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1. Condition your mind. Train yourself to think positive thoughts while avoiding negative thoughts.
2. Condition your body. It takes physical energy to take action. Get your food and exercise budget in place and follow it like a business plan.
3. Avoid negative people. They drain your energy and waste your time, so hanging with them is like shooting yourself in the foot.
4. Seek out the similarly motivated. Their positive energy will rub off on you and you can imitate their success strategies.
5. Have goals–but remain flexible. No plan should be cast in concrete, lest it become more important than achieving the goal.
6. Act with a higher purpose. Any activity or action that doesn't serve your higher goal is wasted effort–and should be avoided.
7. Take responsibility for your own results. If you blame (or credit) luck, fate or divine intervention, you'll always have an excuse.
8. Stretch past your limits on a daily basis. Walking the old, familiar paths is how you grow old. Stretching makes you grow and evolve.
9. Don't wait for perfection; do it now! Perfectionists are the losers in the game of life. Strive for excellence rather than the unachievable.
10. Celebrate your failures. Your most important lessons in life will come from what you don't achieve. Take time to understand where you fell short.
11. Don't take success too seriously. Success can breed tomorrow's failure if you use it as an excuse to become complacent.
12. Avoid weak goals. Goals are the soul of achievement, so never begin them with "I'll try …" Always start with "I will" or "I must."
13. Treat inaction as the only real failure. If you don't take action, you fail by default and can't even learn from the experience.
14. Think before you speak. Keep silent rather than express something that doesn't serve your purpose.


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Life in Oakville - by Lindsay Walls
Welcome to Life in Oakville, a blog dedicated to the issues and events that affect day to day life in this great community. Conveniently located along the shores of Lake Ontario just 30 kilometres away from Toronto and Hamilton, Oakville is a popular choice for commuters who want to live in a community setting while maintaining the career opportunities associated with the Greater Toronto Area. For more information on the town of Oakville, its local real estate market and the real estate buying and selling process, please visit my website at www.lindsaywalls.com. Thanks for stopping by! Lindsay

subset: commoncrawl


text: Like most inquisitive boys, 12-year old Sam wants to know about UFOs, horror movies, ghosts, and girls. Sam also has leukemia, and although the adults in his life don't want him to dwell on it, Sam wants to know everything about his disease and death, a possibility he might face. Together with his best friend, Felix, he embarks on a \"scientific investigation\" with questions, observations, evidence, reflections, and lists of all the things he wants to do someday — like breaking a world record, flying in a blimp, kissing a girl for the first time, and experiencing what it's like to be a teenager. In this poignant yet ultimately uplifting tale, Sam and his family face the immensity of an uncertain future with love, humor, and a touch of the unexpected.


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Top 5 Benefits of Debt Consolidation – Smithers Interior News
The process of negotiating with your creditors to accept partial payment in exchange for paying off your debt in full is known as debt settlement. It is a form of debt repayment approach known as debt settlement. Only a fraction of your total debt is owed, and if your creditor agrees to the terms of your proposal, the rest will be forgiven.
Since most bankruptcies are the result of medical bills, debts such as credit cards, private student loans, and personal loans all have a negative impact on life, costing them much more in the long run due to fees, interest and financial charges. in addition to the mental anguish that debt can bring. A debt settlement program is the most effective and cost-effective technique for reducing and eliminating debt for today's troubled customers who are ready for a fresh financial start. Debt consolidation is a good idea for the following four reasons:
Reasons to Consider Debt Settlement as an Option for You
Debt settlement is rarely recommended as a viable solution to your financial problems unless you work in the debt settlement industry. Debt settlement fraud, as well as customers' lack of knowledge about the implications of debt settlement, are the cause. Depending on their situation, debt settlement can be beneficial for some people.
The debt settlement procedure is simple
Getting out of debt can be as simple as signing up with a debt settlement company, making monthly payments of a fixed amount, and asking the company to negotiate and settle each of your bills one by one. until you are freed from your debts. All harassing phone calls will now be routed to your debt relief partner, and disputes can often be avoided now that the individual has signed up for debt relief. One by one, funds from the escrow account are applied to their outstanding debts. In today's world, the majority of people have to juggle multiple jobs, health issues and family responsibilities. Most people are too busy to settle their debts. Debt settlement is a simple solution for people who don't have the time but want a better financial future.
Debt settlement is faster than alternative options
For consumers, other debt reduction measures can mean a lifetime of financial hardship. There are many ways to consolidate debt, such as taking out a new loan to pay off the old one. The principal, on the other hand, remains unchanged. Without debt relief or a significant financial windfall, people in debt are likely to stay in debt indefinitely. Consumers can become debt free after a two to three year debt settlement process. It's not a silver bullet, but it's faster than some of the other possibilities. You can get more information about debt relief at https://www.debtreliefcanada.com/.
Take steps to prevent insolvency
Debt settlement is a popular option for people who want to avoid bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a long-term answer to your financial problems. Ten years after bankruptcy, many loans, job applications and credit cards still ask if you have ever been declared bankrupt. No, but if the bank finds out later that you have actually declared bankruptcy, you could be charged with fraud. You could be fired from your current job if your situation worsens.
When done correctly, working out a debt settlement with your creditors can save you from bankruptcy and the inconveniences that come with it.
The debt settlement will appear on your credit report for up to seven years after the fact. Settlements are not public documents, so you won't have to deal with them when the credit reporting deadline expires on your settled accounts.
Debt settlement is a good use of your money
Clients can expect to see their debts reduced by 25%, 30% or even 40% of the original amount owed, including fees, when working with a professional debt settlement partner. It is only when the invoices have been paid that the suppliers receive a fee. Negotiating on behalf of the client can take weeks or months to reach the best possible deal with creditors who usually take a tough stance. The fee covers the time spent negotiating for the consumer. A debt relief provider may get a better outcome than a consumer who doesn't know the ins and outs of the debt relief process or how much money they can expect to save by relying on in-depth knowledge and longstanding relationships with creditors, attorneys and collection agencies.


