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In light of the hurricane we just went through, we've been left without power. So here I am at my parents house that we "evacuated" 5 minutes to, sitting at my little workstation editing and blogging away. We have been so incredibly fortunate not to have not been affected by the storm as so many others have. I've seen photos of Wrightsville beach and Downtown with sections completely flooded. I was on instagram looking through stories and mu friend gabby posted this one for reference:
Something to keep in mind though is that this photo was posted before we actually got the worst part of the flooding.
Downtown got it bad too:
So what better time to post an engagement session that took place in both of these two locations than right after the storm! I just thought you might like to see what it all looked like before ☺


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7974 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA, 90046
Severin Hansen Jr "Bridgelamp".
HEIGHT: 62 in. (157 cm)WIDTH: 20 in. (51 cm)DIAMETER: 20 in. (51 cm)

subset: commoncrawl


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Council adopts revitalisation plan/
Plans to improve the long term development potential, liveability, connectivity and amenity in Karratha's most established suburbs continue to move forward with Council adopting the Karratha Revitalisation Strategy at the October Council Meeting last Monday night.
The strategy is a guide for the future development and improvement of Millars Well, Pegs Creek and Bulgarra, providing a long term plan for the three neighbourhoods.
Recommended changes and enhancements across these suburbs include change in zoning in some areas to facilitate the development of a range of housing types, streetscaping, an improved movement network and the amenity provisions of parks and open spaces.
City of Karratha Mayor Peter Long said planning would now get underway for the implementation of the strategy with community consultation to continue throughout.
"The Karratha Revitalisation Strategy looks back on how these neighbourhoods were developed and how things can be improved, without losing the qualities of those areas that people value," Cr Long said.
"We've had a lot of technical analysis and really good community input in developing the strategy which has helped to guide our planning so far and we will continue to consult as the project moves into implementation stages," he said.
"Our next steps are to look at possible staging and cost estimates of recommended streetscape enhancement works to decide which areas will be upgraded first."
More information on the Karratha Revitalisation Strategy can be found at www.karratha.wa.gov.au/KRS.


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Undoubtedly, Brittney Griner is the best center in women's college basketball. Some say she is the best overall women's basketball player – even when compared to WNBA payers, but I disagree with that assessment.
One reason I disagree is that Baylor suffered their only loss to Stanford because Baylor's point guard, Odyssey Sims, only played four minutes due to a hamstring injury. Brittney Griner played 39 minutes in that game but her presence could not secure the victory for Baylor.
I personally believe Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame is probably the best player in women's college basketball now – not only because of her individual statistics but also because of her overall value to her team and how she mentors her teammates.
Chiney Ogwumike of Stanford is another player I believe is a better overall player than Brittney Griner is. In addition, there is a small handful of players who are great in their own right, but none of them, including UCONN's Kalena Mosqueda-Lewis and Stephanie Dolson can match up to Brittney's overall play – both offensively and defensively.
Elena Delle Donne, a 6'5" center for the University of Delaware, who formerly accepted a scholarship with UCONN, is a great player who can do it all – but her recurring problems with Lyme disease prevent her from having consistently outstanding performances throughout the year. Lyme disease might also prevent her from having a successful career in the WNBA.
Ted Williams, the former Boston Red Sox great was said to have had extraordinary eyesight – he was rumored to have 20/10 vision and some said he could see the stitches on the baseball as it approached home plate and as a result, he could quickly determine the expected path of the ball and respond with his bat accordingly.
The bottom line is that with his incredible vision he was able to become one of the greatest hitters in baseball. It surely was not his fault that his vision worked to his advantage. I never heard or read of anyone saying that his eyesight gave him an unfair advantage as a hitter.
The same goes for Brittney Griner – she is 6'8" and that works to her advantage – but the bottom line is that Brittney has honed her skills to take advantage of her height. When she started at Baylor, she was tall but she was nowhere near the player she is today. Some criticize Griner for being so tall, but again, it is not her fault.
To prove this point, there are other young women in NCAA Division I basketball who are either 6'6" or 6'7" yet do not dominate their conferences or the teams they play against.
In addition to being tall, Brittney has an incredible wingspan – I believe from tip to tip, her arms span 88" left to right and her vertical reach is 9'2", and because of those stats, dunking should be, and is, a relatively easy task for her. As a matter of fact, when I see her dunk, I say to myself, "Big deal – anyone her height should be dunking twice a game – every single game."
Enough about the good stuff about Griner. When she was a freshman at Baylor, she was in a very physical game with Texas Tech. A much smaller player for Tech, Jordan Barncastle was doing her best to challenge every move Griner made.
I did not see the entire game – I only saw several clips surrounding the few seconds leading up to the altercation between the two athletes. From what I saw at the time, Barncastle pushed Griner away and Griner responded by punching Barncastle in the face. In my estimation, Barncastle's push was deserving of a foul – I am not sure it rose to the level of a flagrant foul. Griner's response was not a slap, it was a roundhouse and Griner did not appear to hold anything back – proven by the fact that Barncastle's nose was broken by the punch and she suffered significant bleeding. Griner's action was quite flagrant and the officials responded in kind by slapping Griner with a technical and ejecting her from the game.
Initially, I felt bad for Griner – thinking that the officials lost control of the game – that they could have stepped in a few minutes earlier and maybe could have slapped both players with technical fouls in a way to calm the situation before it escalated to the punch that was seen around the world.
In 2012, Baylor was playing Tennessee in an Elite Eight game and near the end of the game there was a scuffle on the court between a Baylor player and a Tennessee player. Griner was on the bench at the time, but when the altercation broke out, Griner and two other Baylor players jumped up from the bench and went onto the court. Griner said she went out there in an effort to settle things down. No matter her intention, she and her teammates should not have left the bench. As a result, she and her two teammates were ejected from the game. Proper rules were applied and technical fouls were assessed but nothing more than ejection happened to the three Baylor players who left the bench.
It was at that moment I came to the opinion that Griner had a problem with temper and a lack of respect for authority and rules of the game. Griner was a junior at the time and should have had enough common sense to leave everything to the officials and the respective coaching staffs.
For the past three years since Griner punched Barncastle, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey has repeatedly expressed praises for Griner. In April of 2012, Coach Mulkey was quoted as saying this about Griner, "This child is as precious as they come when it comes to being a good person, a sweet kid, a coachable?? [sic] one of the greatest players I've ever coached, probably the greatest, and the easiest to coach. I love going to work and seeing Brittney Griner's face. She just makes me happy."
Over the past month or so, Kim Mulkey has been quoted as saying things like, "She was aggressive" or "She became more aggressive." I wonder if Griner is taking that as a cue for her to increase her aggressiveness in an effort to insure that Baylor and Mulkey get another national championship – no matter the consequences – no matter who is injured.
Many viewers, including commentators, of the Monday night game between UCONN and Baylor that took place in Hartford have said that the turning point in the game was the first time Griner grabbed and threw Dolson to the ground. The officials charged Griner with a technical, Dolson got two free throws, and UCONN retained possession of the ball.
I sure was not in the Baylor locker room at halftime but my guess is that Coach Mulkey told Griner to get more aggressive with Dolson and Griner was more than ready to oblige her coach.
The real turning point in the game, in my estimation, was when Griner did it again – yes, she grabbed Dolson and spun her around and threw her to the ground again. Unfortunately, no technical was called this time and I believe the reason was that Griner, because of a potential second technical, would have been ejected from the game – and probably would have affected the game's outcome. The bad thing about the second "world wide wrestling type throw down" is that by not calling a foul on Griner, the refs were giving her a license to continue her aggressiveness.
If anyone looks at the second throw down they will see an official observing the "no-foul" and shaking her head left and right as to say, "Oh, no, not again." The ref knew if she acted on the play and called the second "T" that Griner would have had to leave the game.
Barncastle, who Griner punched in her freshman year, was a white athlete and I did not think anything of it until this past Monday night. Dolson is also a white athlete and I am beginning to wonder if Griner only takes out her frustrations on white athletes who challenge her. In previous meetings, Dolson did not present that much of a challenge to Griner, but Dolson has worked hard to get into shape and Dolson proved to be a formidable opponent this time. Geno mentioned that he thought about giving Dolson a break in the game and if so, he might have replaced her with Heather Buck, another white player. If he did that, would Buck have been thrown down a few times – possibly because she is a white athlete as well? One can only wonder.
Baylor is basically an all black basketball team – except for the one white player on the team who just happens to be coach Mulkey's daughter. The four Baylor recruits for next year are all black as well as the one commit for the following year. Could the lack of diversity on the Baylor's women's basketball team be part of the issue surrounding the punch to Barncastle and the Dolson throw downs?
Because Coach Mulkey has not said anything publically about the two throw downs, in my estimation she condones Griner's actions – actions that if they continue will result in serious injuries to an opponent or two down the road. Dolson is very fortunate that she did not suffer broken bones because of the two throw downs. In my estimation, Coach Mulkey is either directly or indirectly encouraging her team to play "street ball" or more crudely stated, "ghetto ball", where the rules are, "no blood, no foul."
I grew up in a very poor neighborhood in Springfield, MA and I played basketball in parks, school yards and a nearby Boy's Club and the presence of blood frequently decided whether a foul was called.
The official who witnessed the second throw down of Dolson by Griner was derelict because she chose to not call an obvious technical against Griner. The NCAA should suspend the official in question for a period to be determined. To be sure, if Dolson was the one who initiated the throw down of an opposing player, I would also be supportive of a technical foul being called – even if it meant an ejection. The game was of little importance and Griner should have been ejected after the second throw down. A potential loss for Baylor or UCONN would not have affected conference standings or tournament selections. The only possible effect that a Baylor loss might have had is with the overall seeding to the NCAA Tournament.
My educated guess is that the official did not want the outcome of the game determined by a second technical called on Griner that would have resulted in her being ejected from the game. In my estimation, the second knockdown, or throw down, depending on one's interpretation, was much worse than the first and by not calling a foul the ref was indirectly telling Griner that it was okay for her to commit a serious infraction without consequences.
Griner is tall enough and has arms that extend wide enough to allow her to shoot the ball from any reasonable distance from the basket with a high completion percentage. The reason she makes so many of her shots is that she battles defenders into backing up so her shots are easier. If she continues to force herself on defenders who position themselves directly behind her she should be penalized by the ref for a charge.
There is no need for Griner to physically force back defenders continuously so she can get as close as possible to the basket before taking the shot. I believe defenders should be able to hold their ground and she should not be able to forcibly keep hitting into them to force them into surrendering their position.
Defenders should be able to stand firmly in place behind her, holding their ground and if she does not like that, she needs to dribble around them and work for a better shot.
One solution to the constant force being applied by offensive players against defensive players simply trying to stand their ground is to draw another larger (and wider) half circle about 5 foot out from the existing smaller half circle. Refs could use that reference point to let offensive players know that if they continually hit and bump defenders in a way to force them into yielding their established position that a personal foul will be assessed against the offensive player and if the hitting and bumping is flagrant in nature, a technical foul will be assessed against the offensive player – regardless of height or wingspan.


