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Do I 'remember' Memorial day? You bet your sweet buns I do! I also remember how it started and and how it is was celebrated in REAL AMERICAN LIFE, and the total hypocrisy it is today!
This is how it got started. A Union General named John A Logan who was the Union Vets assoc leader decided to see if he could inflict even more pain and insult to still grieving widows and crying orphans of those terrible "rebels". Notice the callus use of language that could ONLY be interpreted as demeaning to ALL of the CSA dead who fought in defense of THEIR land and THEIR families and THEIR freedom. Remember – all you witless brainwashed history experts – the civil war was NOT fought for freeing the slaves bullshit! IT WAS FOUGHT FOR STATES RIGHTS. Yes Dorothy – the North had slaves too
Here is the text of what our 'thoughtful tactful' General Logan stated that we should do to remember the fallen dead: …"for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land"
Rebellion? as if men like Lee were criminal scoundrels? THEIR COUNTRY!? – as in belonging to the victors and Jew carpetbaggers as in SPOILS OF WAR? What malicious lying divisive hate speech – REAL HATE SPEECH! Rot in hell John Logan! FACT: even Union Generals Sherman and Grant – as hard nosed as they were – tried their best to kick the wretched Jews parasites out of the defeated South and allow healing to begin.
And as for Abraham Lincoln – Certainly not MY idea of what a Godly American president should be. My opinion? His Gettysburg address did nothing more than fuel the fires of hatred between brother and brother – lionized the Union soldiers and demonized the Confederates. " More than a million fighting men have given the last full measure of devotion. Their valor and sacrifices have made possible our freedoms our values our very existence" What a crock of shit! Do you have ANY idea of how many young American men suffered torture and starvation and deprivation in Union prisons for their sincere loyalties to their families and traditions IN AMERICA?
Does ANYBODY remember the pure hell that was imposed on every man woman and and child in the South? Whose freedoms? – Whose values ?– Whose existence?. I was born in the 'North' but I am NOT ASHAMED to admit that I AM ashamed of what the North did to a defeated impoverished American people after the war. The cruelty and hardships imposed on innocent women and children was unparalleled with the exception of our treatment of aboriginal people here – certainly nothing to be proud of. We are MASTERS of war crimes and atrocities – even to our OWN people! Don't even get me started on Wounded knee Ruby Ridge and Waco.
That NEEDED to be said – I have paid my dues – and so agree or not – I said it because I believe it.
Anyway – later on it became apparent that MY simple observation today – had been shared by MILLIONS of offended Americans and rightfully so! After WWI it was renamed to the present designation of 'Memorial Day' – so apparently a lot of other learned sincere people felt the same way.
Yes – I will remember the men I knew – some well and some only slightly – like Bo Gritz and David Hackworth – who were REAL heroes who risked life and limb against REAL ENEMIES – not old men, children, and pregnant mothers like our brave sociopathic trash today whose fathers were not even born when I trained their grandfathers. I will mourn the REAL MEN – Godly men – like the ones I trained nearly 50 years ago – not the putrid child murdering scum criminals I see today!
Memorial Day was meant to be a period of solemn reflection of the sacrifices Americans in uniform made to preserve our most sacrosanct values and human ideals – family – God – country – through selfless sacrifice – of duty – commitment – honor, and valor . Those were lofty ideals – to be sure – but NONE of those values or traits even exists anymore in today's mercenary dumbed down paid killers sadists psychopaths and human garbage – who mostly have total approval of their brain-dead equally immoral parents. I have encountered that disgrace more times than I can recall.
Just look at the putrid leadership we have – starting with a Negro Marxist /Zionist sock-puppet 'President' – who can't even prove his citizenship – a 100% Jew cabinet – and pure 100% ass-kissing ambitious war criminal military leaders with ABSOLUTELY no MORALS – NO compassion – no souls, and KNOWING FULL WELL – that their heinous crimes protected NO American in ANY Way – and whose greed and lust for power are loyal ONLY to the Jews and Jew puppets who they so eagerly grovel to.
General 'BETRAY-US' and General 'McWARMONGER' are two examples of criminal thugs. I would RELISH to see these 'IsraHELL first' – Godless hypocrites, HUNG for their sadistic grizzly crimes! These criminals are the EXACT type who would command military troops to murder civilians in our own neighborhoods if commanded to. A Marine base called 29 Palms has already proven that disgraceful terrifying FACT! I have known their evil ilk my whole life! I have witnessed this type of Jew brutality in Palestine. It is a killing field more brutal and sadistic than even the mass murders of Cambodia.
Remember the Genocide in Cambodia under Pol Pot ? ( a Marxist who learned his killing art form the Jew Commissars of the USSR) It was considered one of the world's most horrible mass killings – YET the genocide our brave young killers have committed in Iraq – FACTUALLY EXCEEDS CAMBODIA ( 1.7 million) IN NUMBER OF MURDERS! That is a truth you will NEVER Learn form our Jew controlled MSM. Have you ever bothered to ask your local church – or newspaper – or TV station – WHY you were never told – or do you even give a damn any more as long as you have your fancy SUV – your credit cards and cold beer?
And after all – YOUR son is a 'GOOD' boy and would NEVER do such horrid things – right? Most of those two million civilians must have slipped on camel dung and hit their heads – right?
NONE – not ONE of these killers in desert camos today are ANYTHING but cold-blooded murdering bastards. Do your own net searches and see the horrible crimes they commit 24-7 against defenseless civilians in their OWN homes in their OWN country. Next time you see of of these bastards home on leave – remember – he is a CRIMINAL – a monster and should be treated as such.
The rapes – cold-blooded execution murders – and beatings of innocent terrified innocent human beings go on 24 hours a day. Only a VERY VERY small percentage of the TRUE number of crimes will EVER be shown or filmed. Even so, the factual evidence of these atrocities are LEGION! Helicopter gunships murdering dozens of helpless children and elderly in the streets – young girls being raped beaten to death and burned – an old man on HIS OWN STREET gunned down by a dozen brave armed US killers – fathers dragged our of their homes – bound & gagged shot in the head and thrown in drainage ditches like dogs. Their terrible crimes? Trying to defend their OWN wives and children!
See these atrocities for yourself. In quantity savage sadistic cruelty and frequency they are unparalleled in modern warfare! In just the 24 hours of the Memorial day it self – these scum we are supposed to honor for "keeping us free" or other cute little lying Jew clichés to keep us dumbed down and continue our endless serial wars and genocides against people who have NEVER DONE ANYBODY HERE ANY HARM OR HAVE NEVER EVER BEEN ANY REMOTE THREAT IN ANY WAY – will murder in cold-blood a lot more innocent souls for the greater glory of the Jew.
Do you know how many more women and children must be raped – beaten to death shot – blown to pieces by bombs and heavy artillery – incinerated by white phosphorous – and other horrible deaths? Care to guess? We have already slaughtered a MINIMUM of TWO MILLION CIVILIANS. Take that figure times the months and years we have been MURDERING these poor people – there will be ONE THOUSAND MORE DEAD BABIES WOMEN AND CHILDREN in that 24 hour period while we BRAVE American party animals get drunk and party and stuff our fat faces as we pat our respects to the murderers our Godless Jew dominate society has created to protect IsraHELL!
These poor souls do not get a 3 day 'holiday' – so there will be more like THREE THOUSAND MORE corpses that we can gloat over having murdered by Tuesday morning. Have a great orgy – party animals – your Jew masters will be proud. I have spoken ONLY the truth – a dirty word in 2010 AmeriKa. I can practically guarantee that by this time next year – we WILL be a police state and anyone who DARES to speak out against evil as I have – will have the Jew Gestapo at his door and will disappear – legally of course from the then totally Jew controlled Federal Judicial System.
We are only a HEART BEAT away from that EXACT scenario at this moment in time – for those of you who can tear yourselves away from your cold-Bud and tailgate parties long enough to see what is before your very eyes . Like it or not – what I said is the truth and you had damn well better give it thought before the 'though police' come to your home. May God forgive you for doing nothing to save our own country from Jew greed and goy stupidity. Now go out and party – or be an AMERICAN!
My name is Joe Cortina. I was a 60s Green Beret commander and a representative for IBM as well as a scientist for Honeywell Aerospace in Florida. I later became President of my own manufacturing company. I have two sons and 2 granddaughters who are the reason for my dedication to expose the threats to the freedoms I hope to see them enjoy as I did many decades ago when America was still a Christian-based sovereign nation free of Zionist influence.
Book Of John Chapter 8 – as Christ damns the Jews ( and NOT JUST THE HIGH PRIESTS AND Pharisees – see notes below)
" Ye do the deeds of your father (the devil). If God were your father. ye would love me; for I proceed forth and came from God: neither came I of myself, but He sent me."
" Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie – he speaketh of his own; ( the Jews) for he is a liar, and the father of it"
"That this SATANIC FATHERHOOD cannot be limited to the Pharisees is MADE CLEAR in 1 John 3;8-10"
Matthew 23:15 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are."
"You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?" (Jesus – to the Jews; in Matthew 23:33)
"My opinion of Christian Zionists? They're scum. But don't tell them that. We need all the useful idiots we can get right now."
— Benyamin Netanyahu, at the time a former IsraHELL prime minister