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This project is situated in a largely residential area that lies about 1km north of the train station, distinguished by a large number of plots of land that are exceptionally long in relation to their frontage.
Towards a new model for multi-tenant buildings with an appealing philosophy
As an important building type, multi-tenant projects would seem to present somewhat obvious issues for consideration. In practice, however, most projects end up placing top priority on profit maximization and the optimization of floor area. In addition, these buildings often incorporate elements that lead to superficial architecture. Nevertheless, for this project we attempted to rethink the possibilities of a multi-tenant building that would embody an appealing contemporary philosophy while taking into account such routine considerations.
This project is situated in a largely residential area that lies about 1km north of the train station, distinguished by a large number of plots of land that are exceptionally long in relation to their frontage. The site for this project, too, was a narrow, slender plot with a frontage of about 10m and a depth of 50m in relation to the road out front, surrounded on three sides by neighbouring residences. Typically, such a site tends to lead to a situation where the tenant space facing the road out front is blessed with more favourable conditions compared to the other spaces. With this in mind, we tried to work out spatial principles that would allow us to give the inner spaces additional advantages that would equal or surpass the conditions of the front space.
Layered diversity
Specifically, this project involved a dental clinic on the first floor and an esthetic salon and office on the second floor. These facilities were housed in two boxes oriented towards the east and west, with a third box in the middle containing a staircase and a forest. The four walls formed by this layout of boxes were designed to create a sense of integrated diversity in the architecture, thanks to the layered openings in between the boxes.
Tenants were also involved in the decision-making process from the planning stage onwards. They took a proactive role in deciding how the interior spaces would be designed, and were able to understand the framework of the building as a whole.
The front and back surfaces of each of the four layers contribute to creating a diverse, interrelated space. The openings ensure the privacy of neighbouring tenants, while the opening and tightening of these openings at regular intervals allows one to be aware not only of vertical connections between floors and horizontal ones between front and back, but also another sort of distance that transcends physical sensations. In addition, we expected that the trees in the forest would cause layers of physical distance to become ambiguous, creating an overall environment that would spread out in an organic manner.
By manipulating the space in this way, the front tenant space would be separated from the inner tenant space, while also remaining visible to it just beyond the various layers. The mountain scenery that lies beyond the front space, in contrast, feels close and familiar. In this way, it was possible to protect the privacy of each tenant while constructing a space that maintained the tangible presence of both these elements, thus providing the inner tenants with an environment that was equally favourable compared with the front space. The function of a single wall led to both a sense of necessity arising from the multiple layers created by the seemingly random openings, as well as a complex, haphazard character resulting from the movement and behaviour of the tenants. This mixture of necessity and contingency led to a new, three-dimensional expanse and a diversely articulated space."
Project Details:
Project Name: MORI x hako
Location: Japan
Type: Commercial – Public
Architects: Keisuke Maeda / UID architects – www.maeda-inc.jp


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Sometimes it happens that Xcode throws you an exception, and you don't know why. How do you print the relevant Exception information?
To get more information, you can configure the debugger to break when any exception is thrown. Go to the Breakpoint Navigator and click the little '+'-button at the bottom. Then click "Add Exception Breakpoint".
But, in many cases, even then you don't get the information you wanted when the Exception occurs. Add these commands to the breakpoint configuration to show the name and reason of the breakpoint. This should get you on the way to eliminate the error.
po [*(id *)($esp+4) name] and
po [*(id *)($esp+4) reason]
This works when you are using LLDB by printing the name and reason of the exception in the command window. You can also execute those commands in the command window, but you have to make sure to select stackframe 0 first.


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I didn't know what to say. I thought the mild-mannered Japanese man in glasses, perhaps, wanted to talk to me about a game he had made. But no, it was about an article I wrote about him.
His name was Makoto Goto. And at last year's Game Developer Conference, Fez creator Phil Fish (above) trashed Japanese games to his face. What Goto said to me this weekend left me speechless.
"Are you Brian Ashcraft?" a mild-mannered Japanese man asked as I was making small talk with a dev from Tango Gameworks.
"Yes," I replied.
"You wrote an article about me," he replied, pulling a binder from his bag. We were at this weekend's BitSummit indie game event in Kyoto, which was in the process of wrapping up. People were filing out of the room.
In a plastic sleeve was a Kotaku article. At the top, there was a photo of Phil Fish, sideburns, glasses, and all. The title read, "Japanese Games 'Just Suck' Target Speaks Out."
"That's me," he said. "I'm Makoto Goto."
I write a lot of posts—usually over eight a day. I've been doing this for years now, so that adds up to thousands of posts. However, I immediately remembered that story. I remembered his name. I remembered what happened. How could you forget?
"I wanted to thank you for writing this," Goto said. "It really gave me courage." He told me that when his wife read the story, she was so moved that she had cried.
Goto didn't go into great depth as to why. He didn't have to. It was the feeling that, perhaps, in the wake of having a bad experience in a foreign country, a foreigner could understand how he felt. And I was hardly unique—or alone—in that.
"That was rude, sure, but I really want to thank Phil Fish, too, for what he said," Goto added. What he said, if you don't remember, during a Game Developer Conference Q&A last year, was that Japanese games "suck." "I think his remark really motivated Japanese game creators to work harder," Goto, who is a programmer and a designer, said. "I know it has motivated me."
Phil Fish has apologized on numerous occasions for his remark, including to Goto. He's made amends. He doesn't hate Japan or Japanese games. He stuck his foot in his mouth. Happens to the best of us. But out of that inelegant statement, Goto didn't become bitter or spiteful.
There are many different kinds of strength. There is a variety of courage. Sometimes you need that ironclad will to do something dangerous. Sometimes, it's necessary to do things others would call mundane.
Goto asked me if I was going to this year's Game Developer Conference. He said he would be. I didn't know what else to say. The words couldn't quite form in my mouth, so I offered up the best that I could: Thank you, Makoto Goto.
The above text is from Goto's tweet in which he describes a couple hundred people looking at him and breaking out in an uncomfortable sweat after Fish's remark.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.