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The smoker's cooled down, and bellies everywhere are full after the Fourth of July holiday. A plate of ribs, corn and salad later, I'm ready to get cracking on what may be the highest-grossing film of summer 2017 with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures partner for the latest reboot of Peter Parker's tale, this time picking up the story from his younger teenage years with actor Tom Holland as Spidey.
Holland's become a crowd-favorite without many fans even seeing him on the Silver Screen. I mean, even searching for "tom" with Google immediately produced "tom holland" as the top suggested search result.
The kid seems to have the Spider-Man wit down pat, but I'm more interested to see how Holland carries the entire film. And, yes, I said how HOLLAND carries the film. I'm already wary of Tony Stark/Iron Man's presence in the film, as he's been all over the marketing campaign. A good friend of mine said months ago, "You don't need Iron Man to sell a Spider-Man film. Spider-Man does that on his own."
But I digress. Let's take a look at the Spider-Man films to-date, with them from best to worst.
1) Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Coming off the explosive Spider-Man (2002), director Sam Raimi could hardly do any wrong in the eyes of fans and moviegoers alike. Listen, a Spider-Man film of that level was unthinkable before Tobey Maguire brought Peter Parker to life alongside Kirsten Dunst's portrayal of Mary Jane Watson.
With the sequel — which was undoubtedly going to be filmed after Spider-Man's $821.7 million box office boom — most fans expected more of the same, yet we were gifted with fluid writing, fun action and a villainous performance that ranks highest in the franchise by Alfred Molina as Doc Ock.
This film ranks as number one in my book simply because Raimi nailed the tone of Spider-man. There's a believable romance between Mary Jane and Peter Parker; the film has a vicious side thanks to Molina.
The action sequences were smooth, as well, with a memorable train scene.
It's the best, man, and will be tough to beat for years to come.
2) Spider-Man (2002)
"Who am I? You sure you wanna know?"
Spider-Man changed my childhood. As a kiddo, I read Spider-Man comics weekly, making sure to tune into the cartoon on Saturday mornings, as well. This was and still is my favorite superhero.
Inside of my father's car one elementary school morning, I heard on the radio that a Spidey film would be hitting theaters (and that Spider-man suits have been stolen). Second-grade me almost jumped out of the car in joy, only to have my seatbelt tightly fasten across my chest due to my quick movements.
This was the atmosphere Raimi's first Spider-Man film created. The film was revolutionary for live-action adaptations of heroes previously found in comic panels. Web-slinging across New York City never looked so cool, and believable, before 2002.
There was an innocence to Peter Parker that gave him an edge over even the cartoon iterations. Dunst made many, including me, fall in love with her M.J.
Man, I could go on and on, but Spider-Man gave me chills then, and remains a film that raised the bar in terms of movie magic.
3) The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker was anticipated by, uh, nobody. However, Garfield gave us what I believe is the most accurate high-school Peter Parker to-date. Maguire was good, but the snappy, youthful tone in Garfield's line delivery made him different from Maguire's less-than-funny approach. This was a huge reason why The Amazing Spider-Man succeeded … initially.
Sony Pictures nabbed director Marc Webb, which many moviegoers know from the outstanding 500 Days of Summer. For me, I expected a very real relationship between Garfield and Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy). Gwen had been teased in previous Spider-Man films, but was never given the limelight. Stone's performance, coupled with Garfield's real relationship at the time with the lovable actress, glued the film together. Webb knows how to get emotion out of his actors, eh?
However, there were issues, including the handling of Uncle Ben's death. Martin Sheen was a fresh take on Ben, not as old and brittle as the late Cliff Robertson's portrayal. But the entire death sequence was mishandled, giving less of an impact than what many anticipated.
Rhys Ifans' performance as The Lizard/Dr. Curt Connors was good and felt villainous, but once The Lizard arrives, there was a generic feel in the air.
Still, I believe this is a fun film and doesn't warrant the hate many fans have slung. Did I mention how cool the suit looked on-screen?
4) The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Oh, brother. I've heard almost every critique for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Some of the complaints I can understand, especially when it comes to how rushed the second-half of the film felt. Webb tried fitting too much into one film and shoehorned The Rhino in at the end. We didn't even get to see them brawl! And we never will due to the obvious cancellation of Webb's Spider-Man series.
Almost everything in the film was rushed, from Jamie Foxx's "Electro" to Dane DeHaan's "Green Goblin." Oscorp's trying to take over the city, while crazed-scientist Max Dillon (Foxx) is electrocuting himself, becoming Electro. However, his presence felt short-lived and while that final fight was fun to watch, it felt like the character quickly went to waste. It's that never-ending superhero formula, I guess.
I enjoyed this film more than most, but I'll be damned if the potential wasn't there for a better Spidey film. I understand Sony felt they had a goldmine reboot with Garfield and Webb, but the news of them planning sequels and a Sinister Six film before TASM2's release put far too much pressure on this sequel to fit in as much as they could (did they learn nothing from Spider-Man 3?).
If anything, this film continued to show how studio involvement is maybe not the best idea (*cough* SPIDER-MAN 3 *cough*).
5) Spider-Man 3 (2007)
This is far and away the worst Spider-Man film to-date and within the Raimi trilogy, honestly. Coming off the high of its first two films, the trilogy couldn't fail, right?
Whose idea was it to include Toby Maguire snapping his fingers, shooting finger guns at ladies down the streets of New York City? This scene is one of those that makes your skin crawl in embarrassment. But hey, there's the rest of the film, right?
The positives in this film are scarce. Seeing Spider-Man's Symbiote Costume on-screen was an awe-inspiring moment for many kids, but I'm 14 years old at the time and even I saw through that crappy build-up. I felt slighted by Raimi — a director I love — until I realized, again, Sony stuck both hands in the pot and tried stirring their own mixture.
Raimi spoke to Collider in 2015, saying:
"It's a movie that just didn't work very well. I tried to make it work, but I didn't really believe in all the characters, so that couldn't be hidden from people who loved Spider-Man. If the director doesn't love something, it's wrong of them to make it when so many other people love it. I think [raising the stakes after Spider-Man 2] was the thinking going into it, and I think that's what doomed us. I should've just stuck with the characters and the relationships and progressed them to the next step and not tried to top the bar."
The article went on to report that Sony demanded Venom (Topher Grace … ugh) due to popularity among fans, which detracted from Raimi's development of the characters he loved and wanted to continue developing. Also, Raimi would've preferred to use The Vulture, who was rumored to be John Malkovich, as Parker's main antagonist. That didn't happen, either, and thus we get the dumpster fire that is Spider-Man 3.


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There are so many times as a first time mom, where I just sit there thinking "what the hell is happening right now?" Whether it is during a toddler meltdown, while wiping poop off of random places, or having to coerce my toddler into doing things that she just doesn't want to do. The one thing that sticks out in my mind of WTF moments, is brushing my toddler's teeth.
For over a year, I have been sitting on my child while she screams her head off, every single night. I am obviously not hurting her, so please, no judgement. I am just so adamant on making sure her teeth don't end up as bad as my husband's and mine were as children/young adults. She acts like I am murdering someone, when really, I just want to get all of the gummy's, chocolate milk, and Cookie Crisp pieces out of her teeth.
I thought this was a problem that only we had but apparently, TONS of moms have had this same issue or are going through it right now. Every time I ask on a mommy page for advice, I get the same tips and tricks that have worked for their children but definitely did not work for mine. I really thought I tried everything out there from letting her pick out new toothbrushes, to Elmo tooth brushing videos, to bribes. 10 toothbrushes later, I went on Amazon and found that Sonicare had kids toothbrushes. My husband and I LOVE our Sonicare toothbrushes and if I was going to have to hold my child down every night and endure a huge battle, I sure as hell wanted to make sure I was using the best toothbrush out there. Goodbye Paw Patrol tooth brush, thanks for nothing.
My two year old was intrigued as soon as I opened the package and showed her the new Sonicare toothbrush. She was so thrilled that it was "just like mommy and daddy's" (which she kept telling me over and over), and that she got to pick out her own skin for it, and even add extra stickers. It comes with a free app that lets you adopt a little monster, and then you make sure the monster is keeping its teeth clean by brushing your own teeth. It connects to your phone through bluetooth and actually shows you which teeth you are brushing and has an image of little plaque monsters that you brush away. You can feed it junk food, which creates plaque for you to brush away. She loves that part and let me brush her teeth 3 TIMES right then and there. The girl who wouldn't let me brush her teeth for over a year and a half, was now begging me to brush them.
Moms, if you feel like you have tried everything else, this is totally worth a shot. I had given up hope and wasn't even expecting her to like this product, let alone love it. We are two weeks in and she still gets excited to brush her teeth. No more battles. No more saying WTF. One less thing to stress over and I couldn't be happier.


