have flower girls or ring bearers? Why not get them a Scentsy Buddy!? An adorable scented stuffed animal. So many to choose from and they are all oh so cuddly!


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Skrub Combo Pack with Holder - Meadow Green
Skrub Combo Pack with Holder - Meadow Green
+ Shipping & Handling
Clean Knives Safely & Confidently
• Protective Finger Pocket & Thumb Guide
• Comfortable, Non-Slip Textured Grip
• Cut Resistant, Flexible Frame Helps Prevent Injury when Hand-washing Kitchen Knives
• Snap-In, Non-Scratch Cleaning Pads are Replaceable
• All Parts are Dishwasher Safe
• Also Great for Food Processor Blades, Pizza Cutters, or Any Sharp Kitchen Cutlery
• Pack Includes: One Complete Skrub in Meadow Green + One Set of Meadow Green Replacement Pads + Skrub Holder
A Hub to hold you Skrub
• Made of durable stainless steel
• Superior suction dial provides a secure hold
• Stores your Skrub Knife Cleaner conveniently within reach
• Generously sized to house your Skrub Knife Cleaner plus a dish brush or kitchen sponge
• Stylish and functional for your sink storage needs
• Installed Dimensions: 4"T x 5 1/8"W x 3 3/8"D
• When properly installed, will hold up to 8lbs.
For best results, only fix to flat, smooth, non-porous surfaces such as smooth stainless steel, ceramic, porcelain or glass. Do not affix to uneven surfaces like grout lines or textured walls.
Download Skrub Holder Instructions (PDF File)