text:
Friday Fun: Interview Time With 'The Numbers Guy' Ole
What do you do at SoundCloud?
I look into everything data-wise at SoundCloud: what people are using/not using, the apps, the widgets, the connections from the client applications, the website itself, how users interact, how users use their accounts, why people are signing up for Pro accounts, and the most used features–to name a few.
Wow. Is Google Analytics your homepage?
Google Analytics is a big part of my work, and we track many things on our databases. Everything in the back-end is stored there, but I aggregate data from many different sources.
What did you do before coming to SoundCloud?
I worked for Ableton. Before that, I was a freelance consultant doing everything from setting-up small websites for business to offering services to various companies.
What's your background in analytics?
I come from a very mathematical corner of science, so it came quite naturally for me.
Where are you from?
I've lived for almost 30 years in Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen). Then my wife got a job in Berlin, so we've moved here.
Spare time. How do you spend it?
Well, I have a two year-old daughter, which pretty much takes up all my spare time. But I do enjoy cycling and photography.
Anything else you'd like to say to the SoundCloud Community/the interweb?
It's really exciting working at SoundCloud. It feels like a real startup. It's fun to work with so many people, who are really good at what they do. It's a great environment and I feel really happy to be a part of the company's growth and success!


text:
Joovy Caboose UL And Big Caboose Rear Seat
by JOOVY
Save Liquid error (snippets/product-badge line 32): Computation results in '-Infinity'%
List Price:$69.99
Calculating estimated delivery dates
Shipping Policy
Shipping Policy
- In stock items are shipped via UPS Ground from our warehouse in Boston, MA within 1-2 business days after placed. Transit time is 1-5 business days once it has been shipped.
- Items listed as shipped from manufacturer take an additional 1-2 business days for processing but most orders ship within 3 business days. You will receive tracking information as soon as we receive it from the manufacturer. Transit time is generally 1-5 business days once it has been shipped.
- We offer free shipping on orders over $99 within the continental US.
- Our full shipping policy, including transit times can be viewed here.


text:
Stunning 3D Street Art
3d Street Art, often known as 3d chalk art is 2-dimensional artwork drawn on the street itself that gives you a 3-dimensional optical illusion from a certain perspective. It can be very breathtaking, realistic and at the same time captivating once you get the angle correct. And creating one is certainly through and challenging as you are creating a realistic 3d view out of a 2d painting.
3d street art are gaining much popularity these days. Notable brands are already taking advantage of public's curiosity on 3D street paintings to create awareness for their products. You'll see some later in the post. In today's post, I'd like to show you some of the really stunning 3d Street art that I've came across and I think you'll like them too. Full list after jump.
Also Check out: How to hack Whatsapp
Hot river. Nearly the whole street were taken to create this earth cracking effect. Brilliant piece of art! (via Edgar Mueller)
Ice abyss. Watch out to not fall in this huge ice abyss! (via Edgar Mueller)
Also check out: 21 Fast Cars To Dream Of If You Have A Need For Speed
Raft. Now that the street is flooded, raft is your only resort to get to the other side. (via Edgar Mueller)
Johnnie Walker in Taipei. Underworld of Johnnie Walker. (via Manfred Stader)
Mysterious cave. You don't have to travel around around the world exploring mysterious caves – somtimes they are just under you. (via Edgar Mueller)
Reflection. People on the upper part of the image is real but their reflection on the bottom part of the image is drawn. (via Kurt Wenner)
Melstorm. And here comes the vortex! (via Kurt Wenner)
Muses. This drawing looks like an old, classic painting, similar to paintings in medieval castles. (via Kurt Wenner)
Hole. Another drawing which shows what happens under the street. (via Kurt Wenner)
Relaxing giant. A huge giant relaxing on the street. (via Kurt Wenner)
Horses. It's a cowboy show, yee-haw! (via Kurt Wenner)
Office stress. This drawing represents daily life of a typical office, maybe? (via Kurt Wenner)
Crazy river. Just hold on and here we go… Oh snap, I didn't see that crock down the river! (via Julian Beever)
Escalator. Escalator from the underground. This looks very realistic! (via Manfred Stader)
Grant's. Ice cold 3D chalk drawing for "Grant's". (via Manfred Stader)
Smart. This is very big, shiny drawing which is made for "Smart". (via Manfred Stader)
Nails. Ouch, this hurts! (via Manfred Stader)
Asian Paints – Mumbai. What's this? It's a colour waterfall! (via Manfred Stader)
EasyJet – Edinburg. So it's possible to kick back at a beach, in the middle of a city. (via Manfred Stader)
Hot bath. And here we have a hot bath which is open for everyone! (via Manfred Stader)
Costa – Covent Garden. A really realistic cup of cappuccino. (via Manfred Stader)
Ford Mexico. (via Manfred Stader)
T-Com. (via Manfred Stader)
Orange. Beautiful underworld by Orange. (via Manfred Stader)
3D Shark. (via Manfred Stader)
HDI. Be careful where you park your car. (via Manfred Stader)
Treuhaus. 3D chalk drawing can also be on the wall. (via Manfred Stader)
A fair in cologne. (via Manfred Stader)
Alice In Wonderland. Where fantasy meets reality. (via Manfred Stader)
Pfizer. (via Manfred Stader)
Bukaresti – Romania 2009. Watch out for the crashing in car, or should it be crasing up. (via Manfred Stader)
The world's biggest fly. World's biggest fly meets world smallest fly-spray. (via Julian Beever)
Batman and Robin to the rescue. (via Julian Beever)
Waste of water. (via Julian Beever)
Eiffel Tower Sand-Sculpture. Artificial Eiffel Tower built using sand. (via Julian Beever)
Self-portrait of artist with liquid refreshment. He has drawn himself! (via Julian Beever)
Treasures. Found a treasure in the center of the city! (via Julian Beever)
Hang on!. That's right, the help is on its way. (via Julian Beever)
Spiderman. (via Julian Beever)
Taking the plunge. Ready, get set, jump! (via Julian Beever)
Waterfall. (via Julian Beever)
Heaven. It seems like we have a heaven beneath us too. (via Tracy Lee Stum)
Train. Here comes the underground train! (via Tracy Lee Stum)
Water In The Way. How should I cross this? Tough question. (via Tracy Lee Stum)
Escape of the mummy. Mummy is climbing out of underground! (via Tracy Lee Stum)
Temple of the jaguar. (via Tracy Lee Stum)
The Medici Garden. (via Tracy Lee Stum)
Drawn Basketball Optical Illusion. Someone should take that ball of the street, or maybe not. (via Greg Lehman)
Lizards. Animals from the underground. (via Gregor Wosik)
Jack Daniels. (via Gregor Wosik)