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Although this site was previously mined by the Acadia Coal Company, the sandstone cliff communities are still intact and of statewide significance. The preserve was a gift to the state from the Acadia Coal Company in 1994.
Among the many ferns growing on these cliffs is the state threatened Bradley's Spleenwort. Currently, this is Ohio's only protected site for this species.
Located approximately 3 miles southwest of Cutler in Washington County on County Rd 3. The preserve is located on both sides of County Rd 3 and extends into Athens County. No visitor facilities are present and the preserve is unmarked.
The preserve is owned and managed by the ODNR Division of Wildlife as a public hunting area.


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I'm Kayley, 30 year old mum to 2. Harry is almost 3 years old and Megan is 8 months old. I share our weaning journey and recipes on my blog, Friendly First Foods, as a way of capturing memories and hopefully helping other parents along the way. I'm all about sharing the REAL side of parenting. The meals I show are made for my children, usually while one is running around the kitchen singing the Go Jetters theme tune with no pants on and the other is impatiently throwing her toys on the floor getting cross because she wants her dinner NOW! I feed my family on a tight budget but still manage to keep their meals healthy. Megan is 8 months old and has been feeding herself from the start. She eats what we eat which makes life a lot easier. I've learned a few tricks along the way that make cooking for my children as quick, stress free and simple as possible. Here's my top tips:
Take Shortcuts
I take lots of shortcuts in the kitchen. Frozen veg is a real time and money saver. Garlic paste saves messing about with cleaning the garlic crusher. Frozen mashed potato can be cooked in the microwave in less than 5 minutes. Scrambled egg is also much faster and easier to make in the microwave. Simple shortcuts like this make life so much easier! You don't get a medal for making everything from scratch and these options are usually just as healthy! Utilise your microwave and freezer, they can save you a lot of time and effort, and leading on from this…
Feed Your Freezer
Batch cooking not only saves time but also money. It's usually a lot cheaper to buy meat in larger quantities and in the same amount of time it would take to make one meal you can make two or three! Our favourite meals to batch cook are; spaghetti bolognese, chilli, chicken curry, pulled pork and veggie pasta sauce. These keep in the freezer and defrost really well for a healthy ready meal when you just don't have the energy to cook.
Hide Vegetables in Everything!
I'm quite lucky, both of my children love vegetables and eat them without much fuss. (I have no idea how that happened, it is honestly nothing I did. I just got lucky!) For little veg dodgers though or even just to add even more healthy goodness to meals I'm a big fan of hiding vegetables in everything! Grated carrot, courgette and onions in a bolognese, cauliflower in a curry, whatever you have available just thrown in a food processor with passata to make pasta sauce, avocado in chocolate pudding, broccoli added to homemade potato smileys..
Ok I took it a bit far with the last two but they aren't that tricky to make and the smileys freeze really well so if you have the time definitely give them a try!
I hear so many parents panicking about how much baby is eating or whether they are feeding them the right foods. When baby is hungry, they'll let you know. If you are worried about what baby is eating the chances are you are 100% aware of what you are giving them and are making healthy choices. If baby refuses to eat anything other than toast and yoghurt don't worry.
They all get there in their own time. When my foodies refused a food I just took it away, no pressure or discussion at all. I kept offering the rejected foods regularly alongside their favourites and eventually they tried them. (It took about a year for Harry to try peppers!) They'll all get there in their own time and before you know it the days of messy food covered babies will be over. Enjoy it while it lasts. (And maybe get some pictures to embarrass them with when they're older!
A few miscellaneous quick fire weaning tips that I think are important to share:
- Cereal sticks to high chairs, tables and floors like cement. Seriously, you could build a house with Weetabix! Wipe that stuff off the second it comes into contact with your furniture or you'll be trying to chisel it off for the rest of forever!
- Babies don't need teeth to be able to demolish a plate of food.
- Hiding in the bathroom to eat something you don't want to share is perfectly reasonable parenting behaviour.
- A baby can turn a kitchen into a giant snow globe using only couscous and a lot of determination.
- What goes in must come out.. Sometimes looking scarily the same as it did when it went in. Also watch out for banana nappies. Brown strings are completely normal in baby's nappy after eating banana but terrifying if you aren't expecting to see them and think they're worms!
- Baby meal tax is a thing. We soon realised when Harry started weaning that we would forever be having to hand over 20% of our food to him, whether he had his own plate with exactly the same on or not! And leading on from this…
- Stolen food tastes better. Even for babies.
- Tomato soup can rival any fake tan. It gives a 'healthy orange glow' that can last for days!
Here are two really simple recipes that can be ready really quickly with minimal washing up!
Creamy Green Pasta
Ready in the time it takes for the pasta to boil this is perfect for those busy days when you need something super quick and easy.
To feed 2 hungry children.
- Enough pasta for 2 children
- A large handful of spinach
- 1/2 a ripe avocado
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
- A twist of black pepper
- Boil the pasta until cooked.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce.
- Put the spinach in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
- Add the avocado, cream cheese and black pepper to the food processor and mix until smooth.
- Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Stir through the sauce and serve.
- Enjoy!
Cheesy bean wraps
Great for little foodies who find it easier to pick up larger chunks of food. These are a fun twist on traditional beans on toast.
Per wrap:
- 1 tortilla wrap
- 2 tbsp baked beans (low salt option if possible)
- Handful of grated cheddar
- Lay the wrap on a baking tray.
- Warm the beans in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Spoon the beans down the centre of the wrap, leaving space around all edges.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the beans.
- Fold the wrap so the beans are completely covered and can't escape.
- Turn the wrap over so the folded side is facing down and cook under the grill for 1-2 minutes, until crisp and golden.
- Flip the wrap so the folded side is up and return under the grill for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Cut in half, allow to cool (it will be very hot) and enjoy!


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Creativity – A Home Stager's Best Friend
What exactly is "creativity"?
"Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others". Human Motivations, 3rd ed., by Robert E. Franken
Anyone can plonk furniture into a room, throw up some artwork and call it "staged". However, what sets a good Home Stager from a great Home Stager?Creativity! Creativity is not something that can be learned; it's an innate quality.
The whole idea of staging a home is to communicate to the homebuyer, through visuals, how this is the home for them. How do you grab a buyer's attention when they've already looked at numerous properties that day? How do you stand out amongst all the other homes with granite counters, stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors?
The answer is simple, really – through creativity. Through creating a corner, a vignette, a niche, a desktop with something that transcends their senses, or that takes them back in time, or lets them dream of a new, ideal life for them and their family. It could be one item, a grouping, a particular accent colour, or something special and unexpected and yet familiar, all at the same time.
Creativity solves problems. Would these living room chairs look better and fit better in the Den? Why don't we hang this beautiful piece of art that is hidden in the spare bedroom, over the fireplace in the living room, where it creates maximum impact? Let's rearrange these accessories to better showcase the shelves in the office.
At the end of the day, we are in the business of getting homes for sale, sold! Having creativity in our toolbox is paramount to getting the job done. Either you've got it or you don't.
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John Nieuwenburg 5 years ago
Awesome Sally!


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|Social Circle is a city in Walton County, extending into Newton County, in the U.S. state of Georgia, approximately 45 miles east of Atlanta, and approximately four miles due north of access from Interstate 20. The origin of the city's name is unknown, but may be in relation to the city being halfway between Atlanta and Athens, at the junction of two major Indian roads. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29km2), of which 11.2 square miles (29km2) are land and 0.04-square-mile (0.10km2) (0.27%) is water. It was founded in 1820. The Great Walton Railroad, and the CSX line, extends through the city's downtown. As a result the city is bi-sected by a railway through cut, causing the southside of the downtown area to be accessed from roadway by bridge. The city's railyard contains one of the relatively few remaining concrete coaling station towers in the southeastern United States. The Social Circle depot is in use by the CSX Transportation Corporation.
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Copyright 2019 Georgia MLS. All rights reserved. Information deemed reliable but is not guaranteed. The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity Program of Georgia MLS. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than BridgeWell Realty Inc are marked with the Broker Reciprocity logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing broker. Information provided is for consumer\'s personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. BridgeWell Realty Inc does not display the entire MLS database on this website. The listings of some real estate brokerage firms have been excluded. This site will be monitored for \'scraping\' and any use of search facilities of data on the site other than by a consumer looking to purchase real estate, is prohibited. Listing broker has attempted to offer accurate data, but buyers are advised to confirm all items. Information last updated on 2019-08-18.


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In the Lincoln Journal Star!
No matter how I much get my news online, it's always cool to see my name, photograph or story in the newspaper:) Some photographs I took have been published in the Miriam University online newsroom, and most recently, the Lincoln Journal Star. Everyone I talked to last Saturday said to me, "Did you know your mom's photo is in the newspaper?!" and I said, "Yep! I took it!" Yep, excited!


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The Perth White Pointers are one of Perth's newest water polo teams. The team's primary goal is to promote LGBTIQ+ inclusion in water polo and sport in Western Australia.
The group started back in January 2017 and have been going from strength to strength, currently boasting over 50 members. From a group with next to no experience, the team are now doing many training sessions a week and getting better all the time.
The Perth White Pointers are proud to be a part of the Phantoms Water Polo club, who have helped the team develop, providing support with coaches, pool time and equipment.
INTERESTED IN PLAYING (including bootcamp)? LEARN MORE >
The Committee
President – B Entrekin
Vice President – C Cashen
Secretary – D Wells
Treasurer and Phantoms Representative – P Steel
Sponsorship, Fundraising and Grants – L Van Hemert and P Steel
Public Relations/Social Media/Events – T James
General Duties– K McGuinness
Membership – L Van Hemert and T Hogan
Competitions – T Hogan and B Entrekin
Merchandise/IT Coordinator – N Barrett
Our Sponsors
Silver Sponsor – WA Senator Louise Pratt
Louise has been a long term ally of the LGBTI+ Community and working tirelessly as a marriage equality advocate.
Your support of the PWP's is appreciated by all Louise!
Silver Sponsor – Lisa Baker, MLA
Lisa is the Member for Maylands and has become a Silver Level Sponsor of the Club. She is also a huge supporter of the LGBTI+ community.
We are grateful for your support Lisa!
Silver Sponsor – John Carey, MLA
Please welcome the Perth White Pointers' newest Silver level sponsor – John Carey MLA!
John is a big fan of the White Pointers, and as the Member for Perth he can regularly be seen at Beatty Park.
We appreciate the support from John's office, which will help our club grow.
Silver Sponsor – Stephen Dawson, MLC
As well as being Minister for Environment; Disability Services and Electoral Affairs, Stephen represents the Mining and Pastoral region in the Legislative Council and maintains an electorate office in South Hedland.
As a tireless supporter of the LGBTI community, Stephen was also a leading advocate for same sex marriage in Australia, and is married to his long-term partner here in WA. We welcome Stephen on board as a sponsor of the Perth White Pointers!
Silver Sponsor – CBD Wellness Centre
A massive thanks to CBD Wellness Centre for supporting out club.
CBD Wellness Centre has a mutual respect for treating pain and dysfunction with physiotherapy, chiropractic, remedial massage and hypnotherapy. Check them out!


