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Smiling Depression and Filipino Americans: Can Our Smiles Take our Pain Away?
Filipinos are known for their tenacity and their ability to find their smile amidst their pain. According to Jetpac, a social travel app guide, the Philippines ranked as the 8th smiliest country in the world. Philippines was the only Asian country that made it to the top ten according to this list. Having been raised in the Philippines, I have been a witness to our smiling culture.
It is an endearing cultural trait that make foreigners want to trade their comfortable abode in the States to the humid, organized chaotic lifestyle our Motherland has to offer.
It is the trait that helps us cope as we transition to our new life in America while we struggle to cope with our own losses as we show our brave faces to our children to give them the confidence to adjust to theirs.
It is the trait that helps us connect with people at our new church in the hopes of forming new friendships. The same one we used to mask our disappointments from your children in an effort not to burden them with our troubles.
Unsurprisingly, the very same smiles our children have learned to use to mask their own pain and sadness.
Smiling depression is defined as appearing happy to others, masking internal depression symptoms by hiding deep feelings of sadness as a defense mechanism.
Some might consciously or unconsciously choose this approach in support of the belief – "You have to fake it until you make it." Perhaps, this belief is not completely fallible if you are simply attempting to motivate yourself with small behavioral changes, for example, waking up early in the morning, or conquering our fears of public speaking.
As to Filipino Americans and our collectivistic nature, we put much stress on how we will be perceived by others, fearing their judgment or how others might carry on if we do decide to let them into our world-the darker side of it, fearing we will burden them with our heavy load.
Reach out for professional support if you feel stuck or you can schedule a complimentary consult with Roanne.
Depression and Its Many Faces
Every person's experience with depression varies. For some people depression may appear as deep sadness and exhaustion. For others, it might appear as loss of concentration or forgetfulness. For some others, it might appear like the inability to find pleasure in usual activities that used to bring them joy OR keeping a "smiling face," as the case with smiling depression.
Due to Filipino Americans' unique socio-political history, varied migration wave experience coupled with our multi-linguistic exposure amongst others, it is not surprisingly that our forms of expression and communication evolve constantly and at times with great complexity.
Some ways that depression may appear uniquely (not undermining that these symptoms can also be seen in other cultures) in the Filipino American community are as follows but not limited to:
- Feelings of worthlessness, feelings of inferiority to others
- Worrying too much about things
- Getting one's feelings easily hurt
- Feeling guilt, feeling that others do not understand them
- Trouble concentrating
- Nervousness or shakiness inside
- Feeling easily annoyed or irritated
- Headaches, dizziness
- Weakness in parts of one's body
- Heart pounding or racing, pain in the heart or chest
- Upset stomach
- Hot & cold spells
- Trouble catching one's breath
- Heavy feelings in the arms and legs, numbness or tingling in parts of one's body
It is crucial to note that observing one or two symptoms in the above, do not immediately constitute a diagnosis for Depression. The intent of the list above is to encourage observation of our own and our loved ones' change in patterns of behaviors so that their subtler, more quiet form of "crying out for help" can be met with curiosity and support.
Story Therapy: art & Science of Healing
On-Line Counseling for Filipino Women: Is it Effective
Finding Your Story: Healing Your Inter-Generational Trauma
Do I Stop Smiling Now?
Please keep the rest of us inspired by your smile. Research show that humor including smiling can help reduce stress hormones and boost immune system while inducing optimistic feelings.
If you are smiling to express, find solace, even comfort for a bad day or even for a bad mood, this might be an adaptive approach to try. It might bring back sunshine to your temporary gloomy day.
But, if you're smiling to cover up deep, persistent feelings of sadness and emptiness that just wouldn't go away despite your best efforts, unfortunately, the answer would be a NO– our smiles alone cannot take our pain away . But the good news is that your smile belongs to you and is not fully lost. By reaching out for support or even treatment, you might be wearing it sooner than you've anticipated!
If you're interested in additional mental health support, schedule a complimentary consult with Roanne here.
Roanne has been a Psychotherapist for more than 15 years. She has frequented at least 500 Filipino homes and counting. She is the author of the Ebook: 5 Pinoy Love Languages and the creator of the presentation entitled: Filipino Core Values & Considerations in Culturally Responsive Care. To access self-paced courses and other resources, enter the Kalamansi Juice Academy.
Some links are affiliate links which means I get a small commission if you use them. This allows me to create awesome content just for you! Salamat in advance for stopping by!


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Flashbacks, flashforwards, present day heartache…This Is Us has done a lot in its third season. And it is just getting started.
"That is the nice thing about what this show's doing, we're not just sitting back on our laurels, we're not just taking it easy, we're challenging ourselves," Milo Ventimiglia, patriarch Jack Pearson on the series, said.
The NBC drama returns with new episodes on Tuesday, Jan. 15, but before the Pearsons return, it's time to get caught up on their drama and there's a video just for that purpose below.
"I am incredibly proud to be a part of this show, each and every season, but season three, I think, really does deliver on the ambitious aspect of what us as a cast have really set out to do," Mandy Moore, matriarch Rebecca Pearson, says in the video below.
The third seasons has featured Jack and Rebecca's early courtship, including a road trip to Los Angeles where Rebecca had her dreams of a music career dashed. Viewers have also seen Jack in Vietnam, trying to get his brother Nicky (Michael Angarano) on the straight and narrow, while in the present day, Kevin (Justin Hartley) searched for answers about his dad's time during the war, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) embarked on a campaign for city council as his wife Beth (Susan Kelechi Watson) lost her job and daughter Tess (Eris Baker) opened up about her sexual orientation, Kate (Chrissy Metz) started on her journey toward motherhood as husband Toby (Chris Sullivan) struggled with his depression. All this while flashes to the future showed an adult Tess and Randall nervous to see a mysterious somebody.
"It's been quite a journey for both of them," Metz said about her storyline. "But there will be joy and there will be a little boy. Yeah, it's exciting."
Click play on the video above to hear from the cast about these storylines and more.
And spoiler alert: Turns out Jack's brother Nicky is still alive in the present day, and Kevin is poised to find him. Plus, in the flashforward, Tess and Randall are going to visit Rebecca—whether she's alive or not is another story, but viewers saw an older Toby decline to visit, while appearing depressed in bed, alone, and an older Beth running her own dance studio and getting a pin the tail on the donkey game ready for the visit.
This Is Us returns on Tuesday, Jan. 15 with "The Last Seven Weeks" at 9 p.m. on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)