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Apply a small amount of hair moisturizer to the palm of your hand and distribute it evenly through the mid-lengths and the ends. Moisturizer will help your hair to maintain good condition and protect your strands from heat as you style.
A large radial brush is usually used on long straight hair types or to smooth out wavy or curly hair textures. When selecting a radial brush, always use one with a pure bristle as this will not tear or damage the hair.
To blow-dry under, start at the nape/back and place your brush under the section of hair close to the nape. With the dryer held up over the hair, pull the brush from the roots and continue to the mid length's, keeping the blow-dryer following over the top. Once you reach the ends, curve them under. Repeat this step until the section is completely dry.
To blow-dry the sides, take out a small section of hair from the front and clip the rest of the hair away. Next, place the brush under the section and then pull the brush and hair forward around your face (this curving motion creates body). Place the hair-dryer on top of the brush until you reach the ends and then turn the ends under. Repeat until dry.
To blow-dry the top section back you will need to take your brush and firstly make sure that the section is no wider than the diameter of the brush. Next, place your brush on top of your head and under your section. Using your blow-dryer on a medium setting, blow-dry your hair from the roots, slowly lifting your hair up and working your way to the ends. Make sure to keep the blow-dryer in front of the brush at all times. Continue this step until the top section is completely dry.
Pick up a small selection of hair from your mid section no bigger than your tail comb. Place your comb at the roots and then comb up and down until the hair is standing up by itself. Continue to the crown and finish at the sides. Repeat this step if you require more volume.
Once your hairstyle is complete, hold your hair into place and then pin your hair into your desired direction.
Apply a very small amount of smoothing shine to the palms of your hands and then run it through the mid-lengths and ends of your hair. Be careful not to add any to the roots or a large amount to any section of the hair as smoothing shine can be very heavy on the hair, weighing it down and making it appear oily.
To finish, apply a minimal amount of hairspray from an arms length distance to the top, sides and back. Take care not to use too much or you will end up with a white, flaky residue which looks like dandruff.