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Robot football team Tech United from TU Eindhoven in has sealed a World Cup victory for The Netherlands. The team won 3-2 in the RoboCup 2014 against China's team Water in João Pesso, Brazil.
Jul 25 '14 11:41
Jul 2 '13 06:02
Last week, the contest gathered more than 2,500 robotic participants from over 40 countries in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Germany, Japan, America finished at the top of robotic soccer competition.
Jul 1 '13 06:51
Eindhoven plays host to RoboCup, a soccer competition among robots designed to play the sport, The Associated Press reports.


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This year marked a momentous 40 year anniversary of the competition, where 350-400 bodysurfers from around the world competed in their respective age divisions for trophies prizes, and serious street/water cred.
Challenging yet fun, 3-5 foot sets were delivering chilly 68 degree waves, and unpredictable conditions for contestants. Making for an awesome spectator sport.
Slyde Handboards was well represented thanks to Jake Keville, Dylan Biggerstaff, Sunny Chamblee Rickard, Augie Cunningham, Joe Nickerson, Chris Glevy, Chapin Page, and newly added team rider Makena Magro.
While Oceanside was full of aloha thanks to the epic crew of Kaha Nalu Hawaii, alongside some stand out watermen like Mark Cunningham and Mike Stewart.
The competition was stacked with talent and Slyde would like to congratulate everyone who entered! Special congratulations to Dylan Biggerstaffwho scored 1st place for his men's division age 15-17, snagging quite possibly the set of the day at the World Bodysurfing Championships. With a finals' heat total of 90.5 points, the highest of all contest division finals' scores.
And Augie Cunningham, who took home bronze.
Check out the live FB stream of this heat here: Finals Dylan & Auggie
Another name you'll sure to be hearing more of is Makena Magro, Slyde Handboards newest female team rider. Makena won her division woman 18-29, and reclaimed the Women's Grand Champion Title for the second year in a row, this time alongside Men's Grand Champ legendary Mike Stewart.
If you didn't make it to the contest, definitely mark it on your calendar for August 2017. The talent pool is on fire!


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In fourth grade, the Waldorf school curriculum calls for an orientation of the child in time and space. The topics of local history and geography are ideally suited for this goal. Our hike introduced the class to these topics physically by walking through the landscape and retracing some of the historical tracks left behind by glaciers and people who lived here before us.
It was a beautiful, sunny October morning, with fog rising from the Arlington Great Meadows and dew sparkling on tall reeds, Jerusalem Artichokes, and Stag horn sumac leaves, when we set out to hike from the Waldorf School to Whipple Hill with four parent chaperones.
Whipple Hill is the highest point in Lexington and rises to 375' of elevation. The class walked through Gnome Valley and past Boomerang Hill and discovered that these magical places are actual glacial knolls, left behind by the Laurentide Glacier some 15,000 years ago.
Students heard about the history of Arlington Great Meadows, which in the past was a dairy farm, a lake that provided drinking water for Arlington, and now conservation land that provides habitat for migratory birds and other animals.
The children hiked along the carriage paths left behind by farmers and peat cutters and marveled at the huge, albeit currently dry, vernal pond near Lexington Christian Academy. While walking along the paths the children noticed not only some very old trees (that must have been already in existence when the area had been a farm), but also thrown rock walls, and steep and craggy rocky walls on both sides of our path.
The summit of Whipple Hill is mostly bare, solid rock. The students noticed that this dark rocky surface had many scrapes (striations) that all went into one direction. After checking with a compass, we confirmed that the direction of these gouges ran north to south and that we were sitting on and looking at glacial scratches, created when the Laurentide glacier moved over this very old igneous, volcanic bedrock called gabbro thousands of years ago. We also discovered a pink granite bolder that had been left behind by that same glacier. This rock is a so-called erratic, a rock that must have come from somewhere else, because there is no pink granite in this area.
The view was gorgeous and the warm stones invited us to linger, but we had to walk back home and merrily finished our 5-mile round trip into history and geography in time to be back in school for orchestra class.
Written by Jeanette Voss, Fourth Grade Class Teacher at the Waldorf School of Lexington


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Our Family Rooms, located in the bungalow village area, comprise of 2 separate beds for the children and 1 double for the parents. The children sleeping area is separated from the parents' section by a sliding or normal door.
The other Family Rooms are located in a separate 3-floor building with a pool view, with the main bedroom area featuring a double bed and being separated by a glass or wooden sliding door to offer a little more privacy to parents. The other bedroom/sitting area offers 2 sofa beds for the children.
Some of these room types are on the ground floor with garden / pool view and all others are on the upper floors with a balcony.
Our Family rooms include:
-bathtub with shower head / WC
-satellite TV & integrated music channel
-direct dial telephone
-tea / coffee making facilities
-light Mini Bar (at extra charge)
-bathrobe & slippers
-beach towels
-pillow selection
-manually operated air conditioning.


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The Spirit of Lochac, and on writing filk (and why I can't teach it)
Looking through my blog, I realised that I've not yet put in a plug for The Spirit of Lochac.
That's probably because I wrote it before I started this blog. Not only that, but it exists elsewhere on the internet, at the Lochac Performers and Entertainers Guild. However, I am currently constructing a page to place all my song links onto, and I believe The Spirit of Lochac needs to be on that list.
A Lochac warrior stepped out
One bright and shining day
To face a horde of armed men
Upon the battle fray
His armour gleamed, his shield held high,
His sword held fast in hand
As he stepped forth that fateful day
For to protect his land
'Twas on the field at Rowany
Our hero stood his ground
An army waited by his side,
But not one made a sound.
For on the ridge, an awful sight,
The enemy was vast,
And then they roared, that mighty horde,
And fell upon them fast.
Swords and shields did crash and bang
In dizzy fearsome flight
But every time the one foe fell,
Another joined the fight
Weariness did take its toll
Our hero's arms ran red
And amongst the gore of those he slayed
None noticed that he bled.
His strength was sapping mighty quick,
In vain our hero tried,
But from one foe, the telling blow
And our dear hero died.
But lies a heart of fortitude
In every Lochac man
And like unto a Lazarus
Our hero rose again.
His pallid flesh was icy cold
But his eyes they burned like flame
A demon in him bursted forth
As each opponent came
The bodies piled within his wake,
None could withstand his might,
And as the last opponent fell
He vanished in the night.
Seven times that day he fell
And seven times he rose,
For Lochac men do not lie down
To face their battle foes.
A horde of men that day he fought,
A horde of men he slayed
For none can match the valour of
A Lochac hero's shade!
The song was written specifically (at least in part) for Festival, where I received nothing but positive feedback for it, especially from the fighters that heard it. But the best feedback was the silence after I sang it in the bardic circle, and seconds later, the almost whispered "Huzzah".
This recording is not the best rendition. It was recorded when the song was in its very first stages of being settled in my head, and contains none of the tempo changes I use now. I do intend to re-record this song at some stage, but until then, please, if you see me at an event, don't be afraid to collar me for a live performance. So long as my throat is in good condition, I'll be more than willing.
For those who find the tune familiar, you may indeed have heard it before. It's a direct rip of The Handsome Cabin Boy by Kate Bush.
This was not the original tune I had planned for this song. The original tune was going to be Tempus Adest Floridum, more popularly known now as Good King Wenceslas. Nor is it the original lyrics. In fact, very little of the ditty that woke me up in the wee hours of the morning late 2010 actually remains.
I've been writing poetry since I was twelve. Reams and reams of the stuff. I'm 36 as of the writing of this post, so that makes 24 years of experience. Writing is like any other skill, it improves with practise. But for me, writing has never been a process of sitting down with the aim of writing something. That process works with some people, but every time I actually attempt to write poetry, I end up with drivel. My best works have been spontaneous, and tend to occur at the most inconvenient times. The middle of the night, while riding a bicycle, while sitting in a restaurant… I recall one time in particular when I wrote on the back of a shopping docket in eyeliner because I had no paper or pen handy, but the words burning through my mind so quickly that I knew I would lose them if I waited.
For a long time I thought that spark was all I needed for my writing, and if I had continued with that line of thought, you would, instead of listening to The Spirit of Lochac, be listening to The Seven Deaths of ****** (name blocked to protect the innocent), a jaunty tune which describes how one specific SCAdian dies several times in succession. It was very specific. I thought he might have taken it amiss that I killed him over and over again in song. I quite like him, and you don't try to kill friends. So I tabled it. It didn't scan well, the lyrics were off colour, it just wasn't going to work as it was.
But editing is an important part of writing poetry, and the core of the story was a good one, so I took what was good and worked with it. Sometimes you've got a heap of good that's wiped out by just a few lines. Experience is the only thing that can tell you what to cut and what to keep.
I removed all references to the original victim of the song. I wanted this to be a ghostly hero rather than a real life person. And I got rid of the music altogether and stepped back into an easy rhythm which I call "horseplod", but which probably had a much nicer name somewhere outside of my own head. Basically, the accent is on every second syllable. Eight syllables first line, six the second, eight the third, six the fourth, rhyme on the second and fourth lines. When I'd finished cutting and shaping, which was quite a tedious process, I had 4 verses of usable material.
Later that day I was listening to various ballads, and The Handsome Cabin Boy was amongst them. It stuck me that this used the same beat pattern I had settled on for my poem, so that was the tune I used.
Unfortunately, the very first person I showed it to (beyond my other half, whom I automatically expect to be biased), after raving at how it read like music, tried to give me the tune she thought I should put with it. All I heard coming from her lips was the same note over and over again in a rather unrhythmic pattern, which does not a tune make. At which point I told her I already had decided on using the tune from another ballad (a wonderfully period practice), and sang her the first verse. Her face turned sour and she told me that I didn't need to turn it into a dirge, that this should be a more uplifting song, and that I should write my own music, I shouldn't make filk.
Please don't ever do this to anyone.
I put this song away for months because of her comments. I knew it was good poetry, but I wanted it to be good music. I'd even forgotten I'd written it, as I hadn't wanted to look at it after hearing negative comments the first time I'd shown my work. Criticism does not equal critiquing, and can be very harmful.
Eventually I found it again during a tidy up months later, and reading through it with fresh eyes I found there was a lack within the story at two points. I didn't have a description of where my warrior was, or what he was facing (which became verse 2), nor did I have a description of what happened when he rose (this became verse 5). I spent roughly a week on those two verses. I knew what I wanted to say, but writing with purpose is not my strong suit. It was at this point that I decided to make the song specifically for Rowany Festival, as I was steadily gearing up to attend. Those two verses were, I think, the thing that took this from good poetry to great poetry.
I then revived the tune. I was convinced it could sound good despite what had been said, so I persevered. And thus was born The Spirit of Lochac.
I was asked just a few days ago about perhaps doing a collegia on how to write period style filk. But I can't teach that. I just don't know how to teach a skill that's grown from something I do without thinking about it. Perhaps this blog entry gives a small taste of why that is.
And if you haven't found the link to the song yet, here it is one more time: The Spirit of Lochac
(c) Kristine Robinson 2011