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Here are some questions that will help you understand your current situation:
Are you living to get through the day instead of getting from it? Are you proactively planning for your week, your year, or are trying to deal with the crisis that are coming your way? Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed by the amount of responsibility you take on? When we get overwhelmed by our challenges, we start living on the defensive, managing the adversity we take on. Living on the defensive will prevent you from actively growing, taking care of your needs and living outside the fear-zone.
The best way to stop feeling overwhelmed is starting to take an honest look at what your week looks like: Do you have systems in place to keep yourself healthy and your mind focused? Are you developing skills you need to be better prepared when crisis hits? Does it feel like you struggle with similar situations of stress regularly - maybe it is time to establish systems to deal with those struggles. Do you fuel your body with foods that keep it energized and strong? Those are questions which help you define your situation and possible areas of improvement. It will enable you to take the long view versus defending against short term struggle.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tonight I have had a lot of Election Memories.
The coverage of the Iowa returns has especially brought back memories as that is where my first memories of voting come from.
One of my earliest memories is walking down to Evans Junior High School in Ottumwa with my parents and standing in the voting booth while they voted. I remember them using a voting machine similar to what is in the picture above.
For more about this voting machine, look at my post: Old Voting Machine
Another memory from Iowa is my Dad running for different offices on the American Independent Party ticket. He was even a Presidential Elector Candidate one year. He also ran for mayor of Ottumwa.
I also remember going with my Dad one election night to the Ottumwa Court House to see the election results come in. I remember them writing the results on a chalk board.
For those of my readers who have ties to Ottumwa, I am sure you have memories of driving past and seeing Chief Wapello on top of the building.
Click on Chief Wapello to learn more about him.
I remember helping my Dad make campaign material and even going with him to record a radio spot.
Later I remember staying up with my parents listening to the election results when we lived in Kansas.
I even worked on a couple of campaigns, but those stories will have to wait for another time. Although I did hear an interview today with a former governor of Kansas, whose inauguration I went to many years ago after helping campaign for him.
The pictures above and below are from my Primary Election Day post.
I added another sticker to my collection today.
This evening I have been watching the election returns while making a nice dinner and doing a bit of reading.
I am always intrigued by the maps and statistics that they use to determine when to call an election. There have been some interesting explanations of how candidates have won.
Now to see how the last few races end up, including my congressional district.
Did you vote?


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- Two grants to improve the quality of kindergarten education in the Central Region of Ghana through a Transformational Teacher Training programme
- Grants of £19,946 and £19,500 for the first and second year of the programme respectively
The Sabre Charitable Trust is an education charity working in Ghana to improve the future of poor and marginalised children. Through 10 years of grassroots work in rural schools and a close relationship with the Ghana Education Service, the kindergarten sector has emerged as the charity's priority intervention area. Its Brighter Futures Programme tackles the challenges faced by the sector through two key programmes, Building Better Schools and providing Transformational Teacher Training (TTT).
Sabre's TTT programme targets the shortage of trained kindergarten teachers and addresses the need for low cost appropriate learning materials. In Ghana only 51% of kindergarten teachers have received any form of training. Appropriate learning materials are in extremely short supply. The TTT programme is training serving kindergarten teachers in 16 government schools over two years as well as two successive cohorts of Early Childhood Diploma student teachers from OLA College of Education during their one-year practical placement. Through the project, a network of 40 Model Practice Classrooms has been established across the Central Region of Ghana, which will host successive groups of student teachers on placement in future.
To ensure the sustainability of the placement network, mentor training has been provided to the 55 serving teachers, developing coaching skills to enable them to offer independent support for student teachers on future placements. Already 147 trainees have completed the first year of the training course. These beneficiaries include kindergarten teachers, head teachers, student teachers and Education Officers from Ghana Education Service. In 2014, the TTT project was recognised by the World Bank as a promising pre-school practice in Africa. The project also resulted in a 103% increase in student-teacher achievement of a top grade practical assessment.
The project has been designed to fit into the Ghana Education Service and College framework for supporting third year student-teacher placements. From August 2015, responsibility for delivery of training to the student teachers will transfer to OLA College and its team of trainers, trained by the project.
Outputs so far include:
- By July 2015, 55 Teachers in 40 Model Practice Classrooms will have received two years of intensive training and be able to implement the new kindergarten pedagogy and mentor student teachers placed in their classrooms
- By July 2015, 137 Newly Qualified Teachers will have graduated and be implementing their learning in their own classrooms
- Already 2,960 kindergarten pupils are benefiting from being taught in the new play-based pedagogy by the Newly Qualified Teachers
- A Teacher Learning Materials toolkit has been created and is available in every Model Practice Classroom for teachers to make their own classroom resources from low cost reclaimed materials
- Kindergarten-specific Parent Teacher Association meetings have been established to sensitise local parents to the importance of early years education and the benefits of learning though play
Early outcomes:
- Improved early childhood education for kindergarten pupils in the Model Practice Classrooms and taught by Newly Qualified Teachers from the programme, evidenced by improved child development outcomes
- Successful implementation of the new Ghana Education Service child-centred, active and play-based pedagogy for kindergarten in a range of government schools
- High quality practice demonstrated in a network of 40 Model Practice Classrooms across the region, able to support 80 high quality student teacher placements each year
- Successful development of the TTT methodology for enhancing pre-service kindergarten teacher training, ready for replication in other regions of Ghana
"Phonics as a part of the programme is having a lot
of positive impact……. I would like to implement in
my own classroom when I become a teacher."
Student Teacher


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Motherboard (Protector)
Chris Orr, 2019, ink on rag, 75x97cm
Digital print with archival ink to 100% cotton rag.
970mm h x 750mm w (framed 1000 x 780mm) / 650mm h x 500mm w (framed 680 x 530mm).
Victorian ash timber frame, painted white.
Edition of 5
Madonna del Cardellino (Madonna of the Goldfinch) by Pietro Ermini (1814, printed engraving) after Raphael (1505-1506, oil on wood)ORDER A PRINT OR BLOCK


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Locksmith365 provides the full range of Residential Locksmith Services.
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As well as repairing and maintaining your locks, our experienced locksmiths can offer free and impartial advice on how you can upgrade your home security system.
Locksmith365 specializes in many different security areas for residents, including:
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- Many other residential lock and security services
You can count on Locksmith365's professional, licensed locksmiths to be available 24/7 for any residential locking and security situation.
Call us today for immediate assistance or a free consultation!


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Book review for
The Guardian
By Nicholas Sparks
book synopsis on goodreads.com
I liked this book. It was a romance and a thriller. The main character's husband passed away (we never get to meet him in the book it starts 40 days after he passes) and we get to see her years later trying to date. I won't go into much more detail, you can read the synopsis for that. But I rated it 4/5. I think the beginning was a lot of character building, but the closer to the end it really picks up and you just don't want to stop reading. I could not put the book down and I think at one point I read it for five hours straight!


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Turbosound Aspect Series Key to Virginia Partners' Upgrade
Turbosound's Aspect Series at the Weinberg Center for the Performing Arts in February 2005
Owner of Virginia-based audio company Soundworks, Steve Payne, and Mike Southard, the owner of Southard Audio (Mt. Crawford, Va.) have collaborated for more than 20 years while serving the regional live sound market. As part of a conscious effort to overlap, they use similar equipment when possible. Both considered improving their sound systems, but were unsure what piece of gear would be turn key for an updated sound.
"After hearing some demos, we both concluded that moving to flyable line array technology would require us to buy too many speakers and move away from the ground-stack method we use in 90 percent of our shows," Southard says. "We quickly realized that while we'd get a marketing boost out of saying we had the capability to do line arrays, they're really made for very specific applications. The problem is a lot of people are trying to put a round peg line array into a square hole. We didn't want to go that route."
Both loved the Turbosound TFL-760Hs Floodlight loudspeakers that they had, despite the fact they were being challenged by ever-larger shows with more complex sound needs. Payne and Southard didn't have to stray too far from their loudspeaker comfort zone to find an answer to the problem: Bring the Turbosound Aspect Series onboard. In January 2005, Southard Audio and Soundworks became the first companies to take possession of the new Aspect loudspeakers.
Employing Turbosound's patented Polyhorn™ technology that allows adjacent cabinets to integrate seamlessly in an array configuration, Aspect Series loudspeakers allow Payne to continue to ground stack while achieving some of the same sound qualities that exist in a traditional flown line array.
"The problem with a traditional ground stack is that when you put multiple speakers together, patterns can converge and the sound can change as you walk through the overlapping patterns," Payne says. "With the Aspect's unique horn design, you can put multiple boxes side-by-side and you get a sound that's extremely smooth, almost as smooth as a line array. These speakers come as close to anything I've heard in duplicating the sound you get in a flown line array."
As they gear up for the start of the long event season ahead, both Payne and Southard are confident they have a loudspeaker that's going to take their business to new heights. The new Turbosound Aspect Series speakers will see virtually every kind of show in a schedule that can include up to 40 shows a month. Payne notes, "These speakers will help us maintain our image as a respected touring sound company. In this business you can't let yourself be perceived as being behind the curve. The Aspects are a quantum leap forward, and our hats go off to Turbosound for coming up with a speaker system that's not just another 'me too' line array system."
Southard says the Aspects will give him flexibility, ease of setup and unrivaled sonic capabilities. "They're not only cleverly designed, but they're light weight," he says. "At 130 pounds, they're going to be easy for us to set up. But the big advantage is the sound quality. The Aspects come very close to rivaling line arrays in situations for which line arrays are the best solution, and they far exceed line array quality in the many situations where line arrays aren't the right answer."
For more information, please go to www.turbosound.com and