text: Plan your trip to Jordan with this Quick Guide. (Photo: iStock) YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE {{item.title}} Officially titled the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a sovereign Arab state in Western Asia. The Arabian country is home to a world wonder along with the saltiest sea that sits at the lowest point in the world.Weave your way through the architectural wonders of the rich history of the region while channeling your inner desert royal.And live like a Roman at the ampitheatre in Jordan.What are you waiting for? Plan your Jordanian visit now.SEE PICS: New 'monumental platform discovered at Petra UNESCO World Heritage SiteHere's what you need to know if you go:Visas: Visa on arrival (single entry valid for two months) Cost: About JOD (Jordanian Dinars) - which is about R766 @19.14/JOD.Population: About 9 901 055 +/- presentlyNational Carrier: Royal Jordanian AirlinesAirport Hub: Queen Alia International AirportUseful app to download: Royal Jordanian Airlines app to book and manage your flightsCapital City: AmmanFlight Route Access: Jordan has connecting flights between SA and Jordan.Flight time: About 15 hours at best for a connecting flight between SA and Jordan with one stop over.ALSO CHECK OUT THESE PICS: Enigmatic Dead Sea Scroll makes rare show in JerusalemCurrency: Jordanian Dinar (JOD) Current Exchange Rate: JOD 1 = R19.14. It is important to note that US dollars are also widely accepted.Medical and health: To avoid illness and dampening your trip experience, be sure to heed the warnings and get the appropriate routine vaccinations beforehand. All Travellers: Routine Vaccinations, which includes - measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot. Most Travellers: Hepatitis A, Typhoid. Some Travellers: Hepatitis B, Rabies, Yellow Fever. Religion: Islam is the dominant religion in Jordan and Muslims make up about 93% of the population. However, Christianity makes up about 6% of the remaining population with 1% spread across a string of other religions and non-religious citizens.Travel Adapter: Yes - Jordan uses a Type C, D, F, G and J power outlet while SA uses Type D, M and N. Country code: +962Time Zone: Jordan operates on Eastern European Summer Time (EEST) which is UTC+3 - Jordan is 1 hour ahead of SA.Emergencies: Dial 199 / 911 - for more emergency numbers: click here.Public Transport: Jordan has a network of busses, taxis, trains and planes which constitute the bulk of the country's public transport system. Useful App to download: Uber Amman for getting around.Climate: Jordan has a subtropical arid climate. The climate is characterised by long, hot and dry summers along with short and cool winters. The climate is influenced by Jordan's location between the subtropical aridity of the Arabian desert areas and the subtropical humidity of the eastern Mediterranean area.Best time to go: Taking into consideration of the climate and dry seasons, the best time to go is between March - May and September - November.Popular cuisine: Fatteh, Kebab, Kofta, Falafel, Hummus, Halloumi and Mujaddara etc.Language: Arabic is the official language spoken in Jordan. Other languages used include: English, Jordanian Arabic, Jordanian Sign Language, Chechen, Circassian, Armenian, Tagalog, French, German and Russian.READ: Jordan's spring desert bloom shows hints of human historyUseful phrases to know: Arabic is widely spoken in Jordan. Its written format can be tough to read as it's constructed on a series of select symbols, so we've written them out in transliteration form for you to these learn key and quick phrases hassle free. However, you may encounter some locals who speak in English, Jordanian Arabic, Jordanian Sign Language, Chechen, Circassian, Armenian, Tagalog, French, German or Russian. Learn a few key phrases in Arabic to make your stay more enjoyable.Useful app to download - Duolingo makes learning a new language easy and fun. Greeting - Marhaba (pronounced: murr-ha-baa - Hello), sabaaH alkhayr (pronounced: sub-aah ull-ghayr -Good morning), masaa' alkhayr (pronounced: mus-aa ull-ghayr - Good evening), tuSbiH äalaa khayr (pronounced: toos-bih aa-laa ghayr - Good night)Yes - Naäam (pronounced: nah-am)No - LaaPlease - min faDlik (pronounced: mean-fod-lick)Thank you - Shukran (pronounced: shook-run)You're welcome - Äafwan (pronounced: aahf-one)Excuse me - aIäafw (pronounced: a-eye-foo)How much is it? - addeesh ha'u What is your name? - ma ismak? (male) ma ismik? (female) (pronounced: maa is-mok / mick)My name is... - ismee (pronounced: is-me)Where are you from? - min ayna anta? (male) min ayna anti? (female)I'm from... - ana min... (pronounced: anna-mean)Where is the toilet? - ayn al-?ammam? (pronounced: ayn-al-hamaam)Do you speak English? - hal tatakallam al'iinjliziati? (pronounced: hull tutta-kull-am al-inglizeeyati?)Practical TipsWhen travelling to Jordan, make sure you have the following on your packing list:A valid passport, arrival ticket, return ticket, adequate funds;a camera;basic essentials;comfortable, lightweight, breathable and casual clothes;comfortable and strong shoes or boots if you decide to trek the rougher landscapes;a brimmed hat;sunscreen;insect repellent;formal / occasional wear (depending