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Apr 8, 2011
discussion on Long Jing (4a) - comparing cultivars
Discussion on Long Jing (4b) is here.
In previous discussions, I explained why I think cultivar information is more important than production region information for Long Jing. Here is a comparison between the two most popular Long Jing cultivars, Long Jing #43 and Long Jing Jiu Keng Group cultivar. A third Long Jing cultivar, Long Leaf cultivar is also used by some tea farmers, but not as popular as the first two.
I will first go over the backgrounds of these two cultivars, and then in a later post, I will compare the two cultivars in terms of physical appearance and tastes. However, the purpose of comparison is not to demonstrate how to distinguish one from the other, since it's not always easy to do so by physical appearance. In fact, a comparison may instead demonstrate how similar they look. It's actually easier to detect their differences in taste than in appearance. That's why I believe it's important that producers, suppliers and retailers should always carry the information of cultivar for a Long Jing product.
Long Jing Jiu Keng Group cultivar is the traditional Long Jing cultivar. Long Jing #43 was cultivated through genetic selection on the Jiu Keng Group cultivar. As a result of genetic selection, Long Jing #43 has stronger tolerance to cold weather, it's easier to propagate than the traditional cultivar, and it's leaves and buds are somewhat prettier than those of the traditional cultivar. The cold resistance feature is why Long Jing #43 is the dominant cultivar in most new production regions in Zhejiang province, the home province of Long Jing. However, in recent years, even in Hangzhou, the hometown of Long Jing, many farmers grow Long Jing #43 too. In early spring, even before Qingming (around April 4th of every year), the price of Long Jing varies from day to day. The price difference within a week sometimes can be as much as 300%. Long Jing #43, due to its early harvest (1-2 weeks earlier than the traditional cultivar), is considered more profitable than the traditional cultivar. Meantime, in recent years, expansion of Long Jing #43 and shrinkage of the traditional cultivar growth has made a lot of people cautious, among them many loyal fans of the traditional cultivar. Therefore, some farmers in Hangzhou are committed to growing the traditional cultivar, and many farmers in new production regions have started growing the traditional cultivar to attract more Long Jing lovers.
Among Long Jing lovers, there have been a lot of debates on which cultivar is better, the traditional cultivar or #43 cultivar. But after all, they are genetically related and highly similar to each other. Besides, when it comes to taste, there are always personal preferences.
At the retailer level, #43 cultivar has been adored in the past several years, largely because the tea leaves of #43 cultivar are generally considered prettier than leaves of the traditional cultivar. Dry leaves of #43 cultivar are greener, and look more "well-pressed". But in recent years, many small retailers in China are more committed to the traditional cultivar to meet the demands of a lot of fans.
The early harvest feature of Long Jing #43 sometimes can backfire. For example, last year, when there was severe snow and ice storm in early to mid-March, harvest on Long Jing #43 was greatly impacted and production was reduced a lot. Meantime, the weather impacts on the traditional cultivar, Jiu Keng Group cultivar, were small to none, since the tea buds were not out yet during the snow and ice storms. In such a year with unusually cold March, #43 cultivar, which could bring more profit in other years, would cause great monetary loss for the farmers.
When I was a child, the aunt of mine who lived in Hangzhou was in charge of getting Long Jing for all of us. Every time she sent us many cans Long Jing, she would specify which cans were the highest quality for grandparents or as important gifts, which cans were for daily drink, and which cans were of decent quality. Usually the best tea was pre-Qingming (harvested before early April), and the rest was pre-Guyu (Guyu is around April 19th). Occasionally, in certain years, even the best tea was pre-Guyu, harvested after early April. And Aunt would tell us, "There is no pre-Qingming Long Jing this year, and pre-Guyu is as good as pre-Qingming of last year." Sometimes when there was no pre-Qingmign harvest, the tea could be even better than in other years, because of the cold weather and longer time allowed for tea leaves to accumulate nutrients.
Nowadays, with new cultivars (and probably more or less as a result of global warming), there is always pre-Qingming harvest. Even if cold weather delays tea harvest or damages tea buds, there is usually enough time for more tea buds to grow before early April. I think it's really nice that we can get new tea earlier with the new cultivar. But on the other hand, I think the traditional cultivar is very unique and its production should be maintained.
In my own tea shopping, I would usually buy products of Long Jing #43 from production regions out of Hangzhou, and products of the traditional cultivar from Hangzhou. It's pretty much my personal choice, since there are very good products of both cultvars in and out of Hangzhou. I choose Long Jing #43 from out of Hangzhou, in order to get the earliest harvest at a reasonable price. I'm not able or willing to pay for the earliest harvest of Xi Hu Long Jing from Hangzhou. The price is simply too high, even when the purchase is made directly from tea farmers, because too many people wan it. In some years, I help arrange such purchases for some crazy Long Jing enthusiasts, but I don't want to pay the price myself. Earliest harvest from other production regions (such as the Da Fo Long Jing from Xinchang County) is expensive, but at least the price is more "normal". Then, for the products of the traditional cultivar, I would choose the traditional tea producing villages in Hangzhou. When buying Long Jing of the traditional cultivar from Hangzhou, I would avoid the earliest harvest and wait till the few days before Qingming for the price to drop a little. Although the traditional cultivar is raised in other production regions too, these historical Long Jing villages have the best natural conditions and best processing skills passed on from generation to generation. Besides, as some farmers in Hangzhou have switched to the new cultivar and tea experts start to worry about dwindling of the traditional cultivar, I think currently it's very important to support those Hangzhou farmers who stick to the traditional cultivar.
In the long run, I am not worried very much about the traditional cultivar going to extinct. A cultivar can last only when supported by the consumers. I believe the traditional cultivar will always have a lot of fans. I think both #43 cultivar and the traditional cultivar have unique, nice tastes. But to me, the traditional cultivar has the familiar early spring taste from childhood. Besides, we can imagine, it is the same taste enjoyed by the emperors throughout Qing dynasty :-D
8 comments:
- Petr Novák said...
Hi Gingo,
Your posts about cultivars are directly copied to my folder named "tea school -important to read!" Thank you!
Is it true that there is sold more fake long jing (from different areas and cultivars) then traditional?
- April 9, 2011 at 3:01 AM
- Gingko said...
Petr, thank you :D About fake long jing, I am sure there is a lot. Many provinces in China grow long jing culitvars, and much of their tea will be labeled "long jing" and sold somewhere. Within Zhejiang province, there are also non-long jing cultivars that are used to make products labeled as long jing.
- April 9, 2011 at 5:53 PM
- Alex Zorach said...
I know this is an old post, and it's not directly relevant, but reading this inspired me to write my own post about cultivars and cultivar extinction.
In light of that post, these "fake" long jings, made from different cultivars, may actually be helping to preserve and protect the "authentic" long jing cultivars.
- June 28, 2011 at 2:42 PM
- Gingko said...
Unfortunately, sometimes things go to the bad direction whenever they can... Some non-longjing cultivars (largely considered fake) such as mentioned in discussion (5) are even found in the most authentic producing regions nowadays. This is very rare, as most farmers in geographic patent regions are very loyal to their cultivars. But as some non-longjing cultivars are harvested earlier (and therefore sold for more money), it can be a concern these fake cultivars may cause endangerment or even extinction of some traditional ones.
- June 28, 2011 at 5:15 PM
hi thank you for very insightful info on cultivars. It certainly is a absolutely awesome help into my just started journey into drinking Chinese tea.
Just so I can check with dragon well producer of what cultivar is their tea grown , what is "cultivar" known as in Chinese? As well as the traditional cultivar, let me know how do I express #43 cultivar properly in order to be understood :-)
- June 19, 2012 at 10:52 AM
hi I think I found the expression i needed to know . Many thanks look forward to reading more of your excellent blogs cheers
- June 19, 2012 at 2:30 PM
- Gingko said...
Thanks Luc. Let me know if I can provide further information :-)
- June 27, 2012 at 6:18 PM
- Saint Paul Furniture Removal said...
Nice blog yoou have
- August 6, 2022 at 3:26 AM


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Last night Andy Murry and Novak Djokovic played a 4 hour, 54 minute match, tied for the longest U.S. Open men's final ever. It was a gem. CBS scheduled the Monday match in the 4 p.m. slot to ensure tennis wouldn't bump into its primetime lineup. That didn't work. The nearly unprecedented match stretched more than an hour into primetime, knocking back reruns for shows like How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls. Let's emphasize that again: reruns.
What did people miss? Here are the synopses for the repeat episodes in question:
How I Met Your Mother. Good Crazy: Marshall and Lily butt heads over how best to prepare for parenthood. Meanwhile, Ted deals with the aftermath of his fallout with Robin. Repeat (CC)
2 Broke Girls. And the Big Buttercream Breakthrough: Max and Caroline are hired by a Manhattan socialite to make cupcakes for her daughter's first birthday party. Repeat (CC)
Instead, there were a couple of skinny dudes hitting a tennis ball back and forth and back and forth and back and forth like forever. What was up with that? People were unhappy. If you've been wondering why American tennis is in trouble, start here:


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A trio of local athletes made the final steps in the BC Summer Games path to Abbotsford on Wednesday night.
Bateman basketball champion Jayden Gill, Abbotsford Senior rugby star Tausani Levale, and Special Olympian Todd Moore carried the torch into Thunderbird Plaza, and moments later the 100-day countdown was officially on as the Games torch was lit up in front of hundreds.
The moment capped off a night full of performances, speeches from dignitaries and general excitement for the Games, which run from July 21 to 24 in various locations across Abbotsford.
"These are now our games," said Abbotsford mayor Henry Braun inside the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium. "We will be bringing almost 3,000 of the best emerging high performance athletes in the province to our city. These Games are an investment in our community, and will showcase our city."
Games president Steve Carlton spoke of the 'rise above, reach beyond' theme of the Abbotsford BC Summer Games. He said the eagle artwork donated by artist Robert Bateman has inspired and energized the leadership group and volunteers.
Gordon Hogg, the parliamentary secretary for youth support to the minister of community, sport and cultural development for the province of BC, said the Games are all about uniting communities.
"As we count down the days, symbolically now this is where the light and the spirit of togetherness will be," he said. "Sport unites us and this is where that spirit will be when we have the Games in Abbotsford."
Earlier, Chief Dalton Silver from the Sumas First Nation welcomed the Games to his people's traditional lands, and there were performances from White Thunder Dance Theatre, Elementz Dance Crew and Skipping Sensations.
Carlton said volunteers are still being accepted, and those interested can register online at bcgames.org/Games/BCSummerGames/Volunteers.aspx.
The next big event for the Games is the opening ceremonies on July 21.
Check out photos from Facebook on by clicking here.
Photos from the event are also available on our Flickr account, which can be viewed by clicking here.


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Narcotic analgesics:
Indications for: Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (300mg)
Management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate.
Adult Dosage:
Use lowest effective dose for shortest duration. Individualize. Give every 4–6hrs as needed. Initially 1–2 tabs of 5mg/300mg (max 8 tabs/day) or 1 tab of 7.5mg/300mg or 10mg/300mg (max 6 tabs/day). Renal or hepatic impairment: initiate at lower doses; monitor. Concomitant use or discontinuation of CYP3A4 inhibitors or inducers: monitor closely and consider dose adjustments (see full labeling). Withdraw gradually by 25–50% every 2–4 days.
Children Dosage:
Not established.
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (300mg) Contraindications:
Significant respiratory depression. Acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment. Known or suspected GI obstruction, including paralytic ileus.
Boxed Warning:
Addiction, abuse, and misuse. Life-threatening respiratory depression. Accidental ingestion. Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome. Cytochrome P450 3A4 interaction. Hepatotoxicity. Risks from concomitant use with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants.
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (300mg) Warnings/Precautions:
Life-threatening respiratory depression; monitor within first 24–72hrs of initiating therapy and following dose increases. Accidental exposure may cause fatal overdose (esp. in children). COPD, cor pulmonale, decreased respiratory reserve, hypoxia, hypercapnia, or pre-existing respiratory depression; monitor and consider non-opioid analgesics. Abuse potential (monitor). Increased risk of hepatotoxicity with acetaminophen doses >4g/day, alcohol abusers. Underlying liver disease. Adrenal insufficiency. Head injury. Increased intracranial pressure, brain tumors; monitor. Seizure disorders. CNS depression. Impaired consciousness, coma, shock; avoid. Biliary tract disease. Acute pancreatitis. Discontinue at the 1st sign of rash or any other hypersensitivity. Drug abusers. Renal or hepatic impairment. Reevaluate periodically. Avoid abrupt cessation. Elderly. Cachectic. Debilitated. Labor & delivery: not recommended. Pregnancy (Cat.C); potential neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome during prolonged use. Nursing mothers: monitor infants.
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (300mg) Classification:
Opioid + analgesic.
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (300mg) Interactions:
Increased risk of hypotension, respiratory depression, sedation with benzodiazepines or other CNS depressants (eg, non-benzodiazepine sedatives/hypnotics, anxiolytics, general anesthetics, phenothiazines, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, antipsychotics, alcohol, other opioids); reserve concomitant use in those for whom alternative options are inadequate; limit dosages/durations to minimum required; monitor. During or within 14 days of MAOIs: not recommended. Avoid concomitant other acetaminophen-containing products. Risk of serotonin syndrome with serotonergic drugs (eg, SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, triptans, 5-HT3 antagonists, mirtazapine, trazodone, tramadol, MAOIs, linezolid, IV methylene blue); monitor and discontinue if suspected. Avoid concomitant mixed agonist/antagonist opioids (eg, butorphanol, nalbuphine, pentazocine) or partial agonist (eg, buprenorphine); may reduce effects and/or precipitate withdrawal symptoms. Potentiated by CYP3A4 inhibitors (eg, macrolides, azole antifungals, protease inhibitors). Antagonized by CYP3A4 inducers (eg, rifampin, carbamazepine, phenytoin). May antagonize diuretics; monitor. Paralytic ileus may occur with anticholinergics. May cause false (+) urine test for 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid.
Adverse Reactions:
Lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, other CNS effects, nausea, vomiting; respiratory depression, severe hypotension, syncope, hepatotoxicity (overdosage); rare: serious skin or hypersensitivity reactions.
Formerly known under the brand names Vicodin, Vicodin ES, Vicodin HP.
How Supplied:
Contact supplier


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Stay tuned for the release of our Quick Guide which will include maps, the programming grid, and more.
The Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, opposite Hall H and Plaza Park at the end of the Convention Center, is a major programming destination for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Comic-Con. Daily programs take place on all three of those days in the Indigo Ballroom, on the lobby level of the hotel. On Friday night, the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards takes over that space, starting at 8:00 PM.
Click here for important information about attending panels and programs at Comic-Con 2015.
Quicklinks: Print Ready • Mobile Site • iCal Feeds • View MySched Features & Help Guide
If you are having problems loading the schedule below, click here to load it directly in a new window.