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These days, finding a plot of land in social media advertising real estate is getting more and more competitive. In a bid to keep up with media giants Twitter and Facebook, Pinterest has entered the battle for the attention spans of the masses.
With over 150 million monthly users, the "world's catalog of ideas," provides tons of opportunity to reach new customers. Now with added enhancements for a more precision ad campaign, Pinterest is making it easier for your content to be seen by the right people, at the right time. Here are some of the key changes.
Target users based on past interaction
Pinterest users are not just looking for inspiration; they're also looking to buy. With the goal of helping businesses sell, the visually stimulating social media platform has changed the way you can target users. Pinterest now allows you to target audiences based on how they've interacted with your page in the past by retargeting these five actions:
- clicks
- likes
- comments
- saves
- closeups
Users typically save posts while on the go or if they plan to go back and look later, and even with the best intentions, that may not happen. By targeting audiences based on past engagement with your content, you're giving them a gentle reminder by getting the content in front of them again. According to Pinterest's business blog, "people who've clicked on a Pin are 4.4 times more likely to take action on that Pin in the future," and people who have interacted with a brand-related pin within the past 30 days are 2.2 times more likely to buy a product from that brand than people who don't interact with a pin related to that brand.
Needless to say, these improvements will be indispensible to brands looking to get their content or products back in front of interested users.
Retarget visitors to your website on Pinterest
The newest update allows businesses to capitalize on engagement and traffic by adding the Pinterest tag to company websites. Once you've placed the code, you can target audiences on Pinterest based on actions taken on your website. For example: you can create a targeted campaign for customers that have added an item to the shopping cart, signed up for an email list, watched a video, or browsed through a certain category.
These new enhancements allow you to do things like identify customers who've spent high dollar amounts and target them for a future big purchase. If customers have searched for a particular product in the past, you can target them with a similar product. Pinterest says, "A simple way to get started is by using specific URLs from pages on your site – like your checkout or confirmation page – and then retargeting the people on Pinterest who've visited those pages in the past."
With Pinterest's latest round of enhancements, we have opportunities to get our content in front of eyes that have proven to be interested. How will you use these improvements to help grow your business?


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Common every day cleaning soap operas use the Multi Camera technique as a result of many scenes can be captured from a variety of angles. That is probably the most troublesome to categorise precisely, however is generally one which reveals the picture as approximately "life" dimension ie similar to the real distance between the audience and the display in a cinema (the figure of a person would seem as six feet tall).
Low angles are captured from a camera positioned below the actor's eyes, looking up at them. It is a utterly totally different and considerably unnatural point of view which can be used for dramatic impact or for displaying a different spatial perspective.
Worm's-eye view is a shot that is looking up from the ground, and is meant to present the viewer the sensation that they're trying up at the character from method below and it's meant to show the view that a toddler or a pet would have. They approximate the points of view of diminutive topics like children and pets.
After all, entrance and rear angles also improve depth with moving topics, however they ship other indicators as well. Because the title suggests, level-of-view shots are angles through which the digicam incorporates a character's eyes. A shot looking up at a character or topic often making them look greater within the frame.
A crane (or jib), is a large, heavy piece of kit, however is a helpful manner of shifting a digicam – it may transfer up, down, left, right, swooping in on action or moving diagonally out of it. The camera operator and digital camera are counter-balanced by a heavy weight, and trust their safety to a talented crane/jib operator.


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Modern English's Robbie Grey Chats with Rewind
Modern English Play the Hollow in Albany tonight! We caught up with their frontman Robbie Grey to catch up ahead of the show.
Modern English has got "the band back together" with four-fifths of their original lineup. They recently put out their first new album together in 30 years called 'Take Me To the Trees.' The band is currently on the road in support of the new album and TONIGHT the play at The Hollow Bar and Kitchen in downtown Albany.
We got a chance to chat a little bit with their front man Robbie Grey ahead of tonight's show to find out how the gang sort of reconnected and decided to make music together again, get a little insight on the new record, and what we can expect from their live show tonight! You can listen to our full interview below.
If you are interested in seeing Modern English live tickets for the show will be available at the door tonight for $23.


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Skincare is the heart of Korean beauty and the foundation to a picture perfect face. We searched high and low for top notch ingredients, interesting textures and innovative packaging. Our picks below are easy to use and most of all, they're so fun that you'll want to keep using them! Some things are not too good to be true.
Mizon All-in-One Snail Repair Cream
$38.00 $19.00
May Coop Mini Raw Sauce
be the skin Botanical Pore Toner
Peach & Lily 3 SHEET MASKS SET
Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream
$22.00 $20.00
Mizon Hyaluronic Acid 100
$42.00 $21.00
Shangpree Marine Energy Eye Mask
Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule
$38.00 $27.00
be the skin Botanical Pore Serum


text: A visit to the Nation's capital wouldn't be complete without pausing at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. The names of 58,272 fallen and missing soldiers are etched into the reflective stone. Attempting to capture the sheer magnitude of this scene in a single frame is quite challenging. Rather than using a wide angle lens to show more, I opted for a telephoto lens to isolate a lone red rose. It's a solemn, but touching reminder of this tragic war.


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Listen to the full episode below:
Subscribe to us on iTunes.
Watch my interview with Jason Storms on YouTube:
Our host, Colin Gunn of Gunn Productions, interviews Jason Storms. Jason is an anti-abortion advocate. He also has a unique take on evangelizing college students and he runs the Faithful Soldier: School of Evangelism, a mentorship program at Mercy Seat Church. Colin and Jason discuss how Jason mentors small groups of youth through academic and "hands-on" biblical training in evangelism.


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I have been writing this blog for more than a year now. It all started as a way to remind myself where I had been and how had I gotten to where I was. But it ended up being a resource for starting creatives, because while I was telling myself all the steps that I followed to become whom I wanted to be, I was actually creating a source of information for people who are where I was back then and didn't know how to make their career dreams come true. But today my blog is much more than that. It has evolved into a key piece of my marketing strategy with results that go far beyond my initial expectations.
Writing a blog, no matter the subject, is hard work. It's setting some time aside every week to spill your thoughts on the blank page. And sometimes you have loads of things to say, but other times you are so busy with life that your brain just doesn't seem to be able to put two thoughts together. It requires commitment, because if you promise a post every week you can't skip a single week or you will risk disappointing and loosing your readers. It requires research, because even though you should talk about the things you know, you must contrast your information so that you don't mislead your followers. And it requires love, love and passion for what you write about, because it will be the only way to engage your audience.
But not matter how much work and effort it takes to put a blog together, the rewards are bigger than the sacrifices:
1. Writing my blog has helped me show my existing and potential clients how much passion I put into my craft and this translates into the trust they put on me.
2. There is no better life led than the one that is led trying to help others succeed.
3. The traffic on my website has grown from 10 visits a month to 200 visits a week since I started writing my blog. And on the day that I post I get an average of 71 visitors on that post.
4. But most importantly, it has helped me grow as a person and as a professional. Because by wearing my heart on my sleeve every week I have learned so much about myself that it has helped me work on my weaknesses and improve my strengths.
So if you are thinking on a way to diversify your marketing strategy, writing a blog can be a good idea. My last piece of advice would be that if you decide to do it you have to go all the way or you will do your brand more harm than good.
Do you like what you just read? Subscribe to the weekly blog posts here!


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I love podcasts. And if you've listened to pretty much any mainstream podcast, you've probably heard an ad for Squarespace on your favourite show. In addition to sponsoring tons of podcasts, Squarespace has also added podcasting seamlessly into it's website builder.
There's something cool about the fact that someone could listen to a podcast, hear a Squarespace ad, be inspired to start a podcast of their own, and then use Squarespace to host and manage their new creative endeavour.
I also plan on using Squarespace for my own audio projects! So I thought I'd create a little tutorial video showing you how to create a podcast using Squarespace. If you've been itching to launch your own show, Squarespace is a fantastic platform to do it on.
Why Squarespace?
Over and above dedicated podcast hosting services, Squarespace is first and foremost, a website builder. It's designed to manage and host website of every size. From blogs and portfolios to businesses and online stores, Squarespace will take care of pretty much anything you need (with very few limitations).
With Squarespace, you can provide your podcast with a "home" -- a single place where all your listeners can go to learn more about your show. Plus, the platform makes it really easy to host your files, share new episodes on social media and access your RSS feed. They also have a really great podcasting article on their site and an awesome support team in case you ever get stuck.
What You Need To Get Started
- Squarespace Account.
- Title (255 characters or less).
- Subtitle (255 characters or less).
- Host(s) Name.
- Description/Summary (max 4000 characters).
- Cover Art (1400x1400px in PNG format recommended).
Step 1: Create A New Blog Page
From the Squarespace dashboard, click on the "+" icon to create a new blog page. Give your new page a Navigation Title (it can be something like "episodes" or "podcast").
Next, open the Page Settings by clicking on the gear icon. Your Page Title will be partly used to display your show's name. Your RSS feed will display your show's title as set by your Collection Title Format. Navigate to "Advanced" and click the checkbox for "Enable iTunes RSS Tags"
Step 2: Enable RSS Tags
Once you've enabled iTunes RSS tags, a number of other fields will appear. This is where you'll fill out all the info that iTunes and other podcatchers use to find and display your episodes for new listeners.
Under "Author", put name of the host(s) of your show. Enter a couple brief sentences (255 characters max) for your show's Subtitle and then move onto Summary. Summary will be used next to your podcast's title so be sure to provide an accurate, detailed description of your show that will hook in new listeners. Set expectations early so listeners won't be disappointed!
Think of a couple of search keywords (SEO helps a ton with this) for your podcast and then select a category for your show (Arts, Comedy, Business, Society and Culture, etc). iTunes Owner Name and Email will be the name and email you use when you submit your feed to iTunes.
Next, upload your cover art! Cover art is one of the biggest factors that will convince people to listen to your show. The minimum requirement for cover art in iTunes is 1400 x 1400 px in PNG or JPEG format (though you can use up to 3000 x 3000 px).
Save your blog and there you have it! You've set up your podcast in Squarespace!
... Well, not quite yet. We still need to upload an episode!
Step 3: Create A New Post
To publish new episodes of your podcast, you'll need to create a new post inside of your podcast's Blog Page. Click on the "+" icon to create a new post.
Your post's title will be used as your episode's title. You can use up to 255 characters but titles tend to get cut off around 155 characters or so (even more on mobile devices).
Next is the most important step, uploading your episode file. Add an "Audio Block" to your post and upload your episode. In the top right corner, click on the "Podcasting" tab.
The "Subtitle" RSS tag is hardly used anywhere so I usually use episode's title in this field. Use the description box to provide a detailed description of your show (up to 4000 characters). Fill out a few keywords related to the content of your episode and enter in the length of your episode in the required format. Finally, you are given the ability to flag whether or not your episode is explicit.
Save everything and you're ready to test the feed!
Step 4: Test Your Feed
To find your RSS feed, simply add "?format=rss" to your podcast's url. For example;
To test your feed, use your favourite podcatching service to manually add a feed. Paste in your show's RSS feed and subscribe to it. Make adjustments as necessary. In the tutorial, I needed to configure my Collection Title format to adjust my show's title. Collection Titles can be changed by going to the Squarespace Dashboard > Settings > Marketing > SEO.
Further Reading
Squarespace Support - Podcasting With Squarespace
Squarespace Support - Using The Audio Block