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Today is the beginning of a new blog series where I highlight the best of the best in South Jersey wedding vendors. As a recent bride myself, I understand how difficult it is to search for and decide on all of the wedding vendors that will help to make your day as beautiful and memorable as possible so I thought I would help my current and future brides by creating this series.
We're kicking off this series with one of my favorite "friendors," Meghan Jester. Meghan is an on-location bridal make up artist in South Jersey who I first met when I was searching for a make up artist for my own wedding. She is extremely talented and one of the most genuinely kind and caring people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I met up with Meghan and one of her brides at her home where she was doing a trial and was able to capture not only her gorgeous work but I also sat down with her to ask her some of the most important questions brides ask when booking their wedding day make up artist.
Take a look at some of the magic she created below and check out what she had to say when I asked her the tough questions.
Will you do a trial run with me before my wedding?
MJ: Yes! I highly recommend trials, though they are not required. Trials with me typically last for one and a half hours, and you are welcome to bring your mom, sister or best friend! The trial is the time to discuss your bridal beauty vision, and then I execute it. We go over the look, and you decide if you would like me to make any adjustments, or perhaps try a different lip color. Then, I take your photo from different angles, along with notes on the products used and the things that you love or didn't like as much. Following the trial, I make sure that you let me know how the makeup held up throughout the day. Having a trial definitely ensures that you're wedding day look is absolute perfection! I always tell my bride's, "if you love the look at your trial, you're going to REALLY love it in your wedding day!"
Do you work on location?
MJ: Yes! I exclusively work on location, with the exception of trials. Trials are done in my home 90% of the time, though I will do them on location by request.
Should I save photos of makeup looks I like?
MJ: Absolutely! It is important to keep in mind, however, that you will not look like the woman in the picture! Not only will her features and coloring affect the look, but photos are often filtered, photoshopped, or just taken in really great light. Ultimately, pictures serve as a great starting point and inspiration, but we'll discuss what it is you love about any given makeup look so that it will make you look your best!
What kind of prep should I do before the trial and the wedding?
MJ: I provide a personalized skin care preparation information sheet to all of my clients. It includes information on proper cleansing, exfoliation and grooming that will perfectly prime your skin for a flawless makeup application.
I have sensitive/acne prone/dry skin, how will you address this?
MJ: The recommended course of action will greatly depend on how much time we have before the wedding. I often recommend that brides make an appointment with their dermatologist and/or schedule some pre-wedding treatments with a licensed aesthetician, depending on the skin concern.
What brands do you use on your brides?
MJ: I use a variety of professional-grade products. I pull from many familiar high-end brands as well, including MAC, Urban Decay, Stila, and Tarte. Everything that goes into my kit has been rigorously put to the test to make sure they are long-wearing and effective and good for all skin types. The collection is always evolving.
What size bridal party can you accommodate?
MJ: I will personally serve up to 8 bridal party members. If there is a time crunch, or if there are more people requiring services, I will bring in a second artist and/or an assistant to accommodate everyone.
Where can I find your most recent work?
MJ: My web site, www.MeghanJester.com is frequently updated, but you can also find my most recent work on my Instagram and Facebook Business pages.
What do you do for fun?
MJ: I love spending time with my new daughter, Zoe Christine, as well as my tight-knit group of family and friends. I also love creating art, going to the movies, shopping, dating my husband and personal growth and development.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
MJ: Most people assume I'm an extrovert because I'm very friendly, personable and ask lots of questions, but I'm totally an introvert! I pour myself into whoever is in front of me, but I can only be social for so long! Once I'm finished working a wedding, I go home and rest all day. I love what I do, so it takes all I have out of me, and I need lots of alone time to recharge and recover so I can do it all over again the next weekend!
What sets you apart from other makeup artists?
MJ: I care so much about my work and my clients and I truly see what I do as a service. When I am with a client, it is all about her and what she desires. I do whatever I can do to make her feel beautiful and comfortable, and it's not about my ego or what I want to see--it's all about her! I think this is what sets me apart from a lot of other artists.


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Three of Adelaide's rising stars released new tunes recently, which are all already getting plenty of good responses - especially from the Triple j fam. Here's a quick rundown.
Words by Julius Epworth
Glassy, synth-stabs and pitched-up repetitions of 'baby' - typical of PC Music - race to a trap-like drop with a heavy hoover-bass, obligatory 808 hi-hats and snares included, accompanied by quick-fire vocal delivery. Australian rapper Tkay Maidza has recently released her very poppy track, M.O.B. (Money Over Bitches - woooooord). Maidza has raced to prominence over the past few months, performing at Triple J's Beat The Drum festival, Falls Festival and placing at number 100 in the Triple J Hottest 100 for her song Switch Lanes produced with all-round lovable dude Paces.
After filling her spot at the recently passed St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, Tkay will be joining Charlie XCX on her upcoming Australian tour in April/May as well as more festival action at this year's Groovin' The Moo. Killing it from all angles really.
Adelaide-based Jesse Davidson's 'Laika', released on the February 5, is a sparse, reverb-laden, indie-pop, funk track. Hints of The xx can be heard in Davidson's somber vocal delivery and the accompanying cavernous echo. Less ethereal than previous tunes, Laika is a very danceable track, consistent with his relaxed style, demonstrating strong promise for achieving considerable popularity in the near-future. The song has received a rotation spot on Triple J - wahoo!
It feels like listening to the theme for Deadwood as the track begins. 'Fallen Sun' is a dramatic folk-rock track from 23 year-old, Adelaide-based Timberwolf (Chris Panousakis). Timberwolf's plaintive, melodic voice, vaguely akin to Bon Iver's and Matt Corby's, is accompanied by eerie cymbal-crashes, reverb drenched piano and folky guitar-strums. A woman's echoed voice contributes to the ethereal vibe.
'Fallen Sun' is now available from iTunes for your purchasing pleasure, with an upcoming single over Feb, March & April.


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Ajith Kajal starrer Vivegam aka Vivekam Movie Review
Ajith Kumar and Siva collaborated for couple of entertainers – Veeram and Vedalam, which were set against the rural and urban backdrops. Apparently, their third outing together Vivegam becomes an International thriller. The first thing that comes out as an overall experience is the producers' complete trust on Siva investing a huge cost for the grandeur. In fact, this is one of the first ever kind of movie in Tamil cinema that comes with complete International panache.
The film is about an Interpol officer Ajay Kumar (Ajith Kumar) who along with his team is involved in accomplishing toughest missions. He is assigned of curbing down the notorious plans of 'Secret Society' that aims at devastating many countries in the name of natural calamities to earn monetary and powerful status. This mission takes him through the core of unexpected twists and turns.
Twist by Intermission
When it comes to screenplay, the first half really deserves tons of appreciation. It just moves at an impeccable pace of fastest momentum. Couple of blinks and few more, we have traversed through the first hour. Just with a twist by intermission, we tend to expect more such raciness by second hour too. But it becomes more predictable on narrative aspects. Siva could have crafted an effective screenplay by maintaining the suspense till the penultimate moments, which would have made it more engaging. Moreover, the momentum could have been retained in second half as well.
If you're keenly looking out for the film's drawback, there is nothing much but the way characterisations are sketched. Taking back 'Vedalam' pre-intermission sequence as reference, the scene where Kabir being an antagonist unleashes his praises on Ajith becomes the major influence in Vivegam. In many places, we don't see Ajay Kumar but Ajith Kumar, which slightly eclipses the substantiality of script. Others in the cast have done their best of what is offered to them.
Technically, it's a genius work by cinematography Vetri, where he has captured visuals with innovative angles. Most of the songs occur as background score and montages, so it doesn't hamper the screenplay anywhere. Anirudh just throws up Goosebumps with his BGM in many places. Editing by Ruben keeps the screenplay at right momentum.
Overall experience of watching Vivegam is that it's passably entertaining and definitely will be acclaimed by Ajith Kumar fans.
Verdict: Strictly for AK fans. Technically well nurtured too
Rating: 2.75/5