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Question: What do you get when you mix a cappella, sock puppets, string theory and Queen? Answer: The geekiest (and astonishingly good, musically speaking) cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" EVAR. Easily the greatest physics-themed cover of the classic we've ever heard. Seriously. The thing's a masterpiece.
To be fair, "Bohemian Gravity" may well be the only physics-themed version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" ever made, but that doesn't change the fact that it is very, very well done. The creation of McGill University Masters candidate Timothy Blaise (who posted this link to his recently submitted thesis, along with the video), the track does way more than touch on some of the more confounding elements of string theory; from a compositional standpoint, it also manages to be an outstanding cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody," full stop. Also, there's an Einstein sock puppet. Now who the hell can't get behind that?
Check out the lyrics below. For more of Blais's musical work, hit up his YouTube Channel.
Is string theory right?
Is it just fantasy?
Caught in the landscape,
Out of touch with reality
On S5 or T*S3
Space is a pure void
Why should it be stringy?
Because it's quantum not classical
Any way you quantize
You'll encounter infinity
You see
Must interact
Via paths we understand
Using Feynman diagrams
Often, they will just rebound
But now and then they go another way
A quantum
Infinities will make you cry
Unless you can renormalize your model
Of baryons, fermions
And all other states of matter
Curved space:
The graviton
Can be thought of as a field
But these infinities are real
In a many-body
Loop diagram
Our results diverge no matter what we do...
A Quantum Soup (any way you quantize)
Kiss your fields goodbye
Guess Einstein's theory wasn't complete at all!
I see extended 1-D objects with no mass
What's their use? What's their use? Can they give us quark plasma?
What to minimize?
What functional describes this
Nambu-Goto! (Nambu-Goto)
Nambu-Goto! (Nambu-Goto)
How to quantize I don't know
I'm just a worldsheet, please minimize me
He's just a worldsheet from a string theory
Reperametrized by a Weyl symmetry!
Fermi, Bose, open, closed, orientable?
Modes! They become particles (particles!)
They become particles (particles!)
They become particles (particles!)
Become particles (particles!)
Become particles (many many many many particle...)
Modes modes modes modes modes modes modes!
Oh mamma mia mamma mia,
Such a sea of particles!
A tachyon, with a dilaton and gravity-vity-VITY
(rock out!)
Now we need ten dimensions and I'll tell you why
(anomaly cancellation!)
So to get down to 4D we compactify!
Oh, Kahler!
(Kahler manifold)
Manifolds must be Kahler!
(Complex Reimannian symplectic form)
If we wanna preserve
Any of our super-symmetry
(Superstrings of type I, IIa and IIb)
(Heterotic O and Heterotic E)
(All are one through S and T duality)
(Thank you Ed Witten for that superstring revolution and your new M-theory!)
(Type IIB String!)
Dual! Dual!
(In the AdS/CFT)
Molecules and atoms
Light and energy
Time and space and matter
All from one united
Any way you quantize...
Lyrics and arrangement by Tim Blais and A Capella Science
Original music by Queen
h/t Universe Today!


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Over on No Left Turns our friend Peter Schramm reflects on the passing of Harold W. Rood, one of the legendary teachers of so many of us out at Claremont in the 1970s and 1980s. Peter is right that Rood was a great poet. But like Socrates he could be an ironic one. No one could convey like him such unsentimental truths in the weaving of poetic and spellbinding tales.
While Harry Jaffa taught us how to divine the theoretical depths of classic philosophical texts and recognize their esoteric elements, Rood taught us a similar technique: how to think counterintuitively about historical and current events, which is also an esoteric skill. For several years after many of us had finished our coursework but were naturally procrastinating on qualifying exams and dissertation writing, we always had a regular breakfast with Prof. Rood every Tuesday morning at Walter's restaurant on Yale Avenue in Claremont. There we'd simply scan the morning newspaper headlines, and sit back as Prof. Rood would explain why exactly the opposite of the news story was likely the truth of the matter. He was usually right.
On strategic and military matters he knew whereof he spoke, having been in Patton's Third Army as it swept across France and Germany in World War II. Though he knew how to drive a tank, he didn't drive a car. He only wrote one book, Kingdoms of the Blind: How the Great Democracies Have Resumed the Follies That So Nearly Cost Them Their Life. The book appeared in that timely year of 1980, which was close to the nadir of western strength and resolve, after a decade of Soviet advances and American retreat almost everywhere. It is long out of print, but available second-hand, and still worth reading for the methodology alone, just as Prof. Rood awakened us to the value of old obscure classics of strategy such as Halford Mackinder's 1904 essay "The Geographical Pivot of History," an essay nowadays relevant in light of events in south central Asia. The first sentence of Kingdoms conveys the seriousness of the man and his theme: "This work is a reminder of the dangerous inclination democratic peoples have of discounting the likelihood of war." Harry Jaffa wrote of Rood's work: "Professor Rood is a painter of the strategic scene. The combination of what at first appears to be insignificant details, the discovery of a harmonious relationship among seemingly discrete events, is accomplished by him in a manner that would have delighted Churchill the painter no less than Churchill the strategist."
A number of us heard the news of his terminal illness last month at a friend's wedding back here in Bethesda, and a large group of his former students posed on the lawn for a photo to send along to the great man. Strangely I cannot find a photo of Prof. Rood anywhere on the Internet, though I suspect he might have seen to that. All I can post is the spartan cover of his great book, which is probably how he'd have wanted it. RIP.


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Warm and cosy never looked so good!
The scarves of the new Max&Co. collection are versatile and original accessories featuring original, refined details that enrich women's clothing in an elegant way and with supremely classy innovations. Scarves and ponchos underscore the charisma and femininity of each woman, providing a unique and sophisticated engaged style. Quality materials and fabrics are repurposed to create original and trendy prints, providing a bold look of great character. The Max&Co. scarves catalogue features chic and captivating scarves with multicultural inspiration, flowing fabrics, elegant and casual patterns, scarves in silk, cashmere and jacquard fabrics, scarves printed with lamé, muslin, fur and organza with attractive lines, colours and textures. Standouts in the MAX&Co. collection include ponchos with maxi-fringes, tricot scarves with a brushed texture, scarves with micro-sequins, printed silk scarves, soft, warm and lightweight accessories that make refine any outfit. Elegant, sensual and original, Max&Co. scarves are the perfect accessory for decisive, enterprising and determined women.