on your reason for travel);basic toiletries;hand sanitiser;prescription medication;diarrhoea and indigestion meds;sunglasses (and a spare pair);a medical first aid kit;a flashlight (for exploration);video camera and accessories;binoculars;vaccination certificates;insurance documents;your credit / debit cards;sandals or flipflops;a notebook, tablet or smartphone; Jordan maps - city / town maps and travel guides - in case your battery dies on you.OtherA backpack for any essentials needed on hand while on the go. Get a waterproof cover / pack for your phone or tablet - to keep them protected any potential water related risks.Get a Jordanian sim card quickly and easily at the airport when you arrive - it will save you a lot of data roaming charges!Always carry a lightweight and powerful powerbank to ensure you've always got juice on the move - snapping pics and navigating Google maps tend to chow up battery life rather fast. Make sure you have your charger and a universal adapter too while you're at it.As much as the urge to take as many pictures of the beautiful country as possible is strong, be sure to ask permission before you begin to snap pictures of houses or people. In some cases, you may be required to offer a tip for those pictures.Watch your money - Make sure that, when changing currency you do so in a reputable hotel, foreign exchange bureau or bank.Drinking water - The tap water is generally safe to drink, however bottled water or water from purified and trusted sources is always best. Read more on that here. Tipping is customary in Jordan. A tip of 5% - 10% of your total bill is acceptable for most services and will depend on the service acquired.Top attractions in JordanJordan RiverThis 251-kilometre-long river is the natural border of Jordan and Israel. It holds major significance in Judaism and Christianity - it is the proclaimed site where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land and where Jesus of Nazareth was baptised by John the Baptist. Many baptisms still take place in its waters - along with other water activities, like river rafting.A post shared by Visit Jordan (@visitjordan) on Apr 23, 2018 at 12:44am PDT PetraThis UNESCO World Heritage Site is also one of the seven wonders. Located just 240 km south of the capital Amman and 120 km north of the red sea town of Aqaba, Petra is undoubtedly Jordan's most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction - ringing in a slew of visitors the world over. There are lots to see in the 2 640 acres of the Archaeologic Park, like a range of historic ruins - the Monastery, Treasury and tombs - that you are free to explore with a few exceptions. Be sure to thank your uber camel!A post shared by Visit Jordan (@visitjordan) on Aug 4, 2018 at 7:58am PDT Roman AmphitheatreThis magnificently restored theatre is a remnant of the Roman Philadelphia. The theatre was probably built around the 2nd century AD during the reign of Antoninus Pius (AD 138–61). It was constructed on three tiers: the rulers, of course, got seats closest to the action and glory, the military secured the middle section, while the general public perched around and peered down squinting from the top rows. The amphitheatre is a highlight of Amman for many foreign visitors. The theatre itself is cut into the northern side of a hill - offering a seating capacity of 6 000. A post shared by Visit Jordan (@visitjordan) on Mar 23, 2018 at 1:02pm PDT Dead SeaGet salty at the Dead Sea in Jordan. In fact, the Dead Sea is hypersalinated - boasting a salinity level that is 10 times as salty as the ocean. No matter how hard you might try to sink - you'll merely keep bobbing about afloat. You're also advised to not stay longer than 15 minutes in the salty water. The Dead Sea in Jordan also sits at the lowest point in the world - a whole 430 m below sea level and its name is indicative of the lack of sea life in the area.A post shared by Visit Jordan (@visitjordan) on May 13, 2018 at 2:31am PDT Wadi Arabah DesertChannel your inner desert royal over in this stunning location. It's name literally translates into a 'desolate and dry area', which is apt if you consider the location of the Dead Sea basin. The basin forms part of the border between Israel to the west and Jordan to the east. The Arabah is 166 km in length from the Gulf of Aqaba to the southern shore of the Dead Sea. The region is also divided into three sections. From the Gulf of Aqaba headed north, the land gradually rises over a distance of 77 km, and reaches a height of 230 m above sea level, which represents the watershed divide between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea.A post shared by Visit Jordan (@visitjordan) on Apr 27, 2018 at 3:37am PDT Find Your Escape with our Traveller24 Weekly Newsletter – Subscribe here. Or download the News24 App here, to receive expertly curated travel wanderlust directly to your mobile. SPONSORED:Visa-free travel: DHA to release details on eased travel restrictions for China The details around eased visa-restrictions for certain types of travel to China for South Africans are yet to be released, following the announcement of high-level agreements with China ahead of the BRICS summit. share: Trending on Traveller24 {{item.title}}