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Yes, it has been a while since I wrote a blog post.
Yes, I have been very busy.
I thought I would take time out today to tell show you one of the projects I have been working on:
Charming Li'l Rosebuds
Charming Li'l Rosebuds is featured through Annie's
Are you looking for a sweet baby quilt for a precious new little one? Whether you use florals, dots or other coordinating prints, this delightful pattern will charm all who see it! As an added bonus, you can actually make two quilts at the same time when you use precut 5-inch squares. Quilting expert Nancy McNally reveals the secret to this method in this Learn, Make, Create! episode with http://www.AnniesCreativeStudio.com
Charming Li'l Rosebuds is easy to make with sweet results. Check out the preview by clicking on the link below
In this episode, you'll learn how to:
• Make units for two quilts at the same time.
• Sew a tube from two 5-inch squares to cut into two units.
• Piece pretty pinwheels that look like rosebuds.
• Work with bias edges.
That's all for now! I have to get to work on the next project!
Happy Quilting!
Nancy McNally


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7 Tips to Stay healthy this summer
Don't get derailed from your fitness goals this summer! Keep your goals in mind when heading out to enjoy the beautiful weather. Here are 7 strategies to help you stay on track and maintain or even loose weight this summer.
1) Get moving - regular sustained aerobic activity is one of the most effective ways to maintain or loose weight. This can be walking, jogging, rollerblading, water sports, etc.
2) Cheat a little, but only once a day - if you must indulge in a summer treat, allow yourself 1 small serving. Savour the texture and aroma. Then compensate later on by reducing your caloric intake or by burning a few extra calories through exercise.
3) Eat your fruits and veggies - aim for at least 5 servings of vegetables and 2-3 servings of fruit per day. They'll satisfy your hunger without adding empty calories and the fiber will help you feel full longer.
4) Never go to a party/BBQ hungry - Eat 1 serving of fruit, vegetable, or unsalted nuts before heading out to a summer gathering. Approach the party food only if you feel hungry, then take your time, and choose mindfully. Take small portions and don't over eat. And don't forget to drink your water!
5) Be in charge of your party choices - Bring a healthy appetizer or dessert so you'll have at least one nutritious option. Use a smaller plate to control portion sizes. Bypass the rich sauces, the creamy dips, high fat meat, and sugary drinks. Remember liquid calories add up quickly, so try to limit the amount of calories that you drink.
6) Say 'no' politely - you're not obligated to eat high-calorie foods. Even when they're home-made and your host encourages you. Learn to politely say 'no'. No explanation is needed - I find when I try to explain why I don't want to eat certain foods, I often get more resistance from party goers. Just politely say "no thank you" and move on.
7) Focus on socializing, not food - conversation is calorie-free and standing burns more calories than sitting, so get out and mingle! And to burn even more calories, offer to help clean up.
What is Yin yoga?
Yin yoga is based on the Taoist concept of yin and yang, opposite and complementary principles in nature. Yin is the stable, unmoving, hidden aspect of things; yang is the changing, moving, revealing aspect. In the body, the relatively stiff connective tissues (tendons, ligaments, fascia) are yin, while the more mobile and pliable muscles and blood are yang.
A Yin yoga class usually consists of a series of long-held, passive floor poses that mainly work the lower part of the body - the hips, pelvis, inner thighs, lower spine. These areas are especially rich in connective tissues. The poses are held for up to five minutes, sometimes longer.
Who is Yin yoga for?
Yin yoga is for anyone who is tired and craving energy or for those who are over-stimulated and have too much energy; if your mind is overactive or your energy levels erratic. We live in a world where we are bombarded with stimuli, stimuli that is available 24/7. It's so easy to end up not switching off at all - to end up with a mind that is constantly busy processing all the information that's thrown at it. Whether the information is good, valuable or not, it doesn't matter, the mind still needs to deal with it. The mind gets used to that amount of information and starts to crave stimuli if it becomes quiet. So we end up browsing, looking for stuff; it doesn't matter what, as long as we fill the gaps. Gaps we really should allow to stay empty to find some sort of downtime - for the mind to stop and for you to just be.
Yin yoga and the body
Yin yoga works on the yin tissues - also known as the connective tissues. Connective tissue responds best to a slow, steady load which is why we hold the poses for longer. If you gently stretch connective tissue by holding a yin pose for a long time in this way, the body will respond by making it a little longer and stronger - which is exactly what you want. Remember, the principle of exercise is to stress the tissue so the body will respond by strengthening it.
Different Yin yoga poses stimulate and remove blockages in the myofascial meridians in the body. This has the effect of balancing the body's internal organs and systems. Yin yoga requires the muscles to relax around the connective tissue in order to get a stretch.
Yin yoga and the mind
Becoming still in a pose and staying for a while creates those gaps that I was talking about earlier. Keeping the gaps empty creates the space for anything that wants to come up. Anxiety, happiness sadness, boredom, for example. Anything you suppress with all the on-the-go busyness in your life. Yin yoga gives you the time and space to allow those feelings to be there. Emotions, thoughts, feelings you have kept in the shadows.
Generally speaking, during a Yin yoga class the teacher will encourage you to allow all those feelings to be there, but not identify with them. The teacher will guide you to become the observer of everything that arises in that space. All those stored away emotions, feelings and sensations now have a chance to come out. You have no idea how much energy it costs the body to keep all that suppressed. So the release you get from letting it all come out can also be just as big.
Tips for practising Yin yoga
We offer Yin yoga classes Friday nights from 7:30-8:30pm with Elizabeth and Sunday mornings from 10-11am with Leah.
Sign-up now!
Wellness Revolution
July 2018


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CATEGORY: Medical Services
1600 Crystal Square Arcade
Suite L
Arlington, VA 22202
We are proud to provide a state-of-the-art facility for the highest quality dental care available. It is one of their top priorities to protect the well-being of our valued patients. For this reason, their office meets and surpasses all OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and CDC (Center for Disease Control) standards. They are confident that you will feel right at home in our office as they welcome all patients as if they were family.


text: After a short 9/11 Tribute, we make our Superbowl Predictions, Rookie Bowl Predictions and talk about last night's game. Also, Serena Williams loses in a shocker, more cheating by the Patriots, Eli Manning & A.J. Green get PAID, we do some Man Talk about raising kids, we spin The Wheel of Sports... and we eat bananas.


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etsy favourites : plum perfect
emma lamb
Hello my sweets! How about a few pretty plum finds from Etsy for a wee bit of eye candy this chilly Tuesday?
I absolutely love these dusky purple shades but have to admit that I hardly have any of it in my wardrobe! Oh, how I would love to remedy that with this gorgeous silk dress from 13Threads and this stunning vintage mother of pearl button necklace from Quench Metalworks. If Santa could possibly see his way to depositing the necessary funds into my bank account I would be most happy indeed... :)


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Forms & Documents
"For I know the plans I have for you, 'declares the LORD', plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. -Jeremiah 29:11
Februrary Lunch Form
Due by January 25th
Every human being is created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ, and therefore is invaluable and worthy of respect as a member of the human family. We care about each and every student here at St. Margaret Regional School, and we make sure everyone feels safe. See more at: Diocese anti bullying plan
More information on tuition plans
Tuition Preference Payment Form 2018-2019
Enrollment Information 2018-2019-Revised
FACTS Tuition Information 2018-2019
FACE letter 2018
Need access to our forms?
Re-Registration Form 2018-2019
Enrollment Information 2018-2019-Revised Application for Admission-updated 1-18
Diocese Technology Use Agreement


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Aim to learn about Father's determination not to give up
* to learn about Father's determination not to give up.
*Story – The Boy Who Never Gave Up, by Ken Weber
*A large photo of a weasel
*Memory cards of weasels
Lesson Outline
1. State the aim of the lesson
2. Story
3. Discussion
4. Activities – challenge, worksheet, memory game
5. Conclusion
6. Prayer
1) Introduction
*State the aim of the lesson
To learn about Father's determination not to give up.
What is determination? – a strong positive attitude to achieve a certain goal.
2) Story
* Tell the children the story. – One winter night Father saw tracks of a weasel in the snow. Because he was very interested in nature, he wanted to find it. He tracked the weasel all night long and finally caught it the morning in the next village. It had taken seven hours. He picked it up, stroked it gently and let it go.
3) Discussion
1) Was it easy or hard for Father to follow the weasel?
2) What was hard?
* the trail twisted and turned many times
* the tracks often disappeared
– in bushes, near a stream,
* or over rocks
* it was hard
* to see in the dark
* he must have very tired
* after walking for hours
* he was far from home
– his parents would worry about him
2) How do you think Father felt when he finally caught the weasel?
3) What gave Father the power to keep going?
* He has a very strong will.
* Once he sets his mind to do something, he never gives up until he succeeds.`
* He determined to find the weasel at the beginning of his search,
* not half way through.
* He was very curious about the nature around him and really wanted find the weasel.
4) Are you a determined person?
* Have you ever tried to follow an animal or the tracks of one? If you saw an animal's footprints in the snow would you follow them?
* Have you ever searched for something for a long time? a missing glove? a toy? money? Did you get frustrated and give up or keep going until you found it?
* In video or computer games do you have to keep going until you reach the goal? Do you get frustrated? Are you determined not to give up until you succeed?
* In sport, have you been losing a game, but kept going and them scored at the very end? How did it feel?
* Have you had difficult homework and felt like giving up, but persevered and then achieved a very good result? Or did the opposite happen?
* Discuss about other areas that require determination – art, music, cooking, etc..
5) What can we learn from Father's experience?
– We need a strong will. Once Father set his mind on finding the weasel, he didn't change
– Make a strong determination before we start, not afterwards
– Keep our mind focused on the goal, then obstacles won't seem so big
*His curiosity kept him going. He really wanted find the the weasel. A strong desire will help us
*When he finally caught the weasel he felt great satisfaction. It is worth making the effort, because the reward is great
6) Other examples from Father's life
* Father's determination not to give up has continued throughout his life. When Father left Hung Nam Prison Camp and travelled south he carried a man with a broken leg across a shallow river.
How could he do it? He felt this man represented all mankind. He thought about bigger things. This gave him the strength to keep going.
* Even today, as an old man, Father has the determination to follow God's call, no matter how hard. He completed a 120 city world tour in 2006 at the age of 86.. He must have been physically very tired, but he kept going until he fulfilled the condition. He made a promise to God. He kept his word
4) Activites
* Challenges
1. Stand up with arms outstretched horizontally. How long can you keep them there? 30 seconds. 1 minute, 2 minutes?
2. Stand on one leg and keep your balance. How long can you do it for?
3. Clench and unclench fists. How many times?
4. In pairs, how long can you stare into each other's eyes without blinking? without smiling?
5. Dead Soldiers – Lie on your back on the floor. How long can you keep completely still without moving any part of your body. Teacher tries to get you to react. The last dead soldier is the winner
* Worksheet
Colour the picture and write a summary of the story
One winter night Father saw tracks of a weasel in the snow. Because he was very interested in nature, he wanted to find it. He tracked the weasel all night long and finally caught it the next morning in the next village. It had taken seven hours. He picked it up, stroked it gently and let it go.
* Memory Game
In the game, cards of different weasels are placed face downwards. Each player turns two cards to reveal the pictures. If they match, the player keeps them and continues with a second turn. The
person with the most pairs is the winner.
5) Conclusion
*To conclude ask each person what they could learn from today's lesson. Refer to the lesson aim about Father's determination not to give up.
6) End with a prayer