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Everyone needs a great pair of sneakers in their fashion arsenal. To me, a sneaker is a casual shoe (with laces or velcro or some sort of fastener) that can be worn with anything from jeans to leggings to skirts. It can be leather, mesh or fabric, embellished or plain but it shouldn't be something that can be considered a full-on running shoe (although there are definitely some that blur the line, like number #4 on our list).
Looking for a little sneaker inspiration this fall, here are our 'Girl in Focus' Tara Teng's Top 5 choices, all available at Coquitlam Centre.
Add a little extra something to your sneakers and jeans uniform with these embroidered sneakers from Aldo. Afterall, embroidered shoes are everything right now!
Kinza Embroidered Sneakers Available at Aldo $75*
Ultra Soft
A lightweight, foot-fitting statement sneaker that is perfect for a busy girl on the go. Vancouver-based SKYE Footwear spent 2 years designing these shoes which are MADE for fall in Vancouver. The 4-way stretch material is designed to be comfortable, flexible, warm, water repellent and fast drying.
The Powll SKYE Footwear Sneakers Available at Below the Belt $146*
Ok so these pinky nude satin sneakers might not be super practical (rain=water spots) but I don't care! I love the rose gold accents and subtle platform plus the pinky nude colour is so on trend this fall!
Kendall + Kylie Rae Platform Sneakers Available at Town Shoes $178*
Classic Mesh
Yes, yes, these are TECHNICALLY running shoes but I think they are just way to pretty waste on the gym. Pair with your favourite pair of jeans and a "Girl Power" t-shirt or with track pants and an oversized sweater.
Nike Lunarepic Low Flyknits Available at Foot Locker $190*
Sparkly shoes aren't just for special occasions! Add a little glam to your street style with these glittery platform sneakers.
Alexea Sneakers Available at GUESS $95*
*Prices quoted are regular prices, before taxes. Price and availability are subject to change. Please see stores for details.


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Sarah and Forest - Missoula, MT - In Home Session
Sarah and Forest have been friends of ours for years. They are the owners of RMSP (Rocky Mountain School of Photography) and have incorporated our teaching and courses as a part of their intensive program for their students. David went out in 2016 to teach and became good friends with Sarah and Forest, after knowing them online for years and years though Flickr.
After our week of teaching 9-5 daily, Sarah and Forest had us come over for waffles on Saturday morning and I snapped some pics of them in their cute little home right up by the mountains in Missoula. They have two of the quirkiest little cats (which of course, were forced to be in the pictures) and it was so much fun capturing their little family in their element.


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It does not impose proprietary properties, but offers and / or suggest the use of standard data from international or local standards that will promote the standardisation of properties in projects and the interoperability with different software on the market.
Main characteristics of this system :
Depending on the BIM software used, or more generally, according to the identified BIM process, the platform allows the connection between the software or process requirements and available properties, thus making all objects on the platform interoperable.
What happens if a property is not available on the platform?
When a property is not available, the user can create his or her own property. Furthermore, if this property has a know repository or use, the user can propose its adoption by the BIM&CO community, and its official integration to the platform. After validation, this property becomes available to all users, thus fostering standardisation.
Defining properties for private use
With BIM&CO, it is also possible to define a set of properties for private use. Within a work group, an administrator can define a set of properties that will only be seen and used by the members of this group.
BIM is in constant evolution, requirements change, and the BIM&CO platform allows you to add properties to objects according to the evolution of clients' requests. If the properties to be added do not exist on the platform, the user can add them to a private or public list in a few minutes.
BIM&CO integrates and shall add international standards on the standardisation of properties required for a given field.
For example, the standard ISO 16757 defines the properties required for heating, ventilation and air conditioning object (HVAC).
Excerpt from the introduction of this standard: ISO 16757-1 2015
… There are many manufacturers, who provide products to certain sectors of building services (such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning, sanitary). Others provide only certain product groups (radiators, heaters, air condition equipment, air pipes, valves, devices).
Classical catalogues provide product data in tables and show the design algorithms in diagrams and design rules. In addition to the technical properties required for functional design and calculation (e.g. in the form of curve diagrams), such catalogues also contain the geometry data needed for dimensional design and construction (e.g. in the form of dimensional drawings with port details) and the descriptive objects serving for visualization (such as photos, video sequences, or acoustical sequences).
Additionally, nearly all big manufacturers provide their own software (mostly for free) as electronic catalogues to select, to design, and to calculate their products.
Unfortunately, none of these software solutions meets all the requirements of the planner. Needless to say, that each program contains only the product range of its manufacturer. So it is not possible to perform a continuous planning of the plant with products of different manufacturers.
Thus, it is desirable to provide engineering applications which are independent from the manufacturers. The next problem is that data files from different manufacturers — if available at all — are organized in different data formats, structures, and terminologies.
Independent CAD-systems and calculation software need to get data and algorithms in a uniform way. Only if product data and algorithms are automatically available, the calculation and simulation of a complete HVAC plant is possible.
Software providers cannot afford to provide all data from all product manufacturers in the format required by their system. Also, product manufacturers cannot provide current information about their products in the formats of all potential software systems. Thus, we have a typical situation where standardization is required to improve the exchange of information between business partners.
Within single product groups (e.g. radiators), national initiatives to standardize exchange formats have already been conducted. But there is a lack of unification of existing formats across all product groups.
Required is a uniform, internationally standardised definition for product catalogue data interchange.
Such a definition eliminates the need to manage different data formats and to use different software systems to deal with products of different manufacturers, and this leads to a significant reduction of costs for manufacturers and users. Integrating this data into BIM-systems (Building Information Modelling) allows data interchange between IT systems. In addition, to the benefit for planning, there will be an amount of advantages for other software solutions, e.g. facility management and life cycle management.
This International Standard offers for the first time an interface which allows the uniform handling of data about technical, commercial, maintenance, service, as well as geometry, images, video, and text information.


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Remote Control Transmitters Face to Face Copy Control Car Garage Door Key Electric Universal Sliding Motorized Gate Opener Clone Garage Door Remote . Buy Leezo Universal Gate Opener Car Garage Door Cloning Remote Control Key Starter 433mhz (ABCD): Keypads & Remotes – Amazon.com ✓ FREE . XCSOURCE 4pcs Electric Cloning Universal Gate Garage Door Opener Remote Control Fob 433mhz Replacement Key Fob HS641 . I have a garage door fob given to me by the HOA that opens the gate to the complex, but then I need a second one to open my own garage . Hi I live in an apartment and I want to purchase a garage door opener remote that I can somehow "clone" off my original one that I recieved. Skylink 69P Universal Garage Door Opener 1 Button Keychain Remote Control . (5)Repeat step 3 and 4 to clone additional buttons to your clone remote. Results 1 – 48 of 20984 – 4 Buttons Cloning Garage Door Remote Control Key Fob 433mhz . et élégant en font une télécommande de très grande qualité. Universal Cloning Electric Gate Garage Door Remote Control Key Fob 433mhz, New Car Alarms & Security For . Grand, I'll take 2 off you, when you get back.Leave a Comment
Tag: transmitter
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Lauren Anne
Mason 2016 Senior
I had the pleasure to capture Mason as he enters his senior year of High School. He is off to my Alma Mater Penn State to play Baseball!! He was such a good sport as I had him in front of my lens for quite awhile!!Read More