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How to Play the Backgammon Game?
The object of a backgammon game is to remove all your pieces from the board before your opponent manages to do the same. There are several strategies both to prevent the opponent from reaching the stage known as 'bearing off' and to enable yourself to 'bear off' quickly and easily. The object of the game remains the same in all settings, online or off, including backgammon matches, backgammon tournaments, and friendly backgammon games played at home.
There are 15 checkers of each color (a checker is a backgammon piece). You should also have four dice, two cups, and a doubling cube. The color of the dice usually matches the color of the checkers. Each player selects a color.
To describe the points on the backgammon board, it is common to use a numbering system. Each of the points is represented by a number; the first point in your home board is point # 1, and the last point, counting in a clockwise direction, is # 24 in your opponent's home board.
Set up your checkers as follows;
Two checkers on point # 24
Five checkers on point # 13
Three checkers on point # 8
Five checkers on point # 6
Your opponent sets up his checkers in a mirror image of yours.
Starting a backgammon game is relatively easy, once you've set up the board.
In addition to the checkers on the board, each player has two dice. The two dice for each player are generally the same color as the checkers. Most professional or semi-professional players also have a dice cup in which to shake their dice.
To start a backgammon game, each player takes one of the dice, shakes it around in the dice cup, and rolls it out to the correct side of the backgammon board.
If both dice are the same, then the doubling cube is moved over to 2, and each player rolls a single die again. The doubling cube may be increased several times this way, but it is fairly uncommon.
When the two players have rolled different numbers, the player whose die shows the higher number gets to go first, using the two dice that appear on the board. The player does not re-roll in standard backgammon, although in some backgammon variants, the player with the higher die does re-roll with two dice of the same color.
Once the first player has completed the move, he removes his die from the board, signaling the opponent to remove his own, and signaling the end of his turn.
After the first turn, each player rolls two dice of the same color on the right side of the board. Since players sit across from each other, this gives each player his own half of the board.
Players take turn throughout the game, rolling the dice and moving their pieces.