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Update: In light of the overwhelming popularity of this story, I've added a subsequent post explaining the media's deliberate role in the creation of negative pre-IPO press.
Long before GM pulled its $10M in advertising from Facebook, I lost my faith in the platform. As an online media buyer for American Apparel, I had cut the majority of my spend each month for the preceding 12 months. From the time that Facebook stopped serving banner ads through Microsoft to now, the spend I oversaw fell from nearly $1M per year to a few thousand dollars a month.
As I told Direct Marketing News in March 2012: "The return is not there. Unless you're selling apps or lead generation, I think Facebook ads are underwhelming. I see bad things ahead for the Facebook IPO and perhaps, rising dissatisfaction among clients."
This sentiment came from my personal experience—particularly with sketchy new offerings like the "Sponsored Story" platform which essentially charges popular fan pages a premium CPM to reach their own fans in the Facebook feed (translation: FB, who controls how much or little fans see your updates, is charging to "improve" your chances of being seen). But mostly, it came from entrepreneur Joseph Perla's eye opening essay "Facebook is a Ponzi Scheme" in January 2011. This prescient essay outlines all the current IPO-related criticism of Facebook and it did it way before anyone else.
Perla has allowed me to repost that article. Read it before you considering buying shares, and more importantly, before spending ad dollars. And Zuckerberg, if you're reading, it's time to build an ad platform that actually works for real advertisers.
Facebook is a Ponzi Scheme
Now that you know what a Ponzi scheme is, I will tell you how and why Facebook is like a Ponzi Scheme. The argument is similar to how Paul Graham describes that Yahoo was a ponzi scheme in 1998.
Facebook posts huge revenues. In fact, recent reports are that Facebook is very profitable. This boosts both their respect in the world and their valuation. However, these returns, while real, are unsustainable. They exist and are sustained in the same manner that Ponzi schemes are. Facebook is a Ponzi Scheme.
Have you ever bought a Facebook ad? I have. I have talked to many, many people who have. We have spent hundreds, many have spent thousands or even more, experimenting with Facebook ads. They are worthless. Nobody ever looks at them, and nobody ever clicks on them. I just talked to someone who was trying to promote a book. He found it cost him over $100 in ads to sell one book. Moreover, as you increase your ad spending, people get used to the ads and just ignore them. So, your already low click-through rate plummets even further.
People go to Facebook to interact with their friends. It is fundamentally different from the ad platform that is Google. People go to Google to find something they need, possibly ready to buy, which a good percentage of the time can in fact be solved by someone's ad. Facebook ads, on the other hand, annoy users. They yield no real value, and thus no profits.
But, then, how is Facebook so profitable? Are they lying? No. They are growing. More and more people sign up to Facebook, and more and more businesses hear about how many people are on Facebook. It seems like a huge opportunity. TV shows and award-winning movies are made about Facebook.
Because of Facebook's presumed success, many small, medium, and large businesses individually and in turn experiment with Facebook ads. They spend hundreds or thousands or more on Facebook ads. At the end of the first run, they see bad ROIs. They tweak the ads and spend more money and try again. Nothing. So they stop, understanding that Facebook ads are worthless. Almost everyone I've talked to who has actually bought Facebook ads knows this. But, not everyone has bought Facebook ads yet. There are still more and more new businesses finding out about Facebook ads. As they grow, even more businesses give their money to experiment in destined failure.
Eventually, though, and this might take a long time, but it is finite, everyone will have tried Facebook ads and know that they are useless. Eventually, after 10 million businesses have invested $1000 each, and Facebook has earned $10 billion in revenue in total, then they will have run out of new customers and their revenue will dry up. A useless product is never sustainable. I wish I could short Facebook.
Now, it is possible that some extremely niche businesses have found limited utility from ads (for example, BustedTees and social games may be the lucky few). It has been shown, however, that some of the biggest advertisers are huge, outright scams and others have deceptive practices at best. Also, Mark Zuckerberg might have a fit of brilliance and then announce a revolutionary ad platform that somehow actually works on social networks. My guess is not. They haven't yet. What is clear from everyone I know who has advertised on Facebook is that it was a waste of money. Facebook promises big returns on ad spending, but delivers nothing. Yet, their value and growth continues because they can use that money to grow their user-base more and assert profitability (in this sense it's not quite entirely a ponzi scheme, but there is no closer idea). It's possible that they do not even realize that they are like a Ponzi scheme.
That's right, they may not even realize that their ad platform is completely useless because they always get new clients signing up and giving up their offering to the god of web 2.0 hype. They may be blind, as I used to be. They may be truly surprised when the supply of suckers runs dry.
More likely, in the end, they will get teenagers to pay a monthly fee to host all of their party photos. Of course, then the next VC-funded Facebook (just as MySpace killed Friendster, and Facebook killed MySpace, so will NextFB kill Facebook) will offer the same services and be free and take over the "market." The cycle repeats itself.
Update from Joseph: Of course this all metaphorical analogy. Facebook is not literally a financial ponzi scheme. And yet, there are some odd financial manipulations going on.
Normally, investors don't sell most of their shares at the IPO, as in the recent LinkedIn and Groupon IPO's. Major investors in Facebook claimed they would sell just small amount of stock months ago. But just 2 days before the IPO, investors switched it up and now will sell
much, much more. From the WSJ: "Goldman Sachs will sell as much as 50%, up from 23% previously. Tiger Global will sell up to 50% of its stake. Previously it planned to sell 7%." The smart money is already leaving, presumably for a reason.
Ryan Holiday is the author of Trust Me, I'm Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator (Penguin/Portfolio). More of his writing can be found at RyanHoliday.net, and you can sign up for monthly reading recommendations through his reading list email.