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What goes into cooking up the tastiest pizza? It comes down to more than mixing up the right combo of flour, salt, water, and yeast, then adding a splash of marinara and a sprinkle of cheese. Delivering the highest quality pizza is about embracing the whole pizza-making process, from selecting high-quality toppings to getting the pizza in your hands while it's still hot from the oven. That's what you can expect from the folks at Domino's pizza place near 78004. They knead the dough just right, so you always get the crispy-chewy crunch you expect from your pizza crust. A bounty of sauce and a hearty helping of your preferred meats and vegetables come after. Get creative with a pizza concoction designed by you or stick with a traditional Domino's recipe. Your Bergheim Domino's pizza place near 78004 welcomes all cravings. It's where you'll enjoy plenty of made-to-order options and mouth-watering pizza to go around! Domino's Bergheim pizza deals help you save money, and dedicated delivery drivers make sure your pizza, wings, or sandwich arrives at your door just the way you ordered them.
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- Contact Phone: (361) 884-2242
- Clinic Details: Amistad Community Health Center is a not for profit health center founded in 2005. Our mission is to show and share the love of Jesus Christ to the Corpus Christi Community by providing holistic, affordable and quality health care services. We recognize that Jesus Christ is the true healer of individuals and their communities and the source of our ability to serve.
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While it's fairly easy to figure out exactly what dogs are trying to tell you at any given time — if non-clothes-wearing creatures were capable of wearing their hearts on their sleeves, pooches would display theirs proudly and without fear — decoding cat language can be a little trickier. Luckily, though, there's a ton of research out there that can help us figure out just what Fluffy means when she sits there slowly blinking at us. Even better, we've got it in infographic form, thanks to a lovely little series by UK rescue organization Cats Protection. Isn't the Internet grand?
Cats communicate primarily in a few different ways: Through their facial expressions, through their body language, and through their behavior. To be fair, they also talk — that is, they communicate through their meows — but not every cat is super talkative, so your mileage may vary depending on each individual feline. If you do have a chatterbox of a cat, it's usually pretty easy to tell the friendly sounds from the non-friendly ones; purrs typically mean they're content (although they can also be a sign of stress), chirps or trills usually mean they want you to look at or follow them (apparently those are the noises mother cats make when they want their kids to keep up), and hisses mean "YOU STOP THAT RIGHT NOW." A plain old "meow" in and of itself is quite versatile (kind of like a certain four-letter word according to Boondock Saints ); depending on the way your cat uses it, it can mean everything from "Hello, human!" to "FEED ME. NOW." My cats, for example, are making their "Give me treats!" meows right now. (Nice try, cats.)
But back to the physical cues. According to Cats Protection's handy dandy infographics, here's how to decode what your cat is saying based on what they're doing with their bodies and faces.
Although it may seem like your cat has the same dang look on its face all the time, subtle changes in the way they position their ears, eyes, and whiskers reveal loads about the inner workings of your pet's little feline mind. The exact combinations vary, but generally speaking, a happy, calm cat looks pretty similar to a happy, calm human: Everything is nice and relaxed. Be on the lookout, though, if your cat's eyes are wide open with wide pupils, their ears are pricked up or lying flat, and/or their whiskers are pointed forward; they might just be on alert, but they also could be stressed, worried, or anxious. If everything is drooping down, that might be an indication of depression.
Cats like to say hello with their body language in a variety of different ways, but the most common are arguably rolling over on their backs and balancing on their hind legs while they reach up to you with their front paws. Be warned, though: A cat rolling around on its back is not usually asking for belly rubs. It means that they feel safe around you, not that they want you squeezing them in their squishy bits. A crouched posture, meanwhile, usually means that they're on alert; if your cat is crouching, you might want to see if you can figure out which facial expression they're making as detailed above in addition in order to decode exactly how they're feeling.
Cat behavior is arguably the easiest part of a cat to decode — or at least, it's what I have the easiest time figuring out. If they're rubbing up against either you or a nearby object, they're marking their territory, but in a good way — a way that says, "I like you and I feel at home here." Kneading — a throwover from their kitten days — also typically means they're happy, although it can also be a stress reaction. (It helps them calm themselves down.) And if they're hissing? You should probably already know what that means. If they're hissing at you, stop whatever the heck you're doing, because it's clearly antagonizing the creature.
Head on over to Cat Protections' blog for more fun cat facts.
Images: Pixabay; Cat Protections (3)


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Usually, when we think of teenage years, we typically think about an active lifestyle. Adolescents thrive physically because the human body reaches its peak during this phase. That being said, you would think that this teenage stage should be the most active in an individual's life, right?
According to a recent study published in the NY Post, it looks like the inactivity of the modern teen has lead to some staggering results. It's reported that teens today are only as active as senior citizens.
The study was conducted as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Approximately 12,529 participants whose ages ranged between 6 and 85 were involved. Researchers used specialized devices to measure the movement of subjects.
Participants wore the devices for seven consecutive days and the survey was conducted as part of two research cycles: 2003-2004 and 2005-2006. The study took into account all types of physical activity, not just exercise.
New Insights
The findings, which were first published in the August issue of the Journal of Preventive Medicine show that physical activity is at its highest at the age of six. The lead author of the study, Vijay Varma stated that some of the observations contradict the notion that physical activity gradually declines with time.
The National Institute of Aging researcher further noted that the new data revealed a sharper-than-expected decline in the period between elementary school right through to middle and high school. By the time teenagers reach the age of 19, they are activity levels become as sedentary as the seniors.
Potential Causes of Teen Physical Inactivity
Varma wonders why the decline is happening earlier. Unlike teens, senior citizens are usually plagued by many health issues that lead to restricted movement. He believes that the trend can be attributed to social structures; they are not supporting physical activity. In addition, the researcher pointed to the modern school days, which are characterized by long classroom time and relatively short recesses.
On the other hand, early school bell times are blamed for causing sleep deprivation. According to Varma, these times are not consistent with children's physiological requirements.
Digital devices are not helping improve levels of activity either. Several studies have shown that teenagers spend up to nine hours a day watching television or using tablets and laptops for recreation purposes. However, the actual screen times tend to change rapidly due to the introduction of new technology.
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Researchers view late teens as a "high-risk time period for physical inactivity." The majority of kids in this age group are not getting the recommended minimum activity, which is at least one hour of moderate-to-vigorous workout. Up to 50 percent of girls and 25 percent of boys in the 6 to 11 years of age range are not meeting this World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation.
Adolescents between 12 and 19 are more sedentary. Data shows that 50 percent of boys and 75 percent of girls are falling short of meeting the target. Surprisingly, twenty-somethings show higher levels of activity before slowing down again in their 30s. Varma refers to this trend as a catch up period and attributes the spike in movement due to various social factors.
Levels of activity were noticeably higher early in the morning when compared to teenagers. The research study findings show that emerging adulthood creates many changes. These include increased household responsibilities, starting careers and changes to family structure.
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Greetings and salutations to all my esteemed readers. This is Sam here and today I'll give you some clue as to what I've been doing for the last two weeks. So as I've mentioned in prior posts, my real passion lies in military history. From the first organized spear blocks of Sargon of Akkad in Sumeria to the mechanized infantry formations of the modern period, all things combat related piques my interest. Working at Banting House slakes this thirst quite well, as some might be surprised to hear. Frederick Banting served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps in the First World War as a captain, participating on the front lines of the most successful Canadian offensives during the famous "Last Hundred Days" of the War. It really was a raucous affair that ended up in Banting getting a severe arm wound and the Military Cross from King George V! But what I am doing is more focused on the administrative nitty-gritty of Banting's military service record rather than what Banting biographer Michael Bliss would call "needless hero worship and adoration". My main task is to create a map that details Banting's day to day movements, his unit's actions, it's transfers, and it's billets. It will allow those who follow Bantings stop-by-stop journey to have a better understanding of what it looked like to fight in the Great War, aside from the mud and blood of the trenches. I want to show where Banting was when he served on the front lines, what he was doing, what units he would have been close to and their participation in the various Canadian offensives of 1918. I want people to know that Banting's was not simply a instant hero story; the man was just another field surgeon of the No. 13 Canadian Field Ambulance and was moved about as such.
To do this research, I called on the plethora of resources available to me at Banting House. I first started with the war diaries of the 13th Field Ambulance and the 44th Canadian Infantry Battalion which it was attached to (recently digitized by the gems over at Libraries and Archives Canada). While testing on my vision (not all war diarists were created equal, as I found out), these documents provide much information on the unit movements, positions and personnel transfers. The second big collection I drew from were Banting's military records, which helped me piece together the financial and social situation that Banting inhabited at the time of the war. With those official, government sanctioned resources out of the way, I am now turning to more personal accounts. For the last two days I have been slowly working through Banting's personal memoirs and Michael Bliss's biography of the man in search of any tiny stories that official records do not cover. Doing so has really given me an idea of the man that Banting developed into being after these military adventures. It removes the vernier of hero worship that can sometimes accrue when you work at a museum (Banting was a product of his father's generation, I'll leave it at that), which can be quite harsh, but ultimately it builds up a respect for the subject. For all the silly, petty and anti social actions that Banting took in his life, I can still say that he was a great man and this military project makes him human again to me, after the myth has been stripped away and the immature feelings of disgust and betrayal dissipate of course.
When this mapping project is completed, I really recommend that you check it out. It will educate you on the war in a rather interesting fashion and reveal the sheer scale of the conflict just on the western front alone. And maybe, I hope, it will give you some concept of the experience that shaped not only Banting, but a whole generation of Canadians.