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COLUMBUS, Ohio--Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo said Tuesday he's dropping out of the race for Ohio treasurer, leaving state Rep. Robert Sprague as the likely Republican nominee.
"Time and resources won't allow me to move forward successfully, and Mr. Sprague is in a better position to do it," Mingo said in a phone interview. "And it makes sense for him to have that opportunity unimpeded."
Instead, Mingo said he plans to run for re-election as county auditor next year.
Sprague's most recent campaign finance report showed him with more than three times as much money on hand as Mingo.
"Over the past year, I've had the privilege of getting to know Clarence Mingo and have seen firsthand what a sincere and dedicated public servant he truly is," Sprague said in a statement. "Clarence Mingo stands for what he believes and speaks from the heart. I wish him the very best as he continues his service as Franklin County Auditor."
Sprague could face Democrat Rob Richardson in the general election. Richardson is the only Democrat running to become Ohio's treasurer.
Mingo's announcement is the latest sign that GOP races for statewide office in 2018 are starting to clear up: on Monday, state Rep. Dorothy Pelanda ended her campaign for Ohio secretary of state, leaving state Sen. Frank LaRose as the lone Republican in that race. LaRose could face Democratic state Rep. Kathleen Clyde, of Kent, in the general election. Clyde is the only Democrat vying to become Ohio's next secretary of state.
Cleveland.com's Mary Kilpatrick contributed to this report.


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Fund Product, Company and Regulatory Updates as at 28 November/
Product Updates
MLC completes investor-based fund offering
MLC Private Equity has announced that its MLC Private Equity Fund II has closed oversubscribed. The $160 million fund targeted high-net-worth investors and family offices.
Company Updates
UniSuper moves toward a public offer fund
APRA has approved UniSuper's application to vary its Registrable Superannuation Entity (RSE), and has obtained a licence from ASIC. UniSuper has decided not to open a fund for the general public, but to provide access to members' children, cousins, in-laws, grandparents, and blended families.
gigSuper reaches out to niche market
gigSuper is tapping into the growing number of self-employed Australians and those working in the gig community. Co-founders Martin Batur and Peter Stanhope say they want to solve the problem that most self-employed Australians have in not contributing to or having any superannuation.
Netwealth and SelfWealth announce ASX listing
Netwealth has been admitted to the ASX official list following success in initial public offering. SelfWealth has been listed on the ASX official list after a successful initial public offering.
BYN to merge investment firms
BYN Mellon Investment Management has announced the merging of Standish Mellon Asset Management, Mellon Capital Management, and The Boston Company Asset Management. The merge is expected to be completed during the second half of 2018.
Optimum Pensions launch new product
David Orford, founder of Financial Synergy, and some of Australia's leading actuaries have started new company, Optimum Pensions. Optimum Pensions will be rolling out a new product called Real Lifetime Pension, which will include the option to revert to a spouse or partner after the owner death.
Mercer assist members experiencing violence
Mercer is providing staff with training and education in supporting customers who are victims of family violence, and developing a framework for the super funds' customer-facing staff. Mercer has made other changes to its processes, including providing customers with information about free financial counselling, improving financial hardship application forms, and streamlining the processing times for applications. Mercer's framework will be offered to the industry free of charge.
Frontier Advisors announces new investment consultant
AvSuper has become the second major asset consultant for Frontier Advisors after ending a partnership with JANA.
Regulatory Updates
ASIC cancels Financial Stewards AFS licence
ASIC has cancelled Financial Stewards Australian financial services (AFS) licence for failure to co-operate with ASIC surveillance. Financial Stewards failed to respond to two compulsory notices issued by ASIC or ASIC correspondence.
Orders against Gold Coast company obtained by ASIC
Anthony Castley of William Buck has been appointed by the Supreme Court to be manager and receiver over the assets of DanFX Trade, Daniel Farook Ali, and associated entities. Freezing orders were also made to restrain the disposal of any property. ASIC alleges that Ali operated an unregistered managed investment scheme through DanFX.
ASIC acts against SMSF scheme
Proceedings have commenced in the Federal Court of Australia, which has obtained interim injunctions against Superfunded and Max Goldenberg. The proceedings concern the promotion of a business that set up self-managed superannuation funds to invest in Superfunded.
ASIC welcomes paper proposing fees-for-service changes
Treasury has released a consultation paper suggesting changes to fees-for-service. Roughly 10 per cent of ASIC's costs will be recovered by fees-for-service by the industry, as opposed to being fully taxpayer funded.
ASIC accepts enforceable undertaking from Foster Stockbroking
ASIC has accepted an enforceable undertaking from Sydney-based Foster Stockbroking following a conflict of interest investigation by ASIC. It was found that Foster Stockbroking scaled back IPO subscription bids by directors less than those made by investors.
Bell Potter pays infringement notice
Bell Potter Securities has complied with an infringement notice given by the Markets Disciplinary Panel by paying a penalty of $358,000. The penalty was for bids for shares that Bell Potter made for DirectMoney Limited, an ASX-listed company, to support the price of shares.
Dubai and Australia fintech cooperation
ASIC and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) have signed a Cooperation Agreement to provide framework to support and understand financial innovation in both jurisdiction. The agreement will allow ASIC and DFSA to refer fintech businesses to each other to provide support through their individual fintech functions.


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Belgium: Pax Christi Flanders to hold special live-streaming event of Nobel Peace Prize ceremony
On 10 December 2017, Pax Christi Flanders will raise a glass to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
The Belgian Coalition Against Nuclear Weapons (with its core members: Agir Pour La Paix, CNAPD, Links Ecological Forum, Pax Christi Flanders and Peace Society) cordially invites you to a festive reception with a livestream of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
The presentation will take place on Sunday 10 December 2017 at 1pm in Oslo. You are welcome to join together with us, the Belgian branch of ICAN, at Cinematek, Baron Hortastraat 9, 1000 Brussels. The event will start at 12.30pm, with the reception going until 3pm.
Alice Kooij Martinez, Senior Advocacy Officer of Pax Christi International, will be present for the event.
For more information, click here.


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English is the key learning area where students develop knowledge, skills and understandings about English language and literature. K–6 syllabuses in New South Wales are organised in broad stages that describe the sequence of learning experiences through which students will progress. The outcomes and content in this English K–6 Syllabus are organised in three strands:
- Talking and Listening
- Reading
- Writing
The outcomes describe the knowledge, skills, understandings and strategies that students demonstrate when learning to talk, listen, read and write. They also specify the knowledge and understandings students develop when learning about talking, listening, reading and writing. These outcomes are achieved as students engage with the content of the syllabus.
When students engage in the English learning experiences, they will develop the ability to talk, listen, read, view and write with purpose, effect and confidence. They will develop knowledge of the ways in which language varies according to context (eg purpose, audience, channel of communication and content). Students will develop a sound grasp of the language structures and grammar of Standard Australian English.
In addition, teachers will provide opportunities for students to develop a broad knowledge of a range of literature including Australian literature. They will also provide opportunities for students to discuss and analyse texts critically and with appreciation.


text: This week, I'm taking the Woman Crush Wednesday Post in a very literal route, with J. Isobel de Lisle.J. Isobel de Lisle, Izzy to her friends, is a phenomenal Internationally Published Photographer in the South Jersey, Philadelphia Area. Her interests in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Bondage are very prevalent forces in her works. Izzy has a knack for making even the most grotesque images radiate astonishing beauty. Her talent and creativity are bar none. To keep up to date with Izzy's works, including her upcoming Oral Series, or to book Izzy for a shoot, visit her site here. Browse her current prints, original one-of Instax, or place a custom order of any of her works at her shop. This Shit is Fucking Classy.Xo, Sar Elle Comment