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Property ID : BRG20160447
For Sale $85,000 Total (negotiable) - Condominium
It's approximatly 800m far from Phnom Penh Sports Club. Building size: 116 sqm including common area, 96sqm the condo alone (5th floor). Condo has parking available, swimming pool planned on roof of second building plannned ( nearly finished ).
Currently rented for $200 per month, contract can be terminated with 2 month advance notice, possibly even earlier Building was finished in 2014 Several elevators and security Great peaceful view from the balcony.
Asking price: $85,000 (negotiable). Tel: 012 258 809 / 016 835 511. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Too much aerobic exercise may be destroying your body, but weightlifting can save it! World-renowned strength and conditioning educator, Charles Poliquin, reveals what he's learned to tune the human body to its optimal working state using his decades of experience and knowledge training elite professional athletes and Olympians who have won hundreds of medals. Everything you think you know about exercise and its effects on the human body is wrong and Charles is here dispel those commonly believed myths that have been breaking down your body on the cellular level and making you susceptible to degenerative brain diseases later on life.
Enjoy the show!
0:00 – Butcher Box
1:35 – Cool fact of the day
2:45 – Desert Farms
4:00 – FATwater
5:00 – Welcome Charles Poliquin
6:40 – Maintaining muscle mass as you age
10:00 – Aerobic exercise
13:50 – Is Dave under-training?
15:00 – Peptides and SARMs
18:45 – Reversing muscle loss protocol
26:00 – Safety with drugs
28:00 – Incorporating peptides over testosterone
32:00 – How to eat
41:00 – Food intolerance tests
1:00:00 – Free book at http://strengthsensei.com/bulletproof
Butcher Box
Desert Farms
Strength Sensei
Muscle Logic Book
HB1AC (Glycated hemoglobin)
Cyrex Laboratories
Dr. Daniel Amen
Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin
The Bulletproof Diet
Brain Octane
SARMs: A Potential Way To Build More Muscle


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Famous faces set to light up Grand Pier for charity fundraiser
PUBLISHED: 14:00 17 February 2018
Neil Phillips Photography
A flurry of famous faces will descend on Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier for a fundraising spectacular.
Legendary British boxer Chris Eubank, TV's Quentin Wilson, former Dragons Den stalwart Theo Paphitis, current Dragons Den investor Deborah Meaden and acclaimed fashion designer Jeff Banks will be among the stars attending the glittering gala, in Marine Parade, on March 3.
There are a handful of tickets still available which include a three-course dinner, lavish drinks reception and live entertainment.
The event is the eighth bi-annual memorial ball staged by the Axentis Michael Charitable Trust, which started as a small charity memorial to remember and honour the life of former Weston hotelier Axentis Michael, who died in 2003.
The trust has since grown into one of the town's largest charitable concerns.
Working alongside the Prince's Trust, all the funds raised are distributed to those most in need in the community.
They have now raised more than £1million in memorial ball events, with the last shindig, in December 2016, raising a record £252,000 in just one evening.
Among the items up for grabs this year are day trips on a luxury yacht, the chance to drive an old Formula One car plus a number of items donated by world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, including a replica world championship belt, signed gloves and signed shorts.
Meaden will once again offer a behind-the-scenes tour of the Dragon's Den set along with a meet and greet and lunch with all the entrepreneurs.
This experience was sold at the last ball for £5,000.
Alex Demetriou, from the Axentis Michael Charitable Trust, said: "This event is the highlight of the social calendar and we are very grateful to everybody who helps us to assist those in our community who are most in need.
"Thanks to the generosity of businesses, friends and supporters, through the donations of goods and services, the memorial ball has no direct costs, which means every single pound we raise on the night will go to worthy causes within our catchment area."
The Axentis Michael memorial ball will take place at the Grand Pier on March 3 at 7pm.
Tickets, priced £85, are available from www.grandpier.co.uk or 01934 646155.


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Greenskies Purchased By Clean Focus Yield
Accelerating growth with strong financial resources and wide reach
Middletown, CT (December 19, 2017)—Greenskies Renewable Energy LLC ("Greenskies") and its affiliates, have been purchased by Clean Focus Yield Limited and its affiliates, ("Clean Focus") an integrated group of renewable-energy companies with global reach. With this acquisition Clean Focus becomes the owner and operator of the largest commercial and industrial portfolio in the United States.
Greenskies, a leading vertically-integrated solar company in the United States, will continue to operate under its brand and management from its Middletown, Connecticut headquarters. All current Greenskies employees in Middletown will remain based at company headquarters, with additional personnel growth in Connecticut and across the country to support its rapid expansion.
Clean Focus adds to its already large commercial, industrial, and small-utility portfolio with the purchase of Greenskies and its operating portfolio. This acquisition makes Clean Focus one of the largest and fastest growing commercial solar developers and operators with a national footprint. Greenskies will benefit from increased financial resources and international scale to accelerate growth and to deliver best-in-class service to its customers.
"Clean Focus is excited to add Greenskies to its integrated group of companies. This acquisition strengthens Greenskies, grows Clean Focus, and provides new opportunities for our customers and financing partners," said Stanley Chin, President and CEO of Clean Focus. "We look forward to accelerated growth across a wide breadth of markets."
Greenskies expects to expand its base of large corporate and retail clients, including Fortune 50 national big-box retailers, government entities, and utilities. Greenskies intends to build out its project pipeline of 350 MW and expand into new segments including schools, hospitals, and community solar.
The management team of Greenskies is led by Will Herchel who has been president since November 2016 and joined the company in January 2012. "This purchase and investment is the next big step for Greenskies. We have seen explosive growth over the last five years, and this infusion of capital adds jet fuel to our business engine," Herchel said. "With the support of Clean Focus, Greenskies will accelerate its growth, and it is better prepared to weather potential headwinds in the solar market."
Greenskies Renewable Energy LLC, a Clean Focus company develops, constructs, and maintains clean, renewable-energy projects in the United States. Greenskies ensures that its customized solar solutions operate at peak performance and deliver maximum savings to its clients.
The Clean Focus group of companies originates, develops, finances, constructs, owns, and operates renewable-energy projects in the United States, Taiwan, and China. Clean Focus Yield owns and operates clean, renewable-energy projects in commercial, industrial, small-utility, and community solar. Our projects pass strict technical and credit criteria to ensure steady cash flows and attractive dividends for our investors.
Media Contact:
Stephen Jewett


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LibrarySearch online!
As from 3 July the TU/e Library will introduce LibrarySearch, a new interface for finding literature. It replaces the former TU/e library catalogue as well as the Discovery Focus.
Getting used to
LibrarySearch features search options that may be compared to those in Focus. There are differences, but we expect that most users will soon be accustomed to the new search method. Just as when you search for a full text in Focus, you will in most cases once you find a book or journal article immediately see a button via which you can click further to the text. And if TU/e has no license for such a publication, then you may just as in the past submit a request for document delivery via inter-library loan.
Access to LibrarySearch
LibrarySearch can be found on the library homepage under Search link.
Tips and tricks
On the library homepage you will find a link to the Search Tips page under Search.
Find tips for optimal use of LibrarySearch and also tips on the various journal lists and database lists.
Specific questions about LibrarySearch can be send to the LibrarySearch Helpdesk: email@example.com
Read more
Also read the article in Cursor


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Chance The Rapper's Intern Opens Up About Working For His Favorite Rapper & How One Night at Red Rocks Changed Everything/
You may recall a few months back when Chance The Rapper put out a request for an intern across his social media. Canada's Nagele Hospedales got the gig after turning his resume into a website that went viral. Recently, Hospedales opened up about what life was like touring the globe with Chicago's hometown hero. From arranging story time for the rapper with Dave Chappelle to coordinating Chance's hoops sessions with Migos, Hospedales eventually writes,
"I can talk all I want about my run-ins with various celebrities including the ones I lived with for 2 months, or how a taste of the VIP lifestyle changed me, but the first moment that really left shivers down my spine was a slightly more natural one:
Night 2 at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, CO.
The band intros happen nearly halfway thru the show, and after the ovation for 'Mr. Nico Segal', "Sunday Candy" begins. Suddenly, it was if the heavens literally opened up for a second; right as the vocalists harmonized the lines "Come on in this house, cause it's gonna rain, Rain down Zion, it's gonna rain", the most peaceful light mist fell from the sky until the end of the song and as suddenly as they started, ceased. Something about that moment made me realize that I, or rather we, were doing something right, enough so to please our God & Mother Nature & the sky themselves."
A life defining moment had at Red Rocks? We get you Hospedales.
Read Hospey's full adventures as Chance's intern here.
Follow Hannah on Instagram and Twitter.
All photos, videos, and embedded tracks per the artists featured and those credited. Cover photo per Julia Ordog. This feature was edited for brevity and clarity by BolderBeat.