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Advantages and Disadvantages of the Internet on Music
|✅ Paper Type: Free Essay
|✅ Subject: Media
|✅ Wordcount: 2436 words
|✅ Published: 3rd Jan 2018
Internet speeds and media convergence have increased the promise of new delivery of content and information. This change has been strongly driven by increasing technological advances; combined with the increase in the rapid uptake of broadband technologies has lead to the increase in broadband penetration. The Internet, due to several factors such as; the increase number of competitors, scale and the increase of speed, have largely affected how the public consume information and have therefore forced companies to re-evaluate their current distribution models but also invest more into technologies that support this upward trend.
One such technology product at the forefront of this economical and socialocial change is music distribution. Online Music distribution market is due to grow significantly within the next few years, forcing record labels and retail giants to reconsider their current business practices and model to accommodate this trend.
The music industry has always been at the forefront of technological advances, and has the ability to transform its product to multiple mediums to promote the message.
Understanding how music is digested is key to understanding how the diversification of the product has significantly changed over the years. Radio lead to records and the compact disc, while now due to the increase of sharing platforms online and the popularity of MP3 players such as the ipod have allowed or some would say encouraged users to licence unauthorized downloading of copyrighted content.
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Although the music industry has pushed for and placed more pressure in convergence of technological products both software and hardware, developments in online music also raise significant challenges that are likely to be relevant for other digital content sectors as well. The below paper aims to indentify the opportunities and disadvantages the Internet has had on the music industry. The first part of this paper aims to give a brief history of the music industry and what has essentially how it now uses the Internet as a key distribution network. Part two of the paper aims to specify the key opportunities that the Internet has provided the music industry. For all the opportunities, several key challenges the Internet has placed on progression of music industry. Part three aims to analyse these challenges in depth. Finally this paper does not provide a solution towards the challenges identified rather provides a framework in where these challenges are identified and discussed.
The music industry has always been at the forefront of technological developments. It has contributed or some would say encouraged developments within the commercial environments, entry of new players and new ways to consume music and generate revenue. The Internet allows for new forms of advertising and allows easier access and lower entry points for artistic creation and distribution of music.
In 2004 a stream of legitimate music sources became available, which up until then the majority forms of music distribution were illegal. Apple iTunes lead the charge and significantly changed the music landscape by offering a one stop shop that provided a consistent easy to use format that allows customers to pay for songs they want rather then have to purchase full albums as previous forms have focused on. By the end of 2004, there were 230 sites offering over 1m tracks online in the United States and Europe. "In 2004, over 200 million songs were downloaded from legitimate services up from 20 million the previous year, which grew streaming on demand, Internet radio and personalised services." (http://www.key4biz.it/download/Digital_Broadband_Content_Music.pdf)
2005 saw the rise of mobile music i.e. ring tones, and saw the increase in popularity of other formats such as music DVDs. It appears demand for music has increased through digital distribution methods and has lead to other forms of music consumption (streaming radio, video clips on DVDs as previously seen on network such as MTV and channel V). Although having gained such popularity the online revenue accounts attributed from these products only accounted for 1-2% of the total revenue.
The digitalisation of music has been the main drivers in global technology markets. Although revenues derived from online music sales (hardcopy & softcopies); the increase in revenues for hardware for PCs are currently higher then that being derived for music sales/streaming.
Through a combination of new business models, new technologies and innovative services provided for consumers the market is developing rapidly to realise the potential for online music. The biggest challenge still remains to be controlling piracy while developing models, which are still economically suitable to consumers that also allow for new participants to enter the market.
The digitalisation of in high quality sound provided an additional boost to the music industry with the compact disc being the lead seller for many years; although new formats such as Sony Mini Disc and Digital Compact cassettes (DCC) were introduced they did not provide to be a huge success. Mainly due to the lack of groups of hardware and software not being compatible. Funnily enough CD's still make up for the majority of sales being made online.
Apart from booming CD sales, the rise of digital technology and the Internet in at first and due to digital unauthorized downloading – proven to be more of a challenge than an opportunity to the music industry.
Entry into the music industry through the Internet is no longer reliant on record deals with major labels rather allows for up and coming musicians upload and distribute their music via other means. English singer Lilly Allen is a perfect example as Allen success was largely due to the fact she was able to release and promote her own record on the social networking page MySpace. It was only when her songs grew their own fan base reaching over tens of thousands online streams she was offered a record contract with Regal Labels. (Wikipedia) Such an examples exemplifies the Internets impact on artists being able to distribute their own records without the support or aid of larger corporations.
A Larger volume of distribution methods allow for an increase in overall competition; which in turn have an overall effect on the cost of products available. Retailers and record companies had far more control over pricing of products when limited to physical products when confined to gaining foot traffic. Now with introduction of online sales methods whether it be ordering the physical copy from Amazon.com or simply purchasing through catalogue like stores such as iTunes price has become a key differentiator on whether uses purchase their music (whether digitized or hard copy) online.
With that in mind, the evaluation of how users consume the products have also been called into question. As the Internet has allowed record labels and artists to critically evaluate how consumers utilise their product. Although in 2003 CD sales were at an all time high, the increasing number of Peer-2-peer networks brought down the volume of CDs being sold and had record companies evaluate cost models. The "ipod/iTunes effect has been forcing record labels to re-evaluate business models as there has been increasing importance placed on selling single's rather then full albums became a more advantageous for consumers as they could purchase songs are a more cost effective rate that were more valuable to them then purchasing full albums. (http://www.wikinvest.com/concept/IPod_Effect)
The convergence of products such as digital audio players, have been able to establish themselves independent of other electronic device and replace older listening devices. The main reason for such devices are to provide portability but also ability to replace dedicated products such as walkmans with converged devices such as the mobile phone or PDAs. Such developments of these products are strongly influenced by the Internets growth and uptake of e commerce networks such as iTunes. The overall influence the Internet has had on such an ecommerce transaction places the importance on having the sufficient hardware and software to continue these advances.
The ability to download digitalised versions has several added benefits for customers. The ability to make copies if the hard copy or device becomes defective. While customers are able to customised their libraries and make CDs and play lists according to their tastes rather then have to conform to Record Company choices for a customer. Also the music becomes more valuable to the customer if they're able to adjust and include the music into their own productions such as multimedia videos or presentations.
The online music distribution has provided one of the greatest platforms for technological developments and also helped in the uptake of e commerce practices in OECD countries. (BIBLIOGRAPHY)
The Internet's early success was significantly due to the file sharing capabilities otherwise known as peer-to-peer networks. The innovative technology is becoming increasing important in expanding communication. Such programs that have reaped the benefits of this technology include Skype, on demand video streaming or share proprietary information in the services industry.
Although the ability to share large volumes of data easily and quickly is appealing to the vast majority of consumers there is significant concern has about P2P networks and the ability to transfer large volumes of unauthorised content without the consent of the relevant owners. The majority of file sharing software transfers music files but has now expanded beyond that into digital content areas as well. Piracy not only affects copyright owners; essentially impedes business funding legitimate avenues of distribution. The biggest challenge businesses face with piracy is finding ways to control piracy while attempting to develop new revenues streams from digital distribution networks. Music Labels and other content providers have placed significant pressure on governments and ISP providers to help aid in the prevention of the use of illegal distribution of content. Some Film distributors have gone as far as suing Internet providers for their lack of intervention in use of illegal downloading. In the case of Film Company's iiNet sued 'for allowing piracy'. The Australian film and television industry has launched a major case against ISP provider iiNet for allowing infringement of copyright. Although the case is still under way the no known legal action has been started by Music Companies but seems to be the way large corporations are facing if governments do not start intervening.
The digital revolution happen significantly quickly while the infrastructure and legislation of rights lagged behind, leaving behind several issues that have yet to be properly addressed.
The unauthorised use of file sharing presents a significant challenge to copyright owners; although these programs allow for the music or product to have more mass appeal and spread more conveniently the transference of intellectual property is the equivalent of intellectual theft. The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) a trade group representing the Music Industry charged P2P groups enabling them to effectively steal and share music. Which has essentially have lead to the decline in CD sales. Such lawsuits saw the removal of Napster being available for the public to utilise. The interest of the music industry affects many stakeholders within the value chain, from artists to ISP providers who also seek to derive revenue from online music distribution.
To essentially survive, the market needs to create new business models and allowing for new solutions that adequately addresses the challenges that have been identified above. One such solution has seen increased pressure on government to enforce solutions that don't stifle creativity but are able to maintain the effective copyright protection in the online environment is required. However this will be reflective of individual markets while the problem is seen to place global pressure.
One significant challenge for the Internet within the Music industry is with the increase of technology; the array of incompatible audio and DRM formats essentially could lock consumers into specific standards, which therefore could hinder the growth of the music industry i.e. songs purchased within the Apple iTunes Music Store can't not be used on other devices which make this virtually impossible to share music with friends or resell the CDs if the customer tires of the song/product.
CD's and albums have survived on the talk ability factor of the products. Customers often recommend songs to their friends and social networking sites to promote their favourites artists. The inability to share the hard copy of songs through DRM systems prevent the ability to provide friends a copy of the songs as the products downloaded are generally limited towards a number of computers. Having said this, although it breaches on issues of privacy the talk ability function of these products and therefore limit the ability to advertise their product to the core audience group.
The Internet has provided a new platform for distribution for both the physical product but new formats of music as well. The industry as a whole has significant increase and support on its products; key challenges highlighted tend to be on a larger scale where increasing government pressure to reform and fix piracy issues transcends not only just within the music industry but transcends across all aspects of digital content. It is important that ways are found to harness the technological capacity of innovations so that incentives for the creation and distribution of original works are not only maintained but also enhanced.
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GRend: Your external render specialist
Many of you will recognise the name Gareth Richards as the man behind the long established and well-respected GR Glazing. In fact, a lot of you will have had new windows, doors or a conservatory fitted by Gareth and his team. Gareth's passion for transforming properties into stylish homes has led him to his latest venture, GRend.
Established in 2020, GRend are quickly becoming the go-to company for property rendering in Chesterfield and the surrounding area. Gareth set about hiring the very best renderers in Derbyshire and it shows in the quality of work and finish.
What is rendering and is it right for me?
House rendering is a form of cladding applied to the outside of a home, in the same was as plaster is applied to interior walls. Rendering comes in a variety of colours and materials and Gareth and the team are on hand with expert advice to ensure you choose the right one for you, and your home.
There are two main reasons to have your home rendered:
Rendering the exterior of a home will brighten up the property and give it a new lease of life. It can hide tired old brickwork and a join where a new extension meets the existing property. Render comes in a variety of colours and finishes and can be tailored for both traditional and contemporary styles of houses, with options to suit most budgets.
Protection and insulation
Rendering the outside of a house protects the brickwork from the elements, which over time can look tired, worn and stop providing the insulation it once did. In addition to cavity wall insulation there are several types of render that provide that extra bit of warmth during the winter months, helping reduce fuel bills, saving you money.
So whether you are looking to give your home a makeover and/or insulate your house, Gareth and the team at GRend are on hand to help. Call Gareth today for a no obligation chat and make your house a beautiful home.
E: email@example.com W: www.grend.co.uk
Facebook: G Rend