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Luke Perry's son Jack is mourning the death of his father.
One day after the Riverdale and Beverly Hills, 90210 actor died from a "massive stroke" at age 52, Bar Wrestling announced that Jack, who wrestles professionally under the moniker "Jungle Boy," had pulled out of their upcoming show.
"Unfortunately Jungle Boy will no longer be wrestling at our March 13th show. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this time," the wrestling organization wrote in a tweet on Tuesday.
Jack, 21, whose in-the-ring persona is a Tarzan-esque character, complete with his mane of long curls and loin cloth-like shorts, has yet to publicly comment on the death of his father.
Unfortunately Jungle Boy will no longer be wrestling at our March 13th show. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this time. pic.twitter.com/7FkFGZq20a— Bar Wrestling (@BarWrestling) March 6, 2019
Luke was hospitalized after suffering a stroke on Feb. 27. A source tells PEOPLE he never regained consciousness. The actor remained "under observation" for five days but died on Monday, March 4.
RELATED: Luke Perry Dead: Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale Actor Dies at 52 After 'Massive Stroke'
"Actor Luke Perry, 52, passed away today after suffering a massive stroke," read a statement from Perry's rep. "He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends."
"The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time."
RELATED: What to Know About Late Actor Luke Perry's Son, Wrestler Jungle Boy
Jack announced in January he was signed by All Elite Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion.
The 5' 10," 150-pound athlete began pursuing professional wrestling as a senior in high school and was careful not to let his father's fame overshadow his own success, according to Sports Illustrated.
"My family is a part of who I am, but I'm trying to make my own way. I don't want to use (my father's fame) to be successful, I want to have my own success," he said.
Luke was spotted attending one of his son's matches in Los Angeles in 2017. The actor filmed the entire match, according to ProWrestlingSheet.com.
RELATED: Inside Luke Perry's Private Life: From Beverly Hills, 90210 Heartthrob to 'Hands-on' Father
The actor's friend and 90210 costar Shannen Doherty exclusively told PEOPLE that Luke was a proud pop who frequently bragged about his children's achievements.
"Luke loved his family. He raved about his kids and how proud he was of them," she said. "He showed me videos of them often. They were his heart and for him, his biggest accomplishment."
Shortly after news of his stroke broke, Perry's 18-year-old daughter Sophie also made a quick return from a trip abroad to be by her father's side.
A source told PEOPLE that Sophie was in Africa when her father fell ill and rushed to Los Angeles before his death.
RELATED: Luke Perry's Daughter Rushed Back from Africa When He Had a Stroke: Source
Sophie's Instagram shows she recently spent a month in Malawi, and she last posted a photo Feb. 27 of a dirt road with mountains in the background.
She had been in Africa since at least Jan. 29, when she posted a photo to Instagram announcing her arrival.
On Tuesday, Sophie broke her silence regarding her father's death in an emotional post on Instagram.
"A lot has happened in this past week for me," she captioned her post. "Everything is happening so fast. I made it back from Malawi just in time to be here with my family, And in the past 24 hours I have received an overwhelming amount of love and support."
RELATED: Luke Perry's Daughter Breaks Her Silence After His Death: 'I Am Grateful for All the Love'
"I cannot individually respond to the hundreds of beautiful and heartfelt messages, but I see them, and appreciate you all for sending positivity to my family and I," she continued. "I'm not really sure what to say or do in this situation, it's something you aren't ever given a lesson on how to handle, especially when it's all happening in the public eye. So [bear] with me and know that I am grateful for all the love. Just, being grateful quietly."
In lieu of flowers, the Perry family asks that donations be made to Fight Colorectal Cancer and St. Jude's Children's Hospital.


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RESERVEDQuestions about room reservations
Q1 Where is the Front Desk?
A.The front desk is located on the 4th floor of the main lobby. The "Club Floor" desk, which services all guests staying on our club floor levels, is located on the 37th floor. This reception desk closes at 9:00pm. so, all club floor guests have the option of checking in using the main desk.
Check-in 3:00pm
Check-out 12:00pm
Q2 What credit cards do you accept?
- A.We accept Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Master.
Q3 Is it possible to be put on a waiting list?
A.We do not offer a waiting list for any of our rooms.
Q4 What are the"Club Floor"guest privileges?
A.We offer an exclusive "Club Floor" desk located on the 37th floor for check-in and check-out. You also have access to the "Club Floor" lounge, which is located on the same floor. Please inquire to learn more about our guest privileges.
For more information
Q5 Is it possible to buy a birthday cake or flower bouquet?
A.We can arrange for a homemade cake, champagne, and flowers upon your request. Please ask us for details when you make your reservation.
For more information
Q6 Is it possible for someone other than the guest to make a hotel payment?
A.Yes, however, all payments must be made prior to the guests arrival and can be done through a bank transfer. Please inquire for more details.
Q7 Which restaurants serve breakfast?
A.Please find a list of restaurants that serve breakfast below..
4th Floor Breakfast : 6:00am - 11:00am casual dining "The Terrace" : Japanese & Western style food buffet (6:00am - 10:00am / Sat., Sun. and Holidays 6:00am - 10:30am), A la carte (6:00am - 11:00am)
5th Floor Breakfast : 7:00am - 10:00am Kyoto cuisine "Tankuma Kitamise " : Japanese style breakfast
Room service - Breakfast : 6:00am - 11:00am Japanese or Western style breakfasts
Q8 Can I get mileage points for my stay?
A.If you are already a "IHG Rewards Club" member or would like to become a member, your points can be changed to mileage through the Intercontinental Hotel Group programme.
For more information
Q9 Is it possible to send my luggage prior to my stay?
A.We accept luggage prior to your arrival., Please send all parcels and luggage to the address below.
Attention: Front desk at the ANA Crowne Plaza Kobe
1-Chome, Kitano-cho Chuo-ku
Kobe, 650-0002 JAPAN
Phone:+81 78 291 1121
【The following information must be written on all items】
, Name of the guest
, Date(s) reserved at the hotel


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So bank holiday Monday came and went and included Cheese Rolling by the rebellion. First one we've missed in 5 years I think, but we'll be there next year I'm sure. For most, today means back to work. Ha ha! Not me though – no-sir-ee. I very sensibly booked two days holiday. I have a little trip on Wednesday to collect daughter from the airport on her return from Egypt unless her friends have sold her for a camel (customs will be a nightmare if that's the case) and it seemed daft to go back to the ship just for one day. So here I sit on the holodeck.
Monday morning did indeed include mowing and netting installation so the garden's looking pretty good. Next job is the hot tub. Details coming up.
But first – Door Stops & Triffids. Mrs G and I have been looking for a doorstop for the master bedroom door for some time. It's not that it's difficult, but that there are so many to choose from. On Sunday when we failed yet again to find a suitable one I came to my senses an explained to Mrs G that we didn't need a door stop. What we actually needed was something of weight to prop the door open with. This means it could be any heavy object and all of a sudden our options are wide open.
Gloucester has a couple of great antiques centers and this, dear reader, is where we stumbled upon the perfect objet d'art for the purpose. An old stone hot water bottle (now half filled with sand) is just perfect for the job and works a treat. Bingo.
An afternoon of movie watching led to Triffids. The Day of the Triffids is a 1951 story written by John Wyndham. Its been the subject of many Radio Plays & TV Movies, and Sci-Fi enthusiasts the world over, know the story well. For those of you unfamiliar with the plot, it says here:
"The protagonist is Bill Masen, an Englishman who has made his living working with "Triffids", plants capable of aggressive and seemingly intelligent behaviour: they are able to move about on their three "legs", appear to communicate with each other and possess a deadly whip-like poisonous sting that enables them to kill and feed on the rotting carcasses of their victims. The book implies they were bioengineered in the Soviet Union and then accidentally released into the wild when a plane carrying their seeds was shot down. Triffids begin sprouting all over the world, and their extracts prove to be superior to existing vegetable oils. The result is worldwide cultivation of Triffids."
Last Christmas the BBC made yet another dramatisation of it and it's a cracking job. Sort of Doctor Who/Torchwood on steroids. A proper movie (almost). I recorded it on Sky plus and it's languished there, taking up valuable disk space and waiting for the moment when I had an appropriate slot in my schedule to watch it.
Eddie Izzard plays bad guy 'Torrence', Dougray Scott plays the role of Bill Masen and Brian Cox plays Bill's father. Eddie has become a great all rounder and one of those people you can't help but admire for his drive, ambition and monumental sense of humour. I've long been a fan of his stand-up, so I wasn't convinced about his acting future – but he's more than pulled it off. In fact he is officially a Hollywood Heavyweight. Good for him. He doesn't let the side down here either.
Mr Cox has had a long run of bad guy roles (what with him being the original Hannibal Lecter) but here he plays a good guy reminding us just what a great character actor he is as well. There's also appearances from Vanessa Redgrave & Jason Priestly.
My only real critisism of the piece would be the triffids themsleves. I'm afraid I failed to be convinced that a plant could catch someone – which us a real problem for a story about killer plants especially when the plant looks a bit like rubber on a stick (which it probably was). Regardless, it's a good looking, well made enjoyable romp.
Follow that with the second part of "Terry Pratchett's Going Postal" (8 out of 10 which is exceptionally high scoring, bearing in mind I've only ever given one 10) and a take away curry with Mrs G and my weekend was made…..
So to the tub. We haven't used it for about a month and it's been switched off, so it needs a full drain, scrub down, refill, new chemicals and ph balance and a warm up again. That's going to be a large part of the day and the weather doesn't appear to be on my side. But then at least I'm not at work….
PS: I cocked up my coffee selection by running for the bus on Saturday (to enjoy the abusive public) instead of wandering around Whittards – had to pick up some Lavazza in Tesco. However, if the weather continues to be blughehhggh (technical term) today, then a trip to Chelter's could resolve the situation and Italian Expresso, Monsoon Malabar or Cafe Francais will be the selection.


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Mountain Khakis Ladies Solitude Maxi Dress
Mountain Khakis
The flowy, feminine silhouette of the maxi dress skims your figure and elevates any moment. This maxi dress is embellished with a key hole in back and cross back straps. Ankle length with a draped neckline. Made of 4.1-oz 100% cotton slub jersey. Classic fit. Color: Midnight Blue Tie Dye; Sizes: XS-L.


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1 Set/Sets
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300 Set/Sets Per Month
Delivery Time
3 to 4 days
Packaging Details
Special Kit Packing
Payment Methods
Western Union , Money Gram , L/C , T/T , D/A , D/P , On Enquiry
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A message from Cynthia Mohr, Chair of Design Department, College of Visual Arts and Design:
This week is Faculty Excellence week at UNT. Outside Scoular 112 you will find a banner where you can write a brief thank you to one or more of your teachers…let them know how much you appreciate their efforts to help you enter the professional world prepared and ready to make a difference.
Cynthia Mohr
Chair, Department of Design
College of Visual Arts and Design
University of North Texas