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Betty is a Registered Dietitian who earned her B.S. diploma in Food and Nutrition from Marymount College of Fordham University and her M.S. diploma in Clinical Nutrition from New York University. It is also good for stopping macular degeneration and cataracts, and as a carotenoid, it additionally helps enhance the health of your hair. When your skin begins to lose some its elasticity causing it to sag and form wrinkles. In truth, typical therapy and maintenance could need to be a each day exercise, a number of like brushing hair and enamel, shaving, and showering. Vitamins might be consumed in quite a lot of methods Most frequent vitamins are acquired by means of the foods we eat, however depending on your cultural or cuisine traditions, it's possible you'll possibly have lower pure vitamin consumption. Skin firming vitamins can even be utilized externally over the skin to get good outcomes.
At a certain age, hair follicles might go through the process of allowing its linked hair strand to fall without producing a brand new one to take its place. If you discover you have lost some of your pores and skin elasticity by the conventional growing older course of, bettering facial pores and skin elasticity will be achieved by taking one of the best pores and skin tightening vitamins.
Pantothenic acid, or B5,works with several different B vitamins for a number of essential processes including breaking down fat, proteins, and carbohydrates into power and can be the B vitamin that is needed to type vitamin D, a wide range of hormones, and purple blood cells. Unlike skin lotions and lotions that attain only the outer layer of your pores and skin, vitamins work from the inside out, serving to to rebuild collagen, and reversing free-radical harm to your pores and skin at the mobile stage.
The Biotrex model of Vitamins is looking to develop into international locations or territories where language particular labeling is required which might be better managed through an affiliated company or sales organization throughout the goal country. It is a very well nicely-identified actuality that the majority forms of sea vegetation are extremely excessive in vitamin and mineral info and that comes with B dietary vitamins. Saved iron in hemoglobin (crimson blood cells), iron carries oxygen to physique cells and take carbon dioxide out of the physique, supports muscle function, enzymes, protein and vitality metabolism.
Most of the vitamins are carefully related to a corresponding vitamin deficiency disease. In regard to your skin it prevents no cost radical damage (believe that wrinkles), and guide you to generate collagen (assume engaging tight pores and skin). It is additionally a standout among the many most important vitamins that help to keep away from baldness issues. It is one of the many B-complicated vitamins and is available each in capsule-type vitamin B-complicated at your nearest drugstore. In reality, the B5 vitamin is important for turning meals into energy amongst different features. This company is a multi-degree advertising and marketing firm, their vitamins carry a hefty price tag.


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This project started out as an accessory for another planned KickStarter project - a smart TFT display for Arduino called CleO. Now, the display itself required 150mA current, fine, but when you add a camera with its LED lights, this goes up to 250mA and if you have 1W audio playing simultaneously, unlikely,but possible, then it would require 450mA of current at 5V in order to guarantee operation. You could the USB jack to supply 500mA power, but this doesn't leave much headroom to power other Arduino shields, so connecting a PSU to the DC jack seemed to be the answer. This started us thinking - well, the LDO regulator on an UNO and compatible boards is rated at 1A **but** how much current can you actually take without the regulator overheating and shutting down. We decided to measure it on a genuine UNO R3 board at 9V and 12V input, and the answer was surprisingly low especially with a 12V supply. Our measurements and test methodology are shared with you below.
The UNO R3 is the staple of most Arduino based projects but it's been around for a number of years and many of the features have been improved for example by Adafruit and Sparkfun who make excellent enhanced UNO compatibles. However, our additional requirements for a full 1A current without excess heat dissipation and FCC/CE conformity led us to consider a new 3rd party UNO compatible reference design that met these requirements hence the inspiration behind NerO. We were delighted with the results of our prototype so we decided to make it available in its own right for anyone to use. On launch we will make the NerO schematic and pcb design files available publicly as a reference design under OSHWA ( Open Source Hardware Association ) terms and welcome the community to benefit from our original design work.
NerO - Specification and Enhancements.
General Specification.
- 16MHz ATMega328 MCU with Optiboot Bootloader
- VIN Input voltage - 7V to 20V ( 9V or 12V recommended )
- UNO R3 form factor
- 14 Digital I/O Pins (6 PWM outputs)
- 6 Analog Inputs
- FTDI FT231XS USB UART interface
1. Micro USB connector
2. Status and PWR LEDs moved to edge of PCB - and remain visible when a shield is placed on the expansion connectors
3. On-Off Switch for added user convenience
4. FTDI FT231X USB UART ( Note 1 )
5. 5V Switching regulator vs LDO regulator ( Note 2 )
6. FCC/CE certified ( Note 3 )
7. Quality product - manufactured in Europe ( Note 4 )
Note 1 - FT231X is one of the latest X-series family of USB UART solutions from FTDI. It has larger communication buffers at a lower cost compared to our popular ubiquitous FT232R device. FT231X has 3.3V output levels and 5V tolerant inputs. FTDI provide drivers for its USB bridge devices across many platforms including certified drivers for Windows, including Windows 10.
Note 2 -The NerO Buck Switcher regulator is much more energy efficient than an LDO device especially at higher Voltage inputs. It can supply a full 1A current at 5V without breaking sweat, or anything else.
Great in all circumstances where external power is used - especially for designs with higher power requirements such as driving displays/LEDs/ Wi-Fi etc. An excellent solution for for 9V battery powered solutions, automotive ( 12V ) and POE designs as well.
Note 3 - NerO is FCC/CE certified as is the original UNO, and so is suitable for commercial applications as well as hobbyist/maker projects. Most other compatibles are not FCC / CE certified. NerO is manufactured using quality manufacturers and components and, despite this, is still priced at an affordable level ( under $20 US ) for all. Our Kickstarter backers can enjoy a 25% or more discount on the R.R.P.
Note 4 - As mentioned above, manufacturing quality is very important to us - so we have partnered with MikroElektronika in Europe to manufacture our NerO using their advanced SMT assembly line. We plan to show you around their production line in a coming Project Update.
Nero - Prototype Testing
Here's a few of the tests we carried out on our prototype NerO board.
Load Current Measurement
First we constructed a "load board shield" consisting of 20 x 100 ohm resistors and jumpers on each between 5V and GND. By inserting/removing jumpers we can simulate shield load currents on the 5V rail from 0mA to 1A in 50mA increments.
Should you like to make your own and repeat the experiment, we used an AdaFruit ProtoShield v6, shown above, to make this.
Next, we measured the performance of the regulator as we increased the load current using the above board, firstly using a 9V DC supply on the DC Vin Jack, followed by the same test but with a 12V supply.
Firstly - here's the results on a genuine ( made in Italy ) Arduino UNO R3. With a 9V DC suppy, the regulator starts to go into thermal shutdown at just over 700mA current draw, likewise at 12V DC it starts to go into thermal shutdown at just over 250mA current draw. However, please note that at this stage the LDO regulator external temperature is around 95C to 110C - extremely hot and capable of reducing the lifespan of nearby components on the board. If, for instance, we decided that a realistic maximum temperature of the regulator should be 70C, to be on the safe side, then the maximum shield 5V current draw would be around 400mA with a 9V DC supply and under 200mA with a 12V DC supply. Food for thought!
Now, we repeat the above experiment, this time with a NerO board. At both 9V and 12V DC input, the regulator remains stable all the way up to a full 1A load, thus meeting our design target. The regulator temperature stays well below 60C in all conditions.
Now, lets take a look at regulator efficiency vs. load current. As expected the UNO tends to be within the 30 to 50% range depending on the load current.
NerO sits in the 80 to 90% efficiency range, again depending on the load current.
5V Supply Ripple
A measurement of the supply ripple on the output of the NerO switching regulator using an oscilloscope reveals it to be under 200mV peak to peak - perfectly adequate for driving digital logic.
USB Signal Quality
If you've not seen one before, the above diagram is known as an Eye Diagram and is used to measure signal quality down a transmission line. It's done using a special ( and often expensive ) oscilloscope. This ensures reliable communication across all qualified platforms. Having one to hand, we put NerO to the test, and are pleased to say it passes well. NB - a failure is where the signal dips into the red polygon in the center of the 'eye'.
Project Timeline
Logistics and Shipping
Coordinating world-wide delivery, whilst keeping the delivery cost / time reasonable is always a headache. Singapore Post ( Singpost ) offers one of the most reliable and cost effective delivery services available so we propose to ship all KickStarter rewards globally from here in Singapore by Registered AirMail at around US$9 for singles and slightly more for multipacks. Any import duty or VAT is the responsibility of the backer, whom we assume is an individual rather than a corporation.
After KickStarter
After our shipping obligations to our backers have been met we plan to make NerO available through our regular distribution channels at full RRP. As a KickStarter backer, you will receive full priority when it comes to delivery and shipping.
Risks and challenges
We are a well known technology company with a good reputation to uphold. We are very experienced with product design, we've built and thoroughly tested the prototype so we are confident in the design. The development and tooling costs are paid for, the funding required is purely to cover the costs of the production runs. We've chosen a top quality manufacturer who has successfully delivered on other KS projects such as FlowPaw and with whom we work very closely, so we do not anticipate any production issues. The components we use are readily available in bulk so we don't anticipate any supply issues. In summary, we believe the risk in backing this project is extremely low.Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
Funding period
- (30 days)


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Multicenter, randomized, double blind, phase 3b study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Benralizumab 30 mg sc in patients with severe asthma uncontrolled on standard of care treatment.
This study is looking at an investigational medication to see how safe it is and how well it works to treat the symptoms of severe and uncontrolled asthma.
Those eligible to participate in this study include:


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Donut Shop Classics Maple Glazed Coffee Pods
15 Pods/Box. This medium roast classic American coffee offers a well-balanced blend that has notes of sweet and buttery maple, just like you would expect from your favorite old fashioned maple glazed donut. For your convenience, Donut Shop Classics Maple Glazed Coffee is available in coffee pods. Not for Keurig Brewers!
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Sounders Insider
Quick preview of Chicago Fire-Sounders FC
The Sounders wrapped up training Friday morning for their Saturday afternoon game against the Chicago Fire.
"Obviously I think they've made a couple of good changes in their team," coach Sigi Schmid said. "The two Uruguayan forward up front play with a lot of energy and pace. They've played together before, so they have a good understanding of each other, so they play as a pair, which is important. (Marco) Pappa is a quality player. He's been in this league for a while now and he's stepping into that next realm, so of what Zakuani is for us he's stepping up for them also. I'm not quite sure who they're going to play in the back. ... I know they've got some injuries there, so we're not quite sure if they're going to come in a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2, but we're prepared for both."
The details:
CHICAGO FIRE (1-0-1; 4 points)AT SOUNDERS FC (0-2-2; 2)1 p.m. Saturday, Qwest Field.TV: KING. RADIO: 97.3 FM (99.3 FM in Spanish).HEAD TO HEAD: Seattle leads, 2-0-2. The draws came in 2009, while the Sounders swept last season. The Sounders visit Chicago on June 4.TEAM LEADERS: For Chicago – G 2, Diego Chaves; A 1, three players tied; S 8, Marco Pappa; SOG 8, Pappa; GAA 1.50, Sean Johnson. For Seattle – G 1, three players tied; A 1, four players tied; S 14, Fredy Montero; SOG, 10 Montero; GAA 1.25, Kasey Keller. NOTES: Montero is doubtful due to a wrist injury. … The Fire was off last week after taking a 3-2 win over Kansas City on March 26. …Three of Chicago's four goals have come from their new pair of Uruguayan forwards: Gaston Puerari and Chaves. … In both games this season Puerari has suffered a foul for which the opponent has been sent off. … Chicago sometimes morphs from a 4-4-2 formation into a 3-5-2. … The Sounders are averaging 16 shots per game. Their three goals this season have come over their last 100 minutes of play. … Sounders forward Nate Jaqua made 92 appearances with the Fire from 2003-06. …The referee is Hilario Grajeda. … Steve Zakuani, Brad Evans and Leo Gonzalez will appear at Dick's Sporting Goods at the Landing in Renton from 2-3:30 p.m. Sunday. ... This game will be played on the 35th anniversary of the Sounders game against the New York Cosmos, which opened the Kingdome.QUOTABLE: "It's really a team that has changed like eight of their 11 starting positions. So far they have gotten off to a good start. … Everybody that has played them so far has taken a red card. We are going to try and avoid that fate. We are looking forward for ourselves to get that first win." – Sounders coach Sigi Schmid on the Fire.NEXT: 1 p.m. April 16 at Philadelphia Union.


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This is the very rare original US pressing of this release from Swedish melodic hard rock band ..
A good mix of melodic hard rock and metal from this New Jersey band, definitely for fans of the 80's..
Great release from Angel Dust and now long out of print. Century Media Records (8043-2) - 2000 relea..
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Second release from Destiny's End featuring James Rivera (Helstar / Vicious Rumors) on vocals. ..
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2018 Lesson: 'Nothing Matters' Is Bogus
In the Trump era, everyone from comedians to pundits have claimed that "nothing matters". MSNBC anchor Ari Melber runs through an exhaustive list of times when Trump has been defeated or stopped by facts and reporting. "In a democracy, things matter when we make them matter."


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Flexible One is a child theme of Flexible Lite. This is an Elegant & Creative One Page WordPress theme which have many powerful features to allow you build websites very easy and unlimited your creative to make impressed websites. Demo url: http://demo.mysterythemes.com/flexible-one Support URL: https://mysterythemes.com/support/forum/themes/free-themes/flexible-one/
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25th SFM Conference /PBFJ 2nd Round Joint Submission due 31 August- Call for Papers
25th SFM Conference /PBFJ 2nd Round Joint Submission due 31 August- [Call for Papers]
The 25th Conference on the Theories and Practices of Securities and Financial Markets (SFM) will be held on December 15-16, 2017 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The theme of the conference this year is Fintech and Behavioral Finance, and the 2nd final round of submission deadline is August 31, 2017. Research papers in all areas related to securities and financial markets are welcome.
In addition to the JFS award competition and joint submission with Sun Yat-Sen Management Review (TSSCI), the SFM conference also has a dual arrangement with the Pacific-Basin Finance Journal (PBFJ) . Attending authors will have the option of simultaneously submitting their papers to PBFJ.
Best Paper
– USD 2000 will be awarded for 3 Best Paper Awards
Journal of Financial Studies Award
– USD 500 will be awarded for 4 JFS Awards
All submission is processed on-line at the conference website (http://www.sfm.url.tw/OnlineSubmission.php)
Please see the attachment for details of submission and registration, and do not hesitate to contact us if you have any question.
Tai Ma
Program chair
25th SFM Conference


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3 Different Shrimp Pita Recipes
These can be served on your traditional pita or in a pita pocket.
Serves: 4 people
Prep Time: 15 min
cook Time: 20 min
1 lb. raw shrimp
1 large onion
bell pepper chopped
1 tablespoon garlic minced or to taste (optional)
Mushrooms (optional)
Choose your Green:
Chopped Spinache
Cabbage Slaw
Shredded Lettuce
Choose your Seasoning:
½ cup Olive Oil
1 medium Lime
1 ½ tsp Cumin
1 ½ tsp Chili Powder
½ tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
½ cup olive oil
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 ½ tsp dried basil
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp onion powder
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes or crushed
1/4 teaspoon peeled and diced ginger root
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
Choose your Sauce:
tzatziki sauce
fresh salsa
hot sauce
pita bread or pita pocket
Cut up all vegetables.
Preheat skillet to medium high heat with 1 tblsp. olive oil. Cook add .5 tblsp garlic until lightly golden. Add onion, peppers and mushrooms. Cook until onion is caramelized. Remove vegetables and set aside in a bowl.
Add Seasoning to the skillet and cook for 2 – 3 min. until boiling. Add shrimp and cook until light pink.
Fill your pita with your greens, cooked vegetables, and shrimp. top with your chosen sauce.
Written by: Nicole Houle
Smyrna, GA


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Tag Archives: self love
Weights and Balances (Year 3 Issue 51) May 18, 2016
Weights and Balances (Year 3 Issue 38) February 17, 2016
Weights & Balances (Year 2 Issue 6) – July 16, 2014
Happy Valentine's Day ——to me! (gasp!)
I might not be sporting a new sparkling diamond today, or have an expensive dinner date, stacks of boxes of chocolates, bags of Victoria's Secrets or dozens of lovely roses on my desk today at work, but I have something I did not have a year ago, I love myself and have a great pride in who I am and what I have accomplished!
Let me explain.
A friend of mine was celebrating her birthday last March 2013 and a photographer at the party captured me in a few pictures much to my dismay and absolute disdain. When I saw the pictures, I was horrified and I begged my friend to not post them on her Facebook page! She looked wonderful in her pictures but I just wanted to bury the ones I was in. It was her celebration and I had a marvelous time but—-when I saw those pictures after the party, I was extremely embarrassed and felt humiliated at how badly I looked in those photos. Asking her to not post those pictures, I now see I was trying my best to pretend they didn't exist and I was trying hard to hide and become totally invisible! look back and see where that came from, I didn't accept nor love myself. I was working on the outside but I still wasn't even being nice to myself on the inside.
At the time the pictures were taken, March 2013, I had been doing Weight Watchers just a couple of months and I had lost 13.6 lbs. I remember thinking how totally horrible I looked and I didn't want anyone to see me looking so bad. I told myself all kinds of negative things even though I knew I was working on things. The pictures did remind me how far I still had to go! I didn't let those pictures discourage me; I kept pushing, pushing harder and harder to reach my goal! I am glad I looked beyond those pictures and kept moving forward!
My friend sent those pictures to me today, yes on Valentine's Day, with a note telling me how awesome I look, how wonderful I have been doing (on Weight Watchers) and how proud she is of me and my accomplishments. I sent her a note back and thanked her for sending them to me! I feel these photos are excellent reminders of where I was a year ago! These photos are almost "before" pictures since I had lost the first 13.6 lbs of my journey and had managed to avoid the camera at most any cost!
I am happy and proud to share them with you today, because I now weigh 94 lbs less and feel physically so much better! I love the person in those pictures more today than I did this time last year. Her determination and focus has gotten me to where I am today and will continue to help move me on to my goal which is about 27 lbs away now! While I do not "love" the camera yet, I hope I become less stressed about being photographed in the near future! I am trying to be "kinder" to myself on the inside as well.
Don't hide from your past; it was your path to the present and doorway to the future!
Honesty: The Basis for Life and Weight Loss
One of the hardest things in life we need to learn is honesty. This honesty transpires to every aspect of our lives. If we cannot be honest with ourselves, then who can we be honest with? If we lie to ourselves, who will tell us the truth when we need it the most? How can we ever know the truth if we lie to ourselves all the time? When we over-eat, we can either admit what we have done or deny it ever happened. When our pants get too tight we can chose either to believe that the washer shrunk them or we have to face we have not been eating properly. When we are fighting indigestion on a more frequent basis, we can either chose to make dietary changes or take increased amounts of medications to settle our stomachs. How were choose to look at things determines our "personal" honesty.
When we want to lose weight, we have to make some tough choices appropriate life changes to accomplish the goals we choose to set. Once we have chosen goals, we must make an action plan to reach those goals. An action plan might look like this:
My Ten-Step Action Plan for Success
- Plan out my meals and snacks each day.
- Research what proper portion sizes for all types of foods.
- Keep an accurate record of everything I eat and portion sizes.
- Weigh and measure my food to insure I am getting proper portions.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables each day.
- Increase the amount of movement I get each day.
- Incorporate healthy fats into my foods daily.
- Have at least two dairy servings a day.
- Take a multi-vitamin every day.
- Drink at least 8 glasses (8 ounces each) of water each day.
If these ten items sound familiar, they should if you are a Weight Watcher! One of the basics of Weight Watchers is to track/record everything you eat, the amount and the points plus value. Honesty about what and how much you are eating is essential to the program and your personal success. "Fudging" about what and how much you have eaten in your tracker, only hurts you. There is an expressing "your body keeps an accurate record of what you eat, no matter what you write down." You can write down that you only had one doughnut but your body knows you ate six and the scale will reflect the six doughnuts not one.
Once you have set up your action plan, the next step is to follow it every day. Some days will be better than others. Some weeks will be better than others, but that is ok as long as you keep trying. You will not fail unless you choose to quit. Sometimes even quitting is not final, sometimes it is only temporary. Life can get in the way, there are things we can control and things we cannot. How we choose to react to the things we cannot control will help determine your success. Set your strategies.
My Success Strategies (planning for the unexpected)
- Always have healthy snack choices on hand in your desk drawer.
- Keep some quick meal choices in both the pantry and freezer.
- Keep your refrigerator stocked with great choices of fruits and vegetables.
- Keep a variety of lean meats in your freezer.
- Plan for the possibility of eating out; select 3 or 4 local places where you know the menu choices and their points plus value, so you can be successful when you choose or have to eat out.
- Make a grocery list and stick to it (this helps your budget as well!).
- Focus on whole foods.
- Eat fewer processed foods.
- Prepare my own foods when possible.
- Study foods and know the best choices in many categories.
No matter how much life gets in the way, do not give up. Keep moving forward toward your goals. You are worth it.