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Feast Of Saints Peter & Paul 2021
This feast honors Saints Peter and Paul who were martyred in Rome on this day. Today concentrates on St. Peter and tomorrow is dedicated to St. Paul. The Introit and Epistle show us the deliverance of St. Peter from Herod at the last moment and the Gospel etc. point to St. Peter's special mission from Our Lord as the rock upon which He will build His Church. Christ gave Simon Bar-Jona training that tempered his natural impetuosity and made him into the humble and wise visible head of His Mystical Body. We can rest assured that St. Peter continues to safeguard the Church and its members today and will see that we are safe from harm and the machinations of the evil one. St. Peter will also teach us in our personal lives how to overcome our own vices to become true followers of Our Lord.
Built On A Rock
Feast Of Saints Peter & Paul 2021


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If there's one truth I've learned while traveling the world, it's to always follow the monks. Monks have good taste, and where monks tread, the rest of us will find luscious, verdant landscapes, ripe with culinary possibility. So it's no surprise that back in the 19th century, French priests settled British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, a rich parcel of land surrounded by mountains, glacial lakes and fruit orchards. Even then the valley must have looked like the Garden of Eden.
Around 1859, hungry, thirsty and, well, French, the priests planted the region's first grapes. They reasoned that if cherries, pears, apples and peaches thrived here, why not lusty grapes? Turned out, they were on to something. From grapes they made wine, and today, the Okanagan Valley is Canada's Napa Valley. It flaunts more than 120 wineries that put out equally impressive white and red varieties. Tourists flock to taste them along a legendary crop of wine routes.
I'm standing on a hilltop in Kelowna, the heart of Okanagan wine country at Mission Hill Family Estate, which is the best known of 29 wineries in this area. Like jade ribbons streaming downhill, rows of vines shimmy to Okanagan Lake's shores, stopping just short of its indigo waters. Before me, the wine compound beckons. A destination in itself, Mission Hill evokes a modern-day monastery. Tranquil and meditative, in spite of the throngs of oenophile tourists milling about, the estate's grounds and vistas replenish the soul. With gorgeous lake views, a 12-story campanile, curved arches that frame vineyards and a curious Roman-style oculus that diffuses natural light into subterranean wine cellars, the site dazzles visitors.
At top-rated Terrace Restaurant, guests nibble a bevy of epicurean courses under the wine-pairing tutelage of a bright sommelier. Inside the Wine Education Centre, I find a room dominated by a wall-sized Chagall tapestry and furnished with a shiny grand piano. Here, intimate concerts and tastings take place. Some wine events, too, occur in the Estate Room, where tasters enjoy fine wines under the double-vaulted ceiling, encircled with artifacts that range from a fourth-century B.C. Greek amphora to 17th-century English glass flagons recovered from a shipwreck.
Mission Hill oozes with artistic elan. But the proof is in the wine. Founded by Vancouver-born Anthony von Mandl, who negotiated the seminal vineyard acres thanks to the toss of a coin, the winery sets the standard for the region. It crafts prize-winning, complex, compelling wines, such as the 2010 Perpetua Chardonnay—a single vineyard, jasmine and fennel-infused wine that made me reconsider my abhorrence of the Chardonnay grape—and the signature 2009 Oculus, the winery's Bordeaux-style, chocolate-bodied pride and joy. In the summer, the winery sizzles with guests who come for wine tours, picnics, concerts, lectures and meals.
While Mission Hill and the wine trails of the Okanagan draw wine lovers, Kelowna, which sits astride a stunning bit of Okanagan Lake, also attracts vacationers in search of fresh air and the outdoors. The lake bustles with water activities, and the village presents myriad family-owned cafes, boutiques, galleries and bars. The wholesome yet artsy vibe fans out to the countryside where orchards, vineyards, fields of lavender and quaint farms punctuate the land.
Here, I eat the best tomatoes of my life, visit a beekeeper, shop for lavender soap and peer at the lake's limpid depths for mythical Ogopogo, a Loch Ness–like monster. There's a lot to do in Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley. But I don't have to rush: The sun rises sooner and sets later up north in the summer. In fact, I think there's time for one more winery.


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Whether you are entertaining for Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day or having a backyard cookout celebrating our great country, these 4th of July Desserts are perfect for the occasion! We've collected forty of the best 4th of July desserts, treats, and sweets and wanted to share them with you. Enjoy!
4th of July Desserts
2. USA Cookies
4. Red, White and Blue Raspberry Candy Bars
8. Red, White & Blue Stack Cupcakes
10. Double Decker Flag Cookies
11. Nutella Cookie Dough Pretzels
13. Meringue Cookies
14. American Flag Cupcakes Cake
15. Patriotic Ice Cream Sandwiches
17. Star Cookie Pops
18. Red, White & Blue Layered Flag Cake
19. Tie Dyed Fudge
21. Sparkling 4th of July Cake
22. Spiral Cookies
25. Spiral Cookies
26. Flag Cake
28. Red, White and Blue Layered Drinks
29. Red, White & Blueberry Lemonade Pops
30. Cheesecake Bites
31. Fireworks Cake
32. Red, White & Blue Parfaits
33. Cupcake Tops
37. 4th of July Desserts – Ice Cream Bars
38. Patriotic Trifle
39. Firecracker Red, White & Blue Cake
If you love these desserts, please share! 🙂


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Intimate, beautiful place for the couple, entirely made from local dry cedarwood.
Cosy double bed located nearby the big window and outdoor stone bathtub let you stay relaxed and closest to nature.
Bright, spacious place for two people will blow your mind with and amazing window view.
This cottage has two twin beds, and will be a good place for friends to stay and catch up.
With two levels upstairs and down stairs, this is the perfect setting for a family.
Luxury tents with handmade wood finishing, with stunning view to one of the summits of Mt. Nyiru range side… surrounded by lush green bush to give you that wilderness and special taste for morning coffee.


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J. Hara Store
Fishing Equipment &
Repair Services
Free Estimates on Repairs | Wide Selection of Products | Top-Of-The-Line Equipment
Fishing Equipment & Rod and Reel Repair
Looking for quality fishing gear for the fishing season? Stop by J Hara Store today for the fishing gear you need. We handle fishing equipment repair work as well
Our Selection of Fishing Equipment
- Rods
- Reels
- Fishing line
- Tackle
- Tackle boxes
- Trolling skirt and heads
- Boat equipment
- Rod wrapping supplies
- Fly tying tools and material
- Reel parts
Find Our Outdoor Sporting Equipment in Other Stores
Kona Ace Hardware & Crafts
Rod and Reel Repair
Having issues with your fishing tackle? Bring your rod and reel to J Hara Store and let us repair it for you. Our staff has many years of experience working with all sorts of tackle, and they can get your line back in the water fast!
The Best in Re-Lining and Mechanical Repairs
Count on superb reel re-lining and mechanical repair services, including:
Greasing of parts
Lubing bearings
Minor repairs
Replacing pole guides
Don't just take our word for it. Here what our clients are saying about us!
It was my first time there, it was very comfortable to ask what I'm looking for, I was referred by a friend, I was like ………, deals after deals after deals, I highly recommend others come an check it out like I did , top brands on sale.
Been to the store many times over the years while visiting our son. We always find great fishing gear to bring back to Alaska, or gear we might need for hunting or fishing in Hawaii. The store personal are knowledgeable and helpful.
Let's work together
Address: 17-343 Volcano Rd.
Kurtistown, HI 96760
Address: 3221 Waialae Ave. Unit 16-5A
Honolulu, HI 96816


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The ticket vending experience has transformed dramatically over the past few years. Due to the data revolution, traditional ticket vending machines which were previously enriched with sensors, connected devices, HD touchscreens, are now also backended with well-defined analytical tools. These terminals are centrally managed to provide high operational efficiency, ensure product availability, and maximize revenue.
The ever-changing market landscape is constantly pushing operators to further the overall customer experience. Today, customers demand a highly interactive, intelligent, and safe terminal, offering a seamless platform experience. As operators now plan to remodel their operations to meet newer customer expectations, they are inclined towards developing systems that push the bar of passenger satisfaction higher than ever before.
Conversational user interface for visually impaired
India is home to over 20% of the world's blind population. Interacting with traditional user interfaces can be challenging for people with visual disabilities. Many technological inferences that provide speech-based conversational interfaces and virtual assistants have served tremendous potential, particularly for this user group. Transit, too, being an essential activity, needs to be further simplified to enhance accessibility. Ticket Vending machines need to be equipped with assistive technology such as audio or tactile responses to ease usage.
VOI or voice-based user interface offers a more convenient and natural way to interact with devices creating a comfortable environment for almost everyone. This can be specifically beneficial for people with visual impairments, as this user group can consume digital services by speaking and listening. Further, these terminals could also accommodate braille-supported keypads or audio functions to assist the overall ease of use.
Creating a contactless & conversational vending experience
Technical innovations such as face recognition, voice assistants, IoT, advanced analytical integration are turning vending machines into efficient, convenient, and engaging interfaces. Cloud connectivity, IoT sensors, and analytics can enable vendors to track inventory levels and optimize delivery routes in real-time. Remote monitoring tools can also help manage uptime/downtime, run quality checks, prevent malfunction, and fix technical glitches regarding machine software. These backend tools have enabled operators to analyze purchasing patterns of buyers, peak hours and gauge overall terminal deployment success.
However, with the ongoing digitization boom, radical changes in the user interface are also expected. The pandemic has increased the importance of safety, and "physical contact" with foreign surfaces is now a thing of the past. As a result, the acceptance towards cashless and cardless transactions, digital wallets, RFID ticketing, gesture-based interactions, sensor-based gating systems has increased multifold over the last few years.
People also expect similar kinds of convenience, customization, and contactless services from kiosks and vending machines. Consequently, along with intelligence and innovation, many businesses are also searching for technical solutions that enable users to take forward the automated vending experience without the need of any physical contact.
Safe and convenient vending experience
A contactless vending machine equipped with the ability of conversational intelligence and advanced payment options is the need of the hour. Such automated vending machines are the key to the future of automated retailing. By using digital kiosks technology with AI, customers will have a self-service solution without the need to touch the screen.
Automated Ticket Vending Machines can also deliver all services in a contactless, customized, and human-like manner. The combination of cognitive intelligence and conversational interfaces will be able to provide a unique vending experience, ensuring greater accessibility to travel and transit.
Future of voice user interface for Visually Challenged
Voice user interfaces will only advance and dominate in the future as per future trends and predictions. The increase in personalized voice interface experiences and greater integration of voice user interfaces is likely to simplify our everyday lives. The predicted shift towards voice search in the future from text search, the use of voice device channel notifications, advertising through VUIs, and the need for better security of voice user interfaces to protect our personal information will be the highlight of technical advancements in the years to come.


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I found a similar recipe on line and tweaked it to be more conducive to what my family will eat. Now my family loved it so much I made a second batch almost as soon as I finished the first. And after dinner was served they asked for more. So this truly was a hit at my home.
Now I will go through the directions on how to replicate this in your own home. First you will need to cut up and dice an entire head of cauliflower and set it aside.
Now get a frying pan out and put 2 TBS on Avocado Oil in it.
Next, dice a whole small onion and saute it into the pan with one clove of garlic cut up.
Next, Saute in the entire head of Cauliflower. I added 3/4 cup of water to it to help it saute and not burn.
Next, add 1 cup of uncooked peas (I used frozen) and 3/4 cup of carrots (I used slivered). Be sure to stir them in well so they also cook.
Next, add Light Soy Sauce to taste. I added about 1/4 cup to my pan, and mix.
Then add 2 eggs, that have been beaten in a separate bowl into the mix and cook until the eggs are fully cooked and the entire pan is hot.
Voila, an amazing side dish, 100% vegetables and still has the texture of rice but minus the carbs rice brings. I doubled this batch with three teenage girls and had nothing left. They ate it all.
You could add any additional vegetables that you wanted and even more eggs. I wish I had a larger pan to fry a double batch in. Maybe I'll try it in the skillet next. The deeper edges would be helpful.


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Deep signs, traces that tell a story: a long experience in high-end upholstered furniture.
Choosing a bed is a rather delicate issue that deserves careful consideration. There are really many possibilities, and the most important thing is to make the right choice, which is the most suitable for us and our style, but above all that is in relation to the space and size of the reception place.
Many varieties and bed types are offered for each style. From the most minimal and essential to the most rustic or classic with rich moldings and undercuts, the beds adapt according to the style chosen for the whole room environment.
The modern beds
The modern bed: perfect solution for a bedroom in a modern or minimal style.
The essentiality in this case lies in preferring solutions with clean and essential lines that can satisfy the taste and sight of those who live in these spaces day and night, who feel they belong to this style, elegant, clean, linear.
When we choose a modern bed, the preference falls on light or black woods, steel, aluminum, leathers with minimal lines and strong or neutral shades, such as grays, blacks, whites in all their very pleasant variations.
Generally the purchase of a modern style bed is oriented by functional elements and easy cleaning, with removable covers in the case of upholstered beds in fabric, or washable and, certainly, easy to maintain.
Further all these characteristics, materials such leather give emotions that can make the difference: perfume, softness, naturality, seams stitches, finishes. Thanks The choice of an upholstered modern bed in leather is something that can be peerless as Divine by Cierre Imbottiti: contemporary elegance.


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Five firms sought to build new women's prison
The bidding process for firms to design and build a new £75 million women's prison in Greenock has opened.
The Scottish Prison Service is looking for five companies to be involved in the construction process.
The new 300-cell HMP Inverclyde is expected to replace the country's only female prison – Corton Vale near Stirling – and will house high-risk and long-term female inmates.
The prison was originally proposed to replace Gateside Prison, also in Greenock, but this was later changed as part of a 'shake-up' in the way female prisoners are treated. The new facility will be located on Inverkip Road, which was formerly the site of St Columba's High School.
It will accommodate for 350 female offenders, while associated prisoner activity facilities, visits facilities, staff facilities and admin facilities are also included in the proposals.
An invitation to tender is expected to be issued to the selected firms in early January, while the prison itself is expected to open in 2017.
Further information can be found on the Public Contracts Scotland website here.


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At last weekend's PTQ, I ultimated Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker seven times.
I'm pretty sure I'm the only person to have ever uttered or written those words, and it feels good to be able to say them. I ended up for eleventh, and feel like my deck — Nicol Bolas and all — could have easily won the PTQ had I played slightly better in both of the matches I lost.
But… Nicol Bolas in Extended? I know I have some explaining to do. It's probably best I go back to the start.
I played Dark Depths to a 6-2 finish at the PTQ two weeks ago. I had played the deck a lot, tweaked it, tested it over and over, and even played it in several other events. But it wasn't until the PTQ that it actually clicked: the entire format has been warped to revolve around the Thopter Foundry combo. Not the Marit Lage token, mind you. A 20/20 is threatening, but people could already deal with that. But the endless swarm of 1/1 tokens has forced the zoo decks to include a full set of Bant Charms and Qasali Pridemages, caused people to sideboard cards like Damping Matrix, and invalidated any deck which can't beat such a combination.
At dinner that night, all of the pieces fell into place and epiphany struck: the format had become entirely inbred as a result of tunnel vision. As I was getting up to leave, I snapped my head back around and left a statement hanging in the air. I declared that everybody was focusing on the wrong things. The right deck to play was one that ignored all of the hate targeting everybody else while simultaneously crippling the opponent's linear plan.
I never had plans to play with Nicol Bolas in a PTQ. It just turned out that way.
Despite my lofty claim, I was planning to just refine my decklist and play with Dark Depths again. The first part of that still happened. I was never all-in on Nicol Bolas. I have a Dark Depths list sitting on my laptop I would have happily played. But a strange thing happened along the way, as they often seem to do..
I went on the internet to check out how everyone else's PTQ had went the day after my PTQ. You know, the standard. People losing in the top four with Depths, a variety of 1-2 drop bad beat stories, and people debating which version of Zoo in the top 8 of their PTQ was better. But amidst all of these lie a gem hidden behind the jewelry display case. John Treviranus, creator of Boat Brew, had posted up a list him and his friend had both played to a 6-2 finish at the same Midwest PTQ they were calling Grixis Haterator.
I'll admit, I thought it looked awful. I'm sure you're going to have a similar reaction to the decklist I post below as I had to his original list. Cute. Weird. Fun. Perhaps even garbage. But not nearly good enough for Extended. I would have dismissed it entirely had I not seen the double 6-2 result, showing it had two consistent finishes and not just a streak of one player's good luck. I gave it the light of day and started playing a few games.
At first I ran a 10 game set against Zoo. 7-3. That couldn't be right. Then I went for 10 games post-board. 8-2. Okay, maybe it just has a good zoo matchup. Let's try Depths. 6-4 game one. Huh? 7-postboard. Now this has to just all be variance. Let's try Bant. 8-2 preboard. 8-2 postboard.
I looked across my history of games and matchup data playing with Dark Depths to double check. My suspicions were true: I was getting results which matched or exceeded Dark Depths with another deck. An absurd rogue deck, at that.
Out of all the people I tested with, only Zaiem Beg kept an open enough mind to continue working on the deck. Everyone else chalked its up wins up to the unimaginable, answering my data with a shrug of their shoulders and uttering the word variance.
I contacted John, Zaiem, and Brian Kowal, who I had heard had also been playing the deck, and we began to collaborate on the deck. With our testing combined, we made several positive changes. Counterspells were cut. Sorin Markhov was taken out. Repeals were added. The sideboard was modified. More games were played. Jaces were splurged for, and the deck was built on Magic Online. Hours of testing were put in, and the results never waivered. It turned out Zaiem couldn't go, so I was sent with this deck to the PTQ as a lone soldier marching into battle.
With that seven hundred and fifty word preamble in mind, hopefully you will be able to hold the creases of your mind open as you let this decklist enter.
Planeswalkers (5)
Lands (20)
Spells (35)
- 3 Night of Souls' Betrayal
- 4 Terminate
- 4 Blood Moon
- 4 Thirst for Knowledge
- 4 Chrome Mox
- 1 Compulsive Research
- 2 Dimir Signet
- 3 Repeal
- 2 Rakdos Signet
- 3 Wrecking Ball
- 4 Damnation
- 1 Liliana Vess
It should be noted that upon arriving to the PTQ, I saw zero dredge decks and one living end deck, while I did see a handful of Teachings decks and some rogue blue control decks. As a result, I last-minute cut the Leylines for the fourth Deathmark, two Akroma, Angel of Fury, and a fourth Night of Souls' Betrayal. (Indeed, I was later told there were a single dredge deck and only two Living End decks in the entire event.)
Somehow, I have the feeling I'm going to have to explain how this deck works.
This is, at its core a planeswalker control deck with Jace as its centerpiece. If you cast Jace, look at their top card and leave it there, and they have no board presence, the game is almost always over. It's just like how Patrick Chapin U/W control deck in Standard relies on Jace to win, if you want to make some comparisons.
It may seem like this is a difficult task in Extended, a blistering fast format full of action. However, that's where the deck's haterator components come in. Cards like Blood Moon and Night of Souls' Betrayal shut off whatever the opponent is doing to the point where, if you are Jaceing them, it is fundamentally impossible for them to get out of it in the meager five turns they have
Of course, sometimes casting a turn two Jace doesn't hurt either.
You have backup planeswalkers as extra win conditions and to help wretch control of the game if necessary. (Though I think I might cut the Liliana for another Compulsive research going forward.)
And then you have Wrecking Ball for… Well, let me run down the decklist, card by card.
First up, the manabase. This manabase is beautiful to my eyes. Twelve basic lands mean you won't take very much damage, and you are also (obviously) Blood Moon immune. (One Elves player boarded in Blood Moon against me. Whoops.)
The fetchlands and three dual lands are just to help your mana work early on if you need to, but often you are just fixing your mana by fetching basics. Between your lands, Chrome Mox, and your Signets, mana is seldom an issue. On rare occasions it can hiccup, but far less then most other major decks.
The twenty lands may look low, but between them, four Moxes, four Signets, and all of the time in the world under a Blood Moon, you are often fine to cast your expensive spells. You can always stick them under a Mox or discard them to Thirst/Compulsive Research if you need to.
Mox is imperative for this deck. Being able to turn two Blood Moon, cast a Damnation or Jace a turn early, fix your mana, and turn on your removal spells quicker against beatdown is an excellent asset to have. You can't play this deck with less that four. By the same token, the signets accelerate you into four drops, give you absurd opening draws with a first turn Mox, and fix your mana for you. They are split 2 and 2 because you always want to draw one and one, as opposed to two of one or the other. I would kind of like a fifth Signet, but you do have to be careful you don't flood out in the midgame.
The entire format is susceptible to Blood Moon right now. It's very good against every major deck I would expect to face save for something like Boros or Elves, and a turn two (or even one!) Blood Moon means they won't have time to set up their lands. I don't think I need to explain why Blood Moon is good. However, there is another card which could use some explanation. By far the card which is scrutinized the most by everybody. And that's Wrecking Ball.
A lot of players think they're clever by fetching their basics against Blood Moon. That's where Wrecking Ball comes in. Zoo will fetch their Forest or whatever, you'll Wrecking Ball it, and then they will be locked out under a Blood Moon, save for Bolts and Tribal Flames. I have played games where it is actually impossible for Zoo to win even if they drew every burn spell in their deck.
You might be thinking, "well, that's situational." And it is. However, Wrecking Ball is a perfectly fine removal spell in this deck. Often games will just hit this point where you have all the mana you need and it's just a matter of answering their threats, which Wrecking Ball does just fine. Wrecking Ball also has a myriad of other uses, from turning off a lethal Scapeshift (surprise!), to destroying Dark Depths in response to Vampire Hexmage, to just manascrewing an opponent. At one point, when we were looking to cut cards, we decided we would rather remove a Terminate than Wrecking Ball. You don't want to have a hand clogged on them, but Wrecking Ball is integral to this deck and I would definitely play three.
Part of the reason this deck beats beatdown is because of its removal suite. Between Wrecking Ball, Terminate, and Damnation, you can pretty readily mitigate their defenses. The beatdown decks aren't set up very well to handle a Wrath effect, and the spot removal ensures that they can't get through either if they decide to play coy and hold onto creatures. Wiping beatdown's board pre or post Blood Moon is usually game over.
Night of Souls' Betrayal is a very interesting hate card. In the matchups where it's good, it's absolutely backbreaking. Depths can't do anything while it's in play, and Elves is pretty much done for unless they have an Archdruid, which shouldn't be hard to deal with, and against Boros it locks out their creatures. At the same time, it's a dead card against Hypergenesis or Living End, and decidedly mediocre against Zoo. However, the beauty of this deck is you can always imprint cards on Mox or discard them to Thirst, so playing something like Night of Souls' Betrayal maindeck is okay. With the metagame I expected I wanted to play three, and I was happy doing so. John and I discussed this at length, and we could definitely see metagames where two would be better. It depends on your expected metagame.
The Repeals were added for a few reasons. First off, most of the times you lost to Dark Depths it was because they had a fast Marit Lage. While Thopter-Sword can be dealt with over the course of a few turns if you could dig into something like Night of Souls' Betrayal, the deck only had a few answers to a 20/20 in the first four turns. Repeal makes losing that way a lot more difficult.
Second, I was losing some games to beatdown just because they would have a random Tarmogoyf or something in play post Blood Moon. Under Blood Moon, Repeal acts essentially as a removal spell. It's also fine against beatdown in general, buying you time and digging you further. I was happy with all three.
In a deck which just needs to dig to a few key components, having good draw spells is crucial. The five draw 'em ups help you recoup cards and find your removal against beatdown. I would be happy to add a sixth.
Finally, the planeswalkers. Jace is how you usually win and very very strong in a deck like this, so it's clear why he is necessary. Liliana was added as another way to win and to tutor for the cards you need, but in retrospect she probably was unnecessary. Despite her one of her nature, her and I had an unusual relationship because she seemed to appear in my hand at least once per match. While she is good when you're on parity or ahead, another expensive spell isn't going to help dig you out of a bad situation when you're behind and I think I would rather have something cheaper. (Like the aforementioned Compulsive Research.)
And then there's Nicol Bolas. He is completely necessary because he gives you another way to win and to send the game utterly out of their reach. Whether it's destroying their permanents under a Blood Moon, making sure you don't lose to several creatures long game, or just killing them by ultimating three times (eventually you have to start destroying your own permanents to up his loyalty, but such is life), Bolas is an important card to have for the late game. While he does cost 8, this deck can ramp up pretty fast just and has the removal spells to get into the long game position.
And then there's the sideboard.
An excellent facet about this deck is that few decks have many cards they can bring in against you because the format has been warped. The most you will see are a couple of bounce spells, Meddling Mage, and Negate. Fortunately, you're always becoming a much better deck after sideboarding while they are grasping at ways to cut their Path to Exiles.
Dredge and Living End are rough matchups, but if you have a Leyline against either you're generally in pretty good shape because you are also boarding in Negates to deal with whatever answers they have. As mentioned earlier, you don't need Leyline if you don't expect very much of either of those two decks; you don't board it in against Dark Depths.
Negates are very, very good. The night before the PTQ I went up to four Negate and down to three Deathmark. Zoo and Bant are matchups you are already pretty good in, whereas the matchups you want Negate in are ones where you can use some help like Dredge, Living End, Hypergenesis, and U/G Scapeshift.
Thoughtseize is to help you out against control strategies. Often you just need to force through a Jace to win, and make sure they don't execute whatever plan they might have. Additionally, they help to make sure you don't lose to an absurd Dark Depths draw, as well as making sure they can't sculpt a fundamental bounce turn going long.
The Deathmarks are a clean swap for Night of Souls' Betrayal against Zoo, and just help reduce the number of ways you can lose.
As far as sideboarding strategies for matchups go, here is how to play each matchup and what to bring in.
Dark Depths
-4 Damnation, -2 Terminate
+4 Thoughtseize, +2 Negate
You are a favorite in this matchup. It's not overwhelmingly so, but you have a redundancy of cards that are good against them so it is difficult for a single Thoughtseize to just tear apart their plan. You bring in Thoughtseize to slow them down and disrupt their plan further, and 2 Negate to turn off their bounce spells or to stop an early Thopter Foundry. You want to leave some Terminates in so you can deal with Dark Confidant or force a Vampire Hexmage activation.
-3 Night of Souls' Betrayal
+3 Deathmark
You are favorite in this matchup, and have numerous cards which are good against them. Pridemage may look like an issue, but it's not that bad unless they have multiples. There are all kinds of different varieties of zoo, but the only one which is a little worse (though still advantaged) for you is Boggemes Zoo simply because they are more resilient to Blood Moon and have Boom Bust. But generally, I would be happy playing against different flavors of Zoo every round.
Conley Woods Bant
-1 Liliana Vess, -2 Repeal
+3 Deathmark
Night of Souls' Betrayal is surprisingly good against them, as the only real creature that lives through it is Tarmogoyf and Treetop Village. (And Stoneforge Mystic, which is seldom relevant.) However, if they've swapped to have Rhox War Monks maindeck as many players have, then just do a straight swap of Night of Souls Betrayal for Deathmark.
Be wary that they have access to their own Jaces and Mana Leak. Other than that, the matchup is pretty favorable.
-3 Night of Souls' Betrayal, -3 Repeal -2 Terminate
+4 Negate, +4 Thoughtseize
Game one is all about Blood Moon. If you cast it, they probably can't win. You definitely want to aggressively mulligan for it. If you don't have Blood Moon, you're probably going to lose unless they don't have a cascade card and you have a Jace. After sideboarding the matchup turns extremely in your favor because you gain 8 disruption spells, while they gain very little and still have no way to beat a Blood Moon
Living End
-4 Blood Moon -3 Repeal, -3 Night of Souls' Betrayal, -2 Terminate
+4 Leyline of the Void, +4 Negate, +4 Thoughtseize
Game one is fairly miserable most of the time, though Fulminator Mage is fortunately bad against you. If they play poorly and set up a non-lethal living end you can sometimes Wrath them and then Jace them, but even then that's not great because Jace is pretty mediocre against a deck full of cycling cards. After boarding, though, this matchup becomes very favorable between Leyline, Thoughtseize, and negate. Be wary of Thought Hemorrhage and Maelstrom Pulse, but you should be fine.
-4 Blood Moon, -3 Repeal, -1 Terminate
+4 Leyline of the Void, +4 Negate
Game one is pretty miserable. Game two gets better if you put Leyline into play. You can deal with all of their creatures, and Night of Souls' Betrayal is surprisingly good because it stops their awkward beatdown plan entirely save for Grave-Trolls. Blood Moon is rarely good against them even with Leyline, so it comes out.
-4 Blood Moon, -2 Wrecking Ball, -1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
+4 Thoughtseize, +3 Deathmark
Though it is a removal spell and can make their Pacts disastrous, Wrecking Ball is just a little too slow against them and I would rather have Repeal though you can cut Repeal instead. Other than that, a pretty straightforward plan. This matchup is very good for you between Night, Damnation, and all of your pinpoint removal spells.
Mono Red Burn
-4 Blood Moon, -4 Damnation
+4 Negate, +4 Thoughtseize
Out of all the matchups you could face, this is the one you want to face the least. Fortunately, its way down in popularity from the start of the season because most of the people playing it have switched to Boros. While it still exists, you can easily get through the tournament without playing it once. If you have to face it, all I can offer is good luck, get a good draw, and play tight.
-4 Blood Moon, -1 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker
+4 Negate, +1 Deathmark
The only card Deathmark kills is Steppe Lynx (and the one Grunt, I suppose,) so it's fairly mediocre.
This matchup is close, but slightly favorable. If you just contain their creatures early or land a Night, it's very hard for them to win with just burn alone. Unlike mono red burn, which is very, very bad for you, the fact that Boros relies on creatures makes it much better.
U/G/r Scapeshift
-4 Damnation, -4 Terminate
+4 Negate, +4 Thoughtseize
This matchup is very tight and right around the 50% line. Blood Moon trumps them, but they will have bounce. If they have a bunch of counters, it can be difficult to win though Negate and Thoughtseize help a lot after sideboarding. It's a nailbiter matchup, but if you play tightly and have an alright draw you should be okay. You have to be aggressive in this matchup; they will beat you going long because they have a better endgame plan and more countermagic.
R/G Scapeshift
-3 Repeal, -3 Night of Souls' Betrayal, -2 Damnation
+4 Negate, +4 Thoughtseize
Unlike its blue brethren, R/G Scapeshift is a great matchup. Their creatures are puny and easily dealt with, and you should be able to beat their combo fairly easily. Punishing Fire is a mild annoyance against Jace, but Blood Moon shuts that off entirely. The only way they can win is a Scapeshift, and postboard that's not going to happen.
So there you have it. Ultimecia. That's everything we've found with the deck. Now, it's in your hands to try out and tweak. A few things I want to try out are Exile into Darkness and Ancestral Vision, and I'm sure you have some ideas too. The only thing I want to saw, since I'm positive it will come up in the forums, is this deck does absolutely not want Cruel Ultimatum. Everyone suggests it, but the card does not do anything in this deck. The five damage is irrelevant and removing one creature is mediocre in Extended, so mostly it's just for the discard, draw, and life. And at that point, I'd rather have Sorin or Nicol Bolas.
If you have any questions regarding this deck, post them in the forums or e-mail me at gavintriesagain at gmail dot com and I would be happy to answer them. While the deck definitely had surprise value it may not retain anymore, all of our playtesting was done assuming it was a top eight and we had full knowledge of the other person's decklist. Even without surprise value the deck still put up amazing numbers, and I am confident this deck is still very good. If you're PTQing this weekend, give this deck a serious try. Some of the cards may look weird, but they're there for a reason. The deck is very, very good, and I look forward to talking about it with you.
Gavin Verhey
Team Unknown Stars
Rabon on Magic Online, Lesurgo everywhere else


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Can you get a degree with an online course?
It is often difficult for a person, whether a student or an employee, to acquire new knowledge and obtain a diploma due to lack of time. But nowadays, thanks to the evolution of technology, one has the possibility to learn…Read more


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I have participated in a lot of stupid and–if I am being completely honest–willful sinning in my life.
I can't blame my sins on not knowing any better. I was taught right from wrong. It's just, occasionally (often) I chose the wrong.
So I make it a point to try to forgive everyone, as quickly as I can. Because I'm counting on being forgiven when I die.
Now, if forgiving is difficult for you, maybe you just don't understand it. When you forgive someone who has wronged you, you are not saying what the aggressors did was right, or even justified. What you are saying is, "I give the responsibility of judging those who have wronged me to God, who knows so much more than I do. And who can judge perfectly." Forgiveness is not something you give to someone so his sin will be gone. You don't have that authority or power. Forgiveness is something you give to yourself, medicine for your own soul, so you can be released from anguish and start to heal.
I like this quote from C.S. Grow. (I agree with it completely.)
"Through His Atonement, He heals not only the transgressor, but He also heals the innocent who suffer because of those transgressions. As the innocent exercise faith in the Savior and in His Atonement and forgive the transgressor, they too can be healed."
If there is someone who has wronged you and you forgive them it doesn't mean that they get away with what they did. God will still judge them. But you don't need to hang onto it any longer. You can live your life STRESS FREE knowing that God will judge (perfectly) if they deserve to get off—or if they deserve to pay a big penalty.
Please note, it doesn't say, "I will forgive everyone who asks me to forgive them who I think really means it." And it doesn't say, "I will forgive everyone who has wronged me in the past and I feel like enough time has gone by." And it doesn't say, "it's okay if you say, 'I'll forgive them, but I'll never forget!'" And it doesn't say, "since they wrecked my life, I can hold onto this grudge a little longer." The Lord said YOU ARE REQUIRED TO FORGIVE.


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It was in the Spring of 2019 when the tulips were just beginning to make their appearance that this print showed its first beginnings in my mind. I started with the shape of tulip leaves and geometric-like tulip flowers and added ornate detail to each one of them. From there, I took it to the carving stage. After stamping the block hundreds of times (this always takes longer than expected), I uploaded the stamped pieces to digitize them and create a repeat.
My hope when you look at this print, is that it conjures up the deep joy one feels as they think of the first scents, warmth and possibility that spring brings. Available in three colour ways, Annie was created to add a playful, whimsy to your pillow mix!