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This recipe is reminiscent of Sunday morning breakfasts with our dad, Vince Mangini, who often prepared it when the whole family got together after Mass.
2 pounds mild or hot Italian sausage links
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups Chianti wine
1. In a large heavy skillet, heat olive oil and brown links on all sides.
2. When sausage is almost cooked through, pour off the oil. Pour wine into pan and let simmer, uncovered, until sausage is cooked. Sausage will become the color of the wine.
Enjoy the sausage hot or save some to put on a sandwich for later.


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Sunday is such a wonderful day. We go to church, I am with my family most of the day and we all take a wonderful Sunday nap! Well this last Sunday was very memorable. Vincent woke me up and asked me if I would like some ice cream. I told him "sure". A minute later he came back in to ask me..."Mom would you like Moose poo poo ice cream". WHAT?! Okay obviously this was something Anthony has put him up to. The ice cream Vincent was referring to was Moose tracks ice cream. Vincent was eating some for the first time with Anthony a few weeks ago and discovered one of the mini peanut butter cups. Anthony told him it was moose poo poo (my husband is a comedian). So if you ever come over for ice cream don't be shocked if Vincent asks you if you would like to have some moose poo poo ice cream.
Cara Membuat Ayam Goreng Kemangi
3 years ago


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Milton Scionwood Apple ScionwoodThis is a twig for grafting. Late Summer-Fall. (Yellow Transparent x McIntosh) New York Stn, Geneva, NY, 1923. Although mostly known as a cooking apple, we like Milton as a dessert fruit as well. The medium-sized roundish fruit has a thin tender rosy-red skin and slightly tart aromatic white moderately juicy flesh. Cooks up very quickly into a smooth yellow sauce with skins that almost completely dissolve. We also like it as a pie apple. Although the fruit gets saucy, the crust holds up well. Ripens in early September in central Maine, about a month before McIntosh. Not a keeper. Susceptible to scab. Blooms early to midseason. Zones 3-7.
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I just found an interesting article about finding a purposeful career in your 30s. Our 30s are an interesting moment in our careers. We now have knowledge, experience, and qualifications that can be leveraged beyond where we have worked, and we are still early enough into the work force that we can change directions and […]Continue readingMore Tag
Don't Follow Your Passion to Find Work You Love
This may sound counter-intuitive, but its an idea worth considering. Don't follow your passion to find work you love. Watch this TEDx Talk video for one speaker's idea of how to build a fulfilling career. I'm not saying he has the answer for everyone in every circumstance, but I love that there is an overtone […]Continue readingMore Tag
The Promotion Trap
In the past, I've blogged about becoming a career guru, and some of the cons of management positions. This video about the "promotion trap" shares some ideas about potential negatives of moving to management. The following provides some great food for thought as you advance in your career. Management may be the perfect path for […]Continue readingMore Tag
Tips for General Labor Job Seekers
Having worked with thousands of employees over the years, Elite Staffing Solutions has employed a large amount of General Laborers. One of the realities we have found is that the best general labor candidates do not always stand out on paper or even in the interview process. Make sure you stand out to your future […]Continue readingMore Tag
How to Land Your Dream Job
Many of us have heard the phrase "Work smarter not harder." The following video provides valuable tactics for landing your dream job. Even during times of low unemployment, the most desirable positions are still highly competitive. In many, if not most cases, the candidate with the best qualifications or most experience does not get the […]Continue readingMore Tag
Job Seeker Elevator Pitch | Elite Staffing Solutions Wichita
Those who interview the best interview the least. Of course it is because they are hired quickly. This feels a bit backwards if practice makes perfect. Here are some valuable steps for your job seeker elevator pitch, which will set of the tone of your entire interview. The most successful at interviewing are often not […]Continue readingMore Tag
Don't Get Discouraged On Your Job Hunt | Elite Staffing Solutions
At one point or another, we've all become discouraged when hunting for our next job. Most of us have taken jobs that are less than we deserve with our experience and qualifications. I came across this motivational montage of clips and soundbites from the web that will hopefully inspire you. It is hard to keep […]Continue readingMore Tag


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A weekly update of art world news.
Tate Acquires Martin Parr's Photobook Collection
Respected photographer and well-known photobook collector Martin Marr has given his entire photobook collection to Tate. The collection includes 12,000 photobooks collected by Parr over 25 years. Selected books will be included in exhibitions and displays at Tate's galleries, and the entire collection will be available to the public in Tate Britian's reading room.
Read the full story (British Journal of Photography)
Bruce High Quality Foundation to Close Its Free University
Seth Cameron, the former president of the Bruce High Quality Foundation University has announced the school is closing. The school opened eight years ago for students interested in "MFA-quality" classes without high tuition costs. Courses in drawing, painting, theory, and other subjects were taught by a variety of artists and were completely free.
Read the full story (The Brooklyn Rail)
Joan Colom Dies at 96
Joan Colom, a Spanish photographer best known for his photographs of marginalized people in his hometown of Barcelona, has died at the age of 96. Colom was a self-taught photographer who also worked as an accountant until 1986. In 1957 he joined the Photographic Association of Catalonia and cofounded the avant-garde artist group El Mussol in 1960. Colom photographed "from the hip," without aiming his camera, which resulted in a body of work of Barcelona's urban and marginalized residents. 500 of these photographs were featured in his first exhibition in 1961. Colom is considered one of Spain's leading photographers.
Read the full story (Artforum)


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Cancellation Policy
Out of respect for clients and practitioners we ask that you please provide a minimum 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule a massage therapy or facial appointment to avoid being charged.
This allows other clients the opportunity to book in your place while showing consideration for the therapist's time. Failure to provide 24 hours notice will be considered a missed session and the client will be billed in full.
Late Show Policy
When booking an appointment at Evolve we reserve that time slot and treatment room for you. Out of respect and courtesy to other clients we ask that you please arrive 5 minutes early before your scheduled appointment.
Please be advised that a late arrival time means that your treatment time will be reduced and full payment of your original scheduled appointment is required. Thank you for your understanding!


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In order to redeem your Gift Card please contact us on 0844 884 8682, making sure you have your Gift Card Code to hand, alternatively email us at firstname.lastname@example.com clearly stating your Gift Card Code, and some date options of when you might like to redeem it. Please ensure you include your phone number so we can call you to talk through things before your session. We will then assist you in setting up the service(s) you have been gifted..
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