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100 BON is the first French Maison to dedicate itself to the world of 100% natural fragrances.
100 BON, from the French "sent bon", which tastes good, revisits the world of perfumery by turning to a consumer who is increasingly aware and attentive to ethical and sustainable themes.
Born in 2017 in Grasse – also known as the city of perfume – the 100 BON fragrance brand is characterized by raw materials of the highest quality and for a secret ingredient that is as unique as it is essential: the love for nature and the environment. 100% natural perfumes, without petrolatum, artificial colors or other synthetic ingredients. The alcohol at the base of olfactory creations is organic and comes from wheat. Unique and original compositions created by expert noses, able to re-interpret the ingredients available to natural perfumery – only 300 compared to the 3000 employed in the classic perfume industry – in an effluvium of aromas with authentic notes.
100 BON products are 100% natural, refillable and accessible in terms of price. Always with a view of love for the land and respect for the environment, 100BON packaging is elegant, but essential and recyclable. 14 references that can be made even more unique and personal by vaporising different combinations of these magnificent concentrates, playing with more overlaps of fragrances up to dressing "their own perfume".


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It seems like this blog has been around for years already- but in reality, it's been exactly four months. In just four months I've grown this little community to over 200 members, and it is growing more and more every day.
Although The Blog Loft is very young, I've actually been blogging for ten years. Through all that time of trial and error, failures, and successes, I did it alone. And I realized something- that was the hardest part: the loneliness. Blogging can be a lonely thing- but it doesn't have to be!
So I started this blog community for those of you out there who don't want to blog alone anymore.
For those of you who realize that community is a key aspect of a successful blog, that it's about a lot more than clicks and page views: it's about engagement. And since I started The Blog Loft, there hasn't been a day without a new sign up. There is nothing that encourages me more than the members of this community. Not page views, clicks, or affiliate sales. When you read this blog, interact with other Blog Loft members, and leave your comments, I'm reminded every day why I started this blog- and I hope you know that I appreciate it!
Anyways, enough of the mushy gushy stuff. Here's the story of how this blog helped me become a featured contributor to one of my favorite blogs: She Owns It.
Here's how it all went down. In mid- December I saw an opportunity on Twitter to fill out an application to become a featured contributor at She Owns It. I've been following this blog for the past year or so, and have become a total fan girl in the process. What makes She Owns It so unique are the many different voices that are featured on the blog. It's kind of like a magazine experience, rather than a blog.
So I saw that they needed a contributor, and I applied. There are a lot more bloggers that applied who have more traffic, social media following, and monthly page views than I. I really didn't think I would make it.
After all, The Blog Loft is only 4 months old, and although this blog has a lot of engagement (meaning that readers come back regularly, comment, and read more than one post at a time) our numbers are still pretty low when you look at the amount of daily page views, and social media stats compared to the bigger blogs out there. (Ahem, by the way, you can follow The Blog Loft on Facebook here! Just throwin that out there).
But I said to myself- you know what? Stop it! Stop comparing yourself to others, stop telling yourself that you're not good enough, and just fill out the damn application. So I did. I submitted a couple of my best blog posts to go along with them.
And then on January 15th, I opened my email to read the subject line:
"She Owns It Wants You!"
Holy crapoly.
I'm like- a blogger. Like for real. Like someone else thinks that my shit is good enough for their hundreds of thousands of readers! And that's a really good feeling.
I hope this post inspires you to keep writing what you're passionate about. To keep putting your voice out there, and to keep working at your blog. It is possible to see results in a short time, even with a small number of page views or followers on social media.
The number one thing I do every time I sit down to write a blog post is I treat it like it is my real job. I treat every post as if it will be read by millions of people, and I believe in myself enough to put it out there.
(psst. If you're tired of blogging alone- what are you waiting for? Sign up and join the community!)
[usersultra_social provider='twitter']


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- Modern elegant simple.
- 2 Tone clip on interchangeable front cover.
- Metered setting, with light sensor, easy, simple and reliable.
- Accepts any standard aerosol fragrance refill.
- Made from polypropylene, stain and chemical resistant.
- Lock and Key.
- 2 AA Batteries will last 12 months.
- Floor stand or wall mount installation


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Memo to minister: Haiti is poor
Haiti is proving something of a disappointment. I'm not quite at the stage to which it reduced Napoleon, of cursing sugar, coffee and the colonies they rode in on. But even with my low standards for public policy discussion, I'm disappointed at the discussion of this unfortunate Caribbean nation. Our foreign minister just went there, you know. And while Haiti is more sad than geopolitically significant, surely the trip is important. All the do-gooders full of advice on Iraq are actually getting to show us what they can do there first.
I don't imply that reforming Haiti is easy. Its history strongly suggests otherwise. But it's way smaller than Iraq, far closer, presents fewer "clash of civilizations" issues, and is virtually secure against any outside interference except the one we, to the dismay of its neighbours, are eagerly taking part in. So how's it going?
Just before his trip last Friday, one newspaper says, Mr. Graham told reporters, "We wanted to find out what are the real political problems in Haiti. We know that we have to help rebuild the economy and have elections, but we wanted to know ... the political climate, and that we can only know by visiting Haiti."
Only by visiting? Why? All I know is what I read in the papers, but I'm aware that "large parts of the country remain under the rebels' control, and that there has been no systematic effort to disarm them." (The New York Times, April 30).
Mr. Graham went on to say that, "Nobody -- the Americans, the French, ourselves -- has any intention of going down the road we went through in the '90s with the same results."
True, as far as it goes. But worse than useless because it conceals an apparently complete failure to grasp that nobody had any intention of going down that road the first time either and they went down it anyway.
It was then, and is now, paved with good intentions. So I should be intrigued to hear Mr. Graham offer an analysis of what went wrong last time, when the West, and Bill Clinton in particular, backed a socialist liberation theologian with a penchant for gruesome political violence and somehow it turned out badly. But I doubt I will.
For when Mr. Graham returned on Saturday, as The Globe and Mail reports it, he "said that while his visit to Haiti was only hours long, he was able to see conditions firsthand and was taken aback. 'One surprise, in the sense not something that one could ever ascertain by reading reports, is the extraordinarily difficult personal situation in which Haitians are living.' He said that it was sobering 'just to drive around the streets, to see the garbage, to see the conditions, to realize that one has electricity in this city of Port-au-Prince for two hours a day on an average.' "
Yeah, that's worth going down there to discover. Haiti is poor. I mean, who suspected that?
In assessing the fatuity of his trip, I concede that politicians tend to fly around at taxpayers' expense just because they can. Edmonton Journal columnist Lorne Gunter recently gave Ralph Klein's government the old knucklebone shampoo for maintaining, in a capital city with two airports, a fleet of four private aircraft at City Centre Airport when that airport alone has four charter airlines. Asked why, the premier sneered "I'm not going to subject myself to two or three hours out of my day to get a commercial aircraft at the international airport" -- unlike, say, we ordinary schlumps. Then he conceded he hadn't sullied his august person with a commercial flight in seven years.
So why not jaunt to Haiti? It's not like you're paying for it. Besides, if you're rushing from place to place in a special plane, with aides speaking breathlessly into cellphones, people waiting anxiously for you and your brow furrowed with deep, humanitarian concern, you must be achieving something. Never mind that your government has exhausted its credibility with the Americans and the UN you prefer is weak, corrupt and anti-Semitic. You are a moral superpower.
Even so, and making allowance for Mr. Graham's tendency to look like Lloyd Axworthy without the gravitas, I still cringe at his not being embarrassed to say it was worth the tens of thousands of dollars he just cost us all to spend a few hours in Haiti because now he knows Haitians are poor. I seem to have learned more, faster and more cheaply than Mr. Graham just by reading Anthony Daniels' sad piece on Haiti in the March 1 National Post. Perhaps our foreign minister is too sophisticated to read the Post.
Can we agree on one thing, though? People who can't straighten out Haiti can't fix Iraq, solve the Middle East's problems or defuse superpower confrontations. Oh, and one more thing. People who just clued in that Haiti is tragically poor aren't off to a great start there either.
[First published in the Ottawa